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Skip Breakfast in Bed, Book the Table Instead: OpenTable Research Finds Moms Most Want a Reservation This Mother's Day

April 21, 2026 8:59 AM

OpenTable releases its annual Top 100 Brunch Restaurants list with restaurants suited for larger tables, kid-friendly meals, and everything in between

SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This Mother's Day, the most meaningful plans aren't happening at home, as OpenTable research reveals the growing role restaurants will play in bringing loved ones together. In fact, more moms and mom figures say they would rather go out to eat with their family (42%) than receive breakfast in bed (4%), a preference shared with the majority of Americans: 62% say dining out is an important part of any Mother's Day celebrations. Moms and mom figures cite messiness as the #1 reason breakfast in bed is underwhelming, followed by the need to tidy up afterwards.1

Additional dining trends shaping Mother's Day this year:

  • Party sizes grow as celebrations span generations: 38% of Americans plan to celebrate with multiple generations.1 This may be why there was a 13% increase in parties of 6+ on Mother's Day in 2025 year over year.2
  • Gen Z is leading the charge: A majority (62%) plan to dine out for Mother's Day this year, more than three times Baby Boomers and double Gen X.1
  • Fewer moms are planning their own celebrations: Down from 39% last year, 18% of moms and mom figures report booking their own Mother's Day meal, signaling that others are stepping up so moms can simply show up and enjoy the moment.1
  • Early dinner times are on the rise: While 12:00 PM remained the most popular time to dine on Mother's Day last year, early dinner is trending. Dining at 5:00 PM saw a 14% increase in 2025, compared year over year, suggesting dinner may play an even bigger role this year.2

"Our research shows dining out is the gift moms want most this Mother's Day, with 42% ranking it at the top of their wish list," said Cheryl Paniagua, VP of Restaurant Sales & Services at OpenTable.1 "That makes planning ahead more important than ever, especially considering the majority of reservations are made over a week in advance. Our Top 100 Brunch Restaurants list is designed to kick-start planning, and for those who find themselves booking last-minute, OpenTable has your back – last year, thousands of diners scored a Mother's Day table through our 'Notify Me' alerts."

Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in America for 2026

With 12:00pm dining consistently the most popular choice for Mother's celebrations, OpenTable is revealing the Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in America for 2026, based on analysis of more than 10 million diner reviews, along with diner ratings, and reservation demand.3 California leads with 19 restaurants featured on the brunch list, followed by 12 in New York. That tracks with broader trends, as 72% of New Yorkers and 66% of Angelenos say dining out is an important part of their celebration, with New York also over-indexing on multi-generational gatherings (47%), reinforcing the holiday as a key moment for larger, shared tables.2

The Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in America for 2026 are as follows (listed alphabetically by state).3 For additional inspiration, explore OpenTable's Mother's Day dining hub featuring dining guides for large groups, kids, early dinners, and beyond.

Arizona

California

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Louisiana

Massachusetts

North Carolina

New Jersey

Nevada

New York

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Tennessee

Texas

Washington D.C.

Virginia

1Consumer Research Methodology: An online survey was conducted by Ripple Research among 1500 US consumers celebrating Mother's Day, including 669 who are being celebrated as mothers/mother figures and will be celebrating other mothers/mother figures, and a quota of 200 for major cities. Fieldwork was conducted between 16th March 2026 and 19th March 2026. All data was collected in accordance with MRS (Market Research Society) and ESOMAR guidelines, ensuring ethical standards and robust data quality.

2 OpenTable Data: OpenTable looked at the number of seated diners by party size, hour, and booking date from online reservations for all active restaurants on the OpenTable platform in the US on Mother's Day (Sunday, May 11, 2025) and compared it to the same day the year prior (Sunday, May 12, 2024). Volume of OpenTable's "Notify Me" feature in the US was also analyzed during these time periods, including booking conversion.

3 Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in the US for 2026 Methodology: OpenTable's Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in America for 2026 list is generated from over 10 million reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from March 1, 2025 - February 28, 2026. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated by a compilation of unique data points, including diner ratings, the percentage of five star reviews, the number of alerts set, the percentage of reservations made in advance, percentage of capacity and direct searches. Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score. The qualified restaurants were then filtered for a minimum number of brunch reviews and Sunday brunch availability. The resulting list appears A-Z, not in ranked order.

About OpenTable

OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), helps more than 65,000 restaurants worldwide fill 1.9 billion seats a year. OpenTable's world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion.

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SOURCE OpenTable, Inc.

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