The Perfect Time To Go To Brunch
If you’re a Millennial, there are a few things you were born knowing how to do.
- Set your AIM display status.
- Make avocado toast.
- Go to brunch.
And though being a Millennial (those born between 1981 and 1994/6) often comes under attack (we don’t own homes because of that avocado toast, remember?), we’ll defend to the death our sacred right to brunch.
Maybe it’s because we’d have to compromise on so many things in our lives (fine, some of us like Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC), but the promise of breakfast and lunch (and booze) at the same time is an equal and inalienable right on par with life, liberty and the pursuit of happy hours.
With that, the question to answer isn’t “to brunch or not to brunch?” it’s “What time is the resy?”
How To Choose Your Brunch Window Wisely
If you listen to the internet, there are maniacs whose brunch can start as early as 8a and end at 7p, there are cities where brunch foods are available until 9p, and there are even savage restaurants that offer bottomless weekday brunches.
Because brunches are a best-of-both-worlds meal, we often think about them as periods of time. So how do you choose the best brunch for you?
According to Eater, showing up at 1:30p or 2p for a 2p brunch is the sweet spot in terms of wait times and service. The benefits include less pressure to leave the table for the next round of brunchies, it’s likely the more rambunctious families and kids will have stayed to their 12p timetable, and you can eat (and drink) in peace.
The trade-off? Lasting to 2p might mean eating breakfast before your brunch. So is 2p really that perfect?
Just like breakfast and lunch balance each other out for brunch, each brunch time slot has its upsides and downsides. So instead of declaring an all-out winner, we think you should consider the following categories. Choose wisely (or don’t - it’s brunch, after all, and who among us hasn’t made a questionable decision or two during brunch?).
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The Early Bird Brunch (8a-10a) - Also known as the “you just wanted breakfast on the weekend” brunch. The downside of this slot means you’ll either take it easy on the drinks - or you’ll be setting yourself up for a very long day of drinking. Ready for a marathon?
- The Mimosa, Anyone Brunch (10a-12p) - In states like Texas where you can start legally being served alcohol at 10a, this is the perfect slot to be able to toast with your toast and to cheers with your egg cheese sandwich. You’re heading into the most popular slot, so if you were looking for a peaceful start to your Sunday, this isn’t it.
- The Bottoms Up Bottomless Brunch (12p-2p) - After 12p you’re officially tipping over into the lunch side of brunch, meaning you might have more of an appetite for heavier foods. In other words, you’ll give yourself more material to soak up the bottomless mimosas and house champagne. But you won’t be alone - enjoy shouting over kids, hungover college students, and surly servers.
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The What’s Happening After Afternoon Brunch (2p-4p) - Many restaurants close up the brunch shop around 3p or 4p, so this is the slot when your plan involves more than one stop. Part of the joy of brunch, however, is rolling right out of bed to get your grub on. Can you make it to 2p without a snack?
- The Beyond Brunch Brunch (4p-?) - You’ve gone mad, going where no breakfast enthusiast has gone before. When others are going for Happy Hours and cocktails, you’re still downing Egg Benedicts. Downsides? Upsides? You’re already living in the Upside-Down. If you live to tell the tale, report back and let us know how it went.
So, while most of us may still be waiting to buy our first houses and pay off our student debt, we, like so many Greek philosophers before us, have internalized “Know thyself” to mean “Know thy brunch schedule.” After all, why shouldn’t making it to brunch be an achievement worth memorializing in a metal coin?
And whether you were born in the 80s or early 90s or not, we’d love to hear your argument, too: what’s the absolute best time to go to brunch?