701 Restaurant is just one of many places serving up delicious Mother's Day brunch around Washington. Photograph by Chris Campbell.
Mother’s Day is just a couple of weeks away—on Sunday, May 12. That means it’s time to book the all-important brunch for the occasion. Below you’ll find the details on 29 restaurants serving a special midday meal in Washington. Book early, and volunteer to be the designated driver—the lady who changed your diapers and put up with you through your terrible teens deserves as many mimosas as she pleases.
Freshly baked breads are perfect for sopping up poached eggs at Le Diplomate’s new brunch. Photograph by Jeff Elkins.
Looking for a new happy hour spot? Hungry for eggs Benedict on a beautiful patio? Ready for a new restaurant? We have you covered on all fronts. The Washington restaurant scene is buzzing with fresh dining experiences, from newly opened eateries to lunches and brunches launching at established places. Here’s what’s new this week for a variety of cravings.
Boozy $3 punch and fried chicken
New fried chicken and doughnut hot spot GBD just rolled out its sit-down dinner menu and bar last week. Up this Thursday: happy hour from 5 to 7 Tuesday through Friday. Tonight’s specials include $3 glasses of punch, $4 Tempranillo and Riesling wines on tap, and $4 brews like De Struise Pannepot and Ballast Point Sculpin (the brews will rotate daily on the whim of brewmaster Greg Engert). Order up snacks such as smoked chicken skin chips or crispy Buffalo wings and make an early evening of it.
Lunchtime tacos and tortas
Richard Sandoval’s 14th Street Mexican spot El Centro D.F. just launched lunch service on Monday. Weather permitting, you’ll head up to the 45-seat roof deck—likely less crowded than it is on beautiful evenings—for the menu of guacamole, ceviche, tacos, entrée salads, and more. The ground-floor taqueria is the place to hole up with a steak torta and Dos Equis during springtime rain and scorching summer afternoons. The meal is served Monday to Friday 11 to 3.
The “bacon and egg” sandwich isn’t something you’d find at the corner store. Braised pork belly is stacked on top of pickled vegetables, bánh mì style, and topped with a fried duck egg. Photograph by Andrew Propp.
We’ve often frequented Jack Rose in the evening for Scotch or bourbon and the occasional cigar, but it’s only recently that the Adams Morgan bar/restaurant began to open its doors during the daytime.
Sunday brunch is a welcome addition, offering what we like best about the Adams Morgan spot—the stately, library-esque dining room, where sun streams in through large, street-facing windows, and the well-made cocktails—without the weekend party crush.
Service starts at 10, and early birds can opt for lighter fare, such as house-made granola and Greek yogurt or a flatbread topped with smoked salmon and crème fraîche, before going about their day. Later crowds (read: hungover people) are more likely to indulge in heartier fare such as eggs Benedict with pancetta atop house-made cheddar biscuits or a “bacon and egg” sandwich—a robust version of the breakfast classic with braised pork belly and a duck egg perked up with pickled vegetables.
The long bar is also open for the day-drinking crowd—sorry, no rooftop until the evening—with a range of brunch cocktails and, of course, plenty of whiskey.
An appetizer of pickled bluefish on rye toast. Photograph by Andrew Propp.
Friends have been begging us to check out (and by that, we mean take them to) brunch at DGS Delicatessen since the new-wave deli first opened in Dupont a little over a month ago. Unfortunately the answer has always been the same: They’re getting their feet under them before they launch weekend service. Well, consider DGS under-foot: Brunch starts at 11 this Saturday and runs until 2:30 every Saturday and Sunday.
You won’t find much difference in chef Barry Koslow’s approach. Most of the ingredients often imported at other delis are made in house, from the pickle plate to the hot sauce and applewood-smoked salmon. Brunch brings an emphasis on cured fishes, such as white fish salad atop a Montreal-style bagel—distinct from its New York cousin by a turn in a wood-fired oven—and eggs “Benedictberg,” layered on latkes with smoked salmon and sumac hollandaise. You’ll also see the same riffs on classic Jewish dishes such as matzo brei, typically matzo fried with eggs, dressed up here with scrambled eggs, Swiss chard, and horseradish. Wash it all down with a Bloody spiked with the herbaceous liqueur kummel, or Le Marais, a spin on a mimosa with Champagne, St. Germain, fresh orange juice, and bitters.
Brunch isn’t the last evolution at DGS. Co-owner Nick Wiseman says the next step is to launch the front takeout sandwich shop sometime in the new year.
DGS Delicatessen. 1317 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-293-4400. Lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 to 2; dinner Sunday through Thursday 5:30 to 10, Friday and Saturday 5:30 to midnight. Brunch Saturday and Sunday 11 to 2:30.
El Chucho's brunch menu draws the Columbia Heights crowd. Photograph by Jeff Martin.
We hope you’re mapping out delicious brunch plans for the weekend with our newly released guide to 50 Great Breakfast and Brunch spots around Washington. If you haven’t settled on your first choice, here are six new deals and menus to consider—from unlimited eats to daytime dancing and eggs Benedict at all hours of the day.
Burlesque and Bloodies
If you’re in the mood for something over the top, try Sax’s new Social Sunday special. Grab a group of friends for $20 bottomless mimosas or Bloody Marys (with your choice of bacon-infused or chili-spiced vodka); new menu items such as egg-topped lobster hash; and lots of live burlesque accompanying deejay Heather Femia.
Wake up for it: Sunday, noon to 3 (small plates continue until 8).
Endless Eats
While plenty of spots offer all-you-can-drink deals, unlimited food is less common. If you’re looking for both, head to Zengo for bottomless brunch cocktails like sake sangria and four types of mimosas, and Latin-Asian small plates such as shrimp potstickers and bacon-and-egg steamed buns with salsa verde ($35 per person).
Wake up for it: Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 to 2:30.
Sunday, October 14 is your first chance to check out the revamped brunch menu at Adams Morgan stalwart Cashion’s—featuring new dishes among longtime favorites such as hash and challah French toast. A pork burger—also on the bar menu—is among the new items; it is served on a brioche bun with breakfast potatoes. Also new: a Chesapeake oyster po’ boy on a sub roll made in house by pastry chef Lauren Bonfiglio and a pastry basket that will include cornbread, mini bear claws, and muffins. There are also pecan sticky buns and—available at the bar only—fresh doughnuts.
The food team at The Washingtonian spent months exploring the city in search of the best brunches—discovering along the way a list of morning-meal rules to live by—and we assembled our top 50 for the October issue’s Best Breakfasts feature.
Someone had to eat all those pancakes. To create the October issue’s “Best Breakfasts” cover feature, the Washingtonian food staff spent our Saturdays and Sundays of late on a steady diet of omelets, blueberry pancakes, and Bloody Marys. Here are ten lessons we learned about how to get the most out of the weekend midday meal.
El Chucho: Now with brunch. Photograph by Jeff Martin.
El Chucho Cocina Superior—Jackie Greenbaum’s Columbia Heights Mexican restaurant—will begin brunch service this weekend, per a post on its Facebook page.
Palisades seafood spot BlackSalt is booked for brunch this weekend, but you may be able to snag a seat at the bar. Photograph by Scott Suchman.
DCRW brunches have filled up fast, but some availabilities remain. When we called this morning, all of the below places were accepting reservations for brunch this weekend except for BlackSalt. It's booked—but you can try your luck at walking in and scoring a spot at the bar.
