Breakfast is a meal with a lot of variety, existing sometimes as takeout during work commutes or at other times as a relaxing full morning affair. Sacramento meets breakfast’s different demands perfectly, with a spectrum of choices ranging from casual donut shop favorites and light brunches to packed nationally recognized sit-down pancake houses. Plus, thanks to Sacramento’s local “Farm-to-Fork” culture, breakfast cooks frequently collaborate with surrounding farms to provide the freshest experiences.
Feature photo: Courtesy of Marie’s Donuts
Downtown
British
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Happy Hour | Dogs Welcome | Brunch | Full Bar | Private Party Room
Notorious English-inspired Fox and Goose pub along historic R Street Corridor is famous for its olallieberry scones paired with Devonshire breakfast cream. Scones are complimented by English sausage alongside beans and toast, smoked meats and corn beef hash, and plenty of other selections that allow customers to visit repeatedly. The incredible breakfast spot is housed in historic Fuller Paints and Glass Company’s facility from the 1910s, and was reinvented into a traditional pub gathering space by an English restauranteur in 1975. When breakfast ends at 2pm, a dinner menu supplements regular live music, open mic, and pub quiz public events. They do not accept reservations.
1001 R St, Sacramento, 916.443.8825
Coffee Shop
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Dogs Welcome | Brunch
On a Saturday morning, the line out the door looks formidable, but it moves fast at Camellia Coffee Roasters, in a warehouse on Sacramento’s stylish R Street corridor. Friendly staffers churn out espresso drinks and teas as well as surprisingly affordable and rib-sticking breakfast goodies such as omelet sandwiches with bacon, sausage and veggies, and bagels with cream cheese or avocado or “hooked up” with scallion-dill cream cheese and smoked salmon. They do not accept reservations.
1200 R St, Sacramento
American
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Happy Hour | Brunch | Full Bar
It’s the funnest hotel breakfast ever, eaten aboard the Delta King paddlewheel river cruiser docked on the Sacramento River in the Old Sacramento Waterfront. The 285-foot vessel was christened in May 1927 and for some 10 years voyaged regularly between San Francisco and Sacramento in 10-hour trips that included drinking, jazz bands, gambling and dining. The breakfast menu in The Pilothouse restaurant today includes all the usuals — omelet, burrito, breakfast sandwich, eggs Benedict, French toast, pancakes, and biscuits and gravy.
1000 Front St, Sacramento, 916.444.5464
Midtown
American
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Brunch
Sibling by Pushkin’s offers farm-fresh brunch, with an empowering vegan-friendly and 100% gluten free menu better than the vast majority of restaurants for visitors. Look no further for some of Midtown’s best morning toasts and Benedict’s, quinoa and parfait bowls, breakfast staples like waffles topped with fruit and sandwich lunch selections. Additional highlights are the outside patio with a view of the Capitol rotunda a few blocks distant and newly developed dinner menu which is available on select days.
1813 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, 916.823.5520
American
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Dogs Welcome | Brunch
Specializing in crepes all day, this casual eatery on a bustling Handle District corner also brings in breakfast-eaters for omelets, scrambles, Benedicts, pancakes and other morning goodies. (The lunch crowd will find an additional lineup of burgers, sandwiches and salads.) Some 15 savory crepes grace the menu, along with at least 17 sweet ones, including the ever-popular strawberry, with the fluffy crepe, sweet red strawberries and a heap of whipped cream. They do not accept reservations.
1730 L St, Sacramento, 916.444.1100
American
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Brunch
Sacramento natives Jennifer and Keith Swiryn opened The Morning Fork in the famous Lucky Café’s digs in June 2019, and they’ve been flipping omelets — and then some — ever since. With a lengthy menu of omelets, Benedicts, waffles (try the pistachio!), pancakes and French toast, The Morning Fork can get very busy, especially on weekend mornings. There’s booze (beer, bubbly and cocktails), and darn good brew from local Coffee Works. They do not accept reservations.
1111 21st St, Sacramento, 916.476.6765
Cafe
Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Brunch | Full Bar
With four locations (and open all day), two in the midtown area, Café Bernardo is part of the renowned local Paragary Restaurant Group and a staple among Sacramento’s dining options. It has breakfast favorites including a chicken-apple sausage scramble, a black bean/scrambled egg burrito, a Benedict on rosemary bread, a decadent brioche French toast, and a yeast-raised Belgian waffle topped with banana, maple syrup and salted pecans. The midtown (inside Fort Sutter Hotel) and R Street locations both have outdoor seating. They do not accept reservations.
2730 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, 916.603.2304
East Sac
Breakfast
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Dogs Welcome | Brunch
Locally celebrated Orphan Breakfast House is a perfect morning outing tucked among the nostalgically attractive neighborhoods in northern East Sac. Rosemary-baked toast, heaping banana blackberry or lemon poppyseed pancakes, nods to Latin flavors with chilaquiles and sweet corn breakfast tamales, and light granola yogurt or other small plates really go the extra mile and are loved in hundreds of reviews and media outlets. Referencing “orphan businesses” which succeed without large exterior support, Orphan’s menu, setting and fun quirks like cash only payment (free ATM on site) make a breakfast experience that many people return for. They do not accept reservations.
3440 C St, Sacramento, 916.442.7370
American
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Happy Hour | Dogs Welcome | Brunch | Full Bar | Watch the Game
The Mimosa House, a local chain with locations all around the Sacramento and foothill regions, is in the landmark Shakey’s Pizza Parlor building on a popular corner in East Sac. To go with any of 50+ mimosas available, there’s a dizzying array of omelets, skillets, scrambles, Benedicts, burritos, crepes, waffles, pancakes, Hawaiian loco mocos, South of the Border specialties, combinations and more. The “East Sacramento” mimosa has house brut with pineapple and cranberry juices.
5641 J St, Sacramento, 916.400.4084
Mexican
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Brunch
Tucked into a quaint center near Sacramento State, this little café has been serving Mexican specialties for the past 30+ years. Breakfast burritos are plump with potatoes, eggs, salsa and choice of veggies, “cheese n corn” or a variety of meats (including chile verde). A platter of huevos rancheros hits the spot. Also popular: the Little Cactus Special, a scrambled mixture of tortilla chips, eggs, cactus (nopalitos), corn and cheese, topped with more cheese, sour cream, salsa and sauces. Word to the wise: cash/check only. They do not accept reservations.
5530 H St, Sacramento, 916.452.8226
Bakery
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Dogs Welcome
Moonbelly Bakery is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday till 1:30 p.m., but it’s worth trying to get there for croissants (ham and cheese, egg and ham, chocolate, and others), cinnamon buns, quiche, sourdough breads, focaccia, house-made granola and jams and jellies, and lots and lots of cookies, among other goodies. It’s conveniently located between the 65th Street light rail station and the Sac State tunnel. They do not accept reservations.
6511 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento
Other Neighborhoods
Bakery
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Kid-friendly | Dogs Welcome
Visitors smell fresh baked Marie’s Donuts several hundred feet away from the relatively unassuming, old-school teal and white building with paintings of donuts on the side. People drive from across town to this cute Land Park shop that’s been serving every kind of traditional sprinkled, powdered, glazed and frosted donut in pink cardboard boxes since the 1950s. Orders taken from their exterior walk-up window are appreciated at garage sales and business meetings alike. It’s a decades-old donut stop which genuinely embodies a casual morning stop, always delicious, and is a cherished local icon for doing so. They do not accept reservations.
2950 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, 916.444.5245
American
ADA-compliant | Grab ‘n Go | Outdoor Seating | Kid-friendly | Brunch | Full Bar
Bacon and Butter’s name hints at the face-stuffing delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch flavors which are celebrated by a cult following of diners, local media and Michelin reviewers within. Almost everything is made farm-to-table in house, from the famous grilled cheese Benedict and homemade cinnamon rolls to fun rotating selections like cumquat syrup and over 25 breakfast cocktails. Smaller plates and vegetarian options are also no problem at this fun urban diner located in Tahoe Park. They do not accept reservations.
5913 Broadway, Sacramento, 916.346.4445
