Every year, CityBeat publishes Best Of Cincinnati®, where readers help decide their favorite places and things in Greater Cincinnati, from the best restaurant to the best parks and everything in between. These rankings come in handy for things like deciding where you want to take the family for brunch. Places our readers love the most include spots where you can get chicken and waffles; savory breakfast sandwiches and sweet waffle flights; classic biscuits and sausage gravy and even a Sunday brunch buffet.
Best Brunch Spot No. 10: Cedar
701 Main St., Covington
Brunch Favorite: Diners rave about the Chicken & Waffles — a crispy chicken thigh, homemade waffle, hot honey syrup and spicy candied bacon served with butter and powdered sugar. Pair it with Cedar’s house Bloody Mary, made with Tito’s Vodka, their house mix, lime, celery, olive and served with a salted rim.
Best Brunch Spot No. 9: Sacred Beast
1437 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Brunch Favorite: Try the Corned Beef Hash, served with a poached egg, and add a side of toast. Diners also really enjoy Sacred Beast’s house Bloody Mary.
Best Brunch Spot No. 8: The National Exemplar
6880 Wooster Pike, Mariemont
Brunch Favorite: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict: Two poached cage-free eggs on a toasted English muffin, pastrami smoked salmon and vine-ripened tomatoes and topped with hollandaise.
Best Brunch Spot No. 7: Coppin’s at Hotel Covington
638 Madison Ave., Covington
Brunch Favorite: Try Coppin’s Breakfast Sandwich — bacon, fried egg, caramelized onions, cheddar and honey mustard served on Texas toast and with your choice of beef fat breakfast potatoes or fresh fruit.
Best Brunch Spot No. 6: Greyhound Tavern
2500 Dixie Highway, Ft. Mitchell
Brunch Favorite: Stop in on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to enjoy Greyhound Tavern’s popular brunch buffet.
Best Brunch Spot No. 5: Taste of Belgium
3825 Edwards Road, Norwood; 16 W. Freedom Way, The Banks; 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine (Findlay Market)
Brunch Favorite: If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love the Waffle Flight. You get four mini waffles in flavors S’mores, Lemon Curd & Lavender Sugar, Strawberries & Cream and Banana & Nutella. Taste of Belgium’s waffles are made with a thick dough and coarse Belgian beet sugar, which caramelizes on the cast-iron press for a sweet finish.
Best Brunch Spot No. 4: HangOverEasy
13 W. Charlton St., Corryville
Brunch Favorite: The Frog Eyes: Fresh biscuits smothered in sausage gravy made with local meat and topped with two eggs in any style.
Best Brunch Spot No. 3: Maplewood Kitchen and Bar
525 Race St., Downtown
Brunch Favorite: Shakshuka: Roasted tomato and red pepper sauce, feta, wilted kale and two cage-free eggs made sunny side up, served on a pita.
Best Brunch Spot No. 2: First Watch
Multiple locations
Brunch Favorite: Try the Wild Berry Lavender French Toast. It’s made with thick-cut challah bread dipped in custard, griddled and then topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries, a warm mixed-berry compote, lavender whipped cream, spiced gingerbread cookie crumbles, mint and a light dusting of powdered cinnamon sugar.
Best Brunch Spot No. 1: Sleepy Bee
8 E. Fourth St., Downtown; 3098 Madison Road, Oakley; 9514 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash
Brunch Favorite: The Breakfast Burrito (Bee-rrito? Sorry, I’ll show myself out). It features bacon, scrambled egg, peppers, onion, smashed potatoes and cheddar in a flour tortilla and is served with chive crema and smoky salsa.