8 Great Hangover Brunch Spots In NYC

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  • pies-thighs-fried-chix
    Pies ‘n’ Thighs
    Some have tired of the onslaught of Southern food in New York City. To those people we say: fried chicken and buckwheat waffles with cinnamon butter? Smoked pork hash and eggs? No? More for us, then. One of the best things on the menu for the headache-afflicted is the quick Chicken Biscuit, which is slathered in honey butter and hot sauce. Take it to go and crawl back under your covers with it; wake up two hours later and you're a whole new person. Or have a seat in the no-frills dining room and finish off the meal with banana cream, choco-peanut butter, or key lime pie.
    Pies 'n' Thighs, 166 South 4th Street (at Driggs Avenue); Brooklyn, 347-529-5619.

    Photo: Courtesy of Pies 'n' Thighs
  • buttermilk-brunch
    Buttermilk Channel
    The awesomeness: a list of suped-up Bloody Marys to choose from. ("Star of the Sea" comes with celery- and peppercorn-infused vodka and a freshly shucked oyster.) Hair of the dog, right? The not-so-awesomeness: This place is packed every Saturday and Sunday morning. The hostess might give you a smile and a 30-minute wait, but you can cool off your frustrations with a Campari and fresh grapefruit cocktail at nearby Prime Meats until your table is ready. BC's Warm Lamb and Romaine Salad is worth the wait.
    Buttermilk Channel, 524 Court Street (at Huntington Street); Brooklyn; 718-852-8490.

    Photo: Courtesy of Buttermilk Channel
  • toms
    Tom's Restaurant
    Shall we say it? This Morningside Heights joint is the ultimate New York diner, complete with a neon sign that wraps around its cornered exterior. Suzanne Vega wrote a song about it, parts of Seinfeld were filmed in it, and Columbia students can be found in almost every booth almost every morning, fixing the damage they did the night before. What's better for a hangover than a Lime Rickey, better-than-Mom's meatloaf, and a thick stack of pancakes? Plus, you get to stare at local newscasters' headshots from the 1970s. Oh, and you can nibble on orange slices and crispy bits of sausage while waiting in line. Done and done.
    Tom's Restaurant, 2880 Broadway (at 112th street); 212-864-6137.

    Photo: Courtesy of Standard Output
  • Fonda
    Chef Roberto Santibanez was raised in Mexico City, and the food you'll find at his Brooklyn restaurant shows it. For brunch, of course there are Huevos Rancheros, but the Chilaquiles (pictured) are much more interesting—and hangover-friendly. They are, quite plainly, crispy tortillas tossed in a sauce of roasted tomatoes and habanero peppers. On top, you get a choice of shredded chicken, grilled skirt steak, or scrambled eggs. Order it with a Vampiro cocktail—seasoned tomato juice with tequila and Oaxaca chiles—and call it a day. No, really; that's all you're going to be able to do today anyway.
    Fonda, 434 7th Avenue (between 14th and 15th streets); Brooklyn; 718-369-3144.

    Photo: Courtesy of Fonda
  • Barney Greengrass
    There's a reason that this list contains more than one restaurant that serves "Jewish" cuisine: whitefish, blintzes, and bagels are restorative dishes, and with a side of pickles and onions, just bracing enough to snap you out of your funk. Though the sturgeon sandwich at Barney Greengrass clocks in at just under $18, making it slightly ritzier than the average diner, it will fill you up for the rest of the day. The Upper West Side institution is consistently rated one of the city's best delis, and the Formica tables and yellow-tinged wallpaper show its dignified 103 years-old age.
    Barney Greengrass, 541 Amsterdam Avenue (at 86th Street); 212-724-4707.

    Photo: Courtesy of Barney Greengrass
  • Mile End
    Poutine (poo-teen). For those of you who haven't been to Montreal, it's a Quebecoise mess of 1. French fries, 2. cheese curds, and 3. gravy. If that doesn't sound like the kind of greasy dish that can set you right after a long night, well, we don't really know what will. We swear the salty, fatty mix will cure you down to your platform-busted toes. For those of you less inclined to nosh on something drizzled in (fantastic) brown goo, there are also bagels and schmear, smoked whitefish salad, and the "Mish-Mash," which is comprised of eggs, onion, greens, rye, and salami or lox.
    Mile End, 97a Hoyt Street, (between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street); Brooklyn; 718-852-7510.

    Photo: Courtesy of Mile End
  • Benchmarc Delivery
    If all else fails, Benchmarc Events by Marc Murphy is offering a no-fuss option—meaning no getting out of your sweats—with its special drop-off menu on New Year's Day. At $225, it serves 10-15 people. So, make your friends come over (or, if you were the host of the party, don't let them leave), nosh on smoked salmon, scones, fruit salad and bloodies, and order 200 Cigarettes on instant Netflix.
    To place an order, call 212-625-8270, or visit

    Photo: Via Benchmarc
  • Oriental Garden
    More than a handful of times, we've heard our friends say that dim sum is their go-to hangover food. And we get (from experience) the remedial properties of fried shrimp balls, spongy beef tripe, pork buns, and chive dumplings, especially when they're served with a dipping pot of soy sauce and a bottomless cup of jasmine tea. Like most dim sum restaurants, the interior of Chinatown's Oriental Garden is simple, almost cafeteria-like, with some Chinese flair (golden kanji wall accents), but it's not meant to win you over with its looks. This restaurant does that with its small but abundant plates of fatty treats.
    Oriental Garden, 14 Elizabeth Street (between Canal and Bayard streets); 212-619-0085.

    Photo: Via Oriental Garden