What was Mr Egg? The late-night Birmingham café that became a local legend

What is Mr Egg? A love letter to Birmingham’s late-night legend

If you ever had a night out in Birmingham in the ’80s, ’90s or early 2000s, chances are you ended up at Mr Egg. Maybe you don’t remember how you got there, but you’ll definitely remember being there.

That bright yellow café on Hurst Street was a beacon for the city’s late-night wanderers. After hours of dancing, laughing, and probably spilling a drink or two, this was where you came to eat like a king or queen for £1.

Mr Egg didn’t pretend to be fancy, it didn’t have to. It was pure Brummie charm: unpretentious, welcoming, and a little bit chaotic. Everyone was treated the same under that famous yellow sign; clubbers, students, taxi drivers, shift workers, all united by the irresistible pull of late-night hunger.

Opened in the 1980s, Mr Egg quickly became more than a café. It was a Birmingham institution, part of the rhythm of a night out. That stretch of Hurst Street, glowing with neon, became a meeting point, an after-party, and a memory-maker all in one.

Even though the original Mr Egg has long since closed, its legend lives on, in old photos, Facebook nostalgia groups, and conversations that begin with “Remember Mr Egg?”

It’s one of those places that reminds us what makes Birmingham special, a city full of stories, laughter, and warmth, served up with a side of chips.