They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but that doesn't mean you have to spend big trying to fuel up in the a.m. Here are the best cheap breakfast spots in every state, and Washington D.C., based on customer reviews and food critics where good wake-up grub is guaranteed.
Homewood
When you want Southern comfort food done right, head on over to Salem's Diner, where perfectly fluffy scrambled eggs and fat stacks of pancakes have been paired with friendly service. Loosen your belt for the Trash Can, which has hash browns, onions, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and spicy sausage. Get it with a lid to add two eggs.
Anchorage
Downtown Anchorage's Snow City Cafe is a popular spot for made-from-scratch breakfast, which is served all day. The menu caters to diners of all types with fresh-prepared, local ingredients that carnivores, vegans, and gluten-free eaters will love, including Mandarin orange cream-cheese-stuffed French toast and house-made granola. Go for the Kodiak Benedict, with Alaskan king crab cakes.
Related: Best Hole-in-the-Wall Breakfast Place in Every State
Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Glendale
At Matt's Big Breakfast, the meal is served all day at several locations in Phoenix and Tempe. Highlights of the simple breakfast menu include "The Hog & Chick," two eggs and a choice of all-natural thick-cut bacon or country sausage, served with toast and potatoes, and made-from-scratch griddle cakes with sweet cream butter and real maple syrup.
Hot Springs
The Pancake Shop's namesake recipe hasn't changed since the family-owned restaurant started dishing up breakfast in 1940. While there are plenty of flapjack options, regulars (even jockeys and trainers during horse-racing season) order a heaping stack of banana pancakes. Tiny bits of banana are mixed into the batter, so there's tasty fruit to savor in every morsel.
San Francisco
It might cost an arm and a leg (or two) to live in San Francisco, but Arizmendi Bakery is a blessing in the form of breakfast food. Just a few blocks from Golden Gate Park, the worker-owned cooperative serves must-try espresso, breads, and pastries. Score freshly baked lemon-poppy seed and banana-walnut muffins, fluffy chocolate brioche knots, corn-cherry scones, and fig-fennel and cinnamon-raisin sourdough bread and croissants without the sticker shock.
Denver and elsewhere
Denver-based Snooze has been waking up Coloradans (and now residents of nearby states such as Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, and California) with its "fresh twists on America's favorite classics" and "creative morning cocktails." The energetic a.m. eatery slings a must-try pancake flight, a delectable trio of your-choice pancake flavors such as blueberry danish, pineapple upside-down, and sweet potato. Plus, 1% of sales from each Snooze eatery is donated back to the community, so you can feel extra good about indulging.
New Haven
Fuel up on omelets with pan-grilled potatoes, freshly baked croissants, and griddle favorites at Bella's Cafe. The New Haven staple focuses on seasonal ingredients to create notable dishes such as French toast prepared with challah or Italian bread and grits with wild-caught Gulf jumbo shrimp and chorizo alongside scrambled eggs and a homemade buttermilk biscuit.
Wilmington
For a no-frills breakfast joint with some serious throwback appeal, check out Angelo's Luncheonette, which has been in business since 1967. The classic neighborhood corner diner with Elvis memorabilia and quick, friendly counter and booth service will make you feel like you've stepped back in time. This family spot slings a mean made-to-order spicy Italian sausage and cheese omelet and keeps the coffee refills coming.
If you prefer to order breakfast exactly the way you like it, Tony's Breakfast invites you to create your own platter or sandwich — but you still might have a hard time deciding, Choose between proteins ranging from bologna to salmon cakes and corned beef hash. Yelp reviewers also give props to the fried chicken.
Multiple locations
With 59 Keke's Breakfast Cafe locations — and more in the works — you're bound to stumble upon memorable dessert-for-breakfast food in Florida. The diner-style eateries feature an extensive menu of made-to-order dishes, including seven waffle varieties, four signature French toast varieties, and six stuffed French toast varieties (or create your own). The Florida Waffle comes topped with fresh strawberries, bananas, and blueberries, and you can order the new Nutella-stuffed French toast at Keke’s Breakfast Cafe.
Kennesaw
Once you walk inside this small roadside café, the smell of country cooking fills the air. Biscuits are a must-try here, made thick and fluffy with options that include sausage, egg and cheese, chicken, and more. Diners also recommend trying the gooey cinnamon rolls.
Multiple locations
In Hawaii, lucky locals can dine on fresh-caught fish daily. Every morning, the kitchen at Eggs 'n Things dishes up super fresh, sautéed ahi tuna with eggs, a nod to the Japanese custom of eating fish for breakfast. If you want to dive into a traditional meal, ask for side of rice. For non-seafood eaters, the chefs can also whip up light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and the state's famous macadamia nuts.
Boise
Everything at Goldy's Breakfast Bistro is fresh and delicious, which is why the little Boise bistro's been drawing morning crowds since 1999. Even the fruit cups are worth a wait. Hearty breakfasts include hollandaise-topped eggs Benedict and banana-stuffed French toast as well as more unusual fare such as a dish representing Boise's Basque population, Andalusia Eggs: two poached eggs over marinara sauce, baked with ham, chorizo, asparagus and peppers. A popular side dish, "Red Flannel Hash," features cubed beets and Idaho red potatoes peppered with chunks of crunchy bacon.
Chicago
Like many iconic diners, Chicago's Hollywood Grill, "born in 1995," slings classic breakfast foods — from buttermilk pancakes, extra-thick French toast, and sizzling bacon right off the griddle to corned beef hash skillets and Southern smothered biscuit platters. The retro spot also dishes up anything else you might be craving that morning.
Bloomington
Known for colossal, made-from-scratch pancakes, Bloomington's bustling breakfast staple Village Deli has been a hot spot for the university community with its fresh fruit, granola, chocolate or peanut butter chips, walnuts, or cinnamon on giant buttermilk pancakes. There are also spot-on seasonal options to choose from, but be sure to also try the other crowd favorite: Paxton's Potatoes, home fries served Hoosier-style, smothered in sausage gravy, shredded cheddar, and fresh chives.
Iowa City
As Iowa City's oldest family-owned restaurant since 1948, Hamburg Inn No. 2 has been a regular stop for presidential candidates during the Iowa caucuses. The decades-old, memorabilia-filled downtown diner serves up hearty American comfort food. Go classic with the Iowa omelet with grilled ham, hash browns, and American cheese.
Manhattan
The Limbocker family ran the original Chef Cafe from 1943 to 1986, and some nostalgic Manhattanites reopened the beloved establishment in 2008. The Chef Cafe's revamped menu put the spotlight on breakfast with updated fare such as pancakes bananas Foster topped with dark rum-pecan sauce, a "smothered" breakfast burrito (covered in sausage cream gravy), and the Buenos Dias Frittata packed with spicy, homemade chorizo and drizzled with sour cream and a chipotle sauce.
Lexington
The unpretentious Biscuit Belly has some of the best house-made biscuits you'll find. The neighborhood nook serves up bonuts (biscuit doughnuts), pancake corndogs, and a mammoth biscuit sandwich called The Rockwell Supreme.
New Orleans
Surrey's Cafe & Juice Bar, "New Orleans' oldest organic juice bar," slings local favorites such as a crabmeat omelet stuffed with avocado and brie cheese topped with a creamy lump crab sauce and shrimp and grits with sautéed Louisiana Gulf shrimp in New Orleans-style barbecue sauce.
Biddeford
In the old mill town of Biddeford, Palace Diner offers old-fashioned comfort fare to start your morning off right. From within the vintage railcar diner comes the essentials: locally roasted coffee, perfect hash brown potatoes, corned beef hash with eggs and toast, buttermilk flapjacks spiked with grated lemon zest, and the Deluxe Sandwich, an amazingly cheesy breakfast sandwich with crispy bacon, egg, jalapeño, and cheddar.
Annapolis and Baltimore
In Maryland, it's never too early in the day for fresh jumbo lump crab, and Baltimore-based Miss Shirley's Cafe is the go-to spot for creative, southern breakfast dishes. The Amy's Bayou Omelet features blackened shrimp, chorizo Sausage, and white chedder with Cajun seasoning. For an extra kick, add a well-garnished Spicy Shirley Bloody Mary to your order.
Boston
Bostonians are addicted to Mike & Patty's breakfast sandwiches. The little sandwich shop makes crave-worthy handhelds such as the flavorful breakfast torta with chorizo, two fried eggs, cheddar, potatoes, black beans, salsa, and avocado on a sesame torta roll. The "Breakfast Grilled Crack" features buttered sourdough loaded with fried egg, a cheese quartet (American, cheddar, Swiss, and gruyere), and bacon — add even more bacon if that's not enough.
Ann Arbor
Kick off the day with the all-day breakfast special at Fleetwood Diner. Score a hearty helping of eggs any style with sausage, bacon or ham, hash browns, toast, and jelly. It's open 24 hours, so you can return for a late night/crack of dawn meal such as the renowned "hippie hash," homemade hash browns with feta and tons of veggies.
Minneapolis
This tiny breakfast location is popular thanks to breakfast plates like corned beef hash and buttermilk pancakes you can get with everything from sweet corn kernels to strawberries and sour cream. Keep in mind that the space is usually crowded (you can also order for curb pickup), but if you don’t mind that you’ll be in for a treat.
Oxford
At the flagship Big Bad Breakfast in Oxford, Mississippi (and other locations in Alabama, Florida, and soon South Carolina, and Tennessee), diners line up to get their fill of James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence's celebrated Southern breakfast fare. Wolf down soulful staples such as brandy-spiked French toast and the Low Country skillet — scrambled eggs, shrimp, andouille, onions, corn, tomatoes, hash, and cheddar — alongside grits, sweet potato hash, and house-cured Tabasco and brown-sugar bacon.
St. Louis
Sweet and savory crêpes monopolize the breakfast menu at both Rooster locations, but one of the European-style cafe's stand-out dishes is a rendition of a St. Louis late-night staple called the "slinger:" two burger patties, hash browns, and eggs (any style) covered with chili over thick-cut toast. The hangover-curing Rooster Slinger replaces burger patties and chili with chunks of andouille sausage and thick sausage gravy.
Bozeman
Want to start your meal with some mini house-made cinnamon rolls topped with caramel and pecans, seriously loaded hash browns, a sweet and savory chicken and biscuit Benedict, or pulled pork omelet? Head to Jam! in Montana.
Omaha
Menu items such as Biscuits & Gravy and Breakfast Naan (including a cream cheese spread and jalapeño jam along with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and a four-cheese blend) are just the start of why Over Easy stands out. Don't miss the hash brown rounds or homemade Pop-Tarts with Nutella or seasonal fruit.
Sparks
A past winner of Yelp’s top 100 places to eat, this restaurant that locals describe as a mix between a taco truck and a diner is a hit for its authentic Mexican breakfast offerings that include its large-sized huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, or chili relleno.
Manchester and elsewhere
Comfort food such as a mug of 20 pieces of crispy maple-cured bacon and a variety of eggs Benedict choices (think crabcake benny and maple sausage patty benny), griddled pancakes paired with New Hampshire maple syrup, and famous golden hash brown specials topped with melted cheese or sausage gravy can be found at Red Arrow Diner.
Jersey City
The cozy New Jersey cafe Sam A.M. makes out breakfast dishes and sandwiches with locally sourced ingredients alongside espresso beverages such as fresh-milk lattes. Try the pimento breakfast sandwich with a farm egg and house pimento on ciabatta, oatmeal sweetened with maple syrup and loaded with dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and pecans, or one of the weekly grits breakfast specials topped with a fried egg and shredded cheese.
Albuquerque
With savory waffles such as the Biscuits & Gravy (the waffle is the biscuit) and sweet ones such as the Blue Lavender (a blue corn waffle with blueberries and blueberry sauce, topped with lavender whipped cream and candied lavender), there's not much need to look for anything else at Tia B’s La Waffleria — but for those who really don't like waffles, there are great basic breakfasts and scrambles on the menu too.
Related: 25 Places to Find Amazing Waffles Across the Country
Brooklyn
This community staple is known for its Dominican-American offerings. The famed drink here is Morir Soñando, made with fresh-squeezed orange juice, milk, and sweet additions that create a drink reminiscent of an orange dreamsicle. The home fries and the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches are also popular choices.
Chapel Hill
The famous fried chicken biscuits from Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen in Chapel Hill are so good, they've got cars lining up at the drive-thru-only shack before the window opens at 6 a.m. Each house-made biscuit is buttered right out of the oven, then stuffed with a piece of crispy fried chicken. Of course, you can also opt for biscuit add-ins such as country ham, sausage, gravy, a fried egg, cheddar, or just plain buttered. Just don't overthink it ... they sell out fast.
Fargo and elsewhere
Since 1972, Kroll's Diner has been serving hearty, homestyle German and American breakfasts, perfect pick-me-ups for a North Dakota morning. Locals love the German-influenced Breakfast Fleischkuechle (a sausage, eggs, and cheese pastry with gravy) and sizzling signature skillets such as the cheese-topped Rancher Skillet with eggs, ham, onions, green peppers, and hash browns alongside a choice of pancakes, toast, or a biscuit and gravy. As the famous tagline commands, "Sit Down and Eat"!
Cincinnati
If you're in Cincinnati, you need to swing by Dunlap Cafe for some goetta — a German-inspired meat-and-grain sausage that's popular in the area. The eatery serves up generous-sized slices, cooked to crispy perfection on the outside and soft on the inside, as an omelet extra or a choice for BYOB (Build-Your-Own-Breakfast).
Tulsa
At Tulsa's Dilly Diner, you'll find awesome food and friendly, quick service. And with the quick service, you won't have to wait long to dig into a plate of breakfast tacos, fluffy and warm biscuits with gravy, or "The Jed," a huge, fresh-baked cinnamon roll, topped with your choice of a brown sugar pecan glaze or traditional whipped cream cheese frosting.
Portland
From four Portland locations, Pine State Biscuits doles out buttery biscuits with all the fixings you could possibly want — from fried green tomatoes to fried chicken to pulled pork to tofu bacon. Aside from the biscuit business, house specialties such as the triple stack of from-scratch blueberry cornmeal pancakes and bourbon-caramel cinnamon rolls are the real crowd pleasers.
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania might be the land of roadside diners, but there's something to be said about a shop that does doughnuts, fried chicken (including wings, tenders, salads, sandwiches, fries, and coffee really well. The expanding empire Federal Donuts serves only these these items, and they sell out every time. Rotating regular and fancy doughnut flavors — cookies and cream, cinnamon brown sugar, strawberry lavender, and key lime — keep even regulars on their toes.
Related: 31 Unique Doughnuts You Have to Try
Bristol
This simple breakfast spot offers mouthwatering plates like stuffed French toast, hash varieties, homemade muffins, and frittas, which are black bean cakes topped with avocado, scrambled eggs, cheddar, and salsa. All dishes are made with fresh ingredients and served in a friendly atmosphere.
Charleston
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit's grab-and-go bake shops in Charleston, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, dole out piping hot biscuits, pimento cheese sandwiches, and other locally inspired breakfast treats made to order. Score three Hot Little Biscuits of any kind for $6: buttermilk, shortcake, cheese and chive, country ham, black pepper bacon, cinnamon, sharp cheddar, or blackberry. Then add accoutrements such as cinnamon or savory thyme whipped butter, Carolina honey, bacon gravy, shredded cheddar, roasted tomatoes, avocado, fried egg, and more.
Custer
Before exploring the Black Hills of South Dakota, stop in for breakfast at Baker's Bakery & Cafe. The seasonal mainstay (it closes at the end of September) is known for its homemade bread and buns, gigantic cinnamon and pecan caramel rolls (arrive early), breakfast burrito, and omelets such as the Western style with crispy bacon, diced onion, and bell pepper, and shredded cheddar jack cheese with salsa and huge slices of sourdough toast. Splurge for the green chile sauce.
Memphis
Fill up at Bryant's Breakfast, a cash-only joint in Memphis. The bustling, counter-serve eatery dishes out classic Southern breakfast such as a superb grits breakfast bowl and cinnamon roll French toast. With so many menu options, it can be hard to decide what to order, but The Sampler breakfast special covers it all: three eggs, three homemade biscuits with country gravy, grits, a potato patty, plus a sampling of bacon, sausage, country ham, and pork tenderloin.
Austin
Mi Madre's has a full breakfast menu featuring breakfast plates and "Austin's best breakfast tacos." Breakfast plates include "Mi Madres Fajitas," house-marinated beef or chicken fajitas with roasted onions, rice, charro beans, tortillas, pico de gallo, and avocado. As far as breakfast tacos go, #0 hits the mark with crispy bacon, fluffy eggs, smashed Idaho potatoes, and melted cheddar jack cheese in a flour tortilla, but you could just as easily select #1-18 for a morning pick-me-up.
Layton
Longtime mom-and-pop spot Sill's Cafe serves up down-home American breakfast plates. The Utah institution's famous massive scones (not your average English scone; it's a Utah thing) are perfectly crispy and coated with honey butter "frosting" on the outside yet soft and doughy inside — it's enough to make you come back for more. Don't miss The Boss' Breakfast (eggs with cheese, bacon, and hash browns topped with a spicy gravy called S.O.S.), which also comes with a Utah-style scone the size of your head.
Burlington
While the restaurant may have lunch in the name, it isn't too shabby when it comes to breakfast. "We specialize in great egg sandwiches called 'McHandy's,' also if your hungry the 'Super G' egg sandwich. For the BIG breakfast eater we offer a 'Big Daddy' consisting of 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, bacon, sausage, home fries & toast" the website crows. Best of all, this hole-in-the-wall has been family owned since 1945.
Petersburg
Dixie Restaurant is classic small town Virginia, and orders start rolling from regulars as soon as the doors open. The old-school spot has been in business since 1939 (revitalized after a new owner took over in 2011), but its roster of simple Southern breakfasts stayed the same. You'll find the usual biscuits and gravy, triple stacks of hotcakes, cheesy grits and collard greens, and omelets with their famous chili sauce, but also more intriguing dishes such as Virginia ham steak and eggs, salmon cakes, salt herring, and "The Haynie," a house-made scrapple with a side of grits or stewed apples.
Langley
A short jaunt from Seattle, you'll discover Puget Sound's Whidbey Island and The Braeburn Restaurant, a cheery cafe with a charming patio, serving fantastic Pacific Northwest-inspired breakfasts and juice in a mason jar. Fresh bounty from the region's farms and local vendors make dishes such as veggie hash and daily brioche French toast specials focused on seasonal ingredients that much more special.
Sheperdstown
You might miss this small restaurant when walking by but stop in and you’ll be treating to old-school comfort food. The large-sized pancakes and apple butter are recommended options here, as is the homemade sausage gravy.
Sister Bay
Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik embraces Wisconsin's Scandinavian heritage with real goats grazing on its grass-lined roof and house specialties such as extra thin Swedish pancakes topped with Wisconsin butter and tart berries with a side of Swedish meatballs. For something more savory, opt for another common Swedish dish, pyttipanna, a roast beef hash served with one over-easy egg and homemade pickled beets.
Casper
If you're looking for a solid homestyle breakfast at an extremely reasonable price in Wyoming, Sherrie's Place is for you. The homey American restaurant is only open limited hours during the week, but hearty portions of breakfast staple chicken-fried steak — beautifully mastered by owner Sherrie Lopez with extra-crunchy crust and a thick gravy loaded with breakfast sausage crumbles — keep regulars coming back for more.