Photo courtesy of Meggrolls
Meggrolls celebrates its 1-year anniversary
Photo courtesy of Meggrolls
Baroody (center) with Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg at ribbon-cutting last year.
Photo courtesy of Meggrolls
Cordon Bleu Meggroll
Chicken parmesan was the first meal Meghan Baroody wrapped in a wonton and called an “eggroll.”
Soon, she was spending hours after her shifts as a bartender wrapping and frying any number of ingredients, serving the dishes that soon became known as “meggrolls” at family events, baby showers and, starting in 2013, out of her own food truck.
Baroody didn’t necessarily dream about opening her own eatery in a brick-and-mortar space near King Street (she majored in art and played soccer in college, so eggrolls weren’t exactly in the picture).
But, a year ago this April, that’s exactly what she did.
“Cooking has always been a hobby, and it snuck up and lapped the rest of my creative outlets,” says Baroody, 37. “I knew I was onto something as early as my first batch.”
The 35-seat space at 107 North Fayette St. is hard to miss, with red-and-orange “Meggrolls” letters popping against a bright-blue brick exterior. The flavors inside the fried wonton rolls are just as bright, from spicy chorizo poblano with a honey drizzle to four-cheese broccoli mac.
The Big Megg, an eggroll approach to the Big Mac “with bolder and fresher ingredients” is the menu’s most popular item, with the buffalo wing-inspired roll remaining a close second. Along with a half-dozen standbys, Baroody rotates three to six eggroll specials onto the menu each week, including sweet offerings like Irish apple cake. The Superbowl playoffs saw a “lobstah mac” version face off against “Philly cheese” in February.
And, small-batch specials like the French dip fly out of the restaurant almost as soon as they’re made. “Every creative person likes being challenged, and creating the specials is where I get to have that feeling,” says Baroody.
Baroody says Alexandria has been a great fit for her concept, which garners plenty of walk-in traffic on weekends and regular catering orders from local businesses and events. A year into the space, Baroody says she and her small staff still spend plenty of time explaining the concept of outside-the- box eggrolls.
Wrapped in a house-made wonton of eggs, flour and water, one eggroll is enough for a hearty snack and two for a filling meal. The rolls are fried extra crispy, “because they’re holding six to seven ounces of food.” Each roll is sliced on the diagonal for serving and topped with its respective condiments.“They’re very cute, but they are very satisfying,” Baroody says.
Positive press during her food truck days — and having such an Instagram-worthy product — has helped Meggrolls attract a devoted following over the past year. The business also runs a food truck that will hit the streets starting in the spring — and Baroody is already eyeing future locations.
A few years ago, “I didn’t think this is where I’d be,” says Baroody. “I’m one of the lucky ones.”
For more information about the business visit Meggrolls.com and check out Meggrolls on Instagram via @meggrollmania.
