Sleepy Bee Cafe Oakley ★ 4.6
Sleepy Bee on Madison Road in Cincinnati's Oakley is the farm-to-table brunch flagship since 2013, with pancakes, omelettes and vegan and gluten-free options.
Order: Bee Cakes, sausage gravy biscuits, bee pollen smoothie
Where to brunch in Cincinnati. The morning rooms worth the queue, and the kitchens still doing it right at noon.
Brunch picks
Sleepy Bee Cafe Downtown ★ 4.5
Sleepy Bee on East 4th Street downtown is Cincinnati's all-day brunch outpost of the Oakley flagship, with pancakes, omelettes and an open-kitchen counter.
Order: Bee Cakes and sausage gravy biscuits
Sugar n' Spice ★ 4.5
Sugar n' Spice on Reading Road in Cincinnati's Paddock Hills is the diner-brunch institution since 1941, with the wispy thin pancakes and signature omelettes.
Order: Wispy Thin Pancakes, goetta and eggs, fluffy omelet
The Eagle OTR Brunch ★ 4.3
The Eagle on Vine Street in OTR runs Cincinnati's weekend Southern brunch with fried chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy and a Reds-game crowd.
Order: Fried chicken and waffles, biscuits with sausage gravy
Taste of Belgium OTR Brunch ★ 4.4
Taste of Belgium on Vine Street in OTR is Cincinnati's all-day Belgian brunch counter, with Liege waffles, chicken and waffles and frites with mussels.
Order: Liege waffle, chicken and waffles, brunch frites
First Watch Hyde Park ★ 4.1
First Watch on Madison Road in Cincinnati's Hyde Park is the local outpost of the daytime brunch chain, with chickichanga and lemon ricotta pancakes.
Order: Chickichanga and lemon ricotta pancakes
Metropole Weekend Brunch ★ 4.4
Metropole inside the 21c Museum Hotel on Walnut Street downtown runs Cincinnati's hearth-driven weekend brunch, with wood-fired Benedicts and grits.
Order: Wood-fired eggs Benedict, hash and grits
Maplewood Kitchen Brunch ★ 4.3
Maplewood Kitchen on Race Street downtown is Cincinnati's California-leaning Thunderdome brunch room, with all-day breakfast plates and avocado toast.
Order: Avocado toast, rotisserie chicken bowls