The Best Places for Brunch in Philadelphia

By night, 48th Street Grille serves up Jamaican fare. By day on Saturdays, the West Philly spot whips up a mean brunch with a Jamaican spin. Take the Jamaican Breakfast: Ackee (a Jamaican fruit) and saltfish served with collard greens, fried plantains and fried dumplings. For tamer palates, there’s brioche French toast and a garden omelet.

What to order: On the Bayou, a spin on chicken and waffles — but with fried catfish.

If you’re hankering for steak and eggs on a non-weekend morning, this popular West Philly spot from neighborhood restaurateur Saba Telda has you covered: Brunch is served Wednesday through Sunday. For the menu, think comfort food (shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles) mixed with traditional brunch fare (huevos rancheros, veggie omelets). And with your breakfast comes a side of history: The restaurant is named after Booker Wright, a server who risked and later lost his life for voicing what it was like to be a Black waiter in the 1960s in an all-white restaurant in Mississippi.

What to order: The chicken and waffles (10 ounces of tender, boneless chicken breast atop a waffle with strawberry butter and powdered sugar) and a mimosa flight.

With two charming storefronts in Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy, Breakfast Boutique preaches the good word: Any time is breakfast time. Open at 7:30 a.m. for the early birds, the restaurant offers a sampler for those feeling hungry and indecisive. It comes with one red velvet pancake, one cinnamon swirl pancake and one slice of stuffed French toast. And if that wasn’t enough, they have homemade cakes for dessert.

What to order: Boutique sampler, obviously.

In a sea of eggs Benedict and French toast, The Breakfast Den is a breath of fresh air with its American-Vietnamese comfort-food breakfast options. The casual South Street spot opened during the pandemic as takeout only but has now expanded with a full dining room and charming patio. Here you’ll find tried-and-true brunch staples like banana chocolate chip pancakes and sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches. But it’s the Vietnamese-inspired dishes that steal the show, like breakfast banh mi and breakfast rice bowls topped with eggs and crispy pork belly.

What to order: Banh mi op la, a spin on a classic banh mi with two crispy sunny-side up eggs, bacon, sausage patties, pickles, herbs, eggplant pate and aioli on a baguette. Wash it down with a Vietnamese iced coffee.

Cafe La Maude stands out from the usual brunch pack by focusing on bold Lebanese and French-influenced dishes, served all day. This Northern Liberties bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) spot draws a mighty crowd on the weekends, but it’s open every day (i.e. take advantage of off-hours brunching). Enjoy the Parisian vibes as you nosh on green shakshuka and an open-faced Mediterranean burrito served atop grilled pita.

What to order: Green shakshuka (peppers, green tomatoes, spinach, kale and green fava beans give it its hue) and a shawarma platter to share.

Cafe Lift does brunch all day, every day in an open, refurbished factory space in Callowhill. The spacious cafe specializes in decadent delicacies like a Nutty Monkey crespelle with bananas and chocolate hazelnut spread; a Polish Benedict, served with kielbasa and mustard hollandaise sauce; and a Tuscan frittata with kale, squash smoked mozzarella, pecorino and toasted pumpkin seeds. If you’re looking for brunch cocktails, now’s the time to play bartender: The restaurant is BYOB.

What to order: Nutty Monkey crespelle — the Italian-style crepe is the perfect vessel for the sweet stuff.

Anything with chocolate in the name is worth a try, right? Located in West Passyunk, Café y Chocolate pairs its hearty, vegetarian-friendly Mexican breakfast/brunch menu (don’t skip the chilaquiles) with hard-to-find coffees and hot drinks, such as cinnamon-tinged chocolate Oaxaca and cajetuccino, a cappuccino laden with cajeta, Mexican goat’s milk caramel.

What to order: Go big on beverages — chocolate Oaxca and cajetuccino — and a huevos con chorizo torta with chilaquiles to split.

Now in its new location on East Passyunk Avenue, The Dutch draws on Pennsylvania German and Northern European flavors for a singular approach to daytime chow (and now dinner too!). The breakfast menu covers ring bologna eggs Benedict, Dutch baby pancakes that are both sweet and savory and a smoked salmon platter.

What to order: A sweet and savory Dutch baby for the table and a savory scallion waffle with creamed chipped beef for you.

Famous 4th Street Delicatessen is about as old school as they come. This established corner deli located off South Street has been whipping up authentic Jewish breakfast fare — think corned beef hash with eggs, challah French toast, omelets with a side of smoked fish and a variety of fresh bagel sandwiches — since 1923. Oh, and the portions are enormous.

What to order: Pastrami reuben and a jumbo cookie.

You’ve seen their picturesque greenhouses under light-adorned trellises all over Instagram. Now see what the food is all about. Harper’s Garden offers its brunch on Saturday and Sunday only, but it’s worth the wait to go full luxe with an espresso martini and cheese board. The menu also includes lighter offerings like a smoothie bowl and field green salads, but they go all-out with eggs Benedict and fried chicken sandwich.

What to order: Avocado toast to start and eggs Benedict with your choice of protein.

Honey’s Sit ‘N Eat’s quirky hideaway in Northern Liberties offers charm by way of the fusion of Southern, Tex Mex and Jewish fare. Breakfast — served all day, every day — brings gravy-soaked biscuits, challah French toast, huevos rancheros and more.

What to order: Honey Cristo, a delectable combo of challah French toast, Lancaster county ham, Swiss cheese and sunny side up eggs.

Top Chef winner and James Beard Award finalist Nicholas Elmi’s new all-day cafe The Landing Kitchen brings all-day breakfast vibes to Bala Cynwyd. Bagel lovers can find much-beloved Kismet Bagels here, as well as a trio of toasts topped with avocado, smoked salmon or almond butter. Grab a seat on the patio to soak in riverfront views at the former iron foundry space.

What to order: Landing breakfast sandwich with an assortment of pastries for good measure.

Baja breakfast, anyone? Fishtown’s stylish new Mexican outpost from Stephen Starr recently unveiled weekend brunch with flavorful takes on brunch staples. Take the sopes Benedict with beef birria, for example. The sopes are topped with beans, beef birria, eggs and smoky morita chile hollandaise.

What to order: Sopes Benedict (naturally) and pan dulce, a Mexican pastry basket packed with conchas, buñuelos, rebanada, hibiscus jam and whipped butter.

The Love, from the dynamic duo of Aimee Olexy and Stephen Starr, delivers Olexy’s signature style to the Rittenhouse brunch crowd. Playful plates — like Sriracha bacon candy and the Posh Brunch (truffle-scented scrambled eggs, crispy potatoes, spinach) — introduce a little homespun elegance to Saturday and Sunday mornings. Save room for the brownie skillet.

What to order: Mini-scones to start, then move onto the lemon poppy pancakes.

Sandwich purveyors Middle Child’s massive and playful (seriously, there’s a pool table and a Nintendo 64) Fishtown location still churns out a mean sammie. Come early (between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.) for counter-service breakfast, including sandwiches with the fluffiest eggs you’ve ever seen. Those with a sweet tooth can revel in a sourdough cinnamon bun or babka French toast.

What to order: Herschel, a breakfast sandwich on rye with fluffy eggs, Cooper sharp American cheese and house-corned short rib.

Put your Emily in Paris energy to the test at Parc, which offers delicious French-inspired cuisine, plus (of course) croissants and other perfect coffee-pairing pastries. Get lucky and brunch will come with prime Rittenhouse Square people-watching from the abundant and coveted alfresco tables.

What to order: Breakfast pastries and a towering slice of quiche lorraine.

Sabrina’s Café — with bright and charming Philly-area outposts in Fairmount, University City, and Wynnewood (and soon to be South Street) — has redefined brunch locally with creative signatures like spiced tofu scrambles and thick-cut challah French toast stuffed with all manner of sweet stuff. Of course, there’s the always-outrageous lineup of specials, cleverly tuned to the hungry zeitgeist.

What to order: Challah French toast. You won’t need more than that.

Suraya, a hopping, handsome Fishtown spot, has rapidly risen to the top of the hot-ticket weekend brunch list thanks to its Levant-inspired selections of intoxicating, impeccably grilled and seasoned kebabs, as well as its mouth-wateringly delicious house-baked French pastries.

What to order: Crullers, baba ganoush and Lebanese omelet, plus a Lebanese chai latte.

Enjoy a coveted bottomless mimosa brunch with modern Indian fare at Veda. The upscale bistro keeps it spicy with a masala egg roast, kathi rolls (chicken and paneer), and overflowing thalis. In addition to the $20 bottomless mimosas, Veda ups the ante with beermosas too.

What to order: Masala egg roast and kulfi with poached blueberries.

Walnut Street Cafe is a high-style player in the Philly dining scene with its sky blue walls and marble tabletops. For weekend brunch, there’s a mix of straight-up classics (eggs, potatoes, breakfast meat, toast) with some unexpected options (biscuits and gravy, shakshuka). Oh, and a make-your-own mimosa kit.

What to order: Biscuits and gravy (add the fried chicken).

Elevated classics galore are the name of the game at this American brasserie. A breakfast sandwich? Have it on a croissant with gruyère and long hot aioli. Pastries? Have ’em done by Federal Donuts filled with crème pâtissière and soaked in pecan and caramel or hazelnut chocolate sauce.

What to order: Croquembouche and wild mushroom tartine.

Though there are locations in Wayne, Haverford and Glen Mills, White Dog Cafe’s University City location serves brunch seven days a week, for true brunch-heads. Catch those early-morning sun rays in the dog-photo adorned dining room with farm-to-table seasonal fare. There’s tried-and-true faves like waffles, omelets and burgers with a rotating menu of other in-season offerings.

What to order: Churros waffles, while they last.

Offering Dutch-style culinary delights in a charming Midtown Village BYO cafe, Winkel does brunch right. Menu items include mustard crisped crabcake Benedict, a hot chicken Uitsmijter (an open-faced sandwich with braised chicken and veggies), omelets and house-made bread.

What to order: Chicken and waffles.

Pizza for breakfast? Yes, please. Wm. Mulherin’s Sons redefines Italian cooking on a daily basis, including weekend mornings, where way more than just cold pizza and pasta are available. The steak and eggs, shrimp n’ polenta and mafaldine carbonara befit the beautifully appointed mid century modern decor.

What to order: Mafaldine Carbonara to split and steak and eggs.