FOOD

Grand Tavern’s brunch is defined by breadth. Breakfast is fully represented, but the more interesting story is how far the buffet pushes beyond it into a substantial lunch-and-dinner spread. Thick-cut bacon, regular sausage and turkey sausage share the room with seafood, carved beef, hot entrees and composed dishes, giving a $25 brunch considerably more range than the usual morning-focused buffet.

The made-to-order stations are central to the experience. Omelets are generous and stuffed with the fillings you choose rather than folded around a token amount of cheese or vegetables. The crepe station is even more distinctive: strawberries, blueberries, peaches or apples may become the filling, with whipped cream or cinnamon sugar on top, while ingredients from the omelet station can turn the same crepe savory. Waffles and pancakes are also prepared to order.

The hot bar is where Grand Tavern really separates itself. Barbecue chicken pairs naturally with a creamy, deeply cheesy mac and cheese that deserves attention in its own right. Salmon Florentine comes with roasted new potatoes, shrimp and grits brings an uncommon savory brunch note, and stuffed shells in red sauce, pot roast and fried rice widen the possibilities further. Carved beef supplies the traditional carving-station anchor without pushing the meal toward hotel-brunch formality.

Cold seafood adds another layer. The shrimp cocktail uses very large marinated boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce and lemon – an especially generous offering at this price. A small salad setup and a fresh-fruit selection, often including strawberries and pineapple, offer an easy reset between richer plates.

Dessert has its own personality. Cream puffs, brownies and assorted cookies make regular appearances, but the cream-cheese-filled mini churros are particularly memorable. French toast sticks at the end of the line blur the boundary between breakfast and dessert in exactly the way a brunch buffet should.

What ties the spread together is freshness and active preparation. Grand Tavern is not relying on sheer item count: cooks keep food moving through a four-hour Saturday and five-hour Sunday service, several stations involve food prepared directly for the guest, and the savory dishes receive the same attention as the breakfast side. The result is a brunch built around abundance without feeling careless – a broad, continually tended menu where another plate can move from omelet and crepe to barbecue chicken and mac and cheese, then shrimp cocktail, salmon or dessert without repeating the first one.