There is a common assumption that brunch is a fancy activity that people do on Sunday mornings. I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to drain your bank account in order to get an Instagram-worthy brunch plate. I’m lucky to go to school in a city like Boston where I am surrounded by so many neighborhoods that each have many options for various types of brunches that I want and have yet to experience. Below, I will give you my guide to the best brunch spots in Boston that will get you a big plate for a small price.
1. Thornton’s
Thornton’s was my introduction to brunch in this city. A 20-minute walk from the Common, it’s a family owned restaurant, and there is always a line to get in, but it moves fast, so don’t let that keep you from the place. My go-to order there now is their classic eggs benedict with a side of toast. They also constantly refill your coffee for free, which is a nice bonus, as well. Eggs benedict, home fries, toast, and coffee all adds up to being about $11, which, for quality food and a lot of it, is a good deal. 10/10 you must go.
2. Trident Booksellers and Cafe
For those of you who love to sip a latte and read a nice book, this is the spot for you. Located at the end of Newbury Street, this quirky bookstore has so much to offer. The first floor holds the books and a coffee bar, so if the wait for brunch is too long you can simply have a latte and read Amy Schumer’s newest book. Though my friend and I had to wait 25 minutes, you do have Newbury street at your fingers so you can go browse at Urban or Newbury Comics and the wait feels like nothing. Now i’ll admit this meal was a bit more than my meal at Thornton’s, I got a breakfast sandwich with avocado and two sunny side up eggs, fries and an antioxidant smoothie for $17, but it again was a lot of food and smoothies alone can usually be $9 or $10 so it’s worth it.
3. Bagelsaurus
Now, I may not be from New York or New Jersey, but I still do have an appreciation for good bagels. Going to school in Boston, I had yet to find a bagel that resembled either the ones from either of those places or my favorite family owned place back home in Maryland. Enter Bagelsaurus, situated in Porter Square it’s a bit of an excursion for a Sunday morning. Inconspicuously situated on a strip of shops, if you get there after 11, the line goes down the block and around the corner. They go beyond your typical bagels, serving flavors like sea salt, black olive, pretzel and pumpernickel onion. Though it’s so busy, everyone takes it to go so there is always a spot to sit. I kept it simple with a sea salt bagel and scallion cream cheese and a large coffee which lead me to spend about $10, which yes is about the same as Starbucks, but these were real unique bagels.
4. Masa
If you love any type of Mexican or South American food, this is definitely the place for you. Situated in the South End, this cavernous restaurant is famous for their brunch. They have a prix-fixe that they run from 9am-11am where you can get an appetizer, an entree and as much coffee as you want for $10. That menu includes caramalized plantain empanadas, granola, creamy scrambled eggs with chorizo, huevos rancheros and chocolate chip pancakes. My friend and I missed this window by half an hour, but still had an affordable meal, I was able to get the creamy scrambled eggs with chorizo and cheese with home fries and toast for $10, again similar to Thornton’s you get a lot of food for a minimal dollar amount. Though make sure to make a reservation, if you don’t for brunch you will find yourself waiting for 30-40 minutes, it’s that popular.
5. Stephanie’s on Newbury
Stephanie’s on Newbury is almost a household name around this city, it is quite famous since it has been around since 1994. Now I’ll say I only went here because it happened to be parent’s weekend and my parents were the ones paying for this meal. So I cannot say how much it was, I just know that it was at least double of all of the other places that I have gone on my own. Though I will say, the atmosphere here is very nice, it was October so they had leaves dispersed on the hardwood floors to create the fall feeling. As it was pouring rain outside, the space was decorated in dark brown leathers and hardwood creating an automatic warmth. Since I do go to college, I hadn’t had good fish in a while, because I do not trust the dining hall. I went with a cod and potato dip, served with bread dipped in olive oil. It almost felt like something you would see on a Thanksgiving table, the way it was presented and it had such a rich and filling taste, definitely better then any sort of fish served at the dining hall. So I would recommend Stephanie’s if you’re parents or any relatives of yours are in town and want to experience a well known place.
