Best restaurants in L.A. for a Southern-style brunch - Los Angeles Times
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Weekend brunch spread at Joyce restaurant in Downtown L.A.
(Ziv Sade)

8 L.A. restaurants for a delicious Southern-style brunch

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It’s hard to think of a better way to spend a sunny Saturday or Sunday afternoon in L.A. than with Southern-inspired dishes such as fried chicken and waffles, especially when paired with bottomless mimosas. Local chain Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles popularized the combo when it opened its first location in Long Beach in 1975, and all these decades later, L.A. has grown into a bona fide destination for Southern-style brunch.

While legacy spots such as Harold & Belle’s hold true to the family recipes that have been beloved by customers for more than 50 years, newcomers are remixing classic dishes with California ingredients and their own personal style. Gritz N Wafflez chef and owner Jurni Rayne hails from the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, and her restaurant menu is a meaningful vehicle for storytelling.

“It starts with my great-grandmother Zula Murphy, who we called Mama Zula, and recipes that are passed down from generation to generation that I get to tweak and make modern,” says Rayne, who gives a nod to her great-grandmother’s foundational recipes with menu items such as Mama Zula’s fish fry and Mama Zula’s chicken fry. “We are the yoga of food — we want you to zen out and have a great meal and a great time. We’re here to comfort you and make you forget about everything negative you went through in the day.”

From Southern Atlantic staples in downtown L.A. to a Creole cafe bringing New Orleans charm to Mid-City, these eight brunch spots deliver Southern comfort on a plate.

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Peach cobbler waffles and fried chicken from Gritz N Wafflez.
(Gritz N Wafflez)

Gritz N Wafflez

Pico-Union Southern Breakfast/Brunch $$
Chef Jurni Rayne knows tasty breakfast food and good vibes are a perfect way to ease into the day. Rayne’s Texas-inspired brunch-only spot is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. For first-timers with a sweet tooth, you can’t go wrong with the fluffy peach cobbler waffles (ask for toppings on the side if you prefer your waffles crispy). The shrimp and grits are a major fan favorite. Enjoy your shrimp sautéed or fried alongside grits that come in enough variations to satisfy the pickiest of enthusiasts (Sweet grits. Cheesy and salted grits. Plain grits. Fried grits.).

Rayne plans to move to a larger location in Koreatown this fall. Until then, the wait at the current location can easily run two hours on weekends and the limited parking can be tough, so calling a ride share is highly recommended. Expect flavorful comfort food, plus ’90s R&B flowing through the space and.
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A plate with four pieces of fried chicken and a bowl of gumbo  at Willie Mae's.
(Shelby Moore / For The Times)

Willie Mae's

Venice Soul Food $$
This James Beard award-winning restaurant was first opened in New Orleans by Willie Mae Seaton in 1957. The restaurant is now helmed by her great-granddaughter Kerry Seaton-Stewart, and its second location landed in Venice in late 2022. The restaurant’s well-seasoned, fried-to-perfection chicken has been celebrated as some of the best in the country, but the seafood gumbo with chicken, crab, shrimp and Andouille sausage that’s exclusive to the Venice location is an ideal way to recharge after a long week. There isn’t an official brunch menu so come mix and match your favorite Southern comfort foods from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m daily. Expect a fast-casual vibe in the indoor dining area and limited outside seating.
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Shrimp and grits from 1010 Wine.
(1010 Wine)

1010 Wine

Inglewood Wine Bars $$
1010 wine is an absolute vibe. Inglewood’s only wine bar was founded by sisters and L.A. natives Leslie and LeAnn Jones and places an emphasis on stocking bottles from Black-owned brands. Brunch runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, an absolute delight for those of us who enjoy our beauty rest and lounging in the morning. Don’t be surprised if you’re serenaded by a live saxophonist while enjoying dishes such as shrimp and grits and crab cake Benedict. Bonus: Suggested wine pairings are always available upon request.
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Plates full of food at Joyce Soul and Sea.
(Stephanie Shih / For The Times)

Joyce

Downtown L.A. Southern Seafood $$
Head to Joyce for a seafood brunch inspired by Southern classics. Brunch is served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, with such dishes as Low Country shrimp and grits with black tiger prawns, Jimmy red grits, lobster velouté and buttered toast. Other mainstays include the Sunday collards braised overnight in a turkey neck bone broth and the Nashville hot fried green tomatoes coated in cornmeal with pimento cheese. For folks who enjoy a sweet treat after a savory meal, you’ve got options: jelly doughnut beignets, banana custard pie and ice cream from Fosselman’s in flavors such as honey lavender and strawberry sorbet.
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Brunch dishes from Linden.
(Linden)

Linden

Hollywood Eclectic $$
Linden understands the power of stellar ambiance and delivering a dining experience that is posh without being stuffy. The menu isn’t exclusively Southern but rather a melting pot of precious moments and influences from chef Jonathan Harris’ life: soul food, Harris’ Costa Rican heritage, friends’ bar mitzvahs, neighborhood Italian restaurants and other food traditions found along New York City’s iconic Linden Boulevard. Brunch is served 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays and offers reimagined classics such as French toast with tres leche brioche and condensed milk brûlée, Baltimore crab cakes over house-made biscuits with a soft poached egg and Old Bay hollandaise, fire-roasted shrimp with herbed grits and shrimp soubise, and desserts such as homestyle bread pudding topped with lemon chantilly cream. Bonus: If you’re in the mood to document your visit with a cute TikTok and Instagram moment, the stylish decor gives you plenty to work with.
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Chicken and shrimp gumbo from Stevie's Creole Cafe.
(Stevie’s Creole Cafe)

Stevie’s Creole Cafe

Mid-Wilshire Creole Cajun Soul Food $$
There’s a reason Stevie’s has remained a favorite among Angelenos for years. The cozy cafe with indoor and outdoor seating has a friendly atmosphere and hearty dishes inspired by Louisiana Creole cuisine. There aren’t designated brunch hours, so patrons can pop over anytime between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m daily and enjoy popular staples. Think: seafood pasta, fried oysters, gumbo, King crab mac ‘n’ cheese, a selection of all-day breakfast items and, of course, the banana chocolate chip cornbread with peach cobbler butter.
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Fried chicken and waffles from Fixins.
(Fixins)

Fixins

Downtown L.A. Southern $$
When you’re heading to Crypto.com arena and want a laid-back vibe with soul food options, Fixins has you covered. The restaurant was founded by former NBA All-Star and former mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson, and his wife, Michelle. Kevin Johnson credits fond childhood memories of enjoying soul food at family barbecues and reunions as a major source of inspiration to open Fixins, which also has locations in Sacramento and Tulsa, Okla. The boozy brunch offers Champagne buckets, a peach and mango bellini and a house michelada, plus a bloody Mary that’s garnished with cornbread, a chicken wing, bacon, olives and lime. The food menu also presents plenty of options: fried chicken and waffles, pillowy biscuits with sausage gravy, a smothered pork chop, candied yams, mac and cheese, fried catfish. Since the restaurant is in a busy part of downtown L.A., prepare to either take a ride share or pay a high parking fee.
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Biscuits and gravy with eggs from Poppy + Rose.
(Poppy + Rose)

Poppy + Rose

Downtown L.A. Southern Breakfast/Brunch $$
This Flower District gem is a solid option when seeking a laidback diner vibe. Brunch is available daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. –– although a Sunday visit includes free street parking which is no small feat in downtown L.A. The menu spans avocado toast and a hefty breakfast burrito as well as Southern standards such as a fried chicken and waffle, shrimp and grits and a biscuit drenched with sausage or mushroom gravy. Enjoy your meal inside or on the modest rooftop area with picnic tables. Afterwards, walk across the street to peruse plants or compose a bouquet at the Original L.A. Flower Market. What better way to kick off your week than with brunch and a personalized flower arrangement?
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