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The Best Brunches in Dallas 

Brunch is as comforting as it ever was, but Dallas restaurants are putting flavorful—eggy, fried, glorious—spins on the only weekend meal that really matters.
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Encina's brunch boasts blue corn pancakes, stuffed French toast, migas, and more.

The allure of a leisurely meal is real. Over the past few years, brunch in our mimosa-obsessed city has gone far beyond what it used to be. Our guide to navigating the late-morning repast, then, is both for those who crave a classic stack of pancakes and for others who prefer, say, an aromatic bowl of bun rieu with pork meatballs. Either way, when the sun comes up and the most important meal of the weekend is nigh, we’ve got you covered. 

10 Must-Eat Brunches in Dallas

These restaurants gently push the boundary of what brunch is supposed to be and show us brunch as it can be, without being too stuck in tradition. Their offerings represent our city’s creativity on a plate, with mezcal-spiked espresso on the side. 

Sketches of Spain 

If you ask co-owner Javier Garcia del Moral about brunch in Spain, he’d tell you that on weekends, “after 3 p.m. is when everybody’s out, enjoying having a drink.” And that’s exactly what you’ll find on Saturday afternoons at this little house-turned-dining nook. Diners may be munching on roasted eggplant or ham croquettes as golden brown as a vacation tan earned on a San Sebastian playa. A dish of sautéed zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and peppers comes topped with a paprika-kissed egg that, once broken, spills a sunshine-hued river of yolk. On a warm day, post up on the patio, preferably with an icy Aperol spritz in hand. 321 N. Zang Blvd. 

Chimichurri Argentine sausage
An order of pork sausage arrives sizzling and topped with white cheese and peppers come swirled in warm cast iron plate. Brittany Conerly

Chimichurri 

Mornings at the city’s dedicated Argentine restaurant and vermouth bar in Bishop Arts start with a spiral of Argentine sausage in a cast-iron skillet that’s topped with melty provolone cheese and peppers. Dip it—dip everything that arrives on the table!—in chimichurri, the restaurant’s eponymous sauce. There are empanada Benedicts that, in lieu of English muffins, stow ham, eggs, and hollandaise in crispy empanada pastry boats. There’s authentic Argentine pizza, thick and oozing with exorbitant amounts of mozzarella. There’s the Vacipan Completo choripan, a sandwich of steak and eggs and, yes, more mozzarella. 324 W. Seventh St. 

José 

We revere José for its tile-lined bar and marvelous rotating tacos on house-nixtamalized tortillas. But chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman’s chilaquiles, with cotija showered everywhere, have verve; avocado molletes, zesty with chorizo and black beans, stand in for avocado toast. Between bites, sip The Squozen Margarita (their crystalline, tangy frosty marg with top-shelf tequila) and give thanks. You’ve got a lineup that’s magnificently, superbly Mexican and still more than satisfies the brunch crowd.  4931 W. Lovers Ln. 

Xaman Cafe hndcrafted clay cantaritos
Handcrafted clay cantaritos are used for both espresso drinks and cocktails at Xamán Cafe and the affiliated Ayahuasca Cantina, offering a nod to Mexico’s pre-Hispanic cultures. Brittany Conerly

Xamán Cafe 

Inside this bright and welcoming coffeehouse, which serves as a community gathering hub, brunch is minimalist yet remains a notch above most morning offerings. The chilaquiles are a favorite go-to. Order them with your choice of chorizo, pollo, carne, or veggies and topped with either vibrant verde or rich rojo sauce. For an omelet road less traveled, get your eggs with a side of chapulines for crunch (and protein). The sibling and neighbor of Ayahuasca Cantina naturally serves sublime cocktails. The liquored-up coffee libations—like the espresso-​spiked Oaxaca, made with Licor 43 and mezcal—deliver equal parts buzz and booze. 334 W. Jefferson Blvd. 

Encina blue corn cajeta pancakes
Blue corn cajeta pancakes Brittany Conerly

Encina 

Former Bolsa chef Matt Balke and partner Corey McCombs continue to put out a quintessential Bishop Arts District brunch in the old Bolsa space. Grab classic and seasonal mimosas on the enclosed patio, with its laid-back vibe of reclaimed wood, and assemble a subtly rustic, adroitly prepared smorgasbord with a Southern swagger. Certainly, there’s the iconic breakfast flatbread, but there are also cheese and chive biscuits to smother in chorizo gravy, pork belly and grits, and hearty blue corn pancakes slathered with cajeta and speckled with tawny butterscotch chips. We love the retro winks and the delicately down-home friendliness. 614 W. Davis St. 

Yo! Lobster 

Nick Badovinus has created the perfect lobster roll. So feel free to sit in the nautically nodding interior, or maybe grab a canvas chair on the sidewalk patio, and dive into one. Or try brunch-only dishes: crispy fried chicken that straddles thick slices of brioche French toast and strikes a brilliant savory-sweet accord with bourbon-peach compote. That luscious lobster also moonlights as a Benedict, deluged with a tart hollandaise that blankets it in sunny yellow. Breeze over the list of plentiful whites, rosés, bubbles, and spritzers to go with your seafood, or stick to a classic Bloody Mary (ask for it spicy). We’d go through a gale for this. 33B Highland Park Village. 

Halcyon sourdough french toast
At Halcyon, sourdough slices are soaked overnight and then served with a brown sugar crumble and maple cream cheese schmear. Brittany Conerly

Halcyon 

The Lower Greenville bar-cafe is exactly what everyone wants in their neighborhood: unpretentious service, tons of caffeine, and the speakers blasting Beach House and the Rolling Stones, which is the precise brunch playlist you need, trust us. Most important, the food is consistently satisfying in every sense. The menu isn’t exhaustive, but it has everything for everyone: an açai bowl for that one friend (you know the one); French toast soaked overnight and served with a brown sugar crumble and maple cream cheese schmear for the sweet tooth; a vegan skillet with house-made tofu scramble; buttermilk biscuits with sausage like Grandma makes. As for drinks, there are many. On the list of coffee cocktails, the likes of which could surely wake the dead and buried (we’re looking at the Long Island Iced Coffee that has a limit of two per person), the Voodoo Lady is a pleasant iced coffee and rum concoction made with your choice of milk or alt milk (oat, coconut). Bring friends, sit out on the patio, and compare notes on mimosa flights. Or go alone and sit at the bar while writing about brunch. 2900 Greenville Ave. 

Georgie 

Brunch at the upscale neo-steakhouse brasserie can, of course, include steak. But more broadly, it’s a place for a Champagne cart splurge and a dozen oysters. It’s a place to appreciate sweet and salty scones and rich, sugary banana pancakes drenched in brown butter. Sometimes you simply want to sit at the comfortable bar with a Midas touch and imagine that the weekend might last forever. 4514 Travis St., Ste. 132. 

Tulum bloody Mary and a frozen margarita dusted
Start with a smoky tomatillo Bloody Mary made with mezcal or a frozen margarita dusted with toasted coconut. Brittany Conerly

Tulum 

The goal is to make you feel like you are between jungle and beach. Either way, in the hands of rock-star chef José Meza (whose résumé is pitch perfect, with stints at lodestars Noma and Pujol) you escape to somewhere gorgeous and enticing with dishes that are comforting in a brunchy way but with flavors that catapult you beyond the ordinary. Start with a smoky tomatillo Bloody Mary made with mezcal or a frozen margarita dusted with toasted coconut. Avocado dip takes guac in a wholly different direction with brightness from ginger and purple endive leaves for dipping. It’s all unique, creative, elegant, modern—and then you come blinking back out into the sun.  4216 Oak Lawn Ave. 

Restaurant Beatrice 

Restaurant Beatrice’s Cajun comfort food transports diners to the heart of New Orleans by way of dishes such as fried juicy chicken and waffles, which comes with a rich praline syrup and pepper jelly. The shrimp & grits is a customer favorite; local grits and plump orange shrimp come swimming in the spicy, tomato-based piquant. It’s a hug on a plate. 1111 N. Beckley Ave.  

New and Notable Brunches 

Coupes 

There’s not much a glass of bubbly can’t pair with. At Coupes’ brunch (Sundays only), the Champagne bar in Park Cities, a glass pairs well with the chicken Caesar salad croissant sandwich, the crab coquettes, the bananas foster French toast…you get the drift. 4234 Oak Lawn Ave. 

La Casita Bakeshop 

The James Beard-nominated bakery recently added breakfast and brunch to its menu, which means fluffy pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, and cheesy quiches. Don’t miss the rich banana praline pancakes, made with two massive pancakes stacked on top of each other, coated in a praline sauce, and topped with glass-like brûléed bananas. 580 W. Arapaho Rd., Ste. 154., Richardson. 

Mirador 

Mirador is not new, but it is back and that is new. The restaurant atop Forty Five Ten closed during the pandemic and reopened with a new look but familiar menu. Favorites include parmesan tomato soup, chicken paillard, a farro bowl, chicken bites, and pavlovas. The restaurant is open for lunch, brunch, and afternoon tea on Saturdays. 1608 Elm St., enter through Forty Five Ten 

Dallas Brunch Mainstays

Expecting the unexpected can be overrated. For weekends when you want the comfort of reliable standards, these restaurant staples are for you. Sometimes you just want a perfect waffle. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Elm & Good 

At Deep Ellum’s redesigned Kimpton Pittman hotel, farm-focused foods go into a flakey croissant sandwich stuffed with eggs, ham, melty gruyere, and juicy tomatoes, or a dainty mimosa with pomegranate or pineapple juice. 2551 Elm St. 

Bistro B 

This Vietnamese wonderland offers everything from avocado smoothies to variations on com tam (literally “broken rice”), a breakfast staple with barbecued pork and sunny side up eggs. 9780 Walnut St., Ste. 340. 

Whistle Britches 

Chicken is the star at this Southern-leaning spot, where tenders are stacked on a Belgian waffle with jalapeño syrup or layered between dense buttermilk biscuits. Add pepper jelly, or maybe gravy. Ideally both. 6110 Frankford Rd.; 2405 Dallas Pkwy., Ste. 4, Plano. 

Sixty Vines 

We’re happy to bask in Cali vibes, down to the cherrywood-smoked bacon, nitro coffee, and wine taps that let us keep trying 5-ounce pours of our favorite vino. Don’t miss the vanilla pancake soufflé. 
500 Crescent Ct., Ste. 160; 3701 Dallas Pkwy., Plano. 

Beverley’s Bistro and Bar 

It’s essentially a French bistro, just with caviar and latkes. We love the skillet shakshuka: nestled eggs amid pools of yogurt with grilled sourdough. The chicken schnitzel is perfectly crispy and swims in a lemon caper butter sauce. 3215 N. Fitzhugh Ave. 

CBD Provisions 

Located inside the Joule hotel, CBD Provisions has a winning forager-chic meets Texas aesthetic, whether you want a fluffy omelet stuffed with sweet peppers, crème fraiche, and cheddar, or sweet cinnamon-orange monkey bread. 1530 Main St. 

Ida Claire 

Book brunch in the Airstream trailer out back. It’s a groovy spot to enjoy Ida’s biscuits doused in honey butter, bacon gravy, and house jam. Or order a plate of the creamy shrimp and grits with bacon—the real star of the show. 5001 Belt Line Rd., Addison. 

Paradiso 

You’ve come to one of the most Instagram-worthy scenes in Dallas to get tipsy on refreshing Paradiso Soda—and we fully support that. Nosh on fun salads, sandwiches, and crispy artichokes or cinnamon-y milk bread. 308 N. Bishop Ave. 

TJ’s Seafood 

At this inland port for the unabashed seafood enthusiast, dive into the smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese and fixings, brioche French toast, or a smoked salmon frittata. The city’s finest fishmonger will set you right. 6025 Royal Ln., Ste. 110. 

Snooze 

The extensive cocktail menu includes the brewmosa—Belgian beer with orange juice—but the real draw is the pancakes. We go straight for the pineapple upside-down option topped with house-made vanilla crème and cinnamon butter. Multiple locations. 

Oddfellows 

We come here—and wait out those weekend Bishop Arts lines—for the flawless brisket hash or huevos rancheros with queso fresco, and, oh yes, the fluffy pancakes and brilliant beignets. Our favorite spot is on the patio, naturally. 316 W. Seventh St. 

Knox Bistro

At Knox Bistro (formerly Up On Knox), plates pop with bright-yellow local eggs—soft-scrambled on sourdough or in an omelet oozing French boursin. Servers in Breton-striped shirts tend to regulars who sit at the bar for café au lait. 3230 Knox St., Ste. 140. 

Sadelle’s 

Major Food Group’s Sadelle’s made a big splashy landing in Dallas in 2022, and for good reason. Its dining room: stunning. The drinks: bubbly and bright. The brunch star: the bagels and fish tower, which comes with three tiers of smoked fish, thinly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and capers. 1 Highland Park Village. 

So, You Want to Go to Dim Sum?

When dim sum began several centuries ago, it was a snack-and-tea sort of meal. Today, it has evolved into the weekend outing we know and love. 

Kirin Court dim sum varieties
Kirin Court’s dim sum spread hits the spot every single time. Brittany Conerly

Kirin Court 

With gracious and efficient service, Kirin Court is known for its dim sum, which is served daily. On weekends, the line snakes down the stairs from the elegant dining room on the second floor. That wait? Well worth it for the stellar pan-fried taro or white radish cakes. Same goes for the shrimp and leek dumplings, whose translucent skins pop with freshness and flavor. Sticky rice bundles filled with pork and mushrooms are steamed in lotus leaves, which lend their fragrance. Dip them in Chinese black vinegar, soy sauce, and the incomparable, addictive, and insanely flavorful house chile oil. Finish the meal with something gently sweet: fresh-baked egg custard tarts whose crust is shattering and buttery. 221 W. Polk St., Ste. 200, Richardson. 

Jeng Chi 

The decades-old Asian dining oasis located in a Richardson shopping plaza boasts loyal regulars both Chinese and non—because dumplings are the ultimate unifier. Carts won’t whiz by your table, so look to the menu for dim sum fare. We’re partial to the xiao long bao, or “juicy dumplings” as it reads on the menu. You wouldn’t be wrong to order a few baskets—the pork and crab is delightful, ditto the signature pork, but the Fiery Juicy Steamed Dumpling is a must. Its crimson-hued dough encases pork seasoned with tingly Szechuan peppercorn, and the broth intermingles with bright orange chile oil. The green onion pancake is wonderfully crisp and offers a crunchy counterpoint to all the delicate, tender dumpling bites. 400 N. Greenville Ave., Ste. 11, Richardson. 

Garden Restaurant 

As carts shuffle past your table bearing steam buns and wrinkly dumplings filled with shrimp, don’t be afraid to politely wave and point as a means of ordering. (During a crowded and busy brunch sesh, it’s probably going to be necessary.) Chicken feet are a collagen-packed treat if you don’t mind eating around tiny bones. Deep-fried shrimp balls are a crunchy fan favorite, as are the pork-mushroom-shrimp siu mai and almost floral-scented, lotus leaf–wrapped sticky rice. But don’t sleep on the steamed egg custard buns and pineapple sweet buns with their crackly bright yellow tops. Pro tip: if it’s not dim sum you seek, the roasted Peking duck dinner with pillow-soft pinch buns is some of the best around. 3555 W. Walnut St., Ste. E, Garland. 

Eat Soup for Brunch!

Hear us out. Soup isn’t just for sick days and cold nights. Bowls of bun bo hue, menudo, and savory porridge were born for late-morning slurping. 

Mi Quang at Lá Me 

There are other attractions, but we come for the sunny charms of mi quang, a soup with yellow turmeric noodles in a broth bobbing with hard-cooked egg, shrimp, seasoned pork, shredded lettuce, and roasted peanuts you accent with a showering of squeezed lime and a puffed rice cracker ready to perch jauntily on top. 9780 Walnut St., Ste. 140. 

Menudo at Gastro Cantina 

It’s no secret that Revolver Taco Lounge is Deep Ellum institution that is a go-to for fine pulpo tacos. But we want to point you in a different direction: order the menudo at the Gastro Cantina concept on Elm Street. The deep-red broth obscures ridiculously tender cubes of tripe. It’s simple and simply good, and better still when you slurp it alongside a glass of Champagne for a high-low brunch with a one-two punch. 2646 Elm St. 

congee Malai Kitchen
Malai Kitchen's congee Brittany Conerly

Congee at Malai Kitchen 

A steamy bowl of savory rice porridge can have myriad iterations and toppings. This one keeps it mostly classic. It arrives piping hot with curls of green onion, a poached egg, slivers of ginger, and pulled chicken. Multiple locations.  

Rice Porridge at Charm Juk Korean 

Named after its single, singularly soothing staple, Charm Juk ladles out Korean rice porridge, or juk. Bowls come topped with little mounds of powdered nori and sesame seeds and accompanied by soy-dressed mushrooms, spicy pickle, and marinated bean sprouts. There’s nothing more comforting than the pine nut juk, a creamy, sweet bowl of goodness. 2625 Old Denton Rd., Ste. 302, Carrollton. 

Bun Bo Hue at Phuong Nam 

The fiery, oil-slicked beef soup is just what some mornings desperately need. Our favorite part: the homemade sausage cake studded with lemongrass stalk and the mounds of banana blossom and bean sprouts that tamp down the fire. 4413 W. Walnut St., Garland. 

Bun Rieu at Bistro B and Phuong Nam 

We routinely crave the crabby, tangy, sunset-​colored wonder that is bun rieu. Try Bistro B’s, which has a light, fluffy fish cake and a broth based on the intense flavor of crawfish—their twist. The version at Phuong Nam, homey and beautifully executed, includes savory fried tofu, pork meatball, crab meatball, and a broth that’s sweeter and more aromatic. Think of it as a tamarind-sour Vietnamese bouillabaisse. 
Bistro B, 9780 Walnut St., Ste. 340; Phuong Nam, 4413 W. Walnut St., Garland. 


This story originally ran in the March 2021 issue of D Magazine. The piece was last updated in January 2024. 

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