At the risk of sounding uncomfortably predictable and trite, brunch is easily one of the best occasions of the week. What better way to unwind after a long, arduous week than by stuffing yourself full of high-quality food and drink with friends.
Brunch has grown to acquire a weird reputation of rich kids spending way too much money on way too many fancy beverages and then stumbling home for five hour naps. Back in my day, brunch referred to getting up late on a Sunday morning, walking to the singular cafeteria on campus, and gorging on whatever looked good until you turned into an extremely pudgy, barely recognizable version of your previous self, ugly yet satisfied (and then you graduate college and try to join a gym and the personal trainer looks at you like he has never seen anyone let themselves go quite so much…but I digress. Clearly still bitter towards that guy, maybe?).
The point is: breakfast food is the best food. You get breakfast food at brunch. Brunch is the best.
Add in the option of bottomless fruity drinks, if you’re in the mood, and you have yourself an all-morning event.
Whenever anyone asks me, a former resident of one and a half years, what my favorite thing to do in DC is, I honestly have to say, above all else, eating. Eating at food trucks at lunch, eating food from different countries for dinner with my roommate, eating take-out on the couch while watching TV on our laptops. There are just so many OPTIONS. Exploring the city and finding new brunch spots is the best kind of eating you can do in DC, because you can hardly ever go wrong. Even if the service is atrocious, the wait is long, and the booths are dirty, there’s not much you can do to an egg that will make me not want to scarf it.
Here are some of my favorite places in all of DC for brunch, all in different neighborhoods and all offering something a little different to suit your mid-morning mood.
Lupo Verde (14th Street)
What it is: A cute little Italian themed restaurant on 14th Street right by U Street Corridor, with a patio for outdoor seating on a nice day. When I say Italian themed I mean actually Italian themed, as in probably a real live Italian sat in on the menu-planning meeting. It is a real taste of Italy. Lupo Verde may seem unassuming on the outside, and it is by pure chance that I and a couple friends stumbled across it one Saturday morning on our way downtown, but the service is actually outstandingly attentive, the food is some of the best I’ve tasted, and the wine and cocktail list is extensive.
Reservations: Not necessary.
Price: $35 for the “social brunch,” which includes four different plates and a bottle of prosecco between two people. If you get an a la carte dish, you’re looking to spend about $15 to $25.
What to order: Benedette Uova. From the creamy spinach to the thick, crispy bread to the hint of tang in the hollandaise, I seriously lost my mind over this take on eggs Benedict.
Piola (Dupont)
What it is: Piola is another Italian restaurant with a modern Urban flair, serving bottomless pizza and make-it-yourself Sangria. THAT’S RIGHT. There is a Sangria and mimosa bar with juice, fruit, and champagne, which turned out to be sort of dangerous for me as I never got the hang of the mixed drink thing. Just ask any date that I took to my sorority formals in college who woke up with throbbing headaches after downing one of my infamous concoctions the night before.
Reservations: Necessary. There is also a 2 hour seating limit.
Price: Bottomless pizza and small plates is only $15, while bottomless cocktails is $15. So that’s $30 total. A steal in this city.
What to order: There is no a la carte brunch here, just bottomless small plates, but some of our favorites were the guacamole, Carbonara pizza, and Nutella pizza. Don’t expect authentic Italian pizza, but definitely expect to walk away satisfied.
La Jambe (Shaw)
What it is: A French-themed restaurant in my old stomping grounds, Shaw. Shaw was kind of a run down neighborhood for a long time, but in recent years is becoming the place to be. La Jambe is a tiny new restaurant on 7th Street that employs an alarmingly friendly waitstaff (DC is not particularly friendly in general so to receive so many flashing smiles over the course of only one, relatively short meal was almost unsettling) and serves really tasty food with really high quality ingredients. My sister ate her green salad and could not stop going on and on about how damn good the salad was and it was literally a few green leaves and some dressing, so that’s how you know they’re good.
Price: Most dishes are $8 to $12, which, if you’ve ever gone to DC brunch, you’ll know is shockingly affordable.
Reservations: Not necessary. We just meandered on in and sat right at the bar.
What to order: The Crêpe Forestière was incredible, with the most perfectly cooked egg on top (I am serious. How do you cook eggs like that?), and the baguette French toast was tasty, sweet and spicy and tangy all at once.
American City Diner (Chevy Chase)
What it is: American City Diner is way up in Chevy Chase, only a short drive or Metro ride from Bethesda and a mile or two up the road from the National Zoo. It is retro, 50s-themed, with jukeboxes on all the tables and DC’s best milkshakes, at least according to them. How reliable is a self-proclamation, really? I mean, pretty reliable, as their milkshakes are bomb. This was one of my favorite things to do after moving further north in the city (anywhere within walking distance of downtown is unaffordable for a single person and a chihuahua) because they are so welcoming and happy to see you, and you’ll have your food in front of you within minutes of ordering.
Price: They are a little pricier than your average silver diner (did you know that DC is now the third most expensive city in terms of cost of living in the entire country, after New York and San Francisco? Not sure why, since the coolest thing there is to do there is eat, which is also pricey as hell). An omelet, including toast and home fries, will cost you $12.
Reservations: Not necessary. They don’t even take them. This is a diner, people.
What to order: It is hard to recommend something specific, as they have anything you could imagine a diner having, but I personally always order their western omelet, which is super fat and served with home fries. I am not the hugest home fries guy because they can really be dry and flavorless, but these I will devour. Also, a milkshake.
Busboys and Poets (Mount Vernon)
What it is: Busboys and Poets was originally founded in 2005 in DC as a lounge, bookstore, restaurant, and theatre, and has since opened up four additional locations in the DC Metro area. The restaurant is associated with free thinking and political movements, the original location having a mural with influences from Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Its menu offers both American and international cuisine, and is a very popular spot for brunch.
Price: Brunch dishes range from $9 to $15.
Reservations: Not necessary, but there is usually a bit of a wait on Sundays, which can be spent perusing the bookshelves.
What to order: The Busboys and Poets French toast is some top notch French toast (and I’ve had a lot of French toast), and they have many different types of eggs Benedict that are also worth a try, including Neptune Benedict, served with crab meat.
DC Reynolds (Petsworth)
What it is: DC Reynolds is one of those classic dive bar types of places, with a relaxed atmosphere, uniquely good bar food, and really good deals at happy hour. About five years ago they started serving brunch, and soon it became a staple of Petsworth for hungover weekend residents.
Price: Entrees range from $10 to $15, and bottomless mimosas are…wait for it…$10. THAT’S RIGHT. $10 for all you can drink mimosas. They also have an outdoor bar and seating, which makes that deal even sweeter on a hot summer day.
Reservations: Don’t take them.
What to order: DC Reynolds has a bit of southern influence in their food, so hopping on the sweet potato waffle with maple-pecan syrup would definitely be a good call.
El Centro D.F. (Georgetown)
What it is: El Centro is a Mexican restaurant (though I won’t say they serve incredibly authentic Mexican food, as someone who lived in Scottsdale and frequented Southern California for a year) located both on 14th Street and in Georgetown (I’d recommend Georgetown, because an excuse to head over for some shopping and cupcakes is always welcome).
Price: There is no a la carte option, so I only come here when I have prepared myself to really, really eat (i.e. I am wearing something loose-fitting and don’t, under any circumstances, have plans to hang out with a boy later). The bottomless option is $35, meaning bottomless small plates and bottomless cocktails. If you are foregoing the cocktails, bottomless small plates are $20.
Reservations: They take them, and I would recommend them, since Georgetown is an area brimming with college kids prowling around for bottomless brunch.
What to order: This is tricky, since some of the small plates are really effing good while some are only mediocre. My favorites are the guacamole (obviously) and the carne asada quesadilla.
Mintwood Place (Adams Morgan)
What it is: A French-themed restaurant in Adams Morgan, my beloved AdMo, the, arguably, best neighborhood in the land. DC can be very serious, being a political hub and overrun in recent years by young professionals looking to get ahead, but AdMo is more laid-back, artsy, and eclectic, making it a really fun place to spend a weekend. Mintwood Place is one of the best DC brunchs I’ve had, despite the fact that the restaurant was packed the entire time (the waiter was so busy that it slipped his mind to card me when I ordered my mimosa, and that is saying something. Most times I try to order alcohol I literally get a giant guffaw right in my face).
Price: Entrees are $13 to $22.
Reservations: Necessary.
What to order: Croque madame is a great bet. There is really something to be said for the quality and presentation of the food here. They also have BEIGNETS which are something I finally discovered on a recent trip to New Orleans and which I cannot quite get enough of.
Ted’s Bulletin (Capitol Hill)
What it is: Ted’s Bulletin is named for its founder, Ted Neal, who was apparently known around town as “the friendly cook who invited everyone into his home to enjoy a meal.” The restaurant has kind of a retro vibe and is just a really comfortable atmosphere, less young-people-at-brunch and more family-oriented-and-homey. If you catch my drift. The place is packed at all times, and it’s a favorite around the city.
Price: Entrees are priced between $10 and $15.
Reservations: Pretty necessary. We went without reservations and they took my phone number and texted me once the table was ready, which only took about 15 minutes.
What to order: Definitely, definitely the T.U.B.S. (Ted’s Ultimate Breakfast Sammy). Without a doubt. Maybe the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever been lucky enough to eat. For something sweet I would recommend Ted’s Tarts, which are basically their homemade Poptarts (but, obviously, better), and the Cinnamon Roll as Big as Ya Head, which is a gigantic cinnamon roll that they only sell on Saturdays and Sundays, and which often sells out if you’re not there early.
What is your favorite brunch place in DC? Tell me. Seriously. I will use your knowledge as an excuse for a weekend DC trip, because there’s nothing like a DC brunch to make your weekend.
