Whether you want an upscale Museum-like brunch experience, a true Baltimore City neighborhood brunch excursion, or an out-of-the-ordinary brunch outing, Baltimore has plenty to offer. With a dash of homegrown seafood here, a sprinkle of Charm City personality there, Baltimore's restaurants are ready to satisfy your appetite for whatever your brunch palette craves.
LITTLE HAVANA RESTAURANTE y CANTINA 1325 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 410-837-9903 Hours: (Mon-Thur) 4:30 pm – 12:00 am (Fri-Sat) 11:30 am – 2:00 am (Sun) 11:00 am – 12:00 am Visit this neighborly haunt in Federal Hill and enjoy a different brunch experience. Once a warehouse, Little Havana is a spunky spot with a lot of funk. The wait staff is quite friendly and more than willing to help you choose a delicious Cuban-inspired brunch dish. A favorite dish is the Tortilla de Cangrejos (a crabmeat omelet), combining eggs with crabmeat, onion, peppers, and tomato-a true Cuban experience. Another popular dish is the Pisto Manchego (scrambled eggs Spanish style), scrambled eggs with chorizo ham, shrimp, potatoes, onions, peppers, and peas. All brunch entrees are $10.95 each, which is heavy on fun dining, but light on the wallet.
Estimate cost per person for brunch = $10 - $15
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Closed; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Closed; Thanksgiving Day-Closed; Christmas Eve-Closed; Christmas Day-Closed; New Year's Eve-Open
GERTRUDE'S Baltimore Museum of Art 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD 410-889-3399 Hours: (Mon) Closed; (Tue-Fri) 11:30 am-3:00 pm/5:00 pm-9:00 pm (Sat) 10:30 am – 3:00 pm/5:00 pm – 9:00 pm (Sun) 10:30 am – 3:00 pm/5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Brunch at Gertrude's is a fine brunch experience with an artful flare of Chesapeake cuisine. How many ways can you incorporate seafood into a brunch menu? According to John Shields, the chef and owner of Gertrudes, more than you can imagine. Gertrude's Back Creek Inn Crabmeat Quiche-settled on a lovely heap of dark leafy greens-offers a generous portion of crabmeat with Swiss cheese, onions, and fresh herbs as added ingredients. Gertrude's fine museum location, the wait staff, and the décor summons effortless style. You have the option of either dining inside or eating beneath a stylish umbrella in the museum's courtyard, amidst sculptures, a calming water fountain, and a live jazz band.
Estimated cost per person for brunch = $14 - $25
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Closed; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Open; Thanksgiving Day-Closed; Christmas Eve-Open; Christmas Day-Closed; New Year's Eve-Open
THE PETTICOAT TEA ROOM 814 S. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 410-342-7884 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:00 am – 6:00 pm (Sat-Sun) 10:00 am – 6:00 pm "Come on in, y'all!" That's what Kitty, the owner of the Petticoat Tea Room, says to her guests as they enter her southern-inspired restaurant. Settled in the popular tourist section of Fells Point, the Petticoat Tea Room will take you outside the boundaries of Baltimore City and into an environment that sings good ol' southern hospitality. Adjacent to the brightly pink and white charming store, Southern Accents, the Petticoat Tea Room is a wonderful find. A brunch specialty is the mouthwatering Savannah Egg, which consists of sautéed spinach and poached eggs placed on top of a fresh mound of crabmeat (no Old Bay seasoning here!) topped with hollandaise sauce and tomato pudding. Try a tall, cold glass of unsweetened tea, but sweeten it with Kitty's special "Simple Syrup," an ingredient sure to quench your thirst, as well as sweeten your brunch experience at the Petticoat Tea Room.
Estimated cost per person for brunch = $10 - $20
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Closed; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Closed; Thanksgiving Day-Closed; Christmas Eve-Closed; Christmas Day-Closed; New Year's Eve-Closed
ZE MEAN BEAN CAFE 1739 Fleet Street, Baltimore, MD 410-675-5999 Hours: Brunch (Sat & Sun) 9:00 am-3:00 pm(Mon-Thur) 10:00 am - 11:00 pm (Fri) 10:00 am - 1:00 am (Sat) 9:00 am – 1:00 am (Sun) 9:00 am – 11:00 pm Stepping into Ze Mean Mean in Fells Point is like entering a neighbor's vintage-like living room where coffee-table books and wine bottles carefully line bookcases against a stone brick wall. With delightful world music playing in the background and an eclectic style of tables and chairs, Ze Mean Bean evokes a true intimate European restaurant. Ze Mean Bean has been featured in Zagat's Survey 2001 for Baltimore restaurants and the "Best of Baltimore" for restaurants in Baltimore magazine. The talented chef, Thomas Dowling, changes the brunch menu weekly, but staples are omelets. The Brie crabmeat and red onion omelet, a three-egg omelet with buttery melted Brie and a generous dose of backfin crabmeat is a delectable treat.
Estimated cost per person for brunch = $8 - $15
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Open; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Open; Thanksgiving Day-Closed; Christmas Day-Closed; New Year's Eve-Open
RUSTY SCUPPER Inner Harbor Marina 402 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 410-727-3678 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am – 10:00 pm (Sat) 11:30 am – 11:00 pm (Sun) 11:00 am – 10:00 pm A staple restaurant in Baltimore's Inner Harbor for more than 19 years, the Rusty Scupper is a comfortable seaside setting for a Sunday brunch. Wooden beams line the ceiling, which resembles the inside of an old, but sturdy ship. You have a choice of either sitting inside the café or outside on the deck, which allows you to enjoy a spectacular view of the Inner Harbor and surrounding buildings. A hearty buffet features such options as fresh roasted Tom Turkey or slow-roasted whole suckling pig. Even though the menu changes each week, you are sure to get a brunch treat from the fresh raw bar to hand carved meats and omelets to seasonal fresh fruit platters to a variety of delectable pastries.
Estimate cost per person for brunch = $15 - $30
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Open; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Open; Thanksgiving Day-Open; Christmas Eve-Open; Christmas Day-Closed; New Year's Eve-Open
WINDOWS Renaissance Harborplace Hotel 202 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 410-685-8439 Hours: Daily 6:30 am – 11:00 pm Voted an Award of Distinction for the 2001 edition of Zagat Survey for Baltimore, Windows is an elegant brunch experience, worthy of taking out-of-town parents or a loved one for a special treat. Located in the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Windows gives an impressive clear, crisp view of the south end of the Inner Harbor. An upscale setting for brunch, Windows offers a buffet selection of freshly baked pastries, cereals, fresh fruits, or the chef's daily entrée specials, such as the wood grilled steak or the pecan crusted cod with asparagus and oven-dried tomatoes. Don’t forget to dress for the occasion—no sweats or sports caps, please.
Estimate cost per person for brunch = $10 - $20
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Open; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Open; Thanksgiving Day-Open; Christmas Eve-Open; Christmas Day-Open; New Year's Eve-Open
BLUE MOON CAFÉ 1621 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, MD 410-522-3940 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 7:00 am – 3:00 pm (Fri-Sat) 11:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Sun) 7:00 am – 3:00 pm Nestled on a side street in Fells Point, the Blue Moon Café is a quaint little restaurant that's a steal away from the hustle and bustle of a commercial establishment. Their freshly baked scones and cinnamon rolls are to die for, and their "Heavenly Omelettes" are out of this world (to the moon!). Again, if you're visiting Baltimore and want a true neighborhood experience, check out the Blue Moon Café. Warning: On Saturdays and Sundays, there will be at least a 45-minute wait because the food is just that good and locals enjoy the quiet, friendly atmosphere. Blue Moon's omelettes sound like a United Nation's meeting: Italian, Mexican, and Universal! Oh, for vegetarians, there is an omelette for you too: an omelette filled with broccoli, mushrooms, onions, green and red peppers, tomatoes, cheddar, and mozzarella cheese.
Estimate cost per person for brunch = $8 - $18
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Open; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Open; Thanksgiving Day-Closed; Christmas Eve-Open; Christmas Day-Closed; New Year's Eve-Open
PAPERMOON DINER 227 W. 29th Street, Baltimore, MD 410-889-4444 Hours: 24-hours a day, 7 days a week Anything goes at the Papermoon Diner—a Technicolor home filled with crazy art and one of the most filling and funky brunch experiences in the city. The décor is…um, well let’s just say it’s like Barbies and other innocent childhood toys, store mannequins, day-glo paint, and recycled trash bits involved in a train wreck, and then presented as artwork. The dishes are equally fanciful (and served 24/7), and offer burgers, sandwiches and treadmill-inducing desserts. Try the popular Green Eggs and Hen (grilled chicken breast with broccoli and melted cheddar) or go for the enormous challah-bread French toast. Vegetarians will delight in the large selection of fresh dishes. It’s popular with university students, families and pretty much anyone with a creative appetite.
Estimate price per person for brunch = $8 - $15
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Open; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Open; Thanksgiving Day-Closed; Christmas Eve-Closed; Christmas Day-Closed; New Year's Eve-Open
PETE’S GRILLE 3130 Greenmount Avenue, Baltimore, MD 410-467-7698 Hours: (Mon-Sat) 7:00 am-1:15 pm, (Sun) 8:00 am-1:00 pm You won’t find fancy egg-white omlettes, vegetarian sausage or fine linens here—Pete’s is a gritty Baltimore staple when it comes to a hearty, meat-on-your-bones breakfast. Your white coffee mug is always full, your pancakes fluffy and big as plates, and your wallet full after a meal here. Located close to the Johns Hopkins University campus, it’s well worth the trek to try and score a seat at the slim counter—just make sure to get there early on the weekends, as they’ve been known to have lines out the front of the tiny Baltimore rowhome.
Estimate price per person for brunch = $5 - $11
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Open; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Open; Thanksgiving Day-Closed; Christmas Eve-Closed; Christmas Day-Closed; New Year's Eve-Closed
MISS SHIRLEY’S 410 W. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 410-889-5272 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 7:30 am-3:30 pm, (Sat-Sun) 7:00 am-4:00 pm
The weighty bread basket piled with chocolate chip, iced and lemon-flavored delights is reason enough to head to Miss Shirley’s for a sweet brunch treat. Only open for breakfast and lunch (hence the “brunch” category), you can’t go wrong with selections like a tender smoked salmon club, sweet potato fries with mango ketchup, homemade grits with mascarpone and bacon bits, and thick Belgian waffles with honey-butter syrup. Get there very early as seating (and parking in the lot) are a premium. Tables are a little too close together, and service isn’t the speediest, but who wants to rush a brunch spread like this?
Estimate price per person for brunch = $5 - $18
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day-Open; Valentine's Day-Open; Easter-Open; Thanksgiving Day-Closed; Christmas Eve-Closed; Christmas Day-Closed; New Year's Eve-Closed
The Top List of Best Brunches - Baltimore, MD