The story behind the creation of brunch is as mysterious as its purpose: Is it breakfast or is it lunch? Regardless of its founding, brunch has become a college tradition that lets students sleep in late and recover from the night before. While there are satisfying brunch options on campus, there are plenty of other delicious and unique options in St. Louis.

On your way to the Delmar Loop, it’s easy to miss the modest sign for Booster’s Café, located perpendicular to Delmar Boulevard at 567 Melville Ave. Its unpretentious storefront leads to an equally quaint café filled with mismatched chairs and newspaper clippings on the walls. While Booster’s may not offer an expansive menu like other brunch restaurants (notably absent are waffles), what it lacks in diversity it makes up for in quality and uniqueness. Particularly notable are Booster’s handmade pumpkin pancakes, which are sweeter and more flavorful than their plain counterparts. While the breakfast sides like sausage and bacon tend to come in smaller portions, the main meals, which include breakfast sandwiches and scrambled eggs, are more than filling. The coffee is also self-serve with free refills, and it’s surprisingly not Kaldi’s (instead it’s from Northwest Coffee Roasting).  Booster’s serves breakfast all day, so it’s the perfect place to go to if you tend to wake up late.

When the typical brunch fare of scrambled eggs and waffles just isn’t cutting it, check out City Coffeehouse & Crêperie at 36 N. Brentwood Blvd. in Clayton. As the name implies, this café offers a variety of regular and dessert crêpes perfect for brunch. The Lox & Dam Crêpe, filled with smoked salmon and flavored with spinach, cream cheese and onions, is a light but satisfying dish for the morning. For those with a sweet tooth, the variety of fruit and Nutella crêpes offered at City Coffeehouse hit the spot. The café also offers delicious Belgian waffles and great chai lattes.

While it may not look like a restaurant on the outside, First Watch, located at 8001 Forsyth Blvd., is a great chain that serves brunch. First Watch is known for its Crepeggs, a mix of sweet crêpes and whipped eggs, which come with turkey and an assortment of vegetables. Along with this, First Watch has an expansive menu filled with brunch favorites like omelettes and French toast. While the food isn’t extraordinary, it comes out fast and is very filling.

Chances are that if you’ve been off campus for brunch, you’ve been to Kayak’s at 276 N. Skinker Blvd. Known for its proximity to campus, relaxed atmosphere and early opening time (6:30 a.m. every day), Kayak’s is a convenient brunch spot. Although a bit pricey, the berry waffles, which come with fresh fruit and maple syrup, are a great way to start off the day. If you need your caffeine fix but don’t like the taste of black coffee, there are many blended drinks with names like “Teddy Bear” that have enough sugar and chocolate to mask coffee’s bitterness. If you come for brunch, you can also bring your laptop and take advantage of the café’s free wireless Internet and large tables to get a start on your work.