No matter the weekend. No matter the weather. Brunch will be there with its promise of perfectly cooked eggs, piping hot coffee, and effervescent mimosas. And while there are plenty of brunch options dotting the city’s every nook and cranny, sometimes you simply can’t muster up the energy to leave your neighborhood bubble.
We totally get it! So we’re breaking down H-town’s choicest brunch options, ‘hood by ‘hood. Each spot we've selected is naturally boozy, but the real kicker is every single one has an unquestionably good menu and a kickass, weekend-ready atmosphere. Read on to see why Houston brunch reigns supreme.
Bay Area
Snooze, an AM Eatery
Best brunch for inducing a pancake coma
With locations around the city (including Clear Lake), this Denver-born chain has earned Houston’s affection one smothered pancake at a time. Locals flock here for cheap pancake flights and hollandaise-coated everything, from eggs Benny to corned beef hash. Drinks are equally as enticing, with morning concoctions like the Bangkok Bloody Mary (with Sriracha and fish sauce) and the Snoozed Fashioned (a coffee and whiskey mix). And the best part? You can unofficially “brunch” seven days a week.
Downtown
Xochi
An extravagant Sunday spread showing off the flavors of Mexico
Don’t be fooled by its location inside a hotel, this masa-loving eatery is one of the Best Mexican Restaurants in America. On Sundays, James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega’s Downtown venture offers up an insanely good Oaxacan brunch buffet that is worth every single one of the 3,000+ pennies you spent on it (be sure to check out the interior and coastal Mexican spreads at sibling establishment Hugo’s and Caracol, too). Sure, you could go Saturday and order a la carte, but then you couldn’t refill your plate with all the ceviches, chilaquiles, rellenos, tamales, crudos, camarones, carnitas, tres leches, and churros that you possibly can before your pants spontaneously combust.
EaDo
Indianola
Modern American fare that is as diverse as the city of Houston
Any brunch that starts with buttermilk biscuits and jam and ends with chocolate icebox cake is a good brunch. That’s exactly what you’re getting yourself into at this neo-American spot. In between, you’ll also find everything from spiced Moroccan eggs and huevos rancheros to carrot juice Bloodys and an EaDo Brunch burger that mashes a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with a Wagyu burger. Brunch cocktails include a Carrot Juice Bloody Mary, a Blood Orange Mimosa and Badabing!, which is a riff on a Manhattan with coffee liquor (bourbon, coffee liquor, Vermouth, rum, whipped cream, orange bitters).
Heights
Squable
Euro-style bistro with scatchmade breads and a must-have burger
Hometown heroes Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu are two of the masterminds behind the Heights’ latest shining star; and since the duo knows what the people want, the popular dinner spot expanded its hours to serve Sunday brunch (it added happy hour, too; but that’s another story). In the kitchen, Mark Clayton and Drew Gimma prove to be another powerhouse duo, crafting scratch-made breakfast-y stuff from spiced pistachio buns and dutch baby pancakes to caviar-topped soft scrambles and lè brunch burger: a raclette-smothered fat beef patty that gets some extra lovin’ from lardons, dijonaise, and an egg.
Galleria/Uptown
La Table
Refined French plates and pastries that will make you go “ooh la la”
This two-faced restaurant hosts a weekend brunch at its casual-chic cafe, Marché, where you can go all out with caramelized cheese soufflé, Hudson Valley foie gras torchon, a perfectly poised eggs Benny with smoked salmon or Parisian ham, and hanger steak frites. Upstairs, Château at La Table brings a richer, fine dining feel to special occasions and holidays.
Greenway Plaza
Eunice
High-class brunch eats take a ride through the Dirty South
Helmed by internationally trained chef Drake Leonards (whose pedigree includes NOLA hotspots like August, Domenica, and Shaya), this Cajun-Creole brasserie pairs European and Gulf Coast bites. Hit the striking dining room or Live Oak-shaded patio and experience sensory overload in the form of hearth-roasted oysters, double-smoked duck poppers, and hand-pulled burrata with Cajun caviar… and those are just the starters. Larger fare highlights include steak and eggs, blue crab omelettes, Gulf shrimp etouffee, and a standout 44 Farms cheeseburger with french fried potatoes.
Katy
Dish Society
A farm-to-table brunch with fresh elixirs
You can feel pretty fantastic about smashing fat buttermilk biscuits and fried chicken smothered in gravy when you dine at this local mini-chain. That’s because those biscuits are made fresh, that chicken is cage-free, and the gravy, well, it’s damn tasty. The farm-to-table spot puts an emphasis on the farm, with a focus on locally-raised meats and agriculture produced in or around Houston. If that’s not enough to sway you, its brunch plates are fantastic and it offers a Karbach cocktail called the “Bromosa” that will make any morning spent in Katy very worthwhile.
East End
The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation
The OG of Houston’s fajita scene serves a badass brunch, too
Sure, you’ll want to visit this Tex-Mex institution for its insanely good fajitas, but you’ll also want to show up a little earlier in the day for its badass weekend brunch. That’s when the OG brings the morning goods -- we’re talking huevos rancheros, chilaquiles verdes, Mexican-style shrimp & grits, and a red chile pork posole that is sure to cure your hangover (alongside a Bloody Maria or two, obviously).
Lazybrook/Timbergrove
Superica
Modern Tex-Mex with a Texas Hill Country feel
You’ll want to make your way through the playbook of Tex-Mex classics at this Tejano joint. Said playbook hosts staples such as chilaquiles, migas, and Delta style tamales and eggs along with more Texas-style entrees like the BBQ brisket and egg sandwich on Texas toast. Quench your thirst with aguas frescas -- horchata, naranja, pomelo and seasonal, or do the weekend justice with a zesty michelada, Bloody Maria, or sangria del dia.
Memorial City
State Fare Kitchen & Bar
Where the plates and flavors come bigger than Texas
Sometimes, you just want your weekend brunch with a side of gluttony, and that’s just what you’re getting at this comfort food spot. The food here is lowbrow in a good way -- think brunch burgers topped with spicy brown sugar bacon, egg, American cheese, and hash browns; and buttermilk biscuits smothered with house sausage and fat-laden, East Texas cream gravy. Don’t miss the XXL griddle cake for two, served with good ol’ maple syrup and whipped butter or topped with anything from chocolate chunks to H-town hot chicken.
Midtown
Brennan’s
A baller’s brunch with New Orleans swag
There are times when brunch calls for cheap Champagne and literally anything that includes bacon. And then there are times when brunch calls for an epic three-course feast that makes you feel like you own an oil company. That’s where this jazzy (for real, there’s a jazz band) New Orleans-kissed classic comes in. Luckily, you don’t actually have to own an oil company to afford it. Seasonal riffs on creole dishes commingle with Southern staples like eggs Brennan, shrimp & grits, and whiskey-lacquered quail, all of which you’ll want to pair with Marys, punches, and fizzes. If you have a few extra monies to get rid of, add on the crazy seafood tower. Then invite us next time.
Montrose
UB Preserv
One of the city’s best restaurants, now serving dim sum style brunch
This hot take on chef Chris Shepherd’s now defunct Underbelly continues to tell the story of Houston food in a smaller space on Westheimer, with Chef de Cuisine Nick Wong (formerly of New York’s Momofuku Ssäm Bar) manning the kitchen. On Sundays, you can experience H-town’s diversity via an exciting, dim sum-style brunch of wok fried shrimp & egg, smoked boudin sia mai, pork belly al pastor, and an insane “no cacio, tre pepe” pasta that uses four versions of soy, three kinds of pepper, and scallops.
Museum District
Lucille’s
A brunch with serious soul and Southern charm
At his eponymous Southern charmer, chef/owner Chris Williams pays homage to his great-grandmother, Lucille, via innovative takes on authentically Southern flavors, with a few of great granny’s recipes, too. Tuck into Lucille’s famous chili biscuits, hot cake stacks, and fried green tomatoes. Move on to plates like chicken-fried eggs benny with smothered collard greens or fried catfish and eggs over perfectly done stone mill grits.
Northside Village
Monkey’s Tail
Mexican-American bar raising its game with weekend brunch
This Mexican-American cocktail dive brought some much-needed spunk to Northside Village; even better, it also brought some much-needed brunch. Hit the indoor-outdoor setup (complete with cool things like a custom designed tap tower, billiards, light fixtures and furniture straight from Mexico, and a dog-friendly patio on which to enjoy breadstick churros, smashed breakfast burgers, and a tasty migas-chilaquiles hybrid. There’s also a lineup of brunchy drinks -- think micheladas, Bloodys, mimosa carafes, and even spiked Pedialyte -- for a little hair of the dog.
Pearland
Killen’s TMX
Mexican fare with Texas swag
Chef Ronnie Killen’s new age Tex-Mex spot delivers a killer Sunday brunch, which also happens to be Killen’s first. Hit the buffet to score tamales and ceviche, bacon and eggs, shrimp and grits, and mouthwatering carne guisada; or go a la carte with options from crab tinga omelets and smoked chicken chilaquiles verdes to brisket hash and impossibly fluffy pancakes topped with horchata whipped cream. Either way, you can pair your brunch with a mix of fresh mimosas, sangrias, Bloody Marias, margaritas, and micheladas.
Sugar Land
Jupiter Pizza & Waffles
Two iconic dishes, one fantastic brunch
This homegrown spot takes two foods every human loves (pizza and waffles) and makes you struggle to decide until you order both of them. Sound frustrating? It’s not. Simply come with friends and split a few fluffy Belgian waffles and 650-degree stonefired sourdough pizza pies. While the pizzas land fully on the savory side -- with toppings from truffle mushrooms to Vietnamese BBQ pulled pork, the waffles come both sweet and savory. Get one topped with honey ham, eggs and Hollandaise, and another with dulce de leche and whipped cream.
Rice Village
Politan Row
Chef-driven food hall with 10 unique concepts
For an unexpected brunch with flavors from around the globe, hop between the vendors at this sleek, modern food hall. Dip wonton chips into Korean queso at Breaking Bao; get your mind blown with Pacha’s mesh of Japanese and Peruvian sushi and ceviches; go Italiano at Bronson’s House, island-style at Ate Kitchen, or vegan at Nice Sprout; and hit the sweet spot with Indonesian-inspired soft-serve at Susu Kopi and Boba. And those are just your first few courses.
River Oaks
a’Bouzy
Poppin’ bottles in the classiest way possible
Even with so many fantastic brunch options in the mix (Backstreet Cafe, State of Grace, and Brasserie 19 are just a few of them), a’Bouzy is an easy favorite. Helping it earn the top spot is the restaurant’s penchant for booze… the bubbly kind, to be precise. Treat yourself to a Champagne-soaked meal (sparklings run the gamut from $12 to $2,000) complete with morning pastries and jams, a solid eggs Benny, Champagne-marinated fried chicken and waffles, and crispy pommes frites that take a double dip in duck fat.
Shady Acres
Rainbow Lodge
A Houston institution rocking a wildly good Sunday brunch
Set in an century-old log cabin, this wild-game-loving haunt is a Houston icon. At Sunday brunch, you’ll find plates running the gamut from smoked duck gumbo and wild boar carnitas to buffalo short rib benedict and game sausage and eggs. Even better? Mimosas and Champagne are just $2 until 3pm.
Upper Kirby
Pondicheri
Indo-fusion street eats and pastries in a fast-casual setting
If you haven’t had a taste of everything cardamom-kissed and cinnamon-spiced from this Indo-fusion street eats spot, you’ve been brunching wrong, y’all. Remedy that by hitting up Pondicheri’s fast-casual cafe or upstairs bake lab and get a taste of the good stuff, which comes in the form of masala scrambles, chocolate brioche buns rolled in saffron sugar, and the Morning Thali, a traditional Indian variety plate that shows off Houston dining at its finest.
Washington
The Classic
Not your mama’s classic diner dishes
The former benjy’s on Washington has been transformed into a classic all-day diner that will have you rethinking what it means to brunch, with outside-the-box starters like the dreamy pelmeni dumplings (order these) or good ol’ kettle of matzo ball soup. Oh, and that Bloody Mary you’re sipping? It comes smokey, with hints of tabasco and charred peppers. Continue the brunch euphoria with mains ranging from a hamachi-studded soft scramble and butcher’s cut steak and eggs to challah French toast with whipped mascarpone and seasonal jams.
Woodlands
Fielding’s Local Kitchen + Bar
Home of locally-sourced American classics and the Bloody Mary flight
The libations get a weekly change up at this modern American kitchen and bar, but you’ll always find the must-order Bloody Mary Flight, a roster of Bloodys decked out with things like whiskey and bacon, house pickled veggies, and smokey sriracha -- mimosas are available, too, if bubbles are more your speed. Pair your drinks with drool-worthy Dutch pancakes, pulled pork hash, and smoked salmon croissant eggs benny.