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Lancaster brunch: Here's where to go


Eating brunch in Lancaster is a delicious experience. While plenty of Lancaster restaurants and diners offer typical breakfast fare, several eateries are serving up their own brand of brunch. These six restaurants are making brunch unique, from international influence to locally sourced ingredients.

Best New Brunch: Bistro Barberet & Bakery

Bistro Barberet & Bakery is bringing a bit of Paris to downtown Lancaster. Cedric Barberet, the owner, operator and chef, grew up in France and apprenticed at his family's patisserie. After serving as Executive Chef at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia, Barberet decided to open his own restaurant. What was originally just a patisserie has become a bistro, as well. Barberet said, "We want to be an everyday place, not just for special occasions."

The Parisian-style bistro and bakery originally served brunch on Sundays, but has since switched to serving brunch on Saturdays, when Lancaster County residents and tourists shop at Lancaster Central Market. "The response has been tremendous," Barberet said. "People have responded with kindness and welcoming."

According to Barberet, the most popular item on the brunch menu is the Burger Benedict, which is a combination of a bacon burger and eggs benedict. Other menu items include steak and eggs, and Croque Monsieur, which is toasted white bread, gruyere, béchamel and ham.

If you go: 26 E. King St. / 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday / $8 - $24 menu items

Best Hidden Gem Brunch: American Bar and Grill

You would be forgiven for not knowing that American Bar and Grill has a Sunday brunch, because the restaurant is very much a neighborhood hangout. "A lot of the people who come in are really faithful," owner Justin Lyons said. "They're, sort of, the lifeblood of the place."

What made Lyons want to serve Sunday brunch at a bar? He explains that American Bar and Grill used to serve brunch, before he took ownership, but then stopped for several years. He brought back brunch on Sundays because it's popular with the locals.

A favorite menu item is the build-your-own breakfast burrito, which comes with homefries. The menu also has a pork roll sandwich, cream chipped beef, waffles, pancakes, and other breakfast foods. You can also order, of course, a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary.

If you go: 1081 N. Plum St. / 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday / $4 - $9 menu items

Best Sweet Tooth Brunch: Rachel's Café and Creperie

Rachel's Café and Creperie has become a fixture in downtown Lancaster. A few years ago, Rachel's moved from Queen Street to the current location on Walnut Street. In addition to more space, co-owner Rachel Adams said, "Everything that we were lacking in our old space, our new space has."

Rachel's Café and Creperie offers sweet and savory dishes for brunch. Adams says the egg crepes are her favorite, but their signature Nutella items are the most popular. "It's a flavor most people really like." You can order a traditional Nutella crepe, as well as a Nutella ice cream crepe, a Nutella mocha, and a Nutella hot chocolate.

If you go: 201 W. Walnut St. / 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday / $3 - $9 menu items

Best Trendy Brunch: Aussie and the Fox

Although Aussie and the Fox is a relatively new restaurant in downtown Lancaster, it already has a loyal following of locals. The warm, cozy décor has a chic style that matches the equally trendy fare. Traditional items, like biscuits and gravy, share the menu with dishes like Beet-L-T wrap and Aussie Brekkie, which is poached eggs, roasted mushrooms, fennel leek sofrito, Linden Dale chèvre, sundried tomato pesto, and toast.

If you go: 38 W. King St. / 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday / $5 - $16 menu items

Best Upscale Brunch: Pour

Pour has a well-earned reputation in Lancaster for being an upscale restaurant. The sleek interior that's covered in art is the perfect setting for the artistic dishes and drinks Pour serves. The menu changes frequently to offer seasonal foods that are fresh. The current brunch menu includes ricotta pancakes, deep-fried cranberry pecan French toast, and shrimp gravy and biscuits. Several alcoholic drinks are available for brunch, including a Bellini, or a Brass Monkey, which is half IPA and half fresh-squeezed orange juice.

If you go: 114 N. Prince St. / 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday / $5 - $14 menu items

Best Big Buffet Brunch: Eden Resort

If you're looking for a traditional champagne brunch buffet, look no further than Arthur's Terrace at The Eden Resort. The buffet brunch has seating in their indoor courtyard, complete with a stone waterfall. The enormous buffet at The Eden Resort includes made-to-order omelets, crab cakes, eggs Benedict, grilled-to-order New York strip steak, and much more.

If you go: 222 Eden Rd., off Oregon Pike / 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday / $34.95 per adult