20 must-try brunch dishes in Calgary

Oct 24 2016, 11:59 pm

Brunch is the most important meal of the day.

This is because 1) it’s usually the weekend when you get enjoy it and 2) there is a often a boozy Caesar or Mimosa involved. Naturally because of this importance we want you to have a seriously satisfying brunch experience, and luckily YYC has a great breakfast scene with a large selection of spots to choose from.

We’ve made brunch planning simple by putting together a list of standout items guaranteed to solve any hangry or hungover state. Here are 20 must-try brunch dishes in Calgary.

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1. French Toast from the Beltliner

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The ‘Space Jam’ and ricotta-stuffed french toast from The Beltliner will instantly make your day better. Three pieces of thick french toast topped with house jam, lemon ricotta, and powdered sugar goes really nicely with one of the modern diner’s spicy caesars made with Canadian-made Walter Caesar clamato.

Address: 243 12th Avenue SW
Instagram: @thebeltliner

2. Holy Crab Benedict from OEB Breakfast Co.

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It’s basically a crime to go to OEB and not order eggs (although their yogurt parfait with warm banana bread is tempting), as this breaky spot’s eggs are locally and organically sourced. The Holy Crab Benedict is a delicious twist on a classic dish that comes with creamy hollandaise and crunchy home fries.

Address: 2 locations in Calgary
Instagram: @oeb_breakfast

3. Confit Duck Waffle from Vendome Cafe

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A true show-stopper, this Confit Duck Waffle is a must-try item when you’re at this quaint cafe in Kensington. This dish consists of confit duck, grainy mustard, maple syrup, blackberries, creme fraiche, and poached eggs topped on a warm Belgian waffle.

Address: 940 2nd Avenue NW
Instagram: @vendomeyyc

4. Banana and Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast from Monki

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5. Breakfast Burger from Monki

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Monki does brunch very, very well. This bistro has so many incredible items that we had to include two. First up, the french toast: stuffed with banana and franjelico cream cheese and topped with Nutella and condensed milk. Secondly, the Monki ground chuck burger is one of the most legendary breakfast items in YYC. This burger has maple bacon, chipotle mayo, gouda, and a fried egg.

Address: 1301 10th Avenue SW
Instagram: @monkibistro

6. Apple Pie Crepe from The Daily

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This brunch and lunch spot offers some delicious items like breakfast pizza and poutine, but one of this restaurant’s newest items – the Apple Pie Crepe – caught our attention and has captured our tastebuds. Some may call this dessert, but we still classify this as a well-rounded breakfast item.

Address: 1126 Kensington Road NW
Instagram: @dailyyyc

7. Gravlax Eggs Benedict from Alforno Bakery & Cafe 

This isn’t just your average benedict. With house-cured salmon, dill cream, pickled red onion, poached organic eggs, house-made hollandaise, and side greens, the Gravlax is just wonderful as the atmosphere inside this chic bakery and cafe.

Address: 222 7th Street SW
Instagram: @alfornobakery

8. Pork Belly Hash from The Nash

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A winning combination of sweet corn, crispy pork belly, and Yukon Gold hash topped with fresh cheese curds, scallions, mushrooms, and range eggs. We’d recommend ordering The Nash’s daily-inspired ‘Must-Have Cinnamon Bun’ as a starter, because who says brunch can’t be multiple courses?

Address: 925 11th Street SE
Instagram: @thenashyyc

9. Character Pancakes from The Belmont Diner

The Belmont is famous for its character pancakes and retro-style interior. The pancakes are as adorable as they are delicious. This old school all-day breakfast diner in Marda Loop is always packed, so get in early because it’s worth the early-morning weekend wakeup.

Address: 2008 33rd Avenue SW
Instagram: @belmontdiner

10. BELT Sandwich from MARKET

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Because MARKET uses locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients, its menu is constantly changing, but the brunch is consistently delicious and memorable. This BELT made with thick bacon, eggs, and crisp lettuce between two thick slices of house-made potato bread is no exception.

Address: 718 17th Avenue SW
Instagram: @marketcalgary

11. Chicken & Waffles Stack from Diner Deluxe

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If this doesn’t cure your hangover we don’t know what will. The Chicken & Waffles Stack from Diner Deluxe is like two meals in one, and it hits the spot every time: a quinoa-whole wheat waffle, buttermilk fried chicken, sunny egg, house hot sauce, and finished with whipped maple-brown butter.

Address: 2 locations in Calgary
Instagram: @diner_deluxe

12. Mushroom Frittata from The Fine Diner Bistro

What could be better than starting off your day with this spicy mushroom fritatta? Mixed mushrooms, arugula, and truffle oil along with seasonal fruit and tomatoes makes for an excellent light brunch (more room for mimosas, right?).

Address: #4 1420 9th Avenue SE
Instagram: @finedinerbistro

13. Savoury Stuffed French Toast from Blue Star Diner

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This Bridgeland neighbourhood gem has a wonderful variety of brunch options, but a stand-out is the savoury stuffed french toast. This meal consists of sautéed herb and garlic mushrooms, Sylvan Star grueye, and homemade hollandaise served with local red potato hash browns.

Address: 809 1st Avenue NE
Instagram:
@bluestar_yyc

14. Brunch Burger from Holy Grill

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Holy Grill is known for its burgers, but it also has an amazing brunch menu. Only the 10th Avenue location is open for brunch, from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, so the race is on to get a seat and get this delicious creation in front of you: a grilled 6oz prime rib burger topped with cheddar, bacon, red onion, tomato, and a fried egg sunny-side-up on a custom black poppy seed bun. This burger is served with hand cut fries, or ‘smashbrowns’ as they’re often called.

Address: 827 10 Avenue SW
Instagram: @holygrill

15. Croque Madame from Briggs Kitchen & Bar

Briggs serves its brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm, and it’s worth it to make sure you get there in time. The restaurant makes a killer version of this classic brunch menu item: roasted Italian ham (sliced thin) served between sourdough bread with Emmenthal cheese, bechamel sauce, and finished with a fried egg.

Address: 100 317 10th Avenue SW
Instagram: @briggskandb

16. Chef’s Feature Pancakes from Yellow Door Bistro

While the flavour and toppings of these flapjacks changes each month, the perfectly-puffed pancake stack never changes. This dish always embodies seasonal flavours and the presentation is on point. Recent flavours include date and brown butter with homemade granola, blueberry ricotta with lemon curd, and double chocolate chip with raspberry coulis.

Address: 119 12th Avenue SW
Instagram: @yellowdooryyc

17. Open-faced Avocado Sandwich from The Bro’Kin Yolk

This sandwich is vegetarian, gluten free, and amazing. It consists of avocado, tomato, a sunnyside up egg, and a balsamic reduction drizzle on 9 grain toast with basil arugula puree.

Address: #130, 12580 Symon Valley Road NW
Instagram: @brokinyolk

18. Crepes from Suzette Bistro

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Suzette knows its crepes and has a great selection of the authentic French specialty. Suzette’s has everything from savoury to sweet, some innovative flavours you can order on the menu are jus de l’orange & flambée au Grand Marnier, caramelized apple, flambée au Calvados, and caramel beurre salé crepes.

Address: 2210 4th Street SW
Instagram:
@suzettebistro

19. Huevos Rancheros from Native Tongues

If you love Mexican cuisine as much as we do, chances are you’re down for a big spicy Mexican brunch. Native Tongues as a great brunch menu, but we’d recommend ordering the classic huevos rancheros made with tortillas, fried eggs, salsa ranchero, avocado, and queso.

Address: 235 12th Avenue SW
Instagram: @nativetonguesyyc

20. Steak and Eggs from Brasserie Kensington

So Canadian and so, so right. The breakfast poutine from Brasserie consists of cheese curds, hollandaise, duck gravy, and a fried egg garnished to perfection. As if all of that wasn’t enough, you can take your poutine to the next level by adding some of Brasserie’s housemade ketchup for falvour overload.

Address: 1131 Kensington Road NW
Instagram: @the_brasskens

Hanna McLeanHanna McLean

+ Dished
+ Breakfast & Brunch
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