29 Best Brunches in the DC Area (2024)

Contents

3. Bob’s Shanghai 66
4. Café Unido
5. Caruso’s Grocery
6. Cracked Eggery
7. Desi Breakfast Club
9. Ellie Bird
10. Fiola Mare
11. Gourmet Inspirations
12. Han Palace
13. Heat Da Spot Cafe
14. I Egg You
15. Lutèce
16. Makan
17. The Market Lunch
18. Matt and Tony’s
19. Okaeri Japanese Cafe
20. Pearl Dive Oyster Palace
21. Pennyroyal Station
22. Petite Cerise
23. The Royal
24. Ruthie’s All Day
25. St. Anselm
26. Shilling Canning Company
27. Spanish Diner
28. Uncommon Luncheonette
29. Unconventional Diner

A&J

Housemade noodles and pork pot stickers star at these dim sum houses. Opt for the wide ribbons slicked in a hot-and-sour or spicy sesame sauce, then crowd your table with other favorites such as the thousand-layer pancake, wontons in chili oil, braised pork on rice, and pickled cabbage.

Back to Top

Art & Soul

Chicago chef Art Smith debuted this hotel restaurant—on a block that feels like no man’s land but is actually steps from the US Capitol—in 2008. And although the decor could use a refresh (and Smith is no longer involved), the cooking remains strong. For those who lean toward sweet fare, the lemony pancakes are terrific. Short-rib hash with chipotle hollandaise and steak and eggs are savory standouts. Right in between? Tasty buttermilk-­fried chicken thighs with waffles.

Back to Top

Bob’s Shanghai 66

Find the region’s best xiao long bao (soup dumplings) at this Chinese destination where you can peer into the kitchen to watch all the stuffing and folding. The checklist dim sum menu has tons of options, but dishes with stars next to them—shrimp cruller wraps, garlicky Taiwanese cucumbers—are solid bets.

Back to Top

Café Unido

This Panamanian cafe might seem to be just a coffee destination, given its emphasis on geisha pour-overs and single-origin cold-brews. But brunch at the Shaw location is as thoughtful as the beans. Don’t sleep on the vanilla-bean/coffee pancakes or the breakfast sandwich with crispy mozzarella, fried egg, and bacon on a four-pack of pillowy rolls.

Back to Top

Caruso’s Grocery

It’s tempting to hunker down over a single, hearty plate at brunch, but just say yes to the apps at this Little Italy–inspired dining room at Pike & Rose. We’d be happy sharing rounds of chicken-parm sliders (with deliciously peppery vodka sauce for dunking), crunchy calamari, light and lemony ricotta doughnuts, and anything-but-boring Greek and Caesar salads. Of the larger dishes, the egg sandwich with ham and honey mustard—and the kids’-menu chicken tenders—are favorites.

Back to Top

Cracked Eggery

What was once a farmers-market stand—then a food truck—now has two spiffy destinations for creative fried-egg sandwiches served on challah rolls. The Southern Charm includes a thick fried green tomato, bacon, pimiento cheese, and lemony aïoli, while the Paulie Cicero adds layers of prosciutto, ricotta, and sun-dried tomato. The straightforward bacon-egg-and-cheese is just as good, thanks to sweetly glazed bacon and soft scrambled eggs. Coming soon: a location in National Landing.

Back to Top

Desi Breakfast Club

There’s been a wave of all-day, everyday breakfast-and-brunch spots over the past couple years. But only this strip-mall halal dining room focuses on the morning meals of India and Pakistan. The star of the menu is the paratha, a flaky, floppy round of warm bread served with everything from a terrific chicken kebab to fried eggs to ghee and sugar. Another can’t-miss: the assertively spiced chai.

Back to Top

D Light Cafe & Bakery

DC’s first Ukrainian cafe is outfitted with flowery art, chandeliers, and a portrait of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. You’ll find a display case full of European-style pastries and the usual brunch staples, but we like to embrace the Ukrainian specialties. Try cottage-cheese pancakes with gravlax in a savory mushroom cream sauce; crepes with cherry compote; or potato pancakes with sour cream, a fried egg, and bacon.

Back to Top

Ellie Bird

This newcomer from the couple behind DC’s acclaimed Rooster & Owl practically bursts with whimsy. Kids will clamor to sit in one of the birdcage booths, while parents take the edge off with kimchi Bloodies and a lime-green pandan-­gin co*cktail inspired by Nickelodeon Slime. Meanwhile, a swirly “tornado” omelet hides a mound of kimchi fried rice, a mochi waffle is accented with fermented-­banana crème anglaise, and the onion soup tastes equal parts pho and French.

Back to Top

Fiola Mare

Feeling fancy? It’s hard to find a more luxe brunch than the $95 bottomless affair at this Georgetown waterfront dining room. Down Prosecco and pastries, plus three courses (or go à la carte). Salads and soups here are always lovely, and while ricotta-and-lemon pancakes are nice, we gravitate toward the seafood that the place is known for, including spaghetti with Manila and surf clams, or creamy scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.

Back to Top

Gourmet Inspirations

If you love the happy chaos of flagging down some shu mai as they roll out of the kitchen, this roomy dining room is our go-to for cart-style dim sum. Expect all the classics, including popular shrimp dumplings, barbecue-­pork buns, and chicken feet with chili/black-bean sauce.

Back to Top

Han Palace

Get dim sum every day at this trio of Cantonese restaurants. Check out the Barracks Row location in particular for an unlimited deal ($38 a person, $18 for ages five to 12), which includes eight types of dumplings plus small versions of noodle and rice entrées. Purple golden yolk buns are a signature sweet.

Back to Top

Heat Da Spot Cafe

This homey Park View cafe has breakfast sandwiches covered, including versions made with French toast or waffles. But we’re here for the Ethiopian-style break­fast: scrambled eggs, on­ions, and peppers mixed with niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter) and berbere seasoning. It’s perfect for scooping with injera, and a bonus veggie sambusa comes on the side.

Back to Top

I Egg You

Our blue ribbon for best pandemic pop-up goes to this egg-sandwich operation from Chiko and Anju owners Danny Lee and Scott Drewno. You can currently order the griddled milk-bun sandos for delivery or pickup at the Barracks Row Chiko, but it will soon have a space of its own nearby, with a bigger menu and some co*cktail and lunch options. Don’t worry: The fried breakfast potatoes with candied jalapeños, sausage, and Old Bay aïoli aren’t going anywhere.

Back to Top

Lutèce

The lunchy brunch is every bit as elegant and charming as dinner at this acclaimed French bistro in Georgetown. A new fall menu features Parisian gnocchi and pork Milanese, but the textbook French omelet with Boursin cheese and creamy sabayon sauce is a must-get. Meanwhile, pastry chef Isabel Coss converts everyone into a sweet tooth with her seasonal desserts.

Back to Top

Makan

Surprise! Some of DC’s best biscuits are at a Malaysian restaurant. Chef James Wozniuk, who grew up in South Carolina, pairs his buttery baked goods with a silky coconut pandan custard. Other brunch highlights include “flooded bread” (roti, coconut curry, yellow dal, and a soft-poached egg) and nasi ganja, a fried-chicken-and-rice dish with coconut chutney, salted duck egg, and sambal.

Back to Top

The Market Lunch

Before there were food halls in seemingly every neighborhood in DC, there was Eastern Market. And for the last 45 years, the best reason to visit has been this bustling short-order spot. Line up for pancakes (regular or blueberry buckwheat), or the Brick, a warm egg sandwich laden with bacon and potatoes. Crabcakes, for good reason, fly out of the kitchen at lunch, but they’re also delicious paired with eggs at breakfast.

Back to Top

Matt and Tony’s

This family-friendly Del Ray joint with a dog-friendly patio offers slightly cheffed-­up versions of brunch classics all day long. Crisp-edged masa pancakes come with a mole syrup, and scallion-­cheddar biscuits are smothered in chicken-chorizo gravy. Bloody Marys are available three ways, including a green version with poblano-infused tequila and wasabi.

Back to Top

Okaeri Japanese Cafe

This Japanese cafe is one of the region’s few destinations for super-light, jiggly soufflé pancakes—a once-viral internet sensation actually worth the hype. We’re fans of the matcha and strawberry versions as well as the shop’s fruit-and-whipped-cream sandwiches, onigiri, and extensive green-tea menu.

Back to Top

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

At this Southern-inspired oyster house in Logan Circle, start with a round of raw bivalves chosen from the daily list, or have them fried and stuffed into a po’ boy. Shrimp with cayenne grits is lick-the-bowl good, the terrific Benedict is made with crab and crawfish, and the burger with pepperjack and roasted green chilies is about as effective a hangover cure as you could hope for.

Back to Top

Pennyroyal Station

Chef/owner Jesse Miller nails comfort food with a twist at his laid-back Mount Rainier restaurant. At brunch, that means a pancake topped with fried chicken and pickled jalapeños or a BLT made with fried green tomatoes and pimiento cheese. They do the basics (pancake stacks, eggs any style) well, too.

Back to Top

Petite Cerise

Dabney chef/owner Jeremiah Langhorne’s all-day Shaw cafe is at its prettiest on sunny mornings. Although weekday breakfast was recently axed, you can still find brunchy treats—a plum cruller, brûléed fruit with yogurt—on the lunch menu. Weekends, you can luxe things up with foie gras beignets, a crepe oozing with goat cheese and salami, and delightful blueberry daiquiris.

Back to Top

The Royal

PSL fans, it’s time to level up: Head to this slender LeDroit Park cafe, open every morning, for a more creative fall-friendly drink, such as a cold-brew with salted vanilla cream or a mix of chai and ginger beer. Then either grab a guava pastry and dash off or settle in for the terrific breakfast arepa, a warm masa pocket holding avocado, cotija cheese, and a runny fried egg.

Back to Top

Ruthie’s All Day

This folksy (but cheffy) dining room serves up takeout-friendly biscuit sandwiches and coffee on weekdays, and a more leisurely brunch on weekends. Carbo-load with cornbread and honey butter or shrimp-flecked hushpuppies, then dig into plates that show off the kitchen’s barbecue skills. Grits are topped with smoky pulled pork and pickled chilies, while brisket is turned into hash and served with poached eggs, kale, and Brussels sprouts.

Back to Top

St. Anselm

You probably don’t need us to tell you about the crazy-popular brunch at Le Diplomate, but its sister steakhouse near Union Market is a less sceney favorite. You can count on a great steak and eggs, and the buttermilk biscuits with pimiento cheese are justly famous (another good thing from the oven: cinnamon-roll monkey bread). Our top plate, though, is the avocado toast, spiced up with tangy fresno chilies.

Back to Top

Shilling Canning Company

We usually roll our eyes at hyperbolic dish descriptions, but this pretty Navy Yard dining room’s deviled eggs are just as “creamy and dreamy” as the menu promises. Start with a pastry that makes the most of seasonal fruit (if only the peaches-and-cream doughnut weren’t so fleeting!), then move on to a lovely Benedict anchored by a generous crabcake.

Back to Top

Spanish Diner

The main food groups at José Andrés’s Bethesda dining room (formerly Jaleo): potatoes, sausages, and eggs. You can get straightforward plates of eggs with morcilla or jamón, have eggs fried over a zucchini-and-eggplant stew, or order them in a crispy breakfast sandwich. We like to accessorize with lighter, brighter fare: shrimp in garlicky olive oil, tangy gazpacho, avocado salad, and a drink called the Gin Mare, which tastes like a hybrid of a Bloody Mary and a dirty martini.

Back to Top

Uncommon Luncheonette

Former 2941 chef Jon Mathieson cofounded this Clarendon neo-diner, which, starting at 7 am, slings nap-­inducers like sausage-­gravy-topped poutine; Nashville hot chicken and waffles; and egg sandwiches. Cream-of-mushroom soup sounds simple but shows off the kitchen’s fine-dining training: It’s one of the best soups we’ve had all year.

Back to Top

Unconventional Diner

Brunch is served every day of the week until 3:45 at this eclectic Shaw spot. David Deshaies’s menu is grounded in American flavors—avocado toast, a riff on an everything bagel with lox, a double cheeseburger, and fried chicken and waffles are top notch—but flies off in plenty of other directions. Warming sweet-potato shakshuka nods to North Africa, while shrimp and grits gets a pineappley Caribbean spin.

This article appears in the October 2023 issue of Washingtonian.

Back to Top

A&J

Housemade noodles and pork pot stickers star at these dim sum houses. Opt for the wide ribbons slicked in a hot-and-sour or spicy sesame sauce, then crowd your table with other favorites such as the thousand-layer pancake, wontons in chili oil, braised pork on rice, and pickled cabbage.

Back to Top

Art & Soul

Chicago chef Art Smith debuted this hotel restaurant—on a block that feels like no man’s land but is actually steps from the US Capitol—in 2008. And although the decor could use a refresh (and Smith is no longer involved), the cooking remains strong. For those who lean toward sweet fare, the lemony pancakes are terrific. Short-rib hash with chipotle hollandaise and steak and eggs are savory standouts. Right in between? Tasty buttermilk-­fried chicken thighs with waffles.

Back to Top

Bob’s Shanghai 66

Find the region’s best xiao long bao (soup dumplings) at this Chinese destination where you can peer into the kitchen to watch all the stuffing and folding. The checklist dim sum menu has tons of options, but dishes with stars next to them—shrimp cruller wraps, garlicky Taiwanese cucumbers—are solid bets.

Back to Top

Café Unido

This Panamanian cafe might seem to be just a coffee destination, given its emphasis on geisha pour-overs and single-origin cold-brews. But brunch at the Shaw location is as thoughtful as the beans. Don’t sleep on the vanilla-bean/coffee pancakes or the breakfast sandwich with crispy mozzarella, fried egg, and bacon on a four-pack of pillowy rolls.

Back to Top

Caruso’s Grocery

It’s tempting to hunker down over a single, hearty plate at brunch, but just say yes to the apps at this Little Italy–inspired dining room at Pike & Rose. We’d be happy sharing rounds of chicken-parm sliders (with deliciously peppery vodka sauce for dunking), crunchy calamari, light and lemony ricotta doughnuts, and anything-but-boring Greek and Caesar salads. Of the larger dishes, the egg sandwich with ham and honey mustard—and the kids’-menu chicken tenders—are favorites.

Back to Top

Cracked Eggery

What was once a farmers-market stand—then a food truck—now has two spiffy destinations for creative fried-egg sandwiches served on challah rolls. The Southern Charm includes a thick fried green tomato, bacon, pimiento cheese, and lemony aïoli, while the Paulie Cicero adds layers of prosciutto, ricotta, and sun-dried tomato. The straightforward bacon-egg-and-cheese is just as good, thanks to sweetly glazed bacon and soft scrambled eggs. Coming soon: a location in National Landing.

Back to Top

Desi Breakfast Club

There’s been a wave of all-day, everyday breakfast-and-brunch spots over the past couple years. But only this strip-mall halal dining room focuses on the morning meals of India and Pakistan. The star of the menu is the paratha, a flaky, floppy round of warm bread served with everything from a terrific chicken kebab to fried eggs to ghee and sugar. Another can’t-miss: the assertively spiced chai.

Back to Top

D Light Cafe & Bakery

DC’s first Ukrainian cafe is outfitted with flowery art, chandeliers, and a portrait of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. You’ll find a display case full of European-style pastries and the usual brunch staples, but we like to embrace the Ukrainian specialties. Try cottage-cheese pancakes with gravlax in a savory mushroom cream sauce; crepes with cherry compote; or potato pancakes with sour cream, a fried egg, and bacon.

Back to Top

Ellie Bird

This newcomer from the couple behind DC’s acclaimed Rooster & Owl practically bursts with whimsy. Kids will clamor to sit in one of the birdcage booths, while parents take the edge off with kimchi Bloodies and a lime-green pandan-­gin co*cktail inspired by Nickelodeon Slime. Meanwhile, a swirly “tornado” omelet hides a mound of kimchi fried rice, a mochi waffle is accented with fermented-­banana crème anglaise, and the onion soup tastes equal parts pho and French.

Back to Top

Fiola Mare

Feeling fancy? It’s hard to find a more luxe brunch than the $95 bottomless affair at this Georgetown waterfront dining room. Down Prosecco and pastries, plus three courses (or go à la carte). Salads and soups here are always lovely, and while ricotta-and-lemon pancakes are nice, we gravitate toward the seafood that the place is known for, including spaghetti with Manila and surf clams, or creamy scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.

Back to Top

Gourmet Inspirations

If you love the happy chaos of flagging down some shu mai as they roll out of the kitchen, this roomy dining room is our go-to for cart-style dim sum. Expect all the classics, including popular shrimp dumplings, barbecue-­pork buns, and chicken feet with chili/black-bean sauce.

Back to Top

Han Palace

Get dim sum every day at this trio of Cantonese restaurants. Check out the Barracks Row location in particular for an unlimited deal ($38 a person, $18 for ages five to 12), which includes eight types of dumplings plus small versions of noodle and rice entrées. Purple golden yolk buns are a signature sweet.

Back to Top

Heat Da Spot Cafe

This homey Park View cafe has breakfast sandwiches covered, including versions made with French toast or waffles. But we’re here for the Ethiopian-style break­fast: scrambled eggs, on­ions, and peppers mixed with niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter) and berbere seasoning. It’s perfect for scooping with injera, and a bonus veggie sambusa comes on the side.

Back to Top

I Egg You

Our blue ribbon for best pandemic pop-up goes to this egg-sandwich operation from Chiko and Anju owners Danny Lee and Scott Drewno. You can currently order the griddled milk-bun sandos for delivery or pickup at the Barracks Row Chiko, but it will soon have a space of its own nearby, with a bigger menu and some co*cktail and lunch options. Don’t worry: The fried breakfast potatoes with candied jalapeños, sausage, and Old Bay aïoli aren’t going anywhere.

Back to Top

Lutèce

The lunchy brunch is every bit as elegant and charming as dinner at this acclaimed French bistro in Georgetown. A new fall menu features Parisian gnocchi and pork Milanese, but the textbook French omelet with Boursin cheese and creamy sabayon sauce is a must-get. Meanwhile, pastry chef Isabel Coss converts everyone into a sweet tooth with her seasonal desserts.

Back to Top

Makan

Surprise! Some of DC’s best biscuits are at a Malaysian restaurant. Chef James Wozniuk, who grew up in South Carolina, pairs his buttery baked goods with a silky coconut pandan custard. Other brunch highlights include “flooded bread” (roti, coconut curry, yellow dal, and a soft-poached egg) and nasi ganja, a fried-chicken-and-rice dish with coconut chutney, salted duck egg, and sambal.

Back to Top

The Market Lunch

Before there were food halls in seemingly every neighborhood in DC, there was Eastern Market. And for the last 45 years, the best reason to visit has been this bustling short-order spot. Line up for pancakes (regular or blueberry buckwheat), or the Brick, a warm egg sandwich laden with bacon and potatoes. Crabcakes, for good reason, fly out of the kitchen at lunch, but they’re also delicious paired with eggs at breakfast.

Back to Top

Matt and Tony’s

This family-friendly Del Ray joint with a dog-friendly patio offers slightly cheffed-­up versions of brunch classics all day long. Crisp-edged masa pancakes come with a mole syrup, and scallion-­cheddar biscuits are smothered in chicken-chorizo gravy. Bloody Marys are available three ways, including a green version with poblano-infused tequila and wasabi.

Back to Top

Okaeri Japanese Cafe

This Japanese cafe is one of the region’s few destinations for super-light, jiggly soufflé pancakes—a once-viral internet sensation actually worth the hype. We’re fans of the matcha and strawberry versions as well as the shop’s fruit-and-whipped-cream sandwiches, onigiri, and extensive green-tea menu.

Back to Top

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

At this Southern-inspired oyster house in Logan Circle, start with a round of raw bivalves chosen from the daily list, or have them fried and stuffed into a po’ boy. Shrimp with cayenne grits is lick-the-bowl good, the terrific Benedict is made with crab and crawfish, and the burger with pepperjack and roasted green chilies is about as effective a hangover cure as you could hope for.

Back to Top

Pennyroyal Station

Chef/owner Jesse Miller nails comfort food with a twist at his laid-back Mount Rainier restaurant. At brunch, that means a pancake topped with fried chicken and pickled jalapeños or a BLT made with fried green tomatoes and pimiento cheese. They do the basics (pancake stacks, eggs any style) well, too.

Back to Top

Petite Cerise

Dabney chef/owner Jeremiah Langhorne’s all-day Shaw cafe is at its prettiest on sunny mornings. Although weekday breakfast was recently axed, you can still find brunchy treats—a plum cruller, brûléed fruit with yogurt—on the lunch menu. Weekends, you can luxe things up with foie gras beignets, a crepe oozing with goat cheese and salami, and delightful blueberry daiquiris.

Back to Top

The Royal

PSL fans, it’s time to level up: Head to this slender LeDroit Park cafe, open every morning, for a more creative fall-friendly drink, such as a cold-brew with salted vanilla cream or a mix of chai and ginger beer. Then either grab a guava pastry and dash off or settle in for the terrific breakfast arepa, a warm masa pocket holding avocado, cotija cheese, and a runny fried egg.

Back to Top

Ruthie’s All Day

This folksy (but cheffy) dining room serves up takeout-friendly biscuit sandwiches and coffee on weekdays, and a more leisurely brunch on weekends. Carbo-load with cornbread and honey butter or shrimp-flecked hushpuppies, then dig into plates that show off the kitchen’s barbecue skills. Grits are topped with smoky pulled pork and pickled chilies, while brisket is turned into hash and served with poached eggs, kale, and Brussels sprouts.

Back to Top

St. Anselm

You probably don’t need us to tell you about the crazy-popular brunch at Le Diplomate, but its sister steakhouse near Union Market is a less sceney favorite. You can count on a great steak and eggs, and the buttermilk biscuits with pimiento cheese are justly famous (another good thing from the oven: cinnamon-roll monkey bread). Our top plate, though, is the avocado toast, spiced up with tangy fresno chilies.

Back to Top

Shilling Canning Company

We usually roll our eyes at hyperbolic dish descriptions, but this pretty Navy Yard dining room’s deviled eggs are just as “creamy and dreamy” as the menu promises. Start with a pastry that makes the most of seasonal fruit (if only the peaches-and-cream doughnut weren’t so fleeting!), then move on to a lovely Benedict anchored by a generous crabcake.

Back to Top

Spanish Diner

The main food groups at José Andrés’s Bethesda dining room (formerly Jaleo): potatoes, sausages, and eggs. You can get straightforward plates of eggs with morcilla or jamón, have eggs fried over a zucchini-and-eggplant stew, or order them in a crispy breakfast sandwich. We like to accessorize with lighter, brighter fare: shrimp in garlicky olive oil, tangy gazpacho, avocado salad, and a drink called the Gin Mare, which tastes like a hybrid of a Bloody Mary and a dirty martini.

Back to Top

Uncommon Luncheonette

Former 2941 chef Jon Mathieson cofounded this Clarendon neo-diner, which, starting at 7 am, slings nap-­inducers like sausage-­gravy-topped poutine; Nashville hot chicken and waffles; and egg sandwiches. Cream-of-mushroom soup sounds simple but shows off the kitchen’s fine-dining training: It’s one of the best soups we’ve had all year.

Back to Top

Unconventional Diner

Brunch is served every day of the week until 3:45 at this eclectic Shaw spot. David Deshaies’s menu is grounded in American flavors—avocado toast, a riff on an everything bagel with lox, a double cheeseburger, and fried chicken and waffles are top notch—but flies off in plenty of other directions. Warming sweet-potato shakshuka nods to North Africa, while shrimp and grits gets a pineappley Caribbean spin.

This article appears in the October 2023 issue of Washingtonian.

More: FeaturesBrunch Around DC