People waiting outside for tables around 12pm
Baba Yega embodies all things Montrose–its prime location off Fairview, its vegetarian-friendly menu, its eclectic and cozy décor, and homey brunch buffet. A few Sunday’s ago, the Brunch Klub and I decided to try out the brunch spread at Baba Yega.
Baba Yega isn’t your traditional restaurant. It’s this old bungalow house with a bunch of different rooms and stairs and courtyards and patios. I’m pretty sure at one point it was actually more than one house because it’s got a tree growing in the middle of one of the rooms.
Around 11 am on a Sunday – the place was PACKED. We had a reservation, but they wouldn’t seat us until the entire party was there — kind of annoying when you’re waiting for 8 people to show up on time after a late night of adventuring on the town. When we were seated, they set us up in one of the upstairs rooms that overlooks the backyard with a fountain.
From there, we were pretty much on our own. The servers took our drink orders (a pitcher of mimosas with maraschino cherries thx!) and left us to do our own thing at the buffet downstairs.
Baba Yega Mimosa
The buffet cost a flat $25 — consistent with other buffets in the city– and had your usual assortment of American -esque brunch foods. The omelet bar was by far the fav of people in the group — omelets made to order with whatever you want inside. I was a big fan of the pasta salad which had pesto, artichoke, cherry tomatoes, and capers (ohlala!). Others enjoyed the crème filled blini crepes and potato casseroles. The buffet had a nice fruit bar with fresh strawberries and mangos and a serious collection of fresh basked desserts (some gluten free!) that required a second trip to do it justice. Per usual buffet etiquette, we were all stuffed by the end of plate #2 (or #3).
At the end of the meal, the waiter didn’t split the check — which caused the usual pandemonium when we attempt to do annoying complex math on a recovery Sunday to determine into tips and drinks and tax for 8 people….
Overall, Baba Yega is a super cute, family friendly place with a lot of history. The brunch buffet reminded me of the brunch my parents used to take us kids to growing up. This is the kind of restaurant where I would take my grandparents or big group of out of town family– it has a pretty casual vibe and offers plenty of options for picky eaters.
Fun Fact: The name “Baba Yega” is a witch-like character in Russian folklore.