Elly's Brunch Cafe Phoenix
Rating
Family of 4
Roughly $55-$80 for four including two adult brunch plates, two kid plates, coffee, and juice.
Duration
1-1.5 hours
Best Ages
2-12
About
Elly's Brunch & Cafe sits in the plaza at 100 East Camelback Road in uptown Phoenix, right where Camelback meets Central, and it has built up more than 2,000 Google reviews at a 4.3 rating. For families, this is a breakfast-and-brunch play, not a dinner one, and knowing that shapes the whole visit.
Here is the honest case for bringing kids to brunch: mornings are when children are at their best. A seven-year-old who would melt down at a 7 PM dinner is cheerful and cooperative at 8:30 AM. Add a menu built around pancakes and sweet breakfast plates and you have a meal kids genuinely look forward to rather than tolerate.
The portions at brunch spots like this tend to run generous, which means one large sweet plate often feeds two younger kids and saves you an entree.
The timing strategy matters more here than at almost any other restaurant type. Weekend brunch in central Phoenix is a competitive sport, and between 9 AM and noon on a Saturday you are realistically looking at 30 to 60 minutes of waiting with a hungry child. Arrive at opening, or better yet come on a weekday morning, and you walk straight in.
That single decision is the difference between a pleasant family meal and a stressful one. The seasonal layer is worth knowing too: Phoenix brunch demand climbs from November through March when visitors and winter residents fill the city, and it eases considerably in the summer.
The dining room is indoors and air conditioned, which makes this a genuinely useful option during a Phoenix summer when outdoor patios are unusable, and during the occasional monsoon downpour when you need somewhere dry to land. Tables sit fairly close together at peak hours, so a compact stroller or a carrier will serve you better than a full travel system. Ask for a booth if there is one open, since a booth does a lot of the work of containing a restless toddler.
A few things to verify yourself. Changing table availability is not confirmed, so pack a portable pad. Closing time is worth checking before you plan around it, because brunch restaurants commonly shut down mid-afternoon rather than running through dinner. And confirm the current kids' menu at ellysrestaurants.com, since offerings change.
Parking is shared surface parking in the plaza and gets crowded at peak brunch. One nice option for Phoenix families already downtown: the Central Avenue light rail runs close by, which turns the trip itself into part of the outing for a kid who likes trains.
Age Suitability
Parent Logistics
Stroller-Friendly
Limited
Nursing / Changing
Unknown
Kid Meals
Available
Setting
Indoor
Rainy Day
Great option!
Plan Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
Weekday mornings before 9 AM, or right at opening on weekends to beat the brunch rush
Wait Times
30-60 min on weekend mornings between 9 AM and noon, typically walk-in seating on weekdays
Nearby Food
The 100 E Camelback plaza sits at the Camelback and Central intersection in uptown Phoenix, one of the city's better-served corridors for coffee, quick bites, and ice cream. If the wait at Elly's is too long for your crew, there are several alternatives within a few blocks, and the Central Avenue light rail line makes it easy to hop one stop in either direction for more options.
Why Kids Love It
Brunch is the one restaurant meal where kids get to eat dessert food and call it breakfast, and Elly's leans into that. Pancakes and sweet breakfast plates land on the table looking like a celebration, and the portions are generous enough that a kid feels like they got something special. The morning timing also works in your favor, since children are at their most cooperative before noon.
Pro Tips from Parents
- Arrive right at opening or before 9 AM on a weekend. The gap between a 15-minute wait and a 50-minute wait at a popular Phoenix brunch spot is often 30 minutes of clock.
- Weekdays are the real secret here. Same food, a fraction of the crowd, and staff with the bandwidth to accommodate a family with young kids.
- Verify closing time before you plan a late lunch. Brunch-focused restaurants frequently close mid-afternoon rather than serving into the evening.
- Ask for a booth if one is available. Booths contain a wiggly toddler far better than a chair at an open table.
- Order the kids' food at the same time you order drinks so it arrives before the adult plates rather than alongside them.
What to Bring
- Your own changing pad and diaper supplies, since changing table availability is not confirmed
- A quiet activity or coloring supplies for the weekend wait
- A bib or spare shirt, because syrup and a four-year-old are a predictable combination
- A carrier instead of a full-size stroller if you are arriving during the weekend rush
- A card for payment, plus cash if you like to tip separately
Cost Info
Estimated Cost (Family of 4)
Roughly $55-$80 for four including two adult brunch plates, two kid plates, coffee, and juice.
Parking in the shared plaza lot is typically free.
Check the current menu for exact pricing.
Tips to Save
- Order one large pancake or french toast plate and split it between two kids rather than buying two separate kid entrees.
- Brunch portions at a place like this tend to run generous.
- Drinking water instead of specialty coffee drinks and fresh juices for the whole table trims a surprising amount, since brunch beverages carry the same markup as cocktails.
