Who doesn’t love a long, lazy weekend meal? We definitely do. When we’re in the mood to stay home and have our Sunday morning waffles and eggs Benedict brought to us, this is where we look. These are some of the most popular places to order brunch in Washington, D.C. Hint: It’s more than just omelets and breakfast burritos.
Tatte Bakery & Cafe
Good thing you can find this bakery scattered throughout the D.C. metro area, because its morning buns are so good that you’d drive across town for them. The self-taught founder and chef, Tzurit Or, started her bakery fifteen years ago from her home kitchen, and now it has grown to over twenty locations in D.C. and Massachusetts. You can’t go wrong with any pastry on the menu, but we keep coming back to the biscuit and egg sandwich and the chocolate croissant.
Doi Moi
This Vietnamese restaurant is great for any time of day, but their morning offerings are unique — stuff you won’t find anywhere else in the city. On the sweet side of things, there’s whipped cream–topped pandan waffles, coconut beignets, and fresh croissants with a housemade spiced butter. Or you could go with something more classic and stick to their pho bo (beef noodle soup) the most popular breakfast in Vietnam.
Ted's Bulletin
Ted’s Bulletin is good for just about everything, with something on its massive menu for everyone. On the brunch side of things, we’re talking pancake stacks served with eggs and hashbrowns, or the T.U.B.S. (Ted's Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich), filled with applewood bacon, sausage, fried egg, scrambled egg, and cheddar cheese. If someone is into the idea of a halloumi kale salad or an all-American burger, don’t worry; Ted’s has those, too.
District Taco
District Taco has all your morning Mexican cravings covered. In 2009, the restaurant started as a single food cart, and now it has expanded to locations in four states. For brunch, we always go for their breakfast burrito or breakfast tacos. Both come with cage-free eggs, potatoes, cheese, and a choice of protein — everything from chorizo to Itza, their own meatless protein. Don’t worry; there’s a side of guacamole to add to your order, too.
All-Purpose Pizzeria - Riverfront
We can’t say pizza for brunch is classic, but is there really a bad time for a pie? If that’s a little too wild, All-Purpose Pizzeria’s weekend menu has some more traditional morning options, like their BLT+E, the familiar sandwich but with scrambled eggs and garlic aioli on ciabatta. Or their mini cinnamon buns — housemade cinnamon rolls topped with tiramisu cream and cinnamon sugar.
The Royal
This LeDroit Park all-day spot is equally as good at nine a.m. as it is at nine p.m. The Royal’s morning options draw from many corners of the world. There’s a little South American, with their arepa rancheros topped with a fried egg, beans, avocado, and cilantro. Or you could stick a little closer to home by ordering a lox tartine or a house biscuit. There’s no going wrong.
Purple Patch Restaurant
It’s great that this Filipino-American restaurant serves brunch daily. With dishes like a spicy adobo fried chicken sandwich, ube cinnamon toast, and ube pancakes, they shouldn’t be left to only the weekend. Chef Patrice Cleary is fusing flavors from her native Philippines and her adopted American home to make some of the most comforting comfort food in the area.
Mercy Me
Is there anything better than getting food from a hot-spot restaurant delivered? Lining up for brunch is so old-fashioned. This Dupont Circle South American-ish restaurant is great all day, but the mornings really shine — no pun intended. They have cult-y bagels by Call Your Mother that you can have topped with guava jam or cream cheese. They are also sandwich-ifying those bagels with their meaty options like the BEC, with chopped bacon and habanero honey, and the EZE, with smoked salmon. We’ll take one of each.
Hank's Oyster Bar
Oysters might not come to mind when we think of breakfast, but Hank’s will change your mind about that. This Dupont Circle seafood restaurant is more than it appears. Their brunch menu includes classics like a short rib hash and Southern-style shrimp and grits, but they change things up with crab cake eggs Benedict. If you want to go sweet, they’ve got you covered with challah French toast.
Oyamel Cocina
Happy to see that this Michelin Bib Gourmand can come straight to our apartment. Superstar chef José Andrés has been bringing Mexican flavors to the D.C. area since 2004 with Oyamel. We love the carne machaca con huevos revueltos, a scrambled egg dish served on a tortilla with shredded beef, potatoes, poblano, salsa, avocado, and a smoky chile pasilla sauce. Or, for something a little lighter, try their fruit salad, the ensalada de frutas con yogur — one of D.C.'s best.
Silver
Silver is American to the core. It’s the place for Angus cheeseburgers, crispy fries, and milkshakes, but also a classic all-American breakfast that’s much more than your local diner. Their brunch menu is filled with customizable plates like oat milk pancakes with eggs and meat, caramel French toast with eggs, or avocado toast. It’s up to you if you want bacon or Beyond Sausage, or your eggs scrambled or fried.
Joe & the Juice
Brunch for the ultra-virtuous. It’s great to have this juice bar at your fingertips, since sometimes all you need to get through a morning after a night out is a juice jam-packed with nutrients. We love all their juices; go green with the Green Shield or less green with the carrot-apple-ginger Go Away Doc. And if you need something a little heartier, get one of their pressed sandwiches, maybe a Joe's Club with chicken and avocado?
Slipstream - Capitol Riverfront
Slipstream might be known for its coffee, but it brings it on the brunch front, too. To go with your iced Spring Fling Latte, their signature espresso with hibiscus, honey, lavender, and oat milk, you might want to order a poached egg–topped breakfast bowl or some avocado toast. An order is never complete without a thick slice of their banana bread or a brown butter chocolate chip cookie.
Toastique
For another healthy option, this gourmet toast and juice bar founded by chef Brianna Keefe has got you covered. With locations through the D.C. metro area, you’re never too far from one of their OG acai bowls or Green Machine smoothies. If you’re looking to experience the toastier side of the menu, we’d recommend the Avocado Smash, topped with watermelon radish, or smoked salmon toast.
Bread Furst
No surprises here with what this bakery specializes in. This Van Ness/Forest Hills neighborhood bakery does more than just a crusty baguette and levain. Our go-tos are their salmon cakes with dill sauce and their chicken salad with a light and slightly tangy curry sauce. We never miss the chance to add an order of the monkie bread either.
Joy Luck House
Dim sum is sometimes exactly what brunch calls for, and Joy Luck House is doing all the favorites. This Chinatown restaurant prides itself on using high-quality ingredients to make their steamed roast pork bun, scallion pancakes, and shrimp dumplings. We always like to get a few of their pastries for later; their mooncakes and egg custard tarts are never a bad addition to an order.
Jaco Juice & Taco Bar
Good thing there is more than one location of this restaurant because they are all about breakfast and brunch. They lean on the healthier side of things, with their acai bowls, smoothies, and juices, but they have your breakfast burrito needs covered, too. We love their PB acai bowl, Brooklyn smoothie, and chicken Santa Fe burrito.
H & Chicken
Chicken and waffles is an American classic for good reason. Crispy, a little bit sweet and savory — perfect brunch food. H & Chicken is bringing a little bit of the South to the North with a menu filled with combos. Depending on hunger level, we like to do a waffle and four wings or the breakfast sampler, where you get a taste of everything, including a waffle, pancake, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and two eggs. That will definitely hold us over until lunch.
Buna Coffeehouse
You might know this unpretentious neighborhood spot for its Ethiopian food or coffee, but a little-known fact is that they do some classic American brunch dishes, too. You can go for something like their fül, with spiced mashed fava beans topped with yogurt and eggs, or a breakfast bowl with cracked wheat, tibs (beef tenderloin), eggs, and guacamole. Or, on the other side of things, a lox bagel or cinnamon roll — really, something for everyone.
Le Caprice DC
At Le Caprice it’s all about the pastry. Sweet, savory, French, American — why not get one of each? Of course, you’ll have to order one of their 100% butter-based croissants, “the best in D.C.” And why not add a cinnamon roll and a pain au chocolat? For anyone looking for something with a little less sugar, we’d recommend a spinach and feta Danish or the Le Caprice DC quiche with turkey bacon.
