The 21 Best Brunch Spots in Boston Right Now
Make the most of the weekend with chocolate-covered pancakes, breakfast pizzas, and much more.
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Tavern
Behold a guide to restaurants across the city that dish out fabulous brunch menus, full of sweet and savory standouts that actually make it worthwhile to crawl out of bed. Your rewards include decadent doughnuts and breakfast pizzas, a drag queen-headlined “Disco Brunch” in Dorchester, and a Southie “Breakfast Test Kitchen” full of epicurean experiments.
This guide was last updated in July 2023; watch for periodic updates. You may also be interested in where to find the best suburban brunch destinations a little bit outside of Boston.
Aquitaine
Bon matin! Rise, shine, and get thee to this French stalwart in the South End that’s just fancy enough to make weekend brunch feel like a bit of an occasion. What delicious delights did you wake up for? Omelettes with Lyonnaise potatoes, brioche French toast, malted Belgian waffles topped with Chantilly cream and berries, and moules-frites in a Sancerre wine-spiked broth with shallots and crème fraîche—that’s what. Très bon.
Saturdays and Sundays; 569 Tremont St., Boston, 617-424-8577, aquitaineboston.com.
Blend
This Dorchester hangout brings big gay-bar energy to its weekly “Disco Brunch,” when diva tunes get cranked to 11 and drag queens lip sync for their lives, or at the very least, to take home a little extra bacon. Speaking of, you’ll find plenty of sizzling strips—plus some hangover-curing eats (21+ French Toast, covered in maple bourbon syrup) and hangover-causing coffee cocktails (like the Fruity Pebbles Cold Brew, infused with breakfast cereal, vodka, and Irish cream). All the energy you need to cruise through the afternoon dance parties that follow.
Sundays; 1310 Dorchester Ave., Boston, 617-265-8846, blenddorchester.com.
There’s a big ol’ brunch menu at Boston Chops’ South End location. / Photo provided
Boston Chops
If the scent of a sizzling steak is what it takes to bait you out of bed on a weekend, be tempted by this beefy brunch menu. Besides the expected prime cuts, carnivores can find a steak and egg burrito with chipotle aioli and chimichurri dip; bowls of linguini bolognese loaded with veal, beef, and pancetta; and, yes, one hell of a burger. Add a Bloody Mary to the mix—as well as a giant, ice cream-topped sticky bun—then enjoy on the pleasant patio.
Sundays; 1375 Washington St., Boston, 617-227-5011, bostonchops.com.
Brassica Kitchen + Café
This fantastic, funky, fermentation-forward Jamaica Plain cafe serves A-plus breakfast sandwiches on weekdays, including fried chicken on a biscuit with pickled jalapeños and a tamari hollandaise. On weekends, though, a fuller brunch menu ups the ante: the French toast is made with Brassica’s outstanding doughnuts, the cheesy eggs and rice are loaded up with shallots and chili sauce, and a list of kicky cocktails is available, including black tea spiked with Cynar, lemon, and honey. (The covered back patio is a big selling point, too.)
Saturdays and Sundays; 3710 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, 617-477-4519, brassicakitchen.com.
Café Luna
Its name nods to the moon, but this Cambridge café actually earned its neighborhood-hangout rep for morning fare: both weekday breakfast spreads and a super-popular, wide-ranging brunch menu on weekends. The latter’s lineup includes signature omelets with fixings like fig, prosciutto, and goat cheese; double-thick Belgian waffles with lemon curd, lemon mascarpone, and blueberry compote; and a “surf and turf BLT” of steak and butter-poached lobster. FYI, lines get long, and reservations are very much recommended.
Saturdays and Sundays; 612 Main St., Cambridge, 617-576-3400, cafeluna-centralsq.com.
Cafe Sauvage. / Photo by Celina Colby
Cafe Sauvage
You know, it really says something when a brunch spot can get us out of bed without the promise of booze. Cafe Sauvage has charmed us that much, though, since opening last October. The pretty, youthful-feeling newcomer to Back Bay offers a contemporary French cafe menu with a slightly more multicultural lens: besides a croque madame and French onion soup, you’ll find a pork banh mi with sour pickles, nuoc cham, and vadouvan dijonnaisse; a fried chicken sandwich with spicy harissa sauce; and thirst-quenching glasses of bissap, a traditional African hibiscus juice. Mimosa? Don’t know her, or need her here.
Saturdays and Sundays; 25 Massachusetts. Ave., Boston, 857-277-0075, cafesauvage.com.
Chicken and waffle tacos photo courtesy of Citrus & Salt.
Citrus & Salt
Between his contestant-mentor gig on Hell’s Kitchen and restaurant-rehabbing work on Bar Rescue, you’ve probably seen blue-haired chef Jason Santos on your TV. Maybe you’ll spot him in the kitchen during weekend brunch service at Citrus & Salt, his colorful, coastal-inspired cantina. Either way, it’s worth showing up just for the Mexican chocolate French toast with banana-mango salsa; blue corn and tequila waffles paired with fried chicken, jalapeño-BBQ syrup, and watermelon salsa; and soft-serve mimosas. They’re all stars in their own right.
Saturdays and Sundays; 142 Berkeley St., Back Bay, Boston, 833-324-8787, citrusandsaltboston.com.
Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen
Live music is a brunch-time tradition at this hallowed South End street-corner spot, which is beloved for its Southern-style comfort food and history of hosting fantastic jazz bands. Here, toes tap under the table while forks up top dig into the fixings from an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet: we’re talking catfish cheddar grits, Cajun home fries, candied yams, BBQ ribs, and more. Sounds like heaven to us!
Sundays; 604 Columbus Ave., Boston, 617-536-1100, dcbkboston.com.
Sip through mimosas with flights at Friendly Toast. / Photo by David Hayman
The Friendly Toast
Come for the kitschy, colorful interior, covered in vintage bric-a-brac and parlaying a campy spin on a 1950s-suburban-kitchen aesthetic. Stay for the all-day breakfast grub, which seems like the work of a stoned Suzy Homemaker: Chocolate ganache-stuffed French toast with a cheesecake glaze; hot bowls of spicy Buffalo mac ‘n’ cheese; and toasted, powdered sugar-dusted doughnuts that are used to sandwich scrambled eggs and sausage. This quirky, New Hampshire-founded brand has local outposts in Boston’s Back Bay as well as a few local ‘burbs.
Open daily; Multiple locations, thefriendlytoast.com.
Grana
Grana is grand—starting with the elegant, sweeping interior inside the Financial District’s Langham hotel, which used to be the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The spot certainly looks like a place where out-of-towners on business trips might wheel and deal over the weekend, but it’s also a lovely setting for the rest of us to wear something freshly ironed and feast on Italian-leaning standouts, such as zucchini bread French toast with mascarpone icing and sour cherry syrup, or an oversized meatball with fried spaghetti. What to really go big? Opt for the three-course brunch prix fixe with a family-style finish of assorted Italian cookies and pastries.
Saturdays and Sundays; 250 Franklin St., Boston, 617-956-8765, langhamhotels.com.
The secluded patio at Harvest. / Photo provided
Harvest
This venerable, decades-spanning stalwart in Harvard Square, which happens to have one of the best patios around, remains a fine-dining favorite in a trending-casual industry. It’s the kind of place that is excellent for entertaining the in-laws over mignonette-dabbed oysters or boards bearing local cheeses; waffles topped with fried chicken, decadent foie gras butter and wild apple purée; and one hell of a steak and eggs plate. Don’t relegate Harvest to special occasions, though. It’s fine, but not fussy—and the pastries from chef Josh Livsey, a finalist from the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, are a thing to behold. (Hibiscus pavlova, anyone?)
Saturdays and Sundays; 44 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-868-2255, harvestcambridge.com.
Lalagites / Photo courtesy of Krasi
Krasi
Once upon a time, “going Greek” on a weekend meant hitting up a frat party. Now, though, we’re older, wiser, and much more inclined to rush the brunch service at Krasi, a hot Hellenic restaurant in the Back Bay. Instead of cold pizza, we’ll find baklava muffins, savory pita pies, and lalagites, or lemon-mizithra-filled fried pancakes; and instead of kegs of cheap beer, it’s all about the country’s largest list of all-Greek wines and cocktails like the Bloody Mitsos, a Mary-inspired mix that uses mastiha liqueur, spicy feta-stuffed olives, and crispy chicken skins. (Digging that cocktail creativity? You’l love the Krasi crew’s new bar downstairs.)
Saturdays and Sunday, 48 Gloucester St., 617-536-0230, krasiboston.com.
Lincoln Tavern’s Fruity Pebbles pancakes with cereal milk anglais. / Photo by Joe St. Pierre, styling by Joy Howard
Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant
Weekday brunch? Say no more. In the era of increased telecommuting, this Best of Boston 2023 brunch winner offers a daily bright spot for anyone who might now be able to escape their desk for a quick dose of Fruity Pebble pancakes (soaked in cereal-milk anglaise, natch) or wood-fired pizzas topped with everything from Buffalo chicken to butternut squash. The weekend brunch menu is even more expansive, although it doesn’t come with quite the same side of hooky.
Daily; 425 W Broadway, South Boston, 617-765-8636, lincolnsouthboston.com.
Lulu’s Allston
Speaking of daily brunch: On the other side of town, you’ll find it at Lulu’s. Something else you’ll find? Creative cocktails, like the Chill Pill, a pineapple-vodka elixir with coconut cream and nutmeg, or the Super-Brew Smoothie, a vodka tincture with enough fruit juice to fool you that it’s totally a healthy drink. Of course, the comfort food is a draw too, including White Trash Hash with stout-braised short ribs and a half-pound burger covered in cognac onions. Not that you needed one more reason, but the spacious, cheery patio provides it anyway.
Daily; 421 Cambridge St., Boston, 617-787-1117, lulusallston.com.
The dining room at Myers + Chang. / Photo by Ruby Wallace-Ewing
Myers + Chang
Indecisive? Spread yourself thin with this Asian icon’s dim sum brunch menu. It offers a smattering of bites, from cold (papaya salad with peanuts and mint), to sweet (lemon-ginger mousse with a house made fortune cookie), to savory (braised pork belly buns with brandy hoisin)–plus wonderfully spongy bao, potsticker-style dumplings, and bowls of noodles. Restaurateur Joanne Chang’s Flour empire offers plenty of lovely morning pastries, but this is her spot where you can build a more substantive brunch-time meal. (And yes, brunch is served on Fridays and Saturdays, for those who like to kick the weekend off early.)
Fridays and Saturdays, 1145 Washington St., Boston, 617-542-5200, myersandchang.com.
The Neighborhood
When you think of exciting, attention-grabbing brunch dishes, cream of wheat is probably not the first thing to come to mind. But the rich, warm bowls offered at this 1983-founded, family-owned Somerville stalwart are famous for a reason. Don’t believe us? You will soon. But the daytime-only operation offers plenty of other reasons to head over–from fabulous, fluffy pancakes to some Portuguese-American seafood specialties. The place is friendly, low on frills, and full of neighborhood-legend charm.
Daily, 25 Bow St., Somerville, 617-623-9710, theneighborhoodrestaurant.com.
Oak Long Bar + Kitchen
The fancy-hotel-brunch is a genre that never loses its appeal, but you don’t need to book an overnight at the regal Fairmont Copley Plaza to reserve a seat at its swanky restaurant, where chocolate-glazed pancakes, smoked salmon pizza with crème fraîche and tobiko toppings, and a succulent Maine lobster roll tossed in roasted lemon and parsley aioli are all on the itinerary. The patio is postcard-pretty, too, so you’ll look fabulous snapping selfies while sipping cocktails like the Curious George, bourbon with vermouth and banana liqueur.
Saturdays and Sundays; 138 St. James Ave., Boston, 617-585-7222, oaklongbarkitchen.com.
The Pearl
If there’s any downside to brunch, it’s that getting tipsy over eggs and bacon in the middle of the day is a nice way to make sure all those weekend errands you’ve been planning to do never get to a’getting done. Solution: Tip back a sweet tea mojita at the Pearl, a a lovely local-owned restaurant in Dorchester’s otherwise chain-filled South Bay plaza. Not only will you find a short but snazzy list of seafood-oriented plates (seafood Newburg with cheesy grits, please!), but you’ll be able to quickly knock out that shopping list of fresh-look living room paint (Home Depot), new bedsheets (Bed Bath & Beyond), and balloons for tomorrow’s baby shower (Party City) in a footprint so small, you won’t even lose your buzz. We’re just being practical, people.
Saturdays and Sundays; 20B District Ave., Dorchester, 617-288-8810, thepearlsouthbay.com.
Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar
A historic diner car in the middle of Davis Square is home to crave-worthy comfort food of the Americana-eats variety–and a star-studded daily brunch menu that earns its stripes. Standouts include fried chicken with waffles, bacon, and maple and black-pepper gravy; crispy tater tots covered in beef and pork chili, cheese sauce, Kewpie mayo, and sour cream; and an indulgent “Country Croque Madame” that douses hickory ham with gooey gruyère, smoked gouda, and béchamel. You’ll want a boozy brunch drink to wash it down–like the Kentucky Iced Coffee, bourbon with amaretto, cold-brew coffee, and maple syrup.
Daily; 81 Summer St., Somerville, 617-629-9500, rosebudkitchen.com.
Photo courtesy of Terra
Terra
The brunch-time garden party of your Back Bay dreams? You’ll find it at Terra, the rooftop restaurant at Eataly. Between the glass-enclosed, greenhouse-like interior and plant-filled patio, it’s exactly the kind of environment where you want to sip on a seasonal bellini (white vermouth, rosé lambrusco, and apple purée for spring) or eye-opening espresso martini variation (we like the Frangelico-splashed Women in Coffee, which supports small communities of plantation workers around the globe). Oh, and this garden has quite a grill, too—a wood-fired kitchen centerpiece that turns out porcini-rubbed strip steak for pairing with eggs, say. What a breath of fresh air.
800 Boylston St., Boston, 617-807-7300, eataly.com.
Pancake tacos. / Photo courtesy of Yellow Door Taqueria
Yellow Door Taqueria
Two words: Pancake tacos. Okay, now that we have your attention—yes, they’re a thing, they exist, and you will find them at this pair of taquerias in Dorchester (original) and South End (sequel). Chef Marcela Garcia’s brilliant creation turns pancakes into “shells” for stuffing with cinnamon cream cheese, fresh strawberries and blueberries, whipped cream, and mint. Maple syrup is available for drizzling or dunking (do it). And we haven’t even talked about the coconut shrimp, street-corn nachos, or cocktails, like the tequila-and-coffee combo Waking Up in Tijuana. You know where we want to wake up? Here.
2297 Dorchester St., Boston, 857-267-4201; 354 Harrison Ave., Boston, 857-239-9276, yellowdoortaqueria.com.
