Lexington’s top brunch spots: French toast, chicken and waffles, mimosas and more
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Lexington dining guides
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Everybody loves brunch, right? Especially if someone else is doing the cooking.
Now, as more restaurants around Kentucky are reopening to dining in after the shutdown for the coronavirus pandemic you may want to pick up a special brunch on Saturday or Sunday. Or even eat there.
But you can still get brunch to go, including the mimosas and bloody Marys, as well often via curbside pickup.
Here are local places in Lexington to try for your weekend brunch. The list does not include chains, which also have fine brunch options, or places that are open for “brunch” hours but don’t serve breakfast or brunch menus. For more brunch inspiration, try Brunch in the Bluegrass, brunchinthebluegrass.com.
The Bridge Eatery
342 Romany Road, thebridgeeatery.com. This restaurant offers a unique brunch in Lexington: Your favorites like eggs and waffles, but also served with Turkish delicacies such as sucuk, a spicy sausage. Or try menemen, also known as Turkish egg scramble, a dish with peppers and tomatoes. Served Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 859-554-5656
Bronte Bistro
161 Lexington Green Circle, brontebistro.com. This restaurant inside the Joseph Beth bookstore has seating around the outside patio and overlooking the lake. The breakfast menu served on weekends beginning at 10 a.m. includes breakfast quiche (vegetarian option available), croissant sandwich, French toast, omelets with your choice of ingredients and more. 859-422-1429
Broomwagon Coffee + Bikes
800 North Limestone, broomwagonbikes.com/cafe/. Does brunch in their courtyard sound good? It’s served on the weekends, with specials like spicy avocado toast (vegan version available) and sourdough French toast with fresh strawberries. 859-554-6938
Carson’s Food & Drink
62 East Main, carsonsfoodanddrink.com. Carson’s has a “Bubbles & Brunch” menu for weekends 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that includes everything from a veggies scramble to soft shell crab Benedict, plus three kinds of chicken and waffles. And their brunch drinks menu has six different bloody Marys, two sangrias and four bellinis. With live jazz on Sunday. 859-309-3039
The Cellar Bar and Grille
3256 Lansdowne Drive, cellargrille.com. The Cellar does Saturday and Sunday brunch on its massive patio with 120 seats. The special menu features omelets, waffles and berries, beignets, and a breakfast plate with eggs, home fries, sausage and bacon toast or biscuit. Plus $3 bloody Marys and mimosas. 859-317-8301
Doodles
262 North Limestone, doodleslex.com. Doodles is a breakfast and lunch place every day of the week, so you know it is great for brunch on weekends. They are only open for takeout right now, but they will let you stay and eat food on the shady patio. You can order “comfort food with a conscious” such as Pigs & Puffs (bacon on beignets), oatmeal brulee, dirty shrimp & grits and more. Vegetarian options and cocktails. 859-317-8507
DV8 Kitchen
867 South Broadway, dv8kitchen.com. DV8 Kitchen also open for breakfast and lunch daily, with carryout available. They are known for their “life-changing food” (a reference to the restaurant’s social enterprise mission to help those in recovery) and for their cinnamon rolls. Check out their southern egg Benedict, breakfast Reuben, orange marmalade chicken sandwich, breakfast tacos and strawberry salad. 859-955-0388
East End Tap & Table
333 East Main Street, Suite 180, eastendtapandtable.com. This gastropub does a special brunch menu of entrees, sandwiches and sides, including the Frosted Flake-crusted PB+J twist on French toast, spicy chicken biscuit, fried egg bahn mi, Thai sausage and egg sandwich and more. Open for brunch 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, with Sunday starting in July. 859-785-2511
Elixir
249 West Short Street, Facebook.com/elixirdowntown/. This restaurant in the old Parlay Social space plans to open June 12 and will kick off brunch the first weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Menus are still being finalized, but expect cocktails to be available as well.
Epping’s on Eastside
264 Walton Avenue, Eppingsoneastside.com. Eppings, which recently reopened after being closed down since mid-March, has a brunch menu that includes the expected eggs Benedict, French toast, quiche Lorraine and pancakes. But there are also some unusual items such as milk-braised pork and sweet potato biscuits. And, for vegetarians, the house-made Impossible “Spam” bowl with potatoes, spinach, onions, tomatoes and guac. 859-971-0240
Good Foods Co-op
455 Southland Drive, Suite D, goodfoods.coop. The co-op’s cafe has reopened its hot bar with someone to serve customers, so if you’re looking for a brunch with vegetarian and vegan options, you’re in luck. The cafe serves a rotating brunch menu from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 859-278-1813
Honeywood
110 Summit at Fritz Farm Suite 140, honeywoodrestaurant.com. Honeywood serves brunch on weekends 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and has a special brunch menu with French toast, chicken-fried steak, “Hippie Bowls,” and the Honeywood Eggs Benedict: A house-made sourdough English muffin, poached eggs, cheese salad, shaved country ham and hollandaise, with a green salad and cheese grits. 859-469-8234
Josie’s
821 Chevy Chase Plaza, josiesky.com. Josie’s is another place that traditionally has breakfast all day, every day so it always draws a brunch crowd on Saturday. The restaurant has been closed since March but is expected to reopen in June. 859-523-8328
J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar
3191 Beaumont Centre Circle, jrendersbbq.com. Every Sunday, J. Render’s pulls out the stops, with a menu of brunch cocktails like bloody Marys and mimosas, as well as Render’s Benedict, a DV8 biscuit topped with smoked brisket of ham, poached eggs and hollandaise. Or go for the pancake corn dog, smoked sausages dipped in pancake batter and fried, and served on a stick, of course. There’s also Nancy’s banana pudding pancakes, buttermilk pancakes layered with banana pudding. 859-533-9777
Lexington Diner
841 Lane Allen Road, lexingtondiner.com. The diner serves a full breakfast menu all day every day, including 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. You can get avocado toast, overstuffed omelets, loaded home fries, chicken and waffles, churro French toast and cocktails. 859-303-5573
Local Feed
214 South Water Street in Georgetown, localfeedky.com. Local Feed has brunch, along with regular menus, Tuesday through Sunday, available all day, opens at 10 a.m. 502-642-8998
Martine’s Pastries
400 E. Third St., martinespastries.com. Martine’s is a bakery and a cafe, with pastries, scones and croissant available Tuesday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Martine’s also has inventive waffle specials on the Saturday. 859-231-9110
Minglewood
159 North Limestone, minglewoodlex.com. The bar and restaurant does brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with a menu of mini French toasts, fried egg tostada (available vegetarian or with green chili pulled pork), eggs and more, a “Phat Bowl” with chili-dusted waffle fries, cheese sauce, sauteed peppers and onions and two fried eggs, and grilled pimento cheese and bacon sandwich. Bloody Marys and mimosas for $5. 859-523-1236
Minton’s at 760
760 N. Limestone, mintonsat760.com. Minton’s has a brunch menu available all day every day, with seasonal pancake specials and extended hours on the weekend from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vegetarian and vegan options available. 859-948-1874
Oscar Diggs
155 North Limestone, odiggs.com. Oscar Diggs has brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, with a live DJ for brunch on the last Sunday of each month. Menu includes chicken and waffles, chef’s brunch specials, Hangover Burger, breakfast bowl, biscuits and gravy, classic eggs, Texas toast and tots. Cocktails and $20 mimosas for the table. 859-523-8305
Palmers Fresh Grill
161 Lexington Green Circle, Suite C-8, palmersfreshgrill.com. Palmers serves lunch and brunch Friday, Saturday and Sunday, opening at 11 a.m. The menu includes cocktails, country ham Benedict with smoked gouda grits, crab Benedict with crab cakes, fried chicken Benedit on buttermilk biscuits, steak & eggs, and “build your own cast iron skillet eggs” with choice of meats, cheeses and vegetables. 859-273-0103
Portofino
249 East Main Street, portofinolexington.com. Portofino is open for brunch Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a menu of Italian brunch favorites such as pancetta cinnamon rolls, brunch bruschetta, tiramisu parfait, florentine Benedict, frittatas including the Verdura with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and Italian cheese with a tomato crema, lemon ricotta waffles, brunch risotto, breakfast sandwiches, pastas and cocktails. 859-253-9300
Ranada’s Bistro and Bar
400 Old Vine Street, Suite 108, ranadas.com. Before the shutdown, Ranada’s was known for its weekend brunch buffet, with different items on a hot bar, cocktails and live music. Look for some form of the brunch to resume soon, according to the restaurant, which hopes to reopen this weekend with dine-in and patio seating.
Shamrock Bar and Grille
154 Patchen Drive, Suite 87, and 4750 Hartland Parkway, shamrocksky.com. Shamrock in Patchen has brunch on Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with $3.50 bloody Marys and mimosas. Menu includes meat and eggs to order, chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, French toast, breakfast burrito, breakfast sandwiches, and Shamrock skillets with all the trimmings. 859-269-7621 for Patchen; 859-245-9504 for Hartland
The Stave
5711 McCracken Pike outside Frankfort, thestavekentucky.com. A drive through horse farms and distilleries is the perfect setup for Sunday brunch at The Stave, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu includes blueberry white chocolate pancakes, hot chicken & hoe cakes, local chorizo hash, bread pudding French toast, steak and eggs and biscuits and gravy. Cocktails also available. 859-879-0101
Stella’s Kentucky Deli
143 Jefferson Street, stellaskentuckydeli.com. The deli in the cute yellow house with the red awning has reopened and is serving breakfast on weekdays and brunch on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The brunch menu includes an eggs Benedict special, a pancake special, and pick-your-plate options with eggs, ham, sausage, bacon, buttermilk biscuits, bagels, cheese grits, potato hash casserole and more. Cocktails also available.
Tack House Pub
4401 Harrodsburg Road, tackhousepub.com. Tackhouse is a breakfast and brunch restaurant open Monday through Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu has breakfast burritos, chicken soft tacos, the Tack House Hot Brown, create-your-own three-egg omelets and more. 859-224-0099
Winchell’s
348 Southland Drive, winchellsrestaurant.com. This Southland Drive stalwart serves breakfast daily starting at 8 a.m., with eggs your way. Besides the breakfast sampler, check out trout & eggs, country fried steak & eggs, pork chop platter, sausage pepper Jack omelet, their famous Blue & White pancakes and much more. 859-278-9424
Zim’s Cafe
213 West Main Street, zimscafe.com. Zim’s serves breakfast 8 to 11 a.m. daily and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. You can grab a plate of buttermilk French toast, country ham and eggs, a breakfast biscuit or sausage breakfast burrito and sit out on the terrace around the Old Courthouse.
This story was originally published June 9, 2020 at 4:10 PM.
