Brim Kitchen + Brewery: Northeast Ohio's best weekend brunches, breakfasts

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio - Our brunch and breakfast series continues as we check out Brim Kitchen + Brewery. Here's what to expect:

Location: 3941 Erie St, Willoughby, 440-306-8183. It's about a block from Willoughby Brewing Co., the city's long-established brewery. (Mentor Avenue separates the two.) A parking lot is behind Brim's building, which has the Chagrin River in its back yard.

A brewery for brunch? Brim has been open about a year. And while a brewery might not be the first place that comes to mind when it comes to brunch options, Brim is worth considering. It drew a good crowd, and Sunday brunch is served until 3 p.m. A recent weekend had NFL playoff games on televisions over the bar as couples and a few families munched on breakfast/brunch/lunch.

Menu or buffet? Menu.

The menu: Traditional breakfast offerings (buttermilk pancakes, farmers breakfast) are there, but the kitchen puts cool little spins on others: The Bodega Sandwich includes scrambled eggs and Jack cheese but also avocado, pico de gallo and Cajun mayo to zest up things. Chicken and Waffles includes a cheddar jalapeno waffle, apple slaw and honey buffalo. The Monte Cristo borders on a lunch offering but was tasty and came with a side of syrup that went surprisingly well as dipper for the country ham, Swiss cheese and roasted turkey sandwich.

Optional: Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free substitutions are available for many items.

Sides: Home fries, waffle, toast, eggs - all available. But the one that tempts is a cheddar and chive biscuit. (We passed, considering the sandwich and beer were enough.)

Don't miss ... checking out the specials menu. Avocado toast came as two slices of multi-grained bread with guacamole and tomato hidden under a pair of fried eggs smothering everything. Also, steak-style fries were soft inside with a light thin crispy seasoned coating - delicious.

Drinks: It is a brewery, and if you want to pass on the coffee or don't want a pint, $2 samples are offered. Larry Hazen, a longtime brewer at breweries in both Cleveland and elsewhere, is the man behind the brews. The Brim "Less" Light Blonde Ale at 5 percent alcohol was especially refreshing. (A full brunch cocktail menu is available to cover the Mimosa, Bloody Mary and Bellini crowd.)

The mantra: "Full Glass. Full Plate. Full Heart." Full to the brim, as it were. (It reminds us of the "Friday Night Lights" slogan "Clear eyes, full heart, can't lose."

Warm thoughts: In warmer months, consider al fresco dining on the two-story brewery-restaurant's spacious patio deck.

Have a brunch spot you've wondered about and want us to visit? Email me.

Previous eats: Northeast Ohio breakfast-brunch spots we've tried:

Hofbrauhaus - Cleveland

111 Bistro- Medina

Akron Family Restaurant- Akron

Alley Cat- Cleveland

Beau's on the River- Cuyahoga Falls

Blue Canyon Kitchen & Tavern- Twinsburg

Blue Door Cafe- Cuyahoga Falls

The Eye Opener- Akron

First Watch- Fairlawn