12 best brunch spots in Spokane
Brunch is the best.
Part breakfast, part lunch and savory as well as sweet, the casual, leisurely late-morning meal lets you sleep in.
That’s one of the loveliest things about it.
Well-rested and relaxed, you’re ready to celebrate the end of a long week with one of the most diverse and decadent array of menu items – from hearty egg dishes to pancakes, crepes and cinnamon rolls that feel more like dessert than a main dish.
Laid-back, boozy and better with friends or family, brunch is generally observed on Saturday or Sunday – when most people have the day off. Another perk: day-drinking – even, um, midmorning-drinking – is perfectly acceptable. So spots with bottomless beverages are preferable.
No special occasion is required. However, Easter and Mother’s Day are a couple of the most popular brunch holidays. With both of them around the corner, here’s a look at a dozen of the best brunch spots in Spokane.
Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. Spokane’s signature Sunday brunch buffet features a chocolate fountain, carved-to-order prime rib, cheese, charcuterie, seafood, housemade desserts and bottomless mimosas or sparkling wine. If more booze is required, consider tacking on a trip to the build-your-own Bloody Mary bar for $10. Otherwise, brunch is $49.95 per person or $21 for children 6 to 12. (Children under 6 eat for free.) Large parties are welcome. Reservations are encouraged. The price goes up to $64.95 per person for adults for special event brunches, including Mother’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day and Thanksgiving. Sit in a spacious gilt ballroom or enjoy the elegance of the restored 1914 lobby while sitting at a table by the fireplace. Brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. The last seating is at 12:45 p.m. Call (509) 789-6848. www.davenporthotelcollection.com
Chaps, 4237 Cheney-Spokane Road. Tucked away in the Latah neighborhood near the base of Eagle Ridge development, this popular café and bakery offers ample portions of modern American comfort food. The ambiance is eclectic farmhouse with a whimsical, modern-vintage vibe, accented with sparkly chandeliers, antique cake stands, chalkboards and Mason jars. Come hungry, and nosh on a generous almond croissant while waiting for the café’s signature custard-style baked oatmeal, omelets, array of other egg dishes, three kinds of French toast – blueberry muffin, bananas foster, regular – and more. When the weather’s warm, opt for sunlit seating in the garden out front. Call (509) 624-4182. www.chapsgirl.com
Luna, 5620 S. Perry St. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday at this longtime South Hill establishment with a contemporary and elegant French farmhouse chic look and feel. Start with beignets to share before opting for one of all sorts of egg dishes – eggs Florentine, eggs Benedict, crab Benedict, chilaquiles, smoked salmon scramble – or a hearty sandwich such as the $17 Luna burger with Kobe beef, bacon, balsamic onions, white cheddar and mustard aioli on a brioche bun. Mimosas aren’t bottomless, but you can get them by the carafe for $28. When the weather’s warm, sit outside on the vine-covered patio. Call (509) 448-2383. www.lunaspokane.com
Italia Trattoria, 144 S. Cannon St. This modern Italian restaurant in the heart of historic Browne’s Addition becomes very busy for brunch on Saturday and Sunday. It’s especially busy during warm-weather weekends, when the dining room’s roll-top doors open onto South Cannon Street and seating in the sunny courtyard becomes particularly popular. Start with zeppole, or Italian doughnuts, and one of the special brunch libations – from Alps coffee with hazelnut liqueur and whipped cream to a pomegranate Bellini, scratch-made Bloody Mary, mimosa with fresh orange juice and Prosecco, or Good Morning Sunshine with gin, Aperol and fresh orange juice. Move on to brioche French toast, baked eggs with crispy polenta or the hearty farmer’s breakfast with white bean-and-tomato ragu, housemade Italian sausage and fried eggs. Other offerings include eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine Benedict, a Caprese omelet, Italian frittata and spaghetti. Call (509) 459-6000. italiatrattoriaspokane.com
Bruncheonette, 1011 W. Broadway Ave. This newer brunch spot just north of the Monroe Street Bridge and Kendall Yards offers a clean and contemporary vibe with chalkboards and succulents and, perhaps the best part, brunch seven days a week. Brunch is all they do at Bruncheonette. That includes cinnamon-brown sugar waffles with vanilla whipped cream, biscuits and gravy, hearty corned beef or verde hash, chilaquiles with smoked tomato salsa, and bacon pancakes topped with candied walnuts, bourbon butter and maple syrup. Look, also, for chicken and waffles, chicken fried steak, Monte Cristo French toast and the signature $12.50 tamale waffle with green onion, cheddar, spiced shredded beef, cherry tomatoes, pickled jalapeno, lettuce and crema. Call (509) 443-5968. www.coupleofchefs.com/brunchonette
The Yards Bruncheon, 1248 W. Summit Parkway, is light, bright and beachy – with black-and-white tiled floors, aquamarine-colored walls and mid-century modern-inspired tables, chairs and booths. Open daily in Kendall Yards since early 2014, this contemporary American diner specializes in brunch. Menu items are a mix of modern twists on classic breakfast and lunch dishes – including an array of omelets, three varieties of eggs Benedict, cinnamon roll and buttermilk pancakes, corned beef hash, biscuits and gravy, huevos rancheros and breakfast tacos, fajitas and a burrito. Starters include fresh apple doughnuts and avocado toast. On the savory lunch side, there’s a variety of sandwiches, such as the $12.99 Brunch Burger on a French toast bun with beef, bacon and egg. On the sweeter side, there’s a bacon-maple waffle with pecan butter and maple syrup, wild huckleberry pancakes and a Dutch baby with lemon, butter and powdered sugar. Call (509) 290-5952. theyardsbruncheon.com
Central Food, 1335 W. Summit Parkway. The first restaurant to locate in Kendall Yards serves up a spectacular view with its brunch, best enjoyed on the patio overlooking the Centennial Trail, Spokane River and downtown skyline. Menu items include an eclectic mix of American and Asian-inspired dishes. Look for a red miso scramble with scallions and a cucumber salad, Korean pork sandwich with turmeric onions and Sriracha mayo, and bibimbap with kimchee, tri-tip beef, pickled onions, spinach, jasmine rice and over-easy egg. There’s a hearty breakfast gumbo and smoked pork shoulder hash, both topped with an over-easy egg. The Pacific Northwest lentil bowl features golden beets, spinach, lentils and more. And, on the sweeter side, try the honey-bourbon-pecan-butter French toast. Call (509) 315-8036. eatcentralfood.com
Downriver Grill, 3315 W. Northwest Blvd. Located along the main drag in the Audubon neighborhood, this contemporary upscale eatery features brunch on weekends. Reservations are recommended. So are the Gorgonzola criss-cross-cut fries with fresh herbs and black pepper. There’s a half-page of boozy brunch beverages – from a French 75 to the signature Bloody Mary. Mimosas are $8; refills are $4. They come in the traditional orange-juice-and-sparkling-wine combination as well as grapefruit or cranberry-orange – and more. Start with housemade croissant doughnuts. Other sweet-side menu items include chai-spiced pancakes and spiced apple French toast bread pudding. There’s a variety of egg dishes and sandwiches, including a Southwest scramble with guacamole, pico de gallo, tortillas and chorizo; breakfast Reuben with corned beef, scrambled eggs and sauerkraut on marbled rye; and the McD.R.G. with avocado, tomato, basil, an over-easy egg, Parmigiano Reggiano and pancetta on a corn souffle. The California Benedict comes on the same souffle with peppered bacon, avocado, grilled tomatoes, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. Leaning more toward lunch? Opt for the $14.50 Chipotle Barbecue Burger with bacon, caramelized onion, roasted garlic aioli and Gorgonzola. Make it more breakfast-y by adding a fried egg for $2. Call (509) 323-1600. downrivergrillspokane.com
The Blackbird Tavern and Kitchen, 905 N. Washington St. This contemporary restaurant with a Southern twist specializes in smoky, filling fare and generous portions. Located in the historic Broadview Dairy building just north of downtown and done in red, black and white, Blackbird pays homage to executive chef Molly Patrick’s Georgia roots. Look for cheddar grits with smoked brisket or shrimp and a poached egg, biscuits and brisket gravy, burnt ends hash and toad in a hole with sourdough bread, sage-and-juniper bacon and a fried egg. On the sweeter side, find a sourdough and ricotta pancakes, brioche French toast and a Dutch baby with charred mandarin oranges candied lemon peel butter, powdered sugar and maple syrup. Call (509) 392-4000. theblackbirdspokane.com
Ruins, 825 N. Monroe St. Chef-owner Tony Brown is difficult to pin down. He changes his dinner menu about once a week, and it’s no different for brunch at his cozy art deco diner just north of the Monroe Street bridge. Brunch is Sunday only, and specials usually riff off of previous week’s offerings. Dishes are eclectic, creative and made from scratch. Call (509) 443-5606. www.facebook.com/ruins.spokane/
Luigi’s, 245 W. Main Ave. This longtime Italian restaurant in downtown Spokane – it’s been here since 1988 – recently started offering Sunday brunch. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost is $24.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors and $15.95 for children 12 and under. Children under 5 eat for free. Offerings include an omelet bar as well as eggs cooked to order, a carving station, pastries, desserts and a salad bar with fruit, Waldorf and pasta salads. Brunch comes with sparkling wine or a mimosa. Reservations are recommended. Call (509) 624-5226. http://www.luigis-spokane.com/
Old European, 7640 N. Division St. This restaurant specializes in breakfast and lunch. So, brunch. And, it’s open seven days a week. Start with the Danish aebelskivers, which come in original, blueberry or sausage and Havarti, or a combination, and are based on a family recipe that Grandma Marie brought to America from the Old Country in 1908. On the sweeter side, there’s coconut macademia nut French toast with bananas, whipped cream and coconut syrup. On the savory side, opt for steak and eggs, Hungarian goulash or German potato pancakes with sausage, applesauce and sour cream. Look, also, for Swedish crepes, Dutch babies, no fewer than seven kinds of eggs Benedict and 11 omelets, and stuffed French toast or hot cakes with sausage, bacon or ham and scrambled eggs. Call (509) 467-5987. oldeuropeanbreakfast.com. Or, visit the Spokane Valley location at 517 N. Pines Road, (509) 891-7662, or in Post Falls at 1710 E Schneidmiller Ave., (208) 777-2017