At the time this publishing, about 22.6% of the United States population has been reported as “Fully Vaccinated”, that’s a whopping 74.1 million citizens! And with those numbers going up everyday, it’s not unreasonable to think of a world where outside is fully open and brunch can continue as the contact sport we know it to be.

With that as my backdrop, I decided to scour Viola Davis’ Internet to #MakeAList of some Black owned restaurants, that serve brunch, and that I would like to visit! If you want to suggest other spots I should add to my list, please let me know in the comments! This post highlights more restaurants than I could showcase via one Instagram post, so if you’re joining me from IG, be prepared to see a few new locations mentioned.

Breakfast At Barneys is located in Atlanta, Georgia. They are known for their 14K Gold Pancakes, frequent celebrity sighting, and their $1000 Mansa Musa Tower. The towers serves four and comes with 14 karat gold pancakes, a yard bird platter, fried lobster and grits, 1 bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut, and 1 bottle of Armand De Brignac "Ace Of Spades".

Twisted Waffle in New Orleans is known for their Twisted Chicken and Waffles which can be “twisted” with Ranch Kickin’ Dippin’, Spicy Jalapeno, Smokey Honey Mustard, or Chipotle Chili. They also have specialty waffle flavors like the Lemon Drop and the Burst of Berries should you be in the mood to try something other than just maple syrup on your waffle.

Brunch & Sip can be found in Phoenix, Arizona. It’s ran by Larry and Rasheedah White, the husband and wife team behind another popular spot, Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles. I’m looking forward to trying one of their much discussed tableside pancake flambés!

Lucille’s is one of the most popular restaurants in a city known for its food! Lucille's specializes in well-refined Southern cuisine with infusions of international techniques and flavors. A portion of their proceeds go to Lucille’s 1913, the restaurant’s nonprofit arm addressing food insecurity in economically vulnerable communities in Houston, Texas.

Kiki’s Chicken & Waffles can be found in Columbia, the capital city of South Carolina. The first restaurant in the city to dedicate themselves to the ballyhooed chicken and waffles combination, you can get your fix at either of their two locations. Red Velvet Chicken & Waffles, here I come!

Melba’s Restaurant, in Harlem, is named after the owner who is one of the few people in America to throw down against celebrity chef Bobby Flay and emerge victorious! If you’re not in the mood for her signature Southern Fried Chicken and Eggnog Waffles, consider purchasing her cookbook instead!

Morgans in Miami lives by the phrase #FindYourRoots. My eyes were immediately drawn to the Truffle Grilled Cheese sandwich, Vegan French Toast, and Duck Hash. Maybe I’ll try all three when I finally make the trip!

Home of Da Baby, NASCAR, and (my) Carolina Panthers, Charlotte based Leah and Louise is only 3 hours away from me. I’ve vowed to stop drooling online and take the trip so I can try their “Beale E Dee” seafood croquettes and “Rice Boys” fried oyster sliders.

Hen Quarter is a based in the DMV but there is one outlier location perched in the Midwest. It’s located in Dublin, Ohio and is owned by Ron Jordan. Looking at the menu, the Short Rib Hash, Lobster Benedict, and Notorious B.A.S. (a 30 ounce tomahawk steak!) all caught my eye.

LA based Post & Beam, ran by restaurant veteran Brad Johnson, is just the kind of spot I need to hit up on my first trip to the City of Angels. I’m interested in trying their Vegan Crab Cakes and Pecan Pie French Toast!

Doing my Googles, I realized that Fats Chicken & Waffles in Seattle, is a pretty big deal. Well respected and well reviewed (Tip #6 on this list)! The entire brunch menu looks delicious but my eyes are on the Fat’s Breakfast (2 Free Range Eggs, 3 Sausage Links or 4 Slices of Bacon, Breakfast Potatoes or Grits & a Waffle or Biscuit) and the Pimento BLT.

The Novellus, in St. Charles, Missouri, features something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before: a Breakfast Charcuterie Board! I don’t know if this is a weekly menu fixture or some special one-off but I’m ready to head to the Midwest and find out.

If you’ve been following me for any extended period of time, you know how much I love pound cake. And Southern National’s bourbon pound cake looks like something I need to ingest immediately. That or their “SoNat” cheesecake with ginger blueberry compote and pecan shortbread cookie.