Chefs Are Finally Explaining Why They Hate Brunch, And Eggs Are Only Part Of The Problem

We all love the simple luxury of a weekend brunch, a time to gather with loved ones over eggs Benedict and a festive mimosa. We see the beautifully plated food, the smiling servers, the relaxed atmosphere. But we rarely think about the chaotic ballet happening behind the swinging kitchen doors to make that leisurely meal possible.

Recently, an innocent question was posed online to restaurant professionals: “Why does it seem like all of you despise brunch?” The floodgates opened, and these hardworking chefs and cooks gave us a shocking peek behind the curtain, revealing why this beloved meal is often their most dreaded service of the week.

The Kitchen Nightmare

For the culinary team, the trouble begins long before the first customer arrives. It often starts with what they call the “clopen”—that dreadful shift where a cook closes the restaurant late on a Saturday night, only to return a few short hours later to open for Sunday brunch. One industry veteran described these shifts as “the worst,” a brutal turnaround after the busiest night of the week.

Then comes the challenge of a special, one-day-only menu. This means a mountain of unique prep work and a stressful guessing game. As one chef explained, “One week, people would be buying stuffed French toast like it was going out of style. The next week, I’d stack my station with stuffed French toast and I couldn’t give it away. So much waste!” This logistical headache sets a tense stage before the first ticket even prints.

The Boiling Point

Once service starts, the pressure cooker is on. The biggest point of contention? Eggs. It seems like a simple food, but it’s the source of endless frustration. “No one actually knows how they want their eggs,” one exasperated cook shared. They are inundated with confusing and contradictory requests, like the diner who demanded, “I want my eggs over easy, but NO RUNNY YOLKS!”

This entitlement extends beyond the food. One server painted a vivid picture of a large table with a flurry of complicated drink orders, children making a mess with syrup, and endless requests. After all that, the diners complained about the food they’d already eaten and left a meager 8% tip. Many professionals specifically mentioned the post-church crowds, who they say are often the most demanding and poorest tippers, turning a day of rest into a trial of patience for the entire staff.

The Internet Reacts

The online discussion quickly filled with voices from every corner of the food world, creating a chorus of agreement and shared frustration.

The first camp was the Industry Veterans, who shared their own war stories. One former cook recalled his time as “the omelette guy at the brunch buffet,” a job he described as five years in “purgatory,” making over 200,000 omelettes. Another vented his frustration about waking up early after a grueling Saturday night “to serve disrespectful old farts and drunk ladies.” Their stories painted a picture of a universally difficult, exhausting, and often thankless shift.

Next were the Appalled Diners, regular people who were stunned to learn what goes on behind the scenes. Reading the chefs’ accounts, one commenter had a moment of clarity, asking, “So what I’m hearing is to be a good customer, sit down, shut up, get hammered?” The long, detailed discussions about the precise difference between over-easy and over-medium eggs showed that many customers were genuinely trying to learn how to be better, more informed patrons.

Finally, there were the Menu Purists. This group was aghast at the audacity of customers who treat a chef’s menu like a personal suggestion box. They sided with the cook who was asked to make an off-menu chicken dish, only to report back that the staff had just eaten it all for their family meal. Their philosophy is simple: a chef has created a dish for a reason, and it should be ordered as is.

The Etiquette Verdict

There is an unspoken contract when we dine out. We, the patrons, agree to respect the establishment, the menu, and the people serving us. In return, they provide a lovely meal and a pleasant experience. Of course, legitimate food allergies must always be taken seriously and accommodated. But treating a chef’s carefully crafted menu like a grocery list of ingredients you can rearrange at will is simply bad manners. Behind every plate is a team of hardworking human beings who deserve our respect, patience, and kindness.

Your Thoughts

Do you think brunch service is simply part of the job and chefs should accommodate every request, or have diners become too demanding of our restaurant professionals?