23 Best Breakfast & Weekend Brunch Spots in Houston

© Lucille’s

Inspired by his world travels and culinary school experience, chef/owner Chris Williams founded Lucille’s as a nod to his famous great-grandmother, Lucille Bishop Smith, who was renowned in the culinary world in her own right. Set in a cozy, vintage house with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, Lucille’s presents a menu of modern takes on Southern classics, such as Lucille’s chili biscuits, fried green tomatoes, crab cake Benedict, hot cakes and toast, fried catfish and eggs, and chicken-fried steak with fingerling hash. The restaurant’s back patio has a barbecue in honor of Lucille's husband, who was widely known as one of the best pit-masters of his time, and is open to guests on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

5512 La Branch St, Houston, TX 77004, Phone: 713-568-2505

© Pondicheri

Located in the West Avenue development, Pondicheri is modern 3,000-square-foot breakfast, lunch, and dinner eatery that is spicing up Central Houston. Helmed by Chef Anita Jaisinghani, the Indian restaurant serves a range of seekh kebabs, bite-sized pakoras, goat biryani, and several unique twists on Indian favorites created by Chef Anita. Sizeable steel-and-glass window panels boast beautiful views, while the giant handcrafted doors are veritable works of art and the design elements within the restaurant bring a taste of India to Houston. The restaurant offers counter service for breakfast and lunch and table service for dinner and also features an in-house specialty bakery that produces a variety of mouthwatering pastries, cakes, and sweet treats, such as brioche buns, brownies, muffins, and cookies.

2800 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77098, Phone: 713-522-2022

© Barnaby’s Cafe

Barnaby’s Café is a quaint café with several locations around the city that serves a menu of healthy and wholesome food and drinks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hungry customers can tuck into falafel scramble, fried chicken steak and eggs, corned beef hash and eggs, or buffalo scramble, while healthier options are available for not-so-hungry diners, such as honey and walnut Greek Yogurt, Buttermilk Waffles, French toast, smoked salmon, and stacks of buttermilk pancakes. Brunchers can enjoy mountain-size salads, chicken pesto salad sandwich with artichoke hearts, and smoked chicken tostadas with roasted corn salsa delights, along with hearty meatloaf with garlic mashers and a variety of burger combos accompanied by crisp french fries or steamed veggies.

602 Fairview Street, Montrose, Houston, TX 77006, Phone: 713-522-4229

© Black Walnut Cafe

The Black Walnut Café is a neighborhood spot on Memorial Drive in the Village that is known for its good food and equally good service. The counter-serve café allows customers to order on arrival and then find a spot and read one of the free newspapers over a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice or freshly brewed coffee while they wait. Breakfasts starters include flaky croissants, oatmeal and milk, fresh fruit salad, and berries and Chantilly cream, followed by an array of Benedicts and omelets, eggs sandwiches and breakfast tacos, and a variety of griddle treats such as waffles, buttermilk pancakes, and challah French toast. The signature lobster Benedict with breakfast potatoes and the grilled chicken croissant with a side of sweet potato fries are popular choices for breakfast and brunch-goers.

5510 Morningside, Houston, TX 77005, Phone: 713-526-5551

© Blacksmith

Blacksmith is a cool corner coffee shop in Montrose owned by coffee guru David Buehrer that serves a Vietnamese-inspired menu for breakfast and lunch, along with specialty coffees, imported teas, and freshly baked biscuits with homemade marmalade. The coffee shop-cum-café uses only the freshest locally sourced ingredients to create their innovative fare, which includes dishes such as Vietnamese steak and eggs, sunny-side eggs sprinkled with scallions, smoked salmon dill scramble, and Kentucky Hot Brown sandwiches stacked with fire-roasted turkey, Benton’s bacon, and Mornay sauce. Plates are accompanied by house pâté, crusty artisanal bread, and a small salad along with a variety of beverages and specialty coffees.

1018 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77006, Phone: 832-360-7470

© Buffalo Grille

Established in 1984, the Buffalo Grille is a cozy eatery and a beloved Houston classic that has been attracting hungry locals for its mouthwatering breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the past 35 years. The Southern-style spot is best known for its generously portioned breakfast offerings, which include build-your-own omelets, enormous hotcakes, and delicious French toast along with a selection of a la carte items like pecan-smoked sausage, hash browns, cheese grits, and homemade muffins. Healthy sides include yogurt, fresh fruit, biscuits and gravy, bowls of cereal and oatmeal, and grapefruit, while hot beverages include house-roasted coffee, tea blends, fruit juices, and sodas. Buffalo Grille is open for breakfast and lunch, daily, as well as dinner service Tuesday through Saturday.

Weslayan Plaza, 4080 Bissonnet Street, Houston, TX 77005, Phone: 713-661-3663

© Common Bond Cafe & Bakery

Common Bond Café & Bakery is a rustic-chic café and bakery that serves a range of freshly baked pastries, cakes, scones and muffins, and flaky croissants fresh from the oven every morning, along with a variety of seasonal savory dishes and globally inspired cuisine for lunch and early dinner. Open seven days a week, the modern, glassed-in Montrose bakery café features a menu of delicious breakfast and brunch dishes, such as salmon tartine on sunflower rye bread, pain perdu with warm maple syrup, scramble à la Julia, avocado and bacon toast, biscuits and gravy, and sausage and egg sandwiches. Specialty coffees range from Americanos, macchiatos, and cortados to cappuccinos, flat whites, and vanilla lattes, and there is a range of tea blends, fruit juices, and lemonade.

1706 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77006, Phone: 713-529-3535

© Dish Society

Dish Society is a counter-serve, farm-to-table breakfast and lunch spot with several suburban outposts around the city that brings local Texas-style flavor to classic breakfast dishes. The wholesome eatery uses the highest quality and freshest ingredients possible, sourcing ingredients and products from local suppliers and regional artisans, along with Fairtrade coffee, healthful juices and elixirs, and a rotating selection of local craft beers and handcrafted cocktails. The menu includes favorites such as Southwest scrambled eggs with black beans and avocado, pancakes, slow smoked shredded brisket and fried eggs served with buttermilk biscuits, nutty smoked Gouda grits and tomatillo relish, and gooey Nutella French toast.

5740 San Felipe St #100, Houston, TX 77057, Phone: 832-538-1060

© Edgar's Hermano

Set within the beautifully renovated Whitehall hotel on Smith Street in downtown Houston, Edgar’s Hermano boasts a harmonious blend of native Tex-Mex cuisine and classic Southern fare to offer a unique dining experience. Helmed by Executive Chef Sylvia Covarrubias, whose menus exude an authentic, homespun style, the restaurant presents several menus of delicious fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, such as an award-winning Southern fried stuffed chicken with masa grits and candied bacon jam, Texas corn cakes with pork chicharrón and cotija cheese, and the three-egg Garden Omelet served with potato hash, Peruvian purple and sweet potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and queso fresco. Other breakfast delights include country griddle cakes, breakfast quesadillas, pork belly Benedict, and buttermilk biscuits with assorted jams and butter. Things to Do in Houston

1700 Smith St, Houston, TX 77002, Phone: 713-739-8800

© Empire Cafe

Situated in a renovated gas station turned cozy café, the Empire Café is a friendly, neighborhood café that combines fabulous food, inviting service, and a comfortable European atmosphere. The casual restaurant attracts loyal customers and visitors alike, who return time and again for the delicious, home-cooked fare that is served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner every day. Breakfast is made up of freshly brewed coffee, tea and fresh fruit juices, cereals, pancakes, fresh fruit, omelets, frittatas, specialty dishes such as breakfast quesadillas, tacos, and focaccia eggs, and signature Italian toast. The café also serves a variety of freshly baked homemade scones, sticky buns, and muffins along with custom-roasted, world-class coffees and espresso drinks.

1732 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098, Phone: 713-528-4176

© Grace’s

Grace’s is an elegant restaurant with a beautiful brick exterior, exquisitely appointed interiors, and comfy outdoor patio seating that serves a creative menu of good old-fashioned Southern food with Tex-Mex and Asian accents. Owned by Johnny Carrabba, the restaurant was inspired by his grandmother, Grace, who was a first-generation American born in Louisiana to Italian immigrants and who grew up cooking Cajun food mixed with the Italian food of her heritage. These strong culinary influences can be found in brunch dishes such as shrimp and grits, Southern fried pork chops and eggs, fajita steak and eggs, beef and chorizo picadillo, and Grace’s breakfast tacos. Beverages include Bloody Marys and pomegranate and frozen mimosas.

3111 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77098, Phone: 713-728-6410

© Grand Lux Cafe

The Grand Lux Café is a chain of elegantly appointed cafés that serves internationally inspired cuisine in a casual and contemporary setting. Created by the founders of The Cheesecake Factory, the Grand Lux Café was inspired by the quaint trattorias of Italy, the stylish bistros of France, and the grand cafes and pastry shops of Vienna. Blending the grandeur and luxury of European cafés with the spirit of an all-American restaurant, the upscale-casual eatery features a lavish interior design with marble floors and tabletops, sumptuous fabrics and textures, intricate mosaics, and handblown glass fixtures and offers guests a unique dining experience for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Weekend brunch offers a variety of egg and omelet dishes, biscuits and gravy, chilaquiles and quesadillas, and the regular pancakes, waffles, and French toast.

5000 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056, Phone: 713-626-1700

© Harry's Restaurant & Cafe

Founded in 1948 and taken over by Johnny Platsa and his wife Patricia two decades ago, Harry’s Restaurant & Café is a family-friendly restaurant in Midtown that has been serving creative global cuisine with Mediterranean, Latin, Greek, and Ecuadorian influences. Open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week, Harry's Restaurant & Café is a favorite spot for hearty breakfasts of Greek and Texas omelets, waffles and hotcakes, a variety of egg dishes, French toast, breakfast sandwiches, and biscuits and gravy. Lighter options include quinoa granola, oatmeal, yogurt and fresh fruit salad, and the cuisine is accompanied by a range of specialty coffees, including Americanos, cappuccinos, espressos, and macchiatos. A cafeteria-style lunch counter is always packed with patrons, who line up for the hearty lunch specials like chicken enchiladas and feta fries.

318 Tuam St, Houston, TX 77006, Phone: 713-528-0198

© Hungry’s

Hungry’s is a long-standing Rice Village institution that is housed in a beautifully designed 12,000-square-foot two-story space with a first-level dining room, second-floor bar and lounge, and large outdoor patio. The stylishly landscaped outdoor area is surrounded by towering oaks and has a trickling water feature, which creates a tranquil and relaxing spot for breakfast or brunch. Inventively reimagined for the next generation, Hungry’s is headed by Executive Chef Sue Nowamooz, who creates a menu of globally inspired cuisine with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and healthy options. Brunch plates include crab cakes eggs Benedict, smoked salmon avocado toast, croissant French toast, fruit and yogurt with organic granola, and baked goat cheese toasted French baguettes.

2356 Rice Boulevard, Houston, TX 77005, Phone: 713-523-8652

© La Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe

La Madeleine French Bakery & Café is a quaint French café chain that has grown from being a simple French bakery and boulangerie to a popular neighborhood café gathering place with more than 70 locations around the country. The family-friendly eatery serves a menu of rustic country fare, gourmet baguettes, and specialty coffees for breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with freshly baked pastries, scones, cakes, muffins, and artisanal bread. Customers can tuck into breakfast favorites such as cinnamon French toast, crepes Romanoff, yogurt parfait, and a variety of egg dishes, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and fresh fruit salad. A wide range of coffee is available from French and American roasts to cappuccino, espresso, americano, macchiato, and hot chocolate.

19710 Northwest Fwy #100, Houston, TX 77065, Phone: 281-720-1000

© Le Peep - Galleria

Le Peep’s Galleria spot has been a Houston breakfast staple since the 1980s, serving a long menu of straightforward American fare and specialty coffee drinks. The casual breakfast and lunch chain now has locations at Galleria and Memorial City and still serves the same menu of traditional favorites with creative upgrades along with a selection of classic brunch cocktails, mimosas, salty dogs, craft beer, and wine. The breakfast and brunch menu still feature many customer favorites like The Health Club and The Roost – think two eggs, potatoes, a choice of meat and an English muffin – along with a fruit parfait of house-made granola, strawberries, and bananas, and the off-the-menu Churro’ n Bones of waffles, cinnamon sugar, and bone-in cured pork belly. Sip a selection of Katz’s Coffee, including lattes and cappuccinos or a cold brew from the tap.

4340 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77027, Phone: 713-629-7337

© Lola

Lola is a retro-style all-American diner located on the corner of Yale and 11th Street in the Heights that offers a menu of healthy, organic, vegetarian, and gluten-free dishes in a colorful and vibrant atmosphere. The modern American diner provides enormous breakfasts and stellar Texas short-order cuisine, all of which is prepared from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Lola is a favorite with late-risers and brunch-lovers with their all-day bacon and eggs, while early birds can tuck into large house omelets, huevos rancheros, chicken and fruit waffles, challah French toast, and house-made pancakes served with a variety of delicious toppings. Beverages range from fruit juices and sodas to thick and creamy milkshakes and malts, bottled water, coffee, and tea.

1102 Yale Street, Houston, TX 77008, Phone: 713-426-5652

© Pecan Creek Grille

The Pecan Creek Grille is a casual counter-serve joint on Eldridge Parkway that serves hearty Tex-Mex breakfasts and creative menus of Southern cuisine for lunch in a rustic, Western setting. Founded by two Buffalo Grille veterans, Brock and Stacy Silverstein, the pizza parlor turned Southwestern grille is the perfect spot for an authentic Tex-Mex breakfast of bacon-studded eggs, biscuits and gravy, pecan-crusted chicken smothered in a sweet molasses sauce, and double thick brioche French toast dusted with powdered sugar. The cuisine is paired with cups of cinnamon-laced coffee, which can be enjoyed inside the cozy restaurant or out on the sun-drenched patio.

1510 Eldridge Pkwy S #100, Houston, TX 77077, Phone: 281-759-3663

© Adair Kitchen

Located in the Sage Plaza Shopping Center, Adair Kitchen is a simple and spacious neighborhood café on San Felipe Street that serves creative American fare prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Open for breakfast and lunch and serving in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere, Adair Kitchen offers a menu of classic dishes with a Southern twist for breakfast, such as three-egg omelets, avocado mash, pancakes with a variety of toppings, steel-cut oats, waffles and chicken, and egg croissant sandwiches. Diners can sip freshly brewed coffee made from house-roasted beans, a blend of teas, fresh fruit juices, or a selection of sodas with their food.

5161 San Felipe Street, Houston, TX 77056, Phone: 713-623-6100

© The Breakfast Klub

Located in Houston’s Midtown, the Breakfast Klub is a casual, family-friendly restaurant decorated with modern art and comfortable wooden tables and chairs that has been hailed as being one of the “best breakfast restaurants in the nation.” Central to Houston’s daily life, the restaurant attracts an eclectic crowd for true Southern-style breakfasts and bottomless coffee with a variety of favorite dishes such as chicken and waffles, green eggs and ham, chicken wings and grits, and a selection of pancakes with delicious toppings. In addition to hearty breakfasts, the restaurant also offers wholesome burgers and fries, fresh salads, and gourmet sandwiches along with a range of craft beers and Houston-born brews as well as casual drinking wines and sodas.

3711 Travis Street, Houston, TX 77002, Phone: 713-528-8561

© The Dunlavy & The Kitchen at The Dunlavy

The latest addition to Clark Cooper Concepts, The Dunlavy & The Kitchen at The Dunlavy is a 3,800-square-foot dining and event space that offers casual dining service by day and private events at night. The Kitchen at The Dunlavy is the culinary side of the partnership and provides an unforgettable dining experience for breakfast, brunch, and lunch in a stylish and sophisticated space with gallery-like interiors, high ceilings with shimmering chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling windows with spectacular views, and a large wraparound patio suspended over the bayou. Crowds line up for early morning breakfast and lazy Sunday brunches, which feature classic dishes such as hearty breakfast sandwiches filled with avocado, bacon, kale, and egg, sweet and savory breakfast bowls, and a variety of fresh salads and vegetable plates.

3422 Allen Parkways, Houston, TX 77019, Phone: 713-360-6477

© Tiny Boxwoods

Surrounded by trees and vines on Alabama Street, Tiny Boxwoods is a small and intimate dining space that serves a pared-down breakfast menu and classic Sunday brunch in a tea party-like atmosphere. Although small and cozy, the space features large windows that bathe interiors with natural light and enhance the area, while a lovely patio overlooking the garden offers the perfect spot for long and lazy Sunday brunches. Breakfast specialties range from pastry boards stacked with freshly baked pastries served with house-made jam and honey butter and fruit and yogurt parfait with house granola, yogurt, bananas, seasonal berries to the House Migas of eggs scrambled with cheese, potatoes, sausage, tortilla strips, and tomatillo salsa and the classic Mother’s Breakfast of house-ground sausage, jalapeño cheese grits, and warm biscuits with strawberry jam.

3614 W Alabama Street, Houston, TX 77027, Phone: 713-622-4224