The brunch situation in Brooklyn rewards slightly more effort than Manhattan’s. The best spots require a subway ride from Manhattan (10-25 minutes, depending on starting point) but deliver equivalent or better food at lower prices with shorter waits. The cultural dynamic is also different: the best Brooklyn brunch restaurants serve neighborhood regulars as their primary audience, which tends to produce more focused cooking and less performance.
Egg (Williamsburg): The Breakfast Institution
Egg at 109 North 3rd Street in Williamsburg has been serving breakfast and lunch since 2005 — no dinner, no reservations, cash preferred. The menu is simple: eggs, grits, biscuits, toast, and a few specific dishes that have become the restaurant’s signatures. The Montgomery (two eggs any style, sausage, grits or home fries, toast) and the egg sandwich on a biscuit are both excellent. The line on weekend mornings is real; go before 9:30am or after 1pm.
Sunday in Brooklyn (Williamsburg): The Pancake Destination
Sunday in Brooklyn at 348 Wythe Avenue makes the malted pancakes that have been discussed in every Brooklyn brunch guide for a decade and deserve the attention — they’re properly executed, the malted flavor is present without being gimmicky, and the full brunch menu surrounding them is well-made. Weekend reservations on Resy are essential. The room is beautiful and the coffee program is serious.
Buttermilk Channel (Carroll Gardens): The Fried Chicken Brunch
Buttermilk Channel at 524 Court Street in Carroll Gardens produces the fried chicken and waffles that are among the best in New York — the chicken is properly brined, the breading is properly seasoned, and the waffle provides the textural contrast that makes the combination work. The brunch menu extends well beyond the signature dish. Reservations are helpful on weekends; the restaurant is popular with the neighborhood families who have made it a weekly habit.
Tom’s Restaurant (Prospect Heights): The Old-School Option
Tom’s Restaurant at 782 Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights has been serving breakfast and lunch to the neighborhood for decades. The pancakes, eggs, and diner classics are all properly executed in the way that a diner that has been doing the same thing since 1936 knows how to do them. The lemon ricotta pancakes are the specialty. No reservations, cash preferred, lines on weekend mornings that move quickly because the turnover is efficient.
Getting There from Manhattan
Egg and Sunday in Brooklyn: L train from 14th Street to Bedford Avenue (10 minutes). Buttermilk Channel: F or G train to Carroll Street (20-25 minutes). Tom’s Restaurant: 2/3 train to Bergen Street or Eastern Parkway (20 minutes). All are completely manageable subway rides that most Manhattan visitors overcomplicate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best brunch in Brooklyn?
Egg in Williamsburg for the specific breakfast-all-day format done with genuine care. Sunday in Brooklyn in Williamsburg for the malted pancakes. Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens for the fried chicken and waffles. Tom’s Restaurant in Prospect Heights for the old-school diner brunch that has been in the neighborhood for decades.
How do I avoid long brunch waits in Brooklyn?
Arrive when restaurants open (usually 10am). Go on a weekday if your schedule allows. Choose neighborhoods away from the prime brunch tourist corridors — Prospect Heights, Greenpoint, and Bay Ridge all have good brunch without the Williamsburg/Park Slope weekend crowds.
Is Brooklyn brunch better than Manhattan brunch?
Brooklyn brunch is generally less expensive for comparable quality and has shorter waits at equivalent restaurants. The cultural distance from the Manhattan tourist infrastructure also means the rooms feel less like performances. For the specific category of excellent brunch without drama, Brooklyn has a meaningful advantage.
Do Brooklyn brunch restaurants take reservations?
Sunday in Brooklyn, Buttermilk Channel, and most full-service Brooklyn brunch restaurants accept reservations on Resy or OpenTable for weekends. Egg does not take reservations. Tom’s Restaurant does not take reservations. Planning ahead eliminates most wait-time issues at the reservation-accepting spots.
Also see: our Brooklyn bagels guide
Also see: our Brooklyn date night restaurant guide
