Rise and Shine

10 delicious brunch spots–and what to order when you get there

BY MIKE JORDAN

mong the many things A that make Gwinnett County residents proud are its restaurants, and if you live anywhere in metro Atlanta, you know that one meal reigns supreme: brunch. If you’re in Gwinnett and looking for a great place to enjoy that late-morning, early-afternoon feast of Southern-styled comfort and joy, you can take pride in knowing you’re in the right place. Here, 10 great brunch spots to try.

Parkside District

Seafood and meat are the specialties at this farm-to-table tavern that’s been serving Lawrenceville since 2016. The menu’s full of impressive eats for all three meals but for brunch you’ll never regret ordering the Gouda grits, Cajun hash, or chicken and waffl es—the latter is a perfect plate fi lled with crispy fried chicken and a Belgian waffl e topped with fresh berries.

Uncle Jack’s Meat House Peachtree Corners

The “Boozy Brunchers” menu at this American bar and grill is quite serious, evidenced by the two-hour bottomless brunch cocktail offered on weekends for just under $25. You’ll certainly want something hearty to eat if you take the drink deal so go for the brisket Benedict. The brisket is smoked for eight hours and served with hollandaise, a poached egg, glazed asparagus, and a housemade biscuit.

Cosmo Pizza + Social

Cosmo’s Pizza + Social

For two decades, this downtown Lawrenceville pizzeria and neighborhood bar has been a favorite for Italian food lovers, sports fans, and folks who enjoy live music and entertainment. Come for the game, and stay for the fresh-baked bread basket, smoked salmon fl atbread, or the brunch pizza, made with bacon and sunny-side up eggseggs. Pair your plate with a mimosa bucket or trips to the Bloody Mary bar.

Three Blind Mice

Equal parts restaurant, cafe, and wine bar, Lilburn’s Three Blind Mice is intentional about the experience of enjoying brunch and wine, in concert with comfortable surroundings. A great example is the slow-cooked Low Country shrimp and grits, served in a white wine garlic cream sauce with bacon and mushrooms. If that doesn’t call for a glass of vino, we don’t know what does.

The Brunch Apothecary

It doesn’t get much more homestyle than this renovated Dacula house where timeless brunch favorites fi ll the menu and family vibes fi ll the air, along with the aroma of heavenly food to get your day started. Begin with a nitro cold brew coffee, and if you need more of a pick-me-up, order the Cure-All— a two-egg breakfast with biscuit or toast, and your pick of proteins ranging from country-fried steak to country ham and fried pork loin, with side options like housemade truffl e Parmesan potatoes.

La Belle Vie

La Belle Vie

This energetic Suwanee bistro no longer takes reservations for its Sunday brunch, and demand is high (so high that they ask customers to limit meals to 90 minutes), so be sure to show up early and hungry. You won’t want to miss the lobster omelet with Gruyère, the strawberries and cream French toast, the grits with braised oxtail, or the modern French brunch dishes such as the croque madame croissant.

Maple Street Biscuit Company

Visit Parson’s Alley in Duluth and have a fl aky breakfast biscuit sandwich, made from scratch daily with artisan winter wheat fl our. Go Hollywood and order the Squawking Goat Biscuit, which combines an all-natural fried chicken breast with housemade pepper jelly and a fried medallion of goat cheese. It was good enough to be featured on the Food Network, so it's defi nitely worth your while.

The Crossing

When you see the railroad tracks, you'll know you've reached The Crossing, a Norcross favorite housed in a former train depot from the 1800s. The brunch menu at this steakhouse is available Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Everything comes with bacon or sausage and a choice of sliced tomatoes or tots. Then pick your main: cinnamon-butter-topped pancakes, eggs Benedict, French toast, or arepas with ham and cheese. There’s also plenty that fi ts the brunch criteria on regular menu days, including fried green tomatoes and the chicken and waffl e appetizer, which is presented as chicken tenderloins dipped in waffl e batter and deep-fried.

Oy!

Breakfast, lunch, and brunch are the main features of this Buford restaurant that’s open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Try the Philadelphia cheesesteak omelet (made with Angus beef, peppers, onions, and queso), or a variety of indulgent buttermilk pancakes, from wild blueberry fl apjacks to pancakes made with cinnamon pecans, white and dark chocolate chips, and even Oreo cookie crumbs.

45 South Cafe

Decorated with framed portraits of animals and ceiling-hung international fl ags, this colorful Norcross cafe carries a variety of fresh-brewed coffees, bagels, banana bread, and “world-famous,” pastries (muffi ns, Danishes, brownies, and the like), plus yogurt and a killer quiche.

Maple Street Biscuit