Brunch Dishes Explained: Benedicts, Chilaquiles and More

Brunch menus borrow from several kitchens at once: American diners, Mexican home cooking, French cafes and the eastern Mediterranean. The names sound alike on a menu, so here is what each classic actually is, where it comes from, and how it differs from its near neighbors. The sections start with the most famous, eggs Benedict, and move on to the dishes that tend to confuse first-time orderers.

The list is organized by style rather than popularity. Origins are given where they are reasonably well documented, and flagged as uncertain where they are not.

Eggs Benedict and its variations

Classic eggs Benedict is a split English muffin topped with ham or Canadian-style bacon, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise is an emulsion of egg yolk, melted butter and lemon juice, whisked until thick; it is the defining element and the part that most often splits when made in a rush.

Who invented the dish is disputed. Food writers most often point to late-nineteenth-century New York, with competing stories naming Delmonico’s and the Waldorf hotel, and the accounts do not agree. Treat any single “inventor” claim with caution.

Common variations swap the base or the protein:

• Eggs Florentine: spinach in place of ham
• Eggs Royale: smoked salmon instead of ham
• Regional twists: crab cakes, avocado or different breads in place of the muffin, which differ from kitchen to kitchen

Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles are a Mexican breakfast dish made from fried or baked tortilla pieces simmered or tossed in salsa until just softened. Typical toppings include crumbled fresh cheese, crema, sliced onion and fried or scrambled eggs. Salsa verde (green, from tomatillos) and salsa roja (red, from tomatoes and chiles) are the two main versions.

The texture is a matter of preference. Some cooks keep the tortillas crisp by saucing at the last second; others let them soak so they become soft, closer to a casserole. Menus rarely say which one you will receive, so asking is reasonable.

Huevos rancheros

Another Mexican classic, huevos rancheros consists of fried eggs on lightly fried corn tortillas with a cooked tomato-and-chile sauce, usually served with refried beans. It is sometimes confused with chilaquiles, but the difference is structural: in huevos rancheros the tortillas stay whole and sit beneath the eggs; in chilaquiles they are broken up and coated in sauce.

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, commonly flavored with cumin and paprika and served in the pan with bread for scooping. It is widely eaten across North Africa and the Middle East, and regional cooks add ingredients such as feta, spinach or spicy sausage. It resembles huevos rancheros only superficially: the eggs cook in the sauce rather than on top of tortillas.

French toast, pancakes and waffles

These three are the sweet side of the menu, and the differences are in the batter.

1. French toast is bread soaked in beaten egg and milk, then pan-fried. Thick brioche or challah gives a custardy center.
2. Pancakes use a thin, leavened batter poured onto a griddle.
3. Waffles use a similar batter cooked in a patterned iron, which produces crisp edges and deep pockets for syrup.

Savory comfort plates

Biscuits and gravy pairs a soft baked biscuit with a peppery sausage gravy, a staple of the American South. A hash, made from diced potatoes with onions and meat or vegetables, gets crisped on a flat-top and often comes with an egg. A croque madame is a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich with béchamel and a fried egg on top; its relative, the croque monsieur, omits the egg.

Toasts and lighter plates

Avocado toast is mashed avocado on toasted bread, often with chili flakes, lemon and an egg. Its popularity is recent, so you will find countless variations. Yogurt bowls and granola plates are the usual lighter alternatives, and tend to be built from seasonal fruit.

Regional and fusion takes

Brunch menus in Los Angeles and other big cities often blend traditions. A benedict may sit on a biscuit or a potato cake, chilaquiles may come with avocado or a different protein, and a breakfast burrito can combine eggs, potatoes and cheese in a flour tortilla. When a dish has an unfamiliar twist, the name usually keeps the original dish at its center, so a server can quickly say what has changed.

Sides and drinks that come with brunch

Menus often list sides separately, and knowing them helps you build a plate.

• Home fries or breakfast potatoes: diced potatoes pan-fried with onions and peppers.
• Grits: coarse ground corn cooked into a porridge, savory with cheese or butter in the American South.
• Fruit cup or side salad: a common swap for potatoes.
• Mimosa: sparkling wine mixed with orange juice. Many restaurants also serve Bloody Marys, built on tomato juice, and plain coffee or tea; the alcoholic options are typically sold only to adults of legal age.

One small tip: sauces, such as hollandaise or salsa, can be requested on the side if you want to control the amount.

How to order with confidence

• Ask how the eggs are cooked: poached, over easy, scrambled and sunny-side up are all different.
• Ask whether a sauce or salsa is mild or hot.
• If you are avoiding certain ingredients, such as dairy, gluten or nuts, tell the server; menu descriptions do not always list everything.

For how a Hollywood daytime restaurant describes its morning menu, see the breakfast and brunch overview, and the lunch and dinner overview shows how the offering shifts later in the day. Menus change, so read the current one directly with the venue.