Brunch can be one of the best things this city has to offer- sunny outdoor seating, greasy side dishes, coffee concoctions and best of all, the cocktails.
However, there are some essentials to avoiding cat-fights, curing hangovers, soaking in the summer weather, and day-drinking right. Who knew boozy brunch could be so dangerous?
We’ve got your back though. With these tips and great brunch spots, the best meal of the day will stay drama-free and delicious.
1. Keep the peace at 'Five Mile Stone' (1640 2nd Avenue)
papaya719 Mimosa and Eggs Cochon, apparently with "pork debris". Super weird name but delicious 😋#boozybrunch #brunch #food #foodporn #nomz #nofilter #fivemilestone #nyc #newyork @kaysays11 @biggy2smalls90
If you’re looking for a place with friendly staff, look no further than the Upper East Side’s Five Mile Stone. This old-timey restaurant has great servers and a killer menu to match.
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Need some seafood? Try their crab cakes, or shrimp and grits (both on the brunch menu!). Craving some eggs? Five Mile has an entire menu dedicated to (nine) eggy brunch options that never disappoint.
Just remember-- if any of your friends starts to lean towards the belligerent side of tipsy, just distract them with the bacon sampler. It works like a charm.
2. Live it up in the sunshine at 'The Rookery' (325 Troutman Street - Brooklyn)
A key ingredient to the best brunches is sitting outside. The Rookery is a quirky Bushwick gastropub that has the perfect beer garden (complete with overflowing plants and the sight of some great street art) in which to enjoy your brunch.
We love the spaciousness of this re-purposed industrial space, and their British west-Indian inspired food and quality beer list isn’t so bad either (cough, cough, they serve Ommegang).
Plus the sandwiches (Oxtail sloppy joe, we’re looking at you) and yellow bonnet Bloody Mary should be on every New Yorker’s brunch bucket list.
3. Embrace the booze at 'Five Leaves' (18 Bedford Avenue- Brooklyn)
For those of you who are willing and ready to get your drink on in the earlier hours of the day (it’s called “boozy” brunch for a reason), look no further than Five Leaves.
This eatery supplies Greenpoint with a long list of cocktails (their bellinis are dope), mezcal, whisky,and whiskey (yes, they are different things), just to name a few.
The grapefruit margarita is the perfect wake-up call for a weekend morning, and goes down particularly well with the bruleed grapefruit (served with house-pickled ginger and fresh mint).
Five Leaves also presents such delights as ricotta pancakes and truffle fries to keep you from keeling over from their abundance of alcoholic treats.
4. Shake it up with a show at 'The Creek and the Cave' (10-93 Jackson Avenue - Long Island City)
Brunch can be served alongside a show or a film, if you know where to go. Try The Creek and the Cave, where cal-mex food accompanies an array of comedy shows, music performances, and film screenings.
Not to mention that the huevos rancheros and BLT bacon taco here will keep you full long past dinner time.
If you’re trying to avoid the inevitable mid-day nap that follows a morning full of mimosas, or you have to go to work later, order the soder-- it’s a refreshing mixture of muddled cucumber, simple syrup, soda, and citrus that will keep you satisfied and away from temptation.
5. Don’t be afraid to be a carnivore at 'The Sparrow Tavern' (24-01 29th Street - Queens)
thebrothersbuoy Remember that time your bacon, egg and cheese was so huge it exploded out the side of of your toasty, crispy bun? You would if you have ever been to #sparrowtavern in Astoria, one of the Buoys favorite hidden gems. This place delivered on every criteria we grade on! Do yourself a favor and head over there. Yea we know it's far, just do it.
Listen up, meat eaters: steak and eggs for brunch will be had, and they will be had at The Sparrow Tavern.
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A decadent dish of beef skirt steak and eggs, pepper aioli, fries, and arugula salad, it is not to be missed. They also have an intense brunch burger that has miraculous hangover curing properties.
Not a meat lover? Never fear- a grilled cheese made with fontina, truffle oil, radicchio, herbs, and dreams-come-true can also be found at this Astoria tavern.
6. Keep your energy from nosediving at 'Cafe Ghia' (24 Irving Avenue)
a.couple.eats Breakfast for champs at Cafe Ghia 💪🏼Lumberjack Stack- Scrambled eggs and bacon between waffles, with maple syrup. @cafeghia #cafeghia #lumberjackstack #breakfast #breakfastforchamps #food #foodies #foodpics #foodporn #foodgasm #foodstagram #instafood #munchies #eeeeeats #nyc #brooklyn #newyork #acoupleeats
A small cafe crammed with character, Cafe Ghia is the watering-hole of your dreams. Keep yourself awake with the Bee’s Knees honey latte, and keep your soul sated with the mega-mosa (yes, you read that correctly. It’s served in a pint glass).
Catering to all crowds, you can get the best that brunch has to offer in the form of their potato bowl, breakfast brioche sandwich, and vegan scramble. Try the Belgian waffle- it’s an apple cinnamon filled paradise.
But best of all is the Emergen-C cocktail. Lemon-lime Emergen-C with soda water and a lemon slice is the three dollar purchase that will save you from succumbing to a headache or a mid-afternoon bedtime.
Keep it sacred. Check out 9 Best Brunch Spots to Hit Up This Weekend Below 14th Street.
[Feature Image Courtesy: Instagram]