Breakfast, like a full plate of eggs, hash, bacon and pancakes, can be a loaded word. Consider the debates that focus on what to eat and whether to even have breakfast. Through the decades, people have tried to follow confusing advisories: have a hearty breakfast to regain energy; eat a small meal to avoid indigestion; it must consist of meat; it must be low fat, low carb . . . don’t eat it at all.
Meanwhile, breakfast restaurants are popping up all over the country, serving warm, comforting, invigorating, delectable meals to people who do enjoy eating in the morning. But where do most people go?
The Most Popular Restaurants for Breakfast
More than 40 percent of restaurants in America feature breakfast items whereas others are specialists, preparing, cooking and serving favorite morning meals — all day long. And across the country, these restaurants are the go-to for breakfasts.
1. Denny’s
No breakfast story can be made without mentioning the name “Denny’s.” It’s an institution for many who are disciples of the big, burly breakfast, having been around for 70 years. Consider the Grand Slam Slugger, with its two buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, two beef bacon strips and two sausage links. This hearty breakfast is served with hash browns or your choice of bread. You get coffee and juice with your American breakfast.
Denny’s used to be just a donut shop, but then evolved into a 24-hour spot for not just breakfast but lunch and dinner, too.
2. Another Broken Egg Café
A start contrast to the casual atmosphere at Denny’s is the kind of posh menu of Another Broken Egg. This breakfast chain has locations in Cleveland, LA and Ohio, but opened its first restaurant in Louisiana in 1996.
The menu is southern-inspired with a yummy mix of traditional fare, like buttermilk pancakes, and biscuit and gravy, and innovative dishes, like the smoked salmon benedict or the cream cheese-filled omelette with Brie cheese and champagne butter sauce sautéed lobster meat, tomatoes and green onions. You can have it with English muffin and grits or fresh country potatoes.
3. First Watch
If you’re looking for lighter, healthier breakfast, First Watch has several options on its menu. This popular breakfast and brunch chain serves up power meals with granolas, steel cut oatmeal, avocado toasts and a range of juices with shots of zinc, echinacea, vitamins C, D and B3. So if you’re looking for vegan breakfast restaurants, First Watch has options for plant-based diets.
But if you’re craving meat and eggs for your morning meals, they also make classic eggs benedict, farmhouse hash, frittata and traditional plates of American breakfasts with bacon, eggs and toast. These plates may still be considered healthier since the restaurant uses cage-free eggs, all-natural house preservatives and whole grain breads.
4. Waffle House
The Waffle House has been around for 60 years, becoming a favorite across 25 states, especially for anyone wants waffles all the time. Its menu features chocolate chip, pecan, peanut butter and classic waffles, alongside well-cooked sirloin (or however you like your steak cooked) and eggs, pork chops and eggs, hash brown bowls with eggs, bacon and a variety of meats.
But if you want just the usual American breakfast fare, try their All Star Special.
5. IHOP
If you prefer pancakes, head to one of the most popular destinations for all-day breakfasts around the world: IHOP.
Stacks of fluffy, buttermilk pancakes drizzled in a variety of fruit glazes or candy sprinkles with whipped topping. New options include protein pancakes with lemon ricotta and blueberries or strawberries. These new and improved pancakes are made with rolled oats, chia and flax seeds, barley and rye.
6. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
Another restaurant chain serving breakfast all day, Cracker Barrel has over 600 locations with the first one in Lebanon, Tennessee. It serves heavy, hearty fare for morning meals. If you’re looking for big energy to burn, order the Old Timer’s breakfast. Enjoy grits, gravy, biscuits, jam with classic eggs and a choice of meat and potatoes.
7. The Broken Yolk Café
Breakfast restaurants in Las Vegas are a necessity. One of the best spots is The Broken Yolk Café, which became a household name after being featured in “Man vs. Food.” After that, this Pacific Beach, San Diego breakfast spot branched out to other locations — including Las Vegas.
If you’re on South Las Vegas Boulevard, duck into the Broken Yolk and try the Caprese benedict: toasted English muffin topped with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and a pesto basil drizzle and fresh mozzarella cheese, arugula and sliced tomato.
What Fast Food Restaurants Serve Breakfast All Day?
When you have no time and just want a grab-and-go breakfast, fast food is the ideal spot for that morning meal. Although McDonald’s may be the most recognized fast food that began to offer all-day breakfast in a bid to curb falling sales, other restaurants in this category also know just how much most people love their breakfast. No matter what time of day.
What are those fast food breakfast spots for round the clock eatin’?
Dunkin Donuts
Aside from your usual box of donuts with coffee, try Dunkin’s bagel or croissant sandwiches.
Bojangles
Bojangles is the go-to fast food for Cajun-seasoned fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits. For all-day breakfast, get a load of its country-style sausage or bacon biscuit sandwiches with fluffy eggs and American cheese. The fast food also has its version of hash browns.
Jack in the Box
One of the most underrated fast food restaurants for breakfast is Jack in the Box. You can get a breakfast sandwich with whatever you want for breakfast in a toasted sourdough bun. Or you could go for the restaurant’s Jumbo Breakfast Platter, with mini pancakes, eggs, bacon and hash browns.
America isn’t the only country that loves its breakfasts. It’s not even the breakfast spot on the international dining map.
What is the Breakfast Capital of the World?
If you could take a guess, which country do you think is deemed the breakfast capital of the world? Spot a country in the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia: Turkey. According to a CNN report, Turkey is known for its legendary breakfast culture, which is said to have started in the 19th century with farmers heading into villages with their produce.
A city in the far east of Turkey, called Van, is considered as the breakfast capital of the world. Van is home to the so-called “Breakfast Street,” which is lined with dozens of traders serving up the region’s traditional morning feasts. A Van breakfast may contain some 30 dishes, comprising “martuğa” (a thick roux with crispy scrambled egg); local honey and an assortment of jams made from apricot to walnut; raw vegetables and local bread, and “otlu peynir” (a crumbly white cheese, typically filled with sirmo, wild leeks, mint, thyme and fennel).
Part of Van’s claim to fame has to do with breaking the world record for most people (over 50,000) in attendance for a full breakfast in 2014.
So when you find yourself in Turkey, take a trip to Van. Your breakfast isn’t going to be the typical eggs and bacon and pancakes. But it’s likely to fill you up and be lip-smackingly delicious. And there’s no better way to start your day than to have an appetizing meal.
