By Colin Bayley
Boston's brunch scene has grown well beyond eggs Benedict and bottomless mimosas. From a New Orleans-inspired Back Bay kitchen run by a nationally recognized chef to a quirky all-day breakfast counter with a cult following and a neighborhood café committed to locally sourced, clean ingredients, the city's best weekend morning tables are worth knowing before you find yourself standing in line without a plan. Here are three worth building a Saturday or Sunday around.
Key Takeaways
- Discover The Friendly Toast, Boston's beloved all-day breakfast spot with an eccentric atmosphere, inventive menu, and standout dishes like the Hash Quiche.
- Learn what Buttermilk & Bourbon brings to Back Bay brunch, from chef Jason Santos' New Orleans-inspired menu to a 40-seat patio and a full oyster bar.
- Find out why Cafe Bonjour has earned a devoted following among brunch guests who want clean, ethically sourced ingredients without sacrificing flavor.
- Understand how Boston's brunch culture reflects the broader neighborhood character that makes living here as appealing as it is.
The Friendly Toast
The Friendly Toast is one of those Boston institutions that first-time visitors discover and immediately add to their regular rotation. The décor is intentionally eccentric, the portions are generous, and the all-day breakfast menu covers enough ground that returning guests rarely order the same thing twice. There are vegan options throughout, and the kitchen takes its creativity seriously across the entire menu rather than treating it as a novelty.
What to Order at The Friendly Toast
- The Hash Quiche is the menu item that earns the most consistent praise: two crispy hash brown cups filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, jalapeño jack cheese, onion, and red pepper, finished with lime crema and scallions.
- Pancakes, French toast, and chicken and waffles round out the sweet side of the menu, with portions sized for the kind of Saturday morning that has no particular place to be by noon.
- The all-day breakfast format means the full menu is available whenever the restaurant is open, which removes the time pressure that limits most brunch experiences to a narrow morning window.
- The atmosphere is lively and unhurried, with a staff and a clientele that treat the restaurant as a social destination rather than a transactional stop.
Arrive early on weekends. The Friendly Toast boasts flavor-packed cuisine, so expect a wait.
Buttermilk & Bourbon
Nationally recognized chef Jason Santos opened Buttermilk & Bourbon in Back Bay to bring the flavors and the spirit of New Orleans to the center of Boston, and the restaurant delivers on that premise with a level of execution that has made it one of the most talked-about dining destinations in the neighborhood. Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday, and the combination of the menu, the atmosphere, and the patio makes it one of the most complete brunch experiences the city offers.
What to Know Before You Go
- The Low Country Scramble with andouille sausage, tater tots, pimento queso, and green tomato relish captures the restaurant's philosophy in a single dish: Southern comfort food executed with a precise, original kitchen sensibility.
- The Viet-Cajun Style Popcorn Catfish with cucumber salad, ginger comeback sauce, fried basil, and lime is the crossover dish that demonstrates Santos' willingness to push beyond straightforward Southern cooking.
- The chicken and waffles menu offers four preparations including Nashville hot, sweet and spicy, white BBQ, and classic BBQ syrup, giving the table real choices rather than a single house version of the dish.
- A full bar with lounge seating, an interactive oyster bar, and a 40-seat patio give the restaurant multiple atmospheres to settle into depending on the size of the group and the mood of the morning.
The restaurant's interior, designed by Erica Diskin of Assembly Designs with New Orleans-inspired murals, brick walls, and tin ceiling tiles, is a delightful backdrop to some incredibly delicious fare.
Cafe Bonjour
Cafe Bonjour takes a different approach from the other two on this list. The menu is built around a genuine commitment to ethically sourced, locally grown, unprocessed ingredients, and the kitchen's standards on sourcing are as consistent and specific as a fine dining restaurant without the formality of one. The result is a café that feels like a neighborhood institution, serving food that happens to be clean without performing virtue about it.
What Cafe Bonjour Does Well
- Sweet and savory crepes are the menu's foundation, with options that cover both the light breakfast and the more substantial midday meal depending on how the morning has gone.
- Strawberry stuffed French toast and eggs Benedict anchor the classic brunch side of the menu alongside eggs Norwegian for those who prefer salmon to Canadian bacon.
- The avocado toast and egg combinations reflect the kitchen's emphasis on whole ingredients and real flavors rather than the generic café version of a dish that has become common across the city.
- Coffee is taken seriously, which at a brunch café matters more than it is given credit for, and the quality of the cup here matches the quality of the food.
Cafe Bonjour uses only free-range meat and dairy, wild-caught fish, and whole grains throughout, and avoids refined sugars and artificial preservatives across the board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these Boston brunch spots require reservations?
Buttermilk & Bourbon accepts and strongly benefits from a reservation on weekend brunch days, when the Back Bay location draws significant foot traffic from the surrounding neighborhood. The Friendly Toast does not take reservations and operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so arriving early is the most reliable strategy. Cafe Bonjour's format accommodates walk-ins well, though weekend mornings are busier than weekdays.
Which of these is best for a group?
Buttermilk & Bourbon is the most accommodating for larger groups, with separated dining rooms that can function as semi-private spaces and a table layout that handles parties comfortably. The Friendly Toast works well for groups that do not mind a communal atmosphere and are flexible on timing. Cafe Bonjour suits smaller groups best given its neighborhood café scale.
What neighborhoods are these restaurants in?
Buttermilk & Bourbon is in Back Bay on Dalton Street, a short walk from the Prudential Center and Copley Square. The Friendly Toast has a Back Bay location as well, making the two a natural pairing on the same morning for anyone who cannot choose between them. Cafe Bonjour is in the Seaport District, well-positioned for residents and visitors in that part of the city.
Boston Brunch Is Part of the Lifestyle
The best
neighborhoods in Boston put brunch hotspots within walking distance, and that proximity to good food, good coffee, and the kind of weekend rhythm that makes a city worth living in is part of what buyers consider when they choose a Boston address. To find out which neighborhoods put you closest to the city's best restaurants, reach out to me,
Colin Bayley, and let’s begin your home-buying journey.
