13 no-wait brunch spots

Lines too long at Egg, Prune, Sarabeth’s? Dig in at these alternatives. Photographs by Dave Sanders

Long line at…

Egg
135 North 5th St between Bedford Ave and Berry St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-302-5151, pigandegg.com)
Typical wait: 30 to 45 minutes.

Try..

Juliette
You can easily nab a table on the sidewalk, in the garden or on the umbrella-shaded rooftop at this bistro. Brunch options include tuna niçoise ($14), burgers smothered in melted Gruyère ($12.50), and a French-rolled omelette with truffled goat cheese and asparagus ($10). 135 North 5th St between Bedford Ave and Berry St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-388-9222, juliettewilliamsburg.com)

La Superior
The eats come cheap at this laid-back taqueria: $8 enfrijoladas (an eggier take on enchiladas), tacos ($2.50 each) and prickly-pear agua fresca ($3) have your name all over them. 295 Berry St at North 2nd St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-388-5988, lasuperiornyc.com)

Fiore
Eat in this Italian spot’s backyard for nearly no bones. Start with beef carpaccio ($8), end with a fried mozzarella in carrozza sandwich ($7). 284 Grand St between Havemeyer and Roebling Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-782-8222, fiorebk.com)—Ashlea Halpern

Prune
54 E 1st St between First and Second Aves (212-677-6221, prunerestaurant.com)
Typical wait: 45 minutes to an hour.

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JoeDoe
With free biscuits and honey butter, indulgent chorizo-and-egg-spiked chilaquiles ($14) and French toast ($12) thicker than Donald Trump’s billfold, it’s a wonder this wood-paneled space doesn’t overflow. 45 E 1st St between First and Second Aves (212-780-0262, chefjoedoe.com)

Belcourt
Come here to murder your hangover: If a croque-madame ($11) draped in “lamb ham” and velvety Mornay sauce (béchamel plus Gruyère) doesn’t do it, a Sixpoint Righteous Rye (or pot of lavender Earl Grey tea) delivered by a beaming waitress might. 84 E 4th St at Second Ave (212-979-2034, belcourtnyc.com)

Simon Sips
A greener-than-green market-veg soup ($5) and a delicate baguette enclosing jamón serrano and green peppercorn butter ($7) are just two superlative menu items at this rarely packed 20-seater. 72 E 1st St between First and Second Aves (212-388-0614, simonsips.com)

St. Dymphna’s
The namesake of this gastropub is the patron saint of the mentally ill, but you’ll leave the crazies (at least the Prune-obsessed ones) behind in exchange for low-key local brunchers. Try the fantastically greasy Irish breakfast ($11). 118 St. Marks Pl between First Ave and Ave A (212-254-6636)—Kate Lowenstein

Sarabeth’s East
1295 Madison Ave between 92nd and 93rd Sts (212-410-7335, sarabethseast.com)
Typical wait: 30 to 45 minutes.

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Square Meal
Here you’ll find a civilized brunch amid homey bookshelves and cheery lime-green walls, with prices that aren’t too rich—and dishes that are. Order French toast bread-pudding-style ($12) with smoky, snappy chicken apple sausage ($4.50) for a meal that lives up to the restaurant’s name. 30 E 92nd St at Madison Ave (212-860-9872, squaremealnyc.com)

Table d’Hote
Secure a table alongside Carnegie Hill’s more mature residents and linger over dishes from the egg-heavy menu, such as the cheddar-scones eggs Benedict ($13) served with mixed greens. 44 E 92nd St at Madison Ave (212-348-8125)

Pascalou
For $15.95 at this petite French bistro—where miraculously there always seems to be a table open—you get a two-course, prix-fixe meal that includes a beverage (alcoholic or otherwise) and filling fare like an overstuffed crabmeat omelette, plus dessert. Try the tangy orange sorbet, served in the peel. 1308 Madison Ave between 92nd and 93rd Sts (212-534-7522)—Cristina Velocci

Tom’s Restaurant
782 Washington Ave at Sterling Pl, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-636-9738, tomsrestaurantbrooklyn.com).
Typical wait: 30 minutes to an hour

Try…

Cheryl’s Global Soul
Given its proximity to the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, this cozy eatery should be packed to the gills on weekends. And while yes, sometimes you’ll wait 15 minutes or so to be seated, it’s worth your while: Hearty dishes like the omelette special, served with spicy hash browns, satisfy comfort-food cravings. Don’t forget to ask your waiter about other brunch specials, which change each weekend. 236 Underhill Ave at Lincoln Pl, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (347-529-2855, cherylsglobalsoul.com)

Beast
Fend off a hangover in the dark interior of this Spanish-style spot, serving brunch classics with a twist, like a potato-and-egg hash that gets extra zest from spicy chorizo ($11.95). Add a mimosa or Bloody Mary to your meal for merely $2 more, if you need a little hair of the dog. 638 Bergen St at Vanderbilt Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-399-6855, brooklynbeast.com)

Chavella’s
Look no further than this tiny Crown Heights joint for cheap, authentic and mind-bogglingly delicious Mexican food. Hit it up on the weekends for a brunch menu featuring classic dishes, like huevos rancheros ($11.95) swimming in your choice of spicy ranchero sauce or tomatillo salsa. Round out the meal with a piece of Mexican sweet bread (similar to a muffin or quick bread), which is gratis during brunch. 732 Classon Ave between Park and Prospect Pls, Crown Heights, Brooklyn (718-622-3100)—Amy Plitt

Best brunch deals

Anything involving pancakes, bacon and early-afternoon boozing is good by us—unless it takes forever and costs a lot. Photographs by Jeff Gurwin

Arlo & Esme
Why we love it: This light and airy café-by-day, bar-by-night serves a small menu of Mediterranean-influenced dishes, like a mayo-free, very fresh tuna sandwich and an unorthodox bowl of perfectly poached eggs topped with a garlic yogurt and strips of toast.
Why it’s a deal: The $15 brunch includes a cup of strong coffee, a mimosa or Bloody Mary and an entrée. Upgrade to $18 for a more original brunch cocktail, like the beery michelada. 42 E 1st St between First and Second Aves (212-777-5617, arloandesme.com) —Justine Sterling

Bar Breton
Why we love it: This family-friendly spot, like a Francophile Bubby’s, is most inviting during weekend afternoons when the sun streams through the front windows.
Why it’s worth it: Although the French often eat their galettes (traditional buckwheat crêpes) at night, the thin pancakes are a perfect first meal of the day. The more traditional the filling the better—we’re partial to the ham, egg and cheese “Mont St. Michel” ($14). 254 Fifth Ave between 28th and 29th Sts (212-213-4999, barbreton.com)—Jay Cheshes

Beer Table
Why we love it: You proved yourself a poor decision maker on Saturday night—be glad Beer Table’s brunch menu keeps the choosing to a minimum.
Why it’s a deal: Just $6 gets you two fluffy waffles—pay $2 more to add tangy ricotta, berries and rhubarb compote. Limitless coffee is great ($3), but a Schneider-Weisse ($9 per pint) is leagues ahead of another second-rate mimosa (Beyond the Mimosa). 427B Seventh Ave between 14th and 15th Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-965-1196, beertable.com)—Jordana Rothman

Buttermilk Channel
Why we love it: Gracious service mixed with eclectic riffs on Southern comfort food makes up for the wait. Don’t miss the pecan-pie French toast ($10) or fried pork chops and cheddar waffles ($15).
Why it’s a deal: The apple-cider doughnuts ($2 each) are sweet lures, as is the free mimosa, sparkling wine or Bellini accompanying each entrée. 524 Court St at Huntington St, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (718-852-8490, buttermilkchannelnyc.com)—JMB

Café Select
Why we love it: The place is as good-looking as the local crowd it attracts. A bonus: we’ve never encountered a wait.
Why it’s a deal: The affordable menu, most of it priced under $13, will satisfy all sorts. Go for the eggs any style with Rösti, a nicely greasy Swiss hash brown ($9); or a ham-and-Gruyère sandwich served with greens dressed in a mustardy vinaigrette ($9). 212 Lafayette St between Kenmare and Spring Sts (212-925-9322, cafeselectnyc.com)—Leslie Price

Char No. 4
Why we love it: There are cheaper brunches, but few with this much laid-back Southern style and chef-driven sophistication: There’s perfectly salty house-smoked ham, flaky biscuits with bacon gravy and toasty brown-butter applesauce. Plus, the chipotle Bloody Mary, made special with bourbon, is sweet and smoky.
Why it’s a deal: The $16 prix fixe includes eggs, biscuits, that amazing ham and applesauce, coffee and juice. 196 Smith St between Baltic and Warren Sts, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718-643-2106, charno4.com)—Bret Stetka

Dell’anima
Why we love it: Friendly staff deliver innovative Italian twists on brunch standbys: Instead of grits, there’s Anson Mills polenta with Parmigiano and honey for $5, and baked eggs with pancetta and rosemary for $13.
Why it’s a deal: The portions are generous; the $5 sides are almost a full brunch themselves; and the gratis bread with fresh ricotta, honey and pine nuts doesn’t hurt either. 38 Eighth Ave at Jane St (212-366-6633, dellanima.com)—Rebecca Flint Marx

Egg
Why we love it: This Southern-inflected TONY favorite does right by the chicken’s chief asset. The fresh, local eggs are at their best cooked over easy into an airy slice of brioche, covered with a veil of cheddar ($8).
Why it’s a deal: You’ll wait (and wait) for a go at Egg’s simple delights—but you won’t pay much for them. Breakfast entrées top out at $8.50, and sides (scrapple!) at $3.50. 135 North 5th St between Bedford Ave and Berry St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-302-5151, pigandegg.com)—Jordana Rothman

Gottino
Why we love it: This sliver of a wine bar—often frantic at night—becomes an idyllic sun-dappled refuge at brunch, when it’s still largely uninhabited.
Why it’s a deal: The house-baked goodies (ricotta fritters, mini chocolate cornetti) are as good as they look. Entrées like waffles with fresh berries and cream ($7) and eggs scrambled with wispy prosciutto ($8) are dead simple and delicious. 52 Greenwich Ave between Charles and Perry Sts (212-633-2590, ilovegottino.com)—Jay Cheshes

Hundred Acres
Why we love it: Dishes satisfy big appetites without sacrificing small details like tender corn bread, a nuanced molé sauce and all-around perfect seasoning. Go for the Acres Scramble or the Quesadilla Gringo, each $12.
Why it’s a deal: Seasonal ingredients are top-notch, like the rhubarb and mint served with yogurt ($9). 38 MacDougal St between W Houston and Prince Sts (212-475-7500, hundredacresnyc.com)—Rebecca Flint Marx

Jing Fong
Why we love it: Cheap but decent dim sum is served in a football-field-size dining room. The whole thing is lit by a neon chandelier that looks like it landed from outer space.
Why it’s a deal: If you go in a group (who doesn’t?) and you divide up the check, you can eat your fill of egg tarts, roasted pork buns and shrimp dumplings, and end up paying only about $15 a head. 20 Elizabeth St between Bayard and Canal Sts, second floor (212-964-5256)—Jennifer 8. Lee

Kittichai
Why we love it: Thanks to a bold panang curry hanger steak and a spicy-and-sour seafood soup flavored with kafir lime leaves, you can escape the usual flapjacks. You can also escape the city’s hectic buzz in a canopied garden.
Why it’s a deal: A three-course meal for $20 would be a bargain anywhere, but this prix fixe includes solid desserts, like a banana spring roll with burnt-honey ice cream. 60 Thompson St between Broome and Spring Sts (212-219-2000, kittichairestaurant.com)—Zachary Feldman

Las Ramblas
Why we love it: This speck of a tapas bar offers respite from a block packed with sex shops and the Jerseyite teenagers who flock to them.
Why it’s a deal: Nearly every menu item is $9 or less, including old-world gazpacho, a bowl of juicy Andalusian lentils topped with delicately fried eggs, and panko-fried baby bocadillos filled with piquillo peppers, ham and Mahón cheese ($7 each). 170 W 4th St between Cornelia and Jones Sts (646-415-7924, lasramblasnyc.com)—Ashlea Halpern

Mercadito
Why we love it: Mercadito delivers fresh, classic Mexican dishes like the scrambled-egg-stuffed chiles relleno—slightly spicy, tempered by mild queso and kicked up with smoky bacon.
Why it’s a deal: For $15 you get a mimosa made with fresh, chunky fruit (we suggest mango or guava), an entrée, rice and beans. Order from the De Dulce Y De Chile section for standouts like tostada de hongos with wild mushrooms and picadas, small plates of corn masa tartlets. 179 Ave B between 11th and 12th Sts (212-529-6490, mercaditorestaurants.com)—Justine Sterling

Moto
Why we love it: Vintage-chic digs complement crowd-pleasers like eggs in creamy tomato sauce ($8) served with crunchy panini and warm date cake.
Why it’s a deal: Paltry prices (nothing tops $9.50) mean starving artists can eat like kings and sip eye-opening Breakfast Beer: Guinness with espresso ($7). 394 Broadway at Hooper St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-599-6895, circa1938.com) —Joshua M. Bernstein

Motorino
Why we love it: For the enormous Pizza Al’Uovo: a fluffy, charred nan-like crust covered in bubbling cow’s-milk mozzarella, two runny farm eggs and crispy pancetta.
Why it’s a deal: It costs $13 for a “pizza” we dare you to finish on your own, a decent coffee, and your choice of Bloody Mary or mimosa. You’ll pay just $5 more for each additional cocktail. 319 Graham Ave at Devoe St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-599-8899, motorinopizza.com)—Tejal Rao

No. 7
Why we love it: Chef Tyler Kord’s expertly executed Southern eats, such as cracker-crisp fried chicken and buttery grits, are good-and-greasy cure-alls.
Why it’s a deal: Ten dollars buys half a fried bird that could feed two, and waffles are just $9—leaving cash to splurge on fragrant rhubarb-kafir sangria ($8). 7 Greene Ave between Cumberland and Fulton Sts, Fort Greene, Brooklyn (718-522-6370, no7restaurant.com)—JMB

Pinche Taqueria
Why we love it: If only all brunches were less like a Woody Allen movie and more like, say, that spring break trip to Cabo, complete with chili pepper lights, palm fronds and a beaded curtain depicting Frida Kahlo.
Why it’s a deal: Counter service makes it easy to grab huevos rancheros ($5.65) and a Coronita ($2.75) and walk out having spent less than a tenner. 333 Lafayette St between Bleecker and W Houston Sts (212-343-9977, pinchetaqueria.us)—Allison Williams

Rabbithole Bakery & Bistro
Why we love it: Rabbithole has daily brunch hours (8am–5pm), great coffee (Stumptown espresso) and a cool Mechanical Age–meets-French-café interior. Plus, there’s a spacious backyard.Why it’s a deal: Excellent two-egg dishes ($8–$9) come with herb-flecked roasted potatoes and a heaping side salad of healthy greens. Bagel combos (like eggs, bacon, cheese, basil and tomato) cost $7.50 including coffee. 352 Bedford Ave between South 3rd and 4th Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-782-0910, rabbitholebakery.com)—Erin Wylie

Brunch happy hours