The Ultimate Resy Guide to Brunch in San Francisco

The holy grail of New Orleans food, if not brunch overall, in San Francisco is Brenda’s. It remains one of the best restaurants in the city, period. We love how chef-owner Brenda Buenviaje is pushing forward her own style. Pro tip: The move is to make a reservation and skip the lines.

This Marina District standby has been a favorite for quality cocktails and comfort food for over a decade, and has now expanded to Menlo Park. At both, chef Adam Rosenblum’s brunch menu balances fresh shareables like housemade ricotta and lavash crackers or seared banana bread with hearty mains from chilaquiles to chicken sandwiches. 

If your brunch vibe is Jewish classics, look no further. Chef Adam Rosenblum’s (of next door favorite Causwells) newest venture zeroes in on housemade pastrami in various forms. Complete the experience with matzo ball soup and latkes, then nap it off at the Presidio Movie Theater next door. 

This cozy bar and restaurant brings plant-based dining to the heart of The Castro. Brunch is always buzzing, centering around specialty cocktails and a concise wine list, with daytime exclusive bites like roasted potatoes with chipotle cashew crema and loaded tofu scramble breakfast burritos.

Expert in youtiao — golden, deep-fried Taiwanese doughnuts — this spot goes all-out on brunch with an array of creative Asian American dishes. You might want a few friends with you to work your way through fried chicken and mochi waffles, loco moco, and bulgogi steak and eggs. Don’t forget the beverages — with options like the TRH Bloody Mary with wasabi and tamari, plus boozy boba and coffee cocktails.

You probably know True Laurel for its award-winning cocktails and creative seasonal fare from bartender Nicolas Torres and chef David Barzelay  — but their brunch menu is worthy of acclaim all on its own. The TL patty melt is a fan favorite — with dry-aged beef and caramelized onion sauce — but the cornmeal pancakes and hash brown with maple yolk jam are not to be overlooked.

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Though they don’t take reservations during the day, we highly encourage walking in for brunch here. The pancake has something of a cult following, but you can’t go wrong with any of the salads and sandwiches. Pro tip: Outerlands bakes bread daily, so be sure to take one home if you can.

Brunch is the only offering here, so you know it’s gotta be good — and as a bonus, it’s served seven days a week. The menu is generous, covering all of the egg-centric classics, but signature dishes like the French toast with housemade brioche mousseline will really make your visit memorable.

A San Francisco staple for over 40 years, R&G is a mainstay for Cantonese classics. You’ll want to settle in and load your lazy susan with fresh crab in any form, the R&G special beef, and Peking duck.

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Quite possibly the finest daytime patio in the city lies at Prubechu. Here, you’ll find impeccably good vibes and precise cooking like nowhere else. It’s more lunch than brunch proper, but it’s the kind of menu where you want to order everything. And truth is, you probably should try.

The sun always seems to be shining on perennial favorite Piccino and, well, the entire Dogpatch neighborhood. Lunch at Piccino is one of the essential San Francisco pastimes. Don’t miss their shiny new bar next door.

Are you not a brunch person per se, but nonetheless looking for a new, fun daytime food experience with some bonus wine education? Ungrafted is your spot. Find some excellent wines with a full lunch menu that goes far beyond your expected wine bar fare, thanks to chef David Avile.

The move at the Presidio’s Mexican restaurant, set in the former Officers’ Club, is to get a seat on the beautiful patio, and enjoy the cooking of owners Eduardo and Sylvia Rallo’s central Mexican heritage. A perfect afternoon in the Presidio.