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Best Budget Brunch in Dupont/ Georgetown?

I feel like I might be the only one in the city who doesn't love brunch at Kramers'... I really love basic foods done well and innovative-- but not "yuppie" foods-- and I'm a non-profit worker, so can't pay $30+ for the great classy brunches. Any suggestions? Bonus points for walking distance from Dupont Circle-- so Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, Adams Morgan, and Georgetown are all fair game.

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  1. As a fellow non-profiter I feel your pain. The best deal I've been able to find in Dupont Circle is at Dupont Grill. They have a $19 brunch where you get a free glass of champagne, mimosa, or bloody mary, an entire pot of coffee or tea, fruit salad, a delicious (and I'm sure insanly fattening) muffin, and an entree (they have waffles, omlets, bagels and lox, steak and eggs, burgers etc). They food is pretty good, the service can be a tad slow at times but I don't mind because it's brunch. I go quite a bit these days, bring the paper, and just relax. Try to get a table in front of the big open windows so you can people watch. In warmer weather its also a good place to eat because they have a bunch of outdoor tables.

    In Georgetown your best bet is probably at Bistro Francais. I forget the exact price of their champagne brunch but I believe it's around $20-$25. This includes endless champagne, a salad, and an entree. Plus lots of french bread and coffee.

    2 Replies
      1. re: Elyssa

        Funny . . . I was riding the bus home from NYC last Monday and the woman seated next to me brought this subject up. Specifically, she was wondering why (and annoyed that) DC doesn't have very many good inexpensive brunch options. In Brooklyn and throughout NYC there are countless great brunch deals for under $12. We both agree that Kramerbooks is overpriced and not particularly good. That's when I mentioned the place across the street . . . asking her if she'd ever been there. She hadn't and, in fact, was skeptical that there was a restaurant across the street. I hadn't been there and couldn't remember it's name . . . but I've sat at Kramers before wondering to myself whether that place across the street might be any good. And it's the Dupont Grill. Thanks for the tip. I'll have to check it out.

      2. If you're looking for just brunch food and not a deal which includes a lot of extras, Luna Grill and Front Page usually do a pretty good job with eggs (haven't had their french toast/pancakes but others have said it's good). At Luna Grill (not Cafe Luna) I had a really great smoked salmon omlette once. It was very substantial for the price, too. It's also quite reasonable. If you head up to Ardeo in Cleveland Park they have some really good brunch dishes in the $9-12 range. I personally think Kramer's is one of the most overrated places for food. Yes, they are open all the time, but it doesn't make up for the quality of the food. I've had one too many bad meals there.

        2 Replies
        1. re: Jacey

          Don't know about the menu items or the egg station but the brunch buffet at Front Page is blech and not cheap. I'd rather go to Madhatter for that kind of simple Americana buffet brunch. My favorite is Paper Moon in Georgetown which offers a Mediterranean style buffet in a nice setting.

          1. re: Minger

            I agree about the brunch at Front Page. I stopped going a long time ago when I found other options.

        2. Nage started offering brunch recently, and we went a few weeks ago and it was good and relatively inexpensive. My gf had the pumpkin pancakes, which she liked, and I had the brioche french toast, which was filled with a chocolate ganache. It was good, but very sweet, even for a sweet tooth like me. Check out their menu though:


          1. Polly's and Busboys and Poets both have good cheap brunches in the U Street corridor, which is not too far from Dupont. Also, Peacock Cafe in G'town is not bad.

            2 Replies
            1. re: rappel75

              Also near U St, I like the brunch at St. Ex. The quiche was really good and it's not nearly as much of a mad house as Busboys and Poets.

              1. re: rappel75

                I think Busboys brunch is expensive, for eggs. Everything is added on (potatoes, etc) and that totally adds up. plus, their coffee is really expensive.

                What about Le Pain Quotidien for eggs and VERY fresh and tasty bread? It can be as cheap or as expensive as you want. It's not CHEAP, but it's different and you can totally work around the menu to make it cheaper.

              2. Luna Grill has great brunch for not too much money the fiance and I go to the one in Shirlington often.

                What about Bourbon?

                2 Replies
                1. re: ktmoomau

                  I like Bourbon's brunch but its been awhile since I've eaten there. I particularly remember a great bloody mary.

                  1. re: Elyssa

                    Wow! I never would have thought to try most of those places for brunch, especially Bourbon... but you better believe that that's where I'm going Sunday. Nice to know that I do have so many options, especially since I'm a fan of a nice walk up to brunch to get myself going.