Breakfast Served All Day

Celebrating that most joyous meal of the day by listing and/or reviewing restaurants that serve breakfast and brunch.

[raiseusfromperdition]

[4ins-deactivated20200426]

The older I get the more this resonates with me

[breakfastservedallday]

DC Reynolds Washington DC

From the website:

DC Reynolds integrates a full service home cooked menu with a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere, and a HUGE outdoor patio!

I grew up in Philadelphia, a land where brunch is plentiful and delicious. Then I moved to Washington DC where brunch is an even more serious prospect. I told a friend that when I started brunching here, I felt like a high school freshman looking for the rooftop swimming pool.

I met up with friends shortly before 11am last Sunday (no easy feat for me, let me assure you) and we waited patiently for the doors to open. We occupied a couple tables on the back patio and immediately got down to business. The brunch menu contains several vegetarian and vegan options but I settled on the Blueberry Belgian Waffle, perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, served with roasted pecan syrup and vanilla whipped cream. That plate was wiped clean within 15 minutes.

The lone vegetarian in our group, I did not partake of the Biscuits and Gravy that several folks ordered and shared, but it did look pretty amazing. Topped with a fried egg? Dude. I definitely need to try something similar in the future.

The best deal of the day just might have been the $10 bottomless mimosa. Oh yes, you read that right! Our server would just come around and refill our glasses from her pitcher, so by the end of our brunch social—a whopping six hours later—I'd lost count of how much I'd imbibed. Luckily I was also drinking plenty of water and French-pressed coffee, so the commute home wasn't tipsy.

I don't recall what, if any, gluten-free options are available from the brunch menu. The outdoor dining area is also down a narrow flight of stairs, but there may be a more accessible entrance through the back alley.

[breakfastservedallday]

Astro Doughnuts Washington DC

From the website:

At Astro, we source ingredients from some of the finest farmers and purveyors including Valrhona Chocolate, King Arthur Flour, Plugra Butter, and seasonal fruit and produce from local farmers. The key word is seasonal, which means our menus change as often as the seasons allow. […] Expect an artful and whimsical touch to Astro’s daily rotation of doughnut flavors with nostalgic flavors like peanut butter and jelly or dessert-inspired renditions like crème brulee.

Growing up, Sunday mornings were spent lounging in my parents bed, drinking coffee and eating pastries. We lived just a few doors down from an Italian bakery, and my dad would pick up something fresh for breakfast: danish, cannoli, fruit tarts. Most often, we’d have doughnuts.

To me, doughtnuts are definitely a breakfast food, no matter the time of day they are served.I stopped at Astro on my way back from the doctor’s office the other day and picked up three doughnuts: (from left to right) mint chocolate chip, cinnamon, and passion fruit.

Excellent choices, if I do say so myself. While there are vegetarian options, Astro doesn't seem to have vegan or gluten-free doughnuts.

[alicenthightower]

True words, Ron.

[breakfastservedallday]

Truth.

[breakfastservedallday]

Bruegger's Bagels Washington DC

From the website:

Breakfast all day. No need to rush. You can't put a time limit on great taste. So we're giving you a dozen varieties of delicious sandwiches - no matter when you order.

So far, I've posted several recommendations for lovely sit-down restaurants that offer breakfast all day, but sometimes, you just gotta grab and go. That's where Bruegger's comes in.

With a wide variety of bagels, breakfast and lunch sandwich fixings, and fresh, hot coffee, you can go every day for weeks and not get the same thing twice. I should know. I stop in almost every morning for a bagel sandwich, and even though I've got some favorites, I like to mix it up each time.

The photo above is a Spinach and Cheddar Omelette on a Ranch bagel, but I've also ordered cheese and tomato, hummus and cucumber, and of course, classic cream cheese. Bruegger's also offers their coffee club mug—buy a Bruegger's-branded travel mug for the coming year and get free refills on coffee, tea, and soda all year long.

Their menu has plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, including soups and salads, but their bagels are definitely not gluten-free. The coffee bar does not include any non-dairy milk alternatives, so vegans may wish to bring their own or skip the coffee bar.

[breakfastservedallday]

Early Girl Eatery Asheville NC

From the website:

A Farm-to-Table Southern Comfort Food experience [...] Morning, afternoon and night, Early Girl Eatery serves a wide variety of delicious southern dishes that’ll please every palette. "Made from scratch," with many ingredients acquired from local farmers, our menu reflects the creative diversity of true southern cooking. [...] The menu relies heavily on the high quality local produce grown in the area by family farms and community-supported agriculture (CSAs). Our cheeses and some of our meats are also produced and raised locally.

Yes, this is Early Girl again because yes, I did eat there two days in a row. My friend mentioned that she would like to eat there before we all parted to head back home. I agreed, as I absolutely had no problems with going back again so soon. We arrived a bit after noon on Sunday, so the wait was longer. While the host estimated 30 minutes after putting my name on the list, it only ended up being maybe 15 minutes, giving me enough time to purchase jam from a local farm vendoring on the street outside the restaurant.

Once inside, we started off with an order of Broccoli Cheddar Hushpuppies for the table. They were slightly over-fried—which was good!—and neither the broccoli nor the cheddar was overwhelming. The little balls of hot cornmeal were served with cool apple butter, which T said was surprisingly good.

On this visit, I ordered the Black Bean and Cheddar Omelette, accompanied with home fries and topped with salsa and sour cream. The black beans were creamy and smooshed with the cheddar, giving it a homey, comfort feeling. The sour cream was wonderfully smooth, tart, and fresh. The home fries, while still delicious, were happy to step aside and let the omelette shine through.

My entree again came with a bread choice, and I again asked for a biscuit with a side of the vegetarian herb cream gravy. I had to; it was that good. A also ordered an omelette, the daily special of Mushroom and Feta, so I shared the gravy with her for one-half of her biscuit; the other half she topped with the local berry jam that's on every table. T ordered the Shrimp and Grits, which reminded him a bit of gumbo, and sprinkled it with a local hot sauce.

Two visits, both successes. There will be many more meals at Early Girl on future trips to Asheville.

[breakfastservedallday]

Early Girl Eatery Asheville NC

From the website:

A Farm-to-Table Southern Comfort Food experience [...] Morning, afternoon and night, Early Girl Eatery serves a wide variety of delicious southern dishes that’ll please every palette. "Made from scratch," with many ingredients acquired from local farmers, our menu reflects the creative diversity of true southern cooking. [...] The menu relies heavily on the high quality local produce grown in the area by family farms and community-supported agriculture (CSAs). Our cheeses and some of our meats are also produced and raised locally.

Early Girl is the restaurant that inspired this blog. I knew I'd be visiting Asheville this past weekend, and while looking up local places to eat, I spied "breakfast served all day" on their menu. And it was beautiful.

We arrived in the mid-afternoon on Saturday and only had a two-minute wait. I wanted to order all the food but settled on the Early Girl Benny: grit cakes topped with sliced tomato, cooked spinach, poached eggs, vegan tomato gravy, and sliced avocado. I also wanted to try the vegetarian Biscuits and Gravy, and since my entree included a bread choice, my server recommended to get the biscuit with the Benny and to order a side bowl of the gravy, which you can see in the background of the photo.

When my plate came out, the food looked so wonderfully good I was almost afraid to eat it, and oohed and ahhed over it for a minute before digging in. The grit cakes were amazing, fried and crispy on the outside with chewy grits on the inside. I probably could have eaten just that and been happy, but everything else was tasty together, so there were no regrets. The tomato gravy reminded me a bit of the stewed tomatoes my grandmother used to make and the sliced avocado added a cool contrasting texture.

With the biscuit, I very nearly licked clean that bowl of vegetarian herb cream gravy. The biscuit was sturdy and sopped up the gravy, but there were a couple times that I almost flung pieces from my plate to my lap.

My dining companion also ordered the vegetarian biscuits and gravy, but added scrambled eggs and a side of local sausage, which he said was fresh and delicious.

The vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items on the menu seemed to be carefully considered, not just after-thoughts thrown in, and there are a good variety of options for everyone to choose from. I want to go back again and again and eat everything they have.

[breakfastservedallday]

Kix on 66 Tucumcari NM

From the website:

America's Main Street Coffee Shop & Eatery is the newest dining experience focused on home town values with an upscale trend.  A blended menu of classic breakfast items, as well as specialty lunch and regional items, fresh donuts, and an espresso bar serving your favorite "pick-me-up" daily.

Leaving west from Oklahoma City, J and I drove parts of historic Route 66 through Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico on our road trip. While I took my turn at the wheel, J looked up some motels coming in a couple hours up the road. We stopped for the night in Tucumcari NM, mostly because J loved the name—and I agreed. Our motel host suggested we check out the local dinosaur museum after breakfast at Kix on 66, a cute little diner with a name played off the classic song.

Being in the southwestern part of the country influenced my breakfast decision, and I ordered the heuvos rancheros. Our server assured me the beans used in the dish were vegetarian, and I heartily scarfed down my meal. Quite possibly the best heuvos rancheros I've ever had. So good!

I'm having some trouble browsing their website at the moment, so I cannot verify their vegan or gluten-free menu options, but rest assured, J and I would not have eaten there without at least a few vegetarian selections.

[breakfastservedallday]

Elmo's Diner Carrboro NC

From the website:

Like a true diner, we serve homemade food and breakfast all the time. We have comfy booths, as well as tables, and lots of high chairs and boosters for the little ones! We are a gathering place where locals are sure to see someone they know and visitors are likely to make new friends. We’re a community restaurant both in the sense that we are a local favorite and in the sense that we strive to be good neighbors and give back to our community.

A few years ago, my friend and I embarked on a cross-country road trip from Philadelphia PA to Las Vegas NV, with many stops along the way for interesting attractions. On our first full day, a Saturday, we caught up up with a friend visiting Chapel Hill, where we were recommended to grab breakfast at Elmo's Diner up the road. The wait was long and I had been awake for nearly 20 hours, but it was absolutely worth it.

Everything on their regular menu looked delicious, but I narrowed my decision to two of that day's specials: the vegetarian biscuits and gravy or the apple stuffed french toast. As evidenced by the photo above, I went with the latter, adding a side of scrambled eggs with vegetarian sausage patties. (I don't remember what J ordered, but from what little is in the photo, it looks like she also ordered vegetarian sausage and maybe a bowl of grits.)

While Elmo's is a diner offering standard fare like eggs, pancakes, and french toast, everything is dressed up a little, making it a step-up from the norm. The staff is efficient and welcoming, and especially adept with marshaling the many families with small children and offering coffee and water to those congregating in the waiting area. They also provide several vegetarian and vegan options, and have a few gluten-free or gluten-sensitive alternatives.

[breakfastservedallday]

Original Pancake House Rockville MD

From the website:

Pancakes as you like them! [...] The Original Pancake House is a second and third generation family business, which takes great pride in maintaining the high standards that make our food so outstanding. [...] There are three Original Pancake House locations in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, each with free parking. We consider ourselves "The First Name in Pancakes" and hope you will too!

My favorite dish at Original Pancake is their Dutch Baby or German pancake, shown above. It's a popover-style pancake, mixed with more egg than a traditional pancake and baked in a cast-iron pan. While baking, it puffs up high but collapses as soon as it's removed from the oven. It's usually served with butter, powdered sugar, and lemon.

True to their name, the menu boasts well over a dozen different pancake flavors, plus a variety of related dishes like waffles, french toast, and crepes. Fried eggs, omelettes, breakfast meats, and hash browns round out the menu.

I have eaten at all three of the DC-area locations, but the website for the Oregon-based chain lists restaurants across the United States, many of which also serve gluten-free pancake options.

While their full breakfast menu is available anytime, my only complaint is that Original Pancake closes at 3pm.

[breakfastservedallday]

The Pop Shop Collingswood NJ

From the website:

Breakfast: Breakfast is served all day. Like pancakes? We call them "Betty's" and The Pop Shop serves a dozen varieties of our 100%-made-from-scratch pancakes. They'll be the best in South Jersey. You'll also love the stuffed brioche French toast, bagel and smoked salmon platters, gorgeous omelettes, egg sandwiches, and custom-topped waffles, too.

The deliciousness in the photograph above is My Own Private Idaho: two fried eggs over cheddar-covered shoestring hash browns.

The Pop Shop is one of my favorite restaurants, not just in New Jersey, but anywhere. Even though it is always crowded and the wait can balloon up to an hour on the weekends, the staff is wonderfully friendly and willing to help you out if the comprehensiveness of the menu starts to overwhelm.

Oh, and if your server recommends sharing an order of Bettys, trust 'em. Those pancakes are bigger than my head, no exaggeration, and come three to a plate.

There are many vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options on the menu, like vegan Bettys and vegetarian breakfast sausage. The Pop Shop also offers a large grilled cheese menu, a wide variety of french fries, an extended classic soda fountain, and old-fashioned ice cream sundaes and milkshakes.