Brunch is a popular combination of breakfast and lunch, but the beauty of a Southern brunch is found in the smoked meats, sweet treats, and creamy grits offered, followed by a delicious mimosa or Bloody Mary. Picked from locations all around Louisiana, these excellent brunch spots are representative of the amazing Creole and Cajun foods offered. Try one or try them all!
From the pink and green canopies on the outside patio to the posh and elegant surroundings inside, you’ll have what will be one of the best dining experiences you’ll have in a city that boasts history and culture. Brennan’s in New Orleans, Louisiana, is listed in the “Top 100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America” and one of the “Best Restaurants in the World” by Conde Nast Traveler for good reason. Open since 1946, Brennan’s offers a select Creole menu that features only some of the best food in the city. And in case you’re not sure how to conduct yourself in such a classy place that requires a dress code for entrance, they offer manners classes. The restaurant is open every day, but it’s best to call ahead for a reservation because it’s a popular spot for private events.
Beausoleil Restaurant is a casual yet lively bar and eatery located in the heart of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Opened as the dream child of four families, the bistro is open every day, and they have a special brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Brunch includes items like fried eggplant crisps, truffled fried oysters, shrimp soleil, turtle soup, catfish, jumbo lump crab cake Benedict, biscuits and gravy, macaroni and cheese, duck confit hash, and so much more. Breakfast and lunch will never be the same again once you eat at Beausoleil.
Make plans now to get to Little Big Cup in Arnaudville, Louisiana, for the best Boucherie brunch on the bayou. With many years of experience in the food industry, the creators of this Cajun cuisine eatery know how to create and serve amazing Creole-inspired food. Served every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., brunch includes chicken and sausage gumbo, home-made cinnamon rolls, crème brulee French toast, jambalaya, boudin, cracklins, and a variety of fresh fruits, quiches, and other breakfast and lunch goodies. Reservations are highly recommended. Come hungry and leave satisfied!
Located on the Northshore of the state in Slidell, Louisiana, Creole Bagelry is the area’s only breakfast and brunch place to get home-made New York-style bagels. Using the traditional kettle-boiling technique to make sure their bagels are moist and full of flavor, they’re featured on all their menus, including brunch. Some of the items on the brunch menu are specialty salads like the very popular Blue Bayou, a lettuce, apple, raisins, walnuts, and sun-dried tomato salad with bleu cheese and a pepper jelly vinaigrette dressing, homemade quiches like the Shrimp Florentine with eggs, shrimp, spinach, and Swiss cheese in a delicate and flaky pastry, and any of the house-made bagels with cream cheese flavors like cranberry almond, chocolate chip, jalapeno, or smoked salmon.
Atchafalaya epitomizes the tenacity and creativity the entire city is known for, and the ability to succeed after facing adversity. From its humble beginning in 1924 as a family-owned business featuring neighborhood favorites like hand-shucked oysters, it blossomed into a place where diners could find a menu with new culinary influence in the 1980s.With a few more changes of hand and the damage done by Hurricane Katrina, new owners brought the restaurant to a new dimension rich with the heritage, traditions, music, and tastes of the South, complimented by a heavily-influenced international menu with house favorites like turtle and alligator sausage gumbo, crawfish and pork boudin patties, and a fried oyster po-boy to die for. If you think the regular menu is impressive, don’t miss brunch at Atchafalaya’s with delicious food, live music, and a full open bar, complete with a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar.
Casual eating at its best, Marilynn’s Place in Shreveport, Louisiana, is worth the trip, even if you’re not local. Authentic Cajun and Creole favorites like beignets and a variety of po-boy sandwiches, you’ll also find a red beans and rice dish made with smoke andouille sausage, tasso, and ham or the curried catfish that will knock your socks off! They even make use of the natural disasters that tend to wreak havoc on the area by naming food after them, like the Hurricane Katrina Burger. It’s big, messy, and unpredictable with all your favorite toppings. If you just can’t decide what to order, stop by on Sunday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and try the buffet where you can sample a little bit of everything.
Called a social experience in great dining by some reviewers, Le Bistreaux Coffee and Waffle Bar in Alexandria, Louisiana, is about as unassuming as you can get for a diner. Maybe it’s because they’re confident that once you try their food, you’ll be a repeat customer. Featuring the best organic and fresh coffee and tea, signature expressos, and your choice of sweet or savory waffles that are positively decadent, they also have smoothies and frappeaux. Voted one of the “Top 10 Breakfast Places in Louisiana” and “Top 10 Chicken and Waffles in Louisiana,” their brunch is not to be missed.
Brunch is officially served on the weekend from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Cotton, a local Monroe restaurant that features creative Southern food with a Creole twist. Everything here is made with the freshest ingredients and utmost care to customer satisfaction. They can also try and accommodate special dietary restrictions upon request and advance notice. The brunch menu typically includes such favorites as duck wraps, boudin balls, biscuit beignets, eggs Benedict several ways, waffles, biscuits and gravy, burgers, pulled pork, and a BLT made with fried green tomatoes.