Brunch is A THING in Atlanta, y’all. Like, we think it’s awesome in LA, and we definitely devote entire daylight hours to it. But brunch in Atlanta is a whole different experience… It’s starts later, people dress up for it, and have full-on debates about where to get the best brunch in Atlanta.
According to our research (three+ months of eating at almost all these restaurants every damn day) these are the places we highly recommend as the best brunch in Atlanta…
1. Beetlecat‘s “Donut Brunch” — Inman Park
Beetlecat has this thing called “Donut Brunch,” and it has now become my raison d’être. You basically start off your brunch with a donut — they have several constantly changing flavors. Then you move on to your entrée which may as well be either the burger patty sandwiched between two donuts, or the fried chicken between two donuts! (All of which are pictured in the two photos above.)
And then go ahead and add an order of their GIANT hashbrowns. Yup, that’s what BeetleCat calls “hashbrowns.” They’re as good as they look!
2. Gato — Edgewood-Candler Park
(Yes, our top favorite brunches in Atlanta somehow involve cat names.)
We were told by some local foodies that Gato has the best breakfast food in Atlanta. We agree. Definitely get The Slom: Duck fat potatoes, garlic confit, bacon cooked cheese eggs, ginger onion, and cilantro sauce.
Or, if you’re like me, order the sweet potato pancakes with a side of duck fat potatoes. Or just order duck fat potatoes with anything you get. They’re amazing. In fact, everything is amazing.
3. Ria’s Bluebird — Grant Park
I’m a big breakfast lover, and Ria’s Bluebird‘s menu made it very hard to choose. But I’m glad I went with basically ALL of Yelp’s recommendations and got the caramelized banana pancakes. I can see why some people them the World’s Best Pancakes. And they may have been… except for the obscene amount of syrup they were swimming in. As a breakfast fan, I like to be able to manage my own condiment ratio. Too much syrup IMHM (in my humble mouth) can ruin a perfect pancake.
We also ordered the breakfast burrito, and Mike said it was one of the best breakfast burritos he’s ever had. It was so awesome that we even bought a shirt.
4. Folk Art — Inman Park
If you’re looking for chicken and waffles in Atlanta, THIS is the place to go! They call it the “foul play” — the waffle was perfect, the chicken was moist and delicious, and they add a whiskey peach compote, which gives it their own unique spin, and seriously… what’s not to love about whiskey and peaches!?
Also treat yo’self to their sweet potato beignet and have the most mind-blowing breakfast ever.
5. Bread & Butterfly — Inman Park
Though they open “early” on Sunday, they don’t serve anything from their actual menu until brunch officially starts. Thankfully they have an amazing almond croissant that could tide us over until actual food became available.
And the “actual brunch” is delicious. There’s not a huge menu, but we had a great omelette that very much reminded me of omelettes in France, and a good avocado toast.
6. 8ARM — Virginia Highland
The wait can be intense at 8ARM, there’s really no place to comfortably stand when you’re shuffling around the entrance waiting to be sat. But once you’re sat, you’re in for a treat. Amazing pastries, delicious avo toast, and the Grain Bowl with Soft Egg was KILLER. It’s a great healthy-ish breakfast option. And their patio is glorious! It makes for a lovely setting for your epic brunching.
7. The Four Seasons — Midtown
One can not write (or talk) about brunch in Atlanta without including the epic brunch that the Four Seasons puts out every Sunday. It’s an entire floor of food — savory and sweet — with carving stations, and waffles of all sorts, and even a dessert bar. It’s a wonderland of brunch.
8. Buttermilk Kitchen — Buckhead
Atlantans will drive for miles and wait for hours to partake of Buttermilk Kitchen‘s famous brunch. You HAVE to brave the crowds on the weekend in order to get some of their more popular brunch items, like the waffle burger, chicken and waffles, and their short rib hash. But if you’re just in it for their amazing pancakes, you can skip the line and go any day during the week!
Now I need to know… What are YOUR favorite places for brunch in Atlanta?
Only been to Atlanta for a work trip, but my co-worker and I went to this quirky little place called Home Grown. Great food, nice people, and little shop that sells new and used items. Lots of artwork throughout the place that you can purchase too. it’s no four seasons, but it’s a must if you’re ever back in Atlanta- if only for the visuals 🙂
We have yet to go to Home Grown, but have heard many many good things! It’s def on our list.