In one of Uptown's shiny, newer buildings, you'll find another shiny, even newer restaurant offering brunch.
Doc B's Fresh Kitchen, a national chain, has clean lines in design, plenty of natural light filling the small dining room and abstract art adorning the high walls near the ceiling.
It also features a menu that takes some extra time to digest — and plates that are hit or miss.
So much of what's on offer sounds good enough to make it hard to make a decision. The appetizers section — titled “Snack + Start + Share,” to tell you how to eat appetizers — is topped with housemade guacamole ($11). It's a simple recipe, paired with sweet potato chips, a combination that makes this plate fairly addictive, even if the chips were less than consistent in crispiness.
Your server might encourage you to start out with the homemade biscuits ($12). Served with honey-laced butter, they sound like a perfect, starchy start to the day. But the price tag for three biscuits feels a bit steep.
Farther down the menu, another item under entrees could draw you in: the hot chicken and waffle. They call it “hot” because the fried chicken is drowned in a honey-habanero barbecue sauce. It offers an interesting flavor, but it really isn't spicy.
While the fried chicken is fine, that intense flavor doesn't exactly work with the dense waffle pieces on the same plate, and it definitely battles the syrup for dominance.
But buyer beware: The fact that this will cost you $24 is nothing short of ridiculous. It might make you want to immediately run to Oak Cliff to Jonathon's for a proper plate of chicken and waffles at a proper price. (In fact, you could get two plates there for less than Doc B's price.)
The egg sandwich ($10) has Monterrey jack, jalapeño, avocado and salsa between a bun — but it will all fall out when you're about a third of your way through. You can get a kale slaw on the side, inconsistently heavy with the flavor of mint, so it could be a good thing to save for the end of the meal.
For something more standard, go for the bagel and smoked salmon ($15) or an omelet of your choice ($14). Burgers and sandwiches ($14-$18) are there for those who'd rather not have breakfast. The entrée salads, such as the California ($15) — with sweet potato, pistachio, dried cranberries and wasabi — also sound worthy.
Doc B's pancakes fill your plate for $10-$12, depending on whether you want plain, chocolate chip or cinnamon. Beverages fill the back of the menu, and you can find juices and cocktails at the bottom of the brunch menu. The Hello Sunshine juice ($9) sounds refreshing with pineapple, cucumber, golden beats, lemon and a pinch of cayenne.
If you want to start your day with more confidence, go for the mimosa ($5) or Paloma ($7). The latter, an excuse for a margarita in the morning, was fine, but you'll need to keep an eye on the bill: It came out listed as $13 on a recent visit.
Whatever you get, you won't walk out feeling awesome about what you spent so much money on. But as long as you don't get the fried chicken and waffles, you'll mostly be satisfied for one visit. There is valet parking, but you can park on the street for free around the corner.
Doc B's Fresh Kitchen, 2021 McKinney Ave.