9 Favorite Brunch Spots in Madison WI
Brunch is one of the best meals for any food lover out there! These 9 favorite brunch spots in Madison, WI are a must-try for any Madison visitor or Madison local alike! With the many quirky and unique brunch spots the city has the offer, there’s bound to be a perfect fit for anyone. Whether you love sweet or savory brunch foods, nothing beats a leisurely brunch on a lazy weekend morning!
Cost: $$
Location: Near West
Best For: baked goods & ambience
La Brioche is a lovely little spot with some of the yummiest brunch and sweet bakery items in Madison, WI. With a stone oven in the center of the restaurant, it is clear that baked goods are their specialty! Some of La Brioche’s most delectable sweet treats? Its cream puffs and éclairs! Although it’s hard to tell from the outside, La Brioche’s interior décor is absolutely darling and the ambience is hard to beat. If you’re sitting indoors, you can expect to be treated to live piano music and during the summer months, the gorgeous outdoor seating area makes you feel like you’ve been whisked away to a hidden garden!
Cost: $$$
Location: Downtown
Best For: Farm to Table brunch
Heritage Tavern is one of Madison’s most well known restaurants for farm to table meals that only use local and sustainable ingredients! As a result of this, much of its menu changes based on the availability of ingredients, but whatever you decide to get, you are guaranteed to receive a high quality, delicious meal. Heritage is also known for its creative twists on classic dishes with items like lobster scrambles and white fish, crab, and bacon cakes on its menu! The décor of Heritage has an elegant, classic feel to it and is a must-try for some of the best brunch (and food in general!) Madison has to offer.
Cost: $$
Location: West
Best For: The Dutch Baby
If you’re looking for that busy diner feel, Madison’s west side branch of The Original Pancake House is for you! Although it can get crowded at times, service here is always very efficient and the simplicity of the restaurant gives it a home-y feel. If you get the chance to visit The Original Pancake House, their well-known Dutch Baby is a must-try! A lemony German pancake/crepe style entrée covered in powdered sugar, the Dutch Baby always comes in huge portions and is perfect for sharing!
Cost: $
Location: East
Best For: scones and ambience
This popular spot on Madison’s east side gets crowded pretty quickly but is definitely worth the wait for its high quality food and cozy atmosphere! The ambience of Lazy Jane’s is probably one of the most unique aspects of this café as it’s built in an old house that truly still feels like a house inside! The fun décor and the antique furniture make it feel like you are dining in a friend’s home rather than in a café. On the food side of things, their delicious scones are a must-try for any visit and just as delicious after a day or two so you can take one home to enjoy later!
Cost: $$
Location: Downtown
Best For: pancakes and cool décor
Searching for a delicious pancake spot in Madison? Look no further than Short Stack! Short Stack serves amazingly light and fluffy pancakes in tons of different flavors including classics like blueberry and chocolate chip to unique flavors like sweet potato oatmeal. On top of its pancakes, Short Stack also serves a collection of Cajun-influenced savory brunch options like its Cajun biscuits and gravy! The décor of the restaurant is very cool with tables covered in hand-written cards and letters and old license plates as table numbers. If you’re especially daring, Short Stack offers a blind special that you can order for $7, but the price goes up to $11 if you’re too scared and have to ask what it is!
Cost: $$
Location: East
Best For: tacos, of course!
If you’ve got a hankering for breakfast tacos, Tex Tubb’s is your brunch spot! On top of having some amazing margaritas, Tex Tubb’s has a huge selection of tacos to choose from! They offer classics like carne asada, out of the box options like smoked brisket, and have some great vegetarian options like fried cauliflower! If you have a craving for breakfast-specific foods, they’ve also got a great selection of delicious and filling breakfast tacos and burritos including the smoked brisket and egg taco or the breakfast veggie burrito with eggs, potatoes, roasted veggies smothered in ranchero sauce. We love stopping at Tex Tubb’s on our Atwood Brew & Chew tour!
Cost: $$
Location: Downtown
Best For: classic brunch dishes
Bassett Street Brunch Club is a favorite on the UW-Madison campus if you’re looking for classic, comfort food-y dishes with some creative twists! Bassett Street Brunch Club makes its own donuts in-house (their donuts are half off after 8:30 PM!) and incorporates their donuts into dishes like their amazing chicken and donut appetizer! Plus, with outlets at each cozy booth, this is also a great spot for relaxing and getting work done during their non-peak times.
Cost: $$
Location: Near West
Best For: savory brunch
Oliver’s Public House on Madison’s near west side is a great spot for any Madison visitor who is interested in trying some unique Wisconsin-themed brunch items, including their Biscuits and Brat Gravy and Belgian Beer Waffles! All of their food is locally sourced and great for all of the savory brunch lovers out there! The house’s vibe is simple and laid-back with lots of indoor space as well as a spacious outdoor patio for the summer months!
Cost: $$
Location: Near East
Best For: pastries and baked goods
The Madison Sourdough café is a beautiful, quaint brunch spot perfect for a lazy Sunday morning! Madison Sourdough is known for its incredible breads, pastries, and pretty much anything else baked and delicious you can think of! A must-try on Madison Sourdough’s menu is its incredible french toast made with their homemade sourdough bread! Almost everything on its simple menu is a flat $10 and with the café’s big windows and simple design, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy the sunshine as well as an incredible brunch.
by contributor Pamela Gu
Published on Jan 11 2018
Last Updated on Oct 11 2021
Categories: Brunch, Dining, Madison WI, Restaurants, Things to Do
Tags: brunch, dining, farm to table, Madison, restaurants, Wisconsin