Looking for the best brunch in Harrisburg? It wasn’t always easy.
My college boyfriend once called Harrisburg, “The city that never wakes up.” We’re a sleepy area, with little to nothing happening too early on the weekends, particularly on Sunday mornings. Many years ago, a friend and I went on a multi-county hunt for a booze-infused weekend breakfast and ended up with McGriddles because nothing was open.
Of course, that’s all changed now. Brunch is hot-hot-hot in Harrisburg, as hot as craft beer. At the beginning of the year, I did a pretty substantial overview of new brunch spots, including Federal Taphouse, The Sturges Speakeasy, Char’s at the Tracy Mansion [Char’s has now switched to Sunday dinner] and El Sol (must.go.back).
Honorable mentions went to Home 231, Overtime Sports Bar, Big Woody’s and longtime faves, Mangia Qui and Devon Seafood Grill.
You can read all about those here — and more on Devon here. Also of note, Devon is now open earlier for brunch, starting at 10 a.m.
Still, brunch booms in the area. Cafe 1500 will be serving now serves Sunday brunch along with a full cocktail menu (Yes, a Bloody Mary, too!) as soon as they open in-full with a liquor license in (hopefully) fewer than 30 days or so. Crawdaddy’s, which shares its new liquor license with Cafe 1500, also serves brunch.
The Circular, now renovated to meet current trends, returns its famous Sunday brunch for guests as well as the public. Riverside Rockbass Grill offers a Sunday brunch menu, Characters Pub in Lancaster joined the brunch game not too long ago, and of course, Raspberries at the Hilton has long been serving a fancy brunch buffet.
Troegs Brewing Co. also offers Sunday brunch; the menu changes each week and is shared via Twitter.
*New* addition: note. a wine bar is serving brunch 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Review pending!
*New* addition: Spring Gate Vineyard hosts a $20 all-you-can-eat brunch every Sunday from Mountainside Supper Club.
*New* addition: Smoke BBQ hosts a BYOV (vodka) brunch with house-made Bloody mix! This is on my *must* list! Damn, never made it before they closed.
We also highly recommend POUR in Lancaster, and their Sunday brunch is high on our “must do” list.
What is your favorite brunch spot? Are you a Bloody Mary fiend, or a master of the Mimosa?
