5 Restaurant Chains with the Best Chef-Driven Breakfast Menus, According to Chefs
Breakfast chains can be easy to overlook when you’re looking for chef-driven food, but some have raised the bar well beyond the standard eggs-and-toast routine. From scratch-made dishes and seasonal menus to carefully executed biscuits and creative takes on classic breakfast favorites, these chains show that a restaurant doesn’t have to be independently owned to take breakfast seriously. Eat This, Not That! asked Steve Ingber, Executive Chef & Owner, MileHighCook, which spots stand out for their food, technique, and attention to detail, and here are the top five.
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery brings a more creative approach to the breakfast chain format. “Snooze started in Denver and changed what people expect from breakfast out here,” says Chef Steve. “From-scratch program, rotating specials, and pancake flights that let you order three different batters.”
First Watch
First Watch stands out for treating breakfast as a seasonal menu rather than a set routine. According to Chef Steve, “First Watch rotates seasonal menus four or five times a year, which almost no breakfast chain does.” He says, “Juice pressed in-house, no heat lamps, and the eggs come out consistent.”
Another Broken Egg Cafe
Another Broken Egg Cafe takes a composed approach to breakfast, putting more thought into each plate than simply pairing eggs with a side. “They are doing composed plates, not eggs and a side,” Chef Steve explains. “Real hollandaise is a broken sauce waiting to happen, and running it at volume takes actual training.”
Hash Kitchen
Hash Kitchen brings some fine-dining ambition to the breakfast table. “Hash Kitchen out of Arizona is one of the more ambitious breakfast concepts in the country,” Chef Steve explains. “Cannoli pancakes and a Bloody Mary bar, clearly built by someone with a fine dining background.”
Maple Street Biscuit Company
At Maple Street Biscuit Company, the biscuit isn’t just a side dish. It’s the foundation of the menu. “Everything is built around a biscuit they take seriously, and biscuits are unforgiving,” says Chef Steve. “Overwork the dough and you get a hockey puck.”