Where to find the best brunch in Austin, Texas, is a hot topic. Based on years of experience, I've compiled this list of my top picks for brunch around town. These recommendations mainly focus on American-style brunch menus, which tend to be heavy on eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, French toast, etc.
Additionally, a restaurant's interior design and ambiance are always crucial to me, which goes double for brunch. Getting a group of friends or family together can often take a lot of coordination. Picking a unique place will make your brunch experience that much more memorable. Are you hungry yet? Good, me too. Feast your eyes on the best brunch places in Austin!
Table of Contents
Downtown
1886 Cafe & Bakery
For a blast from the past, head to the 1886 Cafe & Bakery in the Driskill Hotel at 6th and Brazos Street. The Victorian-style cafe offers an all-day brunch menu seven days a week with ingredients sourced from local Texas farms and producers. On more than one occasion, I ordered the Hippie Hollow with scrambled eggs, spinach, feta, tomatoes, and toast.
If you want something decadent, try the Paris Texas Benedict, which includes two poached eggs, brie, ham, croissant, hollandaise sauce, and country potatoes. This remarkable place also offers a brunch menu with a Texas-shaped pecan waffle, huevos rancheros, avocado toast, and quiche Lorraine.
604 Brazos St, Downtown Austin, driskillhotel.com
Related: Best Austin Bakeries
Moonshine Grill
If you're looking for the best Sunday brunch in Austin, look no further than Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill. Housed in a mid-19th-century stone building, one of the oldest in Austin, Texas, Moonshine serves an excellent menu of Southern dishes. It is known for offering an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet ($26.95) with 30 handmade Southern foods.
Highlights of my first experience included:
- Country ham
- Green chile cheese grits
- Baked macaroni with pimento cheese and bacon gratin
- Crostinis with goat cheese, honey, grilled peaches, and pecans
- Red velvet chocolate chip cookies
- All three varieties of mini-muffins
At the historic downtown location a few blocks north of Lady Bird Lake, seating is available inside or on the covered patio (which has large fans). Two small bars, one in the front and one off the patio, also exist. Arrive when they open to avoid a wait.
303 Red River St, Downtown Austin, moonshinegrill.com
East Austin
Launderette
Launderette is a local favorite on the east side of Austin and one of the best restaurants in the city overall. The first few times I ate here, a few blocks north of the Colorado River (aka Ladybird Lake), were for brunch. Their signature buttermilk pancakes with blueberry maple compote and creme fraiche are the bomb. I didn't even eat blueberries before I tried them on these pancakes, and now they're a regular part of my diet. Thanks, Launderette! I recommend ordering the day's pastry to nibble on while you make other decisions.
Brunch cocktails include mimosas by the glass or carafe, Bloody Marys, tequila spritzers, and sbagliato. The menu features ten specialties, ranging from $16 for an Everything Biscuit to $22 for Chicken Paillard.
2115 Holly St, East Austin, launderetteaustin.com
Related: Breakfast at Magnolia Table
Hillside Farmacy
Hillside Farmacy was one of the first restaurants I ate at in East Austin when I moved to the city, and I consider it one of the best places in Austin for Saturday brunch. The building was initially a drugstore in the 1950s, owned by Doc Young and his family. In the 1970s, it fell into disrepair.
The Hillside Farmacy team fully renovated it to open their restaurant, winning a Preservation Austin Award. In 2019, it was designated as a Texas Historical Landmark. The attention to detail is impressive, from the Pinterest-worthy interior decor to the plant-filled patio.
The weekend brunch menu features farm-to-table fare. Diners have a choice of snacks, including brulee grapefruit, a charcuterie plate, and a crab cake. There are a few salads and a half-dozen entrees, like buttermilk pancakes with Mexican vanilla and Gulf shrimp 'n grits. Raw oysters and shrimp are also available daily.
The drink menu is extensive. Homemade fountain sodas, such as the refreshing hibiscus lemonade, are available on their own, with CBD or alcohol. A house punch with gin, cava, hibiscus syrup, and grapefruit juice is available by the glass or carafe. Mimosas are also available in glass or carafe.
1209 E 11th St, East Austin, hillsidefarmacy.com
Paperboy
Walk a half-block west of Hillside Farmacy, and you'll run into Paperboy, a restaurant specializing in breakfast and brunch. Fresh pastries like pecan orange cinnamon rolls and guava Danishes kick off the menu. Light entrees include ricotta toast and a stone ground grits bowl. For a more filling meal, hit the fried chicken and biscuits with country gravy and spicy honey, Texas hash with roasted pork, or the migas with egg, avocado, and pico de gallo. 44 Farms steak, eggs, and a beef and bacon smash burger are also available.
Paperboy also has a fantastic cocktail program. Brunch drinks include a Cold Brew Martini, a Cinnamon Toast White Russian made with cereal milk, and the standard mimosas and bloody marys.
1203 E 11th St, East Austin, paperboyaustin.com
Gabriela's
The "best boozy brunch in Austin with a skyline view and Latin music" award goes to the Mexican restaurant Gabriela's. The back patio with a view of downtown is an excellent spot for munching on chips and queso while sipping $5 margaritas. The DJ playing live music (reggaeton, salsa, and pop) will bring back memories from your last trip to Latin America.
Although Gabriela's brunch menu is one of the smaller ones on this list, nearly everything is made from scratch daily. At $9 to $12 per entree, it's a great value. Menu highlights include chilaquiles, chorizo gorditas, and rum-flavored French toast.
900 East 7th St, East Austin, instagram.com/gabrielasdowntown
Related: Speakeasies in Austin
South Austin
Mattie's
Celebrate special occasions with the best Southern brunch in Austin at Mattie's. The renovated, century-old former farmhouse is in beautiful condition, inside and out. The wrap-around porch of this historic mansion offers a picturesque setting for brunch, as do the interior (and air-conditioned) dining rooms and bar.
Start sweet with the buttermilk biscuits (with seasonal butter and local honey) and a plate of lemon poppy brioche doughnuts with blueberry cream cheese mousse.
Milk Punch French Toast with griddled bread pudding, Chipotle Pork Chilaquiles, and Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict will all vie for your attention under the entrees. I ordered a brioche French toast with candied pecans, fresh berries, and bourbon-maple syrup from a previous menu. I don't order French toast often, but this preparation may change that, as it was incredible.
If you want a boozy brunch, try the 1965 Milk Punch with sweet vanilla cream, bourbon, cognac, rum, and nutmeg. It's available in a five-ounce serving or by the carafe. And don't forget to watch the resident peacocks that roam the grounds, including an all-white albino.
811 W Live Oak St, South Austin, mattiesaustin.com
Cafe No Se
Since opening in the South Congress Hotel, Cafe No Se has been one of my favorite brunch places in Austin. The interior design is bright and modern, and the floor's blue and white hexagonal tilework adds color and creates a fun photo backdrop. Freshly baked goodies, including a parmesan chive scone and a pistachio apricot cake, are $4 to $6 each. There are also a half-dozen salads and bowls, including a yellow tuna poke bowl I've ordered several times.
I can also vouch for their breakfast sandwiches, served with potatoes and arugula salad (pictured above). Entrees include avocado toast, a smoked salmon bagel, lemon-ricotta hotcakes, and a cowboy breakfast. We're in Texas, after all. Along with Launderette, Cafe No Se offers some of the best desserts in town.
1603 South Congress Ave, South Austin, cafenoseaustin.com
Magnolia Cafe
"Everybody knows, everybody goes," says the motto of Magnolia Cafe, which celebrated its 43rd anniversary in 2022. Magnolia Cafe is the perfect place for a taste of old Austin. The original location on Lake Austin Blvd opened in 1979, and they expanded to South Congress 10 years later, in 1988. This diner-style restaurant features an extensive menu, including breakfast any time of day (it was open 24 hours a day until 2020).
I recently stopped by for Saturday brunch and ordered the daily special: a blackberry cheese pancake with real maple syrup and a banana pecan pancake, which the waitress behind the counter recommended. The pancakes are the size of a large dinner plate. Seriously, one pancake will fill you up! And at only $6.50 for a short stack (two pancakes), it's the best value dish of any place I've been in this article.
Beyond the French toast and breakfast tacos, the friendly vibe and funky decor set brunch at Magnolia Cafe apart. On the weekends, go early, as a line out the door is standard. Seating at the counter is first come, first served.
1920 S Congress Ave, South Austin, magnoliacafeaustin.com
El Naranjo
Chef Iliana de la Vega recently won the 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef in Texas. At her restaurant, El Naranjo, on South Lamar Boulevard, she serves traditional Mexican food in a casual setting. Tortillas are made in-house daily with heirloom corn imported from various parts of Mexico, and bread is baked on the premises.
When I visited for brunch, Kel and I shared the oh-so-delicious melted Oaxacan cheese with corn tortillas. I also tried their Huevos Benedictos, two poached eggs over a corn and cheese gordita with hollandaise sauce.
Other options include Huevos Rancheros, chilaquiles, quesadillas, enchiladas, and tlayudas. If you're a coffee drinker, there's a spiced Mexican coffee. All of the above is why it's easy to pick El Naranjo as one of the top brunch places in Austin.
2717 S Lamar Blvd STE 1085, South Austin, elnaranjorestaurant.com
Elizabeth Street Cafe
Are you looking for a break from the typical American brunch menu? Try Elizabeth Street Cafe, a Vietnamese cafe and boulangerie (French bakery) by MML Hospitality. Jumpstart your day with a hot or iced Vietnamese coffee, or ease in with one of their green, black, or white teas served in a 14-ounce teapot. Fresh pastries, including sweet and savory croissants, Kouign-Amann, eclairs, and beignets with housemade preserves, are served daily.
Appetizers include spring rolls, ginger-chili oil dumplings, and Niman Ranch pork belly steamed buns (which I can vouch for). I prefer the banh mi sandwiches on the house-baked baguettes to the pho (rice noodle soup), though they have that, too. Street fried rice, Singapore noodles, and sticky rice with ginger sausage and eggs are a few of their specialties. For something sweet, there's brioche French toast with brown butter syrup.
1501 S 1st St, South Austin, elizabethstreetcafe.com
West Austin
Josephine House
Josephine House is the sister restaurant of Jeffrey's, one of Austin's best restaurants. According to their website, "the Clarksville cottage features a small marble bar for coffee or cocktails, intimate tables in the dining room, shady nooks on our patio, and a grassy front lawn for lounging." For our brunch, my friend Laura and I opted for outdoor dining in one of the patio's "shady nooks," a peaceful spot to eat with friends, family, or someone special.
Fresh pastries include vegan blueberry banana bread, a Nutella morning bun, and a Goat Cheese Swirl Brownie. Opting for savory over sweet, I ordered the huevos rancheros with a cappuccino. My friend went with the lemon ricotta pancakes with strawberries, blueberries, cultured butter, and maple syrup. Both dishes were excellent. If I lived closer to West Austin, this would be my go-to weekend brunch spot.
1601 Waterston Ave, Clarksville, josephineofaustin.com
Better Half Coffee and Cocktails
Better Half is a casual, all-day restaurant serving breakfast and lunch on weekdays and brunch on the weekends. The restaurant opened in February 2018 and was named Eater's Restaurant of the Year in Austin by December. Run by the same three friends who began Wright Bros Brew and Brew in East Austin, Better Half offers a more extensive food menu and more space, thanks to a large outdoor patio.
Specialty coffees include a cardamom clove latte and a rosemary lavender latte. Do you prefer alcohol? Draft tequila and vodka cocktails are made fresh daily, or try the pink sangria on tap. Then there's the Desert Door Sotol slushee. Brunch entrees include a signature breakfast sandwich with crispy hash browns, a chicken biscuit with jalapeno-honey butter, and waffle iron hash browns with coffee and cream gravy.
406 Walsh St, Clarksville, betterhalfbar.com
Central and North Austin
Tiny Boxwoods
Tiny Boxwoods began in Houston and expanded to Austin in May 2017 with a mission to "make each and every experience a memorable one." The beautiful restaurant and garden cafe in the Bryker Woods neighborhood of Central Austin helps the three friends and business partners behind the restaurant achieve this goal.
Begin your brunch with a pastry board before moving on to breakfast favorites like blueberry pancakes with whipped honey butter and avocado toast with smoked salmon. For a taste of Mexico, get the migas or chilaquiles.
Tiny Boxwoods is known for its divine chocolate chip cookies, so don't leave without trying them or taking a few to go. The current dessert menu includes a goat cheese cheesecake with strawberry balsamic sauce, which sounds fantastic!
1503 W 35th St, Central Austin, tinyboxwoods.com
Related: Breakfast at Brennan's
Hank's
No list of the best brunches in Austin would be complete without mentioning Hank's in the Windsor Park neighborhood. Named after the grandfather of a co-owner, Hank's offers California comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus brunch on the weekends.
Everything, including bread, pasta, and pastries, is made in-house. Mimosas are available by the glass and carafe, and for the adventurous drinker, there's a surf-and-turf Bloody Mary with shrimp and bacon. I'm fond of their frozen cocktails.
I recommend the avocado toast with poached egg and feta, the fried egg sandwich with gruyere and bacon, and the cheeseburger with sharp cheddar. Other brunch dishes include eggs Benedict or Florentine, shrimp 'n grits, and a hot fried chicken sandwich on a brioche bun. The signature Chantilly cake is a dessert lover's dream and is large enough to share among two to three people.
Thanks to its expansive covered patio, Hank's is an excellent option for brunch al fresco. Alternatively, if you prefer air conditioning, there's a plant-filled dining room and coffee shop. Walk-ins are welcome, but I recommend a reservation for brunch.
5811 Berkman Dr, Ste. 100, Austin, hanksaustin.com
Plank Seafood Provisions
At Plank Seafood Provisions in The Domain, sustainability and transparency are on the menu, courtesy of the restaurant's Conscious Earth program. The oyster bar and seafood grill recently launched a brunch menu, and you can rest easy knowing their ingredients are sourced with care. Upon receiving an invitation to explore the new menu, I began with a half-dozen oysters from Prince Edward Island and Maine and a tuna poke tower with avocado and sticky rice.
I was surprised by the delicious Smoked Salmon Benedict, a combination I'd never tried before. The hollandaise sauce was perfect. Shrimp fans will delight in the bacon-wrapped shrimp with aged white cheddar, dirty grits, and crawfish beurre blanc sauce. Dessert lovers are also catered to. I recommend the Chocolate Terrine with peanut butter ice cream, Bing cherry, and Maldon smoked sea salt.
11410 Century Oaks Terrace #136, Austin, plankseafood.com
Whew, I know that was a lot of delicious food to consider! If you're still with me, thank you for reading about my picks for the best brunch spots in Austin, Texas. I'll update this list annually as I try more of Austin's best brunch restaurants.
