Egg dishes are in high demand during Easter brunch. This year, that demand is running into a national egg shortage.

Seattle Port Commissioner Sam Cho used to run Seven Seas Export, an international trading company that once shipped 2.5 million pounds of eggs to countries like South Korea during Asia’s bird flu outbreak in 2016. Now, the U.S. is facing a similar problem.

“The bird flu pandemic in the U.S. has forced egg farmers to cull chicken flocks around the country, which led to a mass shortage and spike in prices,” Cho says. “It takes time to repopulate chicken flocks and importing eggs to supplement the shortage is a challenge due to both the logistical and regulatory challenges but also due to the tariffs of the Trump administration.”  

Still, restaurants are finding ways to make Easter brunch festive, if not exactly cheap.

“The main thing we’re doing to offset the cost of eggs is being more aware of other costs and looking for quality local items at good pricing,” says Sarah George, sous chef at Six Seven Restaurant at the Edgewater Hotel, which is offering a special Easter menu: $130 for adults, $60 for kids.

Belgian waffle at All Water Seafood & Oyster Bar

Photo courtesy of Kim & Nash Finley

Here are more places serving Easter brunch.

Lola (Tom Douglas Restaurants) serves a Mediterranean-style brunch, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Many of the specialties (dolmades, braised octopus with harissa-spiced carrots, and the Greek scramble with eggs, grilled cauliflower, sauteed leeks, graviera cheese) are a nod to Tom Douglas Restaurants’ founder Jackie Cross’ Greek roots.  

Ray’s Café offers a $95 Easter buffet ($47.50 for kids), while Ray’s Boathouse is offering an Easter inspired 3-course dinner menu for $80 starting at 3 p.m. 

The Hart & The Hunter just outside the Pike Place Market has a prix fixe Easter brunch with biscuits, a starter, a main dish, and two mimosas for $41. The Garibaldi Burger for the main dish is a hearty option for hungry guests.  

Chace’s Pancake Corral has been serving locals since 1958. Prices have remained reasonable with no dish costing more than $20. Tony’s Choice (corned beef, two eggs, toast) is a regular favorite at $14.90.

All Water Seafood & Oyster Bar at Hotel 1000 in downtown Seattle will be featuring a brand-new brunch menu created by Executive Chef Juan Carlos Cabezas and Executive Sous Chef Alejandro Ayala. In addition, Easter brunch will feature specialty dishes, including seafood paella, braised lamb shank, and grilled whole branzino. The crab benedict is available year-round.

Bis on Main is serving brunch options ranging from the lean cobb salad to the hearty flatiron steak and eggs to the sweet challah French toast. Chef Bobby Moore has been at the helm since he purchased the Old Bellevue institution in October 2022.

The Restaurant at The Salish Lodge & Spa is offering a special three-course Easter menu for $110, with several options for starters and mains.

Terra Plata will be showcasing a special menu on Easter Sunday, featuring classics as well as new dishes. Shrimp with cheesy cheddar grits, citrus-cured salmon, and green chile pork are just three of the specialties. Reservations are highly recommended.

Hearth at The Heathman Hotel in downtown Kirkland is offering a full-service brunch 8 a.m.-3 p.m. With a focus on local purveyors such as Preservation Meat Collective, Foraged & Found, and wineries such as Long Shadows and Abeja, the rotating menu focuses on seasonal ingredients.

Kona Kitchen has been operating for over 20 years in Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood. It will be serving an Easter brunch buffet for $32 for adults, $16 for children. Specialties such as a variety of loco moco, broke da mouth beef stew, and kalua pig and cabbage are also available off their regular menu.

Finch & Pine opened in the thick of the pandemic and has been serving Capitol Hill locals and destination diners seeking the bargain prix fixe brunch of a starter and a main dish for $20. Specialties include the oyster mushroom sandwich gently lathered in garlic aioli and served on sourdough toast, or the sockeye salmon benedict. Reservations can be made at finchnpine@gmail.com.