There is no better meal than a weekend brunch; a holy pastime that celebrates not only the most important meal of the day, but also the joys of sleeping in and day drinking.
As a shameless promoter of two of college students’ favorite things, it is no wonder that Boulder is home to a plethora of restaurants offering this magnificent meal. Great care and “research” was involved in dwindling down the numerous brunch choices in Boulder, a service that was selflessly done out of love for both my fellow students and buttermilk pancakes. So hold on to your mimosas and please refrain from drooling all over your keyboard – the top six Boulder brunch superlatives have arrived.
South Side Walnut Café is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is known for it's speedy service. (CU Independent/Kai Casey)
Speediest Service: Some people may say that one of my more “defining” qualities is my unrelenting impatience – that is why I visit the South Side Walnut Café on weekend mornings when I am feeling extremely peckish and every indecently large family in Boulder is also on the hunt for a good brunch. The service here is efficient to the point of militaristic, with an animated wait staff that has you checking the side stations for stashes of energy drinks and shots of espresso. With a plate of eggs, vegan sausage, and two great sides, my crazy hunger beast can be tamed in less than thirty minutes of arriving –a large feat considering their usual packed house.
Most Unique Eats: Sometimes the customary potatoes, eggs and pancakes menu can get a little tiresome, no matter what interesting veggies and sauces are added into the mix. So whenever I am looking for a more unique brunch, I head to Lucile’s Creole Café where a Cajun breakfast of red beans, grits and poached eggs smothered in hollandaise sauce spices up traditional brunch with a little voodoo magic. Throw in a brick-sized homemade buttermilk biscuit and made-from-scratch jams, and you’re guaranteed a meal at Lucile’s that is as filling as it is unique.
For the best deal for the best food, head on over to The Village Coffee Shop, which is located on Folsom and Arapahoe. (CU Independent/Kai Casey)
Best Deal: With all its possibilities, most brunches in Boulder are tied to $12 entrees and $7 drinks, a hefty tab that has many college students staying home with their instant oatmeal. Fortunately, The Village Coffee Shop has not succumbed to these measures, offering a menu where tight-budgeted customers can get huge plates of no-frills breakfast fares under ten dollars. Coffee is a $1.25 and a traditional meat, eggs and potatoes breakfast is $7, helping diners re-fuel and caffeinate without blowing their weekly grocery allowance. An honorable mention goes out to The Buff Restaurant, where their 99 cent mimosa and bloody mary deal is the stuff of Boulder brunch legend.
Take the parents: There are some special occasions where a budget conscious mindset can be completely abandoned, and a visit from the parents is one of them. Take advantage of the splendid company of your loving guardians and their pocketbooks by splurging on the mother of all brunches: Sunday champagne buffet brunch at The Greenbriar Inn. Located in North Boulder with a stunning view of the Flatirons, brunch at The Greenbriar is an all-afternoon affair filled with unrelenting gorging followed by a stroll on the grounds to reduce the size of your recently conceived food baby. Allocate at least two hours to the buffet which contains half-shell oysters, carved meats and every other breakfast staple that you could fancy, as you will definitely want to pace yourself so you can enjoy all of the rich brunch bounty.
Best Atmosphere: If the phrase “location, location, location” holds the same weight in the brunch world as it does in the real estate community, The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse indisputably wins the top honors for their homestead. Located in a rich beauty of a building, the Teahouse is intricately decorated with hand-carved and painted ceilings, columns, tables and outside panels. Guaranteeing their authenticity, these features were given as a gift to Boulder from the mayor of Dushanbe, Tajikistan — our sister city across the Atlantic. Enjoying a pot of exquisite tea in the Teahouse’s relaxing atmosphere is one of the best ways to forget the massive midterm you have next week, focusing instead on the unique Indian curry omelet before you. This bliss is elevated even more during the months when the Boulder Farmer’s Market surrounds the teahouse, consolidating two traditional Boulder weekend activities of brunch and organic grocery shopping in one central location.
Although there are many other worthy restaurants in the city, these six contenders offer one of the most well-rounded culinary tours of Boulder’s brunch scene. Enjoy, and happy brunching!
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kelsey Anne Lindsey at Kelsey.a.lindsey@colorado.edu.
