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Brunch is a pretty big deal in Columbus, and there’s plenty of great options throughout the city. One restaurant really stood out above the rest in our annual reader’s poll, and that one was The Northstar Cafe. Their original location opened in the Short North just a few years ago, but has quickly won the hearts of many. A second location was later opened in the Beechwold area, and a third was recently announced as coming soon to Easton.
The Top 10 Brunch Spots of 2009:
Hmm, I know this is the people’s choice and all but, “best brunch” I’m personally not so sure about. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy visiting North Star and often do, but I don’t think it’s the best brunch.
The ordering system and space does not scale well when it hits about 1/2 capacity. I always feel anxious about getting a seat on the weekends. Then you have those that do the “coat trick” to save seats. The music is always turned up way too loud on weekends and the acoustics of the space amplify the screaming of children running around. I’m assuming this assault on the ears is designed to drive people out as quickly as possible. Anyhow, brunch to me is about chilling out, maybe reading a book or maybe hanging and recapping the previous night out with friends. The sum of the brunch experience at North Star is anything but chill.
Then there is the egg thing. I’m an over hard kinda guy. Us over hard people have it rough at North Star. I used to suck it up when the eggs would come out runny, but started to resent the idea of paying $20 bucks for coffee, juice and runny eggs. I began emphatically stating “over hard” when ordering and inevitably they would come out runny. I then started sending the runny eggs back and they would magically come out over hard the second time around.
Like I said, I mostly enjoy going to North Star and will continue to do so, but for the experience and value I would say they are the most overrated brunch in town.
I gotta go with Jon on this one. When I think about brunch, I think of a place with a special brunch menu where I can have someone serve me a mimosa. Not in a cold room with people trying to vulture my table nonstop.
I can go to Sage and get out for under $20 with tip. and they do an amazing sweet potato hash.
Or I can go to Skillet and get the duck has with the duck eggs and …..*drool*
ETA****I know this is a reader poll, so I can’t argue with the results. I just want people to know there are other options. That’s my job!
Jon and Lisa made some good points and I agree. Nothing against NS particularly, just never go there: chaotic ordering system, too noisy, uncomfortable seating. Like Jon said, it’s the opposite of relaxing. Like Lisa said, at those prices there are a lot of choices.
I’m surprised Betty’s didn’t make the list, props to Team Tonya!
This one really surprised me. Northstar was #1 and First Watch was #6. I like both of those, but I wouldn’t consider either one a “brunch.” Either lots of non-drinkers voted, or people who just don’t generally go to brunch. (Full disclosure: I think I voted for dim sum at Lee Garden. So who am I to talk?)
@Lisa – Agreed, good call. Brunch first and foremost means a mimosa. I wish it were more standard at brunches around town. I had brunch at Tasi this morning and forgot what an amazing mimosa (the best around) they have there.
And… at Tasi the eggs always come out as ordered. No runny egg shenanigans for over harders. :)
I completely agree with you guys. Brunch to me is about being in a situation to nurse your hangover. NS is one of those places where I have to “center myself” before going in since sometimes it feels so pretentious. Brunch is about ordering your food the way you want it. NS’s menu isn’t extensive enough for me. Also, one of my favorite spots for brunch that I haven’t been to in forever is Jack and Benny’s.
Maybe they consider this outside Columbus, but the “Starliner Diner” has recently skyrocketed into my top 5 C-bus brunch joints. It took me forever to finally go here. The outside is as unimpressive as they come, but the food, specials, and service are incredible. It’s outside the circle, but if you haven’t been, it’s worth the trip.
FWIW, Starliner did get quite a few votes for best brunch. Just not quite enough for the top 10. ;)
Charlie, thanks for the heads up. I need to give that place a whirl.
Starliner has been a favorite of mine for a long time now.
MoJoe Lounge in the Cap has a great brunch as well
Ditto on Starliner. One of the first places I tried when I started living in Columbus. It’s the brainchild of one of the original Galaxy Cafe owners (Jerry Burgos IIRC), and one of the places along with the Galaxy that presaged the funky causal dining that is so popular now with Betty’s, Surly, etc. I never got to try the Galaxy Cafe, but I wish I had.
Skillet hasn’t been around quite long enough to get the word out. I’m guessing they’ll crack the top 5 in next year’s poll. At this point they rank #1 in my fave brunch spots.
NS is ok for brunch if you hit them on a nice summer day when you can sit on the patio. Otherwise, not so much. Probably not a place I’d even remeber when enumerating brunch spots.
Tasi has been hit or miss with me, though more hit than miss lately. Either they’re getting better or I’m learning what to order.
Cafe Corner missing? I like that place although it’s more of a warm weather place (at least their patio mostly has sothern exposure, beating NS and making spring and fall visits possible). The food is good, filling and reasonably priced. Not exactly a mimosa spot, but they’ve helped me out of more than a few hangovers.
I’m always underwhelmed by Northstar, but that’s probably an expectation problem (due to accolades like this), which isn’t a problem caused by NS.
I think ZenCha deserves a spot, but that just means I should have voted.
Skillet even making the list after such a short time is a testament. Jumping the gun in a major way: I hope Knead lives up to my hopes and makes the list next year.
@MichaelCoyote: You would have loved Galaxy Cafe. I think you would have liked Nacho Mamas too. They were a funky Tex-Mex place on 23 near Delaware. (Wow, I just looked them up and realized it’s been 9 years since they closed. I am very old.)
Totally agree with others re: North Star vulturing. Wandering around to investigate the status of people’s plates is a task best left to restaurant staff, not hungry patrons.
At the very least, they should reconfigure the space so that there’s a logical hangout area for people in limbo… And/or they could have a carryout-only ordering policy until a table has cleared. What are you supposed to do if your food is ready before you find a table?
In a downtown lunch joint with limited seating, there’s usually a wall with a little shelf where you can eat if needed, and/or everything is served in carryout packaging so if you don’t get a spot you can walk out with your food without having to go back to the counter and ask them to package it for carryout. Wasteful to have all that packaging, but that’s kind of what the situation demands. I’m guessing that was not the vision North Star’s owners had when they started the place which is why they need to address this.
Then again, NS is thriving, so I guess there must be plenty of people who aren’t bothered by the odd mix of full-priced food in a fast-food atmosphere.
@#3–what is that side dish in the upper right corner of the picture you posted? looks like mushroom risotto? yum!
Doesnt anyone else think the food at NS is bland? While theyre not on the brunch menu, I think the Korma Bowl and Basil Burrito are as flavorful as TV dinners, and its pretty hard to justify paying $10 for them. I couldnt imagine their other dishes would taste much better than the several I’ve already tried either.
Brunch is my fourth favorite meal, Breakfast is my fifth. That being said my go to brunch spots are: Sage (sweet potato hash), Skillet and Starliner Diner. If I somehow could not go to one of these I would go to Worthington Inn, Betty’s or Tip Top.
@wton72: That, my friend, is Skillet’s vanilla and mascarpone breakfast risotto, with pan-roasted Honeycrisp apples and bourbon molasses red-eye gravy. Yes, it’s as good as it looks (and sounds). :)