1. Tujague’s
Brunch
Experience the flavors of Old New Orleans at Tujague’s, the Crescent City’s second oldest restaurant serving up traditional New Orleans cuisine with robust flavors. At Tujague’s, diners can indulge in brunch Friday – Sunday. Highlights include Cochon de Lait Benedict, Shrimp and Grits, Fried Shrimp Po-Boy, and Eggs Madison – chorizo sausage, onion, potatoes, and cheddar cheese hash, topped with fried eggs and chimichurri. $18 bottomless mimosas are also on offer. Brunch is served on Friday from 11AM-2:30PM; Saturday and Sunday from 10AM-2:30PM.
Happy Hour
Tujague’s offers Weekend Happy Hour available every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 2:30PM-5PM at the bar, parlor room, courtyard and expansive French Quarter balcony. Signature Cocktails, priced at only $7, include the Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Paloma, French 75 and a Seasonal Frozen concoction. Guests can also enjoy $5 local craft beers; $7 glasses of rosé; and $7 glasses of Tujague’s Private Label red, white, and sparkling wines. Additionally, guests can enjoy specialty discounted Happy Hour bites by Executive Chef Gus Martin including Boudin Balls served with pepper jelly; Truffle Fries; Crispy Pork Belly served with parmesan polenta and pepper jelly gastrique.
2. Toups’ Meatery
Brunch
Since brunch first launched in 2019, Chef Isaac Toups’ flagship restaurant Toups’ Meatery has been a bustling hotspot to spend weekend days in Mid-City New Orleans. The go-to spot for Cajun rustic cookery and killer cocktails, Toups’ Weekend Brunch is available every Saturday 11AM – 3PM and Sunday 10AM – 3PM. Brunch favorites include chilled Louisiana crab claws with chili lime vinaigrette, pickled pineapple and roe; fried redfish benny – catfish, braised greens, poached eggs, smokey green hollandaise; Foie Gras Torchon – fruit confiture, Bellegarde Bakery Bread, and Louisiana Lump Crab Chop Salad with dill dressing, crispy ham, tomato, pickled quail eggs and seeds. Toups Burger and Meatery board are also on offer. Boozy brunch offerings include a variety of seasonal cocktails and $15 Bottomless Mimosas.
Happy Hour
Toups’ Meatery offers Happy Hour Monday-Friday, from 3PM-5PM. The menu features $7 Rosé Spritz and Pekoe Tea Rum Punch; $4 off all whiskeys; $5 draft beers; and $6 select wines by the glass. Small plates include $4 cracklins and cucumber salad; $6 boudin balls and daily sausage; $7 deviled eggs; and a rotating selection of Covey Rise veggies.
3. Mister Mao
Mister Mao Chef Sophina Uong’s “inauthentic” Sunday brunch rotates regularly, as does the dinner menu. Summer standouts include Lump Crab & Alabama Corn Scramble with summer tomato & watermelon gherkin and poha potato; Braised Pork Chilaquiles corn, cotija cheese, cilantro crema, Mawi tortillas, red chiles, sunny eggs and Hot Chicken Benedict served on a Hawaiian pineapple roll with a Vidalia onion milk gravy and sunny eggs. The rotating menus at Mister Mao always feature a substantial selection of gluten-free offerings. Brunch cocktails are as playful as the dishes and includes concoctions like After Party – dark rum, coffee liqueur, tamarind and cold brew. Brunch is available every Sunday from 10AM – 2PM.
4. Commons Club
Brunch
Commons Club, the flagship restaurant, bar and lounge located inside Virgin Hotels New Orleans receives raves and accolades for Executive Chef Alex Harrell’s thoughtful ingredient-driven cuisine served in a stylish, modern setting. Local foodies and visitors can indulge in Harrell’s inventive brunch menu, available 9AM – 2PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday, featuring Southern seasonal cuisine with Mediterranean influences. Tantalizing treats include “churro” fritters dusted with cinnamon sugar, and a Dutch baby served with whipped cream cheese, fruit compote and cane syrup. Savory offerings include summer vegetable frittata with farmer’s cheese and herb salad; Gulf shrimp and Bayou Cora grits served with smoky tomato and fennel broth; and crispy boudin served with Bayou Cora red corn grits, sunny up egg and Red Eye gravy. Since brunch isn’t complete without boozy drinks, a variety of creative cocktails are also available
5. Birdy’s Behind The Bower
Brunch
Birdy’s Behind the Bower is the insta-worthy spot in the Framework Building serving Southern-inspired, locally-sourced American brunch, available seven days a week from 8AM – 2PM. Favorites include the Sugar Roots Bowl – avocado, marinated beets and farm carrots, mustard seed tzatziki, red cabbage, local tofu, herbs and apple cider vinaigrette; Polenta “Toast” – crispy white cheddar polenta, buster crab, roasted poblano pepper, queso fresco and corn vinaigrette; Debris Benedict – shredded beef, poached eggs, buttermilk biscuit, hollandaise, pickled red onions; and a Breakfast Sandwich – two eggs any way, prosciutto, triple crème brie, arugula, pesto aioli, brioche. Not-to-be-missed are the fabulous Birdy’s boards: brunch board – donut, granola, slab bacon, hot coppa, bubble waffle, fruit, seasonal jam, mini cookies, mini pancakes, house syrup, triple cream cheese, soft boiled eggs and the biscuit board with whipped local honey butter, seasonal jam, chicken sausage gravy.
6. Jack Rose
Brunch
Located in the Garden District’s Pontchartrain Hotel, Jack Rose was named the #1 “Best Hotel Restaurant” in the country according to USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice, for its bustling energy and Chef/Owner Brian Landry’s tantalizing cuisine. Weekend Brunch includes the pork belly with carrot puree, cabbage and creole mustard glaze; fried shrimp + grits in étouffée sauce; chicken + waffles with maple and cane syrup; and steak Frites – Wagyu flank, fries, mushroom butter. Upgrade your brunch with Veuve Cliquot bottle specials for $60, or opt for one of the eatery’s famed cocktails. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11AM-2PM.
7. The Bower Bar
Happy Hour
Located at 1320 Magazine Street in the former Claret Wine Bar space, The Bower Bar has become the perfect perch to gather for cocktails, conversation and bites. The reimagined space has the same lush look and feel of The Bower, along with a killer field-to-glass cocktail program from Beverage Director Mickey Mullins. Wind down the work day at Happy Hour, available every Monday – Saturday from 4PM – 6PM. Guests can enjoy $8 signature cocktails and daily House Punch; $7 house wine-by-the-glass; and $4 beer. Food offerings include discounted ($6-12) charcuterie plates, cheese plates, cacio e pepe, crispy cauliflower, whipped feta and warm Castelvetrano olives.
Featured image by Birdy’s @birdysnola.