Brunch should not be confused with breakfast tacos–that will be a separate post. Brunch involves a menu full of eggs, pancakes, french toast, avocado toast, a lovely table to sit at and have your choice of mimosa or coffee, etc. I will admit, sometimes I have a hard time finding a place to eat at noon in Austin that has breakfast food. I am always eager to try somewhere new, but these have become my go-to favorites. Let me know if I’m missing yours!
- Cenote– No reservations needed. Seat yourself at the picnic tables in the bag or cozy up inside with a book and your coffee. Counter service makes the bill easy for a large group and there are healthy and indulgent options for all kinds of eaters. I am in love with the Cenote Scramble because I’m a pesto and capers girl. Why have I never had this combo on eggs anywhere else? Order the biscuit off the menu.
- June’s All Day– You might be obsessed with the outstanding wine list and June’s Brut Rosé, but don’t let that pinhole you into only going during happy hour (4-6 p.m). The pastry game with scones and Monster cookies along with the best sourdough in town is a perfect morning greeting. Go for the Breakfast Chalupa topped with egg whites, avocado, ricotta salata, and if you are always going to go for the omelette option, this is my favorite one in town. It’s fluffy yet firm and stuffed with boursin.
- Better Half – This new hipster coffee and cocktail spot made it’s way to the West Side. Go for the buttermilk biscuits and stay for the Fried Chicken.
- Fonda Veracruz & Bar – This newer spot is one of my new favs for brunch! My takeaways were the Picadas with Ranchera Sauce and Fried Egg (sort of like an open faced tortilla with an almost English muffin texture) and Cantaloupe Agua Fresca!
- Lutie’s – This spot has made its way up to one of my favorite brunches in town. Nothing is off limits here with brunch options like the Bagel Board with Almost Everything, Turkish Eggs with Flatbread, and best of all Lemon Soft Serve with Granola.
- Mattie’s – A historical piece of 23- acre land in Bouldin Creek with live peacocks running amok makes this place feel Southern and old Austin. It began as a farmhouse and now is known for some of the best biscuits with local honey in town. It feels like a perfect post Sunday church brunch spot as it’s sophisticated yet comfortable with several rooms and old pieces of art to look at. It also makes for a great wedding venue p.s.
- Proud Mary – Originally from Portland, this South Lamar spot is known for their top notch coffee and stellar food items. While I love a lot of their menu, some dishes come with a side of their housemate Roti and it’s the best I have ever had!
- Launderette – Known for its birthday cake ice cream sandwiches (only at dinner though), I recently discovered that brunch is an equal delight. The covered patio is soothing, cute, and a perfect spot for Turkish Eggs and homemade zucchini bread topped with a hunk of butter.
- Josephine House – Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Berries, Homemade Cereal with Nut Milk, Nutella stuffed Morning Buns, and what I believe to be as the BEST Huevos Rancheros in town. No joke.
- The Well– Located downtown on 2nd street, this spot has a front lounge like cafe for breakfast and brunch everyday of the week and regular service for dinner. You’ll see immunity shots, açaí bowls, smoothies in the morning, and my favorite dish is actually the breakfast tacos on cassava “tortillas.” You’ll quickly learn its a hot spot for meetings and power players in the area as it’s all gluten, soy, and refined sugar free. It’s worth it!
- Clark’s – When you think of Clark’s oysters and martini’s are synonymous, but I love the Banana & Blueberry Pancakes. Also, since the Cioppino is my favorite dish literally in all of Austin, the addition of grits and poached egg in the bowl at brunch makes me smile.
- Rollin Smoke BBQ– Since we are in Texas, there is a chance you want to skip the eggs and pancakes and head straight to the smoked meat! I love going to this food truck on East 6th on Sunday specifically for the QuesaTaco. It’s a crisped (fried) corn tortilla stuffed with beef cheek, cilantro, onions, Oaxaca cheese, queso fresco, and a verde sauce made with smoked chiles, They open at 11 a.m. on weekends.
- Paperboy – A great East Austin food truck turned brick-and-mortar with glorious rooftop seating and a walk-up coffee window. They have an unending bakery list of croissants, pop-tarts, bear claws, and caramelized onion cheddar scones. You’ll find basic brunch dishes but not in a negative way, just in the way of being able to order exactly what you want with a fun local crowd. All kinds of toasts (cinnamon, whipped ricotta, avocado), sandwiches, burger, salads, and bowls. I like the Kale Salad with chickpea, sweet potato, basil pesto, sunflower seeds, soft boiled egg, and parmesan. But the two biggest standouts are the Chocolate Chip Pancake (so fluffy that it seems it was made in a deep skillet) and the Migas rival some of my other favs in town!
- Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum – This is a great way to shake it up from your classic brunch dishes. Known for their soup dumplings, I’d slurp my brunch any day here. My favorite dumpling (which actually isn’t made with soup) is the Shrimp Har Kaw, which is beautifully made almost resembling a seashell.
- Qi – In the same family as Lin, Qi is actually my favorite of the two! You can get almost the same menu here as Lin, so you won’t miss out either way.
- Magnolia Cafe – Might bring back memories from late night’s in college, but their migas and chocolate chip pancakes are one for the books when you feel like you don’t want to go out and put pants on. No one will judge you here. Used to be open 24 hours so check due to new hours.
- Odd Duck – This wild restaurant always blows my socks off. I never know what I’m getting and always leave surprised and satisfied. The menu changes regularly but right now I’m enjoying their Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecan-Pork Fat Crumble, Breakfast Pizza SLICE with Pork Shoulder and Soft Scrambled Eggs, and the Sunny Chicken Egg, Tots, Duck, and Carrot Hot Sauce.
- Two Hands– This is an Australian cafe owned by Australians and started in New York City. The Music Lane spot is a perfect pleaser for any type of person or eater, and you can always make a reservation in advance if you just do it. I prefer the lunch style food over the breakfast, but if you want eggs go for the Two Hands Seasonal Scramble that is soft ribboned eggs, avocado, on a piece of toast from Sour Duck. My favorite item on the menu is the Brassicas Salad with Charred Broccolini, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Hummus, Soft-Boiled Eggs, Avocado, Pickled Shallots, Buzz Chili, Seeds .They also have a walk-up coffee window for lattes.
- Pacha Organic Cafe – While this coffee shop’s service is a little slow ( I mean hello you can see the tiny tiny kitchen in the middle of the room), I’d happily wait 45 minutes for the best buttermilk banana pancake topped with cheesy, creamy eggs again. They have bagel sandwiches here, too.
- Tamale House – A photo of Frida Kahlo made me feel like I had found the right place. The Migas are covered in chips and queso and I would’ve liked it to be a little more egg heavy, but the restaurant lives up to its name and the Chicken Tamale was rad!
- Bouldin Creek Cafe – Another vegetarian favorite. Beware of the tofu eggs and stick to the real deal! Get the Zucchini Migas Plate with Black Beans. YUM!
