Lily's now offers weekday brunch and you've got to try it

Why wait for the weekend when you can have brunch all week?

Lily's Bistro, located at 329 E 5th St in Dayton, recently rolled out its fall menu and it tastes just like a leisurely Sunday afternoon out with friends.

"We do a really popular brunch on Saturdays and Sundays and we wanted to bring a little bit of that as kind of a brunch all week," said Emily Mendenhall, the driving force behind the family-owned Oregon District eatery.

The restaurant's bar will be open for crafted cocktails at lunch starting Nov. 1.

The full bar has a specialty cocktail list that includes a killer Bloody Mary, the restaurant's take on the Corpse Reviver  No. 2, an apple cider mimosa, and the Bright and Alert (amaretto, Underberg, Prosecco and orange juice). The daytime cocktails range from $6 to $9.

>> MORE: Best cocktails in Dayton 

Dishes range from a mini cast-iron skillet of three cheese mac n' cheese for $6 to Lily's Burger, made with Keener Farm's  beef for $13.

>> MORE: Matthew Keener brings farm-to-table to Dayton

The restaurant is named for Emily and her mother Lisa Mendenhall.

Dayton.com sampled the surprising and expansive weekday brunch menu by the restaurant's new head chef, Amy Finch.

Here are a few of our thoughts: 

The range of unexpected options on the menu from the hearty black-eyed pea veggie burger to the classic and delicious and smoked trout bagel with dill cream cheese, capers, cucumbers and onions is impressive.

The trout, my favorite of the dishes we tried, now comes with a side of fruit.

The sweet chili-glazed cauliflower bites are a must-try, as are the biscuits and savory mushroom gravy topped with an egg. It is hard to believe that neither are made with meat.

Lily's replaced its french fries with tater tots. They taste mighty good with the Lily's Burger, which comes with the restaurant's famed pimento cheese and a root beer bacon jam.

As for cocktails, the Bright and Alert cocktail is just that: bright and alert.

The Corpse Reviver #2, traditionally a hangover cure, is strong enough to revive the walking dead with its hint of anise.

The apple cider mimosa tastes crisp, like the season.

For something stronger, the Harvest Moon is made with apple moonshine and applejack.

— Amelia Robinson 

The expanded breakfast items are a welcome development. Vegetarian biscuits and gravy never sounded very appealing to me, however, the mushroom gravy is sinfully delicious.

Lily's doesn't skimp on their burgers and the fried chicken sandwich is fried to juicy perfection. I'm also very excited about their fall-themed adult beverage options to go with brunch.

— Jim Ingram

Lily's seems to have something for everyone. The atmosphere was cozy but open, and the dishes were a great combination of comfort food and modern style.

Loved the mac and cheese, the burger and the tater tots above all else.

The cheesy potato soup was also fantastic, along with the breakfast burrito.

Definitely will have to go back some time when I'm off the clock to try out some of the unique cocktails as well.

 Marcus Hartman

Lily's has been a favorite of mine since my first visit.

I loved the baked potato soup and the burgers were heavenly, and the hummus pita wrap was perfect for a light, but filling lunch.

There wasn't actually a single thing I didn't enjoy. I will definitely be back for brunch soon.

— Tabatha Wharton

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