Best Brunch Spots in America

"[W]hen a man makes lunch his first meal of the day it becomes 'brunch'," according to an article appearing in a long-vanished magazine called The Independent back in 1895 — marking the earliest appearance of that word in print, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The same year, a few months later, another publication described brunch as being "cheerful, sociable, and inciting."

Despite those early occurrences of the term, brunch — both the word and the meal — really, oxford started becoming popular in America only in the 1930s. But it sure has taken off since then. Across the nation, fine dining restaurants that aren't open for daily lunch set their tables and fire up their ovens for brunch on the weekends. And what used to be a Sunday indulgence is now typically served on Saturdays as well — and in some establishments, it's available every day of the week. There are even restaurants that serve nothing but brunch.

To compile a list of the best brunch spots in America, 24/7 has consulted reviews and rankings from Yelp, Eater, Open Table, Time Out, The Infatuation, Spoon University, and The Daily Meal, as well as numerous local and regional sites, using editorial discretion to make our final choices. (These are the best cities for brunch.)

Some of the restaurants on this list don't offer brunch per se, but serve hearty breakfasts or both breakfast and lunch all day — though "all day" in some cases means only from 7 or 8 a.m. until early afternoon.

The list covers 27 states and the nation's capital, and while various cuisines or food styles are represented, almost all of the places here serve at least some of what have come to be considered the brunch basics — for instance, omelets, French toast, eggs Benedict (usually in several variations) and of course, the sparkling-wine-and-orange-juice beverage called the Mimosa. You'll find some unexpected offerings here, too, however (lamb pasty with peas and garam masala or Lowcountry mussels with okra and andouille, anyone?).

• Location: New Orleans, LA

Descended from a family-owned Italian restaurant opened in 1924, this neighborhood place in a Creole cottage supplements locally inspired brunch specialties like an étouffée omelet and Gulf shrimp and grits with such stylistic imports as a bagel breakfast sandwich with homemade pepper jelly and Korean-style pork belly with sticky jasmine rice.

• Location: Londonderry, NH

They don't call it brunch at this "fun family diner," but both breakfast and lunch are served all day, from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. And there's no prize for guessing what meaty ingredient is common to much of what's available. There are eggs in myriad forms, including omelets (bacon and cheese, chili and cheese, etc.), Benedicts (the Pig Pen Bene has both bacon and grilled ham), and breakfast sandwiches; many kinds of pancakes, waffles, and French toast presentations; and lunch choices including a grilled bacon and cheese sandwich and a kielbasa bacon cheeseburger.

• Location: New York, NY

The extensive brunch menu at this convincing recreation of a Parisian brasserie ranges from oysters to numerous egg dishes to such hearty fare as steak frites and beef Stroganoff. The freshly baked breads and pastries from the Balthazar bakery are a must whatever you order.

• Location: Raleigh, NC

The brunch menu at this establishment run by North Carolina restaurant powerhouse Ashley Cristensen lists buttermilk biscuits with Lady Edison pork shoulder gravy and hot chicken eggs Benedict, among other things. But its famous fried chicken with waffles is most definitely also available.

• Location: Napa, CA

James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Bianco is behind this casual restaurant at the Carneros Resort & Spa, and he doesn't try to get tricky with his brunch menu. There are terrific little doughnuts, banana bread with lemon curd and berries, a triple stack of griddle cakes with Vermont maple syrup, corned beef hash with poached eggs, and just plain two eggs any style with hash browns, toast, and a choice of meats — plus more along the same lines.

• Location: New Orleans, LA

A New Orleans standby since 1946, Brennan's doesn't have a brunch menu, but the good news is that its complete breakfast and lunch menus are served from 8 a.m. on weekends, offering turtle soup, steak tartare, eggs Sardou (with artichokes and spinach), shrimp Creole, and much more.

• Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Brunch at this "meat & whiskey" specialist includes BLT quiche, blueberry buttermilk pancakes, corned beef hash, and more, plus an array of brunch cocktails. The full brunch menu is served only on Sundays, but an abbreviated version, with plenty of good stuff, is available on Saturdays as well.

• Location: Farmington, CT

If you want to expand the brunch possibilities to include Caesar salad, fennel sausage pizza, and beer-battered cod in addition to the more expected dishes (cinnamon rolls, avocado toast, wild mushroom quiche), this comfortably rustic restaurant, in a town just southwest of Hartford, is the place for you.

• Location: New York, NY

At this self-styled "French-American bistro" in the legendary, recently renovated Hotel Chelsea, the brunch menu starts with oysters and other cold seafood, moves through egg dishes and sandwiches (including a classic croque monsieur), and ends up with serious dishes like grilled sea bass or a cheeseburger with Mornay sauce.

• Location: Atlanta, GA

Sweet and savory scones with honey butter, she-crab soup, a "duck n' beef burger" with a sunny-side-up egg and truffle fries, and a popcorn ice cream sundae with house-made peanut Cracker Jack and Chantilly cream are among the possibilities at this serene Atlanta classic on the banks of the Chattahoochee River.

• Location: New York, NY

The brunch menu at this Early American-themed restaurant, which is under the direction of chefs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi of Via Carota fame, includes some egg dishes and pancakes, but gets original with other suggestions including a smoked fish plate, a leek and goat cheese omelet, kedgeree (curried rice with soft-boiled eggs and smoked cod), and a lamb pasty with peas and garam masala.

• Location: Philadelphia, PA

Among the unusual choices on the brunch menu at this Old City favorite, where 2023 James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur Ellen Yin is in charge, are cauliflower borscht, eggs Benedict with smoked trout, polenta with roasted carrots and eggs, and crispy lamb flatbread.

• Location: Scottsdale, AZ

This popular French bistro in Scottsdale's Fashion Square will satisfy brunch-time egg-lovers with a scrambled egg sandwich and eggs Benedict with cured salmon or pork loin, but the majority of the brunch menu leans towards lunch, with offerings including fried calamari and zucchini, salade niçoise, and chicken Milanese.

• Location: Clayton, MO

It's breakfast, brunch, and lunch only at this high-end café in a community bordering St. Louis. Brunch specials are posted every Saturday morning on the restaurant's Twitter and Instagram accounts, but in addition, all the usual breakfast dishes are available — among them a toasted tomato and egg sandwich, five different omelets, and blueberry-cheesecake-stuffed French toast.

• Location: Santa Monica, CA

This breezy beach-town offshoot of the original inland Ivy doesn't serve "brunch" — it serves "Saturday & Sunday Late Breakfast." Whatever you call it, it's terrific, encompassing such things as huevos rancheros, breakfast pizza (with an optional half-lobster added), a crab cake Benedict, and fig, apricot, and pecan brioche French toast.

• Location: Richmond, VA

Tout Richmond reserves well in advance for the elaborate Champagne Sunday Brunch (also served on major holidays), which takes over the Rotunda, the Mezzanine, and adjacent spaces in this grande dame hotel. Expect a buffet laden with made-to-order omelets, a panoply of seafood, a carving station, a salad bar, a charcuterie assortment, entrées like chicken pomodoro and ginger tofu with quinoa, and a dessert display including pies, cakes, cookies, and more.

• Location: Oklahoma City, OK

Open daily only from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., this spot in the historic 1923 building that was once the headquarters of long-vanished Braniff International Airlines doesn't use the term "brunch," but serves "breakfast all day," including a fried green tomato Benedict, scratch biscuits with sausage gravy, and a giant buttermilk pancake.

• Location: Brooklyn, NY

Here's something different: A warm, bright Caribbean-themed dining room that serves Saturday brunch with a few nods to conventional brunch fare (like sweet plantain pancakes), but also crab cake sliders, oxtail flatbread, and Caribbean spiced lamb with a poached egg, etc. — and a Sunday "drunch" (linking lunch with dinner instead of breakfast) that expands the possibilities even further, with, for example, "red peppa" jerk chicken.

• Location: Washington, D.C.

At this buzzy brasserie, the breakfast pastries are superb (don't miss the ridiculously buttery kouign amann), but the menu goes far beyond that with everything from seafood platters to poached eggs basquaise (with prosciutto and creamy polenta) to boeuf bourguignon.

• Location: Portland, OR

A tiny brunch specialist, open daily from 8 a.m. till 2 p.m. (3 p.m. on weekends), Little Griddle proposes biscuit sandwiches (one has braised pork shoulder, queso fresco, and chipotle aïoli), a chicken-thigh-and-cheddar "country Benedict," and a shakshuka skillet, among other dishes.

• Location: Portland, ME

The brunch menu is modest in size here — eight egg dishes, four sandwiches, French toast, and a daily pastry, but the beverage choices are more than ample, including nine riffs on the Bloody Mary, some spiked coffee drinks, a range of brunchy cocktails (including a Mimosa, of course), and an array of teas made from homegrown herbs.

• Location: Chicago, IL

If you're in a breakfast mood at brunch hour at this Chicago hotspot, the possibilities include an egg and cheddar burrito with chorizo-spiced potatoes, corned duck hash with a sunny-side-up duck egg, and a butternut squash omelet. If it's lunch you're craving, some of the choices are chicken liver mousse with seasonal jam and toasted focaccia, a wild boar sloppy Joe with fries, and of course the restaurant's famed double smashburger.

• Location: Malibu, CA

The brunch-style breakfast menu at this place on the Malibu Pier, served until 11:30 a.m., includes a strawberry and banana açai bowl, an open-face Greek omelet, and a poblano lobster burrito — and there are three Mimosa variations, one with the traditional orange juice, another with watermelon juice, and a third with juiced kale and apples.

• Location: Waimea (Big Island), HI

Local produce and island meats are featured on the menus, brunch and otherwise, at Peter Merriman's restaurants. At this location, sample brunch offerings include Honoka'a smoked chickpea and taro hummus, a Sunny Side Farms omelet with Pa'auilo spinach and caramelized local sweet onion, and a Kua'aina beef tenderloin with eggs and seasonal Waimea vegetables.

• Location: San Antonio, TX

This bustling, riotously colorful Tex-Mex mecca serves its brunch-style breakfast menu 24 hours a day. Any time you're in the mood, that is, you can order — among many other things — tacos (with or without eggs), chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, or the ultimate morning-after specialty, menudo (spicy tripe soup).

• Location: Indianapolis, IN

This upscale diner opens only from Friday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with such things as a sourdough waffle with stewed apples, both sweet and savory Dutch baby pancake variations, lemongrass-braised pork bánh mì, and grilled cheese on cranberry walnut bread on the bill of fare. On the caffeinated side, the house specialty is espresso with caramel, milk, and brown butter.

• Location: Washington, D.C.

This antique-and-memorabilia-filled institution in our nation's capital, founded (in another location) in 1856, offers a particularly abundant brunch menu. You'll find a profusion of oysters (and five different raw-bar platters), salads and bowls, a dozen or so sandwiches, appetizers ranging from crab and artichoke dip to Buffalo chicken wings, and of course brunch basics like French toast, corned beef hash, and eggs Benedict.

• Location: Little Rock, AR

The brunch menu in the stylish dining room at this historic Little Rock hotel skews Southern, reasonably enough, with dishes like crab cakes with rémoulade and fried green tomatoes, a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, a fried shrimp po'boy, and traditional banana pudding for dessert — as well as more usual brunch fare.

• Location: Santa Fe, NM

It's breakfast, not technically brunch, and it's served daily from 7 a.m., but anyone in the mood for a serious weekend morning meal will be very happy at this emblematic Santa Fe café, which opened in 1948. Besides the customary egg dishes and omelets (including an unusual chile relleno version of the latter), The Pantry serves the likes of cream-cheese-and-berry-stuffed French toast, blue corn cinnamon pancakes, chilequiles, and two-egg plates with chicken-fried steak (among other proteins).

• Location: Austin, TX

From 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. (3 p.m. Friday-Sunday), this Austin establishment presents pastries like a guava Danish and a strawberry white chocolate "pop tart," as well as ricotta toast with cherry compote, fried chicken and biscuits, stone-ground grits with chili-braised beef and a poached egg, and a beef-and-bacon smashburger with egg optional.

• Location: San Francisco, CA

Serving comfort food in comfortable surroundings and sourcing ingredients from Bay Area farmers and producers, Plow is open from 7 a.m. (8 a.m. on weekends) to 2 p.m. daily, with a repertoire that includes homemade granola with market fruit, lemon ricotta pancakes, and a fried egg sandwich, supplemented on weekends by additions including almond flour pancakes and eggs Benedict with ham or cold-smoked salmon.

• Location: Charleston, SC

A local go-to for Southern food since 1976, Poogan's Porch — named for the "good ol', down-home Southern porch dog" who was the restaurant's mascot — pleases brunchers with such fare as pimento cheese fritters with bacon jam, mac & cheese with country ham and toasted cornbread crumbs, Lowcountry mussels with okra and andouille, and a chicken-fried pork chop with sunny-side-up eggs and stone-ground grits.

• Location: Los Angeles, CA

The more casual side to Walter and Margarita Manzke's highly regarded République restaurant, the Café serves a weekend brunch menu including a BLT Benedict, a short rib breakfast burrito, mushroom toast with house-cured ham and spinach, and a quiche of the day. The bakery is one of L.A.'s best, so be sure to sample the house baguette and other baked goods.

• Location: Naples, FL

This charming, idiosyncratic little place in a strip mall reminds patrons that they're in the South, with morning fare like biscuits with jalapeño sausage gravy, a fried green tomato Benedict, buttermilk-fried chicken and waffles, and an egg sandwich with Broadbent's country sausage.

• Location: Miami, FL

This classy waterfront destination serves three-course "Mediterranean tapas" brunches, built around main dishes such as an egg casserole with chickpea stew and pecorino cheese, truffle parmesan tagliatelle with a poached organic egg, jumbo Oishii shrimp with toasted garlic and creamy polenta, and plum-and-onion-braised lamb in a pastry shell.

• Location: Anchorage, AK

There are things like steel-cut oatmeal with fresh fruit and challah French toast on the menu at this well-liked community-focused neighborhood place, but eggs abound, as Benedicts (one features salmon cakes), scrambles (the Tundra is made with reindeer sausage), and "nuevo huevos" with sofrito rice, black bean salsa, guacamole, and white corn tortillas.

• Location: Houston, TX

Esteemed Atlanta chef-restaurateur Ford Fry is the motivating force behind this restaurant in the revived Lamar-River Oaks Shopping Center, where brunch can mean such fare as hush puppies with Texas blue crab, smoked chicken and sausage gumbo, a crawfish Benedict with bacon and blackened cornbread, and Neuske's bacon and grits.

• Location: Seattle, WA

Coconut chicken soup, ham and cheese stromboli with a fried egg, braised collard greens with a ham hock and a poached egg, a farmer's frittata with house-made sausage, and baked eggs with black beans and poblano peppers are among the menu listings at this handsomely furnished neighborhood spot near the Chief Sealth statue.

• Location: Vail, CO

A French-accented brasserie in the Gateway Plaza building, Vintage defines brunch to include five different Benedicts, a prosciutto and asparagus galette, and huckleberry bacon French toast — but also poached foie gras, a hamachi sashimi salad, and a grilled artichoke sandwich on rustic toast.

• Location: San Francisco, CA (two locations)

Just to change things up, consider dim sum for your late-morning/early-afternoon weekend meal, as so many Chinese do. The two expansive locations of this top-flight dim sum purveyor offer an immense variety of little plates, served from circulating carts. Why opt for Benedicts or scrambles when you can have crab claws, chicken mushroom dumplings, steamed spareribs, honey walnut prawns, or salt and pepper pork? (Want more Chinese food? See this list of the best Chinese restaurant in every state.)