Poutine and pancakes, anyone?
The culinary offerings in Columbia’s Merriweather District continued to grow this week with the entrance of Canadian chain Eggspectation on Tuesday. Originally set to arrive last summer, the eatery joins the ranks with Peter Chang, Medium Rare, Busboys and Poets, Smashing Grapes and other restaurants that operate in the Howard Hughes Corporation-owned development near Merriweather Post Pavilion.
An unnamed spokesperson for Eggspectation said the 5,400-square-foot dining room can seat 128, while the covered patio can hold 35. The restaurant at 6100 Merriweather Drive serves brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktails and is open daily from 7 a.m. til 9 p.m.
This is the chain’s first restaurant in Howard County since the 2023 closure of Eggspectation in Ellicott City, which reopened as JAM Eateries. Eggspectation franchises operate throughout Canada, the Middle East and South Asia as well as multiple eateries in Maryland, including in Owings Mills, Timonium and Gambrills. Additional locations are set to open in Annapolis and Burtonsville this year.
Founded in Montreal in 1993, Eggspectation offers a menu that reflects its French Canadian roots as well as the Italian heritage of its CEO, Enzo Renda. Items include breakfast dishes like pancakes and omelettes as well as pizzas, pastas and multiple varieties of poutine, a Canadian specialty featuring french fries and cheese curds covered in gravy.
During a visit this week, I indulged in an order of lemon ricotta blueberry pancakes ($19), which featured three dinner-plate-sized buttermilk pancakes stacked with multiple layers of cheese and fruit compote. The dish, filling and decadent, called to mind an upscale version of IHOP’s Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity Combo. I paired it with an order of fluffy scrambled eggs topped with cheddar cheese ($6) and a Virgin Mary ($5.25) garnished with celery and olives.
All of it met my eggspectations.
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