There are two kinds of brunches that are popular in New York: the jazz brunch and the gospel brunch. While one is more subdued and relaxing, the other is a foot-stomping raise-the-roof occasion that will inevitably have you shouting "Praise Jesus," though not in any kind of religious way necessarily.
The best place for the jazz brunch is the Iridium Jazz Club and the best place for the gospel brunch is at B.B. Kings Blues Club. They are both centrally located in Times Square convenient to many major subway lines and hotels for visitors from out-of-town.
Iridium Jazz Club. One of the nicest Jazz Clubs with great site lines and food that is several notches above typical club food. An added bonus is veteran piano player Barry Levitt's Quartet. The venue has great acoustics.
B.B. King's Blues Club. Not as intimate and infinitely tackier, B.B. has the best gospel brunch for one reason: the Harlem Gospel Choir. Easily the best gospel singers in the city and possibly the country, they even have U2's Bono singing their praises.