Brian Nagele
The late morning hours in Cleveland, Ohio, a city renowned for its culinary diversity, are vibrant, with a brunch culture that is a source of delight for both locals and tourists. The city’s brunch scene is a well-balanced fusion of innovations and traditions, combining traditional breakfast favorites with inspirations from around the world to create a unique dining experience. There are many restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Cleveland’s lively neighborhoods that invite you to enjoy the pleasures of slow weekend mornings. Whether you’re craving airy pancakes, flawlessly poached eggs, or inventive takes on traditional fare, the city’s brunch and breakfast spots have it all.
Lucky’s Cafe
777 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113
216-622-7773
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Lucky’s Café is a charming, casual, family-friendly breakfast and lunch eatery and café located inside a renovated 1940s home in the historic Tremont district. Lucky’s Café works with local Ohio farmers and purveyors to bring the freshest meals to the Cleveland community while supporting its local industries. Lucky’s seasonal menus won the Silver Spoon Award for Best Brunch, and their famous cheddar biscuits made an appearance on Food Network’s popular show Diners Drive-ins and Dives. The weekend brunch menu has a wholesome selection of veggie and fruit-heavy dishes like breakfast burritos, tofu and veggie scrambles, and an award-winning Reuben sandwich.
Grumpy’s Cafe
2621 W 14th St, Cleveland, OH 44113
Phone: 216-241-5025
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Located in Tremont, a block from the lovely Lincoln Park, Grumpy’s Café is a beloved neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot owned by Kathy Owad. Grumpy’s Café is a quaint and inviting space to enjoy locally sourced, fresh “feel good” food that will nourish bellies and souls, turning even the grumpiest of mornings into a promising day. Grumpy’s Café has a diverse menú of American comfort foods from Mexican to Cajun classics. Their signature Walker Hash, with chorizo and andouille sausage, okra over Cajun home fries topped with melted cheddar, and two over-easy eggs was a delightful fusion of the Southwest with the Deep South.
Town Hall
1909 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113
216-344-9400
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With locations in Ohio City and Italian Village, Town Hall is a hip, eco-friendly eatery, coffee house, and juice bar dedicated to sustainability, clean eating, and clean living. Everything from the lush green moss-covered walls to organic, non-GMO produce and house-branded coffee blends promote health and environmental consciousness. Their worthy cause and delicious, nutritious menus have garnered national acclaim from Eater, Thrillist, NPR, and many more famous publications. They serve brunch on the weekends featuring a delicious selection of build-your-own crepes, healthy egg dishes, lox plates, soups, bowls, and more. I loved the Avo Classic Power Toast with chia, flax, hemp, avocado oil, and microgreens on fresh sourdough.
West Side Market Cafe
1979 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113
Phone: 216-579-6800
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Established in 1912 in the Ohio City neighborhood, Westside Market is Cleveland’s oldest market and a registered historic landmark. The bustling West Side Market Café uses fresh produce, meat, dairy, and eggs from the surrounding market stalls to create a delicious and fresh home-style classic American breakfast, lunch, and brunch menu. The breakfast and lunch menu are served all day, every day, with brunch specialties on the weekends. I went with the brunch specialty Kielbasa Hash with locally made kielbasa, onions, potatoes, and poached eggs, smothered in Hollandaise sauce and served with hearty toast.
Yours Truly Restaurant
Playhouse Square, 1228 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115
216-621-2700
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Located inside Playhouse Square’s historic Halle Building in downtown Cleveland, Yours Truly Restaurant is a modern, industrial-chic bar and restaurant owned and operated by the Shibley family. The Playhouse Square is one of the latest additions to the Shibley restaurant dynasty that began in the 80s and has expanded to 9 popular restaurants in Ohio. The menu offers a diner-like all-American selection of all-day breakfasts, lunch, and dinners. They have great continental breakfast offerings. I loved their Eggs Bruschetta featuring thin-sliced baked ciabatta drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and topped with fresh spinach, chopped tomatoes, parmesan cheeses, and two over-easy eggs.
Astoria Café & Market
5417 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102
216-266-0834
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Named for the famously Greek New York neighborhood in Queens, Astoria Café and Market is a friendly neighborhood Mediterranean Café and specialty food deli a few blocks from Cleveland’s Gordon Square. The market and deli feature imported European specialties like cheese, cured meats, olives, grains, and oils. The eatery is led by talented Chef Cory Kobrinski, offering weekend brunches that feature creative Mediterranean takes on American brunch dishes. Their Crab, Shrimp, and Prosciutto Eggs Benedict was incredible. I also loved their Saganaki and Eggs, using pan-fried Kasseri Cheese baked with two eggs with tomato herb salad and grilled semolina bread.
Dante Next Door
2247 Professor Ave C, Cleveland, OH 44113
Phone: 216-274-1200
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Dante Next Door is a friendly neighborhood trattoria and Italian-inspired brunch eatery located next door to the nationally acclaimed Dante bistro, a fine-dining New American bistro from Michelin Star-winning chef Dante Boccuzzi. Dante Next Door is in the Tremont District in a beautiful 19th-century space with stunning antique chandeliers, a marble cocktail bar, and an elaborately wood-carved ceiling. You can get a fine-dining atmosphere and food with more family and budget-friendly options. The brunch menu features salads, sandwiches, homemade pasta, wood-fired pizzas, egg dishes, and decadent sweet dishes like chocolate chip pancakes and peach cobbler Belgian waffles.
Sabor Miami Café
4848 Broadview Rd, Cleveland, OH 44109
Phone: 440-714-0202
Sabor Miami is a hidden gem in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood, offering amazing coffee and Latin-American pastries and empanadas in a festive, colorful space that also doubles as an art gallery. They make a variety of Latin American dishes, from breakfast tacos to churros to Cuban sandwiches, along with Miami-inspired specialties. You can wander around the gallery with a coffee and churro in hand while you wait for the main course. You won’t find a more creative offering of brunch dishes, and their tropical juices and coffee drinks are refreshing and flavorful. I loved their tropical interpretations of pancakes, with key west lime pancakes and pineapple upside-down pancakes. For something savory, try the Choriqueso empanadas.
Luna Bakery & Cafe
2482 Fairmount Blvd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
216-231-8585
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Located in Cleveland Heights, Luna Bakery and Café is a cozy European-style pastry counter and café from Pastry Chef Bridget Thibeault. Their high-end pastries, macarons, scones, and fresh loaves are scratch-made daily, and the cute, old-school European pastry shop feel is a wonderful place to sip coffee and delight in a delicate almond croissant with friends or savor a cup solo with the morning paper. They also offer a full breakfast, brunch, and lunch menu served all day with a variety of paninis, sweet and savory crepes, egg scrambles, and toasts. I loved their herb scrambled egg panini with Swiss cheese, avocado, and all-natural bacon.
Le Petit Triangle Café
1881 Fulton Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113
Phone: 216-281-1881
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Owned by a married couple and Cleveland natives Tom and Joy Harlor, Le Petit Triangle Café is a classic French café and breakfast eatery by day and wine bar and bistro by night. Located in Ohio City, Le Petit Triangle has a classy, quaint façade and old-world European décor that evoke an authentic Parisian café. The upscale brunch menu is an authentic portrayal of French cuisine with cheese and cured fish platters, small plates, soups, salads, sweet and savory crepes, omelets, and brunch entrees. I chose the fanciest French entrée on the menu, the roasted duck and chicken sausage cassoulet with white beans and vegetables.
Dinerbar on Clifton
11801 Clifton Blvd, Lakewood, OH 44107
216-521-5003
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Dinerbar on Clifton is a modern American diner and cocktail bar in Lakewood that serves a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner diner menu with uncharacteristically healthy options along with modern takes on American diner fare. The atmosphere is lively, and the interior offers a refined twist on old-school diner décor. In classic diner fashion, breakfast is an all-day offering. I wanted to sample their healthier options and opted for the veggie-heavy Diner Scrambles with broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheddar, and jack cheese. That said, you can always add a short stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes as a decadent upgrade.
Inn on Coventry
2785 Euclid Heights Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106
216-371-1811
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Inn on Coventry is an Ohio City staple for family-friendly, budget-friendly breakfasts in a cute, casual eatery. Their extensive brunch menu has multiple variations on every classic American brunch dish along with a tasty offering of brunch cocktails. Kids will love the pancake varieties with flavors and toppings that imitate an ice-cream Sunday. Whether you want eggs benedict, pancakes, burgers, or scrambles, there are nearly a dozen varieties of them. Plus, you can build your own pancakes, omelets, scrambles, and burgers. I enjoyed their Croissant Sisterhood sandwich with Nova Scotia lox, scrambled eggs, and Hollandaise. Their lemon ricotta pancakes are incredible. You could have them for dessert!
Landmark Restaurant
5380 St Clair Ave., Cleveland, OH 44103
216-881-5372
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Located in the Goodrich-Kirtland Park neighborhood a short walk from Cleveland Harbor, Landmark Restaurant is a no-frills, casual, family-friendly diner with the best prices in town. You can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner platters from 5 am to 3 pm daily, making them the most well-rounded brunch spot on the list. The massive portions of home-cooked meals from a massive diner menu of continental breakfasts, pancakes, patty melts, blue plate specials, and more offer the biggest bang for your buck. They even offer a half-pound of ground round on the menu as a part of one of the giant continental breakfasts with three eggs and a side of grits.
Big Al’s Diner
12600 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44120
Phone: 216-791-8550
Big Al’s Diner is an East Side diner favorite, featuring down-home cooking with a southern flair. Named for owner Al who runs the diner with his wife Cheryl, Big Al’s is a cozy, cheap, family-friendly spot in a tiny dining room that has won the hearts of locals and famous visitors alike. Celebrity Chef Michael Symon wrote a glowing review of their scrumptious and heaping plates of classic diner food. Every plate is enough to feed two people, so come hungry. They have 16 continental breakfast combos along with Southern comfort sides like grits, fried green tomatoes, and sausage gravy. I loved their made-to-order corned beef hash with potatoes, eggs, green peppers, and a side of Texas toast.
Punch Bowl Social Cleveland
1086 W 11th St, Cleveland, OH 44113
216-239-1508
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Punch Bowl Social is the ultimate adult playground in Flats East Bank a few blocks from the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Punch Bowl Social has a bowling alley, billiards, foosball, karaoke, and even a put-put golf course, not to mention various bars and a world-class rooftop patio to enjoy delicious bar fare and American comfort food classics alfresco. Weekend brunch is a boozy brunch extravaganza with classic brunch cocktails plus some pretty dangerous punch bowl concoctions like the mimosa bowl with orange and pineapple juice, strawberry syrup, vodka, and sparkling wine. My favorite brunch dish was a tie between their spicy honey fried chicken biscuit and the green chorizo tacos with potatoes scrambled eggs, onion relish, Oaxacan cheese, black beans, and salsa Roja.
Why Trust Us?
When it comes to local restaurant recommendations, we pride ourselves on being a reliable and trustworthy resource. Our suggestions are not just based on our personal experiences, ensuring a more authentic and well-rounded perspective, but also on extensive online research. We diligently searched the internet and reviewed 4 credible sites and blogs, including Cleveland Magazine and Cleveland Traveler.
We compiled all the findings in one location and sorted them by the frequency of mentions to ensure you receive top-notch recommendations. We strive to present you with a curated list of establishments that truly stand out, allowing you to enjoy the best dining experiences possible.
Interested in the sources we consulted? Check out the list of all 4 sites we referenced below this paragraph, offering transparency and an opportunity for our readers to explore further. Our commitment is to deliver trustworthy and unparalleled recommendations, helping you make informed decisions on your culinary journeys.
https://clevelandmagazine.com/food-drink/articles/dining-guide-cleveland’s-25-best-brunches
https://clevelandtraveler.com/brunch-in-cleveland/
https://fox8.com/news/15-brunches-in-cleveland-and-beyond-that-are-truly-worthwhile/
https://theclevelandbucketlist.com/blog/tcbl-recommends-breakfast-brunch
