No matter where you happen to find yourself in Pittsburgh, if it’s Sunday, brunch is just a few steps away. From the North Shore to Shadyside, these brunch spots will give you all the pancakes, Eggs Benedict, and stuffed French toast you need to cap off your weekend.
East Liberty
Whitfield
On the menu: Brûléed Grapefruit with seasonal berries, Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes with sweet lemon creme fraîche and maple syrup, and the Whitfield Breakfast with poached eggs, house-made English muffin, house-cured ham, hollandaise, chimichurri and beet and potato rosti.
Don’t Miss: Their zucchini bread brunch appetizer, topped with a lemon glaze
Whitfield (120 S. Whitfield Street)
Spoon
On the menu: Soft Scrambled Eggs with toast, speck, marinated tomatoes, manchego and salsa verde, Confit Chicken Leg with peanut crunch, sesame, rice polenta and 1-hour egg, and French Toast with maple syrup, berries and almond.
Don’t Miss: Brunch cocktails, like their ‘Red Snapper’ Bloody Mary with a house mix and Bombay dry gin, or Witches’ Coffee with Strega, coffee and cream
Spoon (134 S. Highland Avenue)
Muddy Waters Oyster Bar
On the menu: Lobster Eggs Benedict with biscuits, poached eggs, country ham and crawfish hollandaise, Bananas Foster French Toast with maple bourbon syrup, vanilla whipped cream and bacon, and BBQ Shrimp and Grits with andouille and red onion marmalade.
Don’t Miss: The oysters, of course.
Muddy Waters Oyster Bar (130 S. Highland Avenue)
Bloomfield
Relish
On the menu: BBQ Pulled Pork Burgers, Vegan Doughnuts and Cinnamon Sugar Bagels with house-made chocolate and hazelnut spread.
Don’t Miss: Getting one of the best Instagram shots in Pittsburgh right now with their gorgeous, brightly-colored doughnuts.
Relish (330 Pearl Street)
Bitter Ends Luncheonette
On the (daily-changing) menu: Sausage, Egg & Cheese with a sunny side-up egg, aged Swiss, onion and lettuce, Griddled Apple Cake and Novantina Raab with a soft-boiled egg, ramps and espelette.
Don’t Miss: The house-made doughnuts. Seriously… don’t even think about missing them.
Bitter Ends Luncheonette (4613 Liberty Avenue)
Ritter’s Diner
On the menu: Chocolate Chip Hotcakes, Greek Feta Omelette, and Mushroom & Swiss Burgers.
Don’t Miss: Their Cinnamon-Raisin French Toast, sliced thick and loaded with maple syrup.
Ritter’s Diner (5221 Baum Blvd.)
Strip District
Smallman Galley
On the menu: Breakfast Sandwich (Colonia) with house made Pão de Queijo cheese, ham, fried egg, cilantro, and whey hot sauce, Banana & Walnut Pancakes (brunoise), with bananas, walnuts and Paul Family Farms maple syrup, and Bacon & Egg Fried Rice (Bahnmilicious), with egg, bacon, onion, cucumber and spices.
Don’t Miss: Iron Born’s Brunch Pie, a Detroit-style deep-dish pizza with sausage, shaved fingerling potatoes, cheddar cheese and maple drizzle.
Smallman Galley (54 21st Street)
Bar Marco
On the menu: Orange-Buttermilk Pancakes with ginger, pear, ricotta and bacon, Breakfast Polenta with apple compote, pecans and brown sugar, and Fresh Doughnuts with salted caramel and lemon curd.
Don’t Miss: Two things: 1.) Their ever-changing selection of morning-appropriate cocktails, and 2.) Bar Marco’s house bacon, with cardamom and brown sugar.
Bar Marco (2216 Penn Avenue)
DiAnoia’s Eatery
On the menu: Nutella Panzerotti: Fried dough filled with Nutella, Prosciutto Eggs Benedict, with prosciutto, poached eggs, creamed spinach and hollandaise, and Lemon & Ricotta Pancakes.
Don’t Miss: If they have their Pistachio & Marscapone Cinnamon Rolls on the menu, get them.
DiAnoia’s Eatery (2549 Penn Avenue)
Downtown
Meat & Potatoes
On the menu: Brisket Hash with a poached egg, horseradish hollandaise, potatoes, cipollini onions and truffle oil, Stuffed French Toast with banana, ricotta, peanut butter, bacon and malted peanuts, and Huevos Rancheros with smoked pork, spiced black beans, guajillo vinaigrette, pickled red onion, salsa verde, queso fresco, jalapenos and a fried egg.
Don’t Miss: The Bloody Mary Bar, loaded with house-made accouterments, pickled vegetables, hot sauces, and so much more.
Meat & Potatoes (649 Penn Avenue)
Union Standard
On the menu: Potato Bread & Bourbon French Toast, with Millie’s maple oat ice cream, maple syrup, candied almonds, powdered sugar and bacon, Spicy Chicken Biscuit Sandwich, with buttermilk biscuits, gravy, eggs, bacon, onion and spicy pickles, and Union Standard Burger, with cheddar, Bibb lettuce, marronaise, sweet onion and bread and butter pickles.
Don’t Miss: The Maggie’s Morning cocktail, with Maggie’s Farm Coffee Liqueur, Gosling’s Rum, cynar and Luxardo cherry
Union Standard (524 William Penn Place)
or, The Whale
On the menu: Savory Bubble Waffles, with corn meal waffles, bacon, fried eggs, sausage, crisp potatoes, hollandaise and maple syrup, Shakshuka, with two eggs poached in a tomato and pepper ragout, leek carrot fennel and served with chapoti, and Eggs Chesapeake, with crab cake, poached eggs, Old Bay hollandaise, house-made English muffin and farm greens.
Don’t Miss: Monkey Bread, made with brown sugar, black cardamom and orange.
or, The Whale (463 Blvd. of the Allies)
Shadyside
Harris Grill
On the (brunch buffet) menu: Mac & Cheese, Eggs Benedict, and Chocolate Chip Pancakes.
Don’t Miss: It’s Harris Grill, so anything with bacon in it is a winner.
Harris Grill (5747 Ellsworth Avenue)
Casbah
On the menu: Braised Lamb & Eggs, with braised Elysian Fields Farm lamb shoulder, spinach, poached local eggs, tarragon and grilled sourdough, Strozzapreti with forest mushrooms, apple, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, and a fried egg, and Jumbo Lump Crab & Roasted Red Pepper Omelet, with smoked paprika roasted fingerlings, toast, bacon or sausage.
Don’t Miss: Brunch cocktails, like the Salty Dog with fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and Beefeater gin.
Casbah (229 S. Highland Avenue)
Paris 66 Bistro
On the menu: Paris 66 Breakfast Crepe with ham, Swiss, tomato provencale, mushrooms and a sunny side-up egg, Quiche Lorraine, with bacon and Swiss, and Salade de Chevre Chaud, with warm goat cheese, field greens, walnuts, cucumber and French vinaigrette.
Don’t Miss: Their delicious croissants.
Paris 66 Bistro (6018 Centre Avenue)
Lawrenceville
The Vandal
On the menu: Green Borscht, with greens, dill, potato, goat yogurt and a cured egg, Root Vegetable Tart, with ricotta, root vegetables, fines herbes and petit salad, and Fried Chicken Sandwich with carrot slaw, chili honey and greens.
Don’t Miss: All of the awesome brunch breads, from Hot Cross buns to buttermilk biscuits.
The Vandal (4306 Butler Street)
Franktuary
On the (ever-changing) menu: County Fair Fry Bread, with powdered sugar and maple syrup, PA Duchess Frank, topped with caramelized onions, apple compote, sharp cheddar, fried egg and scallions, and Southern Breakfast Poutine with fries, local sausage gravy, a fried egg and crispy sage.
Don’t Miss: A Beermosa (any draft on their expansive menu, topped with fresh-squeezed orange juice).
Franktuary (3810 Butler Street)
B52 Cafe
On the menu: Thick Cut Toast with almond butter and fruit preserves, Latkes with carrot and onion, and Kofta Tofu Scramble, with spicy Seitan Kofta, kale, tofu and pita chips.
Don’t Miss: One of the best Avocado Toasts in the city, served with preserved lemon and tahini.
B52 Cafe (5202 Butler Street)
North Shore
Federal Galley
On the menu: Huevos Rancheros (El Lugar), with corn tortillas, Ranchero sauce, a poached egg, beans, goat’s milk feta and cilantro, Steel Cut Oats (Supper), with a choice or Bananas Foster, fresh berries, or cinnamon sugar, and Brioche Waffle (Michigan & Trumball), with thyme-roasted pear, toasted walnut butter and caramel sauce.
Don’t Miss: Any cocktail from their stellar bar program (which is right now featuring Filipino cocktails).
Carmi Family Restaurant
On the menu: Shrimp and Grits, with cheddar grits, The Queen’s Breakfast, with a fluffy Belgian waffle, two eggs, meat, and grits, and Cheese Omelet with cheese, green peppers and onions.
Don’t Miss: The cheese grits are simply the best.
Carmi Family Restaurant (917 Western Avenue)
Bier’s Pub
On the menu:French Toast Bread Pudding, with raisin bread, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecan praline, whipped cream and honey, Smoked Salmon & Marble Rye, with capers, lemon-garlic aioli, jalapeño cream cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion, and Lamb Sausage & Eggs, with a house-made sausage patty, eggs, bacon-fat home fries and toast with jam.
Don’t Miss: The Hangover Helper, with a corn bread waffle and BBQ pulled pork is just what you need when you’ve been overserved the night before.
Bier’s Pub (900 Western Avenue)
Oakland
The Cafe Carnegie
On the menu: Brunch Club with egg salad, house-cured salmon, arugula, tomato, red onion and caper mayo, Banana Buttermilk Pancakes, with maple syrup and cultured thyme butter and Croque Madame with house-cured ham, gruyere, asparagus, mornay, egg-in-the-hole on Pullman and shoestring fries.
Don’t Miss: The French Toast served with Brûléed Triple Cream Brie.
The Café Carnegie (4400 Forbes Avenue)
Crepes Parisiennes
On the menu: Smoked Icelandic Salmon Crepe with chives and creme fraiche, Orange Crepe with chocolate, and Macaroon Crepe with brown sugar, butter and coconut.
Don’t Miss: The pain au chocolat, which is the perfect sweet treat to end a sweet meal.
Crepes Parisiennes (207 S. Craig Street)
The Porch at Schenley
On the menu: Pumpkin Waffles with maple syrup, espresso mascarpone and cocoa nib crumb, Veggie Bagle Sandwich with cucumber, marinated peppers, pea shoots, pickled shallots, Emerald Valley feta and a fried egg, and Quinoa & Kale Salad with apples, butternut squash, Gorgonzola, almonds, and sherry vinaigrette.
Don’t Miss: Warm biscuits served with honey butter.
The Porch at Schenley (221 Schenley Drive)
South Side
Waffles, INCaffeinated
On the menu: Bananas Foster Waffles with bananas, vanilla bean ice cream, and smothered in a Foster’s sauce, Chicken and Waffles, with pecan-infused waffles with fried chicken, maple butter glaze and scallions and Souther’ Waffle, with chorizo sausage, fresh jalapenos, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, a fried egg and cilantro.
Don’t Miss: Waffles, INCaffeinated’s monthly special waffles are always a treat.
Waffles, INCaffeinated (2517 E. Carson Street)
The Pub Chip Shop
On the menu: Fried Chicken and Sausage Gravy Sandwich, The Irish Boxty: Ham, bangers, scrambled egg, provolone and tots, and Biscuits with Egg and Cheese.
Don’t Miss: If you’re going to The Pub Chip Shop, you must get a boxty.
The Pub Chip Shop (1830 E. Carson Street)
Carmella’s Plates & Pints
On the menu: Bangers & Mash, with red onion gravy, Bison Burger, with Burgandy onions, white cheddar, steak sauce aioli, hash-brown bake and house-smoked aioli and Three Cheese Pimento Sandwich, with cream cheese, gold cheddar, white cheddar, bacon and a pickle.
Don’t Miss: Their Kiwi-Mojitos, made with kiwi-strawberry rum and lime juice.
Carmella’s Plates & Pints (1908 E. Carson Street)
Other notable brunches in Pittsburgh neighborhoods include:
Square Cafe in Regent Square
Bigham Tavern in Mt. Washington
Point Brugge Cafe in Point Breeze
Gluten Free Goat in Garfield
Cornerstone in Aspinwall
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