It seems like there’s always a reason to celebrate around the corner; consider one of these delicious restaurants that serve brunch for your next special event. (Psst! Most of these are nominees for “Favorite Brunch Place” in our Family Favorites contest, so be sure to go vote for your choice! Voting ends August 15th.)
1. Automatic Seafood and Oysters
2824 5th Ave. S., Birmingham | (205) 580-1600 | Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | automaticseafood.com
There’s a never-ending “sea” of scrumptious savory and sweet entrées at Automatic Seafood on their brunch menu. From seafood like crab quiche over a farm greens salad and smoked salmon with cream cheese and a crispy potato to cinnamon sugar doughnuts and bananas foster French toast—topped with whipped crème fraîche—you can’t go wrong. (They were a James Beard finalist for “Best New Restaurant” in 2020, if that tells you anything.)
2. Big Bad Breakfast
Multiple locations (Homewood, Greystone, Vestavia) | Open 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily | bigbadbreakfast.com
If you’re looking for a classic Southern breakfast, from biscuits and gravy to flapjacks to fried chicken and waffles, Big Bad Breakfast (BBB) is the brunch spot for you. Not to mention their egg skillets, avocado toast, and sandwiches… You won’t leave hungry, that’s for sure! (The chef won a James Beard award before creating BBB, so you best believe it’s delicious!)
3. Edgar’s Bakery
Multiple locations | 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Kitchen closes at 3 p.m.) edgarsbakery.com
If you’re looking for a sweet treat to kick your morning off right, make your way to one of the Edgar’s Bakeries around town. Their muffins, pastries, and dare I say cakes, are the perfect sugary treats—but if you prefer a loaded breakfast bowl, spicy eggacdo sandwich, or breakfast handheld, you have plenty of options. I’ve never tried something I didn’t like at Edgar’s… just saying.
4. El Barrio
2211 2nd Ave. N., Birmingham and 195 Oxmoor Rd., Homewood | Sunday brunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | elbarriobirmingham.com
Want to put a Mexican spin on your brunch? Check out El Barrio, where you can get chilaquiles (ham, pork, cheese, and fried eggs, in a nutshell—or rather, in a tortilla or two), a classic a.m. burrito, soap seca (basically noodles, fried eggs, and cheese), sopapillas (pork carnitas with roasted apples, queso, and syrup), and more. You can even change up your coffee order and try their sweet iced Mexican coffee!
5. First Watch
Multiple locations. | 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | firstwatch.com
First Watch truly has a little bit of everything: sunrise granola bowl, steel-cut oatmeal, avocado toast, Florentine Benedict, omelets galore, pancakes, quinoa bowls, biscuits and turkey sausage gravy… I could go on, but I don’t want to make you hungrier than you already are reading that list. You can even snag a sandwich or salad if you’re more in a “lunch” mood.
6. Flying Biscuit Cafe
3419 Colonnade Pkwy. #100, Birmingham | (205) 438-6857 | Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and until 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday | flyingbiscuit.com
So yes, duh, they have biscuits, and they’re fabulous. The egg combos are “egg”ceedingly fabulous. (You don’t know how many egg jokes I’m withholding right now. You’re welcome.) Personally, I love the stuffed French toast… sugar me up, baby! But whether you choose the breakfast tacos, hangover hash, hot chicken and waffle breakfast, or something completely different, you’re bound to be pleased.
7. Joyland
3719 3rd Ave. S., Birmingham | 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday–Friday, and 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday | eatjoyland.com
Jump for joy, because this restaurant’s brunch (& let’s be real, their lunch because #crustburger) is too fantastic not to be missed. Get you a burrito or biscuit! Meet you in 5?
8. Ruby Sunshine
1017 Oxmoor Rd., Birmingham and 5243 Hwy. 280 S., Birmingham | 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily (open until 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday) | rubybrunch.com
“You are my Ruby sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when I’m hungry…” Oh wait, that’s not how it goes? Well, your tummy will certainly be singing a happy tune once it’s full of the sweet, savory, or syrupy goodness that’s coming out of Ruby Sunshine’s kitchen. Start off with French toast bites, fried green tomatoes, pig candy bacon bites… you could honestly just fill up on appetizers. Then again, when’s the last time you saw white chocolate bread pudding pancakes on a menu? Guess your tummy will just have to make room after all.
9. Salem’s Diner
2913 18th St. S., Birmingham | (205) 877-8797 | 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily (closed Sundays—breakfast available until 10:45 a.m.; open until 3 p.m. on Saturday) | salemsdiner.com
This local joint is unquestionably a hole-in-the-wall, in the best way. They’re serving up old-school American food like hot cakes, egg plates, sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches, cheese grits, and hashbrowns. Ask about their daily specials, and rest assured, they serve phillys anytime.
10. SoHo Standard
1830 29th Ave. S. #175, Homewood | (205) 423-8080 | Brunch 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday | sohostandard.bar
Don’t be deceived, this is no “standard” brunch—you pay a set fee ($55/$42) for a bottomless tapas experience. You’ll have everything from oysters, fried green tomatoes, candied jalapeno bacon, and double fried potatoes to beignets, cinnamon rolls, and a zesty yogurt parfait… and it comes with with complimentary mimosas.
BONUS
Okay, I lied. It’s too hard to limit it to 10… so here are 2 “bonus” brunch options to tuck into your memory or jot down in your notes app…
11. The Essential
2215 1st Ave. N., Birmingham | (205) 718-7612 | Brunch 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday | essentialbham.com
This local restaurant is serving up the “essential” breakfast foods. They’ve got fresh banana bread, granola with yogurt, avocado toast, eggs Benedict, fried chicken biscuit, essential hash, and honey butter pancakes on the menu. Is it acceptable to get a dessert after brunch? More like how could you resist the blueberry tiramisu or blackberry-banana ice cream.
12. Original Pancake House
1931 11th Ave. S., Birmingham | (205) 933-8837 | 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 2:30 on the weekend | originalpancakehouse.com
Their specialties, you might ask? Oh Dutch baby, they’re good. (That’s like a giant oven-baked pancake. A must try!) Apple pancakes, strawberry waffles, corned beef hash, Danish Kijafa cherry crepes, vegetarian omelettes… I mean, they even have cereal. What’s not to love?
Phew! You hungry yet? I am. And those are just a taste of the scrumdeliumtious must-eat-at brunch places around Birmingham (yes, I made that word up). Do you have a favorite that we didn’t mention? Please share it with us on Instagram or Facebook.
