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A plate with two triangle-shaped waffles, both topped with pieces of dark fried chicken.
Nashville hot chicken and waffles.
Liberty Common

Get Out of Bed for These Brunches in Nashville

Start your day late with bottomless mimosas, hot chicken and waffles, dosa pancakes, and drag shows

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Nashville hot chicken and waffles.
| Liberty Common

Just ask the bachelorettes in matching tank tops — there’s no better way to start off a Saturday or Sunday in Nashville than with a good (and yes, maybe boozy) brunch. Following a long night crawling the Broadway honky-tonks or partying in an Eastside dive, revive yourself with this guide to the city’s best brunch restaurants, from hot newcomers serving eggs Benedicts and spicy bloody marys to tried-and-true classics offering bottomless mimosas and biscuits.

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Lou nashville

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Buckwheat pancakes, salmon rillette tartines, and natural wine keep brunch fans coming back to Lou, the hip, Parisian-inspired East Nashville cafe from chef Mailea Weger. Invigorating non-alcoholic drinks like lavender honey cold brew and turmeric-infused wellness elixirs don’t hurt, either.

Maiz de la Vida at Chopper

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Tropical drinks like breakfast coladas pair well with brunch delights from tortilla savant Julio Hernandez’s Maiz de la Vida. The food truck parks outside Andy Mumma’s robot-themed East Nashville tiki lounge all day on Saturdays and Sundays, and street foods like negros enchiladas, chorizo tacos, elotes, and tlacoyo show off the flavorful heirloom corn that Hernandez nixtamalizes and grinds himself.

A top-down view of tacos in takeout containers and a cocktail in a glass
Maiz de la Vida.
Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Henrietta Red

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Henrietta Red’s bright, airy dining room makes for a pleasant weekend brunch experience. The Germantown restaurant’s menu covers a lot of territory, with dishes ranging from monkey bread and cinnamon rolls to wood-roasted oysters, smoked mackerel toast, and mushroom polenta, and the list of brunch cocktails is concise but high-quality, including a creamy coffee milk punch.

Butcher & Bee

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A Charleston-born restaurant that has become an East Nashville destination in its own right, Butcher & Bee has lovely patio for brunch. It’s best to start with the crowd-favorite whipped feta; from there, move on to the green shakshuka, braised lamb and grits, or the brunch twist on another Butcher & Bee specialty, avocado crispy rice with collards, peanuts, and an egg.

Frothy Monkey

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Frothy Monkey coffee houses have been favorites for gathering and remote work since the first one opened in 2004, growing since then to nearly double digits across Tennessee and beyond. The Nations location nearly doubles the size of the original 12 South location, providing plenty of space to relax and recover. The company roasts its own beans and bakes its own bread and pastries so a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich is an obvious choice, though tea, wine, beer, soups, and salads all work well too.

The Hampton Social

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The Nashville location of this beachy chain is ground zero for boozy brunch and bachelorette-watching near Broadway — complete with a swinging bed, a rooftop, and endless Instagram photo ops. For instance, you can order large-format frosés, espresso martinis topped with edible gold glitter, and bloody marys in giant seashells. Meanwhile, Hampton Social’s food menu covers everything from avocado toast and breakfast burritos to seafood towers and a sunrise quinoa bowl.

Liberty Common

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The weekend brunch at Liberty Common, a Southern brasserie downtown, features cinnamon walnut pancakes and Nashville hot chicken waffles or biscuits alongside egg-topped burgers and a version of a croque-madame on a Belgian waffle. There’s plenty of patio space for people-watching when the weather’s good, too.

Sunny-side up eggs atop a Belgian waffle next to a container of french fries.
Waffle madame at Liberty Common.
Liberty Common

Pinewood Social

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Bowling lanes, dipping pools, and a broad weekend brunch menu darting from manchego-topped tots and sticky buns to smashed avocado toast and a hot coffee cocktail make Pinewood Social a favorite for roving bachelorette parties. Don’t let them chase you off, though; this place inside the historic Trolley Barns is easy to love and fairly spacious.

Chauhan Ale and Masala House

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On the weekends, score a daytime reservation at stylish Chauhan Ale and Masala House for a brunch menu infused with Indian flavors. Celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan’s eponymous Gulch restaurant serves the likes of dosa pancakes with garam masala butter, a Nashville hot chicken pakora sandwich, and a stellar burger with masala fries. You can also try Chauhan’s next-door sibling, the Mockingbird, for a lovely modern diner experience.

Suzy Wong's Drag’n Brunch

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Suzy Wong’s Drag’n Brunch puts it all there in the name: The boisterous restaurant does drag shows with brunch. Make reservations for one of two seatings per weekend day and you’ll simultaneously secure shared apps like strawberry cream cheese egg rolls and biscuits and gravy, a non-alcoholic drink, and one app such as katsu chicken and waffles or fried rice. It all comes from the mind of chef Arnold Myint aka Suzy Wong.

Weekend brunch is a great time to visit the Nashville location of this Charleston-based gem — daylight allows diners to fully take in the stunning surroundings while getting their fill of savory fare from executive chef Ben Norton. Highlights include the New Orleans-inspired barbecue shrimp, the plate of southern vegetables, and the Husk cheeseburger, though the menu changes weekly.

Sunda Nashville

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Billy Dec’s pan-Asian Sunda, a chic Chicago import in the Gulch, offers a refreshing outside-the-box brunch option, moving beyond Music City’s usual hot chicken biscuit suspects. Try Filipino-inspired ube waffles, silog breakfast plates, creative sushi rolls, and an utterly absurd splurge cocktail: the massive 32-ounce Sumo Mary topped with tocino grilled cheese, a bao bun, a baked snow crab hand roll, lumpia, and more.

Earnest Bar & Hideaway

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The menu at this charming Wedgewood-Houston oasis ranges from fairly traditional huevos rancheros and French toast to twists like a poutine Benedict, not to mention a legit mac and cheese topped with hot chicken. The cocktails are mostly well-done classics as well, with the occasional surprise like kalimotxo, a Spanish icon mixing red wine and Coke.

Josephine

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A popular 12 South dinner destination, Josephine also shines at brunch with dishes like pecan sticky buns, duck confit hash, and a Josephine Benedict with scrapple, country ham, and brown-butter hollandaise. Chef Andrew Little also serves a serious steak and eggs, with perfect fries and herb butter.

The Butter Milk Ranch

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One of 12 South’s busiest brunch spots, the Butter Milk Ranch offers both a walk-up counter for decadent pastries and a full-service dining room serving brunch all day. The charming setting and dishes from brown butter beignets to a chicken chorizo scramble are worth the wait for a table, though you can grab a latte and a croissant to go if you can’t handle the crowd.

Sinema’s weekend brunch has no a la carte option for food; the sleek Melrose restaurant serves bottomless brunch at a set price, so arrive hungry. There’s no standing in a buffet line scooping from trays, either — fried chicken, biscuits with gravy, barbecue pork, and cinnamon roll pancakes come to the table fresh for family-style feasting. You can even add bottomless mimosas and/or bloody marys for the ultimate all-inclusive meal.

Sinema.
Sinema

Roze Pony

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Julia Jaksic’s beloved all-day Cafe Roze in East Nashville now has a West Nashville counterpart in Roze Pony. This French-inspired hidden gem in Belle Meade serves breakfast and brunch favorites daily, from a banana shake and soufflé pancakes with blueberry syrup to the heartier shaved prime rib sandwich with fries on the side. Pair the meal with a nice assortment of cocktails, coffees, and teas.

Lou nashville

Buckwheat pancakes, salmon rillette tartines, and natural wine keep brunch fans coming back to Lou, the hip, Parisian-inspired East Nashville cafe from chef Mailea Weger. Invigorating non-alcoholic drinks like lavender honey cold brew and turmeric-infused wellness elixirs don’t hurt, either.

Maiz de la Vida at Chopper

Tropical drinks like breakfast coladas pair well with brunch delights from tortilla savant Julio Hernandez’s Maiz de la Vida. The food truck parks outside Andy Mumma’s robot-themed East Nashville tiki lounge all day on Saturdays and Sundays, and street foods like negros enchiladas, chorizo tacos, elotes, and tlacoyo show off the flavorful heirloom corn that Hernandez nixtamalizes and grinds himself.

A top-down view of tacos in takeout containers and a cocktail in a glass
Maiz de la Vida.
Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Henrietta Red

Henrietta Red’s bright, airy dining room makes for a pleasant weekend brunch experience. The Germantown restaurant’s menu covers a lot of territory, with dishes ranging from monkey bread and cinnamon rolls to wood-roasted oysters, smoked mackerel toast, and mushroom polenta, and the list of brunch cocktails is concise but high-quality, including a creamy coffee milk punch.

Butcher & Bee

A Charleston-born restaurant that has become an East Nashville destination in its own right, Butcher & Bee has lovely patio for brunch. It’s best to start with the crowd-favorite whipped feta; from there, move on to the green shakshuka, braised lamb and grits, or the brunch twist on another Butcher & Bee specialty, avocado crispy rice with collards, peanuts, and an egg.

Frothy Monkey

Frothy Monkey coffee houses have been favorites for gathering and remote work since the first one opened in 2004, growing since then to nearly double digits across Tennessee and beyond. The Nations location nearly doubles the size of the original 12 South location, providing plenty of space to relax and recover. The company roasts its own beans and bakes its own bread and pastries so a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich is an obvious choice, though tea, wine, beer, soups, and salads all work well too.

The Hampton Social

The Nashville location of this beachy chain is ground zero for boozy brunch and bachelorette-watching near Broadway — complete with a swinging bed, a rooftop, and endless Instagram photo ops. For instance, you can order large-format frosés, espresso martinis topped with edible gold glitter, and bloody marys in giant seashells. Meanwhile, Hampton Social’s food menu covers everything from avocado toast and breakfast burritos to seafood towers and a sunrise quinoa bowl.

Liberty Common

The weekend brunch at Liberty Common, a Southern brasserie downtown, features cinnamon walnut pancakes and Nashville hot chicken waffles or biscuits alongside egg-topped burgers and a version of a croque-madame on a Belgian waffle. There’s plenty of patio space for people-watching when the weather’s good, too.

Sunny-side up eggs atop a Belgian waffle next to a container of french fries.
Waffle madame at Liberty Common.
Liberty Common

Pinewood Social

Bowling lanes, dipping pools, and a broad weekend brunch menu darting from manchego-topped tots and sticky buns to smashed avocado toast and a hot coffee cocktail make Pinewood Social a favorite for roving bachelorette parties. Don’t let them chase you off, though; this place inside the historic Trolley Barns is easy to love and fairly spacious.

Chauhan Ale and Masala House

On the weekends, score a daytime reservation at stylish Chauhan Ale and Masala House for a brunch menu infused with Indian flavors. Celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan’s eponymous Gulch restaurant serves the likes of dosa pancakes with garam masala butter, a Nashville hot chicken pakora sandwich, and a stellar burger with masala fries. You can also try Chauhan’s next-door sibling, the Mockingbird, for a lovely modern diner experience.

Suzy Wong's Drag’n Brunch

Suzy Wong’s Drag’n Brunch puts it all there in the name: The boisterous restaurant does drag shows with brunch. Make reservations for one of two seatings per weekend day and you’ll simultaneously secure shared apps like strawberry cream cheese egg rolls and biscuits and gravy, a non-alcoholic drink, and one app such as katsu chicken and waffles or fried rice. It all comes from the mind of chef Arnold Myint aka Suzy Wong.

Husk

Weekend brunch is a great time to visit the Nashville location of this Charleston-based gem — daylight allows diners to fully take in the stunning surroundings while getting their fill of savory fare from executive chef Ben Norton. Highlights include the New Orleans-inspired barbecue shrimp, the plate of southern vegetables, and the Husk cheeseburger, though the menu changes weekly.

Sunda Nashville

Billy Dec’s pan-Asian Sunda, a chic Chicago import in the Gulch, offers a refreshing outside-the-box brunch option, moving beyond Music City’s usual hot chicken biscuit suspects. Try Filipino-inspired ube waffles, silog breakfast plates, creative sushi rolls, and an utterly absurd splurge cocktail: the massive 32-ounce Sumo Mary topped with tocino grilled cheese, a bao bun, a baked snow crab hand roll, lumpia, and more.

Earnest Bar & Hideaway

The menu at this charming Wedgewood-Houston oasis ranges from fairly traditional huevos rancheros and French toast to twists like a poutine Benedict, not to mention a legit mac and cheese topped with hot chicken. The cocktails are mostly well-done classics as well, with the occasional surprise like kalimotxo, a Spanish icon mixing red wine and Coke.

Josephine

A popular 12 South dinner destination, Josephine also shines at brunch with dishes like pecan sticky buns, duck confit hash, and a Josephine Benedict with scrapple, country ham, and brown-butter hollandaise. Chef Andrew Little also serves a serious steak and eggs, with perfect fries and herb butter.

The Butter Milk Ranch

One of 12 South’s busiest brunch spots, the Butter Milk Ranch offers both a walk-up counter for decadent pastries and a full-service dining room serving brunch all day. The charming setting and dishes from brown butter beignets to a chicken chorizo scramble are worth the wait for a table, though you can grab a latte and a croissant to go if you can’t handle the crowd.

Related Maps

Sinema

Sinema’s weekend brunch has no a la carte option for food; the sleek Melrose restaurant serves bottomless brunch at a set price, so arrive hungry. There’s no standing in a buffet line scooping from trays, either — fried chicken, biscuits with gravy, barbecue pork, and cinnamon roll pancakes come to the table fresh for family-style feasting. You can even add bottomless mimosas and/or bloody marys for the ultimate all-inclusive meal.

Sinema.
Sinema

Roze Pony

Julia Jaksic’s beloved all-day Cafe Roze in East Nashville now has a West Nashville counterpart in Roze Pony. This French-inspired hidden gem in Belle Meade serves breakfast and brunch favorites daily, from a banana shake and soufflé pancakes with blueberry syrup to the heartier shaved prime rib sandwich with fries on the side. Pair the meal with a nice assortment of cocktails, coffees, and teas.

Related Maps