While the term "brunch fatigue" might sound foreign to you, we’re willing to bet — no, guarantee — it’s a feeling you’ve experienced. Characterized by a lack of interest in your once-favorite order (we're looking at you, eggs Benny), disdain for sad sides of hash browns, and a distinct unwillingness to wait 30-plus minutes for a table, it can strike even the most dedicated patrons among us.
Feeling the early symptoms? Don’t throw in your knife and fork just yet. Instead, rekindle your once-passionate love of brunch by giving your go-tos a rest and branching out. To start you off, we've pulled together tables full of NYC's most delicious inspiration — and there are zero mimosas involved. From lox-stuffed doughnuts to a quirky Chambord -infused raspberry liqueur cocktail to a breakfast sandwich in French toast, these nine wonderfully weird, decadent plates will have you counting down the days until Saturday morning — as if you weren't already.
The Anytime Waffle Tower
What's not to love about a decadent stack of waffles whose very name grants you permission to eat it whenever you like? Drizzled in chocolate syrup and with each layer perched atop a thick slab of ice cream, this is a sugary, Marie Antoinette-style dream.
Catch, 21 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY; 212-392-5978.
Photographed by Lindsay Arakawa.
Whole Lobster Pizza
There are very few dishes out there that appeal as thoroughly to foodies as they do to those craving a plate that'll look cool on Instagram (no shame in our game). This slightly ridiculous, very incredible lobster-topped pizza is absolutely one of them.
Florian, 225 Park Avenue South, New York, NY; 212-869-8800.
Photographed by Isabella Alesci.
Pepper Boy & Chambord Kir Royale
Three exciting ways to spice up a soft egg scramble? Top it with generously cut maple bacon and an added poached egg, deliver it in a hot new ride (a jumbo bell pepper), and serve it alongside a raspberry cocktail.
Egg Shop, 151 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY; 646-666-0810.
Photographed by Isabella Alesci.
Everything Doughnuts & Parma Mussels
We love doughnuts and we love bagels. When we found out some sweet genius combined the two — we're talking fluffy doughnuts filled with cream cheese and topped with lox and bacon — we felt nothing but sheer joy. And what's that in the background, you ask? Why, that's a trough of mussels in a parmigiano cream sauce. You know, in case you're still hungry.
Flex Mussels, 154 West 13th Street, New York, NY; 212-229-0222.
Photographed by Victoria Tomkinson.
Close your eyes and picture everything you could ever want at your brunch table. Now imagine it all piled high on a thick slab of fresh cornbread. We're guessing that's how this chicken, avocado, fried egg, peanut butter, and bacon creation came into existence.
Streetbird, 2149 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, New York, NY; 212-206-2557.
Photographed by Anna Sabatini.
Mango Souffle Pancakes
If you've never tried ube ice cream, this dish is the introduction you need. Made from sweet purple yams, the treat comes paired with pillowy pancakes and a fresh mango spread. This could mark the beginning of a pancake sundae trend, and we're very on board.
Manila Social Club, 2 Hope Street, Brooklyn, NY; 718-384-4396.
Photographed by Isabella Alesci.
French Toast Sandwich
When the crippling panic that comes with being utterly torn between two delectable menu options strikes, this ham-egg-and-cheese and French toast hybrid saves the morning.
The Heyward, 258 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY; 718-384-1990.
Photographed By Rockie Nolan.
The Gravlax
If you asked every person in NYC to chose the city's signature dish, we'd put money on a clean split between a classic bagel with lox and a slice of cheese pizza. This two-for-one gift from above — topped with capers, ricotta cheese, and cured salmon — is so on point it might as well come with an "I <3 NY" tee.
Speedy Romeo, 376 Classon Avenue, Brooklyn, NY; 718-230-0061.
Photographed by Isabella Alesci.
Spinach Ramen Salad & Virgin Jealous Mary
Brunch fatigue, we've found, tends to hit vegetarians particularly hard. The cure is in this plethora of solutions: a green tomato mocktail, spinach ramen topped with an unmissable pink pickled egg, and some random-but-much-appreciated onion rings.
Dirt Candy, 86 Allen Street, New York, NY; 212-228-7732.
Photographed by Theresa Caffrey.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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