So I’ve got some friends. And like all good millennials we love ourselves a nice Sunday brunch. The weekly routine tends to go something like: Go out Saturday night. Send out mass text at bar. Pinky promise to wake up. After multiple snoozes, manage to roll out of bed the next morning.  Don sundress and fat sunglasses. Order greasy eggs and fresh drinks. Cure hangover in solidarity.

We started this weekly ritual in September and since then have hammered out the necessary ingredients for a superb brunch experience. The equation for success for the proper brunch includes: bomb mimosas + creative egg dish + outdoor patio. You miss one of the components the equation gets out of wack and you might as well be sitting on a sticky vinyl booth eating a powder-egg skillet at Denny’s. No thanks.

Luckily, Houston has no shortage of beautiful weather, spicy texmex inspired egg dishes or restaurants with a full bar. And the unofficially, official Brunch Klub has made it our mission to try them all–or at least the best ones–one Sunday at a time. Here’s what we have tried thus far:

Cook and Collins, 2416 Brazos St.

Honestly might be my favorite one thus far.  American comfort food. Fabulous shaded balcony with fresh air. Sleek decor. Excellent brunch items. Recommended: Feelin’ Guilty (#noregrets),  Quinoa Burger (homemade burger and the fries are unreal), Unlimited Carafes of Mimosas.

 

BlackFinn American Grille, 1910 Bagby St.

Mysteriously closed it’s doors on November 3rd. In case, you were wondering 4/5 of us ordered the Eggs Benedict when we went. They were mediocre anyways. No creativity. NOT recommended.

Batanga, 908 Congress Ave.

Fabulous patio. Not-so fabulous service. The sangria was great. But we literally had to go track down a server like six times in order to do simple things like get more water…get some silverware…find out why they delivered three dishes but not the other two… Our first experience with Chilaquiles (tortilla + sunnyside up eggs + queso fresco+ avocado). We’ve since found that they are pretty much a brunch staple in Houston. They were very satisfying but def not worth the excessive wait and poor service. NOT recommended.

Cuchara, 214 Fairview St.

BEST CHILAQUILES EVER. They have multiple reincarnations and styles of chilaquiles and we pretty much all tried the special of the day- which was topped with salsa roja and crunchy hibiscus flowers. They were sweet and salty and sour and unique. Phenomenal. Also the Café de Olla (Mexican spiced coffee with cinnamon and milk) was unique and should def be ordered again. Recommended: Mimosa del Dia (happened to be Mango when we went. Yes puh-lease.)

 

Brick and Spoon, 1312 West Alabama

Drag your tired ass out of bed to get to this place early. Otherwise be prepared to wait. Showing up at 11am will take at least an hour to get seated and they don’t take reservations. #hype Nevertheless the patio and the brunch offerings won’t disappoint. And you don’t go home hungry. Recommended: Bloody Mary Bar, Breakfast Tacos (served in a wonton not a tortilla), and Farmer’s Market Benedict (get the Pomme Frites and the pasta salad side!)

Shade, 250 West 19th St.

Older neighborhood (the historic Heights) and noticeably older crowd–nevertheless the food did not disappoint. The Asparagus Soup–made fresh that day was divine and the Blood Orange Mimosa was unique and refreshing. Recommended: Blood Orange Mimosa and Roasted Beet Salad.

Harry’s, 318 Tuam St.

When the wait time is upwards of an hour to get seated, you better expect the place to be daymn good.  More of a dinner-esque feel, Harry’s has the traditional brunch items that are basically requirements of Houston eateries–chilaquiles and eggs benedict. Both generous portions for respectable prices. Recommended: sitting outside, Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice Mimosa (no but really YES), and the Feta Fries.

Tiny Boxwoods, 3614 W Alabama St.

Ugh. What’s not to love here? It’s picturesque, fresh and crisp. Nothing on the menu disappoints. Everything is just so effortlessly flawless. You order at a counter–which kinds sucks because the line moves slow. But the food comes out fast and honestly there wasn’t anything that we didn’t like. Recommended: White Wine Mojito, Red Sangria,  Just “Beet it”  Burger, French Picnic bread platter, Potato & Egg Pizza, Chocolate Chip Cookies #heavenonearth

 

Cyclone Anaya’s, 309 Gray St.

$10 mimosas with 1 cent refills. Boom. There ya go. With respect to the brunch equation it has [mediocre] mimosas in copious quantities minus creative egg combinations (none to be found on the menu unless you want eggs stuffed in a quesadilla –tried it no thanks) plus bomb outdoor patio, so I guess it breaks even? Recommended: if you wanna sit there all day and get drunk.

BRC Gastropub, 519 Shepherd Drive

Oh? What’s BRC stand for you ask? Oh you know. Just “big red cock.” Hay! Get your mind out of the gutter! We’re talking about a rooster jeez. Although the decor in the place is certainly, uh, eleclectic. It’s got these pictures framed on the wall with a drawing and then a word and it gets you to make compound words like “play boy” and “camel toe.” Like I said, eclectic. The food is pretty decent. Recommended: Cheddar Biscuits and Bacon Jelly (melt in ya mouth mmm) , Mac & Cheese of the Day. Not: Infamous Coop Style Burger–they cut your burger into bite side pieces–like burger, bun, toppings, everything. Super weird.

Have you tried any of these places? Know a place that basically reinvented and gave new meaning to scrambled eggs? Wanna attend the next Brunch Klub adventure? Let us know and comment below.