Best Brunch in Midtown Houston: Jazz, Patios and Wings & Waffles
Date Published
By its own account, Midtown is where Houston got its first jazz brunch. Brennan's of Houston says it brought the format to the Bayou City in 1975, the same year it started at Commander's Palace in New Orleans, and it still runs a Sunday jazz brunch on Smith Street. A few blocks away, the line outside The Breakfast Klub has been a weekend fixture since 2001.
That's the range of brunch Midtown does well: a dressed-up Creole celebration, a soul-food breakfast you queue for, a patio with the METRORail rolling past, and cheap chilaquiles at 9 a.m. This guide is the shortlist we'd hand a friend who lives here or is staying nearby.
The one-line version: in Midtown, you can brunch to live jazz, a passing train or a Sunday-afternoon DJ, and none of them needs a car.
How we define Midtown
Midtown sits between downtown and the Museum District. For this guide, we used the Midtown Management District's own map of places as the boundary: every pick below is listed on the district's map. In practice that means the blocks from Gray and Pierce on the downtown side down toward Alabama and the Main Street rail corridor. Spots that are close but outside it, like Lucille's in the Museum District, live in our citywide brunch guide instead.
Quick picks
- For a celebration or visiting parents: Brennan's of Houston, Sunday jazz brunch.
- For the brunch Houston is known for nationally: The Breakfast Klub's wings and waffles.
- For a patio and a mimosa: Winnie's, with a dog-friendly patio facing the rail line.
- For a big birthday group: Pour Behavior, which is 21+ with a dress code.
- For Gulf Coast food at noon: Josephine's.
- For cheap and early: La Calle or Emma's Kitchen.
- For something sweet with good coffee: Coco Crepes.
- For skipping eggs entirely: dim sum at Spicy Girl.
How we chose
We picked places that serve a real weekend morning or midday meal, not just a bar that opens at noon. Every pick was checked as operating on its own official website in October 2026, and every one appears on the Midtown Management District's map. We left out places whose sites we couldn't confirm, and a couple of well-known names that have moved out of the neighborhood.
On drinks: none of the official menus we checked advertise bottomless mimosas, so we don't promise any here. If a deal matters to you, ask when you book. Brunch hours shift with seasons and holidays, so treat the times below as typical and check the restaurant's site before you go.
The reservation brunches
Brennan's of Houston
3300 Smith St. · Texas Creole · reservations
If you only book one Midtown brunch, make it this one. Brennan's typically serves Saturday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and its Sunday Jazz Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Start with the snapping turtle soup, which the menu calls a Brennan's tradition, then go for the Cochon de Lait Benedict or a plate of Bayou City petite beignets for the table. Finish with bananas Foster, flambéed tableside.
The building is half the fun. The restaurant's timeline says the Brennan family chose the old Junior League building in 1967 because it was a near-identical replica of their New Orleans restaurant, and the restaurant scene in Terms of Endearment was filmed here in 1983. There's a dress code; read it on the website before you go.
Why it's here: in our view it's the most complete brunch in Midtown, and it has the history to match. Book through the website.
Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
318 Gray St. · Gulf Coast seafood · reservations on Resy
Josephine's doesn't call it brunch, but on weekends it serves straight through from 11 a.m., and a noon table here does the job. Order the biscuits with seasonal jam and Steen's butter, a dozen Gulf oysters or roasted ones, and a shrimp or catfish po' boy. Hushpuppies and baked mac and cheese round out the table.
Why it's here: it's the Midtown pick for people who'd rather have oysters than pancakes.
Pour Behavior
2211 Travis St. · scratch kitchen and cocktail bar · 21+
Pour Behavior is built for groups: the venue describes itself as 20,000 square feet, and its weekend pitch is that brunch should feel like an occasion. It typically opens at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, takes reservations through its website, and is strictly 21+ with an enforced dress code. Bring the birthday crowd, not the kids.
Why it's here: when you need a big table, cocktails and a party energy, this is the easiest booking in Midtown.
Soul food, Southern plates and a patio
The Breakfast Klub
3711 Travis St. at Alabama · Soul food breakfast · no reservations
The Breakfast Klub opened in September 2001 with two signature dishes, Katfish & Grits and Wings & Waffles, and both are still the order. It's typically open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It doesn't take reservations, so expect a queue on weekends. The restaurant's own answer to why the line is so long: "It's not a line, it's a fellowship!" Once you order, you're guaranteed a table.
Tell the greeter your party size so the staff can seat your group together. More on the restaurant in our Breakfast Klub guide.
Why it's here: it's Midtown's most famous breakfast, with national TV and magazine recognition listed on its own site.
Winnie's
3622 Main St. · Sandwiches, oysters and cocktails · walk-ins
Winnie's posts a separate brunch menu with Gulf Coast leanings: pecan praline chicken and waffles, fried shrimp deviled eggs, catfish with smoked cheddar grits and a classic brunch plate. If you're celebrating, order the whole-bottle mimosa. The patio is dog-friendly and faces Main Street, so the METRORail runs right past your table. Winnie's doesn't take reservations, and it doesn't publish brunch hours on its site, so check its social pages before you go. More pup-friendly options are in our dog-friendly patios guide.
Why it's here: it's our favorite patio brunch in the neighborhood, and the menu is better than it needs to be.
Early, cheap and casual
La Calle
401 Gray St. · Mexico City street food · counter service
La Calle opens at 9 a.m. every day and serves breakfast and Mexico City-style tacos. Go for the chilaquiles and a couple of tacos. It's quick, casual and easy on the wallet, and it stays open late on weekends if brunch turns into a long day.
Why it's here: one of the cheapest good brunches in Midtown, and an easy walk-in.
Emma's Kitchen
2117 Chenevert St. · Mexican · early hours
Emma's Kitchen is a small Mexican restaurant that opens earlier than most of Midtown: typically 8 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and 7 a.m. on weekdays. Brunch here is a Mexican breakfast without the wait. Sunday service usually ends at 2 p.m., so don't leave it too late.
Why it's here: for an unfussy plate before the rest of the neighborhood wakes up.
Coco Crepes
218 Gray St. · Crepes, waffles and coffee · all day
Coco Crepes opens at 7 a.m. every day and runs late, which makes it the most flexible brunch stop on this list. Order a savory crepe, a sweet crepe or a waffle, plus an espresso drink. Several savory crepes come with a pesto aioli, and the menu flags items that contain nuts, so check it if you have allergies.
Why it's here: for a quiet, sweet brunch you can walk into at almost any hour.
Something different
Spicy Girl
917 Winbern St. · Chinese and Sichuan · dim sum
Not every brunch needs eggs. Spicy Girl serves dumplings and dim sum alongside Sichuan dishes and opens at 11 a.m. daily. Its site lists half-price alcoholic drinks during happy hour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, which makes a weekend dim sum lunch an easy call.
Why it's here: for the friend who says they don't do brunch.
Save this: a Midtown brunch Sunday
- Coffee first. Grab an espresso at Coco Crepes on Gray Street, which opens at 7 a.m.
- Brunch at 10. Walk to Brennan's for the Sunday Jazz Brunch, which starts at 10 a.m. Book it ahead.
- Walk it off. Head down to Main Street and the METRORail Red Line, which runs through Midtown. See our Midtown things-to-do guide for parks and galleries nearby.
- Patio afternoon. End on Winnie's dog-friendly patio with the trains going by.
Before you go, check these:
- Reserve Brennan's, Josephine's and Pour Behavior ahead. The Breakfast Klub and Winnie's don't take reservations.
- Read Brennan's and Pour Behavior's dress codes on their websites.
- Pour Behavior is 21+. Bring the kids to The Breakfast Klub, La Calle or Coco Crepes instead.
- Don't count on bottomless mimosas: none of these menus advertise them.
- Check hours on the restaurant's own site the morning you go. Holidays change everything.
Getting there
Midtown is one of the few Houston neighborhoods where brunch doesn't need a car. The METRORail Red Line runs along Main Street with stops including Main at McGowen, and most picks are a short walk from the line. Our METRO guide covers fares. If you drive, Brennan's has valet and rideshare details on its website; elsewhere, plan on street parking or paid lots.
More in Midtown
For dinner, see our best restaurants in Midtown. If you'd rather start the day with a breakfast taco than a mimosa, see the best breakfast in Houston. For the bigger picture, our Midtown area page has everything nearby.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get a jazz brunch in Midtown Houston?
Brennan's of Houston at 3300 Smith St. typically serves a Sunday Jazz Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It says it introduced the jazz brunch to Houston in 1975. Reservations are recommended.
Does The Breakfast Klub take reservations?
No. The Breakfast Klub doesn't take reservations. Tell the greeter your party size and the staff will seat your group. It's typically open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends.
Which Midtown brunch spots have bottomless mimosas?
None of the official menus we checked advertise bottomless mimosas. Winnie's brunch menu offers a whole-bottle mimosa instead. Ask the restaurant directly if a deal matters to you.
Is there a dog-friendly brunch patio in Midtown?
Yes. Winnie's at 3622 Main St. describes its patio as dog-friendly, and it faces the METRORail line on Main Street.
Can I take the METRORail to brunch in Midtown?
Yes. The METRORail Red Line runs along Main Street through Midtown, and Winnie's, The Breakfast Klub and Brennan's are all a short walk from the line.
Where can I get an early brunch in Midtown on weekends?
Coco Crepes opens at 7 a.m. daily, Emma's Kitchen at 8 a.m. on weekends, The Breakfast Klub at 8 a.m. on weekends and La Calle at 9 a.m. Check each site before you go.