LAGuide
The Best Places For A Big Group Brunch
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Originally you were supposed to have brunch with two friends. Then, they each invited two more, and now your group includes boyfriends, cousins, and Tommy’s cat that has anxiety when she’s left alone for too long. Suddenly, there’s a crowd of people coming and you feel like giving up and eating the yogurt that’s been sitting in your fridge since you moved in. Throw that yogurt away, and try one of these 13 restaurants instead. They’re perfect for when you’ve somehow ended up planning brunch for enough people to make up a small army.
The Spots
photo credit: Joshua White
If you want a reservation for a big group at the original Jon & Vinny’s on Fairfax, you better be either Jon or Vinny. And even then, you probably need to plan it months in advance. But at the second location in Brentwood, it’s surprisingly easy to get a table a couple days ahead of time for a group brunch. They’ve got an excellent wine list, so grab a couple bottles to go with your brunch pizzas. And don’t even think about skipping the avocado toast - it’s served on Gjusta bread, and is one of the best in the city.
Alta Adams is a spot in West Adams that makes great versions of Southern classics. Their shrimp and grits is among the best in the city, and the biscuits and gravy (made with sausage and green garlic) is unlike any version of the dish we’ve had before. We’d also come here just to eat the brunch-only burger. Those dishes, along with the great back patio - perfect for a group - and some seriously good (and strong) cocktails, are why we can’t go more than a couple months without coming back here.
With locations in Monterey Park, Irvine, and Costa Mesa, Capital Seafood is practically a chain now - but the quality hasn’t suffered. In fact, the Beverly Hills location is as good as ever. Plus, they take reservations day-of, have huge tables, and a pages-long menu with hundreds of dishes. All of which make it a great place to bring a big group. You can basically close your eyes and point at any part of the menu and you’d end up with something great, but if you want a little more guidance, our favorites are the Peking duck, pork and shrimp shumai, mustard greens, and salt and pepper calamari.
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This Los Feliz restaurant has been a big-brunch staple on the Eastside for a while now, for good reason. It’s a camp-themed spot with a fantastic patio and long tables that you and your group can huddle around like you’re in some remote cabin on Lake Winnipesaukee. Only with better food. Instead of whatever egg-adjacent slop you were eating during middle school summers, at Messhall, you’re eating chilaquiles, short rib Benedict, and parmesan-crusted eggs.
photo credit: Benji Dell
You’re all going to the beach for a group hang and need something in your stomachs before you spend all day in the sun. M.B. Post is a good neighborhood spot that takes reservations, has a ton of space, and a crowd of people who seem like they actually know how to surf. The bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits are a mandatory order, but if you’re looking for even more breakfast meat, they also serve a bacon-infused Bloody Mary.
You’re meeting up with those friends who just want good food, and will complain all day if you take them anywhere with even the hint of a scene. Take them to Friends and Family. The big space in East Hollywood has two dining rooms, an order-at-the-counter set-up (so you don’t have to play the “Who ordered what?” game), and a small beer and wine list. Get the olive oil fried eggs and some pastries to share, and see if you can grab that big circular table before the group doing a table read for a Bojack Horseman spec script beats you to it.
Every neighborhood has its party brunch spot, and if you’re in Long Beach, it’s The Attic. You’re also not going to be the only people wanting to hang out on a patio eating Flamin’ Hot Cheeto mac and cheese, so you should expect a wait. They open at 8am on weekends, so just get everyone out of bed early if you’d rather not wait around on the sidewalk where a stranger will probably ask you to do shots before noon. That latter might still happen once you’re seated, though.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
You’re in Malibu and need something quick and easy that’s also slightly more refined than scarfing down a breakfast burrito in the backseat of a car. Stop at Malibu Farm Cafe (the one at the end of the pier) on your way up to Zuma for some scrambled eggs with salmon or a breakfast sandwich. This is another order-at-the-counter spot, so you can all pay separately, and they have plenty of tables on the roof overlooking the ocean.
Lunasia always has a very long wait on weekends, but if there are more than eight in your group, you can make a reservation and spend zero minutes in line. And once the first order of siu-mai arrives, you’ll know why you planned ahead: The food is exceptional. The set-up is pretty standard, with big tables and checklist-style menus, but there’s nothing standard about the food at Lunasia. Needless to say, everyone will definitely be fighting over who gets to eat the last spinach and shrimp dumpling. If your group isn’t quite big enough to make a reservation and you want to avoid the wait, just come a bit later - they’re open all day.
LA Guide
The Brunch One-Two Punch
Your little sister’s soccer team is in the championship game, and the whole family will either need to celebrate or console Jenny afterwards. Farmshop takes reservations and has lots of room, so you won’t be bothering anyone when you loudly complain about the unfair call the refs made right before the final whistle. Meanwhile, your dad can get the poached chicken salad because it’s Keto-friendly, and you can also get it because it’s delicious. And while you finish your bottle of Riesling and some pastries, you can all watch Ashton Kutcher pay his kid $20 to behave.