Scraps of trash bump and move across the pavement like tumbleweeds—past the barren tree, past the large cardboard box on the curb and two trash bags. Kensington is chilly—I hug myself as I walk—but inside the Over Easy Breakfast Club, my hands begin to warm up.
It’s late morning on a Friday, and the restaurant is decently full—it’s apparently a popular time for regulars. They’re an eccentric bunch (two of nine patrons don beanies), which makes sense as this is an eccentric brunch spot (we’re surrounded by drop lights and plants). The host hands us a crinkled paper menu: “Over Easy Breakfast Club, Est. 2018.”
This joint might be young, but it certainly knows how to brunch. We start off with the Monkey Bread ($5)—a golden brown loaf the size of a small melon. Like most of the bread offered here, the Monkey Bread is sourced from Kensington–based Lost Bread Co., located only a mile away. The Monkey Bread stews in a pool of warm caramel, prepared from the chef’s great–great–great–grandparent’s recipe. It’s warm, sufficiently sweet, and pulls apart with ease, making it a perfect starter to share. It is glistening and crunchy on the outside, flaky on the inside. The flavors deepen when I spoon on the caramel sauce.
The Monkey Bread is followed by the Pancakes ($9), a dense triple–stack of griddled batter. The pancakes are adorned with a handful of assorted berries, sugar dust, syrup, and a metal tin of whipped walnut honey butter. They’re a tad salty and less fluffy than I’m used to. For a restaurant to goof on such a breakfast basic would be a red flag. Luckily for Over Easy, the pancakes are otherwise pretty solid. They pass.
The Yelp headliner and star of the show, however, is the Dinosaur Egg ($16). It’s one of the pricier items on the menu, and certainly the most hyped. This prehistoric concoction consists of an egg wrapped in an avocado wrapped in bacon. At $16, you’re paying for an admittedly ambitious concept, but Over Easy pulls it off.
Sidled with toast of choice and rested upon a mound of arugula, the Dinosaur Egg pleases both palate and Instagram story. The avocado offers zero resistance to the gentle dig of a fork, and the over–easy egg inside melts just as easily. The strips of bacon wrapped around the entire contraption are as smoky as they are crispy, which is to say: delicious. When you slice the whole thing open—quickly, diagonally—wisps of heat escape. It tastes nearly as good as it looks.
Our die–hard campus brunch locales have served us well, but Philly has more to offer. Over Easy Breakfast Club is but a twenty–minute Septa ride away; in other words, twenty minutes from some quality morning noms. It’s a very small price to pay.
TL;DR: Brunch off the beaten path. No regrets.
Location: 2302 E Norris St, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Hours: Fri–Sun 8am–3pm
Price: $/$$
