Houston’s Best Brunch Spots

Droolworthy Guide to Houston’s Best Brunch Spots 

In Houston, Texas, brunch is more than a meal; it’s a lifestyle. Whether going out for a celebratory Sunday brunch or a casual weekend brunch with friends, brunch is an ever-flexible, social occasion. 

And with buffet brunches and queueing for food no longer a viable option, Houston’s brunches in 2021 are more in vogue than ever before.

Accordingly, Houston is full of brunch spots and restaurants that cater to all tastes and culinary preferences. To help you find the restaurant that best caters to your needs, we’ve put together a list of the best brunch places in Houston. 

Best Houston Brunch Atmospheres 

Everyone who adores Houston brunch, whether downtown, in the Heights or in Montrose, agrees on one thing; it’s about far more than a good meal. The best brunch spots combine people-watching, old-world charm, and often live music for a heightened sense of atmosphere. 

Here are the places that capture that atmosphere best. 

Grace’s 

Grace’s Upper Kirby restaurant is a classic brunch location for a reason. Named for founder Johnny Carbarra’s grandmother, Grace’s brunches cater to the kind of home cooking typical of grandmother’s kitchen, but even more enjoyable. 

The menu’s wide range of comfort foods is as nostalgic as they are tasty and the perfect culinary companion to the inviting exterior and the coziness of indoors. Those wishing to sit outside can take brunch on a patio every bit as charming as the restaurant’s interior. 

Menu selections range from biscuit and sausage gravy to southern fried pork chop and eggs, while the strawberry pancakes cater to the sweetest of teeth. To complete your Houston brunch experience, Grace’s offers a range of beverages, including a variety of mimosas served traditionally, frozen, or with pomegranate. 

Grace’s weekend brunches are available from 9-3 on Saturdays and Sundays. 

 

Backstreet Cafe

Featuring a sizeable patio for alfresco dining, this converted 1930s two-story home in the River Oaks area is an ever-popular brunch locale in Houston. Its award-winning kitchen menu combines a wide selection of influences including Cajun, Asian, Creole, Hispanic, and Southern, resulting in an irresistible menu.

For better tasting, more flavorful food, the menu changes seasonally, adapting to accommodate locally grown and sustainable food. Customers seeking an atmospheric Sunday brunch will enjoy the café’s famous live jazz accompaniment. 

Indoor dining includes banquet seating and a separate upstairs seating area for private gatherings.

 

Field and Tides

This popular brunch spot, located in Houston’s historic Heights neighborhood, is based on a farmhouse with a charming adjoining patio for outdoor seating. 

Field and Tides’ experienced chef has compiled a menu with a variety of culinary inspirations. Italian dishes knock elbows with Southern and Asian creations. The kitchen works with locally sourced vegetables and Gulf-based ingredients. Together these garden and tidal offerings combine to give the brunch place its name. 

Field and Tides does a daily weekend brunch menu, where options range from the traditional Hush Puppies and pork belly hash to decadent Blueberry and Ginger Pancakes and shucked oysters.

 

Lucille’s

Southern food is given a modern twist in the museum district at this popular neighborhood brunch spot. Chef Chris Williams and co-founding brother Ben pay tribute to their grandmother, for whom the restaurant is named, through traditionally rendered Southern favorites. 

Weekend brunch menu selections range from Chilli Biscuits to Oxtail Omelettes to the more extravagant Lobster Benedict and Croissant French Toast. The house-made mac and cheese is a particular favorite with customers and availability is at a premium. 

For those wanting to dress up Sunday brunch with a bit of alcohol, there’s a cocktail menu with more than enough options to satisfy you. Selections run the gamut from Woke Punch with a vodka and lemonade base to the classic Bloody Mary and Mimosa.

 

Best Houston Neighbourhood Brunch Spots 

In Houston, neighborhoods offer their own distinctive charms, and restaurants and brunch spots take on the same characteristics. Echoing the individual personalities of the surrounding environments, these brunch places mix tried and tested culinary favorites with a multicultural cooking palate. 

Annie Café and Bar 

Despite being new, the Annie Café and Bar has nevertheless taken Houston by storm and soared to popularity. Now, with Sunday brunch on the menu, this café in Houston’s Galleria has grown even more on locals and visitors alike. 

Those who choose to frequent the Anne Café and bar for brunch should expect live music and excellent food, as Chef Robert Del Grande reimagines the Texan-influenced favorites. 

Never is this more apparent than in the luxuriant open-faced lobster omelet, though the traditional brioche French toast ably holds its own. Cocktails are strong and range from the mimosa bottle service to the hearty Morning After. 

With a lively atmosphere, good music, and excellent food, the Annie Café and Bar is hard to beat for local charm and atmosphere. 

 

Brennan’s of Houston

It’s not by accident that this Midtown Houston brunch local is considered a Houston classic spot for eating out. Its courtyard bar offers outdoor seating to take advantage of sunny midmorning weekends. 

Founded in 1967, Southern favorites and Creole cooking are served alongside old-fashioned southern hospitality that typifies the Brennan’s of Houston outlook: excellence always from service to food. 

Classics like Eggs Benedict, served with Creole Canadian bacon, makes for a new take on an old dish, and spicy fried chicken and pancake soufflé deftly mix the sweet and savory. There are hearty seafood gumbo and desserts to tempt even the slightest sweet tooth. Creole Cheesecake and pecan pie are the perfect grace notes to Saturday or Sunday brunch at Brennan’s.  

Brunch is served from 11 to 2 on Saturdays and 10 to 2 on Sundays.

 

Superica 

Located in the Heights, Superica offers patrons a Tex-Mex Houston brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Ford Fry, chef and restaurateur, pairs the Texan rancher’s kitchen menu with Mexican cuisine for the definitive menu of Tex-Mex comfort food.

Unfussy, uncomplicated, and with dishes that melt in your mouth, Superica’s favorites are about far more than spice and flavor.

Staple selections include Huevos Rancheros, Tamales, and eggs, and a triple-stack of hotcakes with whipped butter and buttermilk syrup. These last pair perfectly with Tejano sausage for a bit of extra spice that balances the syrupy sweetness of hotcakes to a nicety.

Superica’s indoor seating is augmented by a patio for al fresco dining when weather permits and its weekend brunch menu is available from 11-3 Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Squabble 

Newly arrived in the Houston brunch scene in 2019, the already trendy Squabble rose to even higher popularity with the introduction of a Sunday Brunch menu. This Heights-based brunch spot is the brainchild of restaurant connoisseurs Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu, with chefs Mark Clayton and Drew Gimma helping the kitchen. 

One of Houston’s best brunch spots, Squabble’s menu features everything from a selection of homemade breads to small platters for those with birdlike appetites, to more generous portions, among them the Croque Madames and hearty burgers. 

Other offerings include the decadent softly scrambled eggs with caviar and homemade yogurt.   Whatever you’re looking for, Squabble’s brunch menu features something for everyone and doesn’t disappoint. 

 

Best Houston Brunch Spots with Booze 

A Houston Sunday brunch wouldn’t be brunch without a carafe of mimosa or Bloody Mary. Not all boozy brunches though are created equal, so we put together a list of brunch spots that know their alcohol as well as their foods. 

Max’s Wine Dive 

At this Montrose brunch place, the menu hinges on champagne and fried chicken, an unlikely but popular combo at this Houston brunch place. Max’s is both a gastropub and wine dive. Founder Jerry Lasco, former airplane pilot and New Yorker, drew inspiration from his favorite New York eateries to marry comfort food with a first-rate wine list. 

Now a firm Houston favorite, the brunch menu features an extensive wine and alcohol selection, including a chance to build your own mimosa, guaranteeing it’s to your taste. Dishes like the chicken fried lobster tail and honey butter chicken benedict make sure you come away from Max’s well-fed, as well as well-watered, and do so with all the comforts of home cooking. 

 

Bosscat Kitchen and Libations

From mimosas and Bloody Marys to a powerful Breakfast in Bed Shot, if you’re looking to start your weekend brunch with a bit of booze, this brunch place on Westheimer Road is for you. Bosscat knows its cocktails and its drinks menu has something for all tastes and sensibilities.

To help soak up the booze, Chef Peter Petro’s menu melds classic American favorites with modernity, proving you can always teach an old dish new tricks. Popular menu selections include the hearty Breakfast Burrito, creamy avocado toast, and a sumptuous ‘Fruity Pebbles’ French Toast that takes a sweet treat and makes it sweeter. 

Bosscat Kitchen’s brunch menu is available 10 to 4 Saturdays and Sundays.

 

BCK

This offshoot of Bosscat’s Kitchen and Heights-based locale specializes in excellent meals and homemade cocktails. It’s a Heights neighborhood brunch favorite with locals and visitors alike.

Its brunch menu playfully and innovatively reinvents brunch favorites, such as steak and egg tacos well flavored with jalapeño and onion, while Bananas Forster French Toast is topped with marshmallow fluff, as well as all the usual trimmings. 

The cocktail menu here provides the option to build your own mimosa, and to help soak it up, there’s the possibility to upgrade home fries to ‘Hangover Style’.  Additional cheese and spices should take the edge off of the morning-after and taste good, too.

The Saturday and Sunday brunch menu is available from 10 to 2 each weekend unless otherwise indicated. 

 

A’Bouzy

Champaign is the order of the day at A’Bouzy. Not only is it an integral part of the mimosas on offer, but the brunch menu is specifically designed to complement the tastes and flavors of this bubbly drink. 

The seafood-heavy brunch menu features everything from brunch classic bagel and lox to a raw fish bar, so there are more than enough culinary combinations to pair with this Houston restaurant’s 250 Champaigns. 

But it’s not all fish. This River Oaks locale, which is ideal for people-watching, also features pastry basket selections, duck-fat pomme frites, and braised pork hash, though the avocado-crab salad is a particular favorite.

A’Bouzy’s weekend brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Houston’s Fastest Brunch Service 

Not all brunches are leisurely affairs, and many of the best brunch places in Houston not only understand but cater to your need for a fast and easy brunch.

As you consider where to find a fast but tasty Sunday brunch in Houston, here are places worth exploring.

The Kitchen at the Dunlavy

Unlikely though it may seem, this glass treehouse with its view of Lost Lake is an excellent brunch spot for those on the go. You can linger under the chandeliers if you’re in the mood, but there’s casual and quick counter service for those in a rush.

Those looking to enjoy the sun can opt either for patio seating or a picnic basket to take with them on their days’ errands or itinerary.

Their menu features a wide variety of delicious brunch choices from rich ricotta pancakes to short ribbed sandwiches with suitably tart pickles for accompaniment. Pair your brunch selections with mimosa or a carefully curated latte as you see fit.

For more on the Kitchen at the Dunlavy, and further menu details, have a look here.

 

Pondecheri

Pondecheri in Upper Kirby offers quick and efficient service as well as irresistible Indian food. The ever-popular Morning Thali is recommended as the best way to start your day here; this platter offers everything from potato cake to spiced lamb keema.

It’s a hearty and varied start to the day, with a menu that extends to include brunch staples like brioche French toast and breakfast frankies, even as dishes like masala fried chicken put an Indian twist on old favorites.

Relaxed and casual, this is the ideal brunch location for diners on the go. But don’t leave without a trip to the upstairs baking laboratory to pick up sweet treats for later in the day.

 

Vibrant

Houston has its share of brunch spots but none are so eco and health-conscious as Vibrant. Brunch at this café in Montrose, Houston, combines healthy eating with casual and reliable service. Food is fully gluten, dairy, and sugar-free, while all produce is sourced locally and organically with an emphasis on encouraging regenerative farming.

Not only that but all breads, cheeses, and sausages are made from scratch each day. Vibrant’s all-day menu is available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day and offers both a dine-in option for those with time to spare and takeout for patrons on the move.

Its menu proves healthy doesn’t mean without taste and options range from the indulgent and filling sweet potato hash to hearty enchiladas. It’s feel-good food that is not only good for you but tastes incredible, too.

 

Best Family-Friendly Brunch Locations

Brunch is ideal for families, as it’s malleable enough to adapt to both early-rising children and those wanting a more relaxed start to the day. But if your child is particular about their brunch, then restaurants that offer a kids’ menu are a must.

Not every Houston brunch spot thinks to cater to the developing palate, though, so here are some favorite brunch locations with the entire family in mind.

Indianola

Agricola Hospitality’s Indianola is located in East Downtown Houston. Now with brunch on its menu, this downtown brunch spot takes all your traditional brunch favorites and adds an international twist.

The result is a weekend brunch from 10 to 4 that features delicacies like crispy duck rice and Moroccan Sticky buns. Patrons looking for an alcoholic accompaniment to Sunday brunch won’t be disappointed by the potent and spicy Bloody Mary.

The other excellent argument for dining out at Indianola is the inclusion of a kids’ menu, where buttermilk pancakes and pepperoni pizza ensure there’s something for even the fussiest eater.

 

Weights and Measures 

Photo Credit: wmhtx via Instagram

Currently open Wednesday to Sunday, this popular midtown brunch location is both restaurant and bakery. A favorite with locals, weekend brunches at Weights and Measures feature both cocktails and melt-in-the-mouth culinary treats.

Selections like peach Bellini or spicy Michelada are the perfect complement to dishes like the perennial favorite brioche French toast with fried chicken or beloved avocado toast.

If you’re unsure how much you want to eat, a variety of pizzas makes sharing easy. Additionally, there’s a kids’ menu bound to please even the choosiest children.

Elsewhere on the menu, the savvy theatergoer will spot more than one side and cocktail with a pop culture theme.

Weights and Measures serve brunch Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m.

 

Most Unique Brunch Spots in Houston, Texas

It can often feel there are more places to have brunch in Houston than a visitor knows what to do with. But a handful of brunch places stand out as some of the city’s most distinctive weekend brunch spots.

For a brunch experience as unique as it is enjoyable, here are some of the best brunch places in Houston to choose from.

Electric FeelGood

This 90s-influenced Midtown brunch in Houston boasts a theme it dubs ‘Saved by the Brunch.’ Soaked in neon and playful and inviting, this is a brunch experience unlike any other in Houston.

Matching the colorful, cheerful sensibility of this brunch place, the menu dives enthusiastically into a nostalgic 90s sensibility that perfectly evokes Saturday morning network television and cartoons.

The charm of the Electric FeelGood menu is its ability to take any childhood breakfast staple and transpose it into a suitable brunch fair. The ubiquitous peanut butter and jam sandwich become a PB&J flatbread served on naan, while the sugar bomb doughnut is stuffed with a classic combination of cream cheese and jam.

No visit would be complete without a trip down the restaurant’s memorable neon slide, so don’t pass up the opportunity to give it a ride. Saved by the Brunch is available for Sunday brunch from 11-3 PM.

 

Fung’s Kitchen

This Chinatown brunch spot has a cult following. Its brunch menu is dim sum style, but that doesn’t lessen the appeal. Indeed, people have been known to wait in line for the chance to brunch at Fung’s Kitchen, so patience is a virtue when visiting.

If you do manage to get indoors though, you’ll be stunned by the multiplicity of foods on offer: steamed dumplings, crispy duck, and special BBQ pork are merely a sample of the Hong Kong-influenced selections available on roaming carts.

To round your brunch off, choose from any number of desserts, and take some time to enjoy a cup of tea.

 

Hugo’s 

Deep in the heart of Montrose, Hugo Ortega’s coastal menu puts a Mexican spin on the typical brunch menu. The result is a light, eclectic menu that tastes as if it’s been prepared just off the boat by local fishermen.

With deep and complex flavors and a strong seaside influence, traditional Mexican dishes make their way to Houston by way of Post Oak. Steak and eggs get a Mexican twist with the addition of red and green salsas and the fried chicken tacos with guacamole and salsa are both a frequent favorite and an inspired reworking of a Southern staple.

Always good value for money, the brunch buffet is a particular favorite with patrons. Hugo’s weekend brunch is served Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an option to dine in or alternatively collect your order by a curbside pickup.

If you’re still hungry afterward, you can always visit sibling establishments Downtown Xochi and Galleria-based Caracol for second and third brunch.

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking for a classic brunch, an all-you-can-eat buffet, an open-air brunch, or even something whimsical, there’s something for everyone in Houston, Texas. There’s no shortage of weekend brunch spots that range from the quaint to the ultra-modern.

Patios are pervasive, as is live music. If anything, the problem isn’t finding a brunch place in Houston, but finding one that’s right for you. Location, atmosphere, and culinary taste will all dictate your preference, but whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong.