Another year has come and nearly gone. Whether you’re toasting 2026 from the comfort of your sofa or ringing it in on the town, the next day brings no shortage of local restaurants serving New Year’s Day brunch—perfect for starting the year on the right note or soothing the indulgences of the night before.
Here’s a baker’s dozen of brunch spots in Houston offering special meals on Thursday, January 1 to celebrate another orbit around the sun.
The Union Kitchen
With five locations around the Greater Houston area, this eatery from locally-owned Gr8 Plate Hospitality is kicking off the new year with a special brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, January 1. To help you start the year on the right foot, the restaurant is serving black-eyed peas, cabbage, and cornbread—each dish traditionally associated with good luck and prosperity in the year ahead. Toast to 2026 with $2.50 mimosas, and $4 Bloody Marys and bellinis.Multiple locations, theunionkitchen.com
URBE
Hugo Ortega’s Uptown restaurant is offering its vuelve a la vida (return to life) brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, January 1. Regulars know that the spread will be loaded with delicious items like carnitas, tamales, and chilaquiles, plus pastries such as tres leches and pan dulce. The New Year’s Day brunch will also feature live music from Viento from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 1101 Uptown Park Blvd., Houston, urbehouston.com
Monkey’s Tail
This Lindale Park hangout is hosting a hangover brunch beginning at noon on New Year’s Day. Order a Chango burger to soak up the champagne from the night before, and add a Bloody Marys for a little hair of the dog that bit you. It’s a judgment-free zone where guests are welcomed, and encouraged, to come and recover as they are. As a bonus, the bar will still be decked out in holiday decorations. 5802 Fulton St., Houston, monkeystailhou.com
Medium Rare
This prix-fixe steakhouse in Midtown is bringing back its New Year’s Day pajama brunch from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sleepwear is encouraged, and there will be $100 Medium Rare gift cards given to crowd favorites in four categories: Best Family, Most Creative, Best Group Theme, and Most Festive. The brunch menu will feature a choice of steak and eggs, eggs Benedict, French toast, and bottomless mimosas. 3201 Louisiana St., Houston, mediumrare.com/houston
Fielding’s River Oaks
Located at The Driscoll in River Oaks, guests may want to dress up to impress for this elegant New Year’s Day brunch. The menu includes Fielding’s favorites like lemon cream cheese pancakes and chimichurri steak. Beyond traditional mimosas and Bloody Marys, there will be interesting brunch cocktails like the hazelnut carajillo and breakfast martini, made with gin, orange juice, and Cointreau. 3750 Westheimer Rd., Houston, fieldings.com
Common Bond Bistro & Bakery
Common Bond is extending its New Year’s brunch from Wednesday, December 31 to Sunday, January 4, and making it available all day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find dishes like avocado smash, quesadilla chilaquiles, and croque madame, plus drink specials like $1 mimosas, $3 flights, and $5 carafes. Multiple locations, commonbondcafe.com
Daily Gather
This CityCentre restaurant from the group behind Dish Society is serving brunch on New Year’s Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., making it a perfect choice for early risers and latecomers. The brunch menu includes smoked salmon Benedict and bison hash, with a variety of juice mimosas by the glass or carafe. Small groups can take advantage of brunch shareables like the Gathering Board, large enough for four to six, and loaded with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, fried chicken tenders, and more. Add a Social Mosa, which comes with two bottles of bubbly and two mix-ins.800 Sorella Ct., Houston, dailygather.com
State Fare
State Fare is hosting its 12 Days of Christmas brunch throughout the holiday season, including on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Normally only served on the weekends, the brunch menu includes breakfast items like birria Benedict with cornbread waffles, which pairs perfectly with a michelada. There’s also a hearty chicken fried steak and eggs, buttermilk pancakes, and flights of Bloody Marys and mimosas. Multiple locations, statefaretx.com
Dandelion Cafe
The Bellaire and Heights locations of this much-loved eatery will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on New Year’s Day, serving its breakfast and lunch menu all day. Chef JC’s chicken and waffles is the must-try dish, made with 24-hour marinated fried chicken and a cornbread buttermilk waffle. Also find breakfast tacos and chilaquiles, plus sweet brunch plates like strawberry and cream French toast. This New Year’s Day happens to fall on Thirsty Thursday, which means guests can take advantage of $3 smoothies, 4-ounce mimosas, and beer. Multiple locations, dandelionhouston.com
CasaEma
With nominations from the James Beard Foundation, plus a Michelin Bib Gourmand, this casual counter-service restaurant in the Heights is the place to go for tasty pan dulce and savory empanadas. CasaEma will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on New Year’s Day with brunch items like French toast with hoja santa custard and suadero chilaquiles. Split the chilaquiles with a pal to save room for a carrot cake dona or sweet potato cajeta roll. 5307 Main St., Houston, casaemahtx.com
The Fancy at Hotel Lucine
For those spending New Year’s in Galveston, the Fancy inside Hotel Lucine is offering an all-night celebration for New Year’s Eve, followed by a reset brunch the next day. The regular brunch menu will be served with wake-you-up coffee, fresh-pressed green juice, and fluffy pancakes. There will also be homemade pastries and kolaches. Guests can purchase a ticket for a sound bath in the hotel’s courtyard to ring out the old sins and sorrows. 1002 Seawall Blvd., Galveston,thefancyhtx.com
Caracol
Hugo Ortega’s Caracol will host a vuelve a la vida brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on New Year’s Day, with seafood offerings, an oyster bar, and carving station. There will be sweet pastries like churros and flan de queso, plus Mexican coffee and hot chocolate. Live music from Ikaru will begin at 11 a.m.2200 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, caracol.net
