Brunch is an essential ingredient to a happy weekend. Everyone loves brunch but probably no one more than moms. Dressing up, going out to eat, mimosas, and most importantly, not having to find and pay for a sitter to participate in the fun. Brunch looks a little different depending on where in the world you are. I will forever be ruined by the insane brunches held out in U.A.E., where you paid a set price for 4 hours of all you can eat and drink at establishments often way too fancy to be offering us that sort of challenge. But, you know, just because you’ve had Ruth’s Chris doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Outback. Brunches in Okinawa are about the same as they are in the States. It really depends on where you go as to how Boujee or Boozie a brunch you end up with. The restaurants listed below have been my favorite brunch finds so far. My main requirements for getting on the brunch list are: 1. They must serve alcohol in the morning (otherwise it’s just breakfast/lunch), 2. They must have sweet and savory menu items, 3. They must have a relaxed, as opposed to rushed, atmosphere (it’s imperative to feel like you’re able to hangout beyond the meal at brunch).

Kupu Kupu, Chatan.

Kupu Kupu was the first brunch spot we tried out when we got here. I had a very lucky Mother’s Day in that we were able to go out to eat like normal in a two-week restriction lifted window. COVID restrictions have been all over the place since we arrived on island, so we’ve been sure to take advantage of what we can do while we can! Anyways Kupu Kupu was a great choice for our first brunch out.

Kupu Kupu is a smaller restaurant (like many in Okinawa), so wait times can be pretty long at peak hours. I would just keep that in mind and be prepared.

Kupu Kupu has indoor and outdoor seating with great views of the water. The restaurant has super cool vintage American vibes, a fun and relaxed atmosphere with super friendly staff, and is very kid-friendly (though almost everywhere is kid-friendly in Okinawa).

We loved that the kid’s meal came in a cool rocket ship plate and came with a toy. It also comes with plenty of food which is always a plus for us to be able to split the kid’s meal between the two boys.

I always order the Carmel Apple French Pancakes. Fruit can be super expensive out here, so this meal feels super luxurious to me. They also have various meat, eggs, and potatoes plates. The sirloin steak plate is their most popular. All breakfast plates come with coffee (or iced tea) and a cup of French onion soup. The soup seemed out of place at first, but it’s surprisingly a great brunch addition.

And of course the drinks! Kupu Kupu has fun brunch drink specials as well. My favorite is the buy two get one free mimosas. You can choose different juices to switch things up.

WaGyu-Cafe, Chatan

Such a fun spot on the water in American Village! WaGyu-Cafe has a bunch of cozy outdoor seating on the boardwalk, as well as some indoor seating, but I definitely recommend outside if the weather holds up. The food here is Hawaiian-themed. I’ve never been to Hawaii, so I can’t speak to its authenticity; however, everything is super delicious and very Instagramable.

While they didn’t have a specific kids meal menu, everything was kid-friendly, and they had kid’s cups and plates. I ended up just sharing my food with the little ones and that worked.

My meal of choice here was the French Toast bites brunch set, which comes with salad, eggs, and sausage. Though pictured below is just the French toast bites. Please forgive the blurry picture; I was trying to take it before my kid devoured it all.

The two times I’ve been here were during the “no alcohol served in restaurants” phase of COVID restrictions, so I haven’t had typical brunch here, but they have a really delicious-looking mojito drink menu with different flavors that could easily replace the standard mimosa selection.

WaGyu-Cafe’s fun and delicious coffee menu was a good alternative at the time. I ordered the Carmel Macchiato and had no complaints.

Seaside Cafe Hanon, Chatan

Seaside Cafe Hanon, also located in American Village, has a large indoor dining area and balcony seating that overlooks the water. Seaside’s vibes are a little bit fancier. Both the restaurant and its menu items are beautiful and picture-ready! The menu items are similar to what you’d expect from an American breakfast but with slight alterations. Most notably, Seaside has the Okinawan fluffy pancakes (which are exactly what they sound like and delicious).

As you could probably guess by the decorations, we went around Halloween. I ordered their special at the time, which was amazing pumpkin-flavored fluffy pancakes!

Seaside also has pancakes with the Okinawa sweet potato (the purple one) flavoring, which I’m obsessed with and would have ordered if they didn’t have the pumpkin special.

Seaside had super cute kids menu pancakes with tiny scoops of ice cream that the boys loved!

It was a very sweets-heavy meal for the boys and me, but they have eggs and meat meals as well. They even have an Eggs Benedict on the fluffy pancakes menu item, which looks delicious!

I ordered a mojito to drink from their specials menu. They serve beer and some other fun tropical cocktails as well. To be honest, the mojitos really don’t feel like a misplaced breakfast drink when you’re staring out at clear blue tropical waters.

To top off our sugar-filled meals, we were given little crème brûlées, which were amazing!

Sidelines, Chatan

Sidelines, located in Sunabe right off the seawall, has quickly become our go-to brunch spot! The restaurant has two covered patios with TVs (the top floor has views of the water), and a large indoor area.

Sidelines is a sports bar and grille with a combination of local and American menu items. They have a special brunch menu but also have lunch available which is for our family is always ideal. Wings for brunch is a go-to for us! So far, my favorite menu items have been the Biscuits and gravy or the gyoza. The tater tots are a huge hit as well!

The kid’s meal is pretty basic but has plenty of food and comes with veggies (huge plus there)!

Sidelines has all the typical brunch drinks, and during certain hours they offer bottomless mimosas! They also have craft beers on draft (which isn’t a given out here).

Our favorite part about sidelines, though, is the atmosphere! The staff is super friendly and attentive. It’s a popular spot for military and associated people, so chances of running into a friend are pretty good. Brunch is the perfect time to watch a game (because of the time difference), and “fight nights” are fight brunches here.

We always feel right at home at Sidelines!

Pallet, Onna

Closer to where we live, Pallet has landed itself on our heavy rotation for food choices. While we usually order take-out, Pallet is also a super cool eat-in spot! While there is only a small indoor space, there is a fun a relaxed outdoor eating area that makes you feel like you’re having a picnic in the jungle.

Their big-ticket item is their paninis. My favorite is the bacon, egg, and cheese panini, which is what we get for the kids as well to split. Everything, though, that we’ve tried off the menu so far has been amazing! They have delicious coffee shakes and (randomly) churros as well.

Pallet doesn’t boast a vast alcohol menu, but they have some really good craft beers and ciders! As a craft beer lover, living somewhere with significantly fewer brew options than I’m used to, I’ll gladly accept a craft beer for brunch.

So there you have it!

My five favorite brunch finds thus far! Hopefully, our latest COVID restrictions will be lifted soon, and I can continue to add brunch spots to the list (one can never know of too many good brunch spots).