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The 16 Essential Brunch Spots in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor brunch
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, brunch has to be the most important meal of the week, right? It has, at least, become the most trendy meal and we’re okay with that. Anything that includes a late-morning mimosa and a plate of farm-fresh eggs is okay by us.
Today, we’re celebrating our love for this weekend tradition by rounding up Ann Arbor’s best brunches. Complete with innovative plates, brunch classics and plenty of cocktails, these local spots should all be on your brunch bucket list. Enjoy!
 
 

Café Zola

112 W Washington St | Facebook
Cafe Zola Ann Arbor brunch

Photo courtesy of Café Zola

Café Zola opened in 1996 and is still independently owned and operated. The original breakfast and lunch menu was largely influenced by French cuisine and today, you’ll also find influences from Mediterranean and Turkish tradition. Our favorite thing about the brunch menu is that it’s available daily from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. — and the fact that it has more than ten different crepe dishes! For more Zola brunch flavor, you can stop by their sister restaurant, Zola Bistro.
 

Gratzi

326 S Main St | Facebook
Housed inside what was once the historic Orpheum Theater, this elegant Italian restaurant opened its doors in downtown Ann Arbor in December 1987. A popular destination for upscale dinners, Gratzi also offers delicious brunch every Saturday and Sunday until 3 p.m. The chef-inspired menu includes Bread Pudding French Toast, Braised Pork Belly served with a soft-fried egg, Fried Polenta topped with basil hollandaise and more.
 

Ollie Food + Spirits

42 E Cross St, Ypsilanti | Facebook 
This Ypsilanti favorite offers a seasonally rotating menu using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients alongside a lineup of artisan cocktails, craft beer and wine that pair perfectly. On Sundays from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., you can get all that flavorful perfection in the form of brunch. But don’t expect a run-of-the-mill menu! The team at Ollie presents a brand new menu and a new theme every Sunday. In the past, they’ve celebrated Red Carpet Brunch on Oscar Sunday, Swayze Brunch and even charity brunches which benefit local organizations. Follow them on Facebook for weekly updates on the Sunday Secret Brunch.
 

Zingerman’s Roadhouse

2501 Jackson Ave | Facebook
Zingerman's Roadhouse Ann Arbor brunch

Photo courtesy of Zingerman’s Roadhouse

At this all-day restaurant, Zingerman’s showcases their favorite things about American food — both locally and nationally. The menu includes grits inspired by South Carolina, Maryland-inspired crab cakes, local meat from Washtenaw County, micro-brewed beers and fine wines from all over the US. Though you can get breakfast any day of the week, the weekend brunch menu is an Ann Arbor favorite. It features tasty innovations like Biscuits & Chocolate-Bacon Gravy and the Georgia Grits ‘N’ Bits Waffle which are waffles filled with bits of Anson Mill’s organic grits, Cabot cheddar and a mix of applewood-smoked and peppered bacon!
 

Aut Bar

315 Braun Ct | Facebook
Aut Bar is one of the town’s most welcoming food and entertainment establishments. Famous for their classic bar atmosphere which includes trivia nights, drag shows and holiday-themed events, you’ll also find one of A2’s best brunches served every Sunday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The menu is filled with fresh omelets, Mexican-inspired eats and frequent specials like Salmon Eggs Benedict!
 

The Lunch Room

407 N 5th Ave | Facebook
The Lunch Room Ann Arbor brunch

Photo courtesy of The Lunch Room

As one of Ann Arbor’s favorite eateries, The Lunch Room story has become a local legend. Friends and neighbors Phillis Engelbert and Joel Panozzo started out serving plant-based dinner parties and brunches, then they moved on to pop-up events al local businesses and eventually operated a food cart. Today, they have a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Kerrytown, a second location called The Lunch Room Bakery & Cafe and a third, Detroit Street Filling Station. Both The Lunch Room and Detroit Street offer a killer Sunday brunch!
 

Afternoon Delight

251 E Liberty St | Facebook
Locals line up for this Ann Arbor staple — and it’s easy to see (and taste!) why. Serving brunch for over 30 years, the Afternoon Delight breakfast menu includes pan-grilled pancakes, homemade bran muffins, customized three-egg omelets, fresh poached salmon on the weekends and more. The eggs are always cage-free, the bread comes gluten-free and most ingredients and meats are organic!
 

Sava’s

216 S State St | Facebook
Sava's Ann Arbor best brunch spots

Photo courtesy of Sava’s

At Savas, they offer breakfast every day of the week and come Sunday morning, you’ll find one of the neighborhood’s favorite brunch buffets! From 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., your $25 per person meal includes a petite bloody mary, petite mimosa, juice or coffee and kids 12 years and under eat for just $12!
 

Grange Kitchen & Bar

118 W Liberty St | Facebook
This farm-to-table restaurant offers seasonally and daily rotating menus that are filled with farm fresh ingredients and local, sustainable products. Because the menu can change daily, you’ll get something new and innovative everytime you stop by. But you can rest assured these flavorful dishes will satisfy your Sunday brunch craving — whether you’re looking for savory or sweet. And the brunch cocktail list is one of the best in town!
 

Spencer

113 E Liberty St | Facebook
Spencer perfectly balances the feel of a casual wine bar with craveable fare made with local ingredients. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, that craveable fare comes in the form of outstanding brunch creations including a rye waffle served with whipped ricotta, grapefruit and honey or the mouth-watering fried egg meatloaf sammie.
 

Aventura

216 E Washington St | Facebook
Aventura Ann Arbor brunch

Photo courtesy of Emily Berger at EE Berger via Aventura

Aventura is a charming spot that offers authentic Spanish cuisine and culture including tapas, paella, vino and delicious, artisan cocktails. Inspired by the old-world atmosphere and the historical nature of the building itself, the eatery merges Ann Arbor history with modern Spanish influence. On Saturday and Sunday, they offer the El Almuerzo menu. Beginning at noon, you can order dishes like Torrijas con Miel which is Spanish french toast made with Zingerman’s Bakehouse bread, cinnamon-sugar, honey, roasted pistachios and caramel sauce.
 

MANI Osteria & Bar

341 E Liberty St | Facebook
This downtown restaurant is named for two things: the word “mani”, which means “hands” or “handmade” in Italian, and the classic Italian osteria, an eatery that emphasizes local ingredients, small production wines and hospitality. Their impressive, seasonal weekend brunch menu features a line-up of MANI’s famous wood-fired pizzas, trendy avocado toast, craveable Benedicts and a huge list of morning cocktails.
 

Jolly Pumpkin Cafe & Brewery

311 S Main St | Facebook
Founded in 2004, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales is a brewery located in Dexter, Michigan. Today, they operate three pubs including this Ann Arbor cafe and brewery which offers a small and delicious brunch menu every Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. During Brunch Happy Hour from 10 a.m. until noon, you can enjoy $2 off brunch items like avocado toast, the market omelette made with seasonal ingredients or the mouth-watering Braised Bacon Sandwich.
 

Avalon Cafe & Kitchen

120 E Liberty St | Facebook
Avalon International Breads Cafe and Kitchen Ann Arbor brunch

Photo courtesy of Bekah Galang via Avalon Cafe & Kitchen

Avalon International Breads originally opened their humble Detroit storefront in 1997 striving to offer artisan baked goods made with 100% organic flour. Today, they’ve developed the building blocks of the region’s Agri-Urban economy and operate five storefronts and restaurants. Their first and only location outside of Detroit is located right here in Ann Arbor and they serve one of our favorite brunches in town! You can get items like avocado toast, a Trout Reuben and the Blueberry Quinoa Pancake, all of which showcase their local flare and sustainable ingredients.
 

Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina

3050 Washtenaw Ave | Facebook
Bigalora is famous in the region as the only place for biga-fermented pizza dough. Each Neapolitan pie starts with a natural, 72-hour fermentation without the use of commercial yeast or added sugar then is cooked in just 90 seconds at 900 degrees. That same artistry is applied to the weekend brunch menu which features dishes like the house-made Bigalora waffle, Polenta Gorgonzola and an outstanding brunch cocktail list.
 

Juicy Kitchen

1506 N Maple Rd | Facebook
Juicy Kitchen Ann Arbor brunch

Photo courtesy of Juicy Kitchen

Using locally sourced produce, hormone-free chicken and organic vegetables and grains as much as possible, Juicy Kitchen crafts meals from scratch in healthy, sustainable ways. Offering breakfast daily until 3 p.m., you can get all that freshness in morning dishes like french toast made with raisin bread, the Quinoa Power Bowl, a weekly changing quiche, or the JK Benedict which is poached eggs served over veggie cakes with sauteed greens, roasted tomato and Chef’s Whim Sauce.
 
 

Enjoy!

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