Brunch Bliss

Greenville's Best Brunch Spots

From cozy cafés serving Southern favorites to trendy bistros crafting contemporary cocktails, it’s easy to plan your next brunch date with our curated guide. Not as contemporary a trend as you might think, the word 'brunch' first appeared in print in 1896. What began as a drawn-out Sunday-only meal has—like maple syrup over pancakes—now dribbled over into Saturday, making the custom of brunch a weekend affair. So savor your weekends, or any day of the week, really, and join your friends and family for a leisurely late-morning breakfast feast. 

Wake up and smell the coffee—consult our guide below for the 411 on brunch in the Greenville area.
 

Boozy Brunch Spots

Bottomless Mimosas

For fans of Champagne and orange juice, sipping mimosas with your brunch fare is an excellent way to stretch the meal into the early afternoon. And it doesn’t get much better than offering “bottomless” mimosas for one set price, as these spots do.

Part of the Hyatt Regency Greenville, Roost Restaurant offers a Sunday buffet brunch with Southern flair. Pile your plate high with grits, Brussels sprouts, mac ‘n’ cheese from the hot bar, biscuits and gravy, and proteins such as brisket, fried chicken, and salmon—not to mention eggs and waffles made to order. All this, plus a salad bar, dessert station, and mimosas on repeat.

At Juniper, atop the AC Hotel Greenville Downtown in Camperdown Plaza, it’s hard to say what’s more enticing, the buffet brunch or the rooftop view. The former features an omelet station, shrimp and grits, and other entrées, as well as an assortment of sweets, while the latter takes in the striking downtown skyline. 

Another downtown rooftop bar and restaurant, UP on the Roof, crowns the Embassy Suites by Hilton Greenville Downtown RiverPlace. Peer out at the Reedy River, city high-rises, and the mountains beyond while you graze on a Greek yogurt parfait before digging into Wagyu Steak and Eggs, or the restaurant’s take on a comfort food classic, It Ain’t Easy Being Cheesy—tomato bisque and a pimento cheese and fried bologna grilled cheese sandwich.

Unlimited mimosas are just the thing to wash down your choice of meat-and-three offerings on Sunday morning at Blockhouse Restaurant & Oyster Bar on Augusta Street. And who needs eggs when you can have Oysters Blockefeller, blanketed with creamed spinach and topped with hollandaise?

Brunch speaks with Mexican accents at Tacozzini in the likes of Pancake Tacos, Chilaquiles, and Blueberry Corn Cakes. A Sunday meal at this spot on Augusta wouldn’t be complete without an order of cinnamon-sugar-dusted Churros with dulce de leche dipping sauce for dessert.

With two locations in the Upstate—Taylors and Fountain Inn—The Farehouse offers mimosas with a choice of orange, cranberry, grapefruit, or pineapple juice; go for broke and try them all for one set price. A fresh-baked Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Roll with smoked-pecan bourbon glaze makes a sweet prelude to a Loaded Grits Bowl or Brunch Pizza.

Sunday Brunch

Only on Sundays

Easy like Sunday morning, brunch is a highlight at these restaurants on the last day of the week—or first, depending on the way you look at it.

Huddled up against the Blue Ridge Mountains in Travelers Rest, Cherokee Valley Golf Club claims a destination restaurant, Core 450, which attracts diners for both the cuisine and the view. Sunday’s the day to spice things up with Eggs in Purgatory, three eggs baked in tomato sauce and served with garlic butter toast. Of the three versions of loaded Hashbrowns, we’d go for The Lobfather, topped with Maine lobster, poblanos, and pork belly, with a roasted tomato remoulade. Don't miss out on The Gauntlet, probably the largest Sunday Brunch Bloody Mary that we've ever seen—featuring steak, crab legs, and shrimp. It's a drink AND a meal—and you get to keep the cup! 

Boasting views of the Reedy River from its window tables, Halls Chophouse does brunch with style—and live music. Hall’s favorites, like the She-Crab Soup, Oysters Rockefeller, and Prime Allen Brothers steaks, are menu staples, along with brunch-focused dishes such as Southern Sweet Potato Pancakes and Biscuits and Gravy.

A new feature, brunch at Mr. Crisp goes well beyond the signature Fish & Chips (though the menu does include them). At this Overbrook neighborhood spot, you can share some oysters on the half shell as a prelude to Five Spice French Toast, or get your veggies on with a Chicken Fried Cauliflower Biscuit. Try breaking out of the traditional brunch libations mold with You’re As Smooth As Tennessee, made with bacon-washed bourbon.

At the family-owned CityRange Steakhouse Grill on Haywood Road, you can spark your appetite with Beignets or a Biscuit Basket before tucking into a Western Omelet or a Bacon Steak Salad. Go rogue and order the Kentucky Hot Brown—a Bluegrass State favorite—consisting of roasted turkey on griddled sourdough with bacon, tomato, cheddar, and garlic cream.

On any given Sunday, take the car, hop on your bike, or hoof it over to The Commons food hall, where Chef Alex George helms the kitchen at Golden Brown & Delicious (or GB&D, as it’s affectionately known). The menu changes frequently, but you can count on the beloved burger being available; for brunch, it’s served on a homemade donut.

A publick house atmosphere imbues The Velo Fellow with cozy vibes for Sunday brunch, echoed by pub fare like Fish & Chips and a Brunch Burger. Meanwhile, the rest of the menu skews Southern with Fried Green Tomato Benedict, Chicken & Waffles, and Shrimp & Grits.

Weekend Brunch

Two Whole Days to Dine

Why not start the weekend feasting early? These restaurants all serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

In their new location on Camperdown Plaza, Larkin’s does brunch proud all weekend, starting with Apple Beignets rolled in powdered sugar and “bacon dust.” The menu ranges from land (Steak & Eggs or a Prime NY Strip) to sea (Crab Cake Benedict) and even features steakhouse sides such as Fried Brussels Sprouts, Creamed Spinach, and Four-Cheese Mac and Cheese.

If pizza and pasta rank high on your list of brunch fare, head downtown to Indaco Italian Food & Wine. Sure, they have traditional egg dishes, but why not put some Italian style in your weekend with Radiatori and Beef Bolognese or Breakfast Pie (pizza topped with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, bacon, sausage, and two sunny-side-up eggs)? Don’t pass up Zeppole—fried balls of dough served with white chocolate sauce and Oreo cookie crumbles.

Opened in 1997, Soby’s New South Cuisine is a beloved Greenville landmark, popular for both dinner and weekend brunch. Challah French Toast with strawberry compote and vanilla whipped ricotta will satisfy your sweet tooth, while Short Rib Hash, topped with a sunny-side-up egg and Bloody Mary sauce, speaks to the savory side.

NOSE DIVE, a Main Street gastropub, is a weekend favorite for its Adluh Mills Grits Bar. Pile white cheddar grits high with an array of seasonal toppings, and keep coming back for more. Not a fan of grits? Perhaps the Nashville Hot Chicken Benedict would hit the spot. Any self-respecting Southerner would delight in spicy fried chicken, dill pickles, sausage gravy, and two eggs stuffed between the halves of a tender buttermilk biscuit.

At Limoncello, Polenta and Shrimp shares menu space with Ouvos Limoncello, an abbondanza of Italian ingredients: over-easy eggs, arancini, heirloom tomatoes, arugula, spinach, parmesan, pancetta, white beans, and Italian sausage, spiked with chili aioli. To pair with it, take your pick between a Strawberry Peach Bellini, a Blueberry Limoncello Spritzer, and if you really want a caffeine kick, a cold brew Espresso Martini.

The Bohemian Café doesn’t take reservations, so get there early to enjoy the likes of Salmon Florentine Benedict and a Taos Breakfast Burrito. Five variations of omelets are available to pair with a Super Deluxe Mimosa, an intoxicating blend of vodka, Champagne, orange juice, pineapple juice, and pomegranate juice.

Go Gallic at Passerelle Bistro’s weekend brunch. Weather permitting, book a prized seat on the lovely patio overlooking Falls Park on the Reedy and feast on Pain Perdu, Croque Monsieur, or a Niçoise Salad. Instead of a mimosa, get in the French spirit with a Kir Royale, crème de cassis, and sparkling wine. Ooh, la la.

Scratch-made Southern vittles describe the cuisine at Tupelo Honey, on ONE City Plaza. Brunch starters do well with Biscuits for a Cause; the fluffy house specialty served with whipped butter, and the signature blueberry jam. Proceeds from the sale of this dish go to the Tupelo Honey Relief & Development Fund. Chicken and Waffles is a classic here, perhaps with a side of Fried Pickles.

A collaboration between Chef Shawn Kelly and his business partner Roddy Pick of Kingbird Pastures, Fork & Plough does a bountiful brunch every weekend in the Historic Overbrook neighborhood. The menu changes daily, so you never know what you might find, but a Tomato and Pimiento Cheese Tart, a Smoked Pork Biscuit, and a Duck Egg and Bacon Bagel will give you an idea.

The first restaurant from Jason and Julia Scholz, Stella’s Southern Bistro has been the place to go in Simpsonville for casual fine dining since it opened in 2008. It’s all about local farms and fields here, as evidenced by brunch items like the Hickory Bluff Berry Farms Strawberry, Challah French Toast, and the Bethel Trails Farm Omelet. If you’ve got a group in tow, it’s well worth ordering a pitcher of mimosas.

Chef Adam Cooke is devoted to fresh produce, eggs, and pastured meat from area fields—including the restaurant’s own farm—and it shows in his brunch menu at Topsoil Kitchen + Market. Vegetarians will find much to like here, from Whole Grain Carrot Pancakes with fresh berries to the Spiced Beet Reuben, while carnivores will prefer the half-pound Providence Wagyu Blend Burger.

The perfect brunch getaway awaits in Travelers Rest at Restaurant 17. Located in Hotel Domestique, this restaurant boasts an awe-inspiring view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from its window tables and patio. On the menu, eat light with a Domestique Salad (fresh seasonal vegetables and berries, pickled onions, pecans, and ricotta salata) and soup of the day, or tuck into Southern Fried Chicken Padano, served over house-made pasta with charred asparagus. Prefer to be surprised? Order the seasonally inspired Chef’s Brunch Special.

Younger sister to Stella’s Southern Bistro, Stella’s Southern Brasserie is located in the Hollingsworth Park community. A French brasserie bustle imbues the atmosphere at this spot, where weekend brunch brings a range of fare, from Stella’s signature Shrimp and Grits to The Traditional Breakfast, a generous serving of two scrambled farmer’s eggs, sugar-cured bacon, pimiento cheese grits, and a Happy Cow Buttermilk biscuit.

On weekends, it’s difficult to narrow down your brunch options at Woodside Bistro. Will it be Biscuits and Gravy (served with two eggs), a Vegetarian Omelet, or the wildly popular—and deservedly so—French Dip sandwich? The latter is made with braised beef short ribs, caramelized onions, and Havarti cheese on a grilled hoagie bun. It’s a delicious mouthful any time of day.

Come hungry to Firebirds Wood-Fired Grill, where hearty brunch fare stars a Steak and Egg Bowl, filled with wood-grilled tenderloin, poached eggs, roasted potatoes, mushrooms, and tomatoes in a creamy horseradish sauce. For fish lovers, there’s Crab Cakes and Eggs and Grilled Salmon Benedict.