Brunch is the best meal. Why? It can be anything you want, from waffles to burgers, it’s never rushed and you can dress up and go fancy…or roll into a lowkey booth with bed head. A glass of bubbly or a cinnamon roll the size of your head? Yes. Great big pile of bacon and a double espresso? Yes. Brunch is leisurely, lazy, decadent and easy. And in Oklahoma City, we pride ourselves on our terrific array of brunch spots!
The Classics
Crème brulée French toast anyone? How about a Cowgirl Benedict – that’s chicken fried steak, fried egg, red chile hollandaise and avocado – alongside a uniquely crafted weekly ‘Brunch Punch’ cocktail and a lovely cup of coffee, followed by a homemade cinnamon roll…followed by a nap! Cheever's Cafe has it all (except the nap, of course).
Anchoring the corner of NW Grand and N. Western Ave since 1985, Flip’s is the kind of place you’ll want to bring a date and your Sunday paper, the novel you’re reading or a crossword so you can soak in the full experience. A well-honed ‘Red Sauce Joint’ by night, Sunday brunch at Flip’s is all about the gorgeous French toast, well-poured Mimosas and crisp-perfect bacon.
N. May Avenue is home to the Buthion brothers’ 30+ year old bistro, inspired by their father’s boucherie in the South of France. Brunch at La Baguette is perhaps not as casual as some other spots but its Omelette Royale – Boursin cheese, smoked salmon, onions and asparagus – is well worth running a comb through your hair and pulling on some non-sweatpants.
Plant-Based Brunch
Since 1995, The Red Cup on North Classen has been serving up vegetarian goodness in the form of breakfast, lunch and BRUNCH. You won’t find any cocktails here, but you will find an artsy scene with indoor and outdoor seating, a friendly rooster and crazy-good food. We love the Vagabond: potatoes, broccoli, onion, peppers, tomatoes, tofu scramble and cashew cheese sauce.
With a robust vegan/vegetarian menu, lots of meaty menu items, great coffee, top-notch cocktails, excellent mocktails and a ‘Doggie Dining’ menu for your fur babies, Picasso Café checks all the boxes. After brunch, stroll the Paseo and do a little window (or actual) shopping.
Vegans rejoice! Everything at Plant is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and peanut-free. Oh, and meat-free. And delicious. Oh, and you can show up in your yoga pants! The avocado and kimchi toast keeps us coming back. Like everyone else in OKC, we’re also partial to the perfect banana pancakes, topped with excellent maple syrup and a dollop of almond butter. Plus, the cocktails and mocktails here are on point.
Give Me ALL the Pastries
Three words: Maple French Cruller. Three more: Mixed Berry Danish. For you savory peeps out there, the Smoked Cheddar Jack Sausage Roll is definitely worth getting out of bed for. It’s all house-made and there’s so much more. Pancakes the size of your head! Open-faced toast with gruyere, eggs and bechamel. We love everything on the menu at Kitchen 324!
A relative newcomer in the OKC brunch scene, Harvey Bakery & Kitchen has become an instant classic. Cheddar, gruyere and green onion scones, classic chocolate croissants, vanilla bean brownies and a daily bread schedule so you can take a loaf home with you. Plenty of gluten-free and vegan options; also plenty of meaty delights like the croque monsieur – ham, provolone, Dijon and bechamel on sourdough.
Quintessential Oklahoma Style
Named for the 39 tribal nations in the state, Thirty Nine is modern indigenous cuisine, beautifully crafted from ingredients sourced from First American-owned and local farms in Oklahoma. You’ll find Thirty Nine within the stunning First Americans Museum. For a hearty brunch, the Thirty Nine bison burger is a treat – garlic sage aioli, red Roma tomatoes, baby arugula and squash pickles on toasted brioche.
When you just need a huge, HUGE delicious meal, ‘The Cattle Baron’ platter at McClintock will treat you right. It’s top sirloin served with two eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy and home fries. Did you smile just reading that? Head down to the Stockyards this weekend and see what we mean.
You won’t find an official brunch menu on the website, maybe because brunch wasn’t a thing when Cattlemen’s was founded in 1910, but rest assured but there’s a robust breakfast menu and an equally well-appointed lunch menu, plus coffee and cocktails so…from where we stand that’s as good as brunch!
Legendary
You can’t talk about the OKC brunch scene without the multi-award-winning delights waiting for you at Café Kacao. If you’ve never had fried plantains as a brunch side, friends, you are in for a treat. Start with a horchata latte or kick it up a notch with a horchata rum latte! Next, go for the Cuban omelet, filled with jack cheese, chole black beans and topped with mojo shredded beef and onions, or go classic with a huge plate of chilaquiles. You literally cannot go wrong.
An Oklahoma original if ever there was one, there are locations dotting Oklahoma City, so you’re never far from a great brunch. Jimmy’s Egg has been making mornings bright for more than 35 years. Try a classic like corned beef hash and eggs or go a little crazy and enjoy a stack of cinnamon roll pancakes.
The wait is worth it. Don’t despair if you roll up to Waffle Champion and see a line, it moves fast and the hot chicken waffle sandwich is such a perfect amalgam of sweet, savory and heat, it will make you forget your name.
