The Best Weekends Begin with Brunch in St. Louis Tuesday December 12, 2023 Share Dining By Rachel Huffman Brunch – it was never just a phase. From the scrumptious food to the stiff drinks and the lively conversation to the laid-back vibes, brunch simply makes us feel good, and St. Louis is brimming with places to experience it. Armory STL Cornhole competitions, table tennis tournaments and trips down the Super Happy Fun slide will work up an appetite. Luckily, Armory STL boasts Backyard Brunch on Sunday. Fill up on breakfast tacos stuffed with scrambled eggs, spicy chorizo, crispy shallots, pickled jalapeños, Cotija, crema and salsa verde; a breakfast burger piled with bacon, egg, shallots and Sriracha mayonnaise; or a bowl of housemade grits served with three types of cheese – plus, additional bacon, chorizo or pulled pork. Wash it down with a customized Bloody Mary and then get back to playing. Photo courtesy of Armory STL Big Sky Cafe In Webster Groves, Big Sky Cafe’s brunch will knock your socks off. Available on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., specialties range from fried eggs, sautéed asparagus and Ozark Forest mushrooms served over grilled sourdough to French toast bread pudding taken to another level with smoked bacon and toasted pecan butter. Other eggcellent choices include the Big Sky Benedict with housemade biscuits, house-cured salmon, poached eggs, local horseradish hollandaise sauce and breakfast potatoes as well as the Gruyère and bacon omelet with roasted red pepper, fresh spinach and more smoked bacon on the side. To sweeten your meal, try the blueberry muffins with roasted walnut-maple butter. Photo courtesy of Bistro La Floraison Bistro La Floraison Nestled on a picturesque street in Clayton among some of the best restaurants in St. Louis, Bistro La Floraison transports guests to France, where the food and drinks are succulent, sophisticated and luxurious – and you’re expected to indulge. The concept comes from acclaimed restaurateurs Michael and Tara Gallina, and it recently began brunch service on Sundays. Start with French onion financiers with almonds, thyme oil and Comté cheese; gougères with Gruyère mousse and sea salt; or chicories with toasted walnuts, golden raisins, Flory’s Truckle cheese and Banyuls vinaigrette. For your main, you can’t go wrong with the mushroom and greens frittata, crêpe Florentine or crispy pork belly plated with Moroccan-spiced heirloom beans, greens, chermoula and a fried egg. Divine brunch cocktails include a French 75, Corpse Reviver No. 4 and Café Provençal, which combines Sump Coffee cold brew, coffee liqueur and orgeat. Bowood by Niche In a sun-soaked room surrounded by verdant plants from the adjoining nursery, you can savor brunch any day of the week. The season dictates the menu at Bowood by Niche, making every dining experience fresh and exciting. Right now, you can dig into Vermont Cheddar waffles, buttermilk pancakes, cacio e pepe eggs, trout rillette and a cauliflower wrap, among other delectable dishes. Add sides such as sourdough toast, breakfast potatoes and vegan sausage to your meal, and don’t sleep on pastries such as apple-walnut scones, ginger-molasses cookies and coffee cake from executive pastry chef Suji Shaw. Photo courtesy of Bowood by Niche Brasserie by Niche Serving French brasserie fare in the heart of the Central West End, Brasserie by Niche kindles stimulating conversation over luxurious courses. While the restaurant regularly draws couples for date nights, it’s also a fantastic place to get brunch with family or friends on Sunday. On the sweet side of the menu, you’ll find beignets paired with housemade fresh cheese and dried plum compote as well as brioche French toast with a smear of lemon curd. If you don’t have a sweet tooth in the morning, skip to savory plates, including croque madame (a ham and cheese sandwich with mornay sauce, egg and fries) or eggs en cocotte served with spinach, cream, bacon lardons and brioche toast. Photo courtesy of Brasserie by Niche Casa Don Alfonso Easily one of the most gorgeous restaurant spaces in town, Casa Don Alfonso at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis features a massive open kitchen flanked by a copper ceiling and hand-painted tile backsplash made in Sorrento, Italy, and a striking display of 600 hand-blown glass wisteria leaves suspended over the main dining room. That same level of attention to detail is also evident in the restaurant’s breakfast buffet, where you can feast on avocado toast, omelets, pancakes, chicken-apple sausage, smoked salmon and chia pudding, among other brunch favorites. Available on Saturday from 6:30 to 10 a.m. and Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the elevated buffet is $39 a person. Buon appetito! Chris’ Pancake & Dining Proudly serving St. Louis for more than 30 years, Chris’ Pancake & Dining welcomes every guest as if they’re family. Here, you can enjoy brunch with your brood every day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alongside the must-try pancakes, dig into biscuits and gravy, country fried steak, shakshuka, a turkey sausage wrap, a crispy Buffalo chicken sandwich or chili mac. Remember – vacation calories don’t count. Photo courtesy of Grace Meat + Three Grace Meat + Three Known for its inventive Southern food, Grace Meat + Three was voted Best Fried Chicken in Missouri by Food Network. Patrons praise chef Rick Lewis’ mastery of the Southern delight, which stars in the chicken and waffles on the brunch menu. On Saturday and Sunday, you can order other brunch staples such as the Egg Rick Muffin, an amalgam of sausage patties, white American cheese, a sunny-side up egg, pepper jelly and a toasted English muffin, or the hot honey-chicken biscuit, which has the main ingredients right there in the name. And we highly recommend a handspun milkshake to quench your thirst. Photo courtesy of Rooster Katie’s Pizza and Pasta Osteria A huge pistachio cinnamon roll. Decadent lemon-ricotta pancakes. Blood orange marmalade and prosciutto burrata. Chanterelle and fiama frittata. Potato pizza with speck. Katie’s Pizza and Pasta Osteria knows how to do brunch. At the new location in Ballpark Village, you can also revel in the jazz tunes of the Kasimu Taylor Trio during Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. In between songs, take a moment to appreciate the restaurant’s interior design. Art and artistry abound in the space, which features two paintings – one in Cardinal red, the other in St. Louis blue – created by co-owner and renowned artist Ted Collier. Every detail combines to make the dining experience magical. Miss Augusta For panoramic views on the side of your scrambled eggs, take a Sunday brunch cruise aboard Miss Augusta, a 105-foot Skipperliner yacht, which departs from Klondike Park in Augusta, Missouri. As the boat journeys along the Missouri River, let the crew pamper you with goodies such as bacon, sausage, potatoes, fruit and assorted pastries. Photo courtesy of Winslow's Table Peacock Diner Follow the neon signs through the Delmar Loop to Peacock Diner, which offers brunch in a retro setting every day. From chocolate-pecan pancakes to chicken chilaquiles and apple-stuffed French toast to white turkey chili, there’s a menu item for every craving. Press Rooted in fun, Press dazzles diners with creative concoctions for Sunday brunch – think slinger stuffed pizza with chili con carne, potatoes, onions, Cheddar and beef and eggs from Slagel Family Farm or cheese smashbrowns with quark, tomato sauce, hard-boiled egg and chives. Chef-owner Logan Ely recommends visiting more than once, so you can also try the lobster benedict flatbread (lobster, hollandaise sauce and poached egg on buttered flatbread), the pepperoni breakfast sandwich (egg patty, pepperoni, sausage, Fontina, arugula, pepperoni aïoli and pickled peppers) or the sweet gem Caesar (white anchovy, pickled lemon and Grana Padano). Insider tip: Get a huckleberry scone to-go! Katie’s Pizza and Pasta Osteria | Photo by Gregg Goldman Rooster A beloved brunch spot with locations in downtown St. Louis and on South Grand Boulevard, Rooster dishes out sweet crêpes, flavorful scrambles and boozy cocktails. Have you ever heard of a slinger? Inexplicably linked to St. Louis, the iconic dish defies the limits of what can be literally slung together on a plate and still taste good. Traditionally made with potato, egg, chili, cheese and protein, some people see a hot mess; others find that the slinger satisfies not only their cravings but also their souls. We’ll say this: Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! Rooster serves four different slingers, including a vegan version. Miss Augusta | Photo by Gregg Goldman Rush Bowls With two locations in the St. Louis region, it’s easy to score all-natural food bowls from Rush Bowls. The Colorado-based company is devoted to honest, healthy ingredients, such as açaí, blue spirulina, hemp granola, matcha and pitaya. Boost any bowl with antioxidants, multivitamins, pea protein and more, and add toppings such as avocado, chocolate chips, honey and oats. SqWires Restaurant & Market Housed in an elegantly renovated Victorian factory in Lafayette Square, SqWires Restaurant & Market specializes in American cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients – so brunch is a given. Available on Saturday and Sunday, breakfast plates include a Creole shrimp omelet, salmon bagel board and truffle tofu skillet. Lunch plates such as baked onion soup, chicken salad and vegetable lasagna are equally delicious. Whichever direction you choose, round out your experience with bottomless mimosas. Photo courtesy of Rush Bowls Tin Roof Lauded as a live music joint, Tin Roof has become a brunch destination, too. Exceeding expectations, the menu goes beyond bar food, featuring the Kentucky Hash Brown (hashbrowns, honey-roasted turkey, tomato, spicy cheese sauce, bacon bits and tobacco onions) and the Chonky Donkey (a Cali-style burrito with steak, spiced tater tots, guacamole, crema, tomato, pickled jalapeños, queso and Monterey Jack). The pièce de resistance, however, is the Chicken and Donuts, which combines buttermilk fried chicken, old-fashioned donuts, syrup, pecan butter and peach jam. Yum! The Boom Boom Room Brunch and…burlesque? That’s right – every Sunday, The Boom Boom Room puts on a sparkling show with choreographed dances, spectacular aerial acts, dazzling fire shows and an abundance of sequins while audience members enjoy brunch. The two-course meal begins with a spring salad, and entrée options include chicken and waffles, steak and eggs, French toast and vegan breakfast tacos. You can also add sides such as bacon, sausage, biscuits, hashbrowns and pastries. Don’t let the curtain close of this opportunity to have brunch in the largest burlesque club in the country. Photo courtesy of Casa Don Alfonso The Clover and the Bee Bringing you fresh food in a chic setting, this neighborhood café has everything you want for brunch. If you’re committed to breakfast, try the stone-ground grits with Cheddar, poached eggs, tomato ragù and crusty bread, the labneh granola bowl with marcona almond granola, honey, olive oil, basil and seasonal fruit or the breakfast burrito with rib eye, eggs, black beans, pico de gallo, hashbrowns and Chihuahua cheese in a flour tortilla – and save room for a flight of cream puffs! If the “unch” in “brunch” calls to you, consider the shaved Brussels sprout salad with apples, dried cherries, white Cheddar, candied pecans and maple vinaigrette, the broccolini pesto and burrata sandwich or the farro bowl with butternut squash, arugula and rosemary-apple cider vinaigrette. Brunch is available on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and depending on the day, you can snag sweet treats such as banana-chocolate chip muffins, blackberry Danishes, cookie butter blondies and wild berry-lemon pop-tarts. The Mud House Thanks to The Mud House, you can have brunch any day of the week from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Start with coffee or tea and then take your pick of food items, which range from a Belgian waffle with strawberry compote and mascarpone to avocado toast with pickled red onion and radish to black bean chili with Cheddar and sour cream. After you’re finished, peruse Cherokee Antique Row, which offers six blocks of independently owned and operated establishments, including antique shops, art galleries and specialty stores. Press | Photo by Mark Hermes Wheelhouse At Wheelhouse, you can grab a bite, catch a game or join the party. The downtown hangout serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it’s always poppin’. For a fantastic hangover cure, order the Truck Stop, which features layers of breakfast potatoes, scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon, bell peppers and American cheese smothered in sausage gravy and housemade chili. The three varieties of mac ‘n’ cheese also tempt ravenous diners. Lighter dishes include avocado toast with shrimp, sweet corn and Feta as well as Greek yogurt with toasted granola and fresh berries. If you can handle it, the spicy Bloody Mary is also worth a taste. Winslow’s Table Chock-full of goodies – think Mexican chocolate galettes, sweet potato pie pop-tarts, salted caramel monkey bread, goat cheese cookies and five-spice scones with vanilla icing – the pastry case at Winslow’s Table beckons. After you load up on treats, check out the irresistible dishes on the breakfast and lunch menus. We’re partial to the Half & Half, which allows you to choose between seasonal soups, salads and sandwiches. During your visit, journey downstairs where you’ll find artisanal pantry goods from Midwest makers as well as curated gifts that you can take home to family and friends. For more dining experiences in St. Louis, check our restaurant guide. Share
