It's called the most important meal of the day for a reason. Luckily for Louisville diners, our local restaurants know how to do breakfast well.
Whether you like sweet or savory breakfast foods, here are more than a dozen breakfast and brunch spots you need to try around Louisville.
984 Barret Ave.; 5050 Norton Healthcare Boulevard, Hours: daily, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., bigbadbreakfast.com
This Southern breakfast chain has two locations in Louisville. The menu features a specially curated "Big Bad Hot Brown," made with black pepper buttermilk biscuits, white cheddar mornay, roasted turkey, tomatoes, and house-cured Tabasco brown sugar bacon ($14). Big Bad specialty dishes include a breakfast crumble with a crumbled buttermilk biscuit, grits, tomato gravy, crumbled bacon, tomatoes, poached eggs and green onions ($11.50), and a pecan cluster short stack of chocolate chip pancakes ($13.50), among other breakfast staples.
Numerous locations, Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., biscuitbelly.com
Biscuit Belly, which has numerous locations in Kentucky and neighboring states, serves breakfast and brunch with an emphasis on its made-to-order biscuit sandwiches. Most are topped with fried chicken plus breakfast goodies including egg, bacon, or pimento cheese. You can get a Nashville hot chicken biscuit, a barbecue chicken biscuit, a biscuit with fried chicken, sweet pepper jelly and goat cheese and more. There are also three versions of biscuits and gravy, breakfast cocktails and other Southern dishes.
1000 Goss Ave., Hours: daily, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., fatallanskitchen.com
Breakfast A.F., which opened in late 2023, is a quick-service breakfast restaurant that serves a variety of signature savory dishes, sandwiches, sweet options, and more.
Chef Allan Rosenberg previously told the Courier Journal diners should check out the Big Ass Burrito, which boasts marinated sirloin, scrambled eggs, black bean smear, smoked tomatillos salsa, crispy potatoes, avocado, and pickled red onions in a flour tortilla; and the BAF Tacos, made with slow-cooked pork, scrambled eggs, smoked tomatillo salsa chipotle aioli, lettuce, and tomatoes.
731 Brent St., Hours: daily, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., thecafetogo.com
The Cafe in Louisville's Paristown Pointe neighborhood is a local, casual spot for Southern-style dishes served in a renovated warehouse.
Dishes include The Stephen Foster, Kentucky country ham and Swiss cheese with Dijon mustard served on toast points with homemade Mornay sauce and two sunny-side-up eggs, spinach and diced tomato ($14.50); the Egg Sandwich, two scrambled eggs topped with Cheddar cheese, served on croissant or English muffin, with one side, choose from roasted potatoes, grits or fresh seasonal fruit ($9.50); and Twice-Baked French Toast, French baguettes sliced on the bias and drenched in our homemade egg custard then baked to a golden brown, topped with cinnamon, pecans, powdered sugar and apples ($12), among others.
Multiple locations, Hours: vary by location, conhuevos.com
Con Huevos is a locally owned, Mexican breakfast and lunch restaurant with multiple locations that serves scratch-made dishes. The Mexican restaurant’s first location opened nine years ago, in March 2015.
Though popular dishes include things like Huevos Rancheros, what you should get is the tres leches pancakes.
“Our pancakes are within the top 10 (in the country),” owner Jesús Martínez previously told the Courier Journal .
This ranking comes from the 2018 Travel + Leisure piece, “These Are the 25 Best Places to Eat Pancakes in America.” Based on Yelp data that ranks restaurants with a large concentration of reviews mentioning “pancakes,” the article lists Con Huevos eighth. It is the only Kentucky eatery that made the cut.
2712 Frankfort Ave., Hours: daily, 7:30 am. to 2 p.m., eggsoverfrankfort.co
Eggs Over Frankfort serves up homestyle breakfast fare such as omelets and pancakes in a cozy setting with country accents.
Popular items include the Breakfast Burrito, made with scrambled eggs, choice of meat, cheese, potatoes and a side item ($14), Eggs Benedict, two poached eggs, country ham, fresh hollandaise, paprika on toasted English muffin and choice of side ($12.50), and Buttermilk Pancakes, three homemade cakes stacked, sprinkled with powdered sugar ($12). You can also add your choice of strawberries on/blueberries in, pecans, butterscotch chips, or chocolate chips to the pancakes.
Multiple locations, Hours: vary by location, firstwatch.com
First Watch is a chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes made to order. The menu includes items like Shishito Brisket Hash, made with blistered shishito peppers and smoked, hand-pulled brisket in a potato hash, topped with two cage-free eggs any style, house-roasted summer sweet corn, Cheddar and Monterey Jack, house-pickled red onions, scallions, roasted garlic aioli and Maldon sea salt.; The Traditional, made with two cage-free eggs any style with your choice of bacon, smoked ham, chicken sausage patties, turkey or pork sausage links. Served with our whole grain artisan toast, all-natural house preserves and fresh, seasoned potatoes; and Steel-cut Oatmeal, made to order with berries, fresh sliced banana, pecans, low-fat milk, brown sugar and a freshly baked muffin of the day, among other items.
1001 Baxter Ave., Hours: 9 a.m, to 2 p.m., thegrales.com/gralehaus
Founded in 2014, Gralehaus operates a cafe inside an old Victorian-style home built in the early 1900s. It serves a variety of breakfast goodies, from the Best Damn Coffee Cake, gooey brown sugar, cinnamon, sorghum, crunchy almond streusel top ($6); Eggs & Grains, chilled farro verde, poached eggs, avocado, feta, seasonal vegetables, chimichurri ($16); Smashed Avocado, charred corn, pepita crunch, pickled red onion, jammy egg, Blue Dog sourdough ($16) and more.
You'll also find a variety of coffee, tea, sparkling apple juice, alcoholic beverages and more.
1416 Bardstown Road, 111 St. Matthews Ave., Hours: varies by location, highlandmorning.org
Highland Morning is a small cafe with a straightforward menu of homestyle Southern breakfast and lunch staples. Customer favorites include dishes like the Crab Cake Benedict, the Loop's Fried Egg Sandwich, Steak 'n' Eggs, Key West Key Lime Pancakes, and a Denver Scramble.
One time to add to your must-try list is the Highland Not Brown, which is a breakfast version of the Louisville Hot Brown, made with toasted sourdough, melted Parmesan, cheddar jack, oven-roasted turkey, sliced tomatoes, bacon, and homestyle gravy.
10310 Shelbyville Road, 502-384-3767; thehouseofmarigold.com
House of Marigold is a locally owned breakfast and lunch restaurant that serves approachable, seasonal comfort food. Since the restaurant opened in March 2023, the avocado toast has been a crowd-pleaser. Made with toasted wheat berry bread, mashed avocados, grapefruit, sliced radish, torn herbs, microgreens, a farm-fried egg, and Everything crumb, it's an upscale version of the millennial favorite.
“It’s beautiful because it appeals to our vegetarians and our meat eaters,” o wner Adrienne Cole previously told the Courier Journal , adding that as popular as the toast may be, the farmhouse breakfast plate is the number-one seller. An elevated take on the typical American breakfast, the Marigold dish features two eggs, skillet potatoes, sourdough toast, whipped butter, seasonal preserves, and either turkey or breakfast sausage.
2300 Lexington Road, Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 5-9 p.m., Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5-10 p.m., closed Monday, lemoorestaurant.com
This opulent steakhouse on Lexington Road is a popular pick for birthday dinner celebrations, but Sunday brunch should not be overlooked.
Owner Kevin Graniger previously told the Courier Journal that Le Moo’s popular Drag Brunch on Sunday, along with regular brunch, makes Sunday the restaurant's busiest day of the week.
"That’s not common for any restaurant — it’s usually Friday and Saturday," he said.
In addition to a top-notch show, diners can expect breakfast favorites like You're Bad, El Chapo!, a white flour tortilla, scrambled eggs, friend-country-style potatoes, cheddar cheese, refried black beans, white rice, slices of jalapeno, house-made salsa verde and pico de gallo ($14); I'm That Guy, three eggs any style, three strips of Candided Thick-Cut Bacon, three sausage patties, two home-style biscuits with country-style bacon gravy, served with a Budweiser ($18); and a Blueberry Waffle, a house-made waffle with house-made blueberry syrup and vanilla bean ice cream ($12), among other items.
1722 Frankfort Ave., Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday, morningforklouisville.com
Morning Fork is a breakfast and brunch spot on Frankfort Avenue that shares a space with the popular Fork & Barrel restaurant, owned by the same team.
From morning until early afternoon, customers’ most-loved menu item is the MF’n Breakfast Sandwich, made with over-hard fried eggs, crispy candied bacon, avocado, blackberry jam, white cheddar cheese, and toasted Hawaiian bread, served with fresh fruit, owner Geoffrey Heyde previously told the Courier Journal .
"That’s been our number one," Heyde said. "We (also) started a smoked salmon sandwich … during Lent, and (that’s) extremely popular. So is the short rib benedict."
The smoked salmon sandwich is also served with fresh fruit and boasts smoked salmon, over-medium fried eggs, a house-made boursin cheese spread, cucumber, spinach, and pickled red onions. The short rib benedict features braised short ribs, hash browns, poached medium eggs, béarnaise, bordelaise, and arugula salad with a sweet herb vinaigrette, the Courier Journal previously reported.
1761 Frankfort Ave., Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, 10 a.m. to midnight, Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Monday, whiskeybythedrink.com
The Silver Dollar is an iconic Louisville restaurant known for its extensive bourbon menu and Southern dishes such as steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, and more.
Some of the most popular menu items include Chilaquiles, made with fresh tortilla chips, salsa verde, two eggs, cotija, lime crema, and cilantro ($12); Chili Cheese Homefries, made with Texas or vegetarian chili, white cheddar, jalapeno, and cilantro ($13); and an Egg sandwich, made with one egg, cheddar, ancho mayo + choice or sausage or bacon ($6), and more.
2122 Bardstown Road, Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed Tuesday, twigandleafky.com
Twig And Leaf regulars are familiar with the 63-year-old restaurant’s classic American breakfast options, such as pancakes, French toast, omelets and more. Owner Antonio Lopez said while these items are still available, now that the restaurant is serving Mexican and Guatemalan fare for dinner, some of the breakfast items feature a bit of a twist.
The biscuits and gravy platter, for example, still comes with two homemade biscuits smothered in gravy, two eggs, taters, and bacon or sausage — but Lopez said the team has added different seasoning.
“We still have the same (dishes),” Lopez previously told the Courier Journal , “but … the flavor is kind of different.”
Multiple locations, Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., wildeggs.com
Founded in 2007, Wild Eggs serves classic breakfast fare like breakfast burritos, avocado toast, omelets, pancakes and waffles, burgers, sandwiches and mimosas.
Along with an espresso bar and seasonal change-ups such as pumpkin pie pancakes, Wild Eggs customers can enjoy favorites such as the “surfer girl omelet,” a house-made cinnamon roll served at the table in a cast iron skillet, stuffed french toast and breakfast burritos.
Freelancer Lennie Omalza contributed to this report. Reach food reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com .
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Pancakes, anyone? Here are 15 of the best breakfast and brunch spots to try in Louisville
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