America's Hands-Down Best Breakfast Restaurants, According To Reviews

In the United States, breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day — and that's true whether you just want a simple coffee and sweet pastry or a massive spread of pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs. Luckily, whether you're in Portland, Oregon or East Newark, New Jersey, you can find a breakfast to fit your current craving. But what if what you're craving is the very best of what breakfast has to offer?

Islands rounded up the best spots for breakfast in America, ranging from a restaurant owned by a "Top Chef" winner that serves global takes on breakfast favorites to a throwback pancake house with 23 types of pancakes made using a secret recipe. While some of these eateries serve meals throughout the day, others only serve breakfast. To decide which made the cut out of the countless eateries that serve breakfast that fill the country, we determined which have the highest and most reviews on Google Reviews, as well as which have the most acclaim by renowned food media. Here's what we found.

As one of the most renowned food destinations in the country, New Orleans, Louisiana, has plenty of spots where you can get an over-the-top breakfast, like Commander's Palace and Muriel's. But for a down-home breakfast without the frills but all of the sugar, there's no spot better than Café du Monde, which has several Louisiana locations.

The most iconic is the open-air OG in the French Quarter of New Orleans, where both tourists and locals alike head to nearly any hour — from 7:15 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7:15 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The all-day menu is tiny but needs no embellishments, as the café serves just beignets, which are light, fried French-style fritters topped with powdered sugar, as well as café au lait, made with dark-roast coffee and chicory. It's all presented by servers in surprisingly formal white shirts and black bow ties in the perfect spot for this fun fare, as Decatur Street, where the café stands, is always happening with shoppers, visitors, partiers, and street performers.

"A visit to Café du Monde is more than just a coffee stop — it's an experience that captures the true spirit of New Orleans," wrote one past visitor on Google Reviews. "From the moment you approach the open-air café, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm beignets fills the air, instantly drawing you in. It's lively, energetic, and full of character — just like the city itself."

The Down Home Diner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is another no-frills spot that, although with modest digs, has superseded its city's upscale-foodie reputation. Located in the Reading Terminal Market — which is one of the 14 best things you can't skip on a vacation to Philadelphia — the diner lives up to its name by serving breakfast all day to guests from every walk of life, seated in wooden booths and at metallic tables. It's been a staple of the Center City market since Chef Jack McDavid, who grew up on a farm, opened the diner in 1987. True to his own roots as well as the Reading Terminal Market's esteemed reputation, nearly all of the diner's ingredients are from market vendors.

That means you can eat assured that your favorite Southern-style breakfast dishes here — like the scratch-made buttermilk pancakes, chipped beef with sawmill gravy over white toast, and the "Uncle Bunk" with pancakes, smokehouse meats, and grits — are all as fresh and local as possible. Even the buttermilk biscuits are made from scratch every morning at 5 a.m. "Good food with generous portions!" wrote one past visitor on Google Reviews. "A great place to sit down at reading terminal and take a break. Pancakes are excellent and the service was fast!"

James Beard Award winner, "Top Chef" champion, and Iron Chef Stephanie Izard is known for her finely plated cuisine at restaurants, including one of Anthony Bourdain's favorites in Chicago, but this chef also shines at breakfast in much more modest digs. Her restaurant concepts include the Little Goat Diner in Chicago, Illinois, an all-day breakfast spot that has been called one of the best places for brunch by both Thrillist and Time Out Chicago. Its ambiance harkens back to diner glory days, featuring retro wood paneling, checkered linoleum flooring, yellow and green tones, neon signs, and throwback photos of Chicago.

However, in a mix between the old and the new, its breakfast fare is much more contemporary and worldly. Its dishes include a scallion cheddar biscuit with Sichuan pork sausage, a sunny-side egg, chili garlic chive sauce and berries, and okonomiyaki with a savory pancake, bacon, a sunny-side egg, sweet soy, kewpie, and bonito crunch. 

"This spot serves creative takes on classic diner food with plenty of flavor," raved a visitor on Google Reviews. "The menu has a wide mix, from hearty breakfast plates to fun twists on sandwiches and comfort dishes. Portions are filling, the vibe is lively, and the service is always friendly."

Much has changed since 1951, when Lon and Annie Loveless turned their home into what's now The Loveless Café in Nashville, Tennessee. The iconic Southern-style restaurant now welcomes more than a half-million people per year through the doors that have been recognized by the likes of USA Today, Southern Living, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tennessean, Thrillist, and more. The building's former motel rooms are now gift shops, and two event spaces allow customers to enjoy the Loveless Café in their own way. The business even has a food truck that was featured on "Jersey Shore: Family Reunion" as well as a catering arm.

But one thing that hasn't changed for the Route 100 roadside restaurant is the biscuits, which have been made the same way — using a secret recipe — since the Loveless Café's first day of business. One employee's entire job is to roll out biscuit dough, since up to 10,000 biscuits are served every day. The biscuits, as well as other thoughtfully-made items, are used in the scratch-made breakfast dishes that are served all day, including biscuit sliders, pulled pork barbecue omelets, country fried steak with eggs, and cinnamon raisin French toast.

"The Loveless Cafe in Tennessee absolutely lives up to its legendary reputation! From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and full of Southern charm," said a visitor on Google Reviews. "The food was delicious, comforting, and clearly made with love."

The name of Magnolia Pancake Haus, which has three locations in Texas, is no joke. This breakfast spot, open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., utilizes a pancake recipe passed down for more than 150 years. That is only accentuated by the fact that the pancake batter is made fresh throughout each day and uses simple ingredients. What goes on the pancakes is just as high quality — the restaurant even makes its own syrup.

For the best of what the Magnolia Pancake Haus calls the "world's best pancakes," customers should order the apfel pfannekuchen, which are German puffed pancakes made with Granny Smith apples and a secret spice mix. "If you want to try something new, the Apfel Pfannekuchen is a dish that can be shared among many and should be ordered as such," advised someone on Google Reviews. "The apples are soft and tender and just the perfect ripeness in each bite. The dish itself, is something you have to experience at least once." Besides pancakes — which are also available in bacon, bananas foster, and pecan varieties — the eatery also serves breakfast dishes with unique twists.

The restaurant is the brainchild of founder Robert Fleming, a culinary school-trained chef who got his start when he was just a child as one of the oldest of seven kids. He first opened Magnolia Pancake Haus in 2000, and it has since been featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives."

With an upscale ambiance yet food made with tender love and care, Mother's Bistro & Bar in Portland, Oregon, has the best of all worlds. Inside a Hilton hotel, the restaurant with velvet furnishings and chandeliers serves fare made by the original "mother" — owner and founder Lisa Schroeder, who opened Mother's Bistro & Bar in 2000.

An award-winning, Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, her food features slow-cooked meats, scratch-made pancakes, housemade biscuits, house-cured salmon, and eggs right from the farm, cooked to order. Breakfast is served every day until 2:30 p.m. Ingredients are everything here, as Mother's utilizes Pacific Northwest wild salmon, Carlton Farms pork, Cascade Natural beef, and European-style butter. "Solid brunch spot. Food was prepped with care and attention to detail," shared a person on Google Reviews. "The chef takes her craft seriously, even had homemade jam to spread on your toast. Lovely 'mother of the month' feature on the menu with recipes by real mothers. They would know best!"

Mother's Bistro & Bar has garnered plenty of acclaim, including being named restaurant of the year by Willamette Week as well as being called the best spot for brunch and comfort food by various other publications. However, perhaps its most esteemed accolades are from moms just like Schroeder. Every month, the restaurant features a mom and her own recipes on its menu, as well as her photos, in its "Mother of the Month" program.

The Pancake Pantry, with two Nashville, Tennessee locations, is a pancake destination in its own right, offering nearly two dozen varieties of pancakes made with batter from a secret recipe every day. Here, breakfast is served during all of the restaurant's open hours, which are until 2 p.m. or 3 p.m., depending on which location you visit. It's located in Hillsboro, which is one of Nashville's best shopping neighborhoods. The Pancake Pantry offers pancake types like sweet potato, Santa Fe cornmeal, banana bread, Caribbean, cinnamon roll, and more. Better yet, the pancakes are accentuated by fruit compotes and syrups that are also made from secret family recipes. Customers can also purchase syrup to take home.

The Pancake Pantry dates back to 1961, when it was founded by Robert Baldwin. These days, it's just as beloved, attracting long lines of customers from all over the map, stretching down the block, happy to wait for their own stack. The restaurant was even named as one of the best pancake houses in the South by Southern Living. 

"Found this place and couldn't have been more pleased with the food and service," gushed a guest on Google Reviews. "They had a line of people waiting which is a great sign and they seemed to seat folks quickly. Prices were reasonable and everything was great!" Celebrities love it just as much — the Pancake Pantry is famed for its celeb clientele.

New Hampshire is known for its maple products, so it was only natural that maple was farmed at Hildex Farm. To showcase their maple items, farm owners Pauline "Polly" Taylor and Wilfred "Sugar Bill" Dexter founded Polly's Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire — a storybook town with pancakes, pints, and picturesque views — in 1938. The business continues to be run by their descendants, who stone grind the restaurant's organic flours and make the maple sugar and maple spread for the pancakes.

That makes the scratch-made batter even better, perfect for the pancakes served in varieties including gingerbread, cornmeal, and oatmeal buttermilk. The pancakes and other breakfast items are available during all of the restaurant's open hours, which are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Customers can order pancake samplers to try three varieties at once. They can also opt for other breakfast fare like homemade bread, fresh fruits, and smoked pork made by North Country Smokehouse. "My family has been coming here for more than 30 years. We now live abroad. Polly's is the place we dream of and travel back to when we can," wrote a frequent visitor on Google Reviews.

Polly's Pancake Parlor's serving method and ambiance are also unique. Servers both manage tables and cook the pancakes. It's all served in a space that pays homage to the expanded original location with reclaimed wood, vintage farm tools, and old family photos.

More than a century ago, Polish immigrant Joel Russ opened Russ & Daughters, a Lower East Side, New York, appetizing store, where people could purchase items like smoked and cured salmon, homemade salads, and cream cheeses. In 2014, the storied, iconic spot opened a sit-down café just a few blocks from its appetizing store, where people can dine onsite on its breakfast favorites. Since then, the café has been a major hit, being called one of the best restaurants in New York City by the New York Times and also being recognized by the Michelin Guide.

Customers love it just as much. "The smoked salmon and cream cheese on a fresh bagel is perfection in its simplest form," said a fan on Google Reviews. "The fish is silky the cream cheese is hand-whipped and the bagel has that perfect New York density that you cannot find anywhere else on earth. I have eaten bagels in a hundred cities and nothing comes close to what Russ and Daughters puts on the plate."

Besides bagels smeared with lox, customers can also choose from items like omelets, Bloody Marys, chocolate babka or cinnamon babka French toast, blintzes, and other breakfast fare, which is served during all of the restaurant's open hours from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day. Guests dine on these delicacies while seated at white marble tables and surrounded by throwback photos.

This list wouldn't be complete without a classic Jersey diner, as the Garden State is the diner capital of America since it's where many of the country's original diners were manufactured before being shipped over state lines a century ago. But one diner whose name crosses the lips of more New Jerseyans than the rest is Tops Diner in East Newark, which frequently makes best-of lists. The diner was called the best in America by Time Out and has also been called the best in the state by Patch and one of the best by nj.com.

The reasons for Tops Diner's acclaim are as long as its menu, which features breakfast all day. More than 15,000 customers trek here every week for dishes far beyond typical diner fare, like beignets, huevos rancheros, and breakfast cocktails. "Wow! I am completely obsessed with this place I just cannot get enough!" wrote one past visitor on Google Reviews. "I come here every chance I get! The FOOD is phenomenal! The service spectacular! The aesthetic and vibe are top notch!"

That vibe includes a mix of the old and the new, since although the diner dates back to 1942 and has plenty of old photos on the walls to prove it, it also has modern black leather booths, a black marble bar, and chic lighting. Unlike many diners, it also takes reservations, which are highly encouraged since this spot is always busy.

Willa Jean in New Orleans, Louisiana, combines the best of classic Southern breakfast joints and modern takes on delicious eats. Named after founding chef and James Beard Award winner Kelly Fields' grandmother, it serves breakfast fare all day with ever-changing seasonal and innovative twists in items like fried chicken and sweet potato waffles with rum sauce, toasted marshmallow, and spiced pecan; and avocado toast with spiced pepitas, chipotle aioli, and tomatillo on housemade ciabatta. Dishes can be accompanied by a wow-worthy Bloody Mary and mimosa bar brought to the table, especially ideal for groups. 

But don't leave without sampling the biscuits, which are made with Fields' grandmother's recipe. "The biscuit and gravy (5/5) also fire," wrote a pleased customer on Google Reviews. "Thick sausage chunks with a savory, creamy gravy and a very well done, flaky, buttery biscuit." It's no surprise that both tourists and locals flock to this buzzing spot, which makes the wait — especially long during weekend brunch hours — long but worth it. Plus, no reservations are accepted, so you'll have to prove how long you're willing to wait for this Southern spot's famed baked goodies. Luckily, you can also fare online to-go — although the dining room is a treat as well, lined with exposed brick walls and adorned in a sophisticated yet fresh style. While you're in the area, don't miss the legendary Sazerac Bar, where America's first-ever cocktail reigns supreme, just a seven-minute drive from Willa Jean.

There are more than 8,500 breakfast restaurants spanning the United States, and with the meal showing no sign of going out of style, that number is ever-growing. And why wouldn't it? Whether you prefer a simple, sweet beignet paired with coffee or a hearty stack of pancakes topped with fruit compote, there's a breakfast for you — most likely right around the corner from wherever you happen to be in America at the moment. But where should you go if you're on the hunt for a breakfast that stands out from all the rest?

That's what Islands sought to uncover when we rounded up the best breakfast restaurants throughout the country. To make our determinations, we first evaluated which breakfast eateries have the most acclaim from food media, including the Michelin Guide, The New York Times, the James Beard Awards, and USA Today. Then, we turned to the reviews to ensure that customers just like you revered these restaurants just as much, as all of the spots on this list have at least 4.5 stars on Google Reviews from thousands of reviews.