If you haven’t jumped on the brunch bandwagon yet, you are seriously missing out on the best meal of the day.
Is it breakfast? Is it lunch? Honestly, it doesn’t matter. The name “brunch” just makes it feel like a special occasion. The Mimosas and Bloody Marys are a nice perk, but these 15 restaurants in Pennsylvania also offer delicious brunch dishes that are worth waking up for.
- The Little Lion (Philadelphia)
Facebook / The Little Lion Red Velvet French Toast? We’re In. The Little Lion Man has a large menu filled with creative specials and reasonable prices. They have comfort food favorites as well as fancier options; we’re fans of the Salmon Benedict.
243 Chestnut St Philadelphia, PA 19106
- Home 231 (Harrisburg)
Facebook / Home 231 Home 231 uses organic ingredients from local farmers and you can taste the difference in their food. They make a mean Crab Benedict, tasty Huevos Rancheros, and some seriously delicious fried chicken with biscuits and chorizo gravy. You can’t go wrong with one of their Bloody Marys.
231 North St Harrisburg, PA 17101
- Coca Café (Pittsburgh)
Yelp / Kelly F. There are so many delicious things on Coca Cafe’s menu that it was hard to even pick just one photo. Coca Cafe has some excellent breakfast sandwiches, French toast with brie and berries, and the banana bread with honey walnut cream cheese that will knock your socks off. The dish that really blew us away was the monstrously delicious buttermilk doughnuts with lemon, blueberry, and blackberry icings.
3811 Butler St Pittsburgh, PA 15201
- The Naked Egg (State College)
Yelp / Lily K. The Naked Egg is a small family-owned cafe and a local favorite for breakfast and brunch. They are famous for their eggs Benedict variations - we suggest the salmon Benedict, but the florentine Benedict comes in a close second.
320 Pine Grove Rd State College, PA 16801
- Ida’s Cafe (Lancaster)
Yelp / Jonna H. Ida’s Cafe has this whole brunch deal down. Between the smoked salmon florentine eggs Benedict, fluffy pancakes that you will never forget, and pumpkin stuffed French toast, you will definitely need to visit this cafe more than once to try all of their delicious dishes.
507 Rohrerstown Rd Lancaster, PA
- JJ McNally’s (Scranton)
Yelp / Hanna K. You can ask just about anyone who loves JJ McNally’s what their favorite dish is: ranch eggs. We’re fans of the farmer’s hash; it has tons of fresh veggies and makes us feel slightly less guilty than our true favorite: the Nutella French Toast.
501 Linden St Scranton, PA
- The Hungry Pigeon (Philadelphia)
Yelp / Melissa P. We couldn’t find a single thing on The Hungry Pigeon’s menu that we didn’t want to order. Breakfast bowl? Bring it on. steak and eggs with stinky cheese? Yes, please. Brisket hash? Let me move some of these dishes to make room. Freshly baked pastries, you say? Warm croissants and muffins just pulled from the oven? Keep ’em coming. Now let’s top it all off with one of their unique Bloody Marys…
743 S 4th St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147
- Gracie’s on West Main (Leola)
Facebook / Gracie’s on West Main Let’s get this one thing out there right off the bat: Gracie’s has bacon like you’ve never tasted before. The chefs work together with local farmers to create bacon so tasty that you really must kick off your brunch with the bacon sampler. Once you’ve gobbled that down, take a look at the Harissa Benedict, banana bread toast with cinnamon butter, and anything you can find to put their incredible homemade jams on (try the strawberry lemon basil flavor).
264 W Main St Leola, PA 17540
- Summer House Cafe (Erie)
Yelp / Jason C. It’s all about the Breakfast Bowl at Summer House Cafe. Their biscuits are light and fluffy and their sausage gravy has a bit of a kick to it. Their pancakes and huevos rancheros are excellent, but our personal favorite? The corned beef hash.
2605 Washington Ave Erie, PA 16508
- Point Brugge Cafe (Pittsburgh)
Yelp / David H. It’s hard to go wrong at Point Brugge Cafe - the hardest part will be waiting in line. Call ahead to make a reservation for large parties, as this tiny cafe has limited seating. This place is well-known for their delicious mussels, so if you prefer the savory side of life, order these (or sneak a few from your friend’s bowl when they aren’t looking). We like to kick off our day with something sweeter - and Brugge’s waffles are pure perfection. Other notable dishes: the croque madame and out-of-this-world fluffy French toast.
401 Hastings St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
- Cafe 1500 (Harrisburg)
Yelp / Shawn B. With mimosas by the pitcher for only $15, it’s hard to complain about anything at Cafe 1500. This is another great spot if you are a fan of Benedicts; people can’t stop talking about the crab Benedict and their signature house creation - The 1500.
1500 N 6th St #101, Harrisburg, PA 17102
- Mansour’s Market (Scranton)
Yelp / E L. Yes, we know what you are thinking…“What the heck is THAT?” Well, it’s called a Granana and there is no possible way a photo will EVER do it justice. You just can’t make a banana slathered with peanut butter, rolled in homemade granola, and drizzled with honey look as good as it tastes…and you can’t deny it sounds delicious, right?
There are tons of other excellent dishes at Monsour’s Market as well; try the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (which are surprisingly light and fluffy), or “the nap” if you love a traditional breakfast and know that you will have time to relax and digest this large plate. Everything is homemade at Monsour’s, and some ingredients are even freshly picked from the co-op garden located near the restaurant. YUM!
969 Prescott Ave Scranton, PA 18510
- e2 (Pittsburgh)
Yelp / Alberta H. Now here are some breakfast foods elevated to the high status they deserve. e2 offers some terrific omelettes (the goat cheese is a favorite), but the true stars of the show at e2? The doughnuts, zeppoles, and beignets. You’ve never tasted fried dough like this before. Not only does e2 make all of their own fresh doughs daily, the portions are huge and leave you pondering how big a doughnut would have to be to produce holes this large. The lemon rosemary one will make your taste buds explode. Other excellent flavors: apple-orange-walnut, white berry, chocolate pistachio, and (our new favorite) Sriracha. Yup, you read that correctly; it’s hot sauce flavored, using the magical rooster sauce as icing. It may sound odd, but it’s amazing. It’s not too spicy (at least for us), but they do serve it with an amazing blue cheese sauce if you need to cut the heat. e2 is a BYOB spot, so bring along your own bottle of champagne and they will provide the orange juice.
5904 Bryant St Pittsburgh, PA 15206
- The Pantry Restaurant (Lancaster)
Yelp / Nicholas W. Florentine Benedict, cinnamon swirl French toast, blueberry pancakes, oh my! The Pantry is famous for their homemade baked granola and that fame is well-deserved. We’re fans of the many egg skillets, but our favorite is definitely the croissant French toast.
2715 Marietta Ave Lancaster, PA
White Dog Cafe (Wayne)
Yelp / Tracy N. Bread pudding French toast. Need I say more? Yes, but only because there are so many tasty dishes at White Dog Cafe that to ignore them would be a crime against food.
The cafe celebrates the farm-to-table food movement, so everything served here is made from the freshest local ingredients, and the seasonal specials change with the growing seasons. We recommend their omelettes, chicken & waffles, the crab Benedict, almond French toast, and the pumpkin pancakes. If you are looking for something savory, you must try the truffle fries.
200 W Lancaster Ave Wayne, PA 19087
Did we make you hungry? We’re totally salivating over these delicious photos (and wish we could visit them all at once)!
Facebook / The Little Lion
Red Velvet French Toast? We’re In. The Little Lion Man has a large menu filled with creative specials and reasonable prices. They have comfort food favorites as well as fancier options; we’re fans of the Salmon Benedict.
243 Chestnut St Philadelphia, PA 19106
Facebook / Home 231
Home 231 uses organic ingredients from local farmers and you can taste the difference in their food. They make a mean Crab Benedict, tasty Huevos Rancheros, and some seriously delicious fried chicken with biscuits and chorizo gravy. You can’t go wrong with one of their Bloody Marys.
231 North St Harrisburg, PA 17101
Yelp / Kelly F.
There are so many delicious things on Coca Cafe’s menu that it was hard to even pick just one photo. Coca Cafe has some excellent breakfast sandwiches, French toast with brie and berries, and the banana bread with honey walnut cream cheese that will knock your socks off. The dish that really blew us away was the monstrously delicious buttermilk doughnuts with lemon, blueberry, and blackberry icings.
3811 Butler St Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Yelp / Lily K.
The Naked Egg is a small family-owned cafe and a local favorite for breakfast and brunch. They are famous for their eggs Benedict variations - we suggest the salmon Benedict, but the florentine Benedict comes in a close second.
320 Pine Grove Rd State College, PA 16801
Yelp / Jonna H.
Ida’s Cafe has this whole brunch deal down. Between the smoked salmon florentine eggs Benedict, fluffy pancakes that you will never forget, and pumpkin stuffed French toast, you will definitely need to visit this cafe more than once to try all of their delicious dishes.
507 Rohrerstown Rd Lancaster, PA
Yelp / Hanna K.
You can ask just about anyone who loves JJ McNally’s what their favorite dish is: ranch eggs. We’re fans of the farmer’s hash; it has tons of fresh veggies and makes us feel slightly less guilty than our true favorite: the Nutella French Toast.
501 Linden St Scranton, PA
Yelp / Melissa P.
We couldn’t find a single thing on The Hungry Pigeon’s menu that we didn’t want to order. Breakfast bowl? Bring it on. steak and eggs with stinky cheese? Yes, please. Brisket hash? Let me move some of these dishes to make room. Freshly baked pastries, you say? Warm croissants and muffins just pulled from the oven? Keep ’em coming. Now let’s top it all off with one of their unique Bloody Marys…
743 S 4th St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147
Facebook / Gracie’s on West Main
Let’s get this one thing out there right off the bat: Gracie’s has bacon like you’ve never tasted before. The chefs work together with local farmers to create bacon so tasty that you really must kick off your brunch with the bacon sampler. Once you’ve gobbled that down, take a look at the Harissa Benedict, banana bread toast with cinnamon butter, and anything you can find to put their incredible homemade jams on (try the strawberry lemon basil flavor).
264 W Main St Leola, PA 17540
Yelp / Jason C.
It’s all about the Breakfast Bowl at Summer House Cafe. Their biscuits are light and fluffy and their sausage gravy has a bit of a kick to it. Their pancakes and huevos rancheros are excellent, but our personal favorite? The corned beef hash.
2605 Washington Ave Erie, PA 16508
Yelp / David H.
It’s hard to go wrong at Point Brugge Cafe - the hardest part will be waiting in line. Call ahead to make a reservation for large parties, as this tiny cafe has limited seating. This place is well-known for their delicious mussels, so if you prefer the savory side of life, order these (or sneak a few from your friend’s bowl when they aren’t looking). We like to kick off our day with something sweeter - and Brugge’s waffles are pure perfection. Other notable dishes: the croque madame and out-of-this-world fluffy French toast.
401 Hastings St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Yelp / Shawn B.
With mimosas by the pitcher for only $15, it’s hard to complain about anything at Cafe 1500. This is another great spot if you are a fan of Benedicts; people can’t stop talking about the crab Benedict and their signature house creation - The 1500.
1500 N 6th St #101, Harrisburg, PA 17102
Yelp / E L.
Yes, we know what you are thinking…“What the heck is THAT?” Well, it’s called a Granana and there is no possible way a photo will EVER do it justice. You just can’t make a banana slathered with peanut butter, rolled in homemade granola, and drizzled with honey look as good as it tastes…and you can’t deny it sounds delicious, right?
There are tons of other excellent dishes at Monsour’s Market as well; try the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (which are surprisingly light and fluffy), or “the nap” if you love a traditional breakfast and know that you will have time to relax and digest this large plate. Everything is homemade at Monsour’s, and some ingredients are even freshly picked from the co-op garden located near the restaurant. YUM!
969 Prescott Ave Scranton, PA 18510
Yelp / Alberta H.
Now here are some breakfast foods elevated to the high status they deserve. e2 offers some terrific omelettes (the goat cheese is a favorite), but the true stars of the show at e2? The doughnuts, zeppoles, and beignets. You’ve never tasted fried dough like this before. Not only does e2 make all of their own fresh doughs daily, the portions are huge and leave you pondering how big a doughnut would have to be to produce holes this large. The lemon rosemary one will make your taste buds explode. Other excellent flavors: apple-orange-walnut, white berry, chocolate pistachio, and (our new favorite) Sriracha. Yup, you read that correctly; it’s hot sauce flavored, using the magical rooster sauce as icing. It may sound odd, but it’s amazing. It’s not too spicy (at least for us), but they do serve it with an amazing blue cheese sauce if you need to cut the heat. e2 is a BYOB spot, so bring along your own bottle of champagne and they will provide the orange juice.
5904 Bryant St Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Yelp / Nicholas W.
Florentine Benedict, cinnamon swirl French toast, blueberry pancakes, oh my! The Pantry is famous for their homemade baked granola and that fame is well-deserved. We’re fans of the many egg skillets, but our favorite is definitely the croissant French toast.
2715 Marietta Ave Lancaster, PA
Yelp / Tracy N.
Bread pudding French toast. Need I say more? Yes, but only because there are so many tasty dishes at White Dog Cafe that to ignore them would be a crime against food.
The cafe celebrates the farm-to-table food movement, so everything served here is made from the freshest local ingredients, and the seasonal specials change with the growing seasons. We recommend their omelettes, chicken & waffles, the crab Benedict, almond French toast, and the pumpkin pancakes. If you are looking for something savory, you must try the truffle fries.
200 W Lancaster Ave Wayne, PA 19087
Have you been to any of these delightful brunch spots? What did you order? Do you have a favorite that wasn’t mentioned in this list? Tell us about it in the comments! We love to find new places to try.
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