Brunch Restaurant in Memphis

June 15, 2026

A brunch restaurant gives Memphis diners a weekend table built for the slow late-morning meal, where shrimp and grits, French toast, and a Sunday jazz set replace the rush of a weekday breakfast. Memphis is Tennessee’s second-largest city, with a population of roughly 619,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and its deep roots in soul food, Southern cooking, and the Creole influence carried up the Mississippi from New Orleans give the city a brunch scene that spans neighborhood diners, Midtown and Downtown rooms, and white-tablecloth Sunday brunches. From Union Avenue to Poplar to the Jackson Avenue corridor, weekend brunch is a long-standing Memphis tradition.

Memphis brunch reflects the city’s culinary identity. Plates run from country ham, biscuits and gravy, eggplant casserole, and turnip greens at long-running soul-food kitchens to shrimp and grits, eggs Benedict, and Bananas Foster at Creole-style rooms, plus French toast, breakfast burritos, and waffle sandwiches at newer brunch concepts. Several Memphis restaurants pair the food with a live jazz brunch on Sundays, and bar programs feature mimosas, Bloody Marys, and other brunch cocktails. Some spots serve breakfast and brunch every day, while others reserve their full brunch service for the weekend, so menus and hours differ noticeably from one restaurant to the next.

Every brunch restaurant in Tennessee operates under a food-service framework before it serves a single plate. The Tennessee Department of Health, through its Environmental Health program, permits and inspects food-service establishments and enforces the state’s food-safety rules, and a restaurant must hold a current health permit or a recent passing inspection to operate. Prepared food sold for immediate consumption is taxed at the full combined sales-tax rate, which in Shelby County reaches 9.75% (7% state plus the local option). A brunch spot that pours mimosas, Bloody Marys, or other cocktails also needs a Liquor-by-the-Drink (LBD) license from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC); an LBD restaurant license requires that the establishment actually and regularly serve meals and stay open at least three days a week. One detail shapes Sunday brunch in particular: Tennessee law prohibits on-premise alcohol sales between 5:00 a.m. and noon on Sundays, so a restaurant cannot pour that first Sunday mimosa or Bloody Mary until 12:00 p.m., a point worth noting for the city’s popular Sunday jazz brunches.

For diners, a few practical points round out the picture. Brunch hours and days vary widely, so confirming whether a restaurant serves brunch daily or only on weekends, and whether Sunday alcohol service begins at noon, avoids a wasted trip. Sunday jazz brunches and large-group tables often call for reservations, and cocktail specials usually require a food order. Tennessee’s consumer protection framework, administered by the Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), handles complaints about deceptive business practices, and diners with food-safety concerns can contact the local or state health department that inspects the establishment. Checking a restaurant’s current hours, menu, and reservation policy on its own website before going remains the simplest way to plan a Memphis brunch.

Top Brunch Restaurant Providers in Memphis

1. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

Address: 6150 Poplar Avenue, Suite 150, Memphis, TN 38119
Phone: (901) 761-0990
Website: https://www.brennansmemphis.com
Services: Sunday jazz brunch, Creole and Cajun lunch and dinner, full bar, Gulf seafood, private events
Description: Owen Brennan’s is a New Orleans-style Creole and Cajun restaurant in East Memphis that has been serving the city since 1990 and is owned and operated by the Jim Baker family. The kitchen specializes in fresh Gulf seafood and Creole classics, with menu items such as Pasta Jambalaya, Crawfish Etouffee, Red Fish Perez, Catfish Boudreaux, hand-cut Angus beef, fresh Gulf oysters, and the Brennan’s New Orleans original Bananas Foster. The restaurant is best known for its award-winning Sunday jazz brunch, served Sunday with live jazz, and it offers Eggs Benedict among its brunch dishes. Regular hours run Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with Sunday brunch service, and the bar has been recognized for its Bloody Mary. The Poplar Avenue location anchors one of the city’s longest-running fine-dining brunch traditions.

2. The Cupboard Restaurant

Address: 1400 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
Phone: (901) 276-8015
Website: https://www.thecupboardrestaurant.com
Services: all-day Southern breakfast and brunch, home-style lunch and dinner, daily plate specials, fresh vegetables and sides
Description: The Cupboard is a long-running Southern and soul-food restaurant on Union Avenue, originally established in 1943 and purchased by Charles Cavallo, a former produce-company owner, in November 1992. The original location operated for 57 years before the restaurant relocated to its current Union Avenue address on April 1, 2000. The Cupboard serves homemade Southern breakfast and brunch all day, including omelets, pancakes and French toast with meat options, and eggs with country ham, smoked ham, sausage, or bacon, alongside a long-standing breakfast special. Lunch and dinner bring daily plate specials such as golden fried chicken, hamburger steak, country fried steak, and fried catfish. The kitchen is known for its fresh vegetables, including turnip greens, black-eyed peas, eggplant casserole, macaroni and cheese, and cornbread, and the restaurant notes that it does not use meat or animal fat in preparing its vegetable dishes.

3. Memphis Toast

Address: 954 Jackson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38107
Phone: (901) 417-7817
Website: https://memphistoast.com
Services: breakfast and brunch, Southern and soul-influenced plates, sandwiches, themed dining rooms, outdoor seating
Description: Memphis Toast is a family-friendly breakfast and brunch restaurant in the Smokey City area of North Memphis, on the Jackson Avenue corridor, that opened in the summer of 2024. Co-owners Roosevelt Bonds and Billy Irby opened the restaurant in a building that had sat vacant for several years, and the space features uniquely themed dining rooms that celebrate Memphis icons and places, including rooms honoring Elvis Presley and B.B. King along with the city’s botanic gardens and the Smokey City neighborhood. The menu highlights Southern and soul-influenced brunch dishes such as the Lucille breakfast burrito, the Sticky Finger waffle sandwich, French toast, shrimp and grits, a full breakfast plate, and the Smokey City turkey club. The restaurant offers dine-in, takeout, delivery, outdoor seating, and free parking.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brunch Restaurant in Memphis

Q: What permits does a Memphis brunch restaurant need to operate?

Every food-service establishment in Tennessee must be permitted and inspected by the Tennessee Department of Health through its Environmental Health program, and a restaurant must hold a current health permit or a recent passing inspection to serve food. A brunch spot that pours mimosas, Bloody Marys, or other cocktails also needs a Liquor-by-the-Drink license from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), which requires that the establishment regularly serve meals and stay open at least three days a week.

Q: Why does Sunday jazz brunch in Memphis not pour alcohol before noon?

Tennessee law prohibits on-premise alcohol sales between 5:00 a.m. and noon on Sundays, so a restaurant cannot legally serve a mimosa, Bloody Mary, or any alcoholic drink until 12:00 p.m. on Sunday. Many Memphis Sunday brunches, including jazz brunches, open the kitchen earlier for food and begin alcohol service at noon, so an early Sunday table may need to wait until midday for the first cocktail.

Q: How much sales tax is added to a brunch bill in Memphis?

Prepared food and drinks served at a Memphis restaurant are taxed at the full combined rate of 9.75% in Shelby County, which is the 7% state sales tax plus the local option tax. Alcoholic drinks served on premise also carry the Liquor-by-the-Drink tax, so a brunch bill that includes cocktails will reflect more than just the standard sales tax.

Q: Does brunch run every day or only on weekends in Memphis?

It varies by restaurant. Some Memphis spots, including long-running diners and soul-food kitchens, serve breakfast and brunch every day, while Creole-style and fine-dining rooms often reserve their signature brunch, such as a Sunday jazz brunch, for the weekend. Because hours and brunch days differ, confirming the specific times on a restaurant’s own website or by phone before going is the safest approach.

Q: Do I need a reservation for Sunday brunch in Memphis?

For popular Sunday jazz brunches and larger groups, a reservation is recommended, since these services draw crowds and seating can fill quickly. Casual brunch and breakfast spots may take walk-ins, but calling ahead or booking online avoids a long wait, especially for parties wanting tables together during peak late-morning hours.

Q: How do I file a complaint about a Memphis brunch restaurant?

Complaints about deceptive business practices, such as misleading pricing or advertising, can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Food-safety concerns should go to the health department that inspects the establishment, which for Memphis restaurants is the Tennessee Department of Health Environmental Health program and the local Shelby County health authority. Keeping receipts and notes about the visit strengthens any complaint.