20 Best Brunch Spots in Austin (2024)

Austin is swarming with dozens (and dozens) of fantastic brunch options from pancakes to breakfast tacos to biscuits and gravy, and today we’re sharing our guide to some of the absolute best in the entire city.

In compiling our guide, we followed the same criteria we always go with: we always ordered the most “signature” and/or popular menu item in order to have a taste of the all-star menu item, rather than something that randomly sounded good (we all have our tendencies when it comes to ordering). Additionally, all recommendations on our guide are open at least twice each week.

It’s also important to note that we tried the popular spots, the unpopular spots, and everything in between. There are several breakfast and brunch restaurants in Austin that are incredibly popular but aren’t on our guide, solely for the fact that we simply didn’t think the food was that good. That being said, we were overwhelmed by the insane amount of fantastic brunch options in Austin. Onward.

SEE ALSO: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DINING AT FRANKLIN BARBECUE

20. Tamale House East

Tamale House East is our favorite old-school Tex-Mex spot for the best brunch in Austin. The food is simple yet delicious, and if you enjoy it from their beautiful tucked-away patio at that 11 am sweet spot before it gets too hot, it even feels a bit magical. Breakfast tacos are fantastic at Tamale House East– the classic potato, egg, bacon, and cheese is executed so well here (we love those fluffy eggs!), and the migas are always a local favorite. And if you have any room to spare, the chilaquiles verdes never disappoint with a fried egg on top and those few bits of crunchy, salty chips that didn’t quite get all the way doused in salsa– so, so satisfying!

19. Café No Sé

Cafe No Se, located in the South Congress Hotel, serves some of the best brunch in Austin, especially if you’re looking for something a bit on the lighter side. They serve brunch daily (a rarity in Austin – woot woot!) and their sizable menu is nicely balanced with a variety of salads and bowls, classic savory breakfast options, and a gorgeous array of pastries baked in-house– we can never pass up a kouign amann! The lemon ricotta hotcakes are super popular here, and we also endorse their beautiful and delicious gravlax bagel, too.

18. Nervous Charlie’s Bagels

Any self-respecting guide to the best brunch in Austin needs at least one bagel shop, and we couldn’t be happier to endorse Nervous Charlie’s Bagels. Started by a Long Islander who wanted to bring his love of New York-style bagels to Austin, Nervous Charlie’s uses local ingredients + the best bagel-making goods shipped directly from New York so you know you’re getting the best stuff. A toasted bagel with that perfect chewy bite smeared with a generous swirl of cream cheese is always a good idea for brunch. Some of our favorite combos include a salt bagel with scallion cream cheese or the french toast bagel with honey walnut cream cheese (yes, a french toast bagel– it’s as good as it sounds, get there early or order ahead– they always run out). Nervous Charlie’s also shines in the bagel sandwich department and we love all the breakfast sandwiches. The eggs are cooked to perfection and anything with pastrami or the pleasantly-warm Charlie’s hot sauce is gold.

17. Phoebe’s Diner

Comfort food reigns supreme at South Austin favorite Phoebe’s Diner. The unassuming strip mall location is small and there’s almost always a line out the door (the masses are definitely not wrong about Phoebe’s). With a large menu that leans a little Tex-Mex (think migas, chile relleno, and chorizo hash) and a little southern (crab and crawfish eggs benny and shrimp and grits), Phoebe’s has something for everyone. The migas with hatch chile hollandaise, crispy masa cake, and soft scrambled egg topped with salty cotija cheese are phenomenal, the buttermilk flapjacks are solid, and the smoked brisket burrito is a keep-you-full-until dinner kind of meal– super hearty and supremely satisfying. Add a side of hash brown casserole for a truly decadent brunch experience.

16. Paperboy

Once a humble food truck serving well-done breakfast basics, Paperboy has quickly grown into a breakfast institution and serves some of the best brunch in Austin. Paperboy’s menu still features some of those tried and true originals we’ve always loved like the B.E.C (thick sliced bacon, pimento cheese, and a sunny egg on a sesame bun) and the Texas Hash, which is full of braised pork shoulder, crispy kale and sweet potatoes, and an irresistible pecan mole. Round things out with no less than a few variations of “toast” and a dazzling array of house-made pastries (a peaches and cream pop tart, anyone?), and we are sold.

15. Counter Café

Counter Café doesn’t offer anything novel, and we love it exactly for that reason: sometimes breakfast basics just like the ones served by your classic hometown diner are truly what hit the spot. Counter Café doesn’t just lean in on nostalgia, though, as they serve up one of the best brunches in Austin. We’ve mentioned them before for their amazing diner-style griddled burger (see our guide to the best burgers in Austin), and the breakfast is of the same caliber of quality and deliciousness. Try the biscuits and gravy, the breakfast tacos, or Joe’s Special. Whatever you go with, you’ll need a “side” of big-as-your-plate hot cakes, naturally.

SEE ALSO: 15 BEST TACOS IN AUSTIN

14. Launderette

Launderette is another “perfectly Austin” restaurant situated on the east side of town, and definitely serves some of the best brunch in Austin. It’s no secret that we love Launderette (check them out on our guides to the best burgers in Austin, best East Austin restaurants, and best desserts in Austin), and yes, their brunch is equally as fantastic. The rotating selection of seasonal pastries is divine, the more “lunch-y” fried chicken sandwich or plancha burger are phenomenal, and the crab louie will instantly leave you feeling fancy and so, so satisfied. The pork shoulder hash is another favorite– the seasonal veg included is always cooked to perfection and the overall dish is a flavor explosion.

13. Carpenters Hall

We love Carpenters Hall for many, many reasons. Yes, it oozes coolness with their post-war, mid-century vibes that we cannot get enough of. But mostly we adore the food (no surprise, right?), and we’ve never walked away feeling anything less than blown away by the flavors and quality. So it’s no surprise that we absolutely consider Carpenters Hall a spot for the best brunch in Austin. The pancakes with caramelized toffee sauce, candied pecan crunch, and whipped crème fraiche are some of our favorites in all of Austin (just look at that perfect buttery griddled crust!). The Egg Sammie is served on a toasted house-made milk bread roll that’s delightfully plush and a nice switch-up from the regulars. And what’s a trip to Carpenters Hall without a Griddle Burger (still one of the best in the city)?

12. Elizabeth Street Cafe

Austinites will unanimously agree that Elizabeth Street Cafe offers one of the best brunches in Austin because the food is just that good. You can come here for delicious Vietnamese food for lunch or dinner but the brunch specialties are not to be overlooked. Go early to get a seat on the patio and start with smaller plates from the bakery: the ham & gruyère croissant or the beignets served with house-made jam are fantastic. For the main event, you want the sticky rice with ginger sausage and poached egg or the house-baked brioche french toast (the brown butter syrup is everything).

11. Dai Due

Dai Due is basically the gourmet butcher shop of your dreams, serving up true Texan “farm to table” meals, with a huge emphasis on local meats like wild boar, venison, antelope, and beef. We love that they even offer butchery and fish and meat cookery classes. While the brunch menu at Dai Due rotates with the seasons, everything here is always consistently delicious. The Dai Due breakfast is top-notch: crisped brown rice with punchy kimchi and crisp-tender spring vegetables all topped with a rich sunny-side-up egg. The biscuits and gravy with venison sausage are honestly fantastic and the dry-aged wagyu double cheeseburger speaks for itself (truly incredible).

SEE ALSO: 15 BEST BURGERS IN AUSTIN

10. Swedish Hill

Nestled on the edge of the Clarksville neighborhood on West Sixth is Swedish Hill: a classy, local gem serving some of the best brunch in Austin. Swedish Hill excels at many things, with their gorgeous pastry assortment definitely being one of them. Favorite brunch-style baked goods include the cinnamon roll, chocolate croissant, and buckwheat and jam scone. Oh, but then there’s the ham and cheese croissant and the kouign amann and the nutella morning bun. Once you’ve ordered your entire (ahem) box of pastries, round things out with a delightfully agreeable bagel with lox or pastrami reuben on rye to be enjoyed out on the patio. Now this is brunch!

9. Tiny Boxwoods

Tiny Boxwoods should be on everyone’s list for the best brunch in Austin for the ambiance and experience alone (when can we move in?). Tiny Boxwoods doesn’t stop there, though, as the food is just as amazing as the vibes. Menu items here do have a higher price point, though we feel like the quality and attention to detail make it a worthy splurge. The avocado toast is hugely popular here, but the “egg and avocado” is our favorite savory menu item. Trust us on this one– the tomatillo salsa is what dreams are made of and the charred homemade tortilla brings everything together perfectly. Ending brunch on a sweet note seems like the right thing to do, and we love the Santa Barbara acai bowl or one of their perfect warm chocolate chip cookies (mentioned on our guide to the 20 best desserts in Austin). Make reservations now and thank us later.

8. Sawyer & Co.

Tucked into the southernmost tip of East Austin is Sawyer & Co, a retro diner oozing mid-century charms and a really fantastic menu full of Southern and New Orleans-style favorites. Take all this and serve it with a hearty dose of Texas hospitality, and Sawyer & Co. fully delivers as one of our top picks for the best brunch in Austin. We definitely lean into the brunch specials here. The Breaux Bridge Benedict (perfect poached eggs, boudin– a Cajun rice and pork-based sausage rolled in a ball and fried, and creole hollandaise with a fluffy biscuit) and the creole shrimp with grits are both phenomenal. You also can’t go wrong with classics like the fried chicken biscuit, a breakfast taco, or a short stack of buttermilk pancakes– add blueberries AND chocolate chips for a true delight.

7. Bird Bird Biscuit

There’s brunch that you sit down and enjoy with your friends and family on the weekends, and then there’s practical brunch that’s quick and “grab and go” as you head to a weekend soccer game or nearby hike. Bird Bird Biscuit is our favorite breakfast/ brunch on the go and is no question one of our top picks for the best brunch in Austin. These deliciously salty homemade biscuits (fluffy on the inside, perfectly flaky on the outside) are complimented with simple ingredients like eggs, cheese, and bacon along with inventive condiments (bacon-infused chipotle mayo, anyone?) and are prepared thoughtfully by a team of passionate food lovers. Bird Bird Biscuit has everything it takes to make your breakfast sandwich heart sing. Opt for the Queen Beak or Bird Bird Bacon. We couldn’t recommend them more!

6. Fixe Southern House

Any guide to the best brunch in Austin simply wouldn’t be complete without Fixe Southern House, an upscale eatery located in the heart of downtown with moody interiors, surprisingly reasonable prices, and high-quality flavors that hit home every single time. Start your meal at Fixe the way any good Southern-style brunch should start, with the best biscuits we’ve ever had (truly, and in a city with seemingly limitless outstanding biscuit options). Fixe Biscuits are crafted with no less than three kinds of butter and are layer by endless layer of flaky perfection. Follow the biscuits up with the mile-high deviled eggs served with smoked trout roe and grated ham. They sound fancy, they are fancy, and they are absolutely delicious. Next up we recommend a little gem salad for balance, then the Fixe burger or the fish fry featuring Louisiana catfish and sweet corn hushpuppies to complete your ultimate brunch spread. A shamelessly decadent and incredibly satisfying meal you won’t soon forget.

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5. Veracruz All Natural

Breakfast tacos might not be considered a classic brunch staple in other cities, but they are definitely a brunch mainstay in Austin. We have an entire guide dedicated to the best tacos in Austin (which includes a lot of breakfast and non-breakfast taco recommendations), but the shining star for breakfast/ brunch tacos in Austin will forever be Veracruz All Natural. They offer homemade corn tortillas with the most flavorful symphony of breakfast ingredients. Fav breakfast tacos are the migas originales– egg, tortilla chips, monterey jack cheese, cilantro, tomato, onion, avocado, or the “el traditional” for your standard bacon, egg, cheese, and potato taco (sans the beans). Be sure to wash down all of the savory goodness with one of their aguas frescas. Nothing fancy but hits the spot every single time.

4. Suerte

As if we needed another reason to visit Suerte besides their stellar suadero tacos, they now serve brunch. And to no surprise for anyone who has dined at Suerte before, it’s outstanding and truly some of the best brunch in Austin. When you’re getting a reservation for Suerte brunch (yes, you’ll need a reservation), we recommend the earliest time available when the gorgeous interiors are flooded with golden morning light and the whole space just sings. While enjoying the atmosphere, start your meal with a pastry. The concha in whatever seasonal flavor strikes the chef’s fancy is incredible– the pillowy soft milk bread base is always filled and topped with something scrumptiously salty-sweet to hit all the flavor and texture notes. Suerte is always adjusting and fine-tuning the brunch menu, but a permanent favorite is the chilaquiles (another Mexican breakfast staple), which are offered in either rojos or verdes. Do yourself a favor and get “divorciados” for half of each. Suerte’s chilaquiles are brunch perfection: the slightly still crunchy chips next to the tangy, bright salsas, the cooling crema, and the salty cotija all topped with an egg. Dig in and prepare for something transcendent.

3. Jacoby’s

If you’ve been reading Female Foodie for any amount of time, then you already know how over the moon we are for Jacoby’s (the burger and their strawberry cake are major favorites), and the brunch is no exception. You can expect one of the most stellar patio scenes in all of Austin here, and the weekend-only brunch is top quality. Start with deviled eggs or the smoked salmon board to get your brunch juices flowing. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu for the main event, but the chicken fried steak and waffles with sausage gravy and maple syrup is truly unforgettable. So southern, so decadent, absolutely some of the best brunch in Austin

2. Ovenbird

Nestled in a strip mall in deep South Austin is newcomer to the brunch scene Ovenbird, a neighborhood bakery and bistro with strong Central and Eastern European influences. Every time we go to Ovenbird (we’ve been quite a few times at this point, all in the name of research of course!), we walk away completely blown away at the quality, attention to detail, and uniqueness of flavors. Our never-fail favorite is the breakfast sandwich served on a bavarian croissant (think a gloriously flaky croissant given the pretzel treatment). It’s rich, it’s salty, and it’s so, so satisfying. You also can’t go wrong with any of the breakfast tacos, all served on a house-made marble rye tortilla and made with the softest, most decadent scrambled eggs (the one with boursin cheese is a must!). Ovenbird also serves phenomenal french toast, oh, and they have a beautiful pastry case. What’s not to love?

1. Mattie’s

If you can only have one brunch experience in all of Austin, we wholeheartedly endorse a day at Mattie’s for a meal to remember. Mattie’s is a restaurant in a 19th-century home situated on the beautiful 23-acre historic Green Pastures property. You’ll be smitten instantly by the gardens and wrap-around porch, but the menu items stand alone and are truly some of the best your brunching days will ever behold. A meal here wouldn’t be complete without starting with the buttermilk biscuits– the salty, carby, buttery perfection is complemented with a brush of local honey on top. For the entree, we strongly recommend the fried chicken eggs benedict, literally the most decadent and delicious eggs benny we’ve ever had. Feeling something sweet? Indulge in the brioche french toast served with candied pecans, fresh berries, and a bourbon maple syrup.

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