Nada
This hopping downtown taqueria knows a thing or two about dulling a hangover. We’re talking tequila in your orange juice, tequila in your Bloody Maria, even tequila in your coffee. A border-straddling brunch menu features dishes that venture beyond the standard fare, including chorizo-and-egg enchiladas, huevos rancheros, and a nutty bananas Foster French toast. But the real attention-grabbers are the cocktails from the full bar. Agave not your thing? Perhaps the floral tones of the Sparkling Grapefruit (made with elderflower liqueur) or a rosé sipper with Lillet Blanc and blood orange will offer some sweet relief. Brunch hours: 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Sat.–Sun. 11 W. Maryland St., 317-638-6232, eatdrinknada.com
Punch Bowl Social
Much like its target audience, this vibrant new Goodtime Charlie strives to be the life of any party. A playful scratch menu created by celebrity chef Hugh Acheson stuffs the downtown crowds with cast-iron burgers and “Gastro Diner Plates.” Three bars crank out everything from dark, old-school potions to festive shareable punch bowls. All of this exists inside a grown-up playground blinking with arcade games, bowling lanes, and private karaoke rooms. But on achy weekend mornings, when the focus shifts to morning-after recovery, the monkey bread French toast and Quinoa Hoe Cake Benedict join forces with a commendable selection of “Breakfast Drinks” to take the edge off the previous night’s fun. If a shot of bitter, herbal Fernet Branca with a sidecar of black coffee isn’t your poison, maybe one of the mimosas will keep you (ahem) hydrated. Brunch hours: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Sat.–Sun. 120 S. Meridian St., 317-249-8613, punchbowlsocial.com
Ralston’s Drafthouse
A wall of vintage beer cans greets patrons at this Mass Ave bar known for its robust draft selection and a menu designed to pair well with the featured brews. Ralston’s brunch program gets just as think-y, with selections like the crunchy-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside banana-bread French toast; biscuits and chorizo gravy; and the French Egg Roll, which wraps a juicy mettwurst sausage and creamy goat cheese inside a crepe with sweet blackberry-champagne reduction. The eggs Benedict sandwich is fortified with gouda and honey mustard—and stands out as one of the most expensive items on the menu at $8.50. Wash down any of the above with one of the bar’s European-style beers or morning cocktails, such as the Coffee Boy, spiked with vodka, Kahlua, and Bailey’s. Brunch hours: 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Sat.–Sun. 635 Massachusetts Ave., 317-493-1143, ralstonsdrafthouse.com
St. Joseph’s Brewery & Public House
If you skip Sunday-morning service, you might find redemption at St. Joseph’s Brewery & Public House. Located inside a restored 1880 church with old wood floors and arches accented with uplights, the cavernous beer hall fills up with bed heads trickling in closer to noon for breakfast staples both liquid and solid. The most notable departure from the holy trinity of eggs, pancakes, and bacon is the sausage-like goetta, a delicious oblong fall-apart patty of pulled pork, onion, steel-cut oats, and herbs. The bar doesn’t traffic in creative cocktails; this is a place of beer worship instead. But the atmosphere? Heavenly. Brunch hours: 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Sun. 540 N. College Ave., 317-602-5670, saintjoseph.beer
