Columbus is a haven for people who love breakfast foods and enjoy relaxing brunches on the weekend. Even better, the restaurateurs there are creative, unique, and are keen on using fresh, seasonal ingredients to offer extraordinary meals. While the environments can range from military memorabilia at the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant to the old school German Village Coffee Shop that has barely changed since its opening in 1981, one thing remains the same: all the restaurants on the list offer delicious food.
Skillet
If you’re planning for a day of hanging out in downtown Columbus, start with a hearty breakfast from Skillet. The food, which features unique combinations of complex flavors, is all seasonal in fitting with the restaurant’s motto of serving farm to table comforts with an urban edge. The menu changes often based on what is freshly available, but the breakfast and brunch offered from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday is delicious no matter what’s in season. Diners with a sweet tooth will be ecstatic with the menu’s range – you’ll find brown sugar crumb cake, cinnamon rolls, and scones filled with chocolate pecan filling, blueberry filling, or white chocolate raspberry filling.
Skillet, 410 E Whittier St, Columbus, OH 43206, Phone: 614-443-2266
German Village Coffee Shop
The German Village Coffee Shop, which is also known as Das Kaffe Haus, opened in 1981 and soon became an important part of the community. You can find it on the edge of downtown Columbus, where you will be transformed back in time by the old school style diner that looks almost exactly like it did when it was first established. Diners can have a delicious breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekdays and till 3:00 p.m. on weekends. The extensive breakfast menu has everything from simple eggs and toast to short cakes and French toast. You can also create your own omelet, which comes with bacon, sausage, turkey, or hash browns.
German Village Coffee Shop, 193 Thurman Ave, Columbus, OH 43206, Phone: 614-443-8900
Grand Day Cafe
The Grand Day Cafe offers an impressive breakfast menu every day from 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. They use fresh eggs, produce, and certified meats to create healthy and nutritious staples that make the perfect start to any day. The restaurant is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas, and if you get there before 8:00 a.m. coffee is on the house. For less than $10, diners can feast on huevos rancheros served with tortillas and salsa, Texas toast with grilled turkey, or a stack of banana nut pancakes.
Grand Day Cafe, 1284 W 5th Ave, Columbus, OH 43212, Phone: 614-481-3363
Hang Over Easy
Hang Over Easy has a theory that a good breakfast can cure everything, including hangovers after a wild night. The diner adds a playful twist on classic dishes, all of which you can try from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekends. Their Struggling to Get Up has two delicious pancakes with warm syrup and butter, and you can add seasonal fruit or chocolate chips to it. The Chicken Chorizo Skillet comes with chorizo sausage, grilled chicken, eggs, and hoe fries topped with queso cheese.
Hang Over Easy, 1646 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH 43201, Phone: 614-586-0070
Katalina's
A little cafe with lots of local goodness, Katalina's has a selection of homemade food with Latin and Southern flavors. The restaurant is home of the Original Pancake Balls, which are filled with Nutella or dulce de leche and served with maple syrup and bacon. They even have a veggie option that offers veggie sausages. The breakfast chick’wich, another popular option, has fried chicken breast with eggs and cheese on a ciabatta bun and is paired with Katalina’s zesty brussel sprouts hash.
Katalina's, 1105 Pennsylvania Ave, Columbus, OH 43201, Phone: 614-294-2233
La Chatelaine
The French bakery and bistro La Chatelaine is a family-owned business that has been in Ohio since 1991. Diners can enjoy a satisfying breakfast in the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the bistro. There’s an indoor and outdoor dining seating area that lets you peoplewatch and enjoy the view. Their culinary concoctions include omelets with fresh spinach, homemade French toast with whipped cream, fresh fruit cups, and signature old-fashioned oatmeal.
La Chatelaine, 1550 West Lane Avenue, Columbus, OH 43221, Phone: 614-488-1911
Scotty's Cafe
Voted the number one cafe in Columbus, Scotty's Cafe is open for delicious a breakfast and brunch from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekdays. The one-stop eatery serves tasty meals made fresh in house using the finest ingredients available. Breakfast is served all day and comes with bagels or toast and coffee or tea. You have the option of adding extras such as bacon, sausage, and home fries to any entree. The Mexican omelet is rich with flavors of chicken, peppers, onions, salsa, and sour cream, while the Greek omelet has spinach, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Those who find simplicity delicious can have a plain omelet and add any cheese, vegetables, or meats that they like.
Scotty's Cafe, 2980 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43209, Phone: 614-237-1949
Sunny Street Cafe
A bright and sunny spot for breakfast no matter how the weather is outside, Sunny Street Cafe has many traditional breakfast items in addition to seasonal specials based on what is freshly available. Breakfast and brunch are served all day long, so diners can have whatever they crave whether it be buttermilk pancakes or a buffalo chicken salad. Their breakfast combos are sure to hit the right spot. The Famous Hearty Breakfast, for example, comes with eggs, pancakes, bacon, and hash browns. Diners can choose another breakfast meat to replace the bacon or fresh fruit to replace the grits – create any combination to satisfy your cravings.
Sunny Street Cafe , 274 Marconi Boulevard, Suite 260, Columbus, OH 43215, Phone: 614-396-5030
Tommy’s Diner
Tommy’s Diner is a family-owned and operated diner that initially attracts people with their retro decor but keeps them coming back for the scrumptious food. The diner has been a staple in downtown Columbus since 1989 and serves breakfast all day long. Diners can order hotcakes, French toast, waffles, eggs benedict, or chopped steak and eggs. Their specials change every day, but some of the crowd favorites are the ribeye steak served with home fries and toast, the gyro and feta cheese omelet, the chops and eggs, and the chicken fajita omelet.
Tommy’s Diner, 914 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43222, Phone: 614-224-2422
Valters at the Maennerchor
Known for its creative twist on already delicious meals, Valters at the Maennerchor serves exquisite breakfast and brunch on the weekends. The restaurant is housed in the cozy and warm setting of a 3,500 square foot heritage house that was built in 1907 and is lovingly called the Dutch House. The delicacies served are often said to be the next best thing to actually eating in Germany. The Breakfast Hangover is a popular homemade breakfast bowl topped with bacon, bratwurst, onions, eggs, peppers, and cheese that is served with freshly made home fries. The Eagle Eye is another delicious choice and has a roasted portobello mushroom glazed in balsamic fig and topped with a poached egg and Swiss cheese.
Valters at the Maennerchor, 976 S High St, Columbus, OH 43206, Phone: 614-444-3531
Anna's Greek Cuisine
Since it’s opening in 1997, Anna's Greek Cuisine has proven to be one of Columbia’s most authentic Greek restaurants with the most delicious food. Tourists who find themselves in the area on Sundays can join the locals who flock to Anna’s for a hearty and gratifying buffet brunch. The full brunch, which includes desserts, lets you eat as much hummus, tzatziki, gyro, grilled chicken, omelets, calamari, and lemon potatoes as humanly possible. The dessert selection not only includes baklava but also lemon cake, rice pudding, Greek yogurt with walnuts and honey, and several others to choose from.
Anna's Greek Cuisine, 7370 Sawmill Rd, Columbus, OH 43235, Phone: 614-799-2207
Forno Kitchen and Bar
Located in the heart of the Short North Arts District, Forno Kitchen and Bar serves contemporary cuisine, handcrafted drinks, and signature pizzas made in the restaurant’s custom stone-fire oven. Their weekend brunch, which is between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., has over ten different types of pizza on the menu. All the pizzas are made with freshly mixed dough, imported tomatoes, and other ingredients hand-selected by the chef. In addition to pizza, you can order Nutella stuffed French toast, chicken and waffles, a breakfast BLT made with fried egg, bacon, and arugula, and much more.
Forno Kitchen and Bar, 721 N High St, Columbus, OH 43215, Phone: 614-469-0053
