SoCo, Your Best Brunch in Brooklyn for Southern Fusion Goodness

It’s easy to get stuck in the Manhattan bubble while on a weekend trip or even while living in the city. Places like SoCo remind me that Brooklyn’s eating scene is quite strong and I need to make more trips out that way. Known for its southern fusion soul food, we went to check out what SoCo was all about. We knew we had stumbled across something good upon arriving to a line out the door.

Even better, we hit the jackpot with a beautiful day. Sunny weather during summertime calls for one thing : brunch. While you’re waiting to be seated and dreaming about noshing down on some cornbread or aunt’s mac n cheese, take a seat at the elongated, modern bar equipped with 20 beers from microbreweries nestled under chic, dangling lights. The restaurant mirrors the industrial nature of the sector its in. Even though this is the case, there are warm walnut walls and exposed brick which reminded me of my time in Boston and immediately made me feel at home.

Walking further back, there is more formal seating area with an outdoor patio, perfect for some summer sangria. If you’re lucky, you’ll grab a spot in this outdoor oasis. Greenery by your every side, it truly makes you feel like you’re out of the city. While geography finds us outside of the proper south, one can be transported it with a sip of the Soco Island. Slurping up some lemonade pineapple vodka, blue curacao, fresh lemonade will quench your thirst and beg you for that and more.

If you’re trying to find southern style food at its best, look no further. What’s nice about SoCo is that there is a little of something for everyone . It’s easy to see why it can be called the best brunch in Brooklyn. Upon taking a look a the menu, you might find yourself drooling between the options that encapsulate all things cajun, barbecue and soul. First out was the cornbread. These badboys were hot tender bites that were crunchy on the outside but nice and tender on the inside. Topped with maple butter, an ooziness came from the heat of the biscuits and made everything melt in your mouth.

Something to not miss was Aunt Cruz’s Mac N Cheese. Served in a cast-iron skillet, you could see the crispy crust coming from a distance. It was perfectly browned on top with cheese gushing left and right. Creamy, with a hint of garlic, this item won’t last on the table very long.

For main dishes, there are many and more one can choose from. A classic was the buttermilk fried chicken laid atop a cakey, red velvet waffle. A play on the chicken and waffle –oddly enough– the two balanced each other so well that there was barely any left on the plate by the time the next plate came out. The fried chicken makes me salivate every time I think of it: crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Drizzle some maple syrup on top and you find yourself with the trifecta of flavors.

When the sweet potato pancakes came out, my jaw dropped. I had imagined one or two to come out and instead was surprised to see layers upon layers upon layers filling the plate up to the rim. To my surprise, the pancakes weren’t orange, either. Hints of sweet potato ran through the pancake, but what one caught was something more of a fluffy, cinnamon combination that left you intrigued and begging for more. Usually, one might think to drench pancakes in syrup; while these were tasty with it, it was not a necessary accessory as the main ingredient could shine through as its own sweetener.

For those come to brunch and trying to watch their figure, jazz things up with the So Jazzy Salad. Mixed Greens, candied walnuts, mandarin orange, and roasted shallot vinaigrette, you’re good to go. They sneak in one piece of fried goat cheese which will put you at the table with the pancake or chicken and waffle dish. Eat it at your own discretion, but calories only count after brunch right? This tangy, sweet combination makes you forget that you’re missing out on the “good stuff”.

There are so many wonderful options that you won’t want to miss out on so eat a light dinner and don’t forget to bring your appetite for the best brunch in Brooklyn. Your stomach will thank you later.