I love it when unassuming places have great food. In Reno, we have no shortage of bars, but not a lot of them serve food—let alone breakfast/brunch, albeit good breakfast/brunch. Maybe you're in the mood to watch a morning/afternoon football game out and don't want to have to leave your destination to grab a bite; maybe you finished a morning workout and feel like you deserve a little treat; maybe, and perhaps most likely, you need a hair of the dog alongside a hearty meal to get your weekend back on track.
No matter the reason, here are some of my favorite bars that serve breakfast and brunch on the weekends. Note: these locations are bars with brunch, not brunch with a full bar; i.e., watering holes that have good food, not restaurants that have a bar program. Make sense? Cool. Let's go.
Breakfast Chimichangas from Our Bar
Our Bar used to be a regular nighttime haunt for me back in the day. When I found out they had brunch, I was surprised and intrigued—can the late-night hangout of my youth actually have good brunch food? The answer is yes, yes it can. Available from 11am-2pm on Saturdays and Sundays, the menu ranges from Breakfast Chimichangas and Huevos Rancheros to Chicken and Waffles and Cinnamon French Toast. Most items are under $15, and are surprisingly good. The atmosphere is great to watch games with TVs visible from most angles.
Breakfast BLT photo courtesy of Pignic Pub & Patio
Don't sleep on Pignic's food. The little on-site food truck outside churns out some awesome dishes. On Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-3pm, you can get items like avocado toast, breakfast BLTs, and the Breakfast Bowl: tater tots piled high with eggs, meat, bell peppers, and cheese. Pignic also has some of the best best brunch cocktails in town, including the rare Reno sighting of bottomless mimosas, micheladas, and bloody marys for $22 over a 2-hour time frame.
Ryan's is the epitome of a classic Reno dive bar—a no-frills greasy spoon with cold beer, peanut shells scattered on the floor, and a bartender who doubles as your chef cooking on a flattop behind the bar. They're known for their massive sloppy burgers, which honestly, hit right when you're there to watch a game on the TVs. Their Junk Fries are a personal favorite, topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, and thousand island dressing. Ryan's counts for this list because they open at 11am on the weekends, but not because they have a dedicated breakfast menu (although they used to).
Image: Steve T. on Yelp
Brickie's Tavern has been a Reno staple since 1956. The iconic charm of its long bar filled with regulars, high top tables, and the smell of busy fryer make this spot a great place for a stick-to-your-ribs kind of breakfast. Breakfast is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am-12pm, featuring items like omelettes, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes. The portions are always good, so bring an appetite when you go.
Image of the Basco Benedict from Archie's menu
As most UNR grads can tell you, Archie's is a great place for weekend breakfast. They have lots of indoor seating, big TVs, and nice outdoor seating to enjoy breakfast classics like french toast, steak and eggs, and eggs benedict. Being that this is a college hot spot, be prepared for it to potentially get rowdy on the weekends.
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