After moving to Austin in March of last year, I was very overwhelmed with the vast options of restaurants in Austin. One resource that I kept returning to was the Austin Food Blogger Alliance City Guide.
I’m thrilled to be participating in the City Guide this year instead of sitting on the sidelines. When I learned that writing about brunch spots was an option, I was raring to go! Austinites love their brunch!! There are many brunch options in Austin. This list includes ones that I personally recommend or have yet to try, but have heard good things about.
South Congress Ave Brunch Spots:
South Congress Cafe
If you mention brunch in Austin, the odds are very likely that South Congress Cafe will be on of the first restaurants considered. Come early as it’s very popular. Or just relax with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa while waiting. I’ve always had excellent service here.
What to try: Carrot Cake French toast (if you don’t want that for your whole meal, you can order one slice to share)
Their specials are usually excellent too. I remember having lemon & goat cheese pancakes the last time that I went that were very good.
South Congress Cafe
1600 South Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
Monday – Friday, 10 am to 10 pm
Saturday – Sunday, 9 am to 10 pm
Magnolia Cafe
Magnolia Cafe is a 24/7 restaurant and a bit of an institution in the town. It’s always busy, but I’ve never had to wait for more than 10 minutes. Service is fast and the food is solid. You are a bit cramped close to other tables, which is fun if you like to eavesdrop on others’ conversations. 
This isn’t a leisurely brunch spot, in & out!
Magnolia Cafe (2nd location near Lake Austin as well)
1920 S. Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704
The Woodland
1716 S. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
Monday – Friday, 5:00–10:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday, 10:30 am – 10:00 pm
Perla’s
Perla’s is more pricy than some other options, but I really enjoy the patio there. I find myself sitting a little straighter when I’m there, which is a good thing. If it’s a drinking brunch, go for an oyster shooter while you’re there.
Perla’s
1400 S. Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78704
Lunch: Monday – Friday, 11:30 am – 3 pm
Dinner: 7 Days, 5:30 pm – Close
Brunch: Saturday – Sunday, 11 am – 2:30 pm
Bar: 7 Days, 3 pm – Close
Snack Bar
1224 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
Weekdays 11 am – 11 pm
Weekends 9 am – 11 pm
South 1st Street Brunch Spots:
Bouldin Creek Cafe
Joe’s Smokin’ Omelet: Spinach, onion, and cheddar-jack cheese, topped with chipotle-pecan pesto.
El Tipico: 2 scrambled eggs served with a potato hash cake, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, salsa and warm tortillas
Bouldin Creek is a vegetarian cafe on South 1st Street. I didn’t realize that it was there for the longest time. And then I was a bit nervous that it was too “granola-y” for me. But I recently had brunch at Bouldin Creek with Suzanna. We both really enjoyed our food. The Joe’s Smokin’ Omelet was very good!! I recommend putting that chipotle-pecan pesto on everything!!
Bouldin Creek Cafe
1900 South First
Austin, Texas 78704
Monday – Friday, 7am to midnight
Saturday – Sunday, 8am to midnight
Elizabeth Street Cafe
1501 S. First Street
Austin, Texas 78704
every day, 8 am – late
Freddie’s Place
I’ve yet to go to Freddie’s yet, but just learned this week that they have a 50 item Bloody Mary & Maria bar/buffet on the weekends from 11 am – 4 pm. I heard it was great with tons of options to make your own drink to your level of spiciness—lots of spicy for me!! Anyone want to meet me there on Sunday? 
Freddie’s Place
703 S 1st St
Austin, TX 78704
every day, 7 – 10:30 pm
Polvo’s
2004 S 1st St
Austin, TX 78704
every day, 7 – 11 pm
South Lamar Brunch Spots:
Kerbey Lane Cafe
Kerbey Lane Cafe is very popular with multiple locations in Austin. It’s a real crowd pleaser. I took my Dad and aunts & uncles there for brunch over Christmas. Everyone really loved it. It’s a good option for out of town guests that have a variety of tastes.
Kerbey Lane Cafe (there’s also a SW location on W William Cannon)
3003 South Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704
OPEN 24/7
Red’s Porch
3508 S. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704
Sunday – Friday, 11 am – Midnight
Saturday, 11 am – 1 am
Olivia
Olivia is another brunch spot that’s still on my list to try. I have heard excellent things though. Kristin has been there and oh man, that burger looks awesome!
Olivia Benedict: red wine braised beef, poached farm eggs, hollandaise, biscuit
**Olivia pictures used with permission from Mad Betty.
Olivia
2043 South Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
Sunday – Thursday, 5:30 pm – 10 pm
Friday – Saturday, 5:30 pm – 11 pm
BRUNCH Saturday – Sunday, 10 am – 2:30 pm
Slaughter Lane/Circle C Brunch Spots:
Satellite Bistro & Bar
5900 Slaughter Lane #400
Austin, TX 78749
Monday – Thursday, 4:30 pm – 9 pm
Friday – Saturday, 11 am – 10 pm
Sunday, 10 am – 9 pm
Galaxy Cafe (multiple locations)
9911 Brodie Lane
Austin, Texas 78748
every day, 7 am – 10 pm
Maudie’s (multiple locations)
9911 Brodie Lane
Austin, TX 78748
Sunday – Thursday, 8 am – 9:30 pm
Friday – Saturday, 8 am – 10:30 pm
Downtown Brunch Spots:
Haddington’s ***edited March 2013–Haddington’s is now closed
I’ve been to Haddington’s for brunch several times. This isn’t very brunch-y, but man oh man, they make a great Moscow Mule! No Mimosa or Bloody Mary for me when I go here…Moscow Mule all the way!
I believe they may have altered the menu recently, but I have had the pretzel bread egg sandwich, angel food cake french toast, donuts with espresso dipping sauce, gouda & apple omelet, and the fried chicken eggs benedict. I recommend the fried chicken eggs benedict.
Haddington’s
601 W 6th St
Austin, TX 78701
Bar – daily, 4 pm – 11:30 pm
Dinner:
Sunday – Thursday, 5 – 10 pm
Friday – Saturday, 5 – 11 pm
Brunch:
Saturday – Sunday, 11 am – 4 pm
Frank
A hot dog & beer place for brunch? Yes, yes, yes!! Just ask Melissa. She sold me on the place.
I really enjoy the coffee at Frank. Cocktail-wise, the Kentucky Peach (Maker’s Mark, fresh basil and peach, house-made lemonade, rocks) is perfect.
Frank
407 Colorado St
Austin, TX 78701
Monday – Tuesday:
Open at 7 am; Breakfast 8 am – 11 am
Lunch and Dinner, 11 am – 10 pm
Late Night and Bar, 10 pm – Midnight
Wednesday – Saturday:
Open at 7 am; Breakfast 8 am – 11 am
Lunch and Dinner, 11 am – 10 pm
Late Night and Bar, 10 pm – 2 am
Sunday:
Brunch 10 – 3 pm
Brunch For Drunks Limited Menu 3 – 5 pm
Dinner 5 pm – 10 pm
Late Night and Bar, 10 pm – Midnight
Bess Bistro on Pecan
500 West 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Lunch: Monday – Friday: 11 am – 3 pm
Dinner: Monday – Thursday: 5 – 10:30 pm, Friday – Saturday: 5 – 11 pm, Sunday: 5 – 10 pm
Brunch: Sunday, 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
*Recommended items: shrimp & grits & a carafe of Mimosas
Walton’s Fancy and Staple
609 West 6th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Monday – Saturday, 7am – 7pm
Sunday, 8am – 4pm
Annie’s Cafe & Bar
I’d recently walked by Annie’s on my way to Swift’s Attic. I peaked in and it looked really cute. I was able to do brunch research there this past weekend with my friend, Brandi. We split Mimosas and enjoyed the vibe there.
I ordered the eggs benedict (which is often my go-to brunch item): poached eggs, English muffin, prosciutto, Hollandaise, served with potatoes. Brandi went with the caprese sandwich: fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, pesto, house-made focaccia, served with a salad. Brandi enjoyed it so much that she went back on Wednesday to enjoy 1/2 price wine night.
Annie’s
319 Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78701
Monday 7:30 am – 3pm
Tuesday – Thursday 7:30 am – 10pm
Friday 7:30 am – 12 am
Saturday 8:30 am – 12 am
Sunday 9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Stubb’s BBQ (Gospel Brunch)
801 Red River
Austin, TX 78701
RESTAURANT: Monday – Thursday, 11 am – 10 pm
Friday – Saturday, 11 am – 11 pm
Sunday, 11 am – 9 pm
GOSPEL BRUNCH: Sunday only; seatings at 11 AM and 1 PM. Reservations strongly recommended
More brunch/breakfast related Austin posts to check out:
2013 Austin Guide Coffee post from Stella Cooks
2013 Austin City Guide North Austin Brunches post from A Taste of Koko
2013 Austin City Guide Gluten-Free Breakfast/Brunches post from ATX Gluten-Free
2013 Austin City Guide Breakfast Tacos from Sarah Eats Austin
2012 Austin City Guide Brunch post from Austin Urban Gardens
Other honorable mentions for brunch/breakfast spots (in no particular order):
Russian House (downtown–I believe they just recently added a brunch option)
Swift’s Attic (downtown–they just added brunch in Feb 2013)
Moonshine (downtown, brunch buffet–come hungry, leave stuffed)
Trudy’s (South I-35, great Tex-Mex breakfast options or waffles/pancakes)
Jack Allen’s (Oak Hill)
Curra’s Grill (Oltorf & Congress, get the huevos motulenos)
Threadgill’s (Riverside)
With this being election day and Ohio being a battleground state, it reminded me… I never blogged about my trip to Cleveland! I went to Cleveland in September for a work trip. I came to town 2 days early to meet up with friends.
There was beautiful weather when I visited! I couldn’t get enough of the sky!
The night I arrived, I met up with Anita, Amy, and Angie for dinner and drinks at Paladar. If you’re a mojito fan, you’ll enjoy Paladar.
The next day, I put on my tourist hat and hit the town with Angie and her husband, Dave. Angie had told me that we definitely had to have brunch at her favorite place, Lucky’s. Lucky’s is a great, quaint farm-to-table restaurant.
Lucky’s has a small garden on-site. Items not harvested there are from local Ohio farmers.
I couldn’t decide between a hot or cold drink. So I got both…hey, I was on vacation! I had the Hazelnut Mocha Shaker and the Ginger, Peach, and Grape smoothie. They were both fantastic!!!
Omelet with sausage, Ohio sweet corn, and white cheddar…served with strawberry coffee cake on the side. Lucky’s was so delicious! If it were in Austin, I’m sure I’d be there every weekend.
After brunch, we walked around the Tremont area to see the sights and shop.
After walking around for awhile, we headed over to tour the A Christmas Story house!
Angie & I
P.S. I’m short.
Angie & Dave
The infamous leg lamp…..fra-gil-e—-must be French.
Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.
After leaving the A Christmas Story house, we did some more sightseeing downtown. Then we dropped Dave off so he could watch football. Angie and I headed over to Little Italy to explore.
We stopped at Presti’s Bakery for some caffeine and sugar. Yay for chocolate dipped macaroons!
My day of exploring Cleveland ended with dinner at Melt. I was told by several people to go to Melt. A restaurant devoted to grilled cheese!? Yes, please. I love the random Halloween & Easter decor. Even more than the grilled cheese, I was exposed to my first banana bread beer!! I was skeptical of ordering this beer, but SO glad I did! It’s so great. Try it if you haven’t!
I opted for the Big Popper: fresh jalapeño peppers, cheddar & herbed cream cheese, crispy battered & deep fried, mixed berry preserves
Yeah, you’ll want to change into your fat pants after eating this sandwich!! You certainly won’t be able to finish it all in one sitting.
Angie got the Falafel grilled cheese, which was a special item. Dang, I wish that I’d have gotten that one!!
I had a great time in Cleveland and Angie was an awesome tour guide!
And if I’m ever in the market to buy a leg lamp, I know where to go now.
I’d heard great things about South Congress Cafe’s brunch when I first moved to Austin.
Brunch and I are BFF’s since I moved here too.
I was prepared for a wait when I arrived. Good location around fun shops + good food + Austinites in general are BFF’s with brunch = there’s a wait to be seated.
Luckily, I had a Bloody Mary to indulge in during the wait. It was tasty, but kind of pricy! If I recall correctly, it was $8….so I only ordered one.
My first impression of the brunch menu….”Wow, um…can you order any a la carte “normal” items?” No, you can’t. Just go with it & be adventurous. The second time I went to brunch at South Congress Cafe, one of my friends from book club had this deer in headlights look on her face! Be forewarned if you are taking out of town guests here that aren’t foodies.
Both times that I have been to South Congress Cafe, my waiter was fantastic. Great service!! I really wanted to try the Carrot Cake French Toast, but didn’t want it for my whole meal. The waiter said we could order just one piece to share…like an appetizer.
Brillant & tasty idea! I’ll be all over this come fall!
For my entree, I decided on the Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict with the Chipotle Hollandaise.
My food was a bit cold and the eggs were overcooked. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the chipotle Hollandaise. I should have stuck with the regular Eggs Benedict option.
Unpictured: my 2nd time at South Congress Cafe for brunch, I had the lemon and goat cheese pancakes with blueberry compote.
What?! Lemon & goat cheese pancakes??! Yes! They were really good!!! Even my deer-in-headlights friend liked them. :)
South Congress Cafe
1600 South Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
Monday – Friday, 10 am to 10 pm
Saturday – Sunday, 9 am to 10 pm
**edited March 2013–Haddington’s is now closed.
My friend, Alison, and her boyfriend recently did a road trip down to Austin & San Antonio. I had plans to meet with them for brunch. They asked me where to go. {enter Julie’s mini-panic attack}
Alison’s BF is a big foodie! I’ve never met him before! What if I pick a bad restaurant?! I haven’t lived in Austin long enough to know where to go!
Be grateful you don’t live inside my crazy stream of consciousness.
I went the safe route of naming a few choices and making them pick from those. We settled on brunch at Haddington’s.
I had looked online the night before at the brunch menu. Everyone does that, right? No? I need ample time to review and plan my attack. I couldn’t decide between the fried chicken eggs Benedict, pretzel bread egg sandwich, or the gouda apple omelette.
But I knew two things for sure: $3 mimosas (keep ‘em coming) and the basket o’ donuts.
These “donuts” were more lovely little beignets. I loved the espresso dipping glaze. A great sugary start to brunch. I feel like they should be served in a basket though. Why call them “basket o’ donuts” and then serve them sans basket??
After having popped 2 donuts in my mouth, I figured that I should opt for my lightest brunch entree option.
Gouda apple omelette
Sadly, I had food choice remorse after seeing Kevin & Alison’s food. Kevin got the pretzel bread egg sandwich. it looked SO good and he confirmed it tasted great. Alison got the French toast and a side of bacon. That French toast….wowzers! It was so thick….like angel food cake thick. Which I found out that’s a thing! Yum!!!
My omelette was a bit lackluster. My apple were too crunchy for the omelette and I would have liked more gouda. I will definitely go back to Haddington’s for brunch though. Anyone want to split the pretzel bread egg sandwich and French toast?? :) Mimosas are on me.
Haddington’s
601 W 6th St
Austin, TX 78701
Sat & Sun brunch 11 – 4 pm
Bar/Dinner, Sun – Wed 4 – 1 am, Thurs – Sat 4 – 2 am
When I was visiting Austin last year, I checked out some apartments in the Domain. Although the apartments were too small for me, I had daydreams of living in the Domain. Why yes…I would like to walk across the street to the lovely, upscale, outdoor mall.
Trips up to the Domain will have to suffice for now. One of these trips lead me to have lunch at NoRTH. NoRTH is an Italian restaurant with inviting and modern decor. I enjoyed restaurants where you can fit in whether it’s a business lunch, a taking a shopping break lunch, meet up with your family lunch, or a drink with your girlfriend lunch. I was in the latter camp.
We were seated outside on the patio with ample shade. Our waitress was on top of things the whole meal and very friendly. She did tend to overly example the menu though. She felt the need to example that paninis were pretty much just a sandwich. Ummm thanks for the lightbulb moment.
For lunch, my friend, Carrie, and I split a salad and a pizza.
Calamari, arugula, and grilled lemon salad
We dug into the salad for awhile before I remembered to snap a picture! That’s a sign of good food from a food blogger when you took the picture! The salad was a great way to not feel guilty about really just wanting the fried goodness of calamari. I would advise this salad again to share. I don’t think I’d want it to be my sole entree though.
Eggplant, mushrooms, onions, and smoked mozzarella pizza
The thin pizza dough had the ideal light and crunchy crust. The middle of the thin dough was too weak to stand up to the topping though. I had to resort to eating my pizza with a knife and fork. Good flavor though.
My favorite part of the meal…..
We split a pitcher of sangria. I’m in lust with this sangria.
If anyone wants to sip sangria and daydream that they can freely shop a Neiman Marcus, I’m game.
NoRTH
11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Ste 124
Austin, TX 78758
Daily 11 am – 10 pm (11 pm Fri – Sat)
I love trying new restaurants in my new city. I hate being the one to pick the restaurant! I’ll probably forever be playing the “I’m new to Austin. You pick!” card. Because hello, it’s true!
But a few weeks ago, my friend Carrie & I were planning our Wednesday lunch date and I picked! Go me!
How did I pick Satellite Bistro & Bar?
I got a coupon in the mail for it! Score.
Satellite Bistro is located down south in the Circle C area. It was an easy location to find, which is always a win as I’m learning my way around the city. They have a large outdoor seating area that is perfect for enjoying the spring weather. Inside, I really loved the fun, retro decor. The bright colors make it a great lunch spot with friends or family.
For lunch, I had the Shrimp Asian Noodle Salad. It’s noted on the menu as a house & guest favorite. The waitress immediately told us that it’s her favorite thing on the menu. I love it when the wait staff validates my food choices.
Shrimp Asian Noodle Salad:
Jumbo grilled shrimp atop chilled noodles tossed with mixed veggies, mango, avocado and ginger soy dressing topped with a crispy wonton (from Satellite’s menu).
This salad was DELICIOUS! The shrimp was well-seasoned with a kick of spice. I loved the combination of the creaminess of the avocado against the crunchiness of the veggies.
I would like to try other entrees at Satellite, but this salad was so good that I may just keep going with it! I even went back the next week with my aunt.
So if anyone is down near Circle C and wants to grab lunch, I’m your gal. :)
When I came to Austin in February to find an apartment, my aunt & uncle tried to take me to Torchy’s Tacos for lunch. There was literally no where to park! It was jam packed to brim. So we gave up and went somewhere else. But I made a mental note about Torchy’s.
Later on, I was on Twitter and kept noticing Aziz Ansari tweeting about Torchy’s during SXSW. Far be it from me to ignore Aziz. He’s damn funny and I love damn good tacos.
So my aunts & uncles and I tried again recently and made sure to go right at 11 am.
Success!! Yummy yummy delicious success!!
As I often do when at a new restaurant, I ask someone who works there for suggestions.
She suggested the Green Chile Pork soft taco as it is their most popular. And I knew right away about my other selection….the Trailer Park soft taco!!!
Both tacos were very flavorful and I recommend them.
The Trailer Park taco though…..yes, you want to get it trashy!! Fried chicken, green chiles, pico, cheese, and QUESO! Hold the lettuce, get the queso.
That’s a no brainer!
Be prepared for a lot of restaurant reviews now.
Austin has a ton-o-restaurants! And since they are all new to me, it becomes blog content.
My friend, Carrie, and I have become Wednesday lunch buddies. For our first Wednesday lunch, we went to the Hula Hut.
Hula Hut sits on Lake Austin. They have a huge patio overlooking the lake. You really have to sit outside! It was a cloudy day when we went, but still very peaceful.
Hula Hut would be a great place to meet up with friends on a hot summer Saturday or after work drinks. I can only assume it gets quite busy on the weekends.
Hula Hut serves Tex-Mex food with a Polynesian twist. Hence the tacos surrounded by beach decor. Just go with it.
Sit a spell. Enjoy the view. And daydream imagining that you were rich and could afford a house in the hills.
For lunch, I went with the Pork Tostadas. The pork was pretty good. I really enjoyed the crunch of the slaw and sweetness of the pineapple salsa.
I was most excited about the Skinny Ritas. Only 150 calories!!
Get a Skinny Ritas and then you won’t feel bad walking over to Mozart’s for dessert. :)
I would definitely recommend Hula Hut though! Go for the vibe, view, drinks, and energy. Enjoy!
Before I went to Dean & Deluca in Charlotte, I had brunch at Cafe Monte. Cafe Monte is located in Philips Place, but it’s a bit hidden behind the Hampton Inn & Suites. Sarah and I had to drive around twice to find it. We went into this restaurant blindly as neither of us had been there. I just knew I wanted brunch and I knew we were seeing a movie at Philips Place later (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close).
I was so pleased with Cafe Monte! It’s a quaint French bakery and bistro. The decor is very clean; loved the wood floors and yellow walls. It was bright and inviting, which is always great for a brunch place.
For brunch, I always go with some egg dish, whether it’s a scramble, omelet, or in this case…Benedict Monte.
I love eggs Benedict so much. For Cafe Monte’s version, it was croissant, smoked ham, two eggs, tomato, asparagus, and Hollandaise sauce. YES! Let’s all get on board with serving eggs Benedict on top of CROISSANTS! So much better than English muffins! It’s tastier and easier to cut. Success!!!!
My Benedict Monte was also served with a hash brown potato patty. This potato was a bit bland to me, so I passed on it.
After devouring my brunch, I patiently waited 10 more minutes for noon to arrive!!
Mimosa time!! A tip that I learned from my friend, Kat…order your Sunday brunch cocktail well before noon! Pre-ordering your cocktail for noon lets you beat the rush. If you wait until noon to tell your server you want a drink, you’ll have to wait forever for the bartender to get through the rush of orders.
The early bird gets drunk.
A few weeks ago, I went to Charlotte, NC for my birthday and to visit friends.
And to meet this little guy.
My friends, Kelly & John, had their son, Conley, in November. He’s so cute! And Kelly’s already lost all her baby weight plus some. Whaaaaat?!
First up, after a SIX HOUR delay, I finally arrived in Charlotte. My bestie, Sarah, picked me up at the airport and we immediately head to Soul Gastolounge for dinner.
Soul is a very chill, tapas restaurant in the Plaza Midwood area. It’s been voted one of the best restaurants in Charlotte. It was such a nice night out (in January even!) that we were able to eat outside at 8 pm. I immediately needed a drink after being in airports since 5 am.
Sweet Heat cocktail: tequila, jalapeno simple syrup, fresh squeezed lime juice.
Jalapeno simple syrup!!!!!! This cocktail was so rocking! I need to figure out how to recreate it. Ah-mazing.
I also ordered the white bean & goat cheese dip. It was good, but not worth giving up the stomach space.
That was reserved for:
Pork belly tacos topped with watermelon & balsamic vinegar.
I’d never ordered pork belly before. But they talk about it on Top Chef all the time, so I knew I needed to try it.
DELICIOUS!! If you haven’t tried pork belly before, go for it. Immediately.
Sarah ordered another complete winner too:
Polenta & mushrooms. I was skeptical of this one. I’ve never been a fan of polenta/grits. But maybe I’ve just always had them cooked poorly. This dish was so creamy and yummy. I could have licked the bowl clean!!
Finally, Sarah and I split some sushi. I really can’t remember which roll we got. I believe it was the Crunch roll. A+ for presentation on it!
If you’re in Charlotte, rush out to eat at Soul!
And don’t forget to Cheers! me with your Sweet Heat cocktail for telling you about this place.
