People thought Egg Roll House in Metairie would never close, but now its days are numbered

Egg Roll House has endured hurricanes, financial turmoil, shifting tastes and a pandemic. Some even posit that when the end of the world comes, this jaunty, somewhat tattered little Chinese restaurant in Metairie will somehow still keep rolling.

But a quieter rumble of change is now poised to deliver its demise after nearly 40 years.

Egg Roll House will close in the weeks ahead, with the final day set for June 26, said Theresa Chien, who runs the mom-and-pop joint with her husband Ricky.

The lease on the property at 3507 Veterans Blvd. is up for renewal, the rent is going up and with rising costs for food, supplies and insurance the Chiens couldn’t see how to continue the business the way they have for so long. The family has considered reopening in a different location, but they have no plans to do so now.

“Customers are asking us to reopen somewhere else, they’re even telling us about places, but it’s the way everything is harder, more expensive now,” Theresa said. “We don’t want to go up too much in price. This is how we’ve always been, we want good prices for the customers because we know they work very hard too.”

The Chiens are both natives of Taiwan. It was Ricky's family who started the restaurant back in 1985. It occupies what was once a doughnut shop, and the small space still sports touchstones of that era, with its yellow Formica booths and a diner counter with bolted-on swivel chairs.

The family added a drive-thru window and has served a mostly takeout, short-order style American Chinese menu, with spicy General Tso’s chicken, shrimp fried rice and lo mein among the standbys. Few dishes exceed $11, lunch specials are under $10 and portions are heaping.

By now though, the Egg Roll House is famous simply being itself, known as much for its unerring continuity as much as for any particular dish. It has regulars, and it also has observers, people who know it as a quirky marker of place, a throwback emblem of an older Metairie as the busy blocks of Veterans Boulevard around it have grown increasingly marked by spiffy chains and new developments.

But at its heart, this is a family business where the work of providing people with affordable meals has built bonds. Chien is endlessly moved by the loyalty of her customers.

“We don’t even have a sign anymore and people still remember us and still come, even with so many other restaurants now,” she said, waving a hand toward a façade that was shorn of its street-facing sign long ago.

Over the years, she’s learned her regulars’ standing orders by heart and she knows the food they serve has been a centerpiece of their own gatherings and celebrations.

“It feels like family with our customers, so it’s very sad now,” she said.

Their daughter Lilly is a constant presence at the restaurant too. At age 21, she grew up here, doing schoolwork at the counter as her parents ran the kitchen and the register.

“It’s the same thing with our customers,” Theresa said. “We’ve seen them grow up here. They come in as babies and now they’re grown up.”

Egg Roll House

3507 Veterans Blvd., (504) 887-9364

+6

Hubig's returns chocolate pies, more flavors to come. Would you try a coffee Hubig's pie?

The return of Hubig’s Pies last fall after a decade absence arrived with an exclamation point, and also an asterisk.

+15

Ian McNulty: Finding late-night Chinese food, dim sum at a Mid-City pub kitchen

The black pepper sauce over the crispy, fried beef dumplings was nearly as dark as the Guinness. The lemongrass garlic butter between meaty cr…

+14

Ian McNulty: At La Crepe Nanou, 40 years, fondue for one, a life lesson that endures

Who orders fondue by himself, with a basket full of bread? Who follows that with mussels, crying out for still more bread and frites too for s…

Love New Orleans food? Pull up a seat at the table. Join Where NOLA Eats, the hub for food and dining coverage in New Orleans.

Follow Where NOLA Eats on Instagram at @wherenolaeats, join the Where NOLA Eats Facebook group and subscribe to the free Where NOLA Eats weekly newsletter here.