The Best Brunches Around Atlanta

The city’s best brunch restaurants make getting out of bed worthwhile, whether you want to settle into a laid-back brunch with family or whether you want to be part of a scene. From Southern classics to globally inspired fare, these are the brunch spots worth planning your day around.

This roundup lists the best brunch spots in the city. If you’re looking for a quick bite from a bakery, check out these spots.

For a satisfying breakfast any day of the week, consider these spots. And for the hottest new brunches, head over here.

The restaurants are listed geographically from north to south. Don’t see your favorite brunch spot?

Use the tipline. Brunch is a big to-do in Atlanta, where the mid-morning meal can range from a fluffy biscuit sandwich to an indulgent spread complete with cocktails.

The city’s best brunch restaurants make getting out of bed worthwhile, whether you want to settle into a laid-back brunch with family or whether you want to be part of a scene. From Southern classics to globally inspired fare, these are the brunch spots worth planning your day around.

This roundup lists the best brunch spots in the city. If you’re looking for a quick bite from a bakery, check out these spots.

For a satisfying breakfast any day of the week, consider these spots. And for the hottest new brunches, head over here.

The restaurants are listed geographically from north to south. Don’t see your favorite brunch spot?

Use the tipline.

Hen Mother Cookhouse

A drive to Johns Creek (and now Alpharetta, too) for brunch at Hen Mother Cookhouse is worth the effort for those who live ITP. The plant-filled space is cozy, with more seating on the covered patio, and the food is over-the-top delicious.

It’s a great place to share a few dishes, like the thick, larger-than-your-head brown butter pancakes and the BLT with garlic aioli. Pastries — like the cinnamon rolls and seasonal fruit Danishes — sell out quickly, so get there early.

Buttermilk Kitchen

People flock to Buckhead’s Buttermilk Kitchen on the weekends and for good reason: Everything is excellent (and now Buttermilk Kitchen takes reservations).

In a sunny former Buckhead home, chef Suzanne Vizethann and her team prepare classics like cinnamon rolls with hints of orange zest, grits bowls with veggies and eggs, and breakfast sandwiches. The fluffy drop biscuit is the star, however.

Order it alongside the pimento cheese omelet or topped with fried chicken, but it’s also just as good with house-made jam.

Canoe

On the banks of the Chattahoochee River, brunch at Canoe comes with a side of serene riverfront views. This Vinings-area restaurant is more than just a pretty setting though.

The impressive brunch menu includes pecan sticky buns (just go ahead and get a pastry basket), roasted chicken and cheddar grits, and brioche French toast with berries and vanilla mascarpone.

Local Three

Local Three’s Sunday brunch isn’t your ordinary buffet. Grab a plate and walk through the spacious kitchen where a feast of sweet and savory dishes awaits.

The menu changes to reflect what’s in season and may include items like a strawberry wedge salad, buttermilk biscuits with jam, quiche, and macaroni and cheese.

Delbar Buckhead

This wildly popular Persian restaurant serves lunch at all its locations, including the newer Buckhead spot.

You can’t go wrong with the Delbar breakfast platter for $60, which comes with an assortment of mezze, perfect for sharing. The salmon kookoo (a crispy patty of salmon belly, potato, cilantro, scallions, and cumin, topped with pickled mango and avocado tahini and chili oil) is a must-try.

Plenty of egg dishes are also available, including the shakshuka.

Daily Chew

Channel those weekend brunch vibes almost any day of the week (closed Tuesdays) at Daily Chew.

The jewel box space, tiled in deep green, hand-cut Moroccan zellige tile and Persian rugs, serves breakfast and lunch with Israeli and South African notes. Standout items include the carrot and potato latke stack with smoked salmon and labneh as well as the brekkie pita with warmly spiced South African boerewors (beef sausage), fried eggs, and caramelized onions.

Take a chewy halva brownie for the road.

The General Muir

Located near Emory University, The General Muir buzzes on a weekend morning.

The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, but that doesn’t keep throngs of families and friends from waiting for brunch. Lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, this refined Jewish deli has a tempting pastry case up front and cozy booths and tables in the dining room.

Starting the meal with a pastry basket is a must—it’s packed with a Danish, cinnamon roll, cardamom knot, and coffee cake. The pastrami is a hit here, as are the open-faced bagel sandwiches, like the Avenue A with smoked salmon, grapefruit, and avocado.

And you can never go wrong with the poached eggs and grits with mushrooms and Madeira sauce.

Whiskey Bird

Two words: bubble waffle.

At Whiskey Bird, the laidback Asian-fusion restaurant located in Morningside, the Hong Kong-style bubble waffle gets toppings that combine the best savory and sweet flavor profiles — fried chicken, strawberries, mango, and maple syrup. Other rightfully popular dishes include loaded okonomiyaki fries, spicy tuna “toasts” (the toasts are actually hash browns), and bao Benedict.

Go on a Saturday and you can extend your morning with a stroll at the Morningside Farmers Market. Ela This Virginia-Highland spot excels at brunch with its playful approach to Mediterranean-style dishes.

You’ll want to bring a friend or two to share items like the spherical, pistachio-crusted baklava cinnamon roll, Ela’s salad with poached eggs and crisp onions, and the warmly spiced shakshuka. Creamy, tangy Greek frozen yogurt rounds out the mid-morning meal.

Murphy's

You can’t talk about brunch in Atlanta without talking about Murphy’s. The Virgina-Highland mainstay of 40 years now takes reservations for its famously popular brunch (offered on Saturdays and Sundays), so you don’t have to wait hours to feast on crab cake Benedict or malted waffles topped with berries and whiskey maple syrup.

Pastries A Go Go

This hidden gem with the best biscuits in Decatur serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch dishes in a the quaint spot that is usually full.

Options include fresh baked goods like bagels and danishes, as well as omelets, pancakes, waffles, cheese grits, and all the other brunch staples. Big breakfasts are around $10, with most sides well under $5.

Biscuits and gravy is a weekend special worth indulging in. The cafe opened in 1995, and there’s good reason it’s still going strong three decades on.

no. 246 When you want a brunch that feels worthy of a special occasion, there’s No. 246. The Decatur mainstay eases you into the day with soft natural light and a cozy view of its open kitchen and wood-fired oven.

The menu is tight — with just the essentials—and you may be tempted to order all of them. Standouts dishes include the carbonara; the pancake served with mascarpone and chocolate; and the breakfast pizza topped with pancetta, onions, and an egg (sop up the yolk with the fluffy crust). Spritzes and bellinis are on hand for brunch sipping, and East Pole coffee is available for caffeine.

Elektra

Coastal decor in the heart of Atlanta may not seem like an obvious choice, but at Elektra, located in the Forth Hotel, it works. The cheery dining room, with turquoise and soft green accents, offers glimpses of the pool, and — even if you’re not staying at the hotel — it gets you in a vacation state of mind.

Highlights of the Mediterranean-inspired menu include dishes like hummus topped with crispy chickpeas and olive oil pancakes topped with orange labneh and burnt apples. For a heartier option, try the citrus salmon.

Babygirl

When Babygirl opened in East Lake, it filled an all-day cafe hole in the neighborhood.

The space is inviting, with a diner-like vibe, and it’s casual enough that both families with kids and friend groups can enjoy it. Carb-forward is the way to go here, whether it’s the hash brown (a thick, cake-like patty) with smoked salmon and an egg or the egg and cheese biscuit.

The morning smash burger easily satisfies any brunch-time lunch-cravings. Daytime sips include a strawberry spritz, an espresso martini, and a Salty Dog.

Breakfast At Barney’s

Located at the corner of Decatur and Hill Streets, it’s hard to miss Breakfast At Barney’s, with its floral archway and a huge crowd waiting to get in.

One of the stars of Atlanta’s Black brunch scene, people wait over an hour to dine in the posh restaurant with teal and gold accents and splashy black and white patterned walls. The upscale-meets-fun flair translates to the restaurant’s dishes, with signature items like soul rolls, egg rolls stuffed with greens, candied yams, and macaroni and cheese.

For a splurge, there’s the $1,000 Mansa Musa tower, an impressive arrangement of 24k gold pancakes, fried chicken, lobster, grits, and a bottle of champagne.

Home Grown

Start the day off with one of Atlanta’s most iconic (and super-filling) dishes, the Comfy Chicken Biscuit at Home Grown in the Reynoldstown neighborhood.

This Memorial Drive restaurant earned a nod from the Michelin Guide and is a breakfast favorite among locals and chefs (it even made for a campaign stop for former President Bill Clinton). The famous biscuit is topped with fried chicken and smothered in a pork sausage gravy. There’s almost always a wait on the weekends, but it’s definitely worth it.