Officially brunch takes place on Sat and Sunday mornings. Unofficially, according to Balans restaurant on Lincoln Road you can brunch any day of the week when they open at 8am. My family and I took them up on their offer and brunched there this past Thursday morning. One huge advantage of a weekday brunch is that you avoid the weekend crush of people who loyally flock to this Lincoln Road mainstay for their breakfast fix.

Balans is a UK chain that now has 5 outposts in Miami. Lincoln Road is the original. Sobe is an area where “here today, gone tomorrow ” restaurants are a fact that us locals bemoan. Balans has been here for over 16 years. That is one reason that Balans has been a staple in our culinary habits. The other is their honest pricing. No tourist trap here. Fair for Fare. Good food and portions for sensible prices. Brunch is no different. Situated on the far western end of Lincoln Road, Balans has a great relaxed atmosphere. You can choose from their stylish indoor space where they have a full bar at your disposal or opt for outside seating. There you will find casual tables or do like we did and lounge in one of their sofa tables where you can stretch out for a meal or a drink.

We were greeted by Francisco, their gracious and witty manager. He gave us an overview of their breakfast menu. The menu has everything from smoothies to various egg dishes and pancakes. We had their Jumbo Breakfast and Crab Eggs Benedict. Jumbo came with Eggs, sausage, bacon, Potatoes and pancakes ! Filling and delicious. Pancakes come with their unique pecan butter spread which was amazing. The Crab Benedict melted in our mouths. Huge chunks of real lump crabmeat under a traditional benedict of poached egg on a english muffin. Great twist on a classic dish. They also serve many varieties of bellinis and mimosas to quench your thirst. What a great meal on a warm and breezy Thursday morning.

If you seek a non tourist trap place for brunch on Lincoln Road then Balans is for you. Any day of the week.

http://www.balans.co.uk/site/index.php/miami/lincoln-road/

Lovely’ Leslie Heigh / Freelance Photojournalist
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