Rise and Dine: Check Out Lakewood's Brunch Scene

There’s something special about a morning meal out on the town. Relaxing with a hot coffee, cold orange juice (or perhaps something a bit more potent) and letting a pro kitchen whip up a delicious dish to break your fast is one of life’s little luxuries. Weekend or weekday, from special occasion sophistication to everyday cafe comfort, Lakewood’s brunch spots offer endless opportunities and diverse atmospheres for you to rise, shine and dine. Hearty or light, sweet or savory, your perfect Lakewood brunch awaits, so hands off that snooze button — it’s time to roll out of bed and into breakfast.

High-end Indulgence

The epitome of elegant and elevated, with its scenic perch on the cliff face above Lake Erie and unique, ship-like architecture, Pier W has been serving the city’s fanciest Sunday morning buffet for its entire six-decade history.

“We have been in existence for 61 years, and I believe that for all 61 years, we have had Sunday brunch,” says General Manager Regan Reik. “It’s changed and updated, but being able to come and have 75 different items, and champagne, and live music, and shrimp cocktail, has always been the backbone.” 

While leaning heavily on signature seafood dishes, Pier W’s Sunday spread, available from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., caters to all tastes — with carving, eggs Benedict and omelet stations, and decadent house-made pastries and desserts. 

If you must try a single item, Reik suggests the roasted salmon in lobster sauce — a longtime favorite, or the bouillabaisse, which has been on the menu since day one. 

As a premier, special-occasion destination, Pier W’s brunch tends to sell out well in advance, especially during wedding and graduation season. If you want guaranteed seats, Reik suggests securing your spot sooner rather than later. 

“Two to three weeks out is a good idea for reservations,” he says. 

12700 Lake Ave., 216-228-2250, pierw.com

A more recent addition to the Gold Coast, Summer Place brings American bistro classics and airy, coastal-chic vibes to its space in The Carlyle. 

Operations and Event Manager Annie Artiste says brunch, served Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., is consistently bustling, with guests flocking to the dining room, not just for the food and house cocktails, but for the sweeping views.

“You have big windows — great waterfront and city views,” she says. “It feels like a getaway in Cleveland.”

The food presentation, in some cases, rivals the vista. Take, for example, the signature appetizer, Clothesline Bacon — five strips of maple and brown sugar-candied bacon suspended from a sprig of rosemary, like wash on the line. 

“It’s fun and gets tables’ heads turning to see what you’re eating,” Artiste says. 

Mikey’s Big Breakfast, another favorite, is dedicated to the memory of its namesake, owner Tony George’s son, Mikey. 

“It’s a 10-ounce Certified Angus Beef New York strip steak with eggs, toast and potatoes,” Artiste says. “It’s awesome if you’re ready to eat a big meal.”

Mikey, who had Down Syndrome, also inspired Summer Place's charity partner, Awakening Angels. The restaurant shares a significant portion of its profits with the organization, which is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities — so even if you indulge in every bite of a big breakfast, you can walk out guilt-free knowing your check went to a good cause. 

12900 Lake Ave., Unit 2, 216-270-2300, summerplacecle.com

Elevated, But Approachable

Rood is serious about creative cuisine, but the restaurant’s unique aesthetic, with its vibrant artwork, greenery walls and vintage camper serving as a bar station, is fun, irreverent and a bit kitschy — proving that sophisticated food and craft cocktails can be served in a space that’s anything but stuffy. 

The brunch menu — a collaboration between Chef Josh Erickson and Pastry Chef Kate Sosville — is relentlessly novel. Erickson’s dishes blend the homegrown influences of his Midwestern upbringing with the Asian cuisines he loves to cook and eat, while Sosville spins unexpected flavor combinations and presentations into staple sweets. 

“We attack brunch in kind of the same way that we attack dinner: here’s something that’s classic, but how can we present it in a different way?” Erickson says. “Or, is there something that we can do to put a twist on it?”

One menu item that reflects Erickson’s culinary philosophy is the BBQ’d Eggs — a quartet of soft-boiled eggs glazed in Korean barbecue and sweet soy sauces and garnished with sesame and scallion. Another is Potatoes and Gravy.

“We use local (chorizo) sausage and turn it into a breakfast-style gravy,” he says. “We do a fried potato mochi on top of that (and) a fried egg.”

Rood’s menu items switch up with the seasons, so repeat guests are rewarded with something new each visit. Brunch hours are Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

17001 Madison Ave., 216-712-4506, eatatrood.com

 A Downtown Lakewood staple since 2015, Forage Public House is a comfortably classy favorite, serving American gastropub fare with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, a bit of Mediterranean flair and abundant vegetarian and vegan options. 

The kitchen’s scratch preparations are the star of the show at every meal, including brunch, served Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Standards like the Hash and Cure, featuring slow-braised Ohio brisket over fried potatoes, and the buttermilk-brined Chicken and Waffles, gilded with hot honey and bourbon-infused maple syrup, will satisfy weekend cravings. Herbivores, by the way, can still indulge in the latter, subbing in juicy, breaded oyster mushrooms for poultry.  

Cocktails, almost all made with fresh-squeezed juices, cut through the rich entrees. Try a mimosa in your choice of orange, blood orange, hibiscus, cranberry or passionfruit.

14600 Detroit Ave., 216-226-2000, foragepublichouse.com

Casual Comforts

If the concept of “rise and shine” came to life as a restaurant, it might look a bit like Borderline Cafe.  The compact dining room sports a sunny color palette of warm oranges, yellows and greens and artwork with a rustic, cowgirl-Western theme. Run by sisters Kelly and Carrie Wright since 1994, it’s a beloved west end institution, known for its classic and Southwest-inspired morning staples and welcoming atmosphere.

“We have all the traditional stuff,” Kelly Wright says. “Then we have some signature things — we have a breakfast Cuban that’s really popular; all the Southwest stuff — we make all our own salsas, black beans — there’s a lot that leans Southwestern — huevos rancheros, breakfast quesadillas, breakfast burritos.”

The signature dish, Wright says, is the Bacon Avocado Benedict. 

“It has remained the most popular item on our menu year after year,” she says. “We make the guacamole fresh every day, all the sauces. It’s really fresh tasting — lots of bright flavors with lime juice and cilantro.”

What keeps Lakewood running to Borderline, however, is warm hospitality and a sense of community. 

“It’s a really friendly environment, and you’re kind of forced to be neighborly, because it’s so tight in here,” she says. “People meet new people here all the time. They bring their families here for celebrations. It is really a community spirit.”

Borderline is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring your dollar bills on the weekends — the restaurant rewards cash-paying diners with homemade cookies and sweet treats. 

18510 Detroit Ave., 216-777-4711, borderlinelakewood.net

Visual artistry meets culinary craft at Pastimes Cafe, the long-awaited brick-and-mortar concept from multi-talented muralist and food truck operator Evan Laisure. Despite his mobile operation’s popularity, Laisure bided his time, waiting for the perfect location for Pastimes to put down roots. 

“I’m from here originally,” Laisure says. “I was always waiting on a spot in Lakewood to open up.”

When the former El Tango Taqueria space on Madison Avenue became available, Laisure jumped, adding his visual signature — lush, nature-inspired murals featuring native wildlife, especially Monarch butterflies, and moody hues, while reconfiguring the setup for counter service. The result occupies a convenient niche — not quite a full-service restaurant but offering more robust food options than a coffeehouse. 

The menu centers around breakfast burritos and sandwiches served on Cleveland Bagel Co. bagels or focaccia, with both build-your-own choices and curated options, oatmeal pancakes and a handful of breakfast bowls and burritos.  

“It’s a different kind of offering than what you’d usually see in a coffee shop,” Laisure says.  

Standouts include the Golden Hour, a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich nestled between two oat pancakes and drizzled with cinnamon pecans and maple syrup (think a grown-up McGriddle), and the Alamo Burrito. 

“It’s got eggs, cilantro-lime rice, chorizo that we make to order and shredded Monterey Jack,” he says. “Then we add pickled red onion, cilantro-lime sauce and a house-made habanero hot sauce. I don’t eat hot stuff, but I could eat this all day because of the rice and the cilantro-lime that kind of cools that habanero down.”

Pastimes serves breakfast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. 

14224 Madison Ave., thepastimes.com

It’s difficult to determine what’s more charming at Brewella’s — the cafe’s cozily maximalist, crafty-boho-Grandma decor, its luscious lattes or its sweet and savory crepes. 

One way or another, it’s breezing along, having recently relocated two blocks east of its original digs into a larger space that maintains the first spot’s immaculate aesthetic but offers twice the seating and enough kitchen space for Owners Chris Murphy and Joe Keppler to expand food offerings. The expanded location is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It was important for us to expand but to make sure we kept in mind what people appreciated and liked about the first spot,” Murphy says. “So far, it has been great.”

Crepe cafes have exploded in Cleveland over the past year or two, but Murphy says that Brewella’s stays above the fray by hewing to tradition.

“Trying to keep it classic and simple has always been a big thing,” he says. “For the decor, I like to think, ‘more is more is more,’ but when it comes down to the menu, we definitely try to focus on keeping it classic.”

Those classics, though, reach across several cultures. One longtime offering that hasn’t changed with Brewella’s move are the alfajores — Argentinian cookies inspired by Keppler’s grandmother’s recipe. 

“They have dulce de leche caramel in the interior and two very soft shortbread cookies on the outside,” Murphy says. 

Currently exclusive to Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Brewella’s is also offering empanadas, from a family recipe. Murphy says he expects the food offerings to continue to grow as his kitchen adapts to its increased space. 

“With the kitchen now, we’re just trying to figure out the standards we can do, and then start adding on some fun, seasonal stuff,” he says.

16426 Madison Ave., 216-712-4907, brewellas.com