8 Best Places to Eat Eggs In Southern California

Photo: Getty Images.

It used to be that if you wanted to eat eggs at any meal other than breakfast, you’d have to settle for the uncertain fate of an egg salad sandwich. Thankfully, times have changed and the incredible, edible egg is no longer relegated to morning hours; in fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a dish that can’t be upgraded with—and enhanced by—a golden, runny yolk.

Here are eight places to enjoy the sunny splendor of eggs in Southern California, no matter the time of day. (For pics of our favorite plates, see slideshow below.)

Eggslut

Perhaps this food-truck-turned-phenomenon is responsible for our eggs-all-day fascination. Chef Alvin Cailan constructs the ultimate cheeseburger with angus patties from Idaho’s Snake River Farms, caramelized onions, melty cheddar cheese, bread-and-butter pickles, house-made dijonnaise, then crowns this creation with an over-medium egg. It’s all tucked between a toasty brioche bun, barely fitting in its paper bag packaging, begging to be freed and devoured. This sexy sandwich is one of the few items on Eggslut’s menu only available after 11:30 a.m. eggslut.com

Petit Trois

White plates with blue trim make perfect circular canvases for the simply prepared fare of this French bistro. Chef Ludo Lefebvre prepares his signature omelette with Boursin pepper cheese and chives in such a way that the fluffy, silky exterior yields to a slightly runny middle. This quaint Parisian place with an unassuming exterior is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, but doesn’t take reservations. If you go at a peak time, bring your patience along with your appetite. It will be worth the wait. petittrois.com

Free Range LA

Which came first: the chicken or the egg? For New York native Jesse Furman, it was the chicken. The caterer for art and fashion companies like Nike developed his own fried chicken recipe out of a desire to one-up Chick-fil-A. He began selling his organic eats on Sundays at the Melrose Place Farmers Market, word spread, and soon he put the Free Range LA operation on wheels. Now, pics of his two-fisted sandwiches that ooze egg yolk abound on social media. Whether it’s the Hashbrown Double Down with bacon, egg, cheese, caramelized onion, and mustard mayo, all smashed between two “slices” of crispy potatoes, or the Honey Sriracha Free Range Fried Chicken Biscuit with a soft scrambled egg, Free Range’s combos are killer. Because this biz is mobile, and hours vary, you’ll have to track its whereabouts on Instagram to ensure a fix. Early bird gets the “egg”stasy. freerangela.com

The Crack Shack

A traditional Croque Madame is a ham and cheese sandwich smothered in a creamy béchamel, grilled or broiled, and adorned with a fried egg. The Crack Shack in San Diego, however, has taken this fancy sammie and humbled it in the form of crispy chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, a fried egg, and miso-maple butter, all embraced by a brioche bun. Just say “yes” (or “oui”). Plan a return trip to try all the other egg-centric incarnations. crack-shack.com

Belly & Snout

Options for egg-topped eating at this Filipino fusion venue include hot dogs and fries. The Sisig Hotdog is piled high with pork, a fried egg, pickled red onions, chicharron, and garlic crema while The B&S hot dog pairs bacon, green onion, and pickles with its fried egg addition. The Sisig Fries are loaded with the same ingredients as its all-beef wiener counterpart, making for a unique mélange of southeast Asian flavors. bellyandsnout.com

Otium

Chef Timothy Hollingsworth put his experience from The French Laundry to good use at this rustic yet elegant restaurant situated by The Broad art museum. The spinach bucatini is a masterpiece in its own right: a bowl of rich green noodles embellished with bacon, clam, crème fraîche, and a single egg yolk. Other adventurous egg-containing entrées at Otium include mole, tri-tip, pork belly, and wood oven hash. otiumla.com

Bruxie

If you thought Green Eggs and Ham was a dish that only existed in a Dr. Seuss book, you were wrong. Bruxie, an all-day, gourmet waffle house with seven locations throughout SoCal, has created its own version by layering grilled ham, an over-easy farm fresh egg, cheddar cheese, mayo, and a schmear of parsley-arugula pesto on a waffle. Fold it in half and you have a sandwich that is decidedly adult. bruxie.com

Republic of Pie

Pro tip: “quiche” is just a fancy word for “savory pie.” So dig in at this NoHo Arts District destination that has four flavors to satisfy your cravings: Spinach Mushroom, Vegetable, Bacon, or Ham and Swiss. Enjoy your slice of sophistication in the modern, one-room ambiance of reclaimed wood, metal, and glass. It’s where the cool kids hang. republicofpie.com