At the beginning of April, in recognition of national brunch month, the Appleton Post-Crescent asked its readers where to get the best brunch in the area.
Whether you’re looking for pancakes and waffles or burgers and sandwiches there are several places to choose from in the Fox Valley.
The following three restaurants were submitted the most.
Who has the best brunch in the Fox Valley according to readers?
Ali Useini is the owner of both Apple Vally Pancake House locations in Neenah and Appleton.
The Neenah location at 1022 Main St. opened in 2023 and the Appleton location at 1216 W. Wisconsin Ave. opened shortly after in 2024.
Useini said both locations use the same menu, cooking practices and fresh ingredients.
“The three key factors to success in the restaurant game are having great food, great service and a clean restaurant,” Useini said.
Out of more than 25 submissions, Apple Valley Pancake House was named the most for the best brunch in the area.
The menu follows American diner-themed cuisine and includes classics like waffles, french toast, pancakes, sandwiches and burgers.
“We have a variety of items, a big menu and some great lunch specials as well,” Useini said.
The restaurant specializes in skillets, breakfast and lunch, with Useini proclaiming to serve the biggest in the Valley.
Signature skillets from the restaurant include the Apple Valley Skillet served with onions, mushrooms, ham, sausage, bacon and cheddar cheese, the Tuscan Chicken skillet served with chicken breast, cheddar cheese, peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes and the Western skillet served with diced ham, sweet onion, peppers, tomatoes and cheddar cheese.
Customers also have the option to build their own skillet with the choice of five vegetables, three meats, and three choices of cheese.
“Everything is made in-house, from scratch, and we only use fresh ingredients,” Useini said.
Useini said the restaurant’s omelets are also popular, going through about 10,000 eggs a week.
“We cook them in a very unorthodox way, blending them first so they become big and fluffy,” Useini said.
The Appleton location’s top selling items include the chilaquiles served with ribeye and the Lemon Blueberry Bliss pancakes. Mimosas and a few other alcoholic cocktails are available at the Appleton location only.
Lunch items include the Big Papa burger made with two, half-pound patties topped with cheddar and pepper jack, lettuce, tomato and onion on a bun, the Monte Cristo made with Texas toast stuffed with ham, turkey, melted Swiss cheese and topped with powdered sugar and the Chicken Ranchero panini made with grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, ranch and melted Swiss cheese.
Useini said he is grateful to be recognized as a top brunch spot by his customers.
“I appreciate everybody who nominated us,” Useini said. “I don’t just do this for the money, I do this for the love of the game, and I love to take care of my people, employees and customers.”
For more information and a full menu visit applevalleypancakehouse.com.
Other Fox Valley brunch restaurants our readers praised
Town Council Kitchen & Bar and SAP Brunch, Brown Bag and Bakery tied for the second most mentioned restaurants by our readers.
Town Council at 133 W. Wisconsin Ave in Neenah is known for its rotating menu and farm-to-table cooking style. The restaurant has heavy influences from French and Italian cuisine.
Currently, the restaurants brunch menu, only available from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays, features Toast and Yolks made with sourdough bread and hot honey cured egg yolks, chilaquiles made with salsa verde, onions, crema, cilantro and queso and the Breakfast Burger served with cheese, brioche bread, a sunny side egg and fries.
The restaurant prides itself on directly purchasing from local vendors to ensure the freshest dishes for customers. For more information visit towncouncilkitchenandbar.com.
The current owners of SAP Brunch took over the restaurant in January of 2025 and also prioritize getting products from local and state sources.
The menu lists several local businesses the restaurant partners with, including Thunderbird Bakery, Breadsmith and Colectivo.
Customers at SAP can find menu items like a build-your-own-omelet, huevos rancheros made with sunny-side up eggs, refried black beans, Pico de Gallo, heirloom tomato salsa, house corn tortillas and avocado cream, brioche french toast made with vanilla bean creme anglaise and seasonal caramelized fruit and corned beef hash made with roasted potato and onion, poached eggs, SAP salad and toast.
The restaurant also serves small brunch appetizers like arancini made with parmesan risotto, Calabrian chili aioli and micro greens and pommes frites made with crispy shoestring potatoes and garlic aioli.
For more information visit sapbrunch.com.
Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Readers say this Appleton restaurant has the best brunch in the Valley
Reporting by Jelissa Burns, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
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