Nothing better than the best breakfast in Philadelphia, and we’ve got all kinds of options and more!
Picking a handful of breakfast places from 12,621 registered food establishments in Philadelphia can be a tricky task.
So is choosing from the city’s signature eats. There’s everything on offer right from a cheesesteak smothered with Whiz, a flavour-packed hoagie on a crusty roll, a slice of freshly baked tomato pie sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, salty (soft pretzels), Butterscotch Krimpets, and Scrapple to name a few.
But what are some of the best places to hit up?
Reading Terminal Market
It’s a breakfast spread fit for the gods. A million options, and all at a reasonable price. Nearly 80 merchants (including 26 restaurants) offer the best of Philadelphia’s famous specialities and loads of international cuisine at the historic market. Not surprisingly, it was voted the best public market across the nation in 2022 by USA Today’s 10Best. Walk around to find mozzarella cheese made on-site at the Valley Shepherd Creamery.
Devour Tommy DiNic’s roast pork sandwich, the winner of Travel Channel’s Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America. Of course, you can’t skip the soft pretzels at Miller’s Twist; Old City Coffee; Apple dumplings at Dutch Eating Place; and Bassetts Ice Cream. Don’t miss Anatomically Correct Chocolates – pick a chocolate heart, lung, or ears. Get to the market early if you’d rather avoid post 11 am crowds!
Where: 51 N. 12th Street
Frieda
Nearly 25,000 butterfly cut-outs are strung in & out of Frieda, a place that aims at (re)connecting generations. The avo on toast, scrumptious French toast drowning in sweet syrup, warm almond croissant, Bircher muesli and freshly brewed coffee can satiate even the fussiest eater. But Frieda’s USP lies in its ethos.
The butterflies became a project to keep the elderly engaged during the pandemic. David Wong, co-owner & a Paris-trained chef, believes in bringing everyone together. David, Fausta, and Elton do the cooking while Oli, Sandra, Ron, and Val are some of the retirees from neighbourhoods who love to bake. They’re the ones crafting all the cookies and jams. If you miss breakfast, slide-in for their splendid afternoon tea.
If I had to pick my last breakfast, I’ll pick one from Frieda. Tell ya, I get mushy about good hearts.
Where: 320 Walnut Street
Green Eggs Cafe
With four locations, Green Eggs Cafe is a fave with locals as well as out-towners. If long queues could speak, you’d know the breakfast here is good. Eggs are styled several different ways, and there are plenty of benedict variations to go around as well.
For the sweet-toothed, there’s Cookie Dough Stuffed French Toast and Red Velvet Pancakes to name a few. Mood for a big breakfast? Opt for the Kitchen Sink skillet, which is essentially eggs scrambled with sausage, gruyere, potatoes, peppers and onions, topped with a homemade biscuit and country-style sausage gravy.
Where: Five Locations: South Philly (1306 Dickinson St), Midtown Village (1301 Locust St), Fishtown (2327 Gaul St), Rittenhouse Square (33 S. 18th St), Brewery Town (2800 West Girard Ave)
Sabrina’s
When there’s French Toast latte on the menu, you know your morning’s gotta be good. Add to the list Blackberry Lavender White Chocolate latte, Pistachio Mocha latte, and Blueberry Lavender lemonade for the ultimate morning beverage menu. All eggs are served with Sabrina’s fried homies and your choice of bread. The signature items include their special Huevos Rancheros, Stuffed Challah French Toast, Shrimp & Grits, Kick A** Burrito, and a 5 Grain Bowl.
Where: Four locations: Art Museum (1804 Callowhill Street), Collingwood (714 Haddon Ave), University City (227 N 34th St), Wynnewood (50 E Wynne-wood Rd)
Winkel
This Northern European-style cafe in Midtown Village serves a to-die-for breakfast all day on weekdays. And a banging weekend brunch too. Choose from cranberry almond deep-fried French toast, a rabbit, white bean and chive frittata, or the Uitsmijter ham and cheese (an open-faced sandwich with two eggs). Other breakfast plates include The Big Breakfast, Beans on Toast, Breakfast Sandwich, Tofu Scramble, Vegetable Frittata, Matzo Brei, Shrimp & Dutch Grits. Do not miss the in-house-made Jonathan’s bread, an absolutely unforgettable bite.
Where: 1119 Locust Street
Italian Market
If you have watched the film Rocky, you’d recognise this place to be the market where Sylvester Stallone ran. One of the oldest and largest open-air markets in the country, they have several options including pizza at Angelo’s Pizzeria, which Philly Mag called the best pizza in town. Of course, there’s plenty else to look forward to such as hummus, falafel, kebabs and Turkish coffee in Al Zaytouna. There’s Mexican in Blue Corn, huevos con mole for breakfast at Mole Poblano, and tacos in South Philly Barbacoa.
Where: 9th Street
Parc
Voted one of the 100 most scenic restaurants in the US, Parc describes itself as a ‘lightly perfumed love letter to all the City of Light has to offer, written in a distinct Philadelphian hand’. The all-day diner presents a sweeping interpretation of the French lifestyle and a large menu. They’ve got it all from a café au lait and fresh-baked croissant to start your morning through right to flawless brasserie classics like steak frites, escargots and towering plateaus of fruits de mer.
If you’re not an early riser, you’re in luck. They open at 10 am on weekends and 11 am on weekdays.
Where: 227 S. 18th St.
Pat’s King of Steaks
It will be deemed sacrilege if you leave Philadelphia without eating the iconic cheesesteak at Pat’s. They’re widely credited as originators and inventors of the oh!so Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Open 24/7 and owned by the Oliveri family for 92 years, there’s a cute and extremely fun ‘How to Order Cheesesteak’ lesson by Mr I.M. Hungry before you go!
Do not forget to put your foot on the Sylvester Stallone size 11 footprint. A plaque honours Rocky’s exact order spot at Pat’s counter as he ordered on November 21, 1976. .
Where: 1237 E Passyunk Ave (at 9th & Wharton Sts)
Shane Confectionery
If you’re the kind who likes their breakfast super-sweet, Shane Confectionery is your go-to. The nation’s oldest continuously operating candy store presents its storefront and products in a turn-of-the-century fashion. It’s all the works, what with the vintage cash registers, display cases, signage, and other antiques.
Do not miss the Christopher Ludwick Gingerbread (he was the mid-1700s Superintendent of Bakers for the Continental Army). It’s hand-pressed into a replica of Ludwick’s original cookie board, now held at the Museum of the American Revolution. And the Modjeskas (caramel-wrapped marshmallows) are named after the 19th-century Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska.
Where: 110 Market Street
Franklin Fountain
This turn-of-the-century ice cream parlour and soda fountain offer old-school scoops of handmade ice cream and flavourful sips of bubbly in the Old City. Franklin Fountain prides itself on the use of natural dyes and flavours. The milk and cream come from a 1920s family dairy, and all the fruit is grown locally and used in a seasonal fashion.
Where: 116 Market Street
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