Eat & Drink

The Best Breakfast Spots in Charlotte

Start your day at one of the Queen City’s best places for breakfast.

by Arielle Patterson

There’s nothing better than enjoying a satisfying breakfast before you take on the day. With options like eggs and bacon, pancakes, bagels and more, you certainly won’t want to hit snooze on your morning alarm. Whether you’re looking for a sit-down meal or grabbing food to go, try these top breakfast spots in Charlotte.

If you love breakfast foods but don’t want to wake up early, check out some of Charlotte’s best brunch spots.

The Common Market

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood, South End, Cotswold

All three locations of The Common Market offer breakfast starting at 8 a.m. Order a breakfast sandwich, on a toasted bagel or local sourdough, or choose a breakfast burrito to kick off your morning. The OG location in Plaza Midwood even offers a breakfast bowl with your choice of spinach, grits or hash browns.

Community Matters Café

Neighborhood: Uptown

Get your caffeine fix with a seasonal latte or hot tea, then fuel up for the day with dishes like a Cajun sausage skillet or sugar-crusted French toast. Community Matters serves more than just breakfast. This café also serves the community by providing jobs for students graduating from the Charlotte Rescue Mission.

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Easy Like Sunday

Neighborhood: Madison Park

Don’t let the name fool you. Easy Like Sunday is also open Tuesday through Saturday. The breakfast menu features fluffy pancakes, ricotta-stuffed French toast, a fried chicken sandwich with maple Dijon aioli and a veggie scramble that will give you a healthy serving of greens.

Eddie’s Place

Neighborhood: Cotswold

Eddie’s Place dishes out classic breakfast favorites, seven days a week. Order a waffle topped with chocolate chips for a sweet start to the day. You can’t go wrong with other Southern staples like chicken and waffles, steak and eggs and country-fried chicken on a biscuit with sausage gravy.

The Good Wurst Co.

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood, South End, Northwest Charlotte

Head to the walk-up window at one of The Good Wurst’s locations for a Montreal-style bagel. Sweeter and denser than a traditional bagel, these are baked in a wood-fired oven and served with cream cheese or as a breakfast sandwich. Complete your morning meal with a side of home fries or grits.

Landmark Diner

Neighborhood: East Charlotte

Landmark Diner earned national recognition after a feature on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Host Guy Fieri praised this Greek-family-owned diner for its massive cherry turnovers. Order the Greek omelet for breakfast then get one of the homemade desserts, like the chocolate mousse cake, to-go.

Local Loaf

Neighborhood: NoDa

Breakfast sandwiches are even better on fresh-baked bread. Order yours at Local Loaf on your choice of house-made sourdough, whole wheat, brioche, a bagel, English muffin or biscuit. Fill up on other breakfast options like shakshuka, shrimp and grits, and steak and eggs.

Milkbread

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood, Davidson

For a sweeter start to the day, try a homemade cinnamon roll or glazed donut. Savory items include avocado toast, smoked ham toast with gruyere and a crispy chicken biscuit. Milkbread’s gluten-free, vegetarian Morning Bowl tops labneh yogurt with blueberry, citrus, nut crunch, mint and local honey.

Poppy’s Bagels and More

Neighborhood: Cotswold, South End

While the South is known for biscuits, there are some spots to get a good bagel, too. Poppy’s prepares fresh bagels throughout the day to serve as early as 7 a.m. Order a blueberry bagel with shmear, an everything bagel with lox spread or plain bagel with bacon, egg and cheese.

Resident Culture South End

Neighborhood: South End

Start your morning at Resident Culture's South End location, home to El Toro Bruto. El Toro Bruto's breakfast menu features Mexican-inspired options like breakfast tacos and a beer-battered waffle topped with fruit and vanilla creme. Pair your food with a locally brewed iced coffee or Dirty Horchata.

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Rhino Market

Neighborhood: NoDa, South End, SouthPark, Uptown, Wesley Heights

Kick off your day with the customer-favorite breakfast burrito at all five Rhino Market locations. Scrambled eggs, potato hash, sausage, sharp cheddar cheese and salsa are wrapped in a tortilla to create this classic burrito. A vegan burrito is also featured on the breakfast menu, along with French toast and oatmeal.

Ruby Sunshine

Neighborhood: South End, Ballantyne

Get a taste of the Big Easy at Ruby Sunshine, a popular brunch spot open at 7 a.m. This all-day breakfast menu includes eggs benedict piled high with gulf shrimp or apple-braised pork, as well as bananas foster French toast and a classic Southern breakfast served with fried green tomatoes.

Uptown Yolk

Neighborhood: Uptown

From restaurant power couple Greg and Subrina Collier, Uptown Yolk’s breakfast is made with locally sourced ingredients. A sweet potato waffle served with pecan butter, the Mojo Hash with braised steak and a build-you-own omelet are some highlights of the menu. Take advantage of the early bird special, between 8-10 a.m. to save 15% on your order on weekdays.

Vicious Biscuit

Neighborhood: South Charlotte

Over-the-top biscuits make up the menu at Vicious Biscuit, with over a dozen to choose from. Namesake The Vicious, on a cheddar and jalapeño biscuit, has crispy fried chicken, maple sausage gravy and cowboy candy. Other options include biscuits with seafood and an eggs benedict served on a buttermilk biscuit.

Arielle Patterson

Arielle is the Digital Content Specialist for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. A Baltimore native, Arielle quickly fell in love with everything the Queen City has to offer after her first visit. When she's not writing and editing, she's indulging in Charlotte's culinary scene or at home watching reality television.