​Nopalito's famous carnitas -- pork braised in milk and beer with cinnamon -- put them on the S.F. dining map, and those pleasantly tart, bright margaritas keep us coming back. On that note, there's good news and bad news for brunch-goers at the sustainable Mexican kitchen. The good: You can still eat carnitas at noon on a Saturday, along with almost every other dish or cocktail you love on the dinner menu. However, the restaurant offers few truly "brunchy" entrees. More >>

​The promise of beer-filled boots attracts crowds to Hayes Valley's Suppenkuche on Saturday nights, but come back the following morning and you may be surprised. Not only does the restaurant offer a full, ever-changing German brunch menu, bartenders are doling out boots once again, this time to a family-friendly clientele.
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​Delarosa, sister restaurant to Beretta and Starbelly, is more popular for its dinner and cocktail scene than for brunch, but the Marina restaurant proves it can deliver any time of day. Long, picnic-style tables create an atmosphere that's far from intimate, but it's lively -- and easy to seat crowds of all sizes. In fact, at brunch, served 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, wait times are short for most groups, particularly if you're willing to scoot up to the bar seats. Delarosa's ample, open windows give the restaurant a bright and inviting feel on a sunny day. A noontime beer never seemed so tempting.

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​A lazy, aimless Sunday morning is the perfect time to find yourself at Chow, the cozy restaurant situated at Church and Market yet seemingly tucked away in its own quiet world. Known for its easy, unpretentious favorites any time of day, during weekend brunch hours (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Chow is arguably at its best, ready to satisfy customers with a hot mug of coffee or a slice of the daily pie.  More >>

​If restaurants have a season, Foreign Cinema's may be winter. The tall ceilings invite customers into the vast dining room, heated by a roaring fire in the wreath-adorned fireplace. Everyone seems perfectly comfortable on the outdoor patio, where space heaters fight the chill of the season, and staffers in cheerful sweaters breeze in and out to deliver bountiful plates. At brunch (served Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) the space is open and quiet, dotted with people sitting leisurely through courses instead of rushing onto their weekend errands. The mood is a bit lazy -- and perfectly indulgent, in true holiday spirit. 

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​You may not think that the depths of the Outer Sunset, steps away from Ocean Beach, would be a hotspot for weekend brunch -- but Outerlands is full of surprises. The small, cozy restaurant on 45th Avenue and Judah Street is so nondescript a passerby might not notice it -- that is, if it weren't for the crowd of people waiting patiently (even contentedly!) outside.

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​On a Sunday morning at Bruno's, the bar is almost unrecognizable from the night before. Where herds of Mission hipsters once lined the bar waiting to order drinks and bumping on the dance floor, the space is now sparse and a bit hungover, filled with clear voices and a communal end-of-the-weekend vibe. The night life is out, and Brunch Drunk Love is in.  More >>

​Dining at Absinthe is a reminder of what eating out used to be like, perhaps before good food became available to the masses. Hostesses offer to take your coat upon walking in the door, classic cocktails are part of every meal and waiters refill water glasses almost obsessively. In the Hayes Valley brasserie, you are always the guest of honor -- and excellent service is the specialty. More >>

​Good old-fashioned American breakfast is the specialty every day at Sweet Maple, but weekend brunches (served 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) take the fanfare to a new level. The Lower Pac Heights restaurant is only a year old, but you'd never know it from the crowds waiting outside for a table as early as 9:30 -- during the first weekend of winter weather, no less. More >>