Brunch in Ann Arbor: A Buffet, a Roadhouse and Bagels

Brunch in Ann Arbor starts with a Sunday buffet, where the offerings often rotate and include egg dishes, potato hashes, a waffle bar and pastries. Roadhouses list a brunch menu of their own, and bakehouses bake bagels and pastries early in the day. Choose a buffet for variety or a plate for focus.

This page covers buffets, roadhouse brunch, bagels and pastries, weekend breakfast spots and how to bring a group. Hours change, so check before you go.

Where can you find brunch in Ann Arbor on a Sunday?

Sunday brunch buffets in town let guests choose a mimosa, bloody Mary or coffee, rotate their offerings weekly, and spread out egg dishes, potato hashes, a waffle bar and sweets such as tarts and cannoli. Ask any buffet you plan around for its current Sunday hours. Pick a coffee first and a plate second so the line moves for the people behind you.

A buffet is a good choice for a group with different tastes, because everyone builds their own plate. Take small portions on the first pass, return for what you liked, and rate the dish you would go back for rather than the whole spread.

What is roadhouse brunch like?

A roadhouse lists breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menus, plus to-go service, and the kitchen also serves barbecue, fresh fish, steaks and mac and cheese, so a brunch table can share a mix of breakfast and lunch plates. Order one sweet and one savory plate for the table and share.

If you want a sit-down brunch with a full menu rather than a buffet, this is the pick. Note whether you ordered from the brunch or the lunch menu so your rating is clear.

Where can you buy Ann Arbor bagels and pastries?

Bakehouses list a schedule: bagels, cakes and pastries come out at the start of the day, challah and baguettes follow, and rye, sourdough and focaccia come later in the afternoon. A bagel with cream cheese and a coffee is the classic pairing, and a loaf is an easy gift.

A bakehouse stop is the fastest brunch in town: a bagel and a coffee to carry. It also pairs well with a sit-down meal, because you can take a loaf home.

What other weekend breakfast spots does Ann Arbor have?

Ann Arbor also has breakfast spots known for homemade bread, omelets, stuffed French toast and avocado toast. Arrive early at any popular spot, because lines form at the places that bake their own bread.

Read the menu board before you wait in line, and ask what is baked that morning. A plate built around fresh bread is the best test of a breakfast kitchen.

How do you plan brunch with a group?

Book or phone ahead for six or more, and ask whether the kitchen takes a large party at the weekend. Choose the buffet for a mixed group or the roadhouse if people want to order separately. Bakery stops are the easy way to split a morning: one person collects bagels while the others find a table, and everyone meets with a coffee. If someone at the table is vegetarian, a buffet shows them the whole spread at a glance, which saves a round of questions.

Brunch tables turn over slowly, so plan for the morning rather than a quick stop. Check how people are getting there, since downtown parking varies, and tell the server about allergies before you sit down. A group of friends that includes a child or a vegetarian will find a buffet easiest. Whichever you choose, agree on the time in advance, since a small delay at the start can push a table past its slot.

What should you order first at a weekend brunch?

Start with something you cannot make at home: a plate of eggs with a proper hollandaise, a stack from a waffle bar or a bagel that was baked that morning. Then add one thing to share, such as a pastry or a fruit plate, and decide on coffee last. Keep the first order small, because a buffet or a roadhouse menu always looks better than it tastes after the third plate.

How do you track brunch spots in Ann Arbor with Mosey?

Name the dish when you rate it. A rating that reads "waffle bar, tart and an omelet station, worth the wait" tells the next person what the plate was, which a star count cannot. Add tags such as Group Dining or Great Value, and attach a photo of the plate.

Make a list called Sunday brunch in Ann Arbor and send the invite link to the friends you eat with, so they can add their own stops. Tag the people you ate with so each of you can rate the same meal. The lists page explains how sharing works.

What else should you read?

The Zingerman's guide goes deeper on the roadhouse and the bakehouse, the vegetarian food guide covers meatless meals, and the Kerrytown and downtown guide covers the market. See the Ann Arbor page, the Michigan page and the US food guides.

Before the next weekend, open the Mosey app, rate your brunch plate by name and add it to a list.