The Spread Eagle (Brunch Edition) - Homerton
II've been to the Spread Eagle before and found the dinners delicious, but I was desperate to try their infamous Mexican style brunches. The food is run by 'Club Mexicana' which is totally vegan, and since no one else is resident there, this makes the Spread Eagle a totally vegan pub.
The pub claims to be one of the oldest pubs in East London, and you can really see this from the way its set out, with its dark wood central bar, but they've modernised it and made it so stylish whist keeping all the classic features.
The staff were so friendly, chatty and seemed genuinely happy to be there. We were one of the first people in the pub that afternoon and all 4 bar staff greeted us as we walked in, and were very cheerful about it. They also came over to us at various points with fun conversation, they were lovely to be around.
They also won me over by bringing my 'Lemony lemonade' over with a straw made from wheat instead of plastic, a really innovative way to get around the straw problem, I loved it!
Brunch Menu:
CHEEZEBURGER QUESEDILLA
"Beef", melted cheeze, roasted red peppers, salsa roja, pink onions, chive aioli, and hot sauce
BIG BRUNCH BURRITO
"Chorizo, scrambled "eggs", tempeh "bacon", triple fried potatoes, black beans, queso, guacamole, salsa, slaw, pink onions, chive aioli and hot sauce, in a flour tortilla
HEUVOS RANCHEROS
Scrambled "eggs", "chorizo", black beans, guacamole, pico de Gallo, sour cream, queso fresca, and pickled chilis, on a corn tortilla
CHICK'N & WAFFLES
Fried chick'n on waffles, with streaky "bacon" rashers and infused maple syrup
MEXICANA FRY UP
"Chorizo" sausage, tempeh "bacon", guacamole, scrambled "eggs", slow cooked beans, portobello mushrooms, roasted heirloom tomatoes, buttered spinach, pink onions, salsa roja, and toasted corn tortillas
I went for a Mexicana fry up (which I'd been coveting from afar for ages), it's so beautifully put together,
All the individual items were simple but tasty, and great thought and care had clearly been put into them, the mushrooms had been rubbed down with garlic, the guacamole was perfectly mixed and seasoned, the scrambled eggs were the perfect texture, and the spinach was perfectly wilted. The sausage and the bacon tempeh (which admittedly didn't taste very bacon like) were delicious, and the tortillas were also a really fun accompaniment. All of it combined was complete perfection.
I absolutely loved this dish and really couldn't find fault with it, the presentation was so beautiful too! I never thought I'd think of eating straight out of a frying pan as the height of sophistication?
We also ordered the 'Big Brunch Burrito', which staff told us was their most popular brunch dish. It arrived perfectly wrapped and drizzle in spicy and creamy sauces.
Inside was packed with ingredients and flavours, the triple fried potatoes were more like mini roast potatoes, presented in small irregular cubes which were crispy on the outside, and seemed to feel like the main base of the wrap. There were then so many other delicious flavours around, the vegan chorizo, scrambled tofu, vegan bacon, black beans, vegan cheese, guacamole, salsa, slaw, and red onions.
There were so many ingredients that it was sometimes difficult to distinguish them all in one bite but they went together so well. It was huge and super saucy, and so is completely impossible to eat delicately.
We were indulgent and shared 2 desserts, an 'Ice cream sandwich', which has a perfectly crunchy biscuit base, salted caramel in a thin layer, which had just enough salt and sweetness to not be overpowering. The ice cream was super thick and creamy.
We also ordered the cinnamon pie with vegan cream, which was rich and delicious with buttery pastry, and a spicy dried fruit squidgy filling that tasted so warming and Christmassy.
It was wet and miserable in the garden, but I want to show you how they've done it out anyway because although it's a small garden, it's been done out thoughtfully and stylishly with plenty of cover for summer rain, and plants everywhere.
I find it hard to find fault with this pub, it's super stylish, clean, totally vegan, serves delicious food in decent sized portions, is fun, and making an effort to be eco-friendly. I love coming here.
Overall ratings:
Staff: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Taste: 5/5
Food Presentation: 4/5
Value for Money: 5/5
Best for: Longer hangouts with friends or dates
Negatives: Only serve brunch at weekends
Would return? Yes
Address: 224 Homerton High Street, London, E9 6AS
Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 1600 - 2300; Friday 1600 - 0100; Saturday 1200 - 0200; Sunday 1200 - 2230
As always, these posts are based on places I've visited on www.myveganradar.com - the London Vegan Food Map, based on tube stop, and are my own opinion.