More Maps

Boston’s Best After-Work Dining Deals

14 Excellent Chinese Restaurants Around Boston

Boston’s Best Bars

More in Boston See more maps

A shallow pewter bowl filled with tomato sauce, a green oil, and two poached eggs. — Savoring an excellent shakshuka at Sofra.

Boston’s Best Breakfasts

Start the day right here

by Celina Colby and Erika Adams Updated Nov 20, 2024, 3:26pm EST

View as Map

Savoring an excellent shakshuka at Sofra.

| Erika Adams/Eater Boston

by Celina Colby and Erika Adams Updated Nov 20, 2024, 3:26pm EST

Put away that sad, burnt toast and lukewarm coffee: The restaurants on this list take the first meal of the day very seriously. Crisp waffles, buttery grits, and pillowy egg yolk buns abound in and around Boston. While some of the spots also do weekend brunch, these 15 restaurants were chosen with weekday breakfast in mind — the doors open early, service is prompt, and the hearty breakfast fare is top-notch.

Looking for a leisurely weekend brunch spot instead? Check out some top options in and around Boston here. Breakfast sandwiches or bust? Head right this way.

Read More

Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Sofra Bakery & Cafe

The daytime sibling to citywide Mediterranean favorites Oleana and Sarma, Sofra is the place to go for sweet and savory Lebanese, Turkish, and Greek fare just after sunrise. The shakshuka is excellent, as is the Turkish-style breakfast with soft-boiled egg, feta, and veggies, and the asure, a flavorful pudding made with chickpeas, milk, rose water, and apple butter. And, great news for anyone who has tried hovering for a table at the tiny cafe: Sofra now has a second, larger location in Allston.

1 Belmont St, Cambridge, MA 02138

A shallow pewter bowl filled with tomato sauce, a green oil, and two poached eggs. — Sofra’s rich and satisfying shakshuka.

Also featured in:

Brookline Lunch

The name is a bit of a misnomer; Brookline Lunch serves breakfast and brunch all day in Cambridge (on Brookline Street, to be fair; and sure, there’s lunch too). Dating all the way back to 1937, this old-timey spot has become especially popular in recent years for its pancakes, especially the baklava pancakes, which were originally meant to be a special but jumped to the regular menu. The rest of the breakfast menu is full of eggs: omelets, Benedicts, and such. Cash only.

9 Brookline St, Cambridge, MA 02139

A green ceramic bowl filled with veggies, pita wedges, poached eggs, and chickpeas. — Za’atar eggs at Brookline Lunch.

Also featured in:

Cafe Weekend

This charming cafe sports the motto “Make Everyday Feel Like the Weekend,” and they achieve that goal with flying colors. The croffle, a cross between a croissant and a waffle, is a must with a cup of coffee. From there, options abound with four egg omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and a nutella banana brioche French toast.

120 Harvard Ave, Boston, MA 02134

A croissant pressed into a waffle shape is drizzled in blueberry jam and a scoop of whipped cream. — A blueberry croffle at Cafe Weekend.

Great Taste Bakery & Restaurant

From the sausage rolls to the molten egg yolk buns, Great Taste knows how to produce an unbeatable breakfast spread. It’s hard to go wrong on the menu, but be sure to nab the fried turnip cakes, custard rolls, and any of the sweet or savory buns.

63 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111

Also featured in:

The Friendly Toast

The Friendly Toast is a reliably weird and wonderful place to hang out for breakfast. The restaurant originated in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and has since brought its scrambled egg rolls, hash brown bowls, and doughnut breakfast sandwiches to six locations in Massachusetts, including this nearly eight-year-old Back Bay spot.

35 Stanhope St, Boston, MA 02116

Also featured in:

Rochambeau

Why wait for the weekend to order a mimosa when Rochambeau serves brunch seven days a week? Order French toast with nutella cream feuillertine, banana and aged rum anglaise or a croque madame on buttered brioche. There are plenty of classic savory French dishes as well like escargot and steak tartare.

900 Boylston Street, MA 02115

Two halves of an English muffin topped with sauteed spinach, tomatoes, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and grilled ham on the side. — Rochambeau’s eggs Benedict.

Also featured in:

Kupel's Bakery

A good bagel is one of the best possible breakfast options and Kupel’s Bakery near Coolidge Corner has perfected the art. This kosher bakery makes more than 20 different bagel flavors every day. Load one up with a flavored schmear like jalapeno, strawberry, green olive, or lox, or request a made-to-order sandwich named after a Boston neighborhood. The Coolidge Corner includes the best-selling chive cream cheese with smoked salmon and tomato on an onion and salt bagel, whereas the Harvard mixes honey walnut cream cheese and jelly on a bagel of your choice.

471 Harvard St (at Fuller St.), Brookline, MA 02446

Also featured in:

Where to Find Great Bagels in Boston and Beyond

Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe

Sure, “sandwich” is right there in the name, but don’t let that fool you into thinking Charlie’s is just a lunch destination. Swing by to start your day with crisp-edged stacks of griddle cakes topped with your choice of goodies like walnuts, bananas, and cranberries. The generous banana bread French toast is a must-try, too. If savory is more your style, find plenty of omelets and breakfast sandwiches on the menu.

429 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02116

A plate with two blueberry pancakes on a red table. — Blueberry pancakes at Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe.

Also featured in:

Mike's City Diner

When a craving for a classic diner breakfast hits, heed the call and head to Mike’s City Diner in the South End. Owner Jay Hajj created a menu with all the hits, from the classic hash and eggs with home fries or grits to hefty breakfast sandwiches, an array of breakfast burritos, and omelettes with all the stuffings. Hit this spot up during the weekdays to avoid the line, too.

1714 Washington St (E Springfield St.), Boston, MA 02118

Also featured in:

Milkweed

Like other spots on this list, Milkweed is typically overrun during weekend brunch hours, but diners will find a much more relaxed atmosphere during the weekday breakfast window. Take advantage of the relative quiet to linger over shakshuka, steak and cheese egg scrambles, and dutch baby pancakes topped with blueberry compote and strawberries. The restaurant’s grilled “love muffins,” topped with a generous scoop of butter, may taste more like dessert than breakfast, but an order isn’t complete without one.

1508 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02120

A chocolate muffin sliced in half with butter melting on top. — That gorgeous grilled muffin. The flavors change frequently; here, it’s chocolate.

Also featured in:

Dudley Cafe

Dudley Cafe has been a go-to spot for morning coffee and breakfast sandwiches in Nubian Square for nearly a decade. Sandwich and bowl names pay homage to local history, like the Roxbury Deluxe breakfast sandwich featuring egg, spinach, bacon, cheddar, and jam on an English muffin, and Ayanna’s Bowl, a savory nod to Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. Community is also at the core of this cafe, where they showcase local artists and hire staffers from the nearby Madison Park Technical High School.

15 Warren St (Taber Street), Roxbury, MA 02119

Dudley Cafe’s Roxbury Deluxe, a breakfast sandwich with egg, bacon, and fruit jam on an english muffin. — The jammy Roxbury Deluxe.

Also featured in:

Blue Mountain Jamaican Restaurant

Blue Mountain — now in new digs on Blue Hill Avenue — is one of the city’s top destinations for classic Jamaican breakfast fare, including ackee and saltfish, and callaloo, a flavorful mix of stewed greens. Pair any order with banana porridge and a couple of flaky patties to round out the meal.

1301 Blue Hill Avenue, Unit C, Boston, Massachusetts 02119

The Joint

The breakfast menu at the Joint is full of the usual suspects — pancakes, waffles, huevos rancheros — but the restaurant shines in the execution. Sure, it’s pancakes, but these are fluffy, buttermilk beauties with just a touch of crispiness around the edges. The fist-sized, golden brown Belgian waffles, served alone or topped with fried chicken, are a crowd-pleaser too.

605 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

A blue plate filled with waffles, bacon, two eggs, and a side cup of syrup. — Waffles, bacon, and sunny-side-up eggs at the Joint.

Also featured in:

McKenna's Cafe

McKenna’s Cafe is a decades-old Dorchester institution that knows its way around a solid breakfast. Diners are spoiled for choice here, from the Irish breakfast with black and white pudding to the breakfast burritos, egg sandwiches, and 15 — yes, 15 — different types of omelets.

107-109 Savin Hill Ave, Dorchester, MA 02125

Also featured in:

Rubato

This stylish, welcoming Hong Kong-style cafe has just about everything one needs for a satisfying start to the day. Dip crunchy you tiao, or fried dough, into housemade soy milk and grab a spam-and-egg bolo bao for a quick, delicious meal. For savory breakfast fans, the bowl of rice rolls with cubes of tender brisket is one of the finest ways to start the day.

412 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02171

A sandwich with square cuts of spam, egg, and yellow cheese placed between two tall, fluffy buns. — The spam bolo bao from Rubato.

Also featured in:

14 of Boston’s Best Affordable Meals

© 2024 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Link copied to the clipboard.

Sofra Bakery & Cafe

1 Belmont St, Cambridge, MA 02138

The daytime sibling to citywide Mediterranean favorites Oleana and Sarma, Sofra is the place to go for sweet and savory Lebanese, Turkish, and Greek fare just after sunrise. The shakshuka is excellent, as is the Turkish-style breakfast with soft-boiled egg, feta, and veggies, and the asure, a flavorful pudding made with chickpeas, milk, rose water, and apple butter. And, great news for anyone who has tried hovering for a table at the tiny cafe: Sofra now has a second, larger location in Allston.

1 Belmont St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Visit Website

A shallow pewter bowl filled with tomato sauce, a green oil, and two poached eggs. — Sofra’s rich and satisfying shakshuka.

Brookline Lunch

9 Brookline St, Cambridge, MA 02139

The name is a bit of a misnomer; Brookline Lunch serves breakfast and brunch all day in Cambridge (on Brookline Street, to be fair; and sure, there’s lunch too). Dating all the way back to 1937, this old-timey spot has become especially popular in recent years for its pancakes, especially the baklava pancakes, which were originally meant to be a special but jumped to the regular menu. The rest of the breakfast menu is full of eggs: omelets, Benedicts, and such. Cash only.

9 Brookline St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Visit Website

A green ceramic bowl filled with veggies, pita wedges, poached eggs, and chickpeas. — Za’atar eggs at Brookline Lunch.

Cafe Weekend

120 Harvard Ave, Boston, MA 02134

This charming cafe sports the motto “Make Everyday Feel Like the Weekend,” and they achieve that goal with flying colors. The croffle, a cross between a croissant and a waffle, is a must with a cup of coffee. From there, options abound with four egg omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and a nutella banana brioche French toast.

120 Harvard Ave, Boston, MA 02134

Visit Website

A croissant pressed into a waffle shape is drizzled in blueberry jam and a scoop of whipped cream. — A blueberry croffle at Cafe Weekend.

Great Taste Bakery & Restaurant

63 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111

From the sausage rolls to the molten egg yolk buns, Great Taste knows how to produce an unbeatable breakfast spread. It’s hard to go wrong on the menu, but be sure to nab the fried turnip cakes, custard rolls, and any of the sweet or savory buns.

63 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

The Friendly Toast

35 Stanhope St, Boston, MA 02116

The Friendly Toast is a reliably weird and wonderful place to hang out for breakfast. The restaurant originated in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and has since brought its scrambled egg rolls, hash brown bowls, and doughnut breakfast sandwiches to six locations in Massachusetts, including this nearly eight-year-old Back Bay spot.

35 Stanhope St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

Rochambeau

900 Boylston Street, MA 02115

Why wait for the weekend to order a mimosa when Rochambeau serves brunch seven days a week? Order French toast with nutella cream feuillertine, banana and aged rum anglaise or a croque madame on buttered brioche. There are plenty of classic savory French dishes as well like escargot and steak tartare.

Open in Google Maps

900 Boylston Street, MA 02115

Visit Website

Two halves of an English muffin topped with sauteed spinach, tomatoes, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and grilled ham on the side. — Rochambeau’s eggs Benedict.

Kupel's Bakery

471 Harvard St (at Fuller St.), Brookline, MA 02446

A good bagel is one of the best possible breakfast options and Kupel’s Bakery near Coolidge Corner has perfected the art. This kosher bakery makes more than 20 different bagel flavors every day. Load one up with a flavored schmear like jalapeno, strawberry, green olive, or lox, or request a made-to-order sandwich named after a Boston neighborhood. The Coolidge Corner includes the best-selling chive cream cheese with smoked salmon and tomato on an onion and salt bagel, whereas the Harvard mixes honey walnut cream cheese and jelly on a bagel of your choice.

471 Harvard St (at Fuller St.), Brookline, MA 02446

Visit Website

Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe

429 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02116

Sure, “sandwich” is right there in the name, but don’t let that fool you into thinking Charlie’s is just a lunch destination. Swing by to start your day with crisp-edged stacks of griddle cakes topped with your choice of goodies like walnuts, bananas, and cranberries. The generous banana bread French toast is a must-try, too. If savory is more your style, find plenty of omelets and breakfast sandwiches on the menu.

429 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02116

A plate with two blueberry pancakes on a red table. — Blueberry pancakes at Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe.

Mike's City Diner

1714 Washington St (E Springfield St.), Boston, MA 02118

When a craving for a classic diner breakfast hits, heed the call and head to Mike’s City Diner in the South End. Owner Jay Hajj created a menu with all the hits, from the classic hash and eggs with home fries or grits to hefty breakfast sandwiches, an array of breakfast burritos, and omelettes with all the stuffings. Hit this spot up during the weekdays to avoid the line, too.

1714 Washington St (E Springfield St.), Boston, MA 02118

Visit Website

Milkweed

1508 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02120

Like other spots on this list, Milkweed is typically overrun during weekend brunch hours, but diners will find a much more relaxed atmosphere during the weekday breakfast window. Take advantage of the relative quiet to linger over shakshuka, steak and cheese egg scrambles, and dutch baby pancakes topped with blueberry compote and strawberries. The restaurant’s grilled “love muffins,” topped with a generous scoop of butter, may taste more like dessert than breakfast, but an order isn’t complete without one.

1508 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02120

Visit Website

A chocolate muffin sliced in half with butter melting on top. — That gorgeous grilled muffin. The flavors change frequently; here, it’s chocolate.

Dudley Cafe

15 Warren St (Taber Street), Roxbury, MA 02119

Dudley Cafe has been a go-to spot for morning coffee and breakfast sandwiches in Nubian Square for nearly a decade. Sandwich and bowl names pay homage to local history, like the Roxbury Deluxe breakfast sandwich featuring egg, spinach, bacon, cheddar, and jam on an English muffin, and Ayanna’s Bowl, a savory nod to Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. Community is also at the core of this cafe, where they showcase local artists and hire staffers from the nearby Madison Park Technical High School.

15 Warren St (Taber Street), Roxbury, MA 02119

Dudley Cafe’s Roxbury Deluxe, a breakfast sandwich with egg, bacon, and fruit jam on an english muffin. — The jammy Roxbury Deluxe.

Blue Mountain Jamaican Restaurant

1301 Blue Hill Avenue, Unit C, Boston, Massachusetts 02119

Blue Mountain — now in new digs on Blue Hill Avenue — is one of the city’s top destinations for classic Jamaican breakfast fare, including ackee and saltfish, and callaloo, a flavorful mix of stewed greens. Pair any order with banana porridge and a couple of flaky patties to round out the meal.

Open in Google Maps

1301 Blue Hill Avenue, Unit C, Boston, Massachusetts 02119

Visit Website

The Joint

605 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

The breakfast menu at the Joint is full of the usual suspects — pancakes, waffles, huevos rancheros — but the restaurant shines in the execution. Sure, it’s pancakes, but these are fluffy, buttermilk beauties with just a touch of crispiness around the edges. The fist-sized, golden brown Belgian waffles, served alone or topped with fried chicken, are a crowd-pleaser too.

605 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Visit Website

A blue plate filled with waffles, bacon, two eggs, and a side cup of syrup. — Waffles, bacon, and sunny-side-up eggs at the Joint.

McKenna's Cafe

107-109 Savin Hill Ave, Dorchester, MA 02125

McKenna’s Cafe is a decades-old Dorchester institution that knows its way around a solid breakfast. Diners are spoiled for choice here, from the Irish breakfast with black and white pudding to the breakfast burritos, egg sandwiches, and 15 — yes, 15 — different types of omelets.

107-109 Savin Hill Ave, Dorchester, MA 02125

Visit Website

Rubato

412 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02171

This stylish, welcoming Hong Kong-style cafe has just about everything one needs for a satisfying start to the day. Dip crunchy you tiao, or fried dough, into housemade soy milk and grab a spam-and-egg bolo bao for a quick, delicious meal. For savory breakfast fans, the bowl of rice rolls with cubes of tender brisket is one of the finest ways to start the day.

Open in Google Maps

412 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02171

Visit Website

A sandwich with square cuts of spam, egg, and yellow cheese placed between two tall, fluffy buns. — The spam bolo bao from Rubato.

Related Maps