One thing to know about me is that I’d definitely be susceptible to the right cult. Especially if that cult was dedicated to honoring the two-egg soft scramble at Maple Ridge Grocer.
As a native Tulsan, I can rattle off plenty of delicious places to break the proverbial fast in town. First, the honorable mentions: I am a Wildflower Cafe stan, very happy to wake up early to feast on truffled quiche, a snickerdoodle waffle, and the cafe cuties on staff. I dream of the nuclear power plant-sized cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven at Savoy. Even as I creep toward the metabolic lull of middle-age, I know there’s a time and place for a Braum’s sausage biscuit with gravy. Then there’s Country Bird Bakery, which has all but eaten up my Saturday morning routine. Of course, Kim’s Daylight Donuts and Waffle House are nostalgic breakfast canon in my eyes—mostly because they taste like childhood.
But these days, there’s a new morning spot on the block, and it’s totally overtaken my love for any other breakfast. I’m looking at you, Maple Ridge Grocer.
Maple Ridge Grocer is home to my favorite breakfast in Tulsa: the two-egg soft scramble. It’s as consistent and delicious a dish as they come. I should know: I’ve eaten it so many times over the past year that I’ve basically started to become a soft scramble myself.
Unlike the harsh whims of this cruel world, the two-egg soft scramble has never done me wrong. When I need a Sunday morning cure-all after a late night at the Mercury Lounge, the two-egg breakfast brings me back to life. After a long run on the nearby Midland Valley Trail, my body is no longer a temple; it’s a vacuum for breakfast. And I can easily ride MRG’s sustenance well into lunch. If my long ledger of visits has revealed anything to me, it’s this: MRG’s two-egg soft scramble is peak breakfast, and–I’m just gonna say it–the best plate of eggs in town.
So what eggsactly (sorry, I had to) makes this breakfast so good?
The whole plate is a masterpiece: spread to the edges with smooth, silky, soft-scrambled curds, crispy Lowry’s-dusted hashbrowns, toast with jam, and your choice of either sausage patties or crispy, curly-cued bacon (pork, or beef bacon for those who keep kosher).
But the eggs are the star of the show. MRG sources theirs via Ben E. Keith and from a few different local farms like Mauch Family Farm, Prairie Creek Farms, and Spring Fed Family Farms—all family-owned operations where the eggs are laid by happy, healthy, sun-bathing, pasture-raised chickens. This extra element of care makes a difference on the plate, where each egg offers a rich mouthfeel and technicolor orange yolks, in addition to incredible flavor.
Although MRG’s soft scramble is largely about the raw materials, the real difference-maker is the technique; theirs is made French style, so that the eggs turn soft rather than setting. Getting those steamy, creamy, custardy eggs requires practice and patience. First, the chef sets the burner to medium-high heat and preps the pan with a guzzle of oil and a fat knob of butter. Once the butter starts to bubble, they add in a ladle of whisked eggs, and it’s showtime. From there, the secret is constant stirring, gently pushing the eggs toward the center until they gather into velvety curds.
“The first time I had it, I was like, oh my god—I have no idea how to cook eggs,” recalls MRG server Isaac Davis, describing the soft scramble as “silky” and pretty near to perfection.
While I obviously agree, it’s worth mentioning that some days are better than others for this dish (I prefer the scramble as I’ve had it on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, which could be attributable to whoever’s in the kitchen on those days) and it helps to specify that you want it soft scrambled. But I’ve found that even the standard scram yields delicate, dreamy scrambled eggs. Pro-tip: order yours with grated cheese on top, but push half of it aside when it arrives for the optimal egg-to-cheese ratio. I also suggest finishing with pepper and the orange Crybaby thai chili hot sauce for an extra kick.
Same scram, different day.
I’ll admit, starting my week with some 2,000 calories of breakfast at 8 a.m. on a Monday brings its own bag of consequences. Is it bound to blow up the resolution of healthy eating I’d set for the week right from the jump? Perhaps. Is my stomach going to feel like a brick after eating it? Maybe. But I’m a growing (34-year-old) girl! The heart wants what it wants. My father raised me on Jimmy’s Egg and Waffle House (smothered, covered, and chunked: IYKYK), and this dish hits similarly. Life is short, and I intend to eat the cake—or in this case, the hashbrowns.
Besides the caloric impact, there’s another concern I need to raise as a citizen of midtown and a breakfast obsessive: Eggs have gotten wildly expensive, and I fear the two-egg scram at Maple Ridge Grocer may be in danger.
Let’s consider the facts.
Bird flu is on the rise, and both restaurants and consumers are feeling the shortage. According to NBC News, in January alone, more than 23 million birds were killed by bird flu on American farms, with the vast majority of those birds being egg-layers. This wipeout has triggered an egg shortage, so that swinging by the store to grab a dozen eggs is starting to feel like something from a bygone era: as futile an effort as late-night grocery shopping the evening before a snowstorm. Pasture-raised eggs have become even more of luxury over the past year, with factory-farmed eggs the only option in most shops.
If you can find eggs, you’ve probably already noticed the sticker shock. The price of a dozen eggs has risen from about $1.46 on average to $4.95 since 2020, according to Federal Reserve data. That’s up 53% from where it was even just a year ago. And forget about buying more than one pack; most stores have instituted a limit of one dozen eggs per customer. Couple these numbers with the squeeze of Trump’s tariff wars, and American access to affordable eggs starts to look even bleaker. All of us who love deviled eggs are in for a rude awakening come Easter.
With wholesale egg prices up, and sky-high egg prices wreaking havoc across kitchens, restaurants are raising the price of their egg dishes inline to stay in the black. Waffle House, for example, has added a $0.50 surcharge per egg to any dishes featuring eggs. At Maple Ridge Grocer, where Executive Chef Adam White says their costs have risen from $0.15 an egg to $0.66 an egg (a staggering 300% when you do the math), my fears have been confirmed. The restaurant has added an extra dollar to the price tag of their all-day omelette, the egg sandwich, and my beloved two-egg breakfast to help offset the increase.
Chef White explains the cost adjustment as a small but necessary measure that will allow the restaurant to keep dishing up soft scrams.
“The price really hits hard when you’re doing breakfast and brunch every day,” he says, tallying up the count. “We go through about 240 dozen eggs per week. That’s a lot of added cost.
“Denny’s is adding a dollar per egg,” he points out. “But us … we just want to make sure our customers can come and eat.”
At first, I took the price hike personally, but let’s be honest: what’s another dollar for the perfect dish? And you’ve got to respect the sentiment behind the counter. While other national chains (arguably with more price padding than a locally owned restaurant) are making per-egg hikes, MRG’s $1 per dish price adjustment is a small but impactful change. It’s the kind of subtle bolster that allows the neighborhood joint to keep serving the hits, and experiment with new offerings, like an upcoming wine dinner with Dancing Crow on April 8th.
Truth be told, I’m in it for the long haul with these eggs. I’m the self-appointed president of the MRG soft scram fan club. And if it costs me an extra dollar to enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth heaven that is this dish, so be it. Shortage or not, the two-egg scramble is on my permanent menu. Order up!
