While visiting Michigan, Alabama, New York, Wisconsin, Canada, and Ireland in 2017, I ate a lot of delicious breakfast and brunch foods. Here are my 10 favorite breakfast and brunch spots based on my 2017 travels near and far.
Disclosure: Some meals featured in this post were comped for journalistic research. Those meals and their hosts are identified. Also, this post contains some affiliate links. When you click on or make a purchase from one of these links, we may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. As always, all opinions are our own.
Studio Grill | Kalamazoo, Michigan
Located in downtown Kalamazoo, this greasy spoon is a beloved breakfast spot among locals and Western Michigan University students. Open only for breakfast and lunch daily, the menu features such tasty breakfast dishes as flavored pancakes, cheesy omelets, egg scrambles, and a sausage hash. I opted to create my own omelet with bacon, sautéed onions, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. Pictured above is the sunshine omelet filled with Swiss cheese, avocado, tomato, mushroom, and onion with American fries and cinnamon raisin toast.
Things To Know Before Dining At Studio Grill
Location: 312 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Hours: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. daily for takeout only
To Order Takeout: Call 269-341-4100
For More Information: Website | Facebook
Stay Nearby: Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center
Populace Coffee | Petoskey, Michigan
Sometimes all I really want for breakfast is a good cup of coffee, which leads us to No. 9 on this list. While visiting Petoskey in June, I stopped into Populace Coffee (previously Dripworks Coffee), located just a few blocks from where I was staying at Stafford’s Perry Hotel. In addition to a variety of coffee and tea beverages, you can order croissants, frittatas, and an array of pastries and goodies like the s’mores doughnuts pictured above. Yum!
Things To Know Before Visiting Populace Coffee
Location: 207 Howard Street, Petoskey, Michigan
Other Locations: Bay City and inside the Siren Hotel in Detroit
Hours: Temporarily closed
To Order Coffee: Place orders for roasted coffee beans online.
For More Information: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Stay Nearby: Stafford’s Perry Hotel
Café Velo | Cork, Ireland
My overnight visit to Cork, Ireland, fell on a Saturday to Sunday. You know what that means — Sunday brunch in Cork! Based on a recommendation from the reception worker at Sheila’s Hostel, where I was staying, I set off to Café Velo on Cork’s southern side.
Café Velo’s weekend brunch menu featured salads, sandwiches, avocado toast, a bacon “Rashers” sandwich that sounded absolutely mouth-watering, and, of course, the eggs Benedict I ordered. Two poached eggs sat atop salmon and an English muffin and was topped with hollandaise and asparagus.
My brunch at Café Velo reminded me of #SundayFunday brunches back home. Plus, it was also a welcomed break from the full Irish breakfasts served at most of the hotels where I stayed in Ireland.
Things To Know Before Brunching At Café Velo
Location: 3 George’s Quay, Cork, Ireland
Hours: Temporarily closed
To Order Coffee: Though the café is temporarily closed, roasted coffee beans are available for online orders in Europe.
For More Information: Website | Facebook
Stay Nearby: Maldron Hotel Southmall
Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company | New York City
When in New York City, there is no better breakfast than a bagel smothered in cream cheese. That is why I always make a point to eat at least one bagel on each visit. If you also love a New York bagel, you should read about my favorite New York brunch and bagel spots.
Also, when in New York, you can be totally lazy and have your food come to you. On a chilly November morning, my sister and I decided to order breakfast via the food delivery app Seamless. Wherever you stay in New York, you are likely to find a neighborhood bagel shop that delivers to your door.
Luckily, in Chelsea, one of those bagel places is Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company. I opted for one of their original kettle-boiled bagels — sesame with plain cream cheese. So freaking good!
Things To Know Before Ordering From Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company
Location: 286 8th Ave, New York, New York (Chelsea)
Other Locations: Astoria and Long Island City
Hours: 7 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. for to-go and delivery orders only
To Order Takeout: Place your order online for pickup or delivery.
For More Information: Website | Instagram
Stay Nearby: The High Line Hotel | Kimpton Hotel Eventi
Farmer & The Fish | New York City
Kicking off my year of mouth-watering brunches was this Farmer & the Fish meal during my January visit to New York City. The restaurant had just opened this location in Gramercy, and if you read this post you know our service was under par. However, this savory lobster gyro served over a Greek salad of cucumber, feta, and Kalamata olives and crispy shoestring fries totally made up for that. If you like seafood, you should give it a try on your next visit to NYC.
Things To Know Before Brunching At Farmer & The Fish
Location: 245 Park Avenue South, New York, New York
Hours: Temporarily closed
More Information: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Stay Nearby: Freehand New York
Wolfgang’s Restaurant | Grand Rapids, Michigan
A local favorite for breakfast in Grand Rapids, Wolfgang’s Restaurant did not disappoint. After 3.5 years of living in Grand Rapids, I finally made it to Wolfgang’s in August when Experience Grand Rapids hosted a craft brewery tour for the 2017 Beer Bloggers Conference.
For my breakfast, I had to try the Spinach Benedict. It’s a hollandaise-covered poached egg atop spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms sautéed in a sun-dried tomato and basil vinaigrette over an English muffin. It tasted so good I wished I had ordered the full breakfast, but the half order with a plate of fruit was the smarter choice before a day of craft beer drinking. I guess.
Things To Know Before Dining At Wolfgang’s Restaurant
Location: 1530 Wealthy Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Hours: 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. for takeout and delivery
To Order: Call 616-454-5776 or order delivery via DoorDash.
For More Information: Website | Facebook
Stay Nearby: Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
The Ruby Slipper Cafe | Orange Beach, Alabama
In case you haven’t been able to tell from this list so far, I have a thing for eggs Benedict. Since making a poached egg seems like a daunting task, I leave it to the professionals.
Naturally, eggs Benedict is one of my favorite breakfast dishes to order when dining out for my first meal of the day. And, none have been like those at the Ruby Slipper Cafe during my visit hosted by Alabama Beaches.
First of all, instead of an English muffin as the base, it’s a thick Southern buttermilk biscuit.
The restaurant also gives you the option to try two different Benedicts — what they call the Peacemaker. So, I opted for the Chicken St. Charles with fried chicken and a pork tasso cream sauce over the poached egg and the Shrimp Boogaloo Benedict with Gulf shrimp, pork tasso and creole tomato sauce, fried green tomatoes, and the dish’s signature poached egg. Talk about an over-the-top breakfast!
Things To Know Before Dining At Ruby Slipper Cafe
Location: 24151 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, Alabama
Other Locations: New Orleans, Metairie, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Pensacola, Florida; and Mobile, Alabama
Hours: Temporarily closed
For More Information: Website | Facebook
Stay Nearby: Island House Hotel Orange Beach (Read my review)
Butcher’s Union | Grand Rapids, Michigan
Apparently, August is when I explore my city’s local breakfast scene. My friend Francesca, of The Working Mom’s Travels (<– Check out her blog post on Grand Rapids!), was visiting from Chicago, so I joined her and some of her friends for brunch at one of the new restaurants in Grand Rapids — Butcher’s Union.
Located on the city’s up-and-coming West Side, I recently named Butcher’s Union one of my five favorite restaurants in Grand Rapids.
At brunch, the hot elote corn dip we shared as an appetizer got our meal off to a mouth-watering start. Add in a couple mimosas and this heavenly B.B.E.L.T — applewood smoked bacon, bacon pate, fried egg, lettuce, and tomato on local bakery Field & Fire’s sourdough bread — and I had myself an eggsellent brunch. Not a mimosa fan? You can your own Bloody Mary or order one of the fabulous craft cocktails when you dine here.
Things To Know Before Brunching At Butcher’s Union
Location: 438 Bridge Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Hours: Temporarily closed
For More Information: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Stay Nearby: Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
Mocha Moment | Janesville, Wisconsin
I love, love, love that near the top of my best breakfast spot list is a coffee shop. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a morning person, so often grabbing a cup of coffee and a pastry is my breakfast of choice when traveling. It doesn’t get any better than at Mocha Moment, which I visited during a solo press trip in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Family-owned and run, Mocha Moment is a hot spot among locals who are clearly beloved regulars. But, you won’t feel like an outsider here for long. This is a place where you feel like you’re hanging out at a relative’s cabin. It helps that Mocha Moment sits away from the road and is surrounded by the woods.
Mocha Moment is such a relaxing venue for a morning cup of joe, which is sourced from some of the world’s best coffee regions and roasted by the owners’ son. Mom and her small team of bakers make all the pastries from scratch each day, and I highly recommend the scones and muffins and — when its in season during the fall — the pumpkin roll.
Things To Know Before Getting Your Coffee At Mocha Moment
Location: 1121 Center Avenue, Janesville, Wisconsin
Hours: 5 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday for drive-thru and carry out
To Order Takeout: Use the drive-thru window or stop in for carry-out while maintaining social distancing
For More Information: Website
Stay Nearby: Holiday Inn Express Janesville
The Southern Grind | Orange Beach, Alabama
To top off my best breakfast and brunch spots of 2017 is The Southern Grind. I visited this nautically chic coffee shop attached to the Hotel Indigo in Orange Beach thanks to the #ALBeachEats voters of the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach tourism board’s Foodie Fanguide trip. They also sent me to The Ruby Slipper Cafe. Two fantastic choices in Alabama’s beach towns!
The Southern Grind truly blew me away. For coffee, I had my first-ever nitro draft cold brew. It was so smooth that I drank it black. For food, there were several items I wanted to try, but the Pear & Pecan Cinnamon French Toast was definitely the right call. It’s two slices of cinnamon swirl French toast with caramelized pears and pecans, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and a salted caramel drizzle. As decadent as dessert, this dreamy French toast was a wonderful start to my day.
Things To Know Before Dining At The Southern Grind
Location: 22843 Perdido Beach Boulevard, Orange Beach, Alabama
Other Location: The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama
Hours: 6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday – Thursday and 6:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday – Saturday
To Order Takeout: Call 251-975-2883 for pickup
Save this breakfast roundup to Pinterest for future reference!
If you enjoyed this post about breakfast and brunch spots, read more of our food posts:
- Bagels, Bloody Marys and Brunch Spots in New York City
- 7 Ann Arbor Spots That Aren’t Your Average Coffee Shops
- 11 Bucket-List-Worthy Fine Dining Restaurants For Foodie Travelers
- I Scream, You Scream: The 10 Tastiest Ice Creams
- Best Donuts in Dearborn, Michigan
Where have you eaten your favorite breakfast or brunch?
Tell me about it by leaving a comment below, and maybe I’ll dine there during my future travels!
I live in NY so interested in the brooklyn bagel co and farmer/fish, I love a good breakfast/brunch! My favorite is always Bouchon in Las Vegas! The best breakfast ever!
I’ve eaten brunch at Bouchon in Vegas. Definitely a great brunch spot! If you check out either of the NYC spots, I hope you like them as much as I did. The Bloody Mary at Farmer and The Fish was good, too. It tasted like cocktail sauce, which I found fitting for a seafood restaurant.
This post makes me want to eat even though I am still full from my last meal (which btw, it was brunch). I get a warm, fuzzy feeling when I think about brunch. It is a great way to start a day (or the weekend) and an excellent excuse to indulge and have fun conversation. #WeekednWanderlust
Yum. I love eggs Benedict and you have two places I can go to get it. The bagels in Brooklyn would satisfy me too ( and hubby grew up in Brooklyn so he’s a fan too). I can feel my diet slipping away. I think I’ve gained weight just reading your post 🙂
I need that Alabama french toast… NOW!!! Mmmm
#WeekendWanderlust
I’m headed to Orange Beach in April – trying out both of the restaurants from this list. Like most, I love a good brunch!
Looking at all these food pictures makes me feel so hungry! Awesome ideas for brunch 🙂
Looking at your breakfast photos and reading the backstories made me hunger for a visit to several of those spots. What a treat!
OK, and I thought I was hungry before I read this post. YUM! I’m from Wisconsin, I’ll have to check out the place in Janesville! xo
All these breakfasts look so tasty! Too bad I’m on the other side of the world 🙂
Thanks for including me in your round-up! Butcher’s Union really was a delightful brunch spot. I’d totally go back for the Peruvian Daiquiris!