Uwishunu.com

The unfortunate thing about many of Philadelphia’s fantastic brunch spots is the wait. There is nothing worse than standing for 20-45 minutes to get a table when you’re hung-over, hungry, and it’s too late to go anywhere else to get eggs Benedict, coffee, a bloody Mary, and a waffle with ice cream. I had over looked Steven Starr’s Mexican tinged El Vez several times as a viable brunch option until an acquaintance strongly recommended it.

The best thing about El Vez is it’s a big restaurant. We were immediately seated, had coffee and water in less than two minutes, fresh sopapillas in five, and steaming hot entrees within 7 minutes. There are booze and food options out the wahzoo, and if you get your organizational act together you can get a big crowd together (and still won’t have to wait). Bonus points for the crab omelet “” eggs and seafood are supposed to go together in my book. Besides that, it’s the only time and place I know of where you can get a shot of tequila and a short-stack of blueberry pancakes.

El Vez
121 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 928-9800
elvezrestaurant.com