Place to Take the Parents: Garrison
Rob Weland’s hyper-local American restaurant on Barracks Row manages to feel both elegant and unassuming—and seldom falters when it comes to deliciousness. (Plus it’s fairly quiet.) Start with warm ebelskiver, Danish pancake puffs with jam, and a few of the beautiful vegetable plates, then move on to poppy-seed gougères with soft-scrambled eggs, house-smoked trout, and caviar. 524 Eighth St., SE.
Place to Take a Group: Masa 14
Few restaurateurs throw a brunch party better than Richard Sandoval, whose DC ventures (El Centro D.F., Zengo) are known for their raucous all-you-can-eat-and-drink affairs. We’re partial to his Latin/Asian spot, where groups can camp out on the covered rooftop or in the moodily lit dining room. For $39 a person, you can feast with abandon on 18-odd small plates—barbecue steamed buns, egg-and-chorizo hash—plus various mimosas, bloodies, and beertails. Another perk: a patient waitstaff. 1825 14th St., NW.
Place to Celebrate a Special Occasion: Fiola Mare
We love chef Fabio Trabocchi’s opulent Italian spot during the day, when the Potomac River views shine and the nautical-chic dining room feels positively Mediterranean. The $45 prix fixe brunch menu includes a glass of bubbly, a warm pastry basket, and three courses, such as burratawith grilled peaches, spaghetti with crab and chilies, and Sardinian ricotta doughnuts. 3100 K St., NW.
Place to Take the Kids: Ted’s Bulletin
And not just for the house-made pop-tarts. The eateries open bright and early at 7 am (breakfast is served all day) and cater to little ones with word games, mazes, and crayons, plus pancakes with smiley faces made out of berries. For adults, there are enormous breakfast sandwiches and “walk of shame” breakfast burritos bursting with hash browns, sausage, and green-chili sauce. 1818 14th St., NW; 505 Eighth St., SE; 220 Ellington Blvd., Gaithersburg; 2911 District Ave., Fairfax; 11948 Market St., Reston.
Place for a Late-Night Breakfast: Silver
This spiffier sibling to Silver Diner stays open until midnight during the week and 2 am on weekends, and its late-night menu is rife with big plates of stomach-padding indulgences. We dig the huevos rancheros heaped with bison hash and goat cheese and a rib-eye-stuffed omelet inspired by a Philly cheesesteak. In other words, the kind of thing you want when there’s nothing left to do but sleep. 7150 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda.
Want more breakfast ideas? Check out more than 50 of our favorite breakfast and brunch joints in DC.