Toast the Weekend with Brunch in Williamsburg
The opportunity to sleep late, eat bacon, and an excuse for a daytime cocktail — what’s not to love? Williamsburg believes in brunch, and offerings of every ilk mean you can don your Sunday (or Saturday) finest, or get extra mileage from your favorite stretchy leggings.
It’s farm-to-fork and fish-to-dish at Williamsburg Winery’s Gabriel Archer Tavern, where Sundays offer special plates for locavores. Think Virginia ham benedict, shrimp with Virginia stone-ground grits, locally harvested oysters, and a charcuterie board with regional cheeses. A glass of Williamsburg Winery’s finest vintage or a seasonal handcrafted cocktail is the perfect punctuation for brunch overlooking the vineyards.
Pro tip: Plan your meal when a tour of the vineyard and a visit to the tasting room is available for an additional swish and swirl. Brunch is served Sundays 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Water Street Grille offers up a feast for the eyes with stunning views of the York River. Appropriately, seafood abounds here, with inspired brunch menu offerings like avocado lobster toast, a smoked salmon breakfast bowl, and crab cake benedict. Complementing an extensive craft beer selection is the turf portion of the menu, with toothsome Creole steak and eggs to satisfy the heartiest weekend appetite. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Expect Southern hospitality and flavors to match at Second Street American Bistro. From pork rib-eye smothered in sausage gravy with smoked Gouda grits to chicken and waffles, this brunch menu is full of options and spiced up with several specialty bloody marys. Whether you like your cocktails piquant (think sriracha and red pepper flakes), laden with bacon and garnish, or prefer a jumbo mimosa with fresh-squeezed juices, there are innumerable ways to toast the weekend. Brunch is served Sundays 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
What would brunch be these days without avocado toast? Culture Café puts its own spin on the favorite along with other feel-good classics. Owners Scott Hoyland and Louise Wood describe the vibe as, “cozy bohemian yet industrial.” There’s a creative cocktail menu too - mornings in particular call for the cappuccino martini, which mixes a fresh pull of illy espresso, vodka, vanilla syrup, Kahlua, and cream. Pair it with the perfectly crispy brick-oven brunch pizza; a house-made cauliflower burger bursting with quinoa, almonds, pepper jack, relish, mayo, and a side salad; or go all-in with a vegetarian-friendly breakfast bowl which offers the opportunity to add a bloody mary for just $1. Brunch is served Sundays 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
