Where to brunch on New Year's Day

12 best restaurants for New Year's Day brunch in Houston

For those who need a little recovery from New Year's Eve partying, or those who decided to skip the evening revelry in favor of a more civilized start to the new year, brunches abound in the Bayou City on New Year's Day. So, kick off 2020 with one of these options. Just don't forget the black-eyed peas for good luck.

A'bouzy
The Champagne destination offers brunch from 11 am to 6 pm, featuring selections from its recently launched winter menu. Offerings include pork hash adobado, heirloom tomato galette and egg, white chocolate French toast, fried oyster wedge salad, and seafood gumbo.

B&B Butchers
For the “Hangover Cure Brunch” from 11 am to 3 pm, diners can enjoy live music on the rooftop patio, along with decadent brunch dishes including a black-eyed peas and greens special, a blackened filet eggs Benedict, Croque Madame, Crab Louie, plus an array of salads, sandwiches, soups, and sides.

In addition, Bounce Hydration's van will be on-site with IV drips including the Big Baller Drip at just $125 for B&B and B.B. Lemon customers. Boosters for anti-nausea or headache will also be half-off. Brunch reservations are a must, and can be made online or by calling 713-862-1814.

The Classic
The Washington Avenue restaurant serves up its regular brunch menu on New Year's Day, offering comfort-food classics to kick off 2020. Menu choices include matzo ball soup, soft scramble eggs, and Johnny cakes, all of which can be paired with a wide-ranging selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.

Dandelion Cafe
The cozy Bellaire spot is open from 10 am to 2 pm, serving free coffee with a donation to Plant It Forward Farms. Look for a menu of breakfast sandwiches, omelettes, salads, and panini.

FM Kitchen and Bar
The Rice Military restaurant has a menu of special New Year's Day brunch options, including the the FM Hangover Casserole, made with tater tots, crispy bacon, breakfast sausage, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, and cheddar cheese, topped with red eye gravy and fried egg. There's also a Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary bar with a variety of hot sauces, celery, carrots, various olives and pickled veggies, bacon, peppers, cheese sticks, and more.

Hay Merchant
Sous chef Lucas McKinney and kitchen manager Alfonso Leyva will be serving the regular menu with a few brunch specials starting at 11 am. The menu was still in flux at press time, but diners should look for chef Lucas’ family sausage bread recipe, available from opening until it's sold out.

Hugo's
The Return to Life brunch buffet features a variety of the restaurant's signature dishes, along with favorite brunch cocktails. Reservations are available beginning at 11 am and cost $45 per adult and $15 per child.

Hungry's
Both the Rice Village and Memorial locations are open for brunch from 11 am to 3 pm, offering specials such as half-off Mimosa carafes with choice of freshly-squeezed orange, raspberry, and strawberry juices as well as $5 Bloody Marys. Those pair well with the restaurant's comfort-food brunch menu, with options like crab eggs Benedict, Southern crispy chicken and eggs, smoked salmon avocado toast, gyro plates, kebabs, and salads. Reservations are encouraged and can be made online.

Indianola
From 10 am to 4 pm, diners can feast on a buffet of dishes designed to bring good luck for 2020. On the menu are black eyed peas, greens, cornbread, pork and pomegranate, as well as favorites like shakshuka, New Orleans banana bread pudding French toast, Revival Market holiday ham with red eye gravy, and fried Amish chicken. The cost is $55 per adult and $20 for kids under 12, excluding tax and gratuity. Make reservations online.

Lucienne
The swanky restaurant in the Hotel Alessandra offers a three-course New Year's Day brunch from 11 am to 2 pm. Menu options include smoked salmon salad, escargots, Wagyu braised short ribs in a red wine sauce with a poached egg, mushroom tortellini with truffles, and triple chocolate French toast. The cost is $60 per person and reservations can be made online.

The Rustic
The downtown kitchen and backyard bar starts 2020 with its Hangover Cure Brunch from 10 am to 3 pm. The family-style menu encourages sharing, and diners can choose from some hair-of-the-dog options like Mimosas and Bloody Marys to regain equilibrium after New Year's Eve partying.

Weights + Measures
The popular spot kicks of 2020 with a Disco Brunch from 11 am to 3 pm, launching a month-long celebration for its own fifth birthday. Expect a menu that includes the restaurant's popular dishes like peanut butter and Nutella brioche toast, caramelized apple pancakes, cake doughnuts and fried chicken, and steak and eggs, as well as black-eyed peas and cabbage and Bloody Marys and Mimosas, natch. There will also be live music and a few surprises.

Hay Merchant will serve Southern classics on New Year's Day.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hay Merchant will serve Southern classics on New Year's Day.

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Oh, Donna

New Houston cocktail bar serves up a house party fueled by music and martinis

Courtesy of Donna's

People are flocking to Donna's.

It hasn’t taken long for Houston cocktail fans to discover Donna’s. Ever since it opened Thanksgiving weekend, the new cocktail bar in the Heights has been packed with people eager to check out the new project from Anvil owner Bobby Heugel and veteran Houston bartender Jacki Schromm.

Named for Schromm’s grandmother, both partners use the word “house party” to describe the kind of atmosphere they want to create at Donna’s. That party can be very energetic on busy weekend nights and a little quieter and more intimate during the week — allowing patrons to choose what kind of experience they want to have.

Heugel and Schromm worked with collaborators on the design, music, and art for Donna’s. So far, people seem to be enjoying themselves.

“It’s really f---ing awesome,” Schromm tells CultureMap. “It has been really remarkable to have people in this building. To see the room full is a rewarding experience. The feedback we’ve received has just been really positive.”

To transform the former Ready Room into Donna’s, the partners collaborated with Brittany Vaughn of Garnish Design. Known for her work at establishments such as Tiny Champions, Maximo, and Milton’s, Vaughn helped divide the retro-styled cocktail bar into two distinct interior spaces. The main bar area is defined by high-top, organically-shaped tables that allow large groups to congregate or smaller groups to share without being on top of each other. The more intimate living room section features a large couch and a spacious booth.

“There’s a lot of smart utility in the space,” Heugel explains. “We kept talking about how it’s a small space. We want to find a seat for everybody as much as possible.”

To honor the space’s history of hosting live music, the partners worked with Chicago-based firm Uncanned on a powerful vintage stereo that includes both a reel-to-reel tape deck and a turntable. Known locally for their work at restaurants such as Nancy’s Hustle and Nobie’s, the Uncanned team gave Donna’s the ability to kick out the jams with ultra-clear sound while not being so loud that people can’t talk to each other. It also opens up the possibility of people playing their favorite albums on select nights.

“Jacki and I both had the bold opinion when we started talking about Donna’s that cocktail bars were boring. We wanted to add more layers to the onion,” Heugel says. “Having music be here as an additional component to the bar makes the room feel really good. That’s important to us, and we’ll have some programming related to that.”

Keli Hogsett of Austin’s CoCollect helped Schromm and Heugel select the room’s distinctive art on its walls. Heugel describes the works as museum-quality, contemporary pieces from regional artists that are a cut above what’s usually seen in bars. Hogsett will also source the art for the new restaurant Heugel and chef Justin Yu are opening next year in the former Vibrant space.

Schromm, who partnered with Heugel after working at Anvil and Reserve 101, created the opening cocktail menu herself. One highlight is the Jacki’s Martini, a nod to the “Bobby’s Martini” served at Refuge and the “Terry’s Martini” served at Squable. It’s a 50-50 mix of gin with Cocchi Americano and Dolin Blanc vermouth. She describes it as more “sessionable” than a traditional martini.

“I think this cocktail menu has a lot of personality,” she says. “Some of my flair, whether it’s a spirit I chose or a flavor I like.”

Although parking on the property is limited, Heugel notes that street parking on White Oak is relatively plentiful. A nearby pay lot is available, or people can skip the issue altogether by using their favorite rideshare service.

Of course, the adjacent restaurant space won’t stay empty for long. As CultureMap has previously reported, Austin-based pizzeria Home Slice has claimed the building for its second Houston location that will open in fall 2026.

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Donna's, 2626 White Oak Drive. Open daily from 2 pm-2 am

Courtesy of Donna's

People are flocking to Donna's.

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