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Shannon Olona

The Best Brunch Spots in San Diego

March 7, 2018 • Shannon Olona • 2 Comments

Brunch is not a meal, it’s an event. Eggs benedicts, avocado toasts, stacks of fluffy pancakes, and flights of mimosas are what I live for. So when I brunch in San Diego, I don’t mess around. I’ve got a list of top brunch picks, for each type of group and occasion, that I’m sharing with you so you can maximize your San Diego brunch game.

Cafe Gratitude brunch San Diego

Boozing with Girlfriends

Brunch is best spent with friends by your side and a mimosa in hand. So if you’re looking for the perfect boozy brunch in San Diego to gather your girlfriends together visit these three “hottest brunch spots in all the land.”

Taste a flight of six mimosas at Cafe 21, grab a pitcher at Madison (and their beet waffle), and really go for it with $18 bottomless mimosas at Herringbone.

Herringbone bottomless mimosa brunch

Out-of-Town Guests

The moment you move to San Diego, everyone back home suddenly wants to visit you. With all the guests crammed into your one-bedroom apartment, you’ll want to take them out for a nice San Diego brunch. Take your college friends to Breakfast Republic for their california breakfast burrito with jurassic pork and the all-around cool decor.

  • Tip: Visit the bathroom in Breakfast Republic and you’ll hear some pretty cool movie quotes come through the speaker the moment you walk through the door.

Take your parents to Urban Solace, a southern brunch spot with mexican shrimp and grits and an outdoor bluegrass band on Sundays.

If you want to surprise your siblings with how much you’ve ~changed~ since moving to San Diego, take them to Cafe Gratitude. It’s a vegan cafe, with the perfect white and airy Instagram aesthetic, and all the menu items are positive affirmations. I highly recommend the whole bowl, which you can order by saying,“I am whole.”

Dark Horse Coffee North Park

On-the-Go

The weekends are for adventures and brunch; sometimes you don’t have enough time to sit down and enjoy breakfast. Sometimes you need to order your breakfast, chow down, and get on with your day. If that’s the case, grab some donuts from Nomad Donuts and wash them down with some Dark Horse Coffee. One bite of those donuts while waiting in line at Comic Con will make your wait worth it.

If secret spots are more your thing, try Wow Wow Waffle. It’s hidden behind a laundromat in North Park and puts out both savory and sweet waffles. They also have the cutest lemonade bottles that you can take with you on your hike up to Potato Chip Rock.

Great Maple San Diego Brunch

Best San Diego Brunch

Hands down, the best brunch spot in San Diego is Great Maple. It is my absolute favorite for several reasons. The design is very mid-century modern with hints of emerald green and brass throughout, and the outside patio is the perfect place to relax with a One-Armed Mary (a bloody mary with a grilled octopus tentacle hanging over the side.) You can’t go wrong with a plate of their chilaquiles or the house-smoked beef brisket hash. When you see the planks of donuts pass by your table, you’ll want to order your own maple bacon donut. One taste and you’ll be back.

Brunch lovers, where are your favorite brunch spots in San Diego?

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  1. Joelle says

    March 7, 2018 at 7:45 PM

    My favorite is Isabell’s Cantina in Pacific Beach!

    Reply
    • Shannon Olona says

      March 12, 2018 at 11:08 AM

      I’ve only been there the once, but I loved it!

      Reply

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Hey there, I'm Shannon Olona, a storyteller, copywriter, and all around word nerd writing to you from my cozy little beach bungalow in San Diego, CA. I'm here to share business know-how, inspiration, and tales from the heart. So buckle up and read along!

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