Breakfast, we’re told, is the most important meal of the day. And nowhere does that saying ring truer than in San Francisco. So whether you’re faking a sick day, catching up with a friend who’s in town, or just looking for something quick to eat before starting a Wednesday morning, use this guide (or our brunch guide) to the best early-morning spots in the city.
THE SPOTS
The all-day cafe/bakery/restaurant in NoPa is ideal for everything from quick baguette runs to catch-ups with friends over coffee and pastries. Our method of choice is to go mid-morning and post up with an espresso drink and a simple yet decadent breakfast sandwich with sausage, egg, pimento cheese, and buttery bread.
There's always something new to try at Breadbelly, the bakery and cafe in the Richmond where Asian-inspired pastries and sandwiches change often. Sweet and savory pastries will call to you, like the soft milk bun exploding with silky coconut pandan cream, and a macadamia nut croissant tart with caramelized edges. You can choose anything here and never go wrong. One non-negotiable is the kaya toast—a slice of milk bread with a squiggle of green coconut pandan jam finished with sea salt flakes.
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When you just want to walk up, devour a plate of chicken and waffles and leave, drop everything and get to Tastebuds. The soul food-inspired counter-service spot in the Richmond makes some of our favorite chicken and waffles in the city—the golden tenders and fluffy buttermilk waffles strike the ideal balance between sweet and salty. The portions are hearty, but you miraculously won't need to be rolled off the premises after. In the non-fried department, your other options include shrimp over creamy grits, scrambles, yogurt bowls, and refreshing green smoothies.
Town’s End Brunch looks like your typical get-in-get-out breakfast joint serving hearty American classics, with plenty of tables and a laid-back vibe. That all very well may be true, but this South Beach spot delivers some extras. Omelets are served in large cast iron skillets. A full-on juice bar with made-to-order green drinks is up front. And standard build-your-own benedicts, french toast, and huevos rancheros go alongside a Warriors Breakfast plate with hashbrown-topped biscuits and chicken fried steak (how it relates to the actual Warriors is a mystery to us). Anyone who frequented this morning spot when it was Town’s End Cafe will find the large space still ideal for making waking up early more bearable, and looking at Bay Bridge views.
The New York-style fried egg sandwiches from this counter-service spot in the Mission are what dreams are made of—if those dreams included the BEC. The hand-held concoction comes with American cheese, bacon, and a fried egg on a poppy seed roll. Words that come to mind: gooey, incredible, order this. The other nine fried egg sandwiches on the menu are also worthwhile, like the one with hash browns and smoked bacon on a toasted French roll.
Whenever we have a free morning, our first instinct is to spend it working our way through a box of treats from this Chinese bakery in the Sunset. As you might guess from the name, Pineapple King specializes in pineapple buns, and theirs have perfectly crackly toppings and a variety of fillings. We never leave without the ones with gooey mango custard and slabs of guava butter—or a hot dog bun swaddled in golden-brown milk bread.
Kate’s serves hearty diner food in the Lower Haight. And while we have no idea why they named their dishes things like the Flanched Flarney Garney or the French Toast Orgy, we do know it all translates to "damn good breakfast." The Flanched Flarney Garney is a breakfast sandwich served with a side of home fries and delicious homemade sausage patties that are deceptively simple despite the wacky name. The Mindy’s Hash Browns—a huge serving of hash browns wrapped around scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese—is large enough to compromise the suspension in your car. And their cornmeal buttermilk pancakes are impossibly fluffy without losing their cornmeal texture.
If you’re not at Plow when they open (7am on weekdays and 8am on weekends), you’ll be waiting in line for a while. But this is one of the best breakfasts in town, so the wait is worth it. The menu is breakfast classics, so think of things that come with sides of maple syrup, bacon, and potatoes. Go for the Plow Plate, which includes two eggs, their amazing lemon ricotta pancakes, breakfast potatoes, and a required nap afterward.
Kantine is a Scandinavian-style cafe on Market Street that makes cinnamon knots, porridges, and sandwiches. This place is well-lit and airy, and will probably make you want to pull up a chair, grab a latte, and completely ignore everything else you have going on today—or, at least, finally start the novel that’s been sitting on your nightstand for months. However long you end up staying at this casual spot, don't pass on the excellent smørrebrød (open-faced sandwich). Each one is layered with things like beet cured trout and potatoes with pickled vegetable mayo, capers, and crispy shallots on top.
Daily Driver in the Dogpatch is one of our favorite places to hang out for a while and mentally plan the rest of our morning. This bagel spot is huge, with two levels and tons of seating, which makes it easy to enjoy a cup of coffee and one of their crusty, wood-fired bagels—they're some of the best in the city. Get them with their housemade gravlax.
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Cinderella Bakery has popular Russian and Polish breakfast items like french toast and egg plates, but you're here for the syrniki—sweet, dense cheese pancakes that are fried and crispy on the outside. If you're more in the mood for savory, potato vareniki dumplings all the way. And on nice mornings, the sidewalk patio is a good place to relax—if you can find a seat. This place pulls in a crowd.
The inside of Just For You is covered with everything from old advertisements to vintage band posters to a marlin hanging behind the counter. This spot has an eclectic, cozy feel. As for the menu, it features a lot of New Orleans-inspired things, like chicory coffee and beignets, plus standard breakfast items like egg plates and omelets—get the one with carnitas.
One thing guaranteed to make you throw off the covers and jump out of bed: The Special Breakfast sandwich from Devil’s Teeth. It comes on a biscuit. It’s beautiful and topped with softly scrambled eggs and a solid amount of avocado mashed on top. But don’t take our word for it—just get to this Outer Sunset spot. There's also a second location in the Richmond.
Let’s get one thing straight—this casual Nob Hill spot makes some incredibly good pancakes. And we’ll wait in line here any time for the lemon ricotta version. But if you want something more than just fluffy, morning cake discs, go for the crab Benedict or the chilaquiles verde.
There are several reasons why this tiny bakery in Chinatown always has a line out the door—there is limited standing room, and most of the grab-and-go dim sum options are excellent, from char siu bao to turnip cakes to sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf. Everything here is takeout only (there are no seats), but the benches of Portsmouth Square are just a few blocks away.
The Mission bakery makes one incredible biscuit sandwich. Full stop. And the best part about them is you can customize everything from the cheese to proteins to spreads, right down to the warm and flaky biscuit itself (buttermilk, cheddar bacon, or dill swiss). This quick spot also has other amazing morning options, like pastries and quiches.
The French bistro in Cole Valley is a brunch staple thanks to their absurdly good french toast, “miracle” pancakes, and range of benedicts and scrambles. And if you’re grabbing brunch on a weekday, you’ll most likely miss the big weekend brunch crowds (they start serving at 8am). Know that this place doesn't take reservations, but you can put your name on the waitlist and take some laps around the neighborhood.
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We love Tartine Bakery for pretty much everything, but if you’re looking for more of a sit-down breakfast situation, Tartine Manufactory has it beat. The space is larger, so even on a crowded morning, it’s easy to get a table. On top of that, this place looks like an editorial spread in some modern architecture magazine with high ceilings, open kitchen, and a creative wine glass pergola next to the giant windows. The menu is much larger, too, with things like coddled eggs with za’atar and grilled bread, along with all of the pastries you could want.
Pizza for breakfast is generally a glorious thing, and in the case of Rose’s Cafe, a thin-crust pie is an occasion worth getting out of bed for. The salmon version with a cracker crust, lox, scrambled eggs, and crème fraîche is enough for two to split, and if you want something else, go with the granola. There might be a wait at this all-day Union Street bistro, but for food this solid, you won’t mind.
This low-key corner cafe across from Duboce Park is one of the most chill breakfast and lunch spots around. They have tons of outdoor tables, open windows, and bar seating. And the scrambles and breakfast sandwiches are straightforward and tasty. In other words, this place gets the job done.
We would get roped into a timeshare at Jane On Fillmore if it were an option—that’s how much we love this place. Getting here early is a good idea because otherwise finding an open table can sometimes feel like being stuck in the middle of a half-off Black Friday sale. You’ll need something to go with your coffee, and that’s where the avocado toast, the egg sandwich, the granola, or any of the pastries come in. Also, just because it’s morning doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a cookie from the case.
Our perfect morning always includes laying around in the sun with our wandering neighborhood cat before heading to The Mill for a light breakfast and coffee. And if you’ve got a full day ahead of you, there’s no better place to fuel up. The NoPa bakery makes incredible housemade bread, which they also serve in toast form, topped with things like avocado or seasonal jam. It’s fantastic, and even better with an espresso drink.
You may not know Taqueria El Buen Sabor as a breakfast spot, so allow us to change that and kindly urge you not to sleep on their breakfast burrito. The chorizo and egg version is enough to fill anyone up for a long while, and after you’ve spent the day walking around the city, it’s good enough to make you want to come back and eat breakfast for dinner.
This place has two locations—one in the Haight and one in the Mission. We’re partial to the original Haight version, but you can’t go wrong with either. Pork Store Café is all about old-school, hearty diner food, with excellent eggs benedicts and Bloody Marys. Always get a biscuit on the side.
It can be tough justifying going somewhere for one and only one thing, but even if this Mission bakery only served their Rebel Within muffin, we’d still tell you to go there. It’s a savory muffin with a soft-cooked egg hidden inside for you to find, like the $20 you left in your coat last year, except this is better. If eggs aren’t your thing, go for anything else from the pastry case, especially the standout kouign-amann.
