Baby Barnaby's: Huevos Rancheros Please

A waitlist on a pole and bottomless coffee outside while you wait was my first impression of Baby Barnaby's in Houston. A name mix-up on the list and my party being seated about 12 tables too soon was the next. Thankfully, neither the other party nor the restaurant was too ruffled about the matter.

Upon being seated inside, we immediately ordered more bottomless coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Next was tackling the menu, where everything looked good enough to be chosen as my morning entrée. With prices ranging from $5.95 to $8.95, the menu was affordable and appealing, as was the atmosphere of the restaurant. The small space was cluttered with tables, with just enough room between them to squeeze through to go to the bathroom, but cluttered in a cozy and perfect-breakfast-stop kind of way.

My selections came down to three contenders, the Annie's Low-Fat, High-Protein Burrito (with six egg whites, grilled chicken, and black beans, wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla, with salsa, guacamole, and sliced tomatoes), Green Eggs (two eggs scrambled with spinach, artichoke hearts, and Jack cheese, served with chicken apple sausage, potatoes, and wheat toast), and Huevos Rancheros (two eggs, black beans, and Jack cheese, served with potatoes, salsa, and a whole-wheat tortilla). Due to a weeks-long craving for Huevos Rancheros, and a recent sighting for a recipe for Huevos Rancheros Benedict on the Culinary Content Network, this dish won out, the unique and compelling other options lost, and the Huevos Rancheros was mine. 

The dish came steaming hot and perfectly promising — my over-medium eggs were cooked perfectly, with runny yolks and hard whites, the black beans fell onto the plate without swimming or being too cakey, the potatoes were perfectly crisp with a smooth inside, and the tortilla was warm, smooth, and easy to mold around my bite-size pieces of the dish. The dish of salsa added the perfect complement, and although this might be a surprise to my boyfriend, no condiment was used. This dish was pure flavor, with balance, pop, and just the right amount of heartiness for brunch.

Next on my list... tackling the Green Eggs, and then moving onto the Annie's Burrito. See you soon, Houston.

 

Tyler Sullivan is The Daily Meal's assistant editor. Follow her on Twitter at @atylersullivan