The much sought-after weekend activity of brunching is a winning proposition in Boulder. From all-you-can-eat extravagant buffets to Latin-inspired brunch happy hour and thoughtfully local, farm-to-table breakfast fare, there's truly something for everyone to enjoy mid-day on weekends.
Owners Christopher Meyer and Jacquelyn Sproul purchased what once was the Golden Buff Grill in 1995 and have been providing greasy spoon breakfast ever since. Do yourself a favor and order the pecan caramel quesadilla for a starter that includes pecans, brown sugar streusel, and cream cheese. For a steal, go for the $0.99 mimosas and bloody Marys.
Tangerine is one of the few restaurants in the area that is entirely focused on breakfast all day, everyday. Much of the menu is focused on local ingredients with Mediterranean-style flavors. The options are inventive and broad and include options for every taste.
Cafe Aion, a tapas restaurant on the Hill, is a special place for brunch not only for the carefully crafted Mediterranean inspired menu items, but also because there is virtually never a wait. The flaky croissants with homemade jam will keep you coming back for more.
The Walnut Cafe has been open for 30 years and it's no wonder it has been a longtime neighborhood favorite for Boulder. The food is straightforward - omelets, waffles, and the like - but there are also sections dedicated to "Boulder Fare" and "Vegan Fare" to accommodate a variety of diets. Bonus: Look for the pie slice of the day, it is likely a winner!
Open for 32 years, Lucile's Creole Cafe now has five locations around Colorado but the first one started in Boulder in 1980 and still occupies a light yellow Victorian house. The breakfast portions are enormous and beware when you order your biscuit alongside your eggs, it can fill you alone. You can expect to find Creole classics like shrimp and grits, pan fried trout with poached eggs or pain perdu, New Orleans style french toast. Consider ordering the Louisiana style chicory coffee and hot beignets to start. This might be the longest brunch wait in Boulder (they don't take reservations) but it’s worth it.
The Village Coffee Shop is Boulder's quintessential greasy spoon diner that has been standing strong for 40 years. Expect to find longtime, older locals mingled with hungover college students crowded in the space. The food is greasy and simple, your check will be easy on the wallet, and the coffee is hot and most likely, Folgers.
There is a perpetual line outside the Boulder outpost of the Colorado-born chain. Be on the lookout for the pancake of the day that can be come in a fall variety like the Chestnuts Roastin' one filled with spiced pears, roasted chestnut caramel, sweet cream and citrus butter.
Come to this Pearl Street favorite for Brunch Happy Hour. The special is on Saturday and Sunday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and features $3 bloody Marys and mimosas and $2-4 plates. Beyond happy hour, brunch runs until 3 p.m. on the weekend. You can find the likes of fried plantains, quatro leches french toast, breakfast tacos, biscuit and gravy scramble with chorizo scramble and more Latin-inspired brunch items. If it's nice out, enjoy your brunch on the covered patio.
If you're looking for a special spot that even your parents would enjoy, the historical Greenbriar Inn offers a Champagne Buffet Brunch (all you can eat) on Sunday's from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The extended buffet offers oysters, made-to-order omelets, pickled herring, Belgian waffles, quiches, cheese, seasonal fruit, chef carved meat, a myriad of pastry desserts, and more. The Champagne Brunch is $35 per person but if you opt for just the buffet sans alcohol, it's $28 per person.
For varying international fare and an exquisite interior shipped over from Boulder's sister city, Tajikistan, try Boulder's Dushanbe Teahouse. You can find the likes of Indian samosas, Greek scramble, Szechuan tofu scramble, beef hash and eggs and more global options on their brunch menu. When it's nice out, sit on the patio that faces Boulder's Farmers Market and sits on Boulder Creek.
The French brasserie serves pastries, crepes, waffles, and offers a sizable omelette and Benedict menu at brunch on weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Try the Nicoise Omelette, that comes with haricot verts, arugula, Nicoise olives and chevre.
Open since 2003, Lucky's Cafe is a 67-seat cafe in North Boulder that serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week and brunch on weekends. Whether it's omelets, Benedicts, French toast, or the hash bar, there's something for everyone. Unique dishes include the Pennsylvania Dutch Scrapple and the Tofu Flannel Hash.
Owners Christopher Meyer and Jacquelyn Sproul purchased what once was the Golden Buff Grill in 1995 and have been providing greasy spoon breakfast ever since. Do yourself a favor and order the pecan caramel quesadilla for a starter that includes pecans, brown sugar streusel, and cream cheese. For a steal, go for the $0.99 mimosas and bloody Marys.
Tangerine is one of the few restaurants in the area that is entirely focused on breakfast all day, everyday. Much of the menu is focused on local ingredients with Mediterranean-style flavors. The options are inventive and broad and include options for every taste.
Cafe Aion, a tapas restaurant on the Hill, is a special place for brunch not only for the carefully crafted Mediterranean inspired menu items, but also because there is virtually never a wait. The flaky croissants with homemade jam will keep you coming back for more.
The Walnut Cafe has been open for 30 years and it's no wonder it has been a longtime neighborhood favorite for Boulder. The food is straightforward - omelets, waffles, and the like - but there are also sections dedicated to "Boulder Fare" and "Vegan Fare" to accommodate a variety of diets. Bonus: Look for the pie slice of the day, it is likely a winner!
Open for 32 years, Lucile's Creole Cafe now has five locations around Colorado but the first one started in Boulder in 1980 and still occupies a light yellow Victorian house. The breakfast portions are enormous and beware when you order your biscuit alongside your eggs, it can fill you alone. You can expect to find Creole classics like shrimp and grits, pan fried trout with poached eggs or pain perdu, New Orleans style french toast. Consider ordering the Louisiana style chicory coffee and hot beignets to start. This might be the longest brunch wait in Boulder (they don't take reservations) but it’s worth it.
The Village Coffee Shop is Boulder's quintessential greasy spoon diner that has been standing strong for 40 years. Expect to find longtime, older locals mingled with hungover college students crowded in the space. The food is greasy and simple, your check will be easy on the wallet, and the coffee is hot and most likely, Folgers.
There is a perpetual line outside the Boulder outpost of the Colorado-born chain. Be on the lookout for the pancake of the day that can be come in a fall variety like the Chestnuts Roastin' one filled with spiced pears, roasted chestnut caramel, sweet cream and citrus butter.
Come to this Pearl Street favorite for Brunch Happy Hour. The special is on Saturday and Sunday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and features $3 bloody Marys and mimosas and $2-4 plates. Beyond happy hour, brunch runs until 3 p.m. on the weekend. You can find the likes of fried plantains, quatro leches french toast, breakfast tacos, biscuit and gravy scramble with chorizo scramble and more Latin-inspired brunch items. If it's nice out, enjoy your brunch on the covered patio.
If you're looking for a special spot that even your parents would enjoy, the historical Greenbriar Inn offers a Champagne Buffet Brunch (all you can eat) on Sunday's from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The extended buffet offers oysters, made-to-order omelets, pickled herring, Belgian waffles, quiches, cheese, seasonal fruit, chef carved meat, a myriad of pastry desserts, and more. The Champagne Brunch is $35 per person but if you opt for just the buffet sans alcohol, it's $28 per person.
For varying international fare and an exquisite interior shipped over from Boulder's sister city, Tajikistan, try Boulder's Dushanbe Teahouse. You can find the likes of Indian samosas, Greek scramble, Szechuan tofu scramble, beef hash and eggs and more global options on their brunch menu. When it's nice out, sit on the patio that faces Boulder's Farmers Market and sits on Boulder Creek.
The French brasserie serves pastries, crepes, waffles, and offers a sizable omelette and Benedict menu at brunch on weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Try the Nicoise Omelette, that comes with haricot verts, arugula, Nicoise olives and chevre.
Open since 2003, Lucky's Cafe is a 67-seat cafe in North Boulder that serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week and brunch on weekends. Whether it's omelets, Benedicts, French toast, or the hash bar, there's something for everyone. Unique dishes include the Pennsylvania Dutch Scrapple and the Tofu Flannel Hash.
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