Where to Get My Favorite Brunch in Seattle

I used to take my nieces to brunch in Seattle every Saturday after gymnastics. First, let me tell you this is an expensive habit. Second, at least it’s made me stay really on top of the brunch scene in Seattle.

While I’ve been to an obscene amount of places for brunch, there are a few I go back to again and again. Whether you prefer sweet items like pancakes and French toast or more savory dishes with eggs or meat, here are my favorite places to get brunch in Seattle and exactly what to order. Who knows, your next favorite brunch place might be below!

Best Spots for Brunch in Seattle

El Moose

website | neighborhood: Ballard | 5242 Leary Ave NW | best for: casual, authentic Mexican breakfast

El Moose (previously known as Señor Moose) has one of my favorite brunches in town. That’s why I included them in my self-guided Seattle food tour of the Ballard neighborhood. They serve homemade Mexican dishes similar to what I’d imagine someone’s grandmother.

The decor is colorful and full of Mexican art and artifacts lining the walls. Put your name on the clip board on the counter for a table (even if you’re not greeted). I’ve always had to wait if I roll in with more than 4 people, but around 1 pm or after tends to be when the crowds thin out. Or you can try going early when they open. They don’t take reservations.

In terms of what to order, I don’t even look at the brunch menu because I always get the chilaquiles with carne asada and eggs, machaca con huevos (shredded beef with scrambled eggs) when available, and guacamole with homemade tortilla chips on the side. These dishes are all so flavorful. You can taste the chiles. You can taste the browning of the meat. You can taste the salt in the tortilla chips. Mexican flavors can taste muddled if the chef doesn’t know what they’re doing, but El Moose, well, they know.

Portage Bay Cafe

website | neighborhoods: Ballard, U-District, SLU | best for: typical brunch favorites with a twist (reservations recommended)

Portage Bay Cafe is a crowd pleaser because it has something for everyone. If you order any of the pancakes, waffles, or French toast, you’re entitled to take a trip up to the toppings bar that’s full of fruit, nuts, whipped cream, maple syrup, and more. Or, if you’re like me and prefer savory, there’s a ton of Benedict, hash, and egg dishes, too.

I always recommend getting the banana fosters French toast or the migas, which is a quesadilla-like dish with eggs. My favorite location to get this one at is in Ballard. Though it’s all the same company, I swear they make it best there.

Portage Bay always has a huge wait, so I recommend making a reservation. But don’t take the word “reservation” at face value. Basically this means you get to skip the line when you get there. You won’t have a table waiting for you when you get there.

Kauai Family Restaurant

website | neighborhood: Georgetown | 6324 6th Ave S | best for: loco moco

If you read my 5-day Maui itinerary, you know I love loco moco. Like a lot. But I’ve never been able to find a version that matches my favorite in Maui.

That changed when I tried Kauai Family Restaurant. This spot serves Hawaiian food including Kalua pork, lomi salmon, poi, and my beloved loco moco. If you’re not familiar with the dish, it’s a hamburger patty served over rice with a runny egg and gravy.

Their version is so flavorful. The gravy has a deep meaty flavor, it’s the perfect balance of salty and fatty, and the portion is hefty. If you’re in need of a belly-busting brunch spot in Seattle, make sure to try this place!

Pro tip: Their bakery next door makes some of the best dessert in Seattle.

RockCreek

website | neighborhood: Fremont | 4300 Fremont Ave N | best for: seafood forward, more refined dishes (reservations recommended)

Ahh, I remember the days when RockCreek first opened. You could consistently walk in to get a table with no wait. But fast forward to about one year in, and now you can’t get in without a reservation because it’s one of the top North Seattle restaurants. But doing some planning ahead to come to one of the best Seattle brunch spots is worth it.

Definitely try their bacon and oyster Benedict. Surprisingly, there aren’t a ton of brunch places playing around with oysters at breakfast. RockCreek’s version is crispy goodness with a smooth homemade hollandaise sauce.

Another surprise stunner is the ricotta small plate with citrus. I believe ricotta is one of the best foods ever, but I don’t typically get it as a dish by itself. Well when I had a launch party with RockCreek for my self-guided Seattle food tour of Fremont, they served this dish on the side. I was forever hooked because of its creaminess and brightness.

Stoneburner

website | neighborhood: Ballard | 5214 Ballard Ave NW | best for: Italian dishes among inspiring decor (reservations recommended)

If you saw my post about the dishes you must eat in Seattle, you know Stoneburner has a special place in my heart. Lucky for you, my favorite dish is available on their brunch menu.

Stoneburner has a lot of really great brunch dishes, but the one you must get is the carbonara pasta (or similar, sometimes they call it something different). It’s so creamy and well balanced. The pancetta is fatty and salty, the Parmesan is packed with umami, the onions are sweet…gosh, I’m drooling just thinking about it! This dish has put Stoneburner on my list of go-to restaurants in Seattle.

They also have a pretty hefty bar program, so if you want a bloody Mary this is your place to get it!

The Fat Hen

website | neighborhood: Ballard | 1418 NW 70th St | best for: a focused, farm-to-table style menu in a tiny space

The Fat Hen is a tiny little cafe that served baked goods and a focused farm-to-table-style brunch menu. There is always an insane line, so don’t go here with large groups and prepare to wait. But it’s definitely worth the wait.

I highly recommend the prosciutto Benedict or one of the baked egg dishes. And make sure to sit by the window to get good lighting for the grams. 😉

Preserve and Gather

website | neighborhood: Greenwood | 358 NW 85th St | best for: a coffee shop with good food

If your crew loves good coffee and prefers to grab brunch quickly, head to Preserve and Gather. This coffee, slash cafe, slash wine bar serves a small, but super focused menu and some of the best coffee roasters in Seattle.

My absolute favorite brunch item is the ricotta radish toast, which is like a play on avocado toast. They also have other toasts and sandwiches good for vegetarians, making them one of the best restaurants for vegetarians in Seattle.

When you go, don’t forget to order a side of salted chocolate chip cookie. They are some of the best desserts in Seattle and a great item to take on the road!

Rachel’s Bagels & Burritos

website | neighborhood: Ballard | 5451 Leary Ave NW | best for: bagels

People kept telling me that this small cafe in Ballard was one of the best brunch spots in Seattle, but it wasn’t until I learned they make some of the best bagels in Seattle that I agreed.

New York-style bagels are hard to come by in Seattle, but Rachel’s Bagels & Burritos (previously named Porkchop & Co.) makes my top 3 favorite in the city. They’re chewy, but not too chewy, and yeasty. My favorite is the za’atar flavored one that goes perfectly with either schmear or as a breakfast sandwich.

Harbor City

website | neighborhood: International District | 707 S King St | best for: low brow, fast-paced dim sum

No visit to Seattle is complete without dim sum. There are quite a few options, with Dough Zone or Din Tai Fung stealing most of the spotlight. However, my tried and true favorite is on of my favorite casual restaurants in Seattle: Harbor City.

Like all the best dim sum places, this place is a hole in the wall. It’s always crowded on the weekends, so I recommend calling ahead to make a reservation. You’ll be dubious if your name really ever made it on a list, but when you get there they’ll push you up to the front of the line. Doing this has made it so I’ve never waited more than 10 minutes.

You often feel rushed as the staff rolls around quickly with carts of different dishes and steamer baskets. The ambiance is quintessential dim sum, so embrace it and get ready to order things left and right like it’s your last supper.

There are a ton of really solid choices here, but the dish I’m always looking out for is the shrimp and chive dumplings. They look kind of like the jiu cai bau shown here, so let’s say that’s what they’re called. Keep your eye out for dumplings that look like this and have sesame embedded into the crust from pan frying. This might be the best dim sum dish I’ve ever had, so if you see it, jump on it. And if you don’t, ask about it.

Lola

website | neighborhood: Downtown | 2000 4th Ave | best for: Mediterranean-forward dishes from a big-name chef (reservations recommended)

Lola is a Tom Douglas restaurant that’s, in my opinion, his best one and a must-visit if you only have 24 hours in downtown Seattle. You’ll find consistently well-executed Mediterranean dishes for any time of day, but my favorite meal here is the weekend brunch.

Don’t miss the homemade doughnuts. They bring it to your table in a paper bag, shake it up table side, and then pour them out on the table. They’re literally still warm and go so beautifully with the jam and mascarpone they serve.

Bounty Kitchen

website | neighborhoods: Denny Triangle or Queen Anne | best for: farm-to-table style dishes you order from the counter

If you’re looking for a casual, order-at-the-counter breakfast spot that you likely won’t need to wait at but still has good food, go to Bounty Kitchen. It’s an airy cafe with yummy dishes that are healthy-leaning, making it one of the best healthy restaurants in Seattle.

My favorite is the good morning sweetheart breakfast sandwich, which has ham, egg, cheddar, arugula, and this seriously addictive sun-dried tomato paste. I also love that they serve water with fruits and veggies in it for a fresh take on flavored water.

Glo’s

website | neighborhood: Capitol Hill | 928 E Barbara Bailey Way | best for: greasy spoon diner classics

I used to work by Glo’s old location, so when I was having a bad day I’d order brunch food for lunch and eat my feelings. What made it specifically comforting for me is the fact that Glo’s is the closest I’ve found to an east coast diner in Seattle, nostalgia I crave when things are chaotic.

East coast diners are known for greasy spoon fare. Think omelets, hash browns, and toast in obscene portions. My favorite part of Glo’s menu is that they serve crispy shredded hash browns (which are far superior than just potato chunks). They also used to serve my beloved cinnamon swirl toast, which I hope they continue at their new location.

Cinnamon swirl or raisin toast is an option at all good Jersey diners. Glo’s is the only place that I know of that offers this as a toast option. While I’d favor any egg dish that includes these two essential sides, Glo’s is also known for their egg Benedicts.

You can expect a big wait here and they don’t take reservations. But lucky for you, it’s in Capitol Hill, which is known for late nights and mornings. So get there when they open to try and beat the crowds.

Best spots for lunch in Seattle

All in all, brunch in Seattle is a big deal, but sometimes you want lunch. Here are some places to try.

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