SEAGuide
The Best Brunch Spots In Seattle
Whether you’re looking to faceplant into some pancakes or host a birthday brunch, here are the best places in Seattle for your favorite weekend meal.
There are not too many things worthy of springing out of bed before 11am on the weekends (parents, we salute you). A great brunch is one of them—our list has our favorite spots in town, from newer additions to the city to mainstays we've loved forking pancakes at for years. And if you’re the kind of person who hates waiting an hour for eggs you could make at home in five minutes at a fraction of the cost, we’ve noted the spots that take reservations.
THE SPOTS
The second this outstanding Spanish spot started serving brunch, it became a brunch worth seeking out. The mellow vibes of the space translate well during daylight over sticky orange cinnamon rolls with a glob of fino cream cheese frosting, or huevos benedicto, a fun take on eggs benedict. This majesty is complete with toasted pan de millo, chorizo, an onsen egg slow-cooked so perfectly it takes on the consistency of hot fudge, and a jamon bechamel that we’d like to drink from a pitcher. And if you’ve been a fan of the patatas bravas or the tortilla de patata from dinnertime, you can get that here, too. Best to save this one for a special occasion brunch—not a hungover one.
Takes reservations.
This funky little bistro on Beacon Hill is the best spot in town for sparkling wine, whether you casually enjoy bubbles or your phone’s lock screen is currently the French countryside. Their brunch menu is a fantastic accompaniment to all of that carbonated grape juice, even if you only split an order of tempura-battered cream puffs and a round of passionfruit champagne punches. You won’t find three-egg breakfasts or pancake stacks here. Instead, you’ll find braised duck benedict with perfect poached eggs and tangy hoisin butter, griddled garam masala-kicked bread pudding with serious pumpkin spice energy (PSE), and our favorite dish, a custardy-crispy roasted cauliflower frittata. Not everyone in town is in on this place yet, so waltz right in to secure a table. Or make a reservation online.
Takes reservations.
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After Phở Bắc Sup Shop moved out of a wooden boat located in their parking lot, it was mostly deserted for years. Now, they’ve reopened the rickety little ship solely to serve Vietnamese fried chicken rice and waffles—a dynamic duo we’ve replayed in our minds over and over again like the Napoleon Dynamite dance sequence. The fried cornish hens are super moist, blasted with sizzled garlic, and topped with a crackly glazed exterior. On the side, there’s yellow rice, an optional runny egg (exercise that option), a refreshing chrysanthemum greens salad, and phở broth for sipping. That’d be enough for the brunch of the century, but then they go and add crisp-and-fluffy pink pineapple waffles with salted whipped coconut and a peanut sesame crumble. Pair it all with stiff-and-sweet iced coffees, and we can’t think of a better early weekend lunch. Despite being seemingly small from the outside, the boat has plenty of four-tops where you can kick back with friends on a Sunday.
For an easy special occasion brunch, or a daytime date powered by natural wine and herbs de Provence-infused omelettes, Fremont’s Le Coin is the French bistro you should seek out. Covered in a velvety mustard seed polka-dotted hollandaise, their eggs benedict with smoky thick-cut ham and a side of potatoes fried to the ideal shade of Pantone 18-0940 TCX is pretty mandatory. So is a round of mini apple fritters. But their breakfast sandwich, layered with pork belly, peppery arugula, pepperoncini, fresh radish, and runny fried eggs on a big seedy bun is great, too.
Takes reservations.
This counter-service operation serves everything from avocado toast and griddled pastrami egg sandwiches to shakshuka and apple butter oat pancakes with hazelnut dukkah. As for drinks, they range from fresh-pressed green juice to one of the best espresso martinis in town. It’s all done in a bright and airy space complete with a covered patio, high-end pantry staples for sale, and a surplus of calming sky-blue paint. If all of that makes this place sound popular, that's because it is. Good luck getting a table.
The only thing that could possibly be better than tearing into Musang’s lumpia, fried chicken with gravy, and peanut buttery short rib kare kare by the light of the moon is doing the same thing not too long after the sun comes up. This phenomenal Filipino spot’s celebratory mood paired with their cozy craftsman setting makes for an instant upgrade to what could have been a Saturday involving mediocre freezer-burned bagels. Other than those classic Musang hits are brunch-only dishes, like fresh pan de sal, silog, and pinipig crusted French toast with pandan syrup.
Takes reservations.
Brunch can be a way to enjoy something you might not have every morning, like crusty herb-loaded fried chicken on top of thin waffles slathered in Hennessy-infused butter. That’s why we love Fat’s. There’s something about the way that their sweet syrup swirls with bits of fallen breading and a bracing cognac bite that just improves a Saturday or Sunday. Reserve the sad bowlful of stale cereal for Monday through Friday.
If you like your waffles a little on the thicker side, you should make it a priority to visit Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle. Their belgian-style wedges are fluffy and yeasty on the inside, with a golden crust that still stands up to maple syrup and their phenomenal salted cinnamon butter. Their breakfast sandwich, layered with a thick patty of egg, cheddar, bacon, and a zippy turmeric mustard aioli, is also a great morning meal route to take. Pair it with a cold brew banana smoothie, an iced mocha topped with Cocoa Puffs, or a carafe of mimosas, and enjoy them in their retro diner-inspired space that has a flower shop in the back.
Can Bar in White Center has one of the best patios in town, complete with a fence made exclusively from mismatched doors, a fire table, and Rainier-branded umbrellas. It also happens to be a fantastic place for a casual outdoor brunch, whether the weather is warm or you’re underneath their tented cover in the winter. You’re in good hands with a tasty grilled breakfast burrito, chilaquiles with homemade tortilla chips, or their unsung hero of an arugula salad loaded with cucumber, avocado, feta, dried cranberries, fried shallots, pepitas, and a sweet basil dressing.
We all have personal demons. Like being forced to get along with a difficult boss, jump squats, or what Wordle opener to use. If gluten is yours, brunch can be tough, so keep Bounty Kitchen on your shortlist. It’s a casual all-day cafe that serves excellent gluten-free pancakes with cinnamon butter and fruit compote, as well as egg and vegetable hashes. Order some standout avocado toast or the braised beef bowl if wheat, barley, rye, and related species are your friends. The place can get pretty busy during the brunch rush, so you might have to wait a few minutes for a table.
If you’re meeting out of town guests somewhere Downtown before diving headfirst into the Pike Place chaos, Cafe Campagne’s a great place to start. It’s a French classic that has stood the test of time, and is perfect for a special occasion or solo brunch at the bar—both scenarios that could benefit from an order of quiche Lorraine and a bottle of bubbles. To be clear, don’t come here without getting quiche. And sure, you’re in Seattle and not Paris, but Cafe Campagne—with its white-tableclothed sidewalk seating and abundance of French posters—feels pretty close to a European adventure.
Takes reservations.
Brunch is a great pastime, but sometimes you’re just too busy to pick at some kind of elaborate pancake stack. If you don’t have time to linger but also don’t want to settle for takeout, Mainstay Provisions is the place. It’s a specialty market that doubles as a cafe, complete with a bunch of standing tables overlooking an open garage door that’s perfect for nicer weather. And despite the general grab-and-go atmosphere in here, it works well for a lowkey scramble, brioche french toast, shakshuka, or even biscuits and gravy while catching up with a friend or two. Their homemade buttermilk english muffins are fantastic, so find a way to order those, whether it be in the form of avocado toast or a breakfast sandwich.
Parking at University Village can be very frustrating, but if you’re getting some weekend shopping in, the least you could do is plan an early-ish brunch at Mr. West to get first dibs on the good spots near Warby Parker. This all-day cafe serves great topped toasts, croissant breakfast sandwiches, and salads alongside drinks like mint lemonade, coffee egg creams, and cocktails like frozen Old Fashioneds and prosecco-based spritzes.
North Star Diner & Shanghai Room is the coolest diner in the city. It has gold glittery booth cushions as well as an entire wall dedicated to framed portraits of real astronauts. Most importantly, their breakfast food—particularly the terrific buttermilk pancakes—are some of the best in Seattle. Pair your biscuits and gravy or scrambled egg chimichanga with a Pimm’s cup or Irish coffee, and in the warmer months, trade your view of several dozen space-suited cadets for fresh air on their patio.
Maybe the thought of consuming one more hollandaise-saturated English muffin has you wanting to smash eggs with a baseball bat. Take a deep breath and remember that morning dim sum is a thing. Harbor City is an ID institution where you can gather some friends around a huge circular table, grab some dumplings from the carts being wheeled around, and repeat every time you’d rather not have an American breakfast. We’re fans of the pan-fried chive and shrimp cakes, but Harbor City’s sticky-sweet BBQ buns and oversized potstickers prove that pork is indeed the best brunch meat—even when you exclude bacon and sausage.
If you fell asleep on the couch with one sock on and the same Netflix trailer blasting on loop for the past seven hours, it’s time to leave your Friday night time capsule and enter Saturday with some great breakfast and coffee. Head to Watson’s Counter, a cozy espresso bar in Ballard that serves a delicious full-service Korean brunch involving things like gochujang pork belly eggs benedict and honey butter fried chicken wings and waffles. Their sweet and crunchy Fruity Pebble-crusted French toast is available by the slice, so you could add that on if you’re in the mood for dessert. That is, if their excellent orange rosemary iced mocha doesn’t already check that box.
Takes reservations.
It might seem obvious, but we are morally obligated to tell you that Seattle Biscuit Company has excellent biscuits. You’ll find a lineup of sandwiches like the Gus (our personal favorite, with fried chicken, pickles, Walla Walla sweet onion mustard, an egg, and gravy) and the Willie Lee (egg, Beecher’s Flagship, bacon, and berry jam for a curveball). But you could also get one topped simply with butter, honey, and rock salt. It’s also always a great time hanging out in their space that looks like a boxcar diner. Pair brunch with a Bloody Mary or a carafe of mimosas.
By night, Heyday is a neighborhood spot serving burgers, fries, and shakes. But by day (on the weekend, at least), it serves a brunch we’re very much into. You’ll find standard brunch stuff like pancakes and eggs, but the slightly more inventive options are our favorites—try the cornmeal johnnycakes with cheddar and scallions, or the pork belly barley bowl that sounds like a plated yawn but is rich and tasty enough to get out of bed for.
If Frasier Crane lived in Seattle and was a real person, Lola is definitely where he would eat brunch with Niles and commit some kind of social faux pas. While it’s casual enough for a meal with your friends, it would also be the perfect place to bring your family to meet your new significant other over some Mediterranean breakfast. And if things get awkward, order the cinnamon doughnuts with vanilla bean mascarpone and fruit compote, and shove a whole one directly into your mouth. You can’t say the wrong thing if you’re too busy enjoying pristinely-fried dough holes coated in warm baking spices.
Takes reservations.
Seattle has slowly turned into a chicken-and-waffles town, and upon careful inspection of poultry dredges and checkerboard dough grooves, Witness serves the city’s best. Eating here feels like going to Southern brunch church, but you better show up at 9am if you want to avoid waiting for a table while hangrily watching everyone else revel in the beignets and glazed pork belly and eggs. Once you’re in and you have a bite involving tangy-crunchy tenders and fluffy waffles seeped in bourbon maple syrup, you might even be inspired to show up earlier next time.
If you have the stamina to put your name on the waitlist and hover around Pike/Pine until a table’s ready at Oddfellows, you’ll be met with charming bistro surroundings and some ridiculously good soft-scrambled eggs swirled with cheese and herbs. It’s served with a big biscuit and tart homemade jam that we’d like to petition to have bottled. And if you’re still sad about Tallulah’s 2019 closure, you can get the same plate-sized pancake topped with honey-whipped ricotta and sour lemon curd.
