In 2023, brunch officially became the busiest meal of the week, especially Saturday brunch, outpacing every other meal. Many a savvy restaurateur has added brunch to their lineup, but there’s also a category of restaurants who specialize entirely in breakfast and brunch, eager to host a weekend-long celebration of day-drinking and socializing, with some waffles on the side.
These brunch chains started arriving in DFW a decade ago — beginning with Yolk, the Chicago-based chain which opened a location in Dallas in 2014, and then a second location in Sundance Square in 2016. It’s been an onslaught ever since, with restaurants named Egg this and Brunch that, opening their doors.
This list is here to help figure out which is which and who does what. We have 10 concepts, including a few locals, with a summary of #1 who they are and where they’re from; #2 their key menu items; and #3 what they charge for a basic bacon & eggs.
Here’s the 411 on 10 buzzy chains doing brunch and more around Fort Worth:
Another Broken Egg Cafe
Breakfast and brunch chain founded in Louisiana in 1996 has more than 70 locations in 14 states, including three in DFW: Southlake, which opened in 2016, followed by Dallas and The Colony.
Beyond the usual pancakes and omelets, the menu at ABEC has a Southern twang, with beignets, grits, bourbon cream pancakes, and biscuits & gravy.
Bacon, eggs, & English muffin: $13.29.
Black Bear Diner
All-day breakfast diner chain founded in California in 1995 has 166 locations including three in DFW: Burleson, Fort Worth, and Mesquite, the first, which opened in 2022.
Black Bear has a lodge ambience, with a massive menu and massive portion sizes, too. There are bear claws to match the bear theme, plus French toast made with cinnamon rolls, and chicken-fried steak & eggs. Note: They’re one of the only chains on this list that does not serve alcohol.
Bacon & eggs with potatoes and biscuit: $12.
Blue Mound Cafe
Modest locally-owned cafe chain founded in 2020 has five locations in Arlington, Saginaw, Fort Worth, and North Richland Hills.
Charming Tarrant County chain serves a customer-friendly mix of home cooking, American, and Mexican including chicken fried steak, breakfast tacos, and burgers. Note: Blue Mound does not serve alcohol.
Bacon & eggs, pancake, hashbrowns, and choice of toast or biscuit, $11.
360 Brunch House
Local chain founded in 2019 by siblings Nik Elezi and Ruki Salihi has two locations — Mockingbird Station in Dallas and Heritage Trace Parkway in Fort Worth — with a third planned for Frisco.
The menu here is especially global-inspired, featuring a Mexican omelet, chilaquiles, a Korean bowl, and lamb chops & waffles.
Bacon, one egg, potatoes, & toast: $14.
First Watch
Breakfast and brunch concept founded in California in 1983 was an early settler, making its local debut in 2016, and now has 22 locations across DFW.
Their wide-ranging menu is healthy-leaning, with lemon ricotta pancakes, avocado toast, power wrap, and many juices. But the signature is the “million dollar bacon” — basically a side of bacon, gussied up with brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup.
Bacon & eggs with toast & potatoes: $14.
Hash Kitchen
Arizona-based concept founded in 2015 by chef Joey Maggiore has a dozen-plus locations in Arizona, Utah, and Texas, including one in DFW that opened in Fort Worth in 2024.
Sassy concept has a fun, outrageous party flair with disco balls and DJs, plus an over-the-top menu with eight hash options, candy-topped doughnuts, and birria bao buns. Drinks include a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar and cereal shooters served in an edible cookie shot glass.
Bacon & eggs with pancakes: $17.
Cocktails are a big part of the appeal atbrunch. Courtesy of Hash Kitchen
Keke’s Breakfast Cafe
Sibling to Denny’s founded in 2006 made its DFW debut in 2024, with six locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Plano, and McKinney.
Denny’s acquired Keke’s in 2022 to help get them into the brunch space. Noteworthy dishes include seven waffle options and numerous stuffed French toasts with cream cheese and choice of filling such as apple-cinnamon or banana-caramel-pecan.
Bacon & eggs with home fries or grits and toast or English muffin: $16.
Snooze
Denver chain founded in 2006 is a legend in the brunch realm, with its retro-hipster vibe and bodacious brunch cocktails. They have 69 locations across 10 states with a major presence in Texas including six locations in Dallas-Fort Worth that have opened since 2018.
Snooze is quintessential Colorado with a strong eco-friendly stance, and lots of healthy and vegan dishes. Their signature is pancakes: from inventive flavors such as pineapple upside down pancake to a pancake flight trio.
Bacon, 3 eggs, hashbrowns, & toast: $13.
Urban Egg
Small chain founded in Colorado in 2012 with 11 locations opened its first location in Texas in Fort Worth’s Alliance area in June.
Menu boasts Southern and Mexican influences with biscuits & sage sausage gravy, chilaquiles, breakfast tacos, and shrimp & grits.
Bacon, 3 eggs, hashbrowns, & toast: $14.
Yolk
Brunch chain founded by visionary Taki Kastanis in Chicago in 2006 has 14 locations, four in DFW: Dallas, Preston Center, Fort Worth, and Las Colinas.
Everything’s a little larger-than-life at this brash chain: five egg omelets, cheesy grits, a breakfast mac & cheese, and a French toast made with red velvet cake stuffed with cream cheese topped with strawberries and whipped cream.
Bacon & eggs with pancakes and choice of hashbrowns or cheesy grits: $19.