Zero Mess Plate at Plant Zero Cafe (Photo by Monica Escamilla)
Plant Zero Cafe
7 E. Third St., 804-231-6500
With a breeze in the courtyard, all the two-tops on Plant Zero’s shotgun patio have the best seat in the house, overlooking the fountain. This is a confident spot, not chasing any trends, just consistently serving up a cayenne-tinged, Tex-Mex-leaning brunch. Pair your ample $10 Zero Mess Plate — a mound of home fries, sausage, eggs, avocado, beans and salsa — with a vanilla mimosa or a cucumber and hibiscus spritz. A single rings in at $3.94, while a double will set you back just $6.75.
The Rosenburger at Dots Back Inn (Photo by Justin Vaughan)
Dots Back Inn
4030 MacArthur Ave., 804-266-3167
Longtime regulars will remember it as the Muriel Thornburger, but what’s now known as The Rosenburger is a shining brunch burger specimen, topped with grilled onions, melty American cheese, crispy bacon and a perfectly fried egg for just under $9. A stack of three fluffy pancakes hovers in the $5 range, and kids, those lucky amateurs who never pick up the tab, can fill their little bellies for under three bucks. But the real steals here are bloodies, mimosas, screwdrivers and greyhounds — all a mere $3.50.
Kitchen 64
3336 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., 804-358-0064
Kitchen 64 bags bonus points for serving early (starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday), because who can wait until 10 o’clock for shrimp and grits with jalapeño cornbread and tasso ham gravy? Nothing on 64’s menu exceeds $11, not even the blackened prime rib Benny, and the mountainous plates of eggy, hollandaise-rich dishes will have you finding all kinds of excuses to go home and take a nap immediately following. If the fried green tomato Benedict is a litmus test for Richmond brunches, 64’s is at the top of its class for only $9.95.
MORE TO SAVOR
The Hill Café
2800 E. Broad St., 804-648-0360
One rule of brunch is that avocado is always extra, but The Hill’s Green Eggs and Ham throws it in with a handful of cilantro for only $8, leaving plenty of pocket money for mimosas.
El Pope
1731 W. Main St., 804-997-4083
This is no ordinary crab Benedict. For $8, El Pope is slinging the only poached-egg-and-crabcake-topped arepas I’ve found in Richmond, and believe me, I’ve been looking.
Brunch at Lunch and Supper (Photo by Julianne Tripp)
Lunch and Supper
1213-1215 Summit Ave., 804-353-0111
With their sister restaurant, Brunch, in The Fan, I’m hoping enough people will forget about Supper’s selection of loaded $7 to $9 breakfast sammies so that I can finally get a table.
