Mass. Hidden Gems: Takeout orders so big, lids don’t close at the Egg Roll Lady

WORCESTER — I was not shocked to learn that a place called the Egg Roll Lady makes a mean egg roll — one of the best I’ve ever had.

What I didn’t see coming was the fact that the Egg Roll Lady & Fish Shack on the north side of Worcester also makes amazing onion rings and perhaps the only order of fish and chips I’ve ever had that made me go, “Wow, I should order that again.”

That’s before getting into value and portion sizes. Every order coming out of this place looks like someone trying to cram a mattress into the back of a Subaru hatchback

When you order from the Egg Roll Lady, your meal is crammed (not served) into a Styrofoam container. You get so much food that they literally cannot shut the lid. They have to tape it shut.

Mass. Hidden Gems: Egg Roll Lady & Fish Shack

The Egg Roll Lady is a takeout-oriented hole-in-the-wall that is helmed by Phuong Lam, the Egg Roll Lady herself, and a small crew. It’s no fuss and all deep-fried.

Egg rolls, crab rangoon, chicken fingers, fried shrimp, fried clams, fried scallops — virtually everything on the menu comes out of a deep fryer.

In fact, the only thing that isn’t fried is the garden salad, which comes with the option to be topped with chicken tenders or fried shrimp.

That’s what you need to understand about this restaurant. It’s a finely orchestrated food experience designed to give you a giant pile of fried food and send you on your way.

The Egg Roll Lady is an artist. The deep fryer is her brush. The Styrofoam takeout container is her canvas. If you don’t like this art form, go get an açai bowl or something.

What’s good on the menu?

Egg Rolls/Egg Roll Lady’s Platter — My default recommendation would be to get the signature “Egg Roll Lady’s Platter” (four egg rolls, three fried shrimp, three crab rangoons, three chicken tenders for $14.49). That way, you get a bit of everything.

But the next time I go, I might just get the egg roll 12-pack for $16.99.

They’re just that good. These egg rolls are a crispy shotgun shell of flavor, a pop of fresh veggies and savory meat. They’re so dangerously light and crispy that I forget I’m eating fried food.

The surprise star of the meal is the homemade duck sauce. It’s less sugary sweet than what you get at the store. Instead, it’s got strong elements of cinnamon that give it a spicy apple cider vibe.

Should you get six crab rangoons for $5.99? You know you should.

These carry a vibrant burst of flavor in the cream cheese filling. You get ample waves of crab buoyed by sweet, fresh swoops of cream cheese

Fish & Chips Plate — I came away really impressed by this. The fries were solid. But the fish? Simply brilliant.

I ate an alarming amount of my massive deep-fried sheet of haddock before I even thought about adding the provided lemon or tartar sauce.

Sometimes, you get fish and chips, and it’s mostly a ridged brick of fried batter that skimps on the protein. Here, the batter is a background performance, setting up the wonderfully cooked fish to star.

You actually get big, satisfying ledges of fish — with basically no fishiness for those who are concerned — a background track of deep-fried wonder.

Boneless/Buffalo Tender Sandwich Plate — Now, if you’re like me, you see this menu item and think it’s a fried chicken sandwich and some fries.

Nope. This is a massive plate of chicken tenders that just happens to also have a sandwich built around some of the tenders. You get the sandwich. You get the fries. You also get a massive overflow of extra tenders.

Onion Rings — I almost didn’t get these. That would have been a mistake.

These onion rings are perfectly fried loops of crispy satisfaction. You know they’re well-made when the fried coating firmly sticks to the onion rather than peeling off in greasy shells.

Small menu, small hours, small operation

I really must stress the fact that this is a small restaurant that mostly does takeout. Don’t come in expecting table service.

Another important note: the hours are limited. The Egg Roll Lady is only open three days a week: Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at 2 p.m.

What to know when going to the Egg Roll Lady

The best way to enjoy the Egg Roll Lady is to call ahead with your order, park in one of the spots in front of the restaurant and pick up your order.

The restaurant does not have direct online ordering, but does work with DoorDash and Grubhub.

Parking is limited, with only a handful of designated spots in front of the restaurant. Use caution when driving there. It can be a bit tricky getting in and out of parking spots.

Check them out — Website (Menu Only) | Facebook | Instagram

Phone number for orders — 508-755-4451

What’s the address? — 609 W Boylston St., Worcester, Massachusetts, 01606

What’s the parking situation? — A handful of spots in front of the restaurant.

When are they open? — Here are the listed business hours at the time of writing.

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday: Closed
• Thursday: 2-9 p.m.
• Friday: 2-10 p.m.
• Saturday: 2-9 p.m.
• Sunday: Closed

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Mass. Hidden Gems is a series highlighting restaurants and other businesses across the Bay State that we think deserve more attention. You can check out the rest of the series here.

Have a hidden gem that you think we should check out? Email nomalley@masslive.com your favorites.