Trendy Brunch Spots on Long Island: 3 Places You Must Try

I love a lot of things about Long Island – the beaches, the state parks, and the close proximity to New York City. But I really love the food! Some great brunch spots can be found scattered throughout the island. Here are a few of my favorite restaurants to visit on a sunny Saturday morning, or right after church on Sunday.

• Small Batch (Garden City, Nassau County)

Small Batch was founded by executive chef Tom Colicchio, and it’s located right outside the Roosevelt Field Mall. I would describe it as trendy, rustic, and warm. It may be called Small Batch, except the servings are anything but tiny. The menu features ingredients from local farmers and markets, so it really is “farm to table”.

I took my boyfriend to Small Batch for the first time for his 26th birthday, and if I do say so myself, it was a great decision! We started with the Half Dozen Long Island Grilled Oysters, which were amazing and I highly recommend for anyone who likes seafood!

For brunch I can never decide between sweet or savory, but on this day I went with savory. I ordered the Grilled Portobello Mushroom sandwich – it included eggplant and a delicious basil pesto. My boyfriend went with the BLT&E; he mentioned the egg made it really rich, so if you don’t want something too heavy then maybe avoid this option. Small Batch also makes a tasty Whipped Ricotta Toast, complete with hazelnuts, thyme, and honey.

Another great thing I like about Small Batch is a lot of their options are already vegetarian and can be modified to make it vegan and/or gluten free! Recently I’ve been trying to move towards the Vegan lifestyle, so it’s nice to know I don’t have to give up wonderful restaurants. You can take a look at their menu by clicking here!

Price: $$$

• Soul Brew (Saint James, Suffolk County)

Soul Brew was opened in 2016 by partners Kristin Walsh, Jeffery Petrocelli and Nicole Petrocelli. This quaint coffee shop is about feeding your soul! If you love art, music, food, and coffee then you’re in for a treat coming here. The walls are beautifully decorated with art, the playlist is always A+, and the food is mouthwatering! The service is fantastic and the vibe is super chill!

I eat here a lot and it’s usually my first choice when trying to figure out where to go. I always start off with their signature iced lattes – overflowing with whipped cream and syrup and sprinkles! They have flavors like dark chocolate raspberry, rainbow cookie, and white chocolate banana (my favorite)! Make it dairy free by opting for almond or soy milk and eliminating the whipped cream.

If you want a classic then I suggest the avocado toast. You can build it up and add on any extra toppings you want. I usually keep it simple, adding only salt and crushed red pepper – a squeeze of fresh lemon adds great acidity! I also get a side of the home-fries with my order.

My sister will always recommend the tater tots though, so I thought I’d throw that out there too!

If you’re looking for something sweet then go with the pancakes or the huge Belgian waffle!

The only thing about Soul Brew is a lot of their options have lots of cheese and eggs. It’s great for vegetarians, but it’s a little harder (for me personally) to veganize the food. Click here to see their menu!

Price: $$

• Bruce & Son (Greenport, North Fork)

I tried this place for brunch for the first time the other day just for this post! Like the other two restaurants mentioned above this place is very modern, bright, and gave off great vibes. They do recommend making a reservation because they’re only open Friday through Sunday. I went on a Sunday afternoon with my sister and it wasn’t too busy, but that’s probably because Eastern Long Island doesn’t start booming until the summer season.

The menu is small but offers a variety of food; something I loved about it is that they list every ingredient under each dish’s name, so that you know exactly what’s in it. Many dishes are actually vegetarian friendly!

We both got drinks; I got the CBD Chamomile Latte while she got the Sparkling Pear (which had cute little pear bits on the bottom)! We started our brunch date off with the Bread with Butter and Berry Preserves choice. You have an option of four different breads, so we went with the ciabatta and it was actually really delicious!

For our entrees, I ordered the Turmeric Cereal. I’ve never had a cereal like this before, but I really enjoyed the experience. It had tons of granola with bananas, kumquats, elderberries, shaved coconut, and lemon curd. It comes with a little metal pitcher of oat milk. While eating this I discovered that I really really like kumquats!! My sister ordered their Local Grass Fed Beef Burger which already comes with the classic toppings of tomato, greens, and onions. She opted to add cheese and candied bacon for an extra cost.

While we enjoyed our experience, it was a little pricey. If you order just entrees and opt for water (which comes infused with mint and cucumbers) you can keep it on the cheaper side. Once you start adding drinks it will definitely get expensive. I know you can say that about any place but we felt like we didn’t get our money’s worth with these drinks. Her drink was $16 and was really tiny! If you compare Bruce & Son’s drink size and price with the mimosas at Soul Brew (which are $9.95) then you’d get more for your money at Soul Brew. Check out Bruce & Son’s menu here!

Price: $$$

All three of these restaurants are great and I know you will enjoy them all for brunch! Stop at Small Batch before a shopping trip at the mall, or Soul Brew for a morning with friends. Driving to the Hamptons or Orient Point? Then go ahead and try Bruce & Son’s.

Let me know in the comments below which place you’re dying to try! Or let me know what brunch place I should try next on Long Island – or in NY in general.

Love pictures of food? Head to my insta to check out the pictures that didn’t make it in this post! Or read about some great foodie spots in Nashville in my last post here!

With love,

Karina xx