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A chorizo scramble with potatoes and a biscuit.
Chorizo scramble at Lady Jaye, with a side of hash browns and a biscuit.
Lady Jaye/Instagram

10 Laid-Back New Year’s Day Brunches to Ring in 2020

These may help nurse a 2019 hangover

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Chorizo scramble at Lady Jaye, with a side of hash browns and a biscuit.
| Lady Jaye/Instagram

Seattleites who partied hard on New Year’s Eve may be craving a calm entry into the bold new decade, filled with soothing egg dishes and fizzy mimosas (along with an aspirin or two on the side). Here are some spots to consider, from classic diners to dive bars to a Korean coffee shop with cereal French toast. Should old acquaintance be forgot, remember to call ahead and check table availability.

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Beth's Cafe

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This iconic 24-hour diner in Green Lake serves up classic greasy spoon fare, such as burgers, pancakes, sandwiches, and egg dishes-a-plenty. Unlike some of the fancier places around town, there are no reservations required. And those who have the stomach for it may eye the massive 12-egg omelette that has garnered attention from TV shows like the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food (host Adam Richman couldn’t finish it).

The exterior of Beth’s Cafe with a red door and awning surrounded by painted blue walls.
Beth’s Cafe is a 24-hour Seattle institution.
Suzi Pratt

Watson's Counter

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Korean flavors enliven the menu at this small, quiet upper Ballard cafe and restaurant — though diners should be prepared to wait. In addition to a full espresso bar, the menu features chicken wings with gochujang, Korean poutine with braised short ribs or mushrooms, and wonderfully crunchy cereal-topped French toast (among the most Instagrammed dishes from the past year).

Valentinetti's

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Newly occupying Ballard’s historic 1911 firehouse, this family-friendly spot specializes in Italian comfort food, which could be just the ticket after a night of partying. There are hashes, Benedicts, and Nutella pancakes on the breakfast side of things, plus more lunch-leaning dishes like the kitchen’s specialty pinsa — brick-oven pizza — and Roman street food sandwiches.

Meatballs in a cast iron dish at Valentinetti’s.
Meatballs at Valentinetti’s.
Courtesy of Valentinetti’s

Bounty Kitchen

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Juices, grain bowls, scrambles, breakfast sandwiches, and vegetable-filled hashes are the focus at charming Bounty Kitchen, which has a location on Queen Anne and another in South Lake Union. Plates are bright and lean toward the healthier end of the spectrum, which should appeal to New Year’s resolutioners and detoxers alike.

Avocado toast on a white plate.
Avocado toast at Bounty Kitchen.
Suzi Pratt for Eater

Linda's Tavern

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Low-lit and low-key during the day, this Capitol Hill dive bar with the country western vibe is a neighborhood brunch staple known for excellent breakfast scrambles and Mexican dishes. It’s also a good spot for those looking for “hair of the dog” in the form of mimosas, bloody marys, or — a specialty of the house — vodka mixed with Emergen-C.

Lady Jaye

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West Seattle’s newest smokehouse gives off the feel of a cozy log cabin, with a meaty brunch menu that includes chorizo scrambles, shrimp and grits, and smoked turkey tostadas. There are also bloody marys and smoked pineapple mimosas, plus satisfying sides like biscuits and gravy that are sure to soak up all that excess alcohol.

Easy Street Records & Cafe

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Vinyl and breakfast burrito lovers have been gravitating toward this laid-back spot on California Avenue for years to browse the stacks and have a quick bite. Opening at 8 a.m. for those ready to get the New Year off right (or never stopped partying from the night before), the cafe offers plenty of omelettes, hashes, and pancake dishes in keeping with the music them, such as the New Wave O’s Rancheros and the Johnny Cash Special (a top sirloin steak with three eggs and hash browns).

Island Soul Rum Bar & Soul Shack

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This Columbia City Caribbean classic recently extended its service to lunch (starting at noon — perfect for late New Year’s Day risers). On the menu is a  mix of soul food dishes, from oxtail stew to fried catfish to shrimp and grits. It all pairs well with a rum-heavy cocktail list, including some colorful mojitos and daiquiris, with the right balance of sweet and boozy.

This Georgetown comfort-food specialist starts weekday breakfast bright and early at 7 a.m. with options like the classic eggs-toast-hash-browns combo, breakfast tacos, and chicken fried steak (but it should be relatively chill for New Year’s revelers getting up late as well). And here’s a rarity: Diners can substitute a vegetarian sausage at no extra charge.

The sign outside Hudson with the restaurant’s name in white lettering, and the words “breakfast,” “lunch,” and “dinner” below.
Hudson serves breakfast classics in Georgetown.
Hudson/Facebook

The Bridge

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College football fans may want to hit this popular West Seattle sports bar that runs a “recovery brunch” every New Year’s Day with all the bowl games on and a menu filled with bruncy bites, such as egg sandwiches and chicken fried steaks. The service is top-notch, and even extends beyond the doors of the restaurant with a highly functional and informative website.

Beth's Cafe

This iconic 24-hour diner in Green Lake serves up classic greasy spoon fare, such as burgers, pancakes, sandwiches, and egg dishes-a-plenty. Unlike some of the fancier places around town, there are no reservations required. And those who have the stomach for it may eye the massive 12-egg omelette that has garnered attention from TV shows like the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food (host Adam Richman couldn’t finish it).

The exterior of Beth’s Cafe with a red door and awning surrounded by painted blue walls.
Beth’s Cafe is a 24-hour Seattle institution.
Suzi Pratt

Watson's Counter

Korean flavors enliven the menu at this small, quiet upper Ballard cafe and restaurant — though diners should be prepared to wait. In addition to a full espresso bar, the menu features chicken wings with gochujang, Korean poutine with braised short ribs or mushrooms, and wonderfully crunchy cereal-topped French toast (among the most Instagrammed dishes from the past year).

Valentinetti's

Newly occupying Ballard’s historic 1911 firehouse, this family-friendly spot specializes in Italian comfort food, which could be just the ticket after a night of partying. There are hashes, Benedicts, and Nutella pancakes on the breakfast side of things, plus more lunch-leaning dishes like the kitchen’s specialty pinsa — brick-oven pizza — and Roman street food sandwiches.

Meatballs in a cast iron dish at Valentinetti’s.
Meatballs at Valentinetti’s.
Courtesy of Valentinetti’s

Bounty Kitchen

Juices, grain bowls, scrambles, breakfast sandwiches, and vegetable-filled hashes are the focus at charming Bounty Kitchen, which has a location on Queen Anne and another in South Lake Union. Plates are bright and lean toward the healthier end of the spectrum, which should appeal to New Year’s resolutioners and detoxers alike.

Avocado toast on a white plate.
Avocado toast at Bounty Kitchen.
Suzi Pratt for Eater

Linda's Tavern

Low-lit and low-key during the day, this Capitol Hill dive bar with the country western vibe is a neighborhood brunch staple known for excellent breakfast scrambles and Mexican dishes. It’s also a good spot for those looking for “hair of the dog” in the form of mimosas, bloody marys, or — a specialty of the house — vodka mixed with Emergen-C.

Lady Jaye

West Seattle’s newest smokehouse gives off the feel of a cozy log cabin, with a meaty brunch menu that includes chorizo scrambles, shrimp and grits, and smoked turkey tostadas. There are also bloody marys and smoked pineapple mimosas, plus satisfying sides like biscuits and gravy that are sure to soak up all that excess alcohol.

Easy Street Records & Cafe

Vinyl and breakfast burrito lovers have been gravitating toward this laid-back spot on California Avenue for years to browse the stacks and have a quick bite. Opening at 8 a.m. for those ready to get the New Year off right (or never stopped partying from the night before), the cafe offers plenty of omelettes, hashes, and pancake dishes in keeping with the music them, such as the New Wave O’s Rancheros and the Johnny Cash Special (a top sirloin steak with three eggs and hash browns).

Island Soul Rum Bar & Soul Shack

This Columbia City Caribbean classic recently extended its service to lunch (starting at noon — perfect for late New Year’s Day risers). On the menu is a  mix of soul food dishes, from oxtail stew to fried catfish to shrimp and grits. It all pairs well with a rum-heavy cocktail list, including some colorful mojitos and daiquiris, with the right balance of sweet and boozy.

Hudson

This Georgetown comfort-food specialist starts weekday breakfast bright and early at 7 a.m. with options like the classic eggs-toast-hash-browns combo, breakfast tacos, and chicken fried steak (but it should be relatively chill for New Year’s revelers getting up late as well). And here’s a rarity: Diners can substitute a vegetarian sausage at no extra charge.

The sign outside Hudson with the restaurant’s name in white lettering, and the words “breakfast,” “lunch,” and “dinner” below.
Hudson serves breakfast classics in Georgetown.
Hudson/Facebook

The Bridge

College football fans may want to hit this popular West Seattle sports bar that runs a “recovery brunch” every New Year’s Day with all the bowl games on and a menu filled with bruncy bites, such as egg sandwiches and chicken fried steaks. The service is top-notch, and even extends beyond the doors of the restaurant with a highly functional and informative website.

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