Best Hangover Cures in the U.S.

Where: The Larchmont, Los Angeles

What: Stuffed French toast is usually the most decadent dish on any brunch menu, but chef Kevin Kathman wanted to see exactly how much he could stuff into his crisp, eggy bread. He starts with house-made brioche, which he fills with peanut butter mousse. Next up, he adds applewood-smoked bacon glazed with maple and Dijon. And just in case you were thinking the whole dish felt a little light, Kathman tops it all with seared foie gras and foie gras powder. 

Where: Kraken Congee, Seattle

What: Congee—the smooth, soothing porridge generally topped with all manner of delicious things—is a classic comfort food in China and elsewhere in Asia. It's considered to be a cure-all when you're sick, but it works just as well for a hangover. At Kraken Congee in Seattle, go for the creative Pork Belly Adobo—a bowl of congee topped with long beans, green onion, crunchy corn and calamansi aioli (plus tons of pork, of course).

Where: King Bee, New York City

What: Green eggs have gone from book to TV show and now to actual brunch dish at this new Acadian-inspired East Village restaurant. Vegetarian gumbo z'herbes—made with all sorts of seasonal greens, then smoked to give it a bit of ham-like flavor—is the base for this dish with two baked eggs, herbed breadcrumbs and an oyster on top because, well, who doesn't want an oyster on top?

Where: Terrine, Los Angeles

What: French onion soup, with its melty onions and layer of cheese, is all kinds of indulgent. But onion soup poutine? That's a whole other level. At Terrine in LA, the French fries are bathed in a classic onion soup and topped with a layer of aged Comté. You'll definitely need a fork, knife and spoon to properly finish it off (if you can handle that many implements on a weekend morning). 

Where: Il Mulino Prime, New York City

What: Steak houses are not usually the first places you think of at brunch time, but that sort of short-sightedness just leaves you missing out on some epic solutions to your Sunday morning hangover. Case in point: Il Mulino Prime’s burrata French toast. Chef Michele Mazza combines cinnamon, honey, brown sugar, orange and lemon zest in the coating for his thick-cut challah and then tops it off with a massive portion of creamy Italian burrata. If that wasn't enough, the toast also gets doused with a berry sauce that makes for one hell of a beautiful dish. 

Where: SD26, NYC

What: The Uovo Raviolo hides a bright orange egg yolk inside a bed of ricotta. When you slice into the al dente ravioli, the yolk oozes out slowly. It’s like a poached egg on steroids. The dish has royal roots: It was originally created for the last king of Italy to enhance the flavor of local white truffles. At SD26, that tradition is alive and well as their ravioli gets topped with a generous amount of truffle butter.

Where: Jugos, Boston

What: The usual hangover cure is the saltiest, greasiest meat-and-carb bomb available. But what if the morning after, you'd like to get back to being a little more virtuous? For those occasions, there's the Pitaya Bowl at Jugos. A cousin of the eternally popular acai bowl, the Pitaya is built from a base of dragonfruit, with its distinctive mild sweetness. From there, different bowls top the fruit with almond milk or coconut water, guava or passionfruit, and plenty of granola.

Where: Pinewood Social, Nashville

What: From what we know about Elvis, he was a sufficiently hard-livin' dude, so  he should've figured out how to cure a hangover. That's why we'll trust in the powers of The Graceland at Pinewood Social—a waffle with peanut butter mousse, bacon, and fresh banana. Bacon andpeanut butter, you say? Case closed. 

Where: Tanta, Chicago

What: Ceviche, seafood marinated in citrus, is one of Peru’s most iconic dishes, but the leftover marinade, known as leche de tigre, is actually prized as a hangover cure. It might not be an egg sandwich, but it’s got salt, protein and electrolytes, so we see where they’re going with it. At Tanta in Chicago, chef Jesus Delgado serves several kinds of ceviche, but he also serves the leche de tigre in shot form, if you're looking for something a bit more invigorating during brunch.

Where: Urbanspace Vanderbilt, NYC

What: Soup for breakfast is common across much of Southeast Asia, from Vietnamese pho to Malaysian laksa. And it’s no secret that a bowl of hearty morning soup can be a terribly effective hangover cure. From the Bangkok B.A.R stall at the new food hall at New York’s Urbanspace Vanderbilt, the “Hangover Noodle Soup” will fill you up with a bowl of rice noodles in a spicy broth with lime, chili, and herbs — plus chicken and fried pork belly, for that all-important “fried pork” component of a hangover meal.

Where: Faro, Brooklyn, NY

What it is: Marry the comfort food classic grilled cheese with the epic comfort breakfast toad in a hole and you have the ultimate hangover cure. At Faro, in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, chef Kevin Adey has mastered the sandwich art form. He lays two buttered slices of sourdough in a pan, one topped with fontina and cheddar cheese, the other with a hole cut out. An egg is cracked into the hole and once that is cooked, that slice of bread is flipped onto the melted cheese slice. This serious sandwich filled with cheesy-eggy goodness is served with a pancetta hash, with peppers, garlic and onions all topped with pimentón oil loaded with paprika and thyme. 

Where: élan, NYC

What: Hash browns are pretty irresistible on their own, but adding duck fat? That gives them a whole new dimension. Chef David Waltuck fries up these gorgeous potato cakes in duck fat, tops 'em with a fried duck egg, and smothers it all in a duck fat béarnaise—maybe the most sophisticated take on the humble brunch potato we've ever seen.

Where: Farm Burger, Atlanta, GA

What: Brunch nearly always soothes a hangover; so too does a huge, juicy hamburger. Why not smash those together? At Farm Burger, with several locations in and around Atlanta, a patty of house-ground beef is topped with bacon, a sunny-side-up egg, pepperjack, and salsa verde (made with capers, parsley and anchovies). Just schedule in a nap after you devour this beast.

Where: ABC Kitchen, NYC

What: Earthy, mixed mushrooms straight from the farmers' market, salty Parmesan, fresh oregano and ricotta all perfectly placed on hand-tossed, whole-wheat pizza dough. Top that with an egg and you have a late-night hangover cure done breakfast style. Embrace hedonism and simply slice the whole egg, allowing the runny yolk to work its way all over the rustic pizza. Relax, chow down and let that salty, bread-y, eggy goodness make you feel 1,000 times better.

Where: Alfredo 100, NYC

What: The sister restaurant of Alfredo in Rome—owned by the actual creator of fettuccine Alfredo and celebrating its 101st birthday this year—Alfredo 100 brings some of that old-school Italian influence to Manhattan with their Italian brunch. The star of the show: a crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside potato tart topped with caramelized onions, a poached egg and roasted tomato hollandaise. And just to add a touch more indulgence to your plate, the tart is finished with a crispy pinwheel of pancetta. Bacon, eggs, potatoes and caramelized onions: hangover destroyed.  

Where: Dai Due, Austin, Texas

What: Biscuits and sausage gravy: a classic Southern hangover cure. But like any good classic, it can always use a reimagining from time to time. Chef Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due got read of the breakfast sausage we grew up with and subbed in a rich, gamey venison version. “I grew up eating biscuits and gravy as a kid," he says. "When we developed our biscuits and gravy recipe eight years ago, I was determined to capture those childhood memories."

Where: Michael Mina Pub 1842, located in the MGM Grand, Las Vegas

What: If you feel beaten up after a typical night in Sin City (we’re not judging), make your way over to Michael Mina Pub 1842 at the MGM Grand. The menu item in question: “Hot Soft Pretzels.” But what we’re really talking about is its accompanying best friend, good old American beer cheese. Nestled inside are a gently poached egg and crispy, crumbly bacon. Poke the yolk with the soft, salty pretzel and call it a day. Or night. (Again, we’re not judging.)

Where: Pachanga Patterson, Astoria, Queens

What: Crispy, spicy, covered in chorizo and cheese; what's not to love? At Pachanga Patterson in Astoria, the tlayuda, a Oaxacan street food favorite, is a brunchtime hit. A thin toasted tortilla is piled with refried beans, queso fresco, a sunnyside up egg, and plenty of chorizo—no further endorsement required. 

Where: Sunshine Tavern, Portland OR

What: Pork belly and pancakes: Delicious apart, better together. At Sunshine Tavern, pancetta (Italian cured pork belly) is embedded right in a semolina flour pancake. "I start by searing off the pancetta, laying thin slices of pear around it, then ladle batter on top," says chef Jenn Louis. "Once it is golden and crispy I flip it, cook it a few minutes on the underside, then finish cooking it in the oven. I like to top with a dollop of soft butter, honey and powdered sugar."

Where: Formento's, Chicago

What: The day after a big night out can feel like purgatory—a grim no-man's-land, stuck between giddy inebriation and foggy sobriety. So what better to remedy these ills than "Eggs in Purgatory": eggs poached in a spicy pork-tomato "gravy" with creamy polenta. Meaty, substantial and oh-so-satisfying. 

Where: Parson's Chicken & Fish, Chicago 

What: This Logan Square spot specializes in low-key favorites done right, particularly fried chicken. Your order of choice? Parson's Hot—their killer spicy fried chicken with white bread and pickles, which are all the accompaniments it needs. If this pepper-laced, crisp-fried bird doesn't cure what ails you, nothing will. 

Where: Ox & Son, Santa Monica

What: On those weekend mornings where you need something with enough eggs, carbs, and spice to kick your hangover—but don't want a meal so aggressive it requires a post-brunch nap—there's the Banh Mi Breakfast Bowl at Ox & Son. Coconut sticky rice is piled up with pickled vegetables, jalapeño, cucumber, and a "63-degree egg": cooked to an optimal level of runny-yolk, ready to coat the rice and vegetables just so.  

Where: Cherry Izakaya, Brooklyn

What: Lox on a bagel is the quintessential New York brunch, but you don't need us to tell you that. What you do need to know: Cherry Izakaya, Williamsburg Brooklyn has a brilliant, novel Japanese-inspired version: Cured Nova salmon on a crispy rice “bagel,” with red onion, capers, wasabi crème fraiche, and scallion. Part sushi, part bagel, all awesome.

Where: Bar10, West Hollywood, California

What: Mac and cheese: the carb-heavy comfort food to soothe your addled soul after a big night out. But what if it were a little, well, boozy? That's the genius behind the "Drunken Mac 'n Cheese" at Bar10 in West Hollywood: conchiglie pasta in a cheddar, mozzarella and cream cheese blend with a bourbon reduction. And you can add bacon. Hangover destroyed. 

Where: Acme Feed & Seed, Nashville

What: When you're in need of a gut-busting brunch, Acme Feed & Seed delivers with its "Damn Good"—an apt name for a huge skillet of pulled pork, pinto beans, their James Bros. barbeque sauce and fried eggs: 100 percent Southern, 100 percent  awesome. 

Where: The Back Room at One57, located within the Park Hyatt NY

What: Shakshuka really deserves more attention than it gets from America's brunching world. A popular dish in parts of North Africa and the Middle East, it's a richly spiced tomato stew with eggs cooked right in there: comfort food if ever we saw it. At The Back Room, they upgrade the shakshuka with spicy merguez sausage and serve it with ciabatta crisps—exactly what you need to scoop up the satisfying, yolk-y goodness.