The age-old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is especially true on a trip. A hearty breakfast along with a strong cup of coffee is essential fuel for a day full of sightseeing and exploring a new city. I had a full itinerary during my most recent trip to Houston, Texas’Texas’s mega-metropolis and the nation’s most culturally diverse city.

I visited Houston’s famous museum district, which includes everything from fine art to natural history. I walked through Houston’s glorious Herman Park and caught an evening musical performance at Miller Outdoor Theater. The list goes on and on.
Houston’s breakfast restaurants exemplify the culinary diversity and standard of excellence for customers to savor the morning.
Whether you’re looking for a continental breakfast, a quick pastry and espresso, or a lavish, gourmet breakfast at a fine-dining bistro, you’ll find everything you’re looking for on the following list of the best breakfast restaurants in Houston.
The Breakfast Klub
3711 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002
Phone: 713-528-8561
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Voted the best breakfast in the nation by Zagat, USA Today, Esquire, and Forbes, The Breakfast Klub is Houston’s pride and joy neighborhood breakfast restaurant.
Located in Midtown, The Breakfast Klub specializes in Southern comfort food and is most famous for its fried chicken and waffles. On any given day, there’s a line out the door with tourists and locals alike willing to wait an hour or more.
Don’t worry; it’s well worth the wait. Whether you want biscuits and gravy, catfish and grits, or a Texas-style French toast, Breakfast Klub serves the best version of it.
I had to try the famous Wings and Waffles, featuring a giant golden Belgian waffle and six crispy fried chicken wings with powdered sugar and strawberries.
Baby Barnaby’s
602 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006
Phone: 713-522-4229
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Located in the vibrant Montrose neighborhood, Baby Barnaby’s is a colorful, pet-friendly neighborhood café and the breakfast addition of a beloved Houston chain. Named for the owner and founder’s beloved childhood pup, Barnaby’s has eight eateries around Houston that are popular for lunch and dinner.
Baby Barnaby’s also offers lunch and dinner and has a full breakfast menu seven days a week. Baby Barnaby’s offers a slew of American breakfast favorites from every region, whether you want bagel and lox or a breakfast burrito.
They also have tasty, healthy options. I enjoyed their Migas, corn tortilla strips, green chilies, onions, tomatoes, and cheese scrambled with three eggs and served with salsa and roasted potatoes.
Tiny Boxwood’s
3614 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77027
Phone: 713-622-4224
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Tiny Boxwood’s is a fine-dining country-chic bistro in the ritzy River Oaks neighborhood surrounded by a nursery full of the Boxwood trees, its namesake. Owners Baron Doke, Gregg Thompson, and Lance Thompson pride Tiny Boxwood’s on providing an elegant and hospitable environment to enjoy high-quality meals made from scratch.
They offer brunch on the weekends with refined multicourse meals and a variety of freshly squeezed juices and brunch cocktails.
I enjoyed a Dalmatian cocktail with vodka, fresh grapefruit, lemon, and black pepper with my beautifully presented avocado toast topped with fried egg, cold-smoked salmon, sun-dried tomatoes, lime, salt, pepper, and honey on organic sourdough.
Blacksmith
1018 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
Phone: 832-360-7470
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Located in Montrose, Blacksmith is an edgy, contemporary neighborhood café that is proud to be locally owned.
Their ample outdoor patio and trendy, industrial-chic interior are both great places to savor an expertly crafted espresso drink or organic house-roasted cup of drip coffee while enjoying a delectable breakfast or lunch.
They have a rotating selection of coffee from around the globe, and their espresso drinks always come beautifully presented with foamy images. I enjoyed their Mexican breakfast of Silver Platter Chilaquiles, fresh tortilla chips topped with eggs, salsa verde, black beans, and queso fresco.
Common Bond Bistro & Bakery – Montrose
1706 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
Phone: 713-529-3535
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With its flagship location in the Montrose neighborhood, Common Bond Bistro and Bakery has since expanded to include locations in the Heights, the medical center, City Place, and downtown. They offer fast-casual counter service for breakfast and lunch and have one of the best selections of freshly baked pastries, cookies, artisanal cakes, and whole loaves in town.
Waiting in line to order your meal, you will see a glass counter full of croissants, sticky buns, fruit tarts, cakes, and more. No one can resist such temptation and usually orders a few to eat while they enjoy coffee and wait for the main course.
I recommend their indulgent Croque-Madame with Parisian ham, gruyere, swiss, and jalapeno bechamel topped with a soft-boiled egg.
Empire Cafe
1732 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77098
Phone: 713-528-5282
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Empire Café is a European-style café, coffee house, and wine bar that has been a Montrose institution for sophisticated streetside hangouts and study sessions for over 20 years. The wonderful outdoor patio is shrouded in blooming bougainvillea, and the Italian-inspired menu and coffee are the best in town.
You can savor an espresso and Italian breakfast every day and stick around for a glass of wine in the evening. They’re also a full bakery, so you can enjoy a croissant or scone as a starter. My favorite breakfast dish at Empire is the Roma, two eggs any style on focaccia bread with basil pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese served with cheddar hash browns and fresh fruit.
Black Walnut Cafe
Multiple Locations
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Black Walnut Café is a fast-casual neighborhood café, beer, and wine bar with six locations around Houston and the surrounding suburbs of Conroe, Katy, and The Woodlands. They have a full espresso bar, a gelato counter, and a selection of artisanal beers on tap to enjoy in a cozy, bright, and friendly atmosphere with family and friends.
Food is a refined take on American comfort foods, with plenty of healthy options. The breakfast menu has a wealth of Benedicts, omelets, scrambles, and griddle cakes. I loved their TX Whiskey Pecan Pie pancakes made with buttermilk flapjacks, toasted pecan pie filling, sweetened cream, and TX Whiskey caramel.
Harry’s Restaurant
318 Tuam St, Houston, TX 77006
Phone: 713-528-0198
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Harry’s Restaurant has been a Houston institution for the past 40 years, with multiple owners and menu changes in its tenure as a Montrose staple. Owned and operated by the Plastas family since 1990, Harry’s has been completely renovated and offers a beautiful wooden space to enjoy recipes that represent the family’s Greek and Ecuadorian heritage.
Harry’s delicious breakfast menu has won acclaim in the Houston Chronicle, Houston Press, The Daily Meal, Thrillist, and more.
They have a wide selection of Greek and Latin American breakfast favorites like Baklava French Toast, Salvadoran pupusas, and Greek-style feta fries, along with American breakfasts. I loved the fresh Pupusas stuffed with cheese and zucchini with a fried egg and pickled veggies.
Lola
1102 Yale St, Houston, TX 77008
Phone: 713-426-5652
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Located in the heart of the hip Heights neighborhood, Lola is a modern diner specializing in the American comfort food classics served in hearty portions along with bottomless cups of coffee. Their cute corner diner has an old-timey façade with a creative industrial-chic interior befitting of the Heights.
Lola offers a more refined version of comfort foods, using fresh ingredients and lovely presentations. The local favorite is The So-Cal omlette with portabella mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper medley, and goat cheese, topped with fresh sprouts and avocado slices served with applewood smoked maple bacon, house potatoes, and sourdough toast.
Pondicheri
2800 Kirby Dr b132, Houston, TX 77098
Phone: 713-522-2022
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Owned and operated by famed Chef and restauranteur Anita Jaisinghani, Pondicheri is a contemporary Indian-inspired eatery. Located in the Upper Kirby neighborhood, Pondicheri exhibits a modern take on Indian cuisine using locally sourced, fresh produce and Ayurvedic philosophy.
Its unique menu and beautiful dining space have won accolades in countless publications, from the Houston Press to Thrillist. They are also very affordable for how gourmet and fresh these inventive meals are. The breakfast and lunch menu features curries, thalis, eggs, and griddled cakes, all prepared with Indian techniques and flavors.
Try the morning thali with lamb keema, chai oats, sambhar, saag, potato cake, fried egg, and carrot paratha.
La Guadalupana
2109 Dunlavy St, Houston, TX 77006
Phone: 713-522-2301
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As another Montrose favorite, La Guadalupana is a Mexican Bakery and café in a casual, family-family friendly atmosphere with a great outdoor patio. They are a family-owned and operated café that offers the most authentic Mexican pastries, breakfasts, seafood, and tacos. They also make a great cup of coffee traditional to Mexico called café de holla.
Texas Monthly, The Houston Chronicle, and The Houston Press claim that they have the best Mole and green enchiladas in town. I also love that they make fresh-squeezed vegetable and fruit juices. They have everything from Huevos Rancheros to Chilaquiles to breakfast tacos, and it’s all outstanding and cheap.
Dish Society
Multiple Locations
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Dish Society is a farm-to-table eatery in a modern, industrial-chic dining space with locations in Tanglewood, Bellaire, the Galleria area, the Heights, and Memorial. Dish Society uses only local produce and bread purveyors, serving sustainable and locally sourced coffee from Greenway coffee.
Their healthy and nutrient-rich versions of classic American comfort foods truly show that nutrition is also delicious. Houston Press, Thrillist, Eater, and more deem Dish Society one of the nation’s top restaurants for farm-to-table, quick meals, healthy meals, and brunch.
Their juices, elixirs, and smoothies are fresh, vibrant, and sure to fuel your day with clean energy. My favorite breakfast dish was the Brisket N Eggs with smoked chopped brisket, tomatillo relish, pickled onions, fried corn kernels, and two sunny side eggs with smoked gouda.
House of Pies
Multiple Locations
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Founded in 1967, House of Pies is Houston’s most iconic and treasured 24-hour diner and favorite hangout spot for all age groups and demographics. Family-owned and operated for 45 years, House of Pies epitomizes the old-fashioned 70s diner replete with retro décor and a counter full of dozens of variations of pies.
If I had to choose one restaurant that every Houstonian talks about with pride, it would be House of Pies. Like any diner worth its salt, they serve breakfast all day and night. They now have five locations apart from the original on Kirby, Houston’s veritable restaurant row.
Since this is a true Texas diner, I’d recommend the chicken fried steak and eggs with country gravy. Save room for pie!
Lucille’s
5512 La Branch St, Houston, TX 77004
Phone: 713-568-2505
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Located catty-corner to the Houston Children’s Museum and two blocks from the beautiful Herman Park, Lucille’s is a quaint, family-friendly Southern Comfort bistro.
Locally owned, Lucille’s offers refined and innovative modern Southern dishes in a country-house setting with the best southern hospitality. They’re famous for their southern-style battered and fried chicken.
Their weekend boozy brunch is full of delicious brunch cocktails with silly names like Woke Punch as well as the best Southern breakfasts in town. I started with a plate of fried green tomatoes and Lucille’s famous Chili biscuits, followed by an entrée of Shrimp and grits with andouille sausage and sherry tomato broth.
Snooze an AM Eatery
Multiple Locations
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Snooze an AM Eatery is a hip breakfast eatery and bar chain that makes a boozy brunch in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere possible every day of the week.
Snooze strives for sustainable practices and locally sourced ingredients to elaborate its vast offering of breakfast and brunch favorites from around the nation. There are four Snooze eateries around Houston, with the most central being in the Galleria area.
They have tons of creative cocktails, cold-pressed juices, and high-quality coffee to accompany a hearty selection of innovative eats. Whether you want a benedict, scramble, short stack, or Mexican breakfast, Snooze has it all.
My favorite dish was the Lox and Latke Benny, two potato pancakes topped with cured salmon, poached eggs, cream cheese hollandaise, fried capers, pickled red onions, and pistou served with dressed greens.
The Buffalo Grille
4080 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005
Phone: 713-661-3663
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As another Houston institution, Buffalo Grille opened in 1984 in Bellaire and has been a neighborhood favorite for Texas-style breakfasts with Texas-sized portions. They’re a fast-casual restaurant where you order at the counter, and they call your name when your food is ready.
Although the flagship location has been renovated, you can count on always seeing the giant taxidermy buffalo head as the constant centerpiece. This option is a great restaurant to come to for family meals, and there’s usually a line out the door on the weekends.
They make delicious Mexican breakfasts like breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, and migas, along with Texas favorites like grits, biscuits, and chicken fried steak.
Le Peep
Multiple Locations
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With five locations including Memorial City, Katy, and the Galleria Area, Le Peep is a locally owned breakfast spot serving Houston for over 30 years. The friendly service, great coffee, and comfortable, casual atmosphere accounts for Le Peep’s long tenure as a Houston favorite.
They have a health club menu for those wanting a more nutritious, health-conscious meal along with a wide variety of scrambles, omelets, pancakes, waffles, benedicts, and more. I loved their custard-dipped sourdough French toast dusted with powdered sugar and topped with whipped butter and cinnamon apples.
Another Broken Egg Cafe
118A Vintage Park Blvd Bldg G, Houston, TX 77070
Phone: 281-257-3447
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Founded in 1996 in Louisiana, Another Broken Egg Café is a southern-inspired breakfast, brunch, and lunch eatery that has become one of the nation’s leading breakfast franchises, with more than 35 locations and counting.
Houston’s Broken Egg Café location is inside a cute, homey space in the Vintage Lake neighborhood. Since they’re out of Louisiana, you know their boozy brunch game is on point. Their bloody marys are some of the best I’ve had and are full of pickled garnishes.
Their menu is as decadent and over the top as a Mardi Gras party with dishes like a cinnamon roll French toast, crab cake benedict, and lobster and grits.
The Toasted Yolk Cafe
Multiple Locations
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The Toasted Yolk Café is a bright and fun breakfast, lunch, and brunch chain that strives to elevate breakfast as the best meal of the day. The décor is a modern spin on a comfortable breakfast diner with a full cocktail, juice, and espresso bar.
You can visit them in any of their 16 locations throughout the greater Houston area, include the central Washington Avenue location. As per their name, the menu is decidedly egg-centric with a long list of benedicts, scrambles, continental breakfasts, omelets, and more.
I loved their version of eggs in the hole called The Toasted Yolk, with two slices of sourdough bread grilled with an egg in the middle of each and served with crispy bacon and a side of hashbrown casserole.