Sleeping in and awakening late on the weekend seems sweet enough, but tack on a satisfying, leisurely brunch, and you’ve discovered the luxury of late risers.
British writer Guy Beringer arguably coined the term in his 1895 Hunter’s Weekly essay called “Brunch: A Plea,” which advocated for a more leisurely, social alternative to rigid, formal Sunday meals. It migrated to the U.S. as an upper-class activity in the 1930s and exploded in popularity across the socioeconomic divide.
More than a meal, brunch became a mood: unhurried, convivial, and decidedly weekend-only. Today, the tradition lives on via creative eggs Benedicts, sweet short stacks, and sparkling cocktails, but we also found breakfast pizzas and flatbreads, dessert-like dishes, and more treats that bridge the gap between morning and midday meals.
In and around Evansville, brunch offers countless ways to sip, savor, and stay awhile — here’s where to begin. Bon appétit!
EGGS, ELEVATED
Don’t miss wow-worthy versions of this brunch staple: eggs Benedict
Nest Benedict • The Hornet’s Nest Steakhouse
This savory egg dish, which you were introduced to on the cover of this issue, tastes as delicious as it looks. Feast on pulled smoked pork and poached eggs with homemade hollandaise sauce over Southern-style biscuits instead of the traditional English muffins. The Nest is known for its big brunch entrees and is a local favorite: Evansville Living readers in 2025 named it the city’s best spot for brunch. Pair your benny with the Nest’s famously loaded Bloody Mary, and you’re set.
Hog Benedict • Bad Randy’s Hot Chicken & BBQ Lounge
This porker of an eggs benny piles tender, flavorful pulled pork onto a toasted bun and topped with poached eggs and a generous pour of creamy hollandaise. “It’s rich, indulgent, and absolutely satisfying,” contributing photographer Alli Wuertz says, calling it “a bold, comfort-forward take on a brunch classic.”
San Francisco Benedict • Metro Diner
Start with the Benedict makeup of poached eggs, Canadian bacon, an English muffin, and hollandaise, and tack on slices of avocado and tomato. The tried-and-true version is one of several Benedicts at Metro Diner, which opened its first Evansville location last year. It’s “one of our most popular dishes,” says Managing Partner Chris Wyatt.
Bang Bang Shrimp Eggs Benedict • Bonefish Grill
Bonefish Grill’s brunch creation loads its signature crispy shrimp coated in Bang Bang sauce onto a toasted English muffin, tops it with poached eggs coated in creamy spicy hollandaise, and finishes with sprinkled green onion. Like the B.A.E. tacos, it’s served with seasoned breakfast potatoes and applewood smoked bacon.
SOMETHING SWEET
Indulge your sweet tooth with these crave-worthy confections
Tres Leches Pancakes • Frankie’s Restaurant & Bar
You may feel a bit indulgent tucking into this decadent treat, and that’s the point: Its inspiration is the sponge cake dessert popular in Latin America. Here, three pillowy pancakes soak up the tres leches syrup, a sweet mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk. “This stack feels like treating myself to dessert for breakfast,” says Managing Editor Jodi Keen. If it’s past the weekend, don’t worry: Frankie’s offers tres leches pancakes every day.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes • Metro Diner
Of course you have consumed pancakes before, and probably unwound gooey cinnamon rolls, too. This concoction combines the flavors and best elements of both breakfast favorites: two pancakes swirled on top with cinnamon and sugar, cream cheese icing, candied pecans, and cinnamon butter. Your sweet tooth will thank you.
Old Fashion Oatmeal • Wild Eggs
New in the Evansville market, the national chain makes brunch its business, and this classic breakfast option is ideal for diners looking for something sweet but on the healthier side. A warm bowl of toasted oats, cream, and butter is served with your choice of toppings including brown sugar, cinnamon, candied pecans, strawberries, or blueberries.
French Toast • Bad Randy’s Hot Chicken & BBQ Lounge
Unveiled in February, Bad Randy’s owner Jeremiah Galey puts his stamp on this decadent spin on the brunch classic with thick (and we’re talking really thick) brioche, topped with caramelized raw sugar, whipped cream, strawberry butter, and maple syrup. This one’s for you if you like your French toast sweet on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
SAVORY MORNING FAVORITES
You may need a nap after polishing off these filling meals
Smother Me in Gravy • Belly of the Wolf
Come hungry for this take on classic breakfast flavors. A smashburger patty is layered with generous portions of Canadian bacon, American cheese, shaved white onion, sausage gravy, sunny egg, and mayo, all enclosed by a brioche croissant.
Breakfast Bowl • Copper House
Copper House’s industrial bones and garden-like atmosphere are reason enough to schedule an early meal — and so is this hearty bowl loaded with grits, crumbled biscuits, sausage gravy, fried potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and sautéed peppers and onions, topped with an egg.
Haynie’s Corner Heap • Bokeh Lounge
Aptly named after the district Bokeh Lounge has called home since 2011, this mountain is a veritable feast of familiar breakfast staples, laden with your choice of chorizo, sausage, or bacon, breakfast potatoes, two eggs, cheddar cheese, and house-made pepper gravy. Evansville Living Senior Writer John Martin is a fan: “This hits the spot every time, and the gravy is what makes the mix flavorful and special,” he says.
Full Irish Breakfast • Patsy Hartigan’s Irish Pub
Served Saturday and Sunday mornings while TV screens broadcast select European sports events, Patsy Hartigan’s early bird meal is “the best breakfast in town,” says Erik Beck, a dedicated FIFA soccer fan and Executive Director of Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden. With a full plate of fried eggs, rasher bacon, Irish bangers, house beans, black and white pudding, and hash brown, breakfast diners — sports fans or not — win here. Don’t forget to pair your coffee with whiskey and drink it the Irish way.
BRUNCH BEYOND BREAKFAST
These items blur the line between morning and midday
Croque Madame Burger • Cosmos Bistro
This marriage of breakfast and lunch pairs thick-cut ham with Gruyère cheese, the smoky and nutty flavors blending nicely with creamy mornay sauce. A sunny-side egg and crisp lettuce fill out the toasted bagel.
Turkey Club • Kite & Key Cafe
Sandwiched between slices of sourdough, cut into triangles, secured with skewers, and served with chips, this double-decker classic is stacked with thin-sliced turkey, cheddar, and crispy bacon on one layer, and a thicker slice of ham with lettuce and tomato on the other. “It had plenty of meat and protein, and the veggies added a nice crunch, says Maxwell Tucker, Evansville Living’s new Digital Operations Manager. “Even though tall sandwiches can sometimes be tricky to eat, this one was surprisingly manageable.” The sun-filled cafe is cozy for indoor dining, with outdoor seating in good weather.
Avocado Toast • Bad Randy’s Hot Chicken & BBQ Lounge
“Simple, elevated, and done beautifully,” says photographer Alli Wuertz, who sampled this Millennial favorite on sourdough while on assignment. “Portion-wise, it’s versatile,” she adds. “If you’re really hungry, you could absolutely enjoy it as a meal on its own. But it also works perfectly as a smaller, satisfying snack to share.”
Chicken and Waffles • The Hornet’s Nest Steakhouse
Take it from Clay Roth: “The chicken and waffles at The Hornet’s Nest feels like it’s in a league of its own.” A golden Belgian waffle is the fluffy home base for hand-breaded chicken tenders, “and the butter and syrup bring it all home,” says Roth, a radio personality on WSTO Hot 96.
UNEXPECTED ITEMS
Filipino silog? Tater tots? We did not see these coming, but we’re ready to dig in
Silog • Domo Japanese Hibachi Grill, Sushi, and Ramen
A Filipino brunch dish and recent addition to Domo’s menu, silog features garlic fried rice, a fried egg, and your choice of protein. Evansville Living’s John Martin tried the beef (tapsilog) and pork (porksilog) varieties, accompanied by slices of cucumber and tomato, plus a sauce blending onion, vinegar, and garlic. “This was my first silog, and trust me, it won’t be my last,” he says.
Peruvian Tamale • Sazón y Fuego
This Latin American appetizer transcends daily time frames. Start with a steamed corn husk filled with cheese, then add Peruvian chicken and a fried egg to form a warm culinary delight. Add a glass of agua fresca, featuring blended watermelon and mint, for a refreshing, non-alcoholic drink.
Menemen • Marida Mediterranean Restaurant
This traditional Turkish breakfast dish is a feast of scrambled eggs, tomato, pepper, and olive oil. Other Mediterranean-influenced brunch options at Marida include a chicken gyro wrap, a vegetarian-friendly falafel veggies wrap, and a grilled eggplant and halloumi panini that you can sink into. Whatever you choose, pair it with a cup of Turkish coffee, a very strong blend of beans that is not for the faint of heart.
Ragin’ Hangover Helper • Bar Louie
Two fried eggs crown this dish tailor-made for late-morning recoveries. Crispy tots form the base for smoky andouille sausage, sautéed bell peppers and onions, and a drizzle of Cajun cream sauce. We’re also fans of Bar Louie’s breakfast flatbread topped with scrambled eggs, applewood smoked bacon, mozzarella, provolone, scallions, and buttermilk ranch.
RAISE A GLASS
Booze — a brunch staple — dresses up ordinary breakfast drinks
Bloody Mary • Bad Randy’s Hot Chicken & BBQ Lounge
Where mimosas are simple and refined, Bloody Marys relish raking in everything but the kitchen sink, and after the tomato juice and vodka, it’s yours for the customizing. Bad Randy’s starts with 82-proof Wheatley Vodka — a small-batch spirit produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky — and adds olive, lime, and a barbecue rub for seasoning. At brunch, a bloody is the way to go whether you’re nursing a pounding headache from last night or just want to drink your vegetables. Start a debate with the next table over the best bloody toppings!
Mimosa Flights • Kite & Key Cafe
Brunch without mimosas is like biscuits without butter. At Kite & Key Cafe, diners can sip orange, strawberry banana, cranberry, and pineapple juice over Champagne in a four-flavors flight. “It really is a large enough serving for two people,” says Kristin Comer, the director of advancement at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden. “It just makes brunch an event. Bubbles always do that.”
Strawberry lemonade sangria • Bar Louie
Sangria? Sí! Juicy strawberries mingle with citrusy lemonade, SKYY Vodka, pinot grigio, and house-made simple syrup for a sweet cocktail that feels celebratory from the first sip.
Cocoa Crisp • Bokeh Lounge
Yes, you can combine cereal and booze. Proof: The Cocoa Crisp cocktail mixes double chocolate 360 Vodka, Baileys Irish Cream, and Kahlúa with milk, and comes in a fishbowl glass loaded with whipped cream and sprinkles of chocolate cereal. Fans of Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Reese’s Puffs also can get their cereal fix in liquid form. Sundays, stick around after brunch for a jazz set.
WORTH THE DRIVE
Build time into your schedule for these destination meals within an hour’s drive of Evansville
Hoosier Mama Stack • R’z Cafe, Fort Branch, Indiana
Beyond the humorous name is a filling plate worth the drive to Gibson County. You’ll find a pork tenderloin with bacon, little breakfast potatoes, sausage gravy, and a fried egg. “It is delicious, and definitely one of my top five favorites here,” says Misti Bell, a host and server at R’z. The restaurant also loves themed brunches — the friends-centric Galentine’s Day brunch each February is a big hit.
Bronco Burrito • 3rd Street Saloon, Boonville, Indiana
Hold your horses for this fiesta chock-full of ingredients. A mixture of scrambled eggs, tater tots, peppers, onions, cheddar jack cheese, and jalapeños finds a home inside a warm flour tortilla. This party of flavors comes with a side of queso and salsa, plus a choice of bacon, sausage, or ham.
Harmony Omelet • Red Geranium Restaurant, New Harmony, Indiana
Utopia on a plate? Try it and find out at this restaurant inside the New Harmony Inn that is popular for its Easter and Mother’s Day brunches. (Be sure to make reservations.) This local specialty packs spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese in eggs, with a side of breakfast potatoes and toast.
Shrimp and Grits • The Miller House, Owensboro, Kentucky
Well-known for homestyle dinners and an extensive bourbon list, The Miller House also raises a glass to Sunday brunch. “Our shrimp and grits are a favorite, and I think it’s the grits that keep people coming back,” Head Chef Kasey Kirk Dillow says. “We use Weisenberger Mills grits and slow cook them with a combination of chicken stock and cream, and then season with sharp cheddar and butter.”
