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Recently, we found ourselves just on the other side of the Margaret Hunt Bridge, at a quaint little Oak Cliff restaurant called Jonathon’s. What they lack in restaurant capacity they make up for in portion
sizes and flavor.

Luckily, we arrived early enough, which is a must if you plan on getting a seat in the next hour, and scored the perfect little table on the patio. That is until the Attack of the Flies, but more on that
later…

Jonathon’s has plenty of cocktails to jump start your morning. They have a build-your-own Bloody Mary Bar with, in my opinion, one of the best house made Bloody Mary mixes. It’s a little sweeter and not so spicy – if you’re into that. 
 
Another favorite is the Purple Drank, but more because it’s just fun to say! I can’t dare say that I remember what is actually in the Purple Drank, but if you’re ordering it, it’s probably more for show anyway, right?

When it’s time to order go big or go home. One word of advice (and really the only advice that one who dines at Jonathon’s needs): Order the Chicken and Waffles.  I’m deadly serious on this one. If you decide to be all, “Oh, that’s too much food!”, “I’m on a diet…”, or “I’ll just have a bite of yours…”, you will live to regret it. I promise. Jonathon’s Chicken and Waffles is the best C&W in all the land. Mainly because their peppered gravy is the ish! You won’t want to share and even though it’s gigantic, you wont have any to take home.

Anther bruncher at our table took a gamble on the Kure. A heaping order of biscuits, scrambled eggs, bacon, gravy, and cheddar. Good, but t’was no C&W. Same goes for the Breakfast Tacos – eh. 
 
The only thing that made for an unpleasant experience at Jonathon’s was the swarm of flies that arrive as soon as your food is set on your table. Every time I have gone to Jonathon’s and eaten outside this has been a problem, so just know ahead of time – you’ll be getting an arm work out with all the swatting you’ll be doing whilst eating your C&W, which I guess, might not be a bad thing…

The Crowd: Get’s hopping around 11:00am – come earlier than that and you’ll be safe. Jonathon’s
opens as early as 8am.
 
Dress to Impress: Just wear your best stretchy pants and a loose top. You don’t want to feel confined while dominating your waffles!
 
Best Bite of the day: Chicken and Waffles – most def!

Worst Thing About Jonathon’s: The Lord of the Flies

Best Thing About Jonathon’s: Cool vibe, great Bloody Mary bar and deliciously oversized entrees.

Unfortunately, not all brunches are meant to be a leisurely affair. Sometimes you’re in a time crunch and just need to get the job done. Thus was the case when we stopped by Breadwinner’s Northpark location one afternoon before a very important Sunday Funday pool party. It’s a tough life – we know. But beyond the hustle and bustle of shopper’s on a mission, tucked in the center of the mall, a lovely dining experience awaits.

If you’re coming to nurse a hangover or to get one started, Breadwinner’s has quite the array of beverages to choose from. We sampled everything from the Bloody Mary to the French Kiss and a few in between. Oh la la! The tasty drink award goes to the Deep Eddy’s Frozen Blackberry Lemonade. A delightful treat on a scorching 100 degree day!

The drinking was the easy part. Trying to decide what to eat can be a little more cumbersome. They offer quite an impressive menu of scrambles, pastries, sandwiches, benedicts and other speciality items. The Leo’s Scramble was a definite hit at our table. Three eggs scrambled with grilled chicken, ham, onion, tomato, jack cheese and hollandaise. There’s no wonder it is highlighted on the menu.

The Croque Madame served open faced on grilled tuscan bread with ham, swiss, jalapeno cream gravy and a sunny side up egg was another favorite.

Don’t forget to save room for a warm Caramel Pecan Roll. Probably not recommended to indulge in before a pool party, but hey we live on the edge.

Breadwinner’s has several locations in the Dallas area, and while their Uptown location is probably our favorite, the Northpark location will do the job for the bruncher on the go!

The problem with brunch is that it’s not a daily occurrence. Luckily, happy hours were invented to bridge the gap from one weekend to the next. We were graciously invited to attend a happy hour this week at Social House Addison to sample some delightful bites and some refreshing frozen cocktails.

Social House makes everything on their menu in house and from scratch, which is what sets them apart from the rest. We had the pleasure of trying many items from their menu including the Prosciutto & Pesto Pizza and the Irish Pork Nachos, but my hands down favorite was the Tomato Bruschetta with Basil Pesto. Simple and fresh ingredients, yet very flavorful. It went down even better chased with the Frozen Raspberry Mojito. Social House has a variety of frozen cocktails that will make even the hottest summer day tolerable.

Before our happy hour came to a close, Social House had one last surprise up their sleeve. They announced that they will be opening a new location in Fort Worth early this fall. Congrats Cowtown! Looking forward to visiting Social House’s newest location!

Today we traveled back in time and to the south side of the Big D to hit up a groovy little spot called, The Cedars Social. No, seriously, you will feel like you’ve been swallowed by a time machine and dumped out into a space that’s a stylistic mash-up of the Brady Bunch and the Jetson’s living rooms. 
But trust us, you’ll love it! 

Arriving at Cedars Social can prove to be difficult because there is no signage on the street to let you know when you’ve hit your destination. Make sure you take Siri along for the ride.

Also, parking is free even though signs in the lot indicate that you must pay. After we had already paid the $5 fee, a waitress outside on her smoke break informed us that people eating at their restaurant do not have to pay. Awesome. We’re so charitable. 

Heading indoors, there were lots of oohing and ahhing as we were guided to our seats. The décor is strange but familiar, like stumbling into your grandma’s house after an acid trip. We’re only guessing. *The DBC does not recommend the consumption of acid before partaking in brunch, or ever really. 

I was glad to see that their menus were presented in an easy to read layout. Their online menu has all of their drinks, sides and entrees jumbled together in one run-on sentence and is difficult to decipher. I was also impressed by their long list of drink offerings. For $10 you can go for bottomless mimosas or if you’re fancy bottomless rosé.  I opted for the mimosas and they were fab! Tall pours and a good OJ to champs ratio, just the way I like them. The Bloody Mary was a little on the spicy side, but in a good feel-the-burn way. The Irish Coffees were also delightful and all coffees (with booze or without) are French Press. A-plus on drinks!

To jumpstart our palettes we ordered a plate of deviled eggs, as well as a sampling of their oysters, which change daily. I’d definitely recommend the eggs as a starter as they were more of a crowd pleaser. The oysters, although beautifully presented, were a little on the small side for $3.75 a piece. 

For entrées we went with several of the recommendations from our waitress. The Eggs Benedict was pretty delish, mainly because it was served atop thick pieces of pork belly giving it an extra savory sweetness. The Shrimp and Grits were also appetizing although come served in a very shallow bowl. You might need to eat with slow spoonfuls to really get your money’s worth. 

Their burger was good, although pretty standard and comes with a side of parmesan fries, which can be ordered with truffle oil if your heart desires. However, the real standout today was the Breakfast Flatbread. Toppings included pork belly, carmelized onions, cave aged cheddar (whatever that means) and eggs. It was fantastic. 

The Crowd: There was no crowd when we arrived at 11:15AM, but they slowly started to trickle in while we dined.  

Dress to Impress: Casual, although if you’re into blending in with your surroundings make sure to wear something that is a nod to mod.

Sounds Like: Portishead, Citizen Cope, Red Hot Chili Peppers…. You’ll definitely want to have your Shazam app ready to go!

Best Bite of the Day: The Breakfast Flatbread for the win. I mean with a pork and melted cheese combo can you really lose?

Worst Thing About Cedars Social: The parking debacle and a very confusing time splitting our check and getting charged for random things at the end.

Best Thing About Cedars Social: The ambiance and cocktails! Definitely a fun place to bring a group or out-of-towners. They have a patio area that overlooks the Dallas skyline that would only enhance your drinking experience. 

Wish we could go ahead and time travel to next weekend’s brunch!
See you soon!
-DBC

Check out The Cedars Social online here

1326 S Lamar St, Dallas, TX

Sundays in May were meant for brunching, and so were we.  On this particular Sunday we traveled into uncharted territory to explore what the Bishop Arts District had to offer.  With so many enticing options it can be hard to decide on just one dining destination, but we followed our gut and landed at a charming little restaurant called Oddfellows. The only thing strange about Oddfellows is that we hadn’t been here sooner. 

Strolling inside this hip eatery we were greeted by a hostess that took our name and cell phone number down on an iPad to text us when our table was ready. Oh you fancy huh?

We scored a coveted outdoor table in the shade, with plenty of fans pointed our way to keep it breezy. The only catch to our prime seating was that their picnic tables are community style seating which means sharing your table with other people. Going against everything that your mother has ever taught you, in this setting it is highly encouraged that you talk to strangers. Our tablemate, however, wanted nothing to do with us. Obviously he didn’t realize he was sitting next to the one and only Dallas Brunch Club bloggers – poor schmuck!  

After all this adventuring into the unknown, we decided to order up something familiar, a bloody mary and a mimosa, naturally. The bloody mary, arriving in a darling little mason jar with garnishes a plenty, had a delightful flavor with just the right amount of kick to it. The mimosa was just average. 

After a little friendly banter with our waiter (shout out to our boy Slaughter) and a lot of cold shoulder from our neighbor, we placed our orders.  The Duck Chilaquiles was absolutely fabulous and two gold stars for you if your waiter applauds your pronunciation of this dish, not to brag or anything! This dish includes duck confit covered in spicy ranchero sauce over a bed of black bean corn relish and tortilla strips topped with a fried egg. Boom-shacka-lacka! 

We also tried the Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Skillet, which was pretty amazing itself served up in a miniature black skillet of salmon, egg, goat cheese and avocado scramble goodness with tortillas on the side for some DIY taco construction. 

We also ordered one Red Velvet Pancake to share, because well…why the hell not? It came topped with a cream cheese icing and deliciously sweet syrup, a happy ending to our splendid little adventure. 

The Crowd: Expect a steady crowd of cool cat Bishop Arts brunchers throughout the day. We got there around 1:30 and there was a very short wait, but by 2:00 the wait was going strong again.

Dress to Impress: Summer’s-Coming-Chic. Ladies donned their best sundresses and the gents kept it casual. 

Sounds Like: Florence + The Machine sitting at a communal table with Imagine Dragon.

Best Bite of the Day: For the first time ever, I cannot choose just one. I’m sorry. It just can’t be done.  All of my bites were pure bliss. 

Worst Thing About Oddfellows: Sharing your table with a dud.  

Best Thing About Oddfellows: It’s location, food, charm and great wait-staff. We left here saying that we would definitely be returning soon! 

Make sure to squeeze in a few more patio brunches before it gets hotter than Hades out there, Dallas! See you soon! 

Check out Oddfellows online here
316 W. 7th Street | Dallas, TX 75208

Bone bone bone bone bone bone bone bone…. See you at the Crossroads, Crossroads…. so you won’t be hungry! A few weekends ago, we did some brunching at Crossroads Diner and it is definitely worthy of a shout-out – Bone Thugs style.

This place is nestled off of 75 on Walnut Hill and I never would have known about it, if not for the many recommendations to go and try it out. I’m glad we did. When we arrived there was a line of people out the door.  Luckily, we had a few friends that were wrapping up their brunch at Crossroads that we were able to sit down with and pull a switcheroo fast one to get their table. Hey! Ain’t nobody got time to wait 45 minutes for a table!

Once we settled into our stolen table, we started with a “Hug in a Mug”, which is just as friendly as the name suggests. A warm cup of joe with a delicious liquor additive (not Bailey’s-they don’t have any - but something to that effect).  Whip cream optional.  We didn’t taste test the mimosas, but we did order a Bloody Mary. Yuck. Don’t do it! Their bloody mix was oddly strange tasting. Sorry – just keeping it real.

When dining at Crossroads it is imperative that you start your meal with the Cinnamon Sticky Bun. It is huge and can be shared between at least 4 people, but it is a must-have starter, ender, or both to your meal. I’m telling you it is sinfully delicious and by far the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Do it. 

 Aside from the Sticky Bun, the Crossroads has a very large variety of breakfast and lunch entrees. All are pretty standard fare. The Breakfast Skillet was a stand-out: a scrambling of eggs, bacon, potatoes, onion and cheddar cheese. The Breakfast Tostada was also a good choice and was one of the specials of the day, which as I’m told is usually the way to go. 
 
Additionally, if you check in on Yelp you can score yourself a free side of pancakes. However, a lot of the entrees already include a side of pancakes, so go easy. You might already be on the brink of a diabetic coma after the Sticky Bun.

The Crowd: Apparently Crossroads Diner is pretty well known amongst the breakfast crowd so be sure to get there early to grab a spot… or if you like to sleep in send your friends to do the dirty work! Crossroads opens at 7AM.

Dress to Impress: Gold chains and your diamond grill. Oops wrong Crossroads! Leave your gangsta wear at home. Casual attire is fine.

Sounds Like: I don’t recall any atmosphere music playing, just the sounds of my Sticky Bun whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

Best Bite of the Day: Sticky Bun, duh.

Worst Thing About Crossroads: The wait and the Bloody Marys.

Best Thing About Crossroads: STICKY BUN!!! Okay, okay you get it, but seriously get your buns over to Crossroads right now. You won’t regret it! 

Hope all of you Dallas brunchers are enjoying all of this delightful weather we’ve been having! Spring has sprung and we look forward to brunching at a patio near you!