Braggin’ About Brunch: 10 Best in Baltimore
Who doesn’t love brunch? These 10 places are raising the bar for brunch in Baltimore!
These past 2 years, I’ve been doing a lot of brunching – A LOT. I’ve tried too many different brunch spots to count (and ate at many of them more than once) in the city. Brunch in Baltimore is hard to resist. If there is such a thing as brunching “too much” then I am positive there is a picture of me, stuffing my face, in the definition. After all, I’m Italian, what do you expect? Don’t judge me. Please.
OK, anyway, to the point … Baltimore may be known for its amazing crabs and competitive sports teams, but we have some damn good restaurants serving brunch in Baltimore too. Maybe you’re just visiting the city, maybe you’ve recently moved here, or maybe you’ve lived around here for a while and just haven’t had the chance to venture out as often as you’d like.
I can take all the guesswork out for you and fill you in on the best places for brunch in Baltimore.
Below, I am just going to highlight my top 10 favorites, because, let’s be real here, I could go on and on about good food all day. Here we go!
1. City Café – Mount Vernon
I’ve got to place City Cafe at the top of my list because… well… just eat there and you’ll know why. This restaurant is nestled in the beautiful, cozy Mount Vernon neighborhood and is hands-down the best brunch in Baltimore. The place is quite large and has a clean, modern feel to it. The service is topnotch and they’ve earned several awards over the years (I mean, how could they not?) and it’s best to make a reservation if you don’t want to wait a long time to eat. Speaking of eating…
Let me start by saying, before your meal arrives, warm, gooey cinnamon rolls are brought out to the table for you to enjoy. Yup – let that marinade in your head for a quick second. CINNAMON ROLLS aka heaven in a roll. The French Toast Bites are out of this world. Seriously. If you’re in the mood for lunch instead of eggs, try the Grilled Chicken & Apple Sandwich. I promise you – this place is SO amazing, I’ve been there twice and can’t wait to go back again soon. Try it out and let me know what you think.
2. Spoons – Federal Hill
SPOONS. WHERE DO I BEGIN? Well, I’ll assure you that they also have forks… and knives. No worries. This is a favorite among Baltimore locals and a must for any and all visitors. The small café has an intimate and quirky atmosphere.
Water is brought to the table in a big carafe and you can also get alcoholic beverages served in a carafe. The omelets here are to die for – actually, so is their hand roasted coffee and various mimosa flavors. When my mother and I were there, we both spent the entire time smiling ear to ear and raving about how great this place was – we didn’t speak about anything other than what we were eating and drinking. Not once. And we loved every minute of it. You can’t go wrong at this brunch spot – a hidden gem close to Cross Street Market.
3. Miss Shirley’s – Downtown/Inner Harbor
Chances are, if you’ve done any “brunch research” (that’s a thing, right?) before heading out to eat in the city, this place popped up in your Google search. This restaurant has been featured on The Food Network’s hit TV show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
I’ve brunched here countless times and YES, the food here is incredible, but if you don’t get there within an hour of opening time, you will have at least a two-hour wait. This is not a drill… this is real. So, if you want a delicious meal in an energetic environment right in the midst of all the action – look no further! Just prepare yourself to wake up early.
The good news is there’s a second location, in Roland Park. However, I’ve never been to that one so I have no idea about the wait time. I am sure the food there is absolutely amazing as well. Miss Shirley’s only serves brunch – no dinner. Let me know how you like this place if you decide to check it out.
4. Little Havana – Riverside
This place is packed with young people every Sunday afternoon because from 11-3 it’s your entrée plus ALL YOU CAN DRINK Bloody Marys and Mimosas for only $20.99! It’s safe to say, people can get quite intoxicated while brunching here. At this point, I’ve tried at least half of the menu.
This restaurant has a Cuban flare and the food here is of the highest quality. How could you not love this authentic food and all-you-can-drink deal? To make the deal even sweeter, it is located right on the water on Key Highway. Head out to Little Havana on a sunny spring or summer morning to get your drink on, eat spicy food, and enjoy the gorgeous view.
5. Cava Mezze – Harbor East/Fells Point
Oh man. This Mediterranean restaurant stands out from the others because it offers a unique brunch option. It is located right on Fleet Street and has an all-you-can-eat special. It is important to note, however, that this is NOT a buffet. It is more like an “all-you-can-order” place, with wait staff bringing you small plate after small plate. Whatever you want. For two hours. You can even order two plates at a time (which, obviously, I did).
This all you can eat special is just $35 and includes twenty-five cent mimosas. That’s 4 (very strong) mimosas for only $1! The catch is that the entire party must order the special brunch option. Obviously, they don’t want one person ordering 765432 plates of food and sharing it with the rest of the party who isn’t paying for it. Trust me, this is an awesome deal and it’s worth every penny. Try this place out and tell me what you think.
6. Blue Moon Cafe – Fells Point
This tiny café has also been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. It is known for its Captain Crunch French Toast. Unfortunately, I have not tried that yet (couldn’t bring myself to indulge in that many calories), but I CAN tell you that the Vegetarian Omelet and hash browns are very, very tasty – and filling. This is the only place on the list that does not serve alcohol. Sorry, no mimosas here! But the food is stellar.
Depending on when you arrive, there may or may not be a long wait. Waiting a bit to be seated isn’t the end of the world though because you’ll want to be very hungry when you sit down; the portion sizes are huge! A new Blue Moon Café opened up in Federal Hill recently, but I have only been to the one in Fells Point.
7. The Point in Fells – Fells Point
I’ve eaten at this casual corner restaurant, affectionately referred to as The Point, twice and I’ll definitely be heading back for more. The Point is located across the street from the water, and unlike many of the other places listed, serves up traditional American style food (and a lot of it). Like many of the others, this spot can get quite packed on the weekends.
Plates I recommend are the Homemade Donut Holes (omg, yum!) and Chicken-n-Waffles. Although I’m not a big Reuben fan, my mother claims this one is outstanding.
P.S. A new location opened up recently in Towson (home of my alma mater). If you go try it out, drop a comment to let me know how it is.
8. Argosy Café – Downtown
This is a small café located downtown, just four blocks from the inner harbor. It is 
located on the ground level of the Munsey building and is known by those who live nearby for their coffee and laid back, family atmosphere.
My favorite thing on the menu is their Argosy Chicken and Waffles. It’s a huge, mouthwatering meal consisting of country fried chicken bites drenched in a fruity, maple syrup “mustard” that will make you want to lick the plate when you’re finished. They also offer something I haven’t seen on any other brunch menu before – Hash Bowls. I haven’t tried one yet but I plan on ordering one the next time I’m there!
9. Twist – Fells Point
I didn’t plan to brunch at this place, oddly enough; I just stumbled upon it one morning. Normally I know ahead of time where I’m going to eat (I’m quite the planner), but this particular morning I was just moseying around Fells Point as I often do, and became very hungry. I had to eat. And I had to pick somewhere very close. I turned my head and– Twist it was! Boy, was I in for a treat.
This quaint place has a Mediterranean flare and a warm, charming atmosphere. The food here is delicious– especially the omelets. My mom accompanied me here as well, and the waitress called her out immediately on her New York accent. Man, I’m just now realizing that my mom has eaten at three of the ten top brunch places with me…. Lucky duck.
10. The Chasseur – Canton
This unbelievable restaurant is not as well known as many of the others on this list. In my opinion, it’s one of the best-kept secrets in the city. It’s located on Foster Avenue in Canton.
This is another brunch in Baltimore I’ve gone to twice because it is just THAT good. In the summer, go dine on the third floor! It boasts floor to ceiling garage doors that are opened allowing you to have a lovely breeze and a perfect view of the city.
I’ve never waited in a line here. My friends and I are always seated right away- actually, both times we were told to seat ourselves which I liked. Now, I have to be honest. The food here is incredible, but the service is a bit slow. We do have to get up occasionally and ask for a new drink or a side of syrup, etc. It’s just a more laid back place where checking-in on customers isn’t top priority.. I’d give this place an 8/10.