CBR’s Egg and Bacon Rolls

Posted on 15 December, 2015

Egg and Bacon rolls – the Breakfast of Champions

Those who follow HerCanberra might be aware that I’m a bit of a keen runner – Amanda mentions it in the odd article and occasionally steals my early morning photos for her own purposes.

One of the great things about running long distances is the calorie burn. I see this as an enabler to then eat and drink more, thus maintaining equilibrium in the galaxy. Some nutritionists disagree with this approach but hey, whatever.

Last year, I was training for the New York City Marathon, meaning we had the dreaded Saturday ‘long run’ where talk inevitably turns to food, as that is the reward at the end of the run. And the most favoured food group in my small running clique is the egg and bacon roll (EBR).

Nothing tastes quite as good after a few hours of running as an egg and bacon roll. We’ve spent hours chatting about them over the years, with a recent discussion about who serves the best egg and bacon roll in Canberra. After I had shared my exhaustive knowledge of the topic, a mate suggested I should write a story for HerCanberra. We all agreed it was in the public interest to share our knowledge on a topic of such significance.

And so here before you is a review of 10 egg and bacon rolls.

There is no nutritional value to this story, it’s all about who serves the most eggs, the best cooked bacon and the all-important bun or bread in which it is all contained.  We will also explore and critique those who attempt to mess with the formula by adding often unnecessary embellishments such as relish, jam or (heaven forbid) some sort of greenery.

These reviews are not based on reputation or culinary excellence. There was no exhaustive market research. Price is not a determinant. It’s just the café closest to the end of the run who have space for a bunch of sweaty and smelly runners!

There are four criteria, each scored out of five, with bonus or penalty points on offer. The candidates are presented for you in alphabetical order:

EBR 1: The Cupping Room

An interpretive effort with some creative additions, well played chaps!

Eggs – good job (4)
Bacon – truly superb Pialligo Estate, utter perfection (5)
Roll – good, but nothing exceptional (3)
Sauce – house made Costa Rican BBQ sauce is great! (4)
Bonus – guacamole an innovative addition (+1)

Result: 17 out of 20

The Cupping Room | 1/1-13 University Avenue | thecuppingroom.com.au | (02) 6257 6412 | 7am-4pm weekdays, 8am-3pm weekends

EBR 2: Debacle

A good solid EBR that we’d eat again any day, also served very quickly.

Eggs – commendably high standard (4)
Bacon – good quantity, but nothing special (3)
Roll – yeah OK, but nothing special (3)
Sauce – classic BBQ, quantity perfect! (4)
Bonus – quickest EBR served ever… (+1)

Result: 15 out of 20

Debacle | 24 Lonsdale Street Braddon | debacle.com.au | (02) 6247 1314 | 8am-midnight weekdays, 8.30am-midnight weekends

EBR 3 – Elk and Pea

Damn this is one big EBR. A feast. High expectations given its recent “People’s Choice” title from OutinCanberra .

Eggs – well done, eggs are spot on!!! (5)
Bacon – Elk and Pea you have excelled, bacon is plentiful (5)
Roll – not on par with the bacon, a little plain (3)
Sauce – good but a little light on for my taste (3)
Bonus or penalty – NA

Result: 16 out of 20

Elk and Pea | 21 Lonsdale Street Braddon | elkandpea.com.au | (02) 6162 0222 | 8am-3pm and 6pm-10pm Tuesday-Sunday 

EBR 4 – EQ Cafe

An unbeatable effort, served quickly, meaning no hangry runners.

Eggs – superb, two of them, perfectly cooked (5)
Bacon – excellent, lots of it, cooked well (5)
Roll – tasty, brioche style, not too sweet (5)
Sauce – good taste, quantity and placement correct (4)
Bonus or penalty – NA

Result: 19 out of 20

EQ | 70 Kent Street Deakin | eqcafe.com.au | Mon – Thurs 7am – 4.30pm, Friday 7am – till late, Saturday 7am – 2pm

EBR 5 – Farmers Daughter

A gourmet effort – this is the most beautifully plated EBR I have seen!

Eggs – beautiful free range, perfectly cooked (5)
Bacon – also excellent, this is quality produce (4)
Roll – looks good, but a bit doughey (3)
Sauce – not a fan, more like a relish? (3)
Penalty – greenery like this does not belong on an EBR! (-1)

Result: 14 out of 20

Farmers Daughter | 27 B Bentham Street | facebook.com/Farmers-Daughter | (02) 6281 2233 | Mon-Fri 7am-3pm, 8am-2pm weekends

EBR 6 – Highgate Ln. Coffee Roasters

The little café hidden off the laneway has some interesting blackboard options on offer…

Eggs – free range and perfectly cooked, awesome (5)
Bacon – Pialligo Estate, giddy up! (5)
Roll – a shame, it was all going so well. (3)
Sauce – OMG BBQ sauce and Aioli together, loving it!!! (4)
Penalty – too much oil fellas, there’s grease everywhere (-1)

Result: 16 out of 20

Highgate Ln. Coffee Roasters | Cusacks Centre, Kingston | facebook.com/Highgate-Ln-Coffee-Roasters | (02) 6260 7263

EBR 7 – The Meating Room

Surprise option, dropped in for a coffee and they had an EBR on offer, needless to say I ate one.

Eggs – good effort, very well cooked (4)
Bacon – super tasty, good quantity, v nice (4)
Roll – the only letdown, a little stale? (3)
Sauce – yes just right thanks, no drowning here (3)
Bonus – the cheese was a nice addition! (1)

Result: 15 out of 20

The Meating Room | 45 Liardet Street, Weston Creek | meatingroom.com.au | 02 6288 6328 | Monday 7.30am-4pm, Tues-Sun 7.30am-midnight

EBR 8 – Ona on the Lawns

Ona is the stuff of coffee legend, is their EBR (under another name) of the same standard as their coffee???

Eggs – excellent eggs and very well cooked (5)
Bacon – now that is a slab of bacon, drool… (5)
Roll – brioche style, very good thanks (4)
Sauce – capsicum and chilli relish is delicious (4)
Bonus or penalty – NA

Result: 18 out of 20

Ona on the Lawns | Shop 4 Palmerston Ln, Griffith (Manuka shops) | onacoffee.com.au | (02) 6395 0057 | Weekdays 7am-4.30pm, weekends 8am-3pm

EBR 9 – Shannon’s Car Show

An opportunistic EBR when we spotted a catering van (served by Vietnam Vets) at the end of a run near the lake.

Eggs – acceptable, but only one (3)
Bacon – overcooked (2)
Roll – maybe from Coles (1)
Sauce – you want sauce? No sauce for you! (0)
Bonus – served by veterans, money goes to charity! (5)

Result: 11 out of 20

Check out the Vietnam Veterans & Veterans Federation ACT Inc Food Van tour dates here.

EBR 10 – Wheat and Oats

An interesting little spot in Phillip, surprisingly busy on a Saturday morning!

Eggs – simply perfect (5)
Bacon – cooking was perfect, rendered fat so tasty (5)
Roll – another brioche style bun, just right! (4)
Sauce – HP sauce works, bonus cheese just right (4)
Penalty – fried onions didn’t work (-2)

Result: 16 out of 20

Wheat and Oats | 2 Colbee Ct, Phillip | wheatandoats.com.au |(02) 6162 0644 | Weekdays 7am-3pm, Saturday 7.30am-12pm, Sunday 9am-1pm

The Verdict!

We therefore have HisCanberra’s top three

1. EQ Café – 19 out of 20 = top effort, king of the EBRs!
2. Ona – 18 out of 20 = also superb, I’ll be back for many more…
3. Cupping Room – 17 out of 20 = interesting and creative option, you surprised me!

A few points to mention to our dear readers.

Elk and Pea

This was not on my radar until OutinCanberra published Elk and Pea as the winner of the 2015 People’s Choice Awards “Where does the tastiest bacon and egg roll live?” Needless to say I felt it was my duty to consume one immediately and add it to the test! It was indeed a good effort, but in my view not worthy of a spot on the podium.

38 Espresso

I was excited to see a bacon and poached egg bagel promoted on the Kingston Foreshore page on Facebook, with Pialligo Estate bacon and a sous-vide egg. I dutifully ordered one a fortnight ago and was instead given a bagel with cold-smoked salmon and dill cream cheese. Delicious indeed but not what I ordered… Maybe next time?

RiotAct

Did a great article last year and were the reason for my visit to Ona. I enjoyed their story and would like to pay my respects to their egg and bacon rolls consumption efforts past and present. You were right, the Ona effort was pretty good, taking out second place!

Calories Consumed

Having just written this article I am horrified at the calories I have consumed to bring this story to you, the dear readers of Her/HisCanberra. I Googled “egg and bacon roll calories” and according to myfitnesspal.com a generic EBR is about 550 calories, meaning the pretty pictures above are about 5,500 calories or about 2.5 days worth of the average daily intake.

In my defence the New York Marathon (which was great, thanks for asking) burned 3,300 calories in just over three hours so I don’t feel so bad about it!

YOUR FAVOURITE EBR NOT HERE?

Training continues, so I’ll be consuming many more of these little puppies over the coming months. I welcome any suggestions for new EBR options, email editor@hercanberra.com.au with your ideas!