Where to Brunch in Dallas — 13 Essential Spots

Everyone looks forward to those two days of the week where you can sleep late and then relax and enjoy a leisurely brunch, with no judgment for hiding behind big glasses while sipping a bit of hair of the dog. We’ve rounded up a list of some of the best places to find the fluffiest pancakes, crispiest bacon, best breakfast sandwiches and, of course, the booziest Bloody Mary’s.

Pie Tap Kitchen + Workshop

Various Locations

Obviously at Pie Tap, you start with the $3 mimosas and $5 Bloody Mary’s. If your sweet tooth needs attention, try a gigantic cinnamon roll ($8), made from scratch and coated with a thick layer of icing worthy of licking the plate clean (as they say, it won't lick itself). For something savory, you can’t go wrong with the breakfast sandwich ($13), which comes with house-made spicy maple sausage, bacon, sunny-side farm egg, smoked cheddar, Calabrian chili aioli, tomato and arugula served on a house-baked sourdough roll and served with a side of roasted Calabrian potatoes. And if you’re in the mood for a brunch pizza, get the smoked salmon pie ($17) topped with Icelandic smoked salmon, ricotta, red onion, dill, capers, house-cured egg yolks and lemon zest.

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar

2121 N. Pearl St. (Uptown)

With views of Klyde Warren Park and the downtown skyline, Yardbird Southern Table and Bar is a great brunch spot. The mini beignets ($14) are a popular choice — how can you go wrong with a pastry stuffed with Nutella and topped with powdered sugar? You can't. If savory is more your style, the Yardbird Benedict ($32) is a great, but pricy choice. It starts with a buttermilk biscuit topped with country ham prosciutto, spinach and a crabmeat hollandaise. And for a dish that will make your tastebuds pucker, order the lemon meringue pie pancakes ($18), which are blueberry pancakes topped with toasted meringue, granola and lemon curd.

Henry’s Majestic

4900 McKinney Ave. (Knox-Henderson)

Henry’s Majestic is one of Dallas’ top brunch spots and a great place for people watching. If you choose to sleep in a bit, expect a wait during prime brunch hours. If the weather is great, the patio will be filled with all the pretty people in Dallas partaking of their mimosas and other concoctions to spruce up their day. For starters, the pigs in puff pastry ($14), a jalapeño-cheddar sausage wrapped in a puff pastry with bacon onion jam and house mustard, is a great choice. Main entrée considerations should include the charred tomatillo chilaquiles ($16), made with fried corn tortillas, rotisserie chicken, lime crema, cotija, sunny side up egg and salsa, and the blueberry croissant French toast souffle ($13). Or maybe the buttermilk fried chicken and waffles ($18) covered with a smoked hatch chile gravy and espresso maple syrup.

Ida Claire

5001 Belt Line Road (North Dallas)

When the weather is nice (or decent even, we'll take just "decent"), you should book brunch in the Airstream trailer in the backyard of Ida Claire. It’s a cool spot to hang with friends and enjoy biscuits with bacon gravy, honey butter and house jam ($8). For your main entrée, do yourself a favor and order the shrimp and grits ($21.50) with grilled Gulf shrimp, bacon, gristmill asiago grits and a low-country piquant cream sauce — it is truly the star of the menu. Other favorite main entrée options to consider include the short-ribs and potato hash ($17) Nashville hot chicken tenders ($18.50) and fried green tomato benedict ($13.50).

Whistle Britches

Various Locations

At Whistle Britches, chicken is certainly the star of the menu. You’ll find fried chicken tenders layered on a stack of pancakes ($18) or in between two ends of buttermilk biscuits served in a variety of ways. You can request jalapeño syrup, pepper jelly or gravy for any of the dishes. One of the most popular biscuit sandwiches is the Whistle Britches ($14), which combines a buttermilk biscuit, crispy chicken, honey butter and pepper jelly. If you like a little spice with your brunch, the Hot Dang ($14) is a great choice. You get Nashville-style hot crispy chicken with toasted white bread, dill ranch and bread 'n' butter pickles.

The Biscuit Bar

Various Locations

No need to wait for the weekend to partake in the hearty biscuit sandwiches offered at The Biscuit Bar. Whether it’s a simple biscuit and butter that you crave or something more sinister, like the Rough Night (fried chicken, burger patty, ham, turkey, pulled pork, crispy bacon, tots, cheddar and housemade sausage gravy), the Biscuit Bar has everything your brunch heart desires every day of the week. Add a cereal sip ($6) and some loaded tots, and all your brunch goals will be accomplished.

Ellen’s

1790 N. Record St. (Downtown)

Ellen’s is a casual and family-friendly southern kitchen in downtown Dallas. Breakfast is served all day with signature dishes like the Pancake Pot Pie ($15), which has layers of pancakes, sweet maple cream sausage gravy, Texas hickory bacon, crumbled sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and pure Vermont maple syrup. This dish is the kitchen sink of brunch dishes. The menu also features a variety of Mexican breakfast options and traditional breakfast items like eggs Benedict, pancakes, and shrimp and grits. The place gets very busy on the weekends, and reservations are strongly encouraged.

Oddfellows

316 W. 7th St. (Bishop Arts)

Oddfellows in the Bishop Arts District is a nice mix of hipster, casual and comfortable. If you’re able to snag a seat on the patio, you will have won the weekend brunch lottery when it comes to people-watching. On the weekends, be prepared to wait for a table as it is first come, first served. But the wait is worth it when you’re able to partake in dishes like bread pudding French toast ($13), beignets ($10), shrimp and grits ($18) and eggs Benedict ($15). And if you’re impatient and don’t like to wait, just grab a mimosa (or a carafe) from the cocktail window, and all will be right with the world.

Knox Bistro

3230 Knox St. (Knox-Henderson)

At Knox Bistro you can partake in some incredible savory and sweet brunch options, sip on a peach bellini and brush up on your French. For starters, we would recommend the Rillettes de Poisson ($14), a smoked fish dip with trout roe, celery, radishes and crostini. It’s savory, light and easily sharable. For something in between an appetizer and an entrée, the quiche Lorraine ($17) is always a great choice. And for an entrée, you can't go wrong with the Dutch baby pancakes ($16) or the Croque Monsieur ($22). And whatever you do, get one of those espresso martinis.

Smithy on Henderson

2927 N. Henderson Ave. (Knox-Henderson)

No one sets out to have a hangover unless, of course, it’s the Hangover 2.0 ($18) at Smithy’s. Habanero fried chicken, bourbon maple syrup, cage-free eggs, sausage, brown sugar pecan bacon, crispy hash browns and roasted poblano cream gravy, all layered in a jumbo buttermilk biscuit, makes for booze-soaking comfort food at its best. Other brunch options include the salmon Benedict ($19), grilled tamales ($16) and the farmer’s omelet ($17). And if you need a hair of the dog, they have mimosas, palomas, Bloody Mary’s and other craft cocktails that are sure to cure all that ails you.

Meddlesome Moth

1621 Oak Lawn Ave. (Design District)

Known as one of Dallas’ original gastropubs, Meddlesome Moth offers a perfect place to get your brunch festivities started. You can dine beneath the famous stained-glass windows while you indulge in brunch classics like sticky buns ($11), biscuits and sausage gravy ($10) and the ever-popular Mother and Child Reunion ($18), with buttermilk-fried chicken, jalapeno gravy, homestead grits and scrambled eggs. We love the Bloody Mary, as it's served with a beer chaser. And since this is a gastropub, the 40-plus craft beer selection is always interesting. There are also gluten-free and vegan options available.

Jonathon's Diner

1619 N. Beckley Ave. (Oak Cliff)

While we love the iconic chicken and waffles at Jonathon's Diner, which has diners lingering outside waiting for a table on the weekends, don't overlook the chicken and house-made peppered biscuits covered in a peppered gravy. The Danger Dogs are made with turkey sausage wrapped in pancake batter. Even the burgers are stellar (we recommend "The Nooner," with a half-pound patty, bacon, ham, Swiss and American cheese, and a fried egg). While the from-scratch dishes draw the crowds, the $5 mimosas keep them there. Groups get louder as the afternoon wears on, clearly partaking in the budget-friendly cocktail options.

Ebb & Flow

2651 Commerce St. (Deep Ellum) and 7300 Lone Star Dr. (Plano)

Ebb & Flow's brunch isn't for nursing achy heads or a quiet start to your day. Brunch here is more of an event than sustenance — but don't get us wrong, that sustenance is spot-on. Start with a Salty Brew, which is Salted Caramel Crown Royal and cold brew topped with Baileys Salted Caramel foam. Then dig into a plate of chicken-fried chicken and eggs ($12.99) with a ranch-battered chicken breast half the size of the plate and covered in thick sausage gravy along with two eggs.