Last year, I talked about the new Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich, and I decided to review food from a national company because my mother decided to get pizza from Papa Murphy’s that week…and because it was a unique product, too. Last week, my mother wanted Papa Murphy’s pizza again, so here I am again with a review of another new food item from Starbucks: kale mushroom sous vide egg bites.
I didn’t expect to see this item on the menu. I’ve learned that the local Starbucks in Martell doesn’t have everything featured on its menu. To my surprise, when I ordered the kale mushroom bites on the Starbucks app, they were available. I was happy to pick them up when I ordered drinks a couple of weeks ago.
I had some trepidation about having baked kale in any form because it didn’t seem to me that baked kale would taste good, as illustrated to hilarious effect. But when I took my first bite, it didn’t taste like the kale was there at all.
Oh, I tasted the mushrooms, all right. Bits of cooked mushrooms appear throughout the two egg bites that are about three inches in diameter. But it seemed to me that I tasted spinach instead of kale. The egg bites had a slightly denser consistency than the other vegetarian egg bites I usually buy, which are roasted red peppers and egg whites. That comes as no surprise given that the kale and mushroom bites weigh in at 230 calories—60 more calories than the egg white and red pepper bites.
The Verdict
I purchase egg bites from Starbucks because they’re easy to eat and I don’t find them anywhere else except at a local supermarket. The Starbucks egg bites are slightly more expensive than what you can find in the store—about $4.45 for two Starbucks egg bites compared to about $3.99 to $4.99 for two egg bites at the store depending on the brand.
The extra price pays for the convenience of getting the food at the same time I get my drinks since I’m at Starbucks once or twice a week. I get rewards for buying the egg bites I can use to get free food or drinks later. And Starbucks warms up the egg bites so they’re ready to eat when I pick them up.
I’ve had the kale and mushroom egg bites a couple of times now, and it’s a good vegetarian option when I don’t need the heaviness of a vegetable panini or a grilled cheese sandwich. The only trouble is that depending on the time of day and when the Starbucks store in Martell is stocked, you may not be able to get the egg bites you order.
I switch on the green light for the mushroom kale sous vide egg bites. If you like mushrooms and you like a snack that’s easy to eat, consider trying them.
Want to Try Them?
Starbucks is at 11240 Old Mill Road within the Old Mill Plaza in Martell. If that shopping center doesn’t sound familiar, it’s in the same area as the Amador Ridge Shopping Center. The Old Mill Plaza is a small strip mall behind Jack in the Box that has Starbucks at one end and Little Caesars Pizza on the other.
Starbucks changes its protocols for picking up food seemingly daily. On some days, you can go into the store, order from the counter, and eat at a table outside the café. Other days require you to pick up mobile orders only from inside the restaurant. And on some days, the café itself is closed and you need to order or pick up your mobile order at the drive-thru at the rear of the building.
In any event, if you like Starbucks but don’t have the Starbucks mobile app, it would behoove you to install it for iOS or Android. It will make your trip to the café go more quickly when you order ahead, but if you come to the café and find the door closed, be prepared to wait a little while for your food because the drive-thru is usually full of cars.
Amador Business Ticker food reviews are adventures in local dining with Editor Eric Butow and his mom (most of the time).
