Brunch at Houston Hall: A New Saturday Staple

Houston Market is famous for offering food options of a much higher quality than all the other dining halls, but does their brunch live up to expectations?

I finally made it down to Houston’s brand-new weekend brunch, served Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and in some ways pleasantly surprised…but also somewhat disappointed in what they had to offer.

So, how does the well-organized and labeled Houston Market switch over to brunch? For starters, the salad and sushi bars are still the same. The real changes are that everyone’s beloved pasta toss has been converted to an omelette station, and the pizzas and paninis have been replaced by Belgian waffles. Also, where the soups are one can find mostly oatmeal and cream of wheat.

Though brunch is a great idea, there will be a few glitches or odd rules at the beginning, as with any new endeavor. Ordering a meal seems to be ruled by a bizarre bureaucratic system with lots of red tape. You can’t get a custom omelette; instead, you must pick from one of the four offered (veggie, western, meat lovers’, and seafood lovers’), and you only get one side. Macaroni and cheese is an offered side, but only if you order Eggs Benedict. A friend of mine wanted mac ‘n’ cheese with his omelet and ended up having to settle for corned beef hash instead. The breakfast burritos looked somewhat appetizing, but if you attempt to ask for a side with one you’ll be informed, “it’s a breakfast burrito, it’s a full breakfast!” Furthermore, the packaging is inconvenient: if you want a waffle, your side has to go in a separate Styrofoam clamshell that you must balance precariously as you carry your meal, drink and PennCard over to the register.

Despite all of this, however, the food is good. The oatmeal is on Au Bon Pain’s level, complete with an array of toppings like brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and chocolate chips. The waffles far surpass those offered at dining halls just in that they’re whole grain (no guilt!) and can be ordered with any combination of maple syrup, whipped cinnamon butter and local blueberry compote (highly recommended!). The omelettes, although a little runny, are delicious and filling, and all the sides are actually appealing as well. The mac ‘n’ cheese is baked and looks homemade, and from what people were saying, tastes just as good. The bacon and sausages are well prepared, and everything smells incredible. 

Anything brand new is bound to have a few issues that make students sigh and ask, “what is Bon Appetit doing?” but in this case, the verdict is a success. Houston’s brunch is bound to become a Penn Saturday staple. If you haven’t gone yet, make sure to hit it up this weekend – you won’t regret it!