Will Lee ‘25
Nov 13, 2023
Across from Rutters and adjacent to Dollar General, you will find the borough’s only Chinese restaurant: Egg Roll King. Over the years, the restaurant has left its mark on Mercersburg Academy’s community members, finding success as one of the most popular restaurant options among students.
Established in the early 2000s, Egg Roll King has remained a family business, similar to other local restaurants in the town, such as Compadres. Its primary cashier, the son of owner Hao Chen, expresses his gratitude for Mercersburg students while acknowledging the challenges facing a small restaurant dealing with multiple orders. “There really is no specific average number of orders we receive every week. Some nights, we may only have a few orders and other nights we could receive well over 10. It all depends on whether the students are on break or not. As I’m sure you can tell right away when you call, there are some days where we are rushing to write down orders while other days we can take our time about it.” He adds, “We are always thankful to Mercersburg Academy students for enjoying our food.”
Chen mentions that his favorite dish has changed over the years. Lately, it has been General Tso’s chicken, which is the restaurant’s most popular dish. He encourages students, regardless of their food tastes and cuisine background to try Egg Roll King due to its unique flavors and endless options, ranging from a typical Chinese dish such as beef fried rice to a more fusion Chinese dish such as fried chicken wings. He hopes to continue helping his mom with the restaurant as much as he can and most enjoys the day-to-day interactions he has with customers.
Quarterback Kenneth Austin ’27 has noticed the impact Egg Roll King has had on the football team. He said, “It keeps my offensive line, wide receiver, tight end, and other players fueled for games.” Wyatt Parks ’25 says, “I love food. Food brings joy to my life and keeps me going, especially when I order Egg Roll King.” Reed Warner ’25, said, “When I eat Egg Roll King, I feel alive and happy again.”
The restaurant also helps Asian students deal with homesickness, being a taste of ‘home away from home,’ though most order off menu. Ruby Shang ’24 says, “Whenever I miss home, I order Egg Roll King.” The Chinese student community at Mercersburg Academy regularly patronizes Egg Roll King for their dinner meetings, ordering Chinese meals that they know and love to enjoy together.
Over the years Egg Roll King has become a staple in the Mercersburg Academy community as one of the go-to spots to order from to enjoy with friends.