Crisp

This Heights-area haunt—with a location coming soon to The Woodlands—is perhaps best known for its wine and beer selection, but it'd be a mistake to miss brunch, which features excellent entrées like a chicken and waffle sandwich, braised short rib hash, and brunch pizzas from its stone oven. As befits a place with over 1,000 bottles of wine on offer, there’s excellent red and white sangria during brunch service, which runs Saturdays and Sundays.

Cru Wine Bar

Though many brunchers come here for chicken and waffles or shrimp and grits, we can’t resist the Creole-inspired Eggs Sardou, which swaps the creamed spinach for sautéed and the artichoke bottoms for creamy artichoke dip, all topped with poached eggs and hollandaise. Both the Upper Kirby and Woodlands locations boast shaded patios perfect for people-watching. Skip the so-so Bloody Marys and head straight for the sangria.

Dish Society

If eating local is important to you, head to this popular restaurant with Galleria-area and Katy locations for brisket and eggs made with grass-fed beef from Black Hill Ranch, Nutella-stuffed french toast made with Slow Dough bread, and locally roasted coffee from Greenway. The adult beverage side of the menu is extensive (we recommend the sparkling elderflower spritzer at brunch), but there’s plenty of kid-friendly offerings too: french toast bites, kids’ chicken biscuits, and more.

El Big Bad

Some may argue that the chief appeal of this restaurant, located next to Market Square downtown, is the patio that wraps around the second floor, but we’re equally enamored with chef Jonathan Jones’s Tex-Mex takes on brunch standards like french toast in a tres leches batter with dulce de leche poured on top, or a breakfast sandwich that stuffs soft brioche with carnitas, scrambled eggs, salsa verde, and Japanese Kewpie mayo. On the more Mex side, look for a tamale casserole topped with fried eggs and chilaquiles with smoky crema.

Fielding’s Wood Grill

Best known for its burgers, this Woodlands grill also serves an exceptional brunch. We love chef Edel Gonçalves' short rib and mascarpone polenta served in a scalding hot skillet and topped with a fried egg—and that’s just the beginning of an ample skillet menu that even includes a vegetarian option with fried corn, kale, and poblano peppers. It’s tough to choose between the Sriracha Bloody Mary and the coffee cocktails (try the Woodlands Warmer with coconut rum and DiSaronno), but even tougher to pick a house-made pastry for dessert—we’re torn between the bacon and Nutella bombolini and the bourbon-glazed cake donut. 

Fung’s Kitchen

When you’ve got a lot of people to feed and/or impress, take them to dim sum—the traditional Chinese meal most often eaten as a weekend brunch—at this Houston stalwart. Chef/owner Hoi Fung specializes in Hong Kong–style dishes, which means plenty of fresh, wild-caught seafood. If you can tear yourself away from the tanks of lobster and other fish, grab some turnip cakes, steamed barbecue pork buns, and sticky rice with pork wrapped in lotus leaves, all available from the waitstaff pushing carts throughout the 25,000-square-foot restaurant, which inevitably still has a wait on weekends.

The Hotel Galvez

A friend once remarked that the famous brunch on offer here made him feel like a Viking at a feast. We agree; words like “lavish” and “sumptuous” are barely enough to describe this multi-room spread in the grand lobby of the century-old hotel overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of raw oysters and giant crab claws rest under an elaborate ice sculpture in one area, while another holds carving stations for rack of lamb, prime rib, and more. Add omelet and waffle stations, yards of fresh fruit and smoked salmon, endless servings of bacon, and bottomless mimosas, and you’ll see why this is the best brunch buffet you’ll ever waddle away from.

Nazif’s Turkish Grill & Deli

The key to conquering brunch at this popular Turkish restaurant is to get here as early as possible (we recommend 10:30 a.m. on the dot). Otherwise, you’ll be waiting in line for a while, as this is the sort of extensive brunch buffet that demands a long, leisurely approach. Indulge in spinach-stuffed börek, pita-like puffs of bazlama, and menemen, which we like to call the chilaquiles of Turkey. Then wash it all down with complimentary hot tea in delicate tulip glasses, which are refilled frequently, in keeping with the warm, welcoming service.

Quattro

If you have in-laws, clients, or out-of-town visitors that you need to impress, head downtown to the Four Seasons and watch their eyes grow wide when they see the brunch buffet at the in-house restaurant run by Italian chef Maurizio Ferrarese. Here you’ll find a french toast station, an Eggs Benedict station, an omelet station, a pasta station, a raw bar, a sushi bar, and too many more dishes to list. And even though it’s decidedly upscale, Quattro welcomes little ones with brunch offerings just for them.

Triniti

As with his other menus, chef Ryan Hildebrand’s brunch menu changes seasonally, but you can always expect creative interpretations of classic dishes, such as huckleberry pancakes with pumpkin spice butter or caramel french toast. We’re especially partial to the curried chicken crepes and the hot brown bennie topped with spicy greens.

Save