Breakfast-style barbecue eats -- who would dream such a thing? Brother Jimmy's BBQ in Mary Brickell Village has pulled it off. Their new Keg & Eggs brunch every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. launched earlier this summer and will continue into the fall with DJ Vertigo spinning on Saturdays.
Be it brisket hash instead of corned beef, or a chicken and waffles dish with bacon(!), the menu items are all Southern twists on the usual brunch essentials. Plates are affordable -- ranging from $11.95 to $14.95 -- and the portion sizes are generous. Plus you can go for the "brunch special" and upgrade to unlimited mimosas and Miller Light, which comes with a brunch menu entrée of your choice, for $29.95. Drink to that!
Short Order was invited to try out this BBQ-inspired version of our favorite meal of the week (possibly only meal of the day, with dishes this filling).
The Carolina Benedict ($13.95) breaks down a classic and replaces it with Brother Jimmy's best Southern staples. Remove the English muffin and sub it with sweet cornbread. But that's just the start. Instead of a wimpy slice of Canadian bacon, the star of the dish is a hearty portion of smoked pulled pork. The hollandaise sauce has hints of chipotle barbecue flavor. It's a savory creation and Short Order-recommended!
We all know barbecue sauce can get sloppy, and during brunch, it might be too early in the day to make a mess. So we have good news. The vinegar-based barbecue sauces at Brother Jimmy's (thin, liquid, and virtually mess-proof) are a great topper for the home-fried potatoes that accompany the Benedict and also the Jimmy's Lumberjack plate (eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, and potatoes for $11.95). There's original, Carolina, and chipotle sauce.
If you're more into the sweet side of brunch -- pancakes, waffles, you know the drill -- the stuffed French toast ($11.95) is the best bet. Thick-sliced Challah bread is stuffed with peanut better and raspberry preserves, dipped in a sweet batter, powdered with confectioner's sugar, and then drizzled with raspberry sauce just for good measure. The fresh fruit salad and banana slices are a bonus.
If you have a hankering for brunch next weekend... Who are we kidding? When you have a hankering for brunch next weekend, remember that you don't need to spend $50 on a plate or wait an hour for a table to enjoy a creative meal. Wake up Sunday morning, stumble on over to Brother Jimmy's, and eat cornbread because you can. Definitely more fun than a plate of fried ham and eggs over easy at that little Cuban hole-in-the-wall around the corner from your house.
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