Okay, so I’m literally typing this at 2:17 pm with a half-empty iced coffee that’s mostly melted ice now, and I’m still full from brunch I had four hours ago. Like, why are the best brunch spots in America, which everyone is visiting so aggressively, so good and also so aggressively expensive and crowded? I don’t get it, but here I am contributing to the problem.
Why the Best Brunch Spots in America Feel Like a National Sport Lately
It’s everywhere. Open any social media app, and it’s people posing with their fork mid-air like they invented eating. I did the same thing last Saturday and immediately felt stupid about it but kept the photo anyway. Anyway, the spots getting all the attention right now are mostly the same ones from last year but with shinier PR and longer waits.
- LA is still LA-ing hard. people waiting two hours for avocado toast with edible flowers or whatever
- NYC never sleeps and apparently never stops brunching. saw three different people post the same exact golden diner pancake stack this week
- Austin is doing that thing where everyone gets breakfast tacos, and suddenly it’s a cultural moment.
- New Orleans keeps winning with booze-forward brunch that makes you forget you’re supposed to adult later.
- Denver has quietly been creeping up with spots doing green chile everything, and I need to go before it blows up more.
My super subjective list of the best brunch spots in America that everyone is visiting (with receipts of my bad decisions)
I’m not ranking them properly because my memory is bad, and also I’m biased toward places with good coffee and bad parking. Sue me.
- The Breakfast Klub – Houston
Wings and waffles still hit different. I ate there in March and thought about it for three weeks straight. The line sucked, but there was live music and a free attitude from the staff in the best way. - Bubby’s – NYC
I ordered the blueberry pancakes and then another order to go because I couldn’t handle the FOMO of leaving any behind. Walked out feeling like a stuffed animal. Worth every cent. - The Ruby Slipper – New Orleans
Got the eggs cochon, and it was so rich I had to unbutton my jeans at the table. No shame. The bartender gave me extra hot sauce and called me “Baby,” which felt very New Orleans. - Biscuit Love – Nashville
The bonuts (biscuit-donut hybrid) are criminal. I ate two and then bought a sleeve to take home and ate them cold later while watching Netflix. No regrets. - Snooze A.M. Eatery – various locations, but the Denver one specifically
Pineapple upside-down pancake changed me. I went with a friend who was hungover, and we both just stared at the plate in silence for a solid minute before attacking it.
Also, a random one I keep seeing pop up: some place in Charleston doing shrimp & grits Benedict that looks illegal. Haven’t been yet, but it’s on the list.
Stuff I wish someone told me before I started chasing the best brunch spots in America
- Don’t wear anything nice. Sauce will find you.
- If the wait is over an hour, just accept you’re going to spend that time in a nearby bar instead.
- Share the sweet stuff. I once ate an entire cinnamon roll the size of my face alone and felt sick for two days.
- Always ask for extra napkins. Always
- The bottomless mimosa deals are a trap unless you’re walking distance from your bed.
Look, I know this list is missing a million places. I haven’t been to Chicago brunch spots in ages, or Portland or Seattle, and I’m sure they’re great. I’m just going off what I’ve actually eaten and what my friends won’t shut up about.
So that’s my take on the best brunch spots in America everyone is visiting right now. I’m probably going to add three more to my list this weekend and regret it Monday morning. What’s your go-to spot these days? Seriously tell me because my wallet and my arteries need guidance. Go get some overpriced eggs and enjoy it. Life is short.