Weekend brunch in Atlanta is almost as close to religion as college football, probably because it encourages continued drinking from the night before—or provides a cure from a hard-won hangover. It’s an obsession for many, and here are the spots we’re most addicted to.
By Kirsten Palladino
HIGHLAND BAKERY
655 Highland Ave., #10
This combination kitschy bakery and café is beloved by its Fourth Ward residents and beyond. Breakfast specialties such as heavenly sweet potato pancakes with brown sugar syrup and hearty cilantro corn pancakes are easy to throw back in a sparse, industrial setting highlighted by big windows and big art. Save room for the dreamy cupcakes—the pastry team has won several challenges on the Food Network.
PARISH
240 N. Highland Ave. NE
When Parish opened in Inman Park, locals quickly embraced its funky vibe and New Orleans roots. Weekend brunch is relaxed with superior service and terrific Southern comfort food from the chef-driven kitchen. Highlights include the fried green tomato Benedict, which starts with a from-scratch buttermilk biscuit crowned with poached eggs, smoked ham, fried green tomato and béarnaise. Pair it with one of the many strong classic cocktails, like the housemade Bloody Mary.
ROSEBUD
1397 N. Highland Ave.
Over in Morningside, chef/owner Ron Eyester’s Rosebud thrives on creative cooking and speaking out for local growers and products. The seasonally driven menu delights at any meal, but for breakfast, the Big Nasty (a heart-stopping chicken biscuit), the turkey and pesto scramble, and the crab cake Benedict are standouts, as are the housemade libations, which will cure even the gloomiest of bedheads. •
LATE-NIGHT NOSH (…and by late night, we mean early morning.)
The folks at TOP FLR (674 Myrtle St. NE, topflr.com) have honed a surefire formula: quirky, modern American food plus an unquestionably hip Midtown setting that’s open late (for Atlanta, that’s 1 or 2 a.m., depending on the night). Young hipsters and their older, wiser counterparts return night after night for savory dishes such as crispy duck breast with fennel salt and lavender jus, thin-crust pizza and ooey-gooey mac ’n’ cheese.