EggHaus Gourmet
Managed to snag Soft VIP Opening tickets thanks to a tip by the food bestie. The $7 ticket allowed entry and ensured a choice of either: 1 egg sandwich, 2 tacos, or 3 kolaches (savory or sweet) with the option to purchase additional items which also included pastries and drinks.
I had no trouble finding parking when I arrived around 9AM to a friendly staff member standing outside. She took my ticket information and exchanged it for an actual ticket stub with explanations as to how the ordering process worked. Each of the staff members inside were also friendly and patiently answered questions about the menu items.
With two ticket stubs on hand (I purchased 2), I ended up with 2 tacos, 3 kolaches, a matcha croissant, and an iced matcha latte. In hindsight, I wished I would have ordered an extra egg sandwich as well.
The Gaucho wasn’t especially unique and the bacon/egg combination was a bit on the dry side. However, the El Jefe (Barbacoa) was incredibly tender and flavorful — definitely something I would order again. I would have liked to have tried their specialty Barbacoa Kolache as well, but they already ran out at this point in the morning. I suspect the kitchen was in the process of making more for the later groups.
As for the kolaches, I feel I should preface what I’m about to say next by admitting that I’m not a kolache connoisseur. While I eat them when they’re made available to me, I don’t go out of my way to visit The Kolache Factory or any other similar establishments that offer kolaches. When I AM in the mood for one, it’s usually for the cheapie sausage and cheese versions at Shipley Do-Nuts. There’s just something about their soft breading I find enjoyable even though the sausage they use is probably of questionable origin.
With that said, I ended up ordering the German Bratwurst, Smoked Polish, and the Sweet Cream Cheese with Melted Strawberries. The sweet kolache was definitely better than any I’ve eaten from The Kolache Factory and the sausage/bratwurst was flavorful and clearly made from high quality meat. The downside was that I wasn’t fond of the meat to bread ratio and found the breading too dough-y and dry for my taste. That seems to be general consensus I have about kolaches in general and is NOT meant as a criticism for EggHaus Gourmet.
While I’m in the habit of ordering my matcha lattes half sweet, I found it refreshing that their matcha latte was automatically made unsweet. For those who prefer a sweeter version, I believe I saw sugar available on one of the side tables.
The highlight of my visit besides the matcha latte, was definitely the matcha croissant. Freshly baked croissant with matcha (and gold coloring) drizzled over it as an icing, it was by far one of the best matcha items I’ve had in the heights. I can easily see myself braving the weekend brunch crowd just to grab one along with a matcha latte. Good thing they do online orders and take-out.
So while I wasn’t ecstatic about everything I ordered, there were enough items I liked that I would visit again and easily recommend it to others.
Attire: Casual
Family Friendly: Yes
Price Range: $ (Under $10)
2042 E T C Jester Blvd
Houston, TX 77008
(713) 489-6719