Brunch is undoubtedly my favorite meal of the day: it's flexible–one day I have pancakes, bacon, and eggs for brunch and the next I'll have a chicken, avocado, and bacon sandwich with truffle fries–and with any luck, it doesn't take place before 10 am. I personally love brunching with my parents when they come to visit, my best friend, or my date; below are three of my favorite places for brunch in Providence off of College Hill to take each of them.
Fair warning: I, like Ron Swanson, am a fan of bacon, and so I challenged myself to try a preparation of it at each spot. In Ron's honor, I'll be ranking each place out of 5 🍳s.
Where to take your parents: Cook & Brown Public House
The Basics: Cook & Brown Public House, or Cook & Brown for short, is a hipster's paradise located on Hope Street. Only an 8-minute drive from campus, this funky gastropub features a seasonal menu presented on a clipboard and serves brunch on the weekends and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Vibe: Cook & Brown is undoubtedly a refined hipster hotspot for brunch in Providence that is true to its rustic and local roots. It prides itself on using the best locally sourced ingredients, served fresh on–what at the very least look like–restored barn wood tables or a cozy bar. The eclectic waitstaff is reflective of the equally eclectic menu; time is included as an "ingredient" in many dishes that take a little more love and care to make fresh.
Price Range: $ All main menu items on the brunch menu are under $13, with sides ranging from $2-$4.
My Favorites: My favorite brunch at Cook & Brown is the cheesy scramble: two scrambled eggs oozing with swiss and cheddar. Included is your choice of toast and crispy seasoned home fries. Optional smokey bacon is an additional charge (though let's be real, in my world, bacon is never optional, especially if it's extra crispy), and is totally worth it.
My favorite sweet treat at Cook & Brown is the brown butter waffle ice cream sandwich filled with homemade bacon ice cream. This crunchy yet smooth, sweet and salty "sandwich" is a truly unique indulgence on the menu, and a must try if you like bacon even half as much as I do. I'll admit I've made the trip to Cook and Brown just to get this bacon ice cream sandwich.
The Bottom Line: Cook & Brown is the hipster gastropub brunch getaway that you didn't know you needed. It's the perfect place to take your parents because the menu features locally sourced ingredients from your home away from home and it is a classy getaway from usual student eats.
Ranking: 🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳
Where to take your best friend: Wayland Square Diner
The Basics: Wayland Square Diner, located unsurprisingly in the Wayland Square neighborhood on the East Side of Providence, is only a 15-minute walk from campus. This diner is a community hub that serves breakfast and lunch every day of the week until 3 pm.
Vibe: At the Wayland Square Diner, lively waitresses buzz back and forth from the partially exposed kitchen the booths, making each guest feel as though they're in the comfort of their own home (without having to cook the food themselves). The theme of the home-style food extends to the homey, laidback vibe of the clean and comfortable dining room. Overall, this classic community diner strikes the perfect balance of homey comfort and restaurant quality cuisine that delivers a delicious brunch in Providence.
Price Range: $ When my best friend and last went to the diner, we spent about $25 for both of our meals and drinks. Food on both the breakfast menu and lunch menu tend to be under $10.
My Favorites: I'm a big fan of the "Waker Upper" combos, which comes with your choice of pancakes (my favorite are the apple cinnamon), crispy bacon, and an egg prepared in any style. They have two menus: the breakfast menu and the lunch menu, both served all day. If you're leaning towards lunch, they also make a delicious crispy and gooey grilled cheese sandwich with fries and a pickle.
The Bottom Line: Wayland Square diner is a homey community restaurant serving classic breakfast and lunch foods that become the perfect backdrop for best-friend gossip. Just a short, but liberating, walk from College Hill, it's the best no-frills place for you and your best friend to decompress and catch up.
Ranking: 🍳🍳🍳🍳
Where to take your date: The Duck & Bunny
The Basics: The Duck & Bunny is a self-identifying snuggery–or a cozy and intimate space–nestled on Wickenden Street, which is just a 13-minute walk from campus. There can be a bit of a wait for brunch in Providence (I promise it's worth it), so I'd suggest taking your date along Wickenden to The Shop or The Coffee Exchange for some pre-brunch caffeine.
Vibe: The Duck & Bunny lives up to its categorization as a snuggery. Complete with whimsical chandeliers and classical paintings with ducks and bunnies superimposed on them, this cozy space is perfect for a more intimate brunch. Comfortable seating around marble tables or at the bar, which has a sliding drawer of cupcakes temptingly visible through the bar's glass top, completes the Instagrammable space.
Price Range: $/$$ Menu items at the Duck & Bunny are priced similarly to Cook & Brown, but at the Duck & Bunny, I'm more likely to get a lot of little plates, called "lighter fare," and gourmet cupcakes, so it can add up.
My Favorites: My favorite savory item on the brunch menu is the appetizer soft and crunchy latkes served with homemade cinnamon applesauce and thick sour cream. The Duck & Bunny definitely does potatoes right: at dinner, the parmesan truffle fries are my go-to.
On the sweeter side, I'm a fan of the "Snuggery Cakes," the Duck & Bunny's super fluffy pancakes that come with two fillings of your choice - I recommend ordering them filled with chocolate and banana or, you guessed it, chocolate and bacon.
The Bottom Line: The Duck & Bunny is the perfect intimate eatery to bring that special someone to. The cozy interior is effortlessly romantic, and the small plates and cupcakes were pretty much designed to be shared.
Ranking: 🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳
Whether you're going out with your parents, your best friend, or on a date, brunch is the perfect meal to share with those you care about. What makes a brunch in Providence great might partially be the location, the vibe, the price, or the food, but mostly, it's about the people you bring with you (and in my case, share bacon with).
Hungry for brunch but not in Providence? Check out these other great options:
- The Best Brunch Spots in Boulder, Colorado