Put on your Easter bonnet — make sure there's plenty of frills upon it. It's time for Easter parades and egg hunts and pictures with the Easter Bunny and, yes, even church. Then, after all that — for us foodies anyway, for whom gustation is basically religion — there's the most important part of the day: brunch.
Brunch is the greatest of all meals. It's the perfect blending of breakfasty overindulgence mixed with lunch's midday guiltless necessity. It's about lingering. It's about long, drawn-out, mimosa-filled meals with eggs, lamb, candies, and whatever else your little heart desires. It's about four hours of sitting at a table stuffing your face, and you love it.
Whether you're looking to entertain the little ones while sipping on bottomless orange juice and sparkling wine, to celebrate the recent change in season, or just to get wasted during brunch on a Sunday, there's no dearth of holiday options.
Here are the ten best Easter brunches in Broward County:
1. Chima Steakhouse
Holidays are about kicking back and relaxing with as much food as you can possibly eat. On Easter Sunday, Chima Steakhouse is offering its authentic, all-you-can-eat Brazilian rodizio menu with some special treats. Open for lunch from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 9 p.m., the restaurant will feature a face painter (onsite from 1 to 5 p.m.) and goody bags for the little ones and Easter-themed alcoholic bevvies for the grownups. The candy-inspired drinks include jellybean, coconut splash, chocolate raspberry martini, coconut island, and the old reliable mimosa — each of which is $10. As usual, the rodizio selections include more than 16 rotisserie options, like top sirloin, filet, lamb, chicken, and fish. A gourmet salad bar offers choices ranging from Waldorf, seafood, and endive salads to smoked salmon, beef carpaccio, and traditional Brazilian dishes. On the holiday, the rodizio and salad bar cost $42.50 per person. The salad bar with grilled salmon and swordfish is $22.50. Rodizio is $21.50 for kids; those under 6 eat for free.
Chima Steakhouse is located at 2400 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite R, in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-712-0580, or visit chimasteakhouse.com.
2. Blue Moon Fish Co.
One of Fort Lauderdale's most beloved brunch spots is offering a couple of special holiday options this year. For $58.95 (excluding tax and tip) per person, the Easter Brunch Buffet offers more than 16 food stations, including raw bar, charcuterie, pasta, and omelets. Available from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the renowned brunch is served with impeccable views of the Intracoastal Waterway. For anyone looking to get even closer to the water, Blue Moon is catering brunch aboard the Floridian Princess. For $75 per person (excluding tax and tip) and $34 per kid, the onboard meal includes 16 food stations along with bottomless champagne, mimosas, and bloody marys. Cruises board at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Blue Moon Fish Co. is located at 4405 W. Tradewinds Ave. in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Call 954-267-9888, or visit bluemoonfishco.com.
3. Steak 954
In South Florida, it's nice to celebrate any holiday with a view of the beach — it's all about bragging rights. Steak 954 has got that angle covered. The Fort Lauderdale beachfront restaurant is offering special Easter classics, like deviled eggs with caviar and pickled veggies ($12) and filet mignon with sauce foyot, breakfast potatoes, and salad ($24). Less conventional options are also on the menu, such as little-neck clams with chorizo, fingerling potatoes, charred tomatoes, and salsa verde ($17). Lamb sausage gravy with homemade biscuits ($15) is another creative twist on two classics. To finish, the restaurant is offering a bunny-appropriate sticky carrot cake with crème fraîche ice cream and cognac butterscotch — we dare you to try topping that yourself.
Steak 954 is located at 401 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-765-3100, or visit steak954.com.
4. Thasos Greek Taverna
Easter fare differs across the world. Why not go Greek this year? Thasos Greek Taverna is serving a traditional à la carte lunch this year. Magiritza, a classic Aegean Easter soup made of lamb offal ($10), is on the menu. Kokoretsi, another authentic Greek Easter dish made of skewered lamb parts ($15), will be offered. Baby lamb on the spit with roasted red peppers and string beans ($30) is another time-honored option. All dishes will be served with eggs and the traditional Greek Easter bread, tsourekia. In addition to the specials, the full menu is available. The restaurant opens at 2 p.m.
Thasos Greek Taverna is located at 3330 E. Oakland Park Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-200-6006, or visit thasostaverna.com.
5. Riva Restaurant
Set right on the beach, Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort's oceanfront Riva Restaurant is offering an Easter Sunday brunch in the sun. With unparalleled views of the Atlantic, the restaurant will serve a buffet-style meal with something for everyone. It includes chilled seafood, waffle, carving, and omelet stations; pan-seared snapper; and a dessert bar with a chocolate fountain. It costs $75 per adult ($35 per kid) with bottomless mimosas included. Seatings take place at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m.
Riva Restaurant is located at 3030 Holiday Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-765-3100, or visit marriott.com/hotels.
6. Ocean 2000
Pelican Grand Beach Resort is serving a special Easter brunch right on its beachfront veranda, with reservation seating at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Along with prix fixe menu selection, there's an à la carte menu, with dishes ranging from Spruce Point smoked salmon and bourbon brown-sugar-glazed pit ham with spicy pineapple chutney to omelets made to order and oven-roasted leg of lamb rubbed with garlic and savory herbs. The prix fixe menu options cost $65 for adults, $32 for kids 12 and under, and free for kids 4 and under.
Ocean 2000 is located at 2000 N. Ocean Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-556-7667, or visit pelicanbeach.com/ocean2000.
7. Bongos Cuban Café
If you're looking for a South Florida-infused Easter celebration, Bongos Cuban Café might be your best option. For $40 per adult, $15 per 7- to 12-year-old (kids under 7 eat free), the Seminole Hard Rock restaurant is offering an endless buffet. It includes a number of stations ranging from breakfast and salads to traditional Cuban. The fare is a blend of Cuban and American flavors, with dishes like Cuban eggs Benedict, poached egg topped with hollandaise sauce, and grilled serrano ham served on toasted Cuban bread. Award-winning selections like the roasted pork made in a Caja China will also be featured. Chocolate tres leches, cheese flan, and fresh fruit salad with mint glaze are some of the dessert options for the day. Live entertainment, face painting, and kids' goody bags will also be part of the festivities.
Bongos Cuban Café is located at 5733 Seminole Way in Hollywood. Call 954-791-3040, or visit bongoscubancafe.com.
8. B Ocean
When it comes to celebrating Easter in South Florida, what more could you want than unlimited mimosas, good eats, and panoramas of the Atlantic? The answer is nothing. On Easter Sunday, B Ocean is offering all of the above for its holiday brunch. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the hotel will serve menu options for all palates and preferences for $69 per adult, $31 per kid. Items range from herb-crusted mahi-mahi and a jumbo-shrimp bar to roast prime rib of beer and leg of lamb to customized omelets. Plus, you get to finish it off with endless desserts — hey, it's a special occasion.
B Ocean is located at 999 Fort Lauderdale Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-302-5208, or visit boceanfortlauderdale.com.
9. Vienna Cafe & Wine Bar
Already listed as having one of the best brunches in Broward County, this Austrian-inspired Davie café is going big for the day of Jesus' resurrection. It's hosting an all-inclusive brunch with all the fixings for $32 per adult, $16.75 per child. The offerings are extensive, with tables for salads, smoked fish, peel-and-eat shrimp, pastries, omelets, hot stations, carving stations, Corn Flakes-crusted French toast, and even eggs Benedict. And it includes unlimited mimosas, coffee, tea, and soft drinks. It's so good, you'll be wishing every Sunday were Easter by the time you leave.
Vienna Cafe & Wine Bar is located at 9100 State Road 84 in Davie. Call 954-423-1961, or visit viennacafeandwinebar.com.
10. Fresh Harvest
For anyone looking to get in the Easter spirit, this seasonally inspired spot at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is going to be decked out for the holiday. Along with a visit from the Easter Bunny between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., the restaurant is offering a budget-friendly all-you-can-eat-and-drink brunch option. For $32.95, nosh on unlimited soup, raw bar, carving board, desserts, and kitchen-prepared items with as many mimosas as you like. Dishes span from honey-lacquered duck breast and slow-cooked leg of lamb to eggplant oysters and snow crab to eggs Benedict and quiche Lorraine. Finish it off with a never-ending chocolate fountain fantasy for dessert. Just try attempting all that at home.
Fresh Harvest is located at 5550 NW 40th St. in Coconut Creek. Call 954-977-6700, or visit seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com/dining/fresh-harvest.
