Where to brunch in San Antonio: morning rooms worth the queue.
Where to brunch in San Antonio. the morning rooms worth the queue, and the kitchens still doing it right at noon.
Magnolia Pancake Haus is a walk-in-only north-side breakfast institution off Embassy Oaks, scratch-making German pancakes and apple-cinnamon crepes to crowds.
Order: German pancakes and the apple-cinnamon crepes.
Tip: It is walk-in only and the weekend wait is real; arrive before 9am. The German pancake is the signature order.
Cullum's Attaboy in Alamo Heights pairs a champagne brunch with a famous smash burger, a Michelin Bib Gourmand diner whose small room fills fast on weekends.
Order: Champagne brunch with the smash burger.
Tip: The champagne brunch and the smash burger are the orders. The small room fills fast on weekends; arrive early.
Snooze brings a retro-diner brunch to the Quarry area, with creative dishes like pineapple upside-down pancakes and shrimp and grits plus morning cocktails.
Order: Pineapple upside-down pancakes and breakfast tacos.
Tip: Put your name on the app waitlist before you arrive. The pineapple upside-down pancakes are the brunch splurge.
Maverick Texas Brasserie does a Southtown weekend brunch with mimosa bottle service, where the omelette du fromage and the salmon bagel are the orders.
Order: Omelette du fromage and the salmon bagel.
Tip: Weekend brunch comes with mimosa bottle service. Book on Resy; the brasserie room fills by late morning.
The Guenther House sits in the 1860 home of the Pioneer Flour Mills family in King William, serving sweet-cream waffles and biscuits made with Pioneer flour.
Order: Sweet cream waffles and biscuits with the Pioneer flour gravy.
Tip: It is walk-in only with a weekend wait; the sweet-cream waffle is the order. Ask for a table on the garden patio.
Best Quality Daughter does an Asian American weekend brunch at the Pearl, with a crab rangoon dip and a dim-sum spread; book ahead and request the patio.
Order: Crab rangoon dip and the brunch dim-sum spread.
Tip: Book ahead and request the patio. The crab rangoon dip is the must-order; the brunch cocktails are worth it.
Supper inside Hotel Emma runs a market-driven weekend brunch at the Pearl, leaning on the adjacent farmers market and the hotel garden for seasonal plates.
Order: Seasonal market plates and the pastry basket.
Tip: The brunch and the Sternewirth bar make a full Pearl morning. Book on Tock and pair brunch with a market walk.
Bakery Lorraine at the Pearl is the lighter brunch before the market, where a quiche makes it more than the usual coffee, croissant and macaron run.
Order: Quiche, a croissant and a macaron with coffee.
Tip: Best for a lighter pastry brunch before the market. The quiche makes it more than a coffee-and-croissant stop.
Bar Loretta in King William turns its modern Texas kitchen toward a weekend brunch with proper cocktails, a polished neighbourhood room with a market.
Order: Brunch plates with proper cocktails.
Tip: The cocktails are as serious as the food at brunch. Grab provisions from the adjoining market on your way out.
La Panaderia's downtown cafe does a Mexican-bakery brunch of chilaquiles and breakfast tacos with a cafe con leche; finish with a concha from the counter.
Order: Chilaquiles, breakfast tacos and a concha.
Tip: The chilaquiles and a cafe con leche make the brunch; finish with a concha. A walkable downtown brunch stop.
Las Canarias at the Omni La Mansion del Rio runs one of downtown's grandest Sunday brunches, a riverside terrace spread for special occasions.
Order: The Sunday brunch spread on the river terrace.
Tip: The Sunday brunch on the river terrace is the occasion order. Book a riverside table well ahead on OpenTable.
Halcyon in the Blue Star complex runs an easy all-day brunch where you can pair eggs and pastries with a coffee or a cocktail, a relaxed Southtown room.
Order: Brunch plates with a coffee or a morning cocktail.
Tip: It works for a casual, no-reservation brunch with coffee or a cocktail. The Blue Star setting draws an arts crowd.
Box St. All Day at Hemisfair is a downtown brunch room between the Tower and Yanaguana Garden, with brunch cocktails, a curated espresso bar and plates.
Order: Brunch plates with a curated brunch cocktail.
Tip: Book on OpenTable on weekends. The Hemisfair Garage gives the first 30 minutes free, handy for a quick stop.
CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery handles a pastry-led brunch on South Flores, pairing French-style bakes and quiche with careful espresso in a bright room.
Order: Quiche, kouign-amann and a flat white.
Tip: Lean on the French pastry case; the kouign-amann and quiche are the picks. Plenty of seating for a slow morning.
Rosario's is a two-storey Southtown Tex-Mex landmark whose weekend brunch leans on migas, breakfast enchiladas and frozen margaritas, with a rooftop bar.
Order: Migas, breakfast enchiladas and a frozen margarita.
Tip: Head to the rooftop bar with a frozen margarita and the migas. First Friday in Southtown turns brunch into a party.