Where to find the best brunch spots in Houston, Texas

This Houston Heights neighborhood bar is already beloved for its whiskey selection and fresh masa taco, and now, patrons can drop by earlier in the day for Eight Row Flint’s new weekend brunch menu. Casual fare items include the El Jefe huevos rancheros: two fried flour tortillas, beans, eggs, queso fresco and a tangy tomatillo and rojo salsa, which we recommend pairing your breakfast entrée with the bar’s delicious brunch craft cocktails. For the perfect eye-opener, the 1919 Coffee features a roasted pecan Redemption Bourbon, dripped coffee, a shot of Liquor 43, and a dollop of sweet cream. It's just the kick you need.

Steps from Dynamo Soccer Stadium in EaDo, you’ll find brunch enthusiasts noshing at Indianola. They’re ordering heavenly ricotta toast points, so gorge that your camera will need to eat first, and hearty entrees like the jalapeno boudin shrimp & grits. We love the Vietnamese Steak & Eggs, a delightful serving of hanger steak served to sizzle with two sunny eggs and a generous medallion of melting lemongrass-basil butter (it creates the perfect dipping sauce for the accompanying crispy baguette, FYI!). Indianola’s Honey Weber’s Pancakes are also a treat—both in flavor and mahoosive stack.

This NYC-based, Australian-inspired coffee shop and café took over the space formerly occupied by Beck’s Prime in The Heights. You’ll find here a hefty selection of coffees, matcha, and more. Bluestone Lane Houston Heights Café also offers “All-Day Brekkie” or morning-style dishes, such as avocado toast with feta and herbs, banana bread topped with whipped ricotta and berries, and breakfast bowls featuring roasted veggies, mushrooms, eggs, kale, and other healthy goodies. Look out for three future Houston outposts in Rice Village, The Woodlands, and Post Oak neighborhood.  

If you’re looking for a place to soak up last night’s debauchery, Max’s Wine Dive is your go-to. The hip mini-chain is well-known in HTX for comfort food at a pleasingly affordable price point. There’s no need to look at the menu, you’ll have the famous southern fried chicken: jalapeno-buttermilk marinated chicken, crispy home fries, Texas toast, collard greens and chipotle honey. It’s sheer perfection.

A lively, bustling café in the East Downtown area, Tout Suite is a European-style café and bakery that serves a fabulous weekend brunch with standards like Migas (that’s soft-scrambled eggs, fried tortilla chips, onions, peppers and salsa, for you non-Texans), the breakfast B.L.T and chicken and waffles. The best thing on the menu is the avocado toast, but you can’t go wrong with anything you order at Tout Suite.

A cozy converted house in River Oaks with classic, standout brunch items and an adorable patio. Backstreet’s menu is so good, it’s tough making a decision. Will you have the Gulf Coast Beignets, with flavorful crab, shrimp, andouille, corn and roasted red pepper remoulade? Will it be the silky braised oxtail and eggs, or the killer shrimp and stone-ground cheese grits? We don’t envy you this choice. Just make sure to procure a reservation well in advance.

The Breakfast Klub boasts an inventive breakfast menu that includes pork chops and eggs, french toast, “katfish” and grits (the real star here!), several delectable breakfast sandwiches and even green eggs and ham. Plus, the staff is super friendly, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. There’s always a line out the door and around the building, so try to come during non-peak times, or just prepare to wait.

James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega’s eatery was named one of the 38 best restaurants in the nation by Eater. Hugo’s is a revelation; it stands out even in a city crawling with incredible Mexican cuisine, and the brunches here are legendary. Come here for the bountiful Sunday buffet and load up on endless amounts of chilaquiles, tamales and chile rellenos while enjoying the sweet sounds of Viento, the house band.

Let’s get this out of the way: Brennan’s is an extravagance. The French-Creole restaurant serves some of the tastiest Gulf Coast seafood in the city. From the seriously elegant menu food to the live jazz band, expect the full brunch works here in Midtown. Highlights include the requisite shrimp and grits, turtle soup and wood-grilled oysters—to name a few exceptional dishes.

If you’re in the mood for simple yet upscale Southern fare like fried green tomatoes, chicken fried steak or country benedict, Lucille’s is a perfect choice. The down-home, unpretentious, Southern-style spot in the heart of the Museum District is one of our fave places to fuel up before a big day out on the town, and for tourists hoping to pack it in, consider these your calories to burn for the day.