Eats Beat: Easter crowds come early, and hungry

The Easter brunch crowd is up with the sun.

“They come early and well-dressed,” said Mike Dyson, who is accustomed to serving Easter crowds in his 20 years with the Copeland’s of New Orleans chain.

More than on any other Sunday, Easter crowds come from sunrise or early church services and descend on restaurants in large groups, in search of a jubilant breakfast or brunch.

They do not want hipster food.

“They want something comfortable for guests, something special for the holiday,” said Dyson, new at the only North Texas Copeland’s location, inside the Hilton Southlake.

Copeland’s serves a $39.95 Easter jazz buffet featuring prime rib, Cajun fried turkey and Cajun honey ham, plus its bananas Foster cheesecake and other desserts.

For Copeland’s, it’s a chance to draw local diners.

“People try the Cajun turkey and come back for it,” he said.

“If they try one of our New Orleans dishes like the etouffee or jambalaya, maybe they’ll come back for that.”

Copeland’s has some of the same drawbacks as any corporate chain, particularly inside a hotel. But the Southlake location has developed a following among Copeland’s customers from Louisiana or the former Dallas location, Dyson said.

The restaurant will serve close to 600 diners Sunday, he said.

Copeland’s brunch is 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., with more tables available during the later hours; 1400 Plaza Place in Southlake Town Square, 817-305-2199, copelandssouthlake.com.

Easter Wellington

The Omni Fort Worth hotel’s Cast Iron brunch has a few Easter tables available.

As Fort Worth’s premier hotel buffet, Cast Iron also keeps true to Easter tradition with pecan-maple pork on the carving station along with — a rare opportunity — beef Wellington.

The buffet offers eight other entrees, plus sides and 10 desserts, featuring bourbon-orange-marshmallow pie with an Oreo crust.

It’s $54, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Omni, 817-350-4106, omnihotels.com/fortworth.

Other fine-dining restaurants with tables available for a special Easter brunch include Capital Grille, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Grace, Mercury Chophouse, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Silver Fox, plus the Silver Fox in Grapevine, Kirby’s Prime Steakhouse in Southlake and the Classic Cafe in Roanoke

Regular Sunday brunch choices with tables avalable Easter include American Food + Beverage, Bird Cafe, Blue Mesa Grill, Buttons Food & Music, Del Frisco’s Grille, Little Red Wasp, Lucile’s, Max’s Wine Dive, Pacific Table, Reata, Tillman’s Roadhouse and the Wild Mushroom Steakhouse in Fort Worth, plus Mac’s Steaks & Seafood, Olenjack’s Grille and the Sanford House in Arlington, Mac’s on Main in Grapevine and J.R.’s Steak and Grill in Colleyville.

Just lunch, please

Many families want a simpler Sunday breakfast or lunch on Easter.

For inexpensive plate lunches and a choice of up to 20 cakes and pies, try one of the Theresa’s Dixie House Cafe locations in Fort Worth or Saginaw.

(The Euless Dixie House location, closed during road construction, will reopen soon, maybe by Mother’s Day.)

Another busy Sunday choice: the Oldwest Cafes in Arlington, Bedford or Grapevine.

Closed for church

One Easter warning: Some restaurants close for the religious holiday, including Joe T. Garcia’s. (It’s a day of rest before the busy spring patio season.)

Both Esperanza’s Bakery & Cafe locations will be open.

This story was originally published March 31, 2015 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Eats Beat: Easter crowds come early, and hungry."