In 1939, the New York Times introduced the then-novel concept of brunch by writing, “Sunday is a two-meal day with many heathen who concentrate on taking life easy.” Nearly 90 years later, any modern-day brunch-loving heathen can attest that the melding of two meals has proven more than a fad. Brunch has expanded to Saturdays and even weekdays, available at the greasiest of spoons and the ritziest of restaurants.

Whether you’re looking for a place for a low-key meal with the kids, a chill morning with friends or a special-occasion celebration spot with your significant other, we’ve rounded up 25 egg-ceptional brunch options that will fit the bill for any occasion.

When you want to show off Cleveland: Cordelia Go “Midwest nice” at the darling of East 4th Street, where blue collar cuisine gets the white-collar treatment. We love the “dimmy jeans,” an homage to the classic Jimmy Dean breakfast bowl but made with chicken-fried jojos (Akron’s favorite potato!) smothered in gravy and eggs. Chef Vinnie Cimino is up for a James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest for the second year in a row, making Cordelia the perfect place to brag on the local food scene. Brunch is served Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; best to snag a reservation. (2058 E 4th St.) Credit: Photo by Dylan Palchesko
When you’re willing to wait: Lucky’s Café The line at Lucky’s often forms before doors even open at this longtime Best of Cleveland “Best Brunch” winner; limited seating and a no-reservations policy only adds to the allure. Would-be diners wait outdoors, sipping lattes from AffoGATO Cat Cafe while waiting their turn to indulge in cheddar scallion biscuits topped with soft scrambled eggs and sausage gravy — yes, the same ones featured by Michael Symon and Guy Fieri on their respective Food Network shows. Lucky’s core menu hasn’t changed in years, but when everything is this good, why should it? Brunch is served daily, with an expanded menu on weekends. (777 Starkweather Ave.) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you’re willing to drive: The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery Once just a small, humble, hometown bakery, the Blue Door has become one of Northeast Ohio’s most well-known brunch destinations — and with good reason. The Classics section of the menu includes sumptuous standbys like dark chocolate hazelnut ganache crepes and the croque madame, dripping in bechamel and comte gruyere. Specials rotate regularly, so you never know what the options might be, but you’re guaranteed to be impressed, making it well worth the trek south. (1970 State Rd., Cuyahoga Falls) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you’ve got cash on hand: Borderline Cafe There’s something charming about a diner that remains steadfastly cash-only. Something annoying, too, sure, but it does weed out the uncommitted masses, leaving only diner diehards to dig into delights like BBQ pulled pork hash, Philly cheesesteak benedicts and banana stuffed French toast. The interior of this brightly colored neighborhood haunt is sunnier than your glass of orange juice, starting your day off with bright vibes and biiiig portions. (18508 Detroit Ave., Lakewood) Credit: Photo by @eatgr
When you want weekday brunch: Rowley Inn Once a third-shift bar with surprisingly good food, Rowley Inn is now better known as an incredible restaurant that starts serving booze surprisingly early — 7 a.m., to be exact. It serves up Cleveland-style comfort food with indulgent twists: a chicken schnitzel sandwich served between waffles; an omelet stuffed with kielbasa and pierogi; a Polish boy with sweet peach-bourbon barbecue sauce. It’s a, shall we say, cozy spot, so get there early or be prepared to wait. (1104 Rowley Ave.) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you want a classic diner brunch: Big Al’s Diner If it’s got “diner” in the name, you know you’re in for a massive menu and prices that won’t put too big a dent in your bank account. Big Al’s delivers on both fronts, plus classic checkerboard flooring for added vintage charm. A trifold menu lists breakfast on one side and lunch on the other, but if you’re overwhelmed by options, free yourself of the burden of decision-making and go with one of the brunch combos. Add a pancake or French toast for a small fee, the classic diner way. (12600 Larchmere Blvd.) Credit: Photo by @angelmuziclove
When you want more breakfast than lunch: Juneberry Table Can a restaurant be soothing? That’s what Chef Karen Small’s Juneberry Table is — homey, welcoming, comforting, lively. It’s the perfect place to catch up with an old friend or reconnect with an old flame. Get cozy with jasmine rice congee, spelt pancakes with sorghum butter or the hot ham and cheese sandwich with fennel soup, and look for menu cameos by other well-loved local businesses, like coffee cake from Dramatic Snax and cinnamon buns from Floressa. (3900 Lorain Ave.) Credit: Photo by JMS Imagery
When you want a massive Bloody Mary: The South Side Bloody Marys aren’t the only thing on the menu at this Tremont institution, but if you opt out, you’re missing out. Their peppery, house-made mix has a bit of a kick, but the real draw is the garnishes, which range from candied bacon to a deep-fried pickle to a whole jalapeño popper. Then there’s the queen of them all: the Mother Mary, a 27-oz. whopper rimmed with all of those garnishes and more. It even comes with a pony beer on the side so you can wash down your hair of the dog with a little more hair of the dog. (2207 W 11th St.) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you’re celebrating a special event: Pier W Perhaps no restaurant in the city comes as highly recommended for its brunch as Pier W, which seems to have made it onto every local list since it opened in 1965 (and a few national ones too). Located on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie, it has one of the best views in town and one of the only remaining upscale brunch buffets. For $69, gorge on prime rib, roasted diver scallops, a raw bar, French toast and more. There’s no guarantee of a table on the water, but the worst that can happen is a delicious brunch sans view, which seems like a risk worth taking. (12700 Lake Ave., Lakewood) Credit: Pier W/FB
When you want BBQ for breakfast: Landmark Smokehouse Barbecue for brunch? Yeah, that’s a thing — and what a delicious thing it is. You might not think of crispy pork belly and fall-off-the-bone ribs as morning or even midday fare, but they lend themselves exquisitely to brunch classics: a behemoth breakfast burrito full of brisket, eggs and beans; a pulled pork omelet whose saucy sweetness is offset by hot pepper relish; and smoked meat latkes, made morning-friendly with a sunny-side-up egg. Balance out that smoky barbecue flavor with a Bellini or start the day strong and spirited with Landmark’s extensive whiskey list. (11637 Clifton Blvd.) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you want a brunchable burger: Hecks Cafe Maybe we owe Hecks an apology: They offer quite a lot more than just burgers, with a seasonally driven, locally sourced brunch that encompasses everything from eggplant shakshuka to baklava French toast (yes, it’s as decadent — and as sticky — as it sounds). But with four frankly bomb burgers on the Sunday menu, it’s hard to think about much else. After all, Heck’s isn’t a repeat Best of Cleveland “Best Burgers” winner for nothing. Especially brunch-worthy is the Brieberry Burger, topped with brie, bacon and a blueberry-ancho sauce. (Locations in Ohio City, Beachwood and Avon) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you’re craving Southern comforts: Soho Chicken + Whiskey You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in town who has a bad word to say about this small, laid-back spot, which has an impressive 4.5-star rating on Google, Yelp and Trip Advisor. (Seriously. That’s hard to do.) But Soho specializes in far more than just chicken, doling out Southern-style eats that would make Paula Deen weep, lke light, airy beignets with bananas foster caramel, hush puppies with creamy sausage gravy and eggs benedict with fried green tomatoes and ham. Soho recently announced that it’s looking for a new location, so stay tuned for updates. (1889 W 25th St.) Credit: Photo by @clegirls
When you don’t need meat: Cleveland Vegan This meatless mecca, which specializes in locally sourced and organic foods, is known for its rotating roster of pancake flavors, like chocolate cherry, caramelized banana and lemon blueberry, but the rest of the menu is extensive, too. Carnivorous recreations like biscuits with a lentil gravy and a reuben with corned beef seitan may make you forget meat ever existed. (17112 Detroit Ave, Lakewood) Credit: Photo by @amandaincle
When you want to try a little bit of everything: Artis Shareable is the name of the game here, so pick a few dishes that hit on a variety of flavor profiles: sweet (brown butter cinnamon apple waffles), spicy (Korean fried chicken in gochujang-bourbon maple syrup), sour (lemony hummus) and smoky (eggs benedict with Bulgarian eggplant spread). Just be sure to prep yourself for the delicate Midwestern dance that accompanies the last bite of each dish: “Do you want that? Oh, I couldn’t… Well, if you insist…” (17900 Detroit Ave, Lakewood) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When everyone wants something different: Dinerbar on Clifton Lakewood’s retro-style Dinerbar retains the classic diner experience, but with a leveled-up menu and sleek decor that keep it far from “greasy spoon” territory. It may be the only place in town where you can order a chicken pot pie, a corned beef hash omelet, a poke bowl and risotto balls, all in one meal. This place gets really busy really quickly, especially at peak brunch hours, so it’s a great option when you want brunch slightly later in the day (brunch for brinner, if you will). (11801 Clifton Blvd, Lakewood) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you want to get fancy: RH Rooftop Restaurant at RH Cleveland Yes, the RH stands for Restoration Hardware, the upscale home furnishing chain with a 55,000 square-foot retail space at Pinecrest. If brunch at a hardware store sounds strange, welcome to the luxury and opulence that is Restoration Hardware. This high-end restaurant boasts glittering chandeliers, live olive trees and seemingly endless windows, with a minimalist menu that includes “impossibly thin” Swedish pancake and blinis with an impossible-to-pronounce type of caviar. It goes without saying: Reservations are a must. (4009 Orange Pl., Orange) Credit: Photo by @mrsabbywalker
When you also want to grab snacks for later: Astoria Cafe & Market This Mediterranean-inspired spot takes its name from the Greek asteri, which means “star. At brunch, the star of the show is its masterfully curated charcuterie and cheese boards, the Bubbles Board (smooth, creamy cheeses and fruits that pair well with fizzy drinks) and the Bloody Mary Board (strong cheeses served with leveled-up cocktail accouterments, like spiced cashews and sweety drop peppers). Love what you’ve just eaten? Grab some of the ingredients on your way out at Astoria’s imported goods market. (5417 Detroit Ave.) Credit: Scene Archives
When you want to eat local: West Side Market Cafe The historic West Side Market is a point of Cleveland pride, and the attached cafe shows off ingredients from the hard-working vendors who make it what it is: Hungarian hash with smoked kielbasa from J&J Czuchraj Meats, a fried egg sandwich with spicy bacon from The Pork Chop Shop, a cornbread waffle and crispy chicken with honey butter from Meister Foods. Eating here is truly the epitome of eating local. Brunch runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., so whether you’re starting a busy day or winding down from one, it’s got you covered. (1979 W 25th St. ) Credit: Scene archives
When you want to feel like you’re on vacation: Barroco Channel warmer climes and good times at this popular, family-owned small chain, which specializes in Venezuelan and Colombian favorites like arepas and cachapas. Their most popular menu item is La Sucia, a white hominy corn arepa stuffed full of carne asada, potato chips, roasted red peppers, roasted corn, mozzarella and house-made garlic aioli. Add sweet plantains on the side for a Latin-inspired meal that mentally teleport you far, far from the CLE. ( Locations in Lakewood, Crocker Park and Willoughby) Credit: Photo by Kate Kaput
When you’re already ready to party: Bourbon Street Barrel Room If you can’t make it to New Orleans, Tremont will bring a little bit of New Orleans to you. Every Sunday, this aptly named hotspot serves an authentic Crescent City brunch complete with Cajun jambalaya, buttermilk fried chicken on French toast, shrimp and grits and beignets with andouille gravy. Of course, you can’t do anything NOLA-style sans booze like hurricanes, sazeracs and a bright green moonshine concoction called “Gator Juice.” Try to take it easy as you channel the Big Easy, OK? (2393 Professor Ave.) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you’re hungover: Heart of Gold You don’t have to be hungover to love brunch at Heart of Gold, but if you are, this is the spot to load up on a heavy, stomach-steeling meal that will nurse you back to life. The menu literally includes a Hangover Burger, an unholy creation topped with a kimchi latke, fried egg, sage aioli and pepper gravy. Grab an order of Loaded Breakfast Fries for the table: crispy waffle fries covered with candied bacon, hollandaise, hot sauce and a fried egg. You won’t be hungover anymore, but you may be too full to function. (4133 Lorain Ave.) Credit: Photo by Kate Kaput
When you want an Instagrammable aesthetic: In The Weeds What do you get when you combine a florist shop with a restaurant/bar? A sweet little spot with a quirky name and artful dishes that look as good as they taste. Everything on the menu is as pretty, colorful and eminently photoworthy as their floral bouquets: Belgian liege waffles with confit chicken, Cuban hash with roast pork and shaved ham, and a breakfast flatbread drizzled with hollandaise. Don’t skip the breakfast shot, a blend of Jameson, butterscotch schnapps and orange juice with a slice of candied bacon. (13570 Ridge Rd, North Royalton) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you want charming vibes: Sleepy Rooster Just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, neither should you judge this brunch spot by its location in a nondescript shopping plaza. The inside is absolutely adorable, like if Joanna Gaines designed a restaurant in Stars Hollow, and the food is, as its motto crows, “worth waking up for.” Of note are the 6-oz. country-fried ribeye smothered in gravy and the “rooster cakes,” pancakes topped with cheddar cheese and spiced apples. Whatever you order, add a bit of homemade hot sauce for a kick that’ll jumpstart your day. (5210 Chillicothe Rd., Chagrin Falls) Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you want to feel European: Patron Saint Technically, Patron Saint doesn’t have a brunch menu. What it does have is an all-day, Italian-inspired menu of smallish plates that cover all the bases, from breakfast right on through to dinner, from cold brew and croissants (don’t sleep on the pistachio butter!) to martinis and meatballs. Order using a QR code at your table, and keep your tab open for as long as you like, whether you’re dining solo while tapping away on your laptop or meeting that Tinder match for the very first time. You won’t leave stuffed, but you’re sure to leave fulfilled. (2915 Detroit Ave.) Credit: Photo by Tiffany Joy Photo
When you just want a reliable standby: XYZ the Tavern Sometimes you just want straightforward brunch — no frills, no thrills, just good food and chill vibes. XYZ is here for you, always populated enough to feel lively but rarely so packed that you have to wait more than a few minutes to grab a seat. The menu is simple but satisfying: a stack of buttermilk pancakes, a meat or veggie omelet, a BLT with avocado and a fried egg — the basics, done right. Don’t forget a pitcher of mimosas for the table. (6419 Detroit Ave.) Credit: Photo by Kate Kaput
Cordelia Credit: Photo by Dylan Palchesko