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Plates of food on a table.
A brunch feast at Wolfie’s.
James Tran

16 San Diego Brunch Spots to Try Right Now

Weekends are made for brunching

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A brunch feast at Wolfie’s.
|James Tran

Brunch is a staple of American dining culture and a particularly popular phenomenon in San Diego. Whether you’re hunting for smashed avocado toast with bottomless Bloody Marys or creative egg dishes, these 18 spots around town will make choosing where to brunch an easy decision with tasty food, strong coffee, and maybe a few cocktails.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

Note: map points are listed geographically.

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Communal

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Already a favorite daytime hangout in North Park and South Park, the newer Oceanside outpost of the cafe has a spacious back patio on which to enjoy its all-day breakfast menu, which ranges from a salted maple sausage sandwich to Turkish eggs and a large selection of sweet and savory toasts.

Creme brulee toast topped with berries.
Creme brulee toast.
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Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters

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The La Jolla Shores newcomer recently launched weekend brunch, available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., that includes seafood and snacks from its standard menu as well as fresh brunch offerings ranging from cinnamon rolls and lemon ricotta pancakes to house-baked English muffins. Its wood-fired meats are featured in brunch mains like a California burrito upgraded with prime rib and a pork loin-based eggs Benedict.

A bar with an undersea mural behind it. Crave Imagery

Medina

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Moroccan-infused weekend brunches start at noon at this El Cajon restaurant. Order the Medina breakfast skillet, North African-style shakshouka, or chef/owner Alia Jaziri’s chilaquiles with housemade merguez sausage. For cocktails, try the Casablancawith preserved lemon-ginger-honey simple syrup, white wine, and hard apple cider.

Chilaquiles in a cast iron pan. Medina

Verbena Kitchen

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With its popular Sunday brunch now extended to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., there are now two weekly opportunities to order decadent plates like bistro steak and eggs, French toast with whipped Nutella, and its luscious cinnamon roll (available in limited quantities).

A plate of deviled eggs.
Deviled eggs.
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Common Stock

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Paired with a lineup of boozy brunch libations, the restaurant is a great first morning option in the Hillcrest area. Avocado toast, hot chicken and waffles, chilaquiles and a breakfast burrito packed with beef machaca and cheesy eggs complements the entire range of cocktails including a mimosa kit.

Breakfast & Bubbles

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Touting its all-day champagne breakfast, this restaurant is open seven days a week and offers an extensive bubbly selection sold by the glass or bottle, as well as beer, Bloody Marys, and more. As for food, choose from a variety of egg dishes, pancakes, and waffles, plus an impressive tower of sweetness packed with a chef selection of Italian pastries.

A dish with waffles, another with eggs, another with pancakes. Breakfast & Bubbles

Trust

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Brunch is insanely popular at Trust so reservations are highly recommended. Order up smoked salmon toast, braised bacon grilled cheese and don’t forget the restaurant’s ultimate sticky bun with rotating flavors every week.

Dining room at Trust. Lyudmila Zotova

Cesarina

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Weekend brunches at Point Loma’s Italian charmer begin at 10 a.m. and the restaurant has lots of al fresco dining on the premises. Breakfast skillets, Benedicts, bowls, French toast, and waffles grace the menu including a few vegan options.

Matteo

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Buona Forchetta非營利的餐廳服務morning meals every day of the week. Head to South Park for a variety of toasts, eggs Benedicts, hot cakes, burritos, sandwiches, and a breakfast combo with all the classics. Save room for a pastry to enjoy later.

Fork cutting into an egg Benedict. Matteo

Wolfie's Carousel Bar

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Little Italy’s whimsical carousel bar and restaurant is now doing brunch, mixing French bistro fare with classic breakfast dishes like crab Benedict, avocado toast, fresh beignets, and wagyu steak and eggs alongside a croque madame and bruleed French toast. Pair brunch plates with a sparking Belle Fille, a concoction that includes vodka, Lillet, cucumber, and prosecco.

Beignets and other desserts on plates.
Brunch desserts.
James Tran

Pali Wine Co.

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The Santa Barbara-based winery’s Little Italy tasting room has a rooftop patio that’s the perfect perch for a weekend brunch menu that features dishes like street corn frittata, a “bennie bowl” with house-smoked salmon, and cast iron-cooked cornbread served with crispy pork belly, mole rojo, and a poached egg.

Kettner Exchange

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Sunday brunch has returned to the Little Italy hotspot where prime brunching can be had on the rooftop patio or in one of its reserved cabanas. Pulling popular items from sister spot Waverly, including the Japanese-influenced breakfast rice bowl and “Pig Mac” bao, the brunch menu features cocktails like the Razzle with mezcal, Fernet Branca, ginger, lemon, and raspberry and the Thin Mint-inspired Scout’s Honor, a mix of Cacao Run and Creme de Menthe with crushed cookie bits.

Pancakes with a side of syrup. Kettner Exchange

Charles + Dinorah at The Pearl Hotel

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Recently updated after a pandemic hiatus, brunch returns to Point Loma on Saturday, August 20 with a new menu that includes classics like chilaquiles, steak and eggs, and French toast as well as specials that include breakfast fried rice with Chinese sausage, salmon crudo cured in housemade Bloody Mary mix and a tofu twist on egg Benedict. The restaurant, which is known for its cocktails, also has a list of “liquid brunch” options.

A pool and hotel bar. Josh Cho Photography

Morning Glory

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This dedicated brunch spot from nightlife specialists CH Projects has been givenBib Gourmand designation from the Michelin Guidefor its menu made up of eye-catching global dishes like breakfast carbonara and khachapuri as well as accomplished cocktails spiked Thai iced tea and a boozy Orange Julius.

Pink velvet booths at Morning Glory sit under a large chandelier shaped like a pink flower. Morning Glory

可可馬ya

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This breezy rooftop spot now opens at 10 a.m. (closed Tuesdays) and offers a daily brunch from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Its menu, which draws from cuisines of Latin America and the Caribbean, includes chilaquiles and Cuban steak and eggs along with Jamaican-inspired oxtail soup with oat flour dumplings and a range of bokits, or Caribbean sandwiches, filled with everything from fish to breakfast fixings. Brunch cocktails include mimosas, margaritas, and Maya Coffee, a mix of tequila, cinnamon cold brew, vanilla agave, and salted caramel mascarpone foam.

A rooftop bar with tables and umbrellas. 可可馬ya

Garibaldi

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All the menus at the Italian-inspired restaurant have been recently revamped, including its brunch menu which is now offered on Saturday and Sunday. There’s an Italian brunch torte layered with meat, cheese, and vegetables and a seafood omelet as well as sweet dishes like cassata Siciliana, a traditional Sicilian cake, and castagnaccio pancakes made with chestnuts. Bottomless prosecco or Aperol Spritz service is $29.

A table to two in front of an undersea mural. Kimberly Motos

Communal

Already a favorite daytime hangout in North Park and South Park, the newer Oceanside outpost of the cafe has a spacious back patio on which to enjoy its all-day breakfast menu, which ranges from a salted maple sausage sandwich to Turkish eggs and a large selection of sweet and savory toasts.

Creme brulee toast topped with berries.
Creme brulee toast.
Facebook

Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters

The La Jolla Shores newcomer recently launched weekend brunch, available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., that includes seafood and snacks from its standard menu as well as fresh brunch offerings ranging from cinnamon rolls and lemon ricotta pancakes to house-baked English muffins. Its wood-fired meats are featured in brunch mains like a California burrito upgraded with prime rib and a pork loin-based eggs Benedict.

A bar with an undersea mural behind it. Crave Imagery

Medina

Moroccan-infused weekend brunches start at noon at this El Cajon restaurant. Order the Medina breakfast skillet, North African-style shakshouka, or chef/owner Alia Jaziri’s chilaquiles with housemade merguez sausage. For cocktails, try the Casablancawith preserved lemon-ginger-honey simple syrup, white wine, and hard apple cider.

Chilaquiles in a cast iron pan. Medina

Verbena Kitchen

With its popular Sunday brunch now extended to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., there are now two weekly opportunities to order decadent plates like bistro steak and eggs, French toast with whipped Nutella, and its luscious cinnamon roll (available in limited quantities).

A plate of deviled eggs.
Deviled eggs.
Facebook

Common Stock

Paired with a lineup of boozy brunch libations, the restaurant is a great first morning option in the Hillcrest area. Avocado toast, hot chicken and waffles, chilaquiles and a breakfast burrito packed with beef machaca and cheesy eggs complements the entire range of cocktails including a mimosa kit.

Breakfast & Bubbles

Touting its all-day champagne breakfast, this restaurant is open seven days a week and offers an extensive bubbly selection sold by the glass or bottle, as well as beer, Bloody Marys, and more. As for food, choose from a variety of egg dishes, pancakes, and waffles, plus an impressive tower of sweetness packed with a chef selection of Italian pastries.

A dish with waffles, another with eggs, another with pancakes. Breakfast & Bubbles

Trust

Brunch is insanely popular at Trust so reservations are highly recommended. Order up smoked salmon toast, braised bacon grilled cheese and don’t forget the restaurant’s ultimate sticky bun with rotating flavors every week.

Dining room at Trust. Lyudmila Zotova

Cesarina

Weekend brunches at Point Loma’s Italian charmer begin at 10 a.m. and the restaurant has lots of al fresco dining on the premises. Breakfast skillets, Benedicts, bowls, French toast, and waffles grace the menu including a few vegan options.

Matteo

Buona Forchetta非營利的餐廳服務morning meals every day of the week. Head to South Park for a variety of toasts, eggs Benedicts, hot cakes, burritos, sandwiches, and a breakfast combo with all the classics. Save room for a pastry to enjoy later.

Fork cutting into an egg Benedict. Matteo

Wolfie's Carousel Bar

Little Italy’s whimsical carousel bar and restaurant is now doing brunch, mixing French bistro fare with classic breakfast dishes like crab Benedict, avocado toast, fresh beignets, and wagyu steak and eggs alongside a croque madame and bruleed French toast. Pair brunch plates with a sparking Belle Fille, a concoction that includes vodka, Lillet, cucumber, and prosecco.

Beignets and other desserts on plates.
Brunch desserts.
James Tran

Pali Wine Co.

The Santa Barbara-based winery’s Little Italy tasting room has a rooftop patio that’s the perfect perch for a weekend brunch menu that features dishes like street corn frittata, a “bennie bowl” with house-smoked salmon, and cast iron-cooked cornbread served with crispy pork belly, mole rojo, and a poached egg.

Kettner Exchange

Sunday brunch has returned to the Little Italy hotspot where prime brunching can be had on the rooftop patio or in one of its reserved cabanas. Pulling popular items from sister spot Waverly, including the Japanese-influenced breakfast rice bowl and “Pig Mac” bao, the brunch menu features cocktails like the Razzle with mezcal, Fernet Branca, ginger, lemon, and raspberry and the Thin Mint-inspired Scout’s Honor, a mix of Cacao Run and Creme de Menthe with crushed cookie bits.

Pancakes with a side of syrup. Kettner Exchange

Charles + Dinorah at The Pearl Hotel

Recently updated after a pandemic hiatus, brunch returns to Point Loma on Saturday, August 20 with a new menu that includes classics like chilaquiles, steak and eggs, and French toast as well as specials that include breakfast fried rice with Chinese sausage, salmon crudo cured in housemade Bloody Mary mix and a tofu twist on egg Benedict. The restaurant, which is known for its cocktails, also has a list of “liquid brunch” options.

A pool and hotel bar. Josh Cho Photography

Morning Glory

This dedicated brunch spot from nightlife specialists CH Projects has been givenBib Gourmand designation from the Michelin Guidefor its menu made up of eye-catching global dishes like breakfast carbonara and khachapuri as well as accomplished cocktails spiked Thai iced tea and a boozy Orange Julius.

Pink velvet booths at Morning Glory sit under a large chandelier shaped like a pink flower. Morning Glory

可可馬ya

This breezy rooftop spot now opens at 10 a.m. (closed Tuesdays) and offers a daily brunch from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Its menu, which draws from cuisines of Latin America and the Caribbean, includes chilaquiles and Cuban steak and eggs along with Jamaican-inspired oxtail soup with oat flour dumplings and a range of bokits, or Caribbean sandwiches, filled with everything from fish to breakfast fixings. Brunch cocktails include mimosas, margaritas, and Maya Coffee, a mix of tequila, cinnamon cold brew, vanilla agave, and salted caramel mascarpone foam.

A rooftop bar with tables and umbrellas. 可可馬ya

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Garibaldi

All the menus at the Italian-inspired restaurant have been recently revamped, including its brunch menu which is now offered on Saturday and Sunday. There’s an Italian brunch torte layered with meat, cheese, and vegetables and a seafood omelet as well as sweet dishes like cassata Siciliana, a traditional Sicilian cake, and castagnaccio pancakes made with chestnuts. Bottomless prosecco or Aperol Spritz service is $29.

A table to two in front of an undersea mural. Kimberly Motos

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