America's Best Brunches

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If everybody’s working for the weekend, then brunch is our reward. Unlike grab-and-go breakfast, the best brunches are drawn-out, indulgent meals in good company that inspire you to shake off those covers and then linger over another round of Bloody Marys.

British author Guy Beranger got it right back in 1895 when he set forth “Brunch: A Plea” in a Hunter’s Weekly article suggesting a late-morning meal instead of the traditional, post-church dinner. “Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting,” he wrote. “It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.”

America’s best brunch spots deliver that kind of pick-me-up first and foremost through their food, whether it’s reinterpreting classics, highlighting regional flavors, or simply churning out the most delectable comfort dishes around. But atmosphere counts, too, as does the approval of locals. In San Francisco, that can mean satisfying cravings for fresh goat cheese on toast with lavender oil, while other brunch restaurants even rethink the Pop-Tart.

Here are the 10 coast-to-coast spots most likely to cheer up everyone in your brunch party.

The Griddle Café: Los Angeles, CA

A Sunset Boulevard fixture since 2000, this simple brick space has become the go-to spot for young Hollywood starlets (Audrina Patridge, Jessica Alba), starving artists, and everyone in between. The reason? Sweet treats such as strawberry Frosted Flake or Oreo pancakes or a stack of peanut butter French toast generously dusted with powdered sugar. Refuel with the Griddle’s signature J. Gursey French-press coffee, and take a lesson from the starlets: count calories elsewhere.

Standout Dish: Fluffy red velvet pancakes, topped with swirls of cream cheese frosting.

7916 Sunset Blvd.; (323) 874-0377; thegriddlecafe.com; open daily, no reservations


Soho South Café: Savannah, GA

In a city known for its sleepy antebellum mansions, Spanish moss, and quirky, southern charm, the Soho South Café is an easy fit. The kitschy restaurant-cum-art gallery within a former mechanic’s garage features indoor umbrellas, a yard sale-esque mix of tables and chairs, and local art. Chef-owner Bonnie Retsas lived in New York City for 25 years before returning to her southern roots to create the restaurant of her dreams: a casual neighborhood joint with affordable dishes, among them, shrimp and grits with andouille sausage gravy and cheddar-bacon waffles.

Standout Dish: Eggs Savannah, a jumbo lump crab cake topped with asparagus, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce.

12 W. Liberty St.; (912) 233-1633; sohosouthcafe.com; Sundays only, no reservations

Over Easy Café: Phoenix, AZ

Cheery yellow walls, 50s-diner styling, and a belly-filling menu by father-and-son team Brad and Aaron May make waking up in Phoenix a little less painful, no matter what time you rise (doors open at 6:30 a.m.). Here, the food is down-home but the devil is in the details: local, farm-fresh eggs arrive daily, and almost everything, from the country and red-eye gravies to the biscuits and the caramel sauce (for banana French toast) is made from scratch. Brioche from down the road is the foundation for fried egg with sautéed spinach and jus, topped with bacon and scallions.

Standout Dish: Waffle Dogs—three breakfast sausages on sticks, dipped in waffle batter and fried to a golden brown.

4730 E. Indian School Rd.; (602) 468-3447; eatatovereasy.com; open daily, no reservations

Foreign Cinema: San Francisco, CA

This Mission District favorite works with some of the region’s freshest ingredients. Husband-and-wife chef-owners John Clark and Gayle Pirie keep the good stuff coming at brunch, which features an eclectic “weekend picnic” of Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as fresh oysters, poached eggs over a chicken and kale Persian hash, and baked goat cheese with toast, escarole, and lavender oil. There are lowbrow pleasures too, like homemade apple-pear Pop-Tarts.

Standout Dish: A champagne omelette with chanterelle mushrooms and Fontina cheese

2534 Mission St.; (415) 648-7600; foreigncinema.com; Saturday and Sunday brunch, accepts reservations

Magnolia Pancake Haus: San Antonio, TX

This Texas crowd-pleaser claims to have the world’s best buttermilk pancakes. The secret: consistent preparation, no substitutions, and the combined efforts of husband-and-wife owners Robert and Sheila Fleming. Robert brings the restaurant know-how, and Sheila, the recipes (she grew up in Munich, hence the haus). Only a few items have roots in the Rhineland, however. The rest are a hodgepodge of the Flemings’ favorite dishes—a Greek-style omelette recipe from Chicago, for instance.

Standout Dish: Munchener Apfel Pfannekuchen, a Bavarian puffed pancake made with Granny Smith apples and topped with whipped cream, according to Sheila’s grandmother’s recipe. It’s one of 10 pancake varieties that include bacon, silver dollar, and chocolate chip.

606 Embassy Oak, Suite 100; (210) 496-0828; magnoliapancakehaus.com; open daily, no reservations

Toro: Boston, MA

If a Barcelona tapas restaurant in Southie isn’t the first place you’d expect to find great brunch, well, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Chef-owner Ken Oringer and chef Jamie Bissonnette are masters at adding well-placed eggs to traditional small plates with results such as over-easy eggs with fried potato patatas, huevos rancheros, and scrambled eggs with zucchini and summer squash. Dry-cured Spanish ham requires no such embellishments. You can chow down at one of the long, wood tables, or head outside to the patio.

Standout Dish: Scrambled eggs with spicy chorizo, patatas, and sourdough toast.

1704 Washington St.; (617) 536-4300; toro-restaurant.com; Sundays only, reservations only for six or more

Ted’s Bulletin: Washington, DC

There’s a feeling of comforting nostalgia when you enter Ted’s Bulletin, which may even have you missing Mayberry (that fictional TV setting of The Andy Griffith Show). Reclaimed Art Deco grillwork decorates the bar, diners recline in booths, and old-fashioned televisions play black-and-white classics such as Some Like It Hot. Breakfast is served all day, but you won’t want to wait for dishes such as a steak breakfast burrito—served with scrambled eggs, cheddar, and hash browns inside—and a Texas toast egg-and-cheese sandwich with sausage and bacon. Wash it all down with boozy adult milkshakes.

Standout Dish: Traditional beer biscuits with eggs and sausage gravy.

505 8th St. SE; (202) 544-8337; tedsbulletin.com; open daily, accepts reservations

Gigi: Miami

Don’t be fooled by Gigi’s slogan: “Noodles. BBQ. Beer.” This industrial, 96-seat restaurant also dishes out one of Miami’s most satisfying brunches. The Asian-inspired comfort-food menu features communal plates such as short rib and eggs—braised for six hours and served with togarashi-seasoned fried rice—and rice-crusted French toast with banana compote and honey butter. But you’ll want your own helping of fluffy steamed buns, stuffed with roasted mushrooms and hoisin sauce or smoked pork with tomato mostarda. Factor in the clatter of the open kitchen and light streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, and it’s enough to stimulate even the most sleep-impaired.

Standout Dish: A house-smoked bacon and egg udon noodle bowl, with aged cheddar.

3470 North Miami Ave.; (305) 573-1520; giginow.com; Saturdays and Sundays, no reservations

Tasty N Sons: Portland, OR

Brunch is so fundamental to Tasty N Sons that it’s served daily until 2:30 p.m., when dinner starts (even then, “breakfast for dinner” is an option). The open kitchen gives the place a lively energy, and local hipsters and visitors alike are willing to wait for a long communal table. The payoff is a chance to sample the world-meets-Low country creations of chef-owner John Gorham that range from his signature chocolate potato donuts crème anglaise to fried chicken and biscuits to North African sausage with couscous.

Standout Dish: Middle Eastern Shakshuka, a red pepper and tomato stew with baked eggs.

3808 N. Williams, Suite C; (503) 621-1400; tastynsons.com; open daily, reservations for six or more

Locanda Verde: New York City

This restaurant in Tribeca’s Greenwich Hotel has all the qualifications for generating buzz: a star chef (Andrew Carmellini), a celebrity backer (Robert De Niro), and an upscale-meets-casual design (exposed-brick walls, chalkboard menus, studded leather bar seats). But it’s the inspired seasonal Italian menu that keeps locals coming back for seconds. Plates teem with polenta waffles with mascarpone cheese, zucchini frittatas with roasted tomato, and pastries from renowned chef Karen DeMasco.

Standout Dish: Locanda’s signature ricotta cheese paired with truffle honey and burnt orange toast.

377 Greenwich St.; (212) 925-3797; locandaverdenyc.com; Saturdays and Sundays, accepts reservations

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