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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!

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

Top of the morning to ya! The Dallas Brunch Club was up and at ‘em this morning to celebrate Dallas’ favorite holiday – St. Patrick’s Day! There is nothing quite like putting on your finest green ensemble, packing onto Greenville Avenue with thousands of others boasting their “Irish roots” to anyone who will listen (“no, really…I swear I’m one-eleventh Irish”) whilst sloshing around giant mugs of green beer.  Pretty much just one gigantic green-themed frat party.  To prepare, it was important that we get at least one solid meal under our belts before the festivities began, so we decided to meet up for brunch at Taverna. 

For those already familiar with this Lombardi family owned establishment it is important to note that they have recently changed locations and can now be found just around the corner on Knox Street, next door to Toulouse. They now have an even larger patio dining area that opens up into the restaurant and a cute little courtyard on the outside, as well. 

Any true Taverna fan knows that the main reason to brunch at Taverna has nothing to do with their food. It’s all about the $2 mimosas and bellinis! And with the waiters constantly coming by to top off your glass it’s easy to lose track of how many you’ve had. Definitely the perfect place to get your St. Patty’s Day buzz on!

Sometimes if you look really ravenous or your order is taking awhile they will even bring out some complimentary parmesan focaccia bread with a side of rosemary olive oil. Cheap booze and free bread, are you feeling lucky yet??

For entrees you can’t go wrong ordering off the special’s board. The Taverna Frittata and Taverna Breakfast change daily and are usually crowd pleasers, though sometimes a little costly. Today’s Breakfast Special came with two pancetta wrapped pork medallions topped with hollandaise and crabmeat with two eggs over easy, breakfast potatoes and a side of broccolini. This can easily be shared between two people. 

I’ve personally sampled nearly every entrée on their brunch menu (what can I say…the $2 mimosas keep me coming back for more) and while all are pretty good, my go-to dish that never disappoints is the Classic Eggs Benedict with crabmeat. It’s magically delicious!

The Crowd: People looking to get their drank on without running up a large tab. Make sure you get here before 11:30 or risk having to wait a bit for a table.

Dress to Impress: Casual Cute, this place is always hopping and it’s likely you’ll run into someone you know so make sure you comb your hair before heading out the door.

Sounds Like: Honestly, I don’t recall any music playing at all. But that may have been on account of the mimosas.  

Best Bite of the Day: Eggs Benedict with Crabmeat.

Worst Thing About Taverna: Taverna does not sell liquor. Therefore, no Bloody Mary’s, no Bailey’s for your coffee, no fun.

Best Thing About Taverna: The $2 Mimosas and Bellinis, duh!

May the luck of the Irish be with you this week and for all your brunches to come! 

Wow! Someone really pissed the Groundhog off this year! Snow in March? While the bad weather may have ruined any thoughts of patio brunching – we still need to eat, so the show must go on. We decided to go super casual today and headed to our neighborhood Torchy’s Tacos.

Originally starting off as a food trailer in Austin selling “damn good” tacos, Torchy’s has expanded throughout the great state of Texas and lucky for us, there are several locations in the Dallas area. We hit up the one on SMU Blvd. this frosty morning.

Torchy’s is an order-at-the-counter kind of joint. Usually not my cup of tea, but as mentioned we were keeping it low key today. The thing I hate about having to order right when you walk in is that there just isn’t enough time to truly evaluate the menu before ordering. No one wants to be forced into making hasty decisions and then suffer from food envy, or taco envy in this case. We let a few people cut in front off us, before we were ready to commit to an order.  

On recommendation, we decided to order up a side bowl of the Green Chile Queso. A smoky flavored queso topped with cilantro, Diablo hot sauce and a scoop of guacamole.  My, oh, my…was it delicious and the perfect remedy for this chilly morning.

We decided to take up residence at the bar, as most of the tables were full. Looks like many of our fellow Dallasites had the same idea as us today. We sampled the Mimosas and Bloody Marys – which were both fantastic and a steal of a deal at $2 and $3, respectively.

One round of drinks and basket of chips down, our tacos made their grand entrance. We sampled the following: 

The Trailer Park – Fried Chicken, Green Chiles, Pico de Gallo and Cheese – we ordered it “trashy” of course which adds Queso on top. Always a winner! $3.75

The Independent – Fried Portobello Mushroom Strips with Refried Black Beans, Roasted Corn, Carrots, Cilantro and Avocado drizzled with Ancho Aioli. YUM! $3.50

Bacon, Egg and Cheese – Your standard breakfast taco. $2.25

The Roscoe – Their taco of the Month for March. Imagine the taco version of Chicken and Waffles. Umm, yes please! $4.75

There are so many other fabulous tacos to try at Torchy’s so you’ll have to make a few trips to find your personal fav. I will say that I’ve never been disappointed by the Taco of the Month. The others I just rotate through depending on my craving du jour.  

The Crowd: People looking to get their grub on. Taco lovers unite!

Dress to Impress: Whatever you don’t mind spilling queso on. 

Sounds Like: Everything from Weezer to Ace of Base. Served with a side of “Barbie Girl”. 

Best Bite of the Day: The Green Chile Queso.

Worst Thing About Torchy’s: The pressure of ordering without having ample time to analyze the
menu.

Best Thing About Torchy’s: Delicious tacos and great drink specials. What more could you ask for on a lazy Sunday?

Hope everyone is staying warm during this freak cold spell. We will be going on hiatus for one week, but don’t worry we will be back in time to celebrate St. Patty’s with you!

After barely surviving National Margarita Day (who knew that was an actual thing…), this crew was ready for a hearty and delicious meal. We decided to take a stroll down Greenville Ave. and landed at one of our favorite new spots – The Libertine Bar. I had driven past this place a million times before deciding to check it out and boy am I glad I did. 

It took a pretty big effort to get out of bed this morning and as such, we missed out on the patio seating. The Libertine has a lot going on inside though so we weren’t too upset. We were taken to a booth in the back of the restaurant where some breakfast breads awaited us. It’s always nice to have a few complimentary carbs on hand to get the party started and help soak up last night’s tequila binge.

We ordered some Bloody Mary’s to take the edge off. They make their mix in house and it has a nice, smooth flavor, with the perfect amount of spice. Though they can accommodate those who prefer to burn off a few taste buds. All of their champagne cocktails are $2.50 during brunch. We sampled the Bellini and really it just tasted like cheap champagne so I’d pass on those next time. Unless that’s your thing.

The guys in our group both went with the Burger because well, they’re guys. Although not very adventurous, it was a solid choice, especially topped with a fried, over-medium egg and a few pieces of bacon.

The Crab Eggs Benedict was a pretty traditional take on the classic - poached eggs, spinach, hollandaise and crab meat atop an English muffin. You can add a pancake as a side to any meal for an extra $1. Don’t mind if I do! Your choice of buttermilk or gingerbread. Go with the gingerbread – fo. sho.

And for the win, if you are craving something truly spectacular, you must do yourself the favor of ordering the Shrimp and Grits. This was one of the creamiest and most flavorful bowl of grits I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying my fork to and they were very generous with the shrimp. I, however, was not – get your own! :)

The Crowd: No uptight brunchers here. A laid back gathering of 30 something’s looking for some good grub in a chill atmosphere. Just get here early or you’ll get the booth in the back between the coffee pots and the bathroom.  Brunch starts at 11AM. 
 
Dress to Impress: Hipster casual. Flaunt your new ink, let your bra hang out, long hair don’t care…. anything goes. 

Sounds Like: A hipster’s paradise. Mumford and Sons. Radiohead. Plus a bunch of other songs I had never heard. 

Best Bite of the Day: Shrimp and Grits, hands down. 

Worst Thing About The Libertine: It took for.ev.er to get our food. (Probably around an hour) They blamed it on the burgers. I blame it on a certain someone forgetting to put in our order. But hey - if you’ve got some time to kill and aren’t about to eat your right arm off then it’s definitely worth the wait. 

Best Thing About The Libertine: They really do have an amazing menu, and not just for brunch. Definitely a great spot for foodies and beer connoisseurs alike. During brunch, however, they only serve
from the brunch menu and I could write a whole love sonnet about their Portobello Fries from their small plates menu. You’ll need to make multiple trips to truly appreciate this place. 

Well that’s that. Hope everyone has a splendid week! Where do you all want to go next Sunday?