Brunch is a serious thing in Dallas.  I thought for a long time that it was a millennial thing, but I’ve learned from transplants that Dallas does it like no other city.  The Rustic knows this, and knew they couldn’t come to the picnic table with a weak brunch game … so their Jam & Toast Brunch was born.  Family style (and only slightly family-friendly), you can get into this brunch action for $17.95/person.  Let the delicious pictures begin … (You’d better get a napkin because your mouth is about to water.)

Y’all know I have to talk about the drinks first because … ya know … I drink Dallas and all.  Their drinks, while they’re available like any other boring brunch place by the drink, or you can really make it a Sunday (or Saturday) fun day and order by the pitcher for $20 a throw.  They have the traditional brunch drinks–mimosas, bloody marys, screwdrivers (or at least their takes on them)–but then they take them all up a notch with fun twists like beef straws for the bloodies and jam mixers for the mimosas.  The less typical drinks you can get into trouble with are their Corpus Crisp Tea (Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka, Deep Eddy Lemonade Vodka, and freshly brewed sweet tea) and the Ruby Redhound (Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka with fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice).

The pitchers are all generous portions and pack a decent punch.  (As decent as you could really ever want from brunch cocktails as to not f**k up your whole day weekend.)  And I don’t know what all this “family-style” judgement is; I mean … I’m my whole family unit right now … so it’s ok that I drink the whole pitcher, right?

Rereading the last paragraph, I feel it’s time to tell y’all about the food they offer to balance the boozy goodness.  This food … is legit.  I just about needed someone to roll me away from the table after eating everything they had to offer.  The deal is that they’ll bring everything I’m about to tell you about–enough for everyone to share.

Traditional brunches usually have pig of some sort and eggs and some random pastry, and The Rustic has those all with a delicious kick.  The pork is bacon and sausage from Rudolph’s Market (this business was ridiculous and I was pissed that I had to share this and not eat the whole dish of bacon–don’t judge me); the eggs were “country baked eggs” with sharp white cheddar and chives (not my favorite); and the pastries were fresh donuts from local bakeries (the day we visited they’d come from late night donut hotspot, Glazed).  To make this brunch unforgettable, they didn’t stop there.  They also offer bite-sized French Toast (hand-cut challah, soaked in vanilla custard and topped with house-made rosemary syrup),  Smoked Cheddar Grits (creamy polenta cakes with roasted poblanos and smokey cheddar on sausage gravy) that had a nice smokiness without being entirely overwhelming, and Hot Chicken (Nashville-style spicy fried chicken and dill pickles).  The chicken was a bit spicy (which I enjoyed), but others at the table were less impressed with the heat.  The pièce de résistance of this brunch to me was the Cheese & Fruit plate.  Featuring an assortment of local cheeses, honeycomb, fresh fruit, and assorted breads, it was a nice addition to the table and gave us the chance to remix some of the other dishes by pairing them with the fruits and cheese.s  (Uhhhh the goat cheese paired well with just about everything on the table.)

Overall, The Rustic’s Jam & Toast Brunch is a decent deal. (I love to have a lot of different options … so this is a great ways for people like me!)  While this brunch is offered both Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 3pm, try to get there before noon to enjoy the live music that they have outside.  (And thanks to one of the venue’s owners, Pat Green, you know The Rustic has some serious live music game.)

If you’ve never visited the hybrid backyard-style restaurant/bar/concert venue, you’ve obviously been living under a rock.  From Free Range Concepts (the guys that brought Dallas Bowl & Barrel, Mutt’s Canine Cantina, and more), it’s an ideal spot for anyone from families to weekend warriors.  The Rustic offers brunch, lunch, and dinner menus of “down-home comfort food” along with 40+ draft beers (many from Texas breweries), and even some Texas spirits on the full bar.

THE RUSTIC
therustic.com
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3656 Howell Street (West Village)
214-730-0596