The hottest new brunch spot is still going strong.

Early to Rise in San Francisco opened in early 2024 in the old Automat location (rip) and it’s still buzzing with hype. What started off as a pop-up is now a brunch sensation and one of the very few restaurants to actually take reservations for brunch. When I saw a prime time for brunch on a Sunday, I had to take it and good thing I did as the restaurant was packed when we arrived.

Inside Early to Rise.

Their brunch menu has a solid range of dishes including homemade donuts, classic egg dishes, and fun specialities such as bananas fosters pancakes or shrimp and grits. Honestly everything sounded great on the menu and we got a great array of savory and sweet dishes.

Pomegranate Lime Spritz (NA) and Cappuccino.

I started off with a non-alcoholic refreshing beverage with pomegranate juice with lime and sparkling water. Tommaso got a cappuccino.

Passionfruit Donut with Coconut (8.5/10).

They always have a couple donut flavors, made in house, and we got this delicious glazed donut filled with passionfruit cream and topped with toasted coconut. The dough was extremely light and airy and didn’t feel heavy at all. We both loved the tropical notes from the tangy passionfruit cream and toasted coconut.

Samosa Potato Pancake (8/10).

This was a fun take on a savory pancake with grated potato seasoned with garam masala which was reminiscent of one of my favorite foods, samosas. The tamarind sauce along with the coconut lime yogurt added that tang and the roasted carrots and peas added sweetness. Creative and tasty.

Bananas Foster Pancakes (8.5-9/10).

I knew I had to either get the pancakes or the french toast but ultimately we both prefer pancakes more so we got their signature bananas foster pancakes and these were bomb. The buttermilk pancakes were soft and were topped with a bruléed banana, toasted walnuts, crispy oats, whipped cream cheese, and finished with a caramel rum syrup. Definitely get this.

Eggs Benedict (8-8.5/10).

Of course we had to get an egg dish, this is brunch after all. We got the eggs benedict with house smoked Canadian bacon and garlic Taiwanese spinach on English muffins and topped with a brown butter hollandaise. The poached eggs were cooked perfectly with that beautiful runny yolk. The eggs benedict was served with an arugula salad and white Cheddar grits. We also got a side of bacon because who doesn’t like bacon?!

While a lot of brunch places can be underwhelming, we both had a great time at Early to Rise. From the vibrant and delectable food to the friendly service, this spot lived up to the hype so my rating is an 8-8.5/10.