The weekends are for lounging around the house, gallivanting through the city with the hopes of discovering something new and, of course, dining out at any number of Cleveland's restaurants to enjoy the best part of the weekend: brunch time.
1. Jack Flaps
Pancakes and waffles. Do we need to say more? At this cozy joint, situated in Ohio City on Lorain Avenue, the smell of golden pancakes and fresh coffee engulf this small space. The menu is anything but traditional. Jack Flaps gives pancakes and waffles a whole new meaning. Graham cracker and raspberry crisp waffles, decadent Tiramisu pancakes, crispy, savory root hash and benedicto mexicano are some of the local favorites.
Find them here: 39000 Lorain Avenue (216)-961-5199
2. Heck's Cafe
Housed in a 120-year-old townhouse, this 40-year-old cafe has been dishing up scrumptious brunch, lunch and dinner options for quite some time. They stick with the classics here but don't let that fool you into thinking it's boring. Dishes on their brunch menu include braised short ribs with a sunnyside egg, baklava french toast and the classic chicken and waffles.
Find them here: 2927 Bridge Avenue (216)-861-5464
3. Lucky's
If you haven't been here or seen it on the Food Network, then you're missing out on this Tremont icon. The food is good and the portions are large. Entrees for brunch include Canoewreck, a vegan-friendly scrambled tofu curry hash topped with roasted veggies and fresh fruit, Shipwreck, a blissful blend of hash browns, seasonal veggies, bacon and cheese. The cafe uses locally-sourced produce, meats and cheese.
Find them at: 777 Starkweather Avenue (216)-622-7773
4. The South Side
At The South Side, there are two separate brunch menus for Saturday and Sunday so if you want to go again, you won't have the same dish twice. On Saturday, the Big, Nasty Brunch Burger debuts to the mouths of customers. It is served on french toast with bacon, cheddar, chorizo, onion rings and topped with a crispy fried egg. On Sunday, a breakfast pizza, enchiladas and eggs and an open-faced grilled cheese grace the menu. Did we mention they also have signature brunch cocktails? A bacon bloody mary and a raspberry orange sunrise are sure to keep the buzz going from the night before.
Find them here: 2207 W. 11th street (216)-937-2288
5. Treehuggers Cafe
Here breakfast is served fresh all day. While it serves primarily healthy eats, this cafe gets down with crispy hash browns, giant-sized paninis and blue whale burgers of all kinds. They cater to vegan, vegetarian and gluten diets. The veggie delight is liked among meat eaters and vegans alike. It's a crumbled vegan patty with crispy hash browns, veggies and a to die for roasted pepper pico de gallo.
Find them here: 1330 Bagley Road (440)-973-4272
Kaylyn Hlavaty covers news that's all about the pride we share in Cleveland. Have a story tip or idea? Drop her a line at kaylyn.hlavaty@wews.com or connect on Twitter: @kaylynhlavaty.
