Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots in Baltimore
Start your busy day in Baltimore with a hearty meal from one of these local favorites.
Baltimore might be best known for its crab cakes, but our brunches are just as good. Sometimes, we even combine the two! Tempt your appetite with our round up of tasty options for breakfast or brunch, from grab-and-go bites to sit-down dining.
The Avenue Bakery
For those with a serious sweet tooth, The Avenue Bakery is the perfect place to start the day. Its name refers to its home on the historic Pennsylvania Avenue, the heart of Baltimore’s African American community. While treating yourself to a famous Poppay roll, feast your eyes on the wall-to-wall photographs of iconic Baltimore landmarks and figures like Billie Holiday, Thurgood Marshall and the Royal Theater.
Video: James Hamlin, owner of The Avenue Bakery, on the history of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Blue Moon Café
With colorful exteriors and funky artwork in the windows, this celestial diner’s storefronts in Fell’s Point and Federal Hill are hard to miss. Also drawing attention is the crowd that accumulates on weekends (Blue Moon does not take reservations)—a testament to the diner’s popularity amongst locals. Don’t be dissuaded, though; the line usually moves quickly and is well worth it to sample some of the most delicious (and affordable!) breakfast dishes Charm City has to offer. They’re known for their playful French toasts variations, such as Cap’n Crunch, Crab Dip and Frito Pie, but you can’t go wrong with any order.
Enjoy a latte at Dooby’s in Mount Vernon.
Dooby’s
If you’re looking for something quick and easy, this Korean-inspired cafe is a great place for a quick bite. Dooby’s offers standards such as breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal, but the house-made pastries are where the café really shines (Fruity Pebble marshmallow cookie, anyone?). And don’t forget to get your caffeine fix here—espresso, cappuccino, macchiato—Dooby’s takes their coffee seriously.
Easy Like Sunday
Easy Like Sunday received a Best of Baltimore award from Baltimore Magazine just a few months after opening in 2023 – a testament to the Mount Washington restaurant’s tasty menu, which includes traditional brunch favorites such as French toast, Eggs Benedict, breakfast burritos and combo platters. The atmosphere is bright and relaxed, inviting you to take it “easy” and enjoy a delicious meal with loved ones.
Every Food Market brunch begins with complimentary donuts!
The Food Market
Brunch at The Food Market is the perfect time to try out a new cocktail, like a Bloody Mary with jalapeño-infused vodka or a pancake shot. The menu gives you a generous set of delectable options from across the brunch landscape, from French toast dippers and fried oyster omelets to shrimp and grits.
Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen
Set against the gorgeous backdrop of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Gertrude’s is as much a destination as its home. Owned by chef John Shields, a well-known expert in Chesapeake cuisine, the restaurant specializes in locally sourced farm-fresh food that honors the area’s culinary traditions. Try the Eggs Gertrude, a play on Eggs Benedict that incorporates Chef John Shields’ grandma’s all-meat crab cake recipe. There are also a couple vegan options on the menu—the Veggie-Fu Scramble and the No-Huevos Rancheros—so everyone can get their fill.
Iron Rooster
Iron Rooster has perfected the art of breakfast. You can order it any time of day at the Canton and Locust Point locations, and there is no shortage of delicious options. The fried chicken biscuit sandwich is a true southern comfort food, but save room for the house-made poptart with mixed berry filling: you’ll never eat the store-bought kind again.
Johnny’s
Johnny’s brings a little of the West Coast to the East Coast. Think breakfast burritos and omelettes with a kick, accompanied by specialty coffees from Central and South America. And on the weekends, Johnny’s brunch takes it up a notch with a whiskey caramel sauce poured over cinnamon Belgian waffles.
Whether you’re craving something sweet, like brioche French toast, or savory, such as the lox bagels shown here, Kneads has you covered. Photograph by Charlotte Nagey courtesy of Kneads.
Kneads Bakery
From the family behind the famous H&S Bakery, once the largest privately owned bakery in the United States, comes an upscale dine-in concept. The flagship Kneads location in Harbor East brings the Paterakis family’s craft to a new generation with a 17,000 square foot cafe, industrial bakery and dining space. It’s a place to work from home away from home, host a meeting, grab a baguette for the week or enjoy a delicious meal courtesy of some of Charm City’s top chefs. Try the JP Mac, a high-end twist on the Big Mac that is an homage to H&S founder Steve Paterakis’ son John, or something sweet like the brioche French toast. In addition to coffee, Kneads also serves beer, wine and specialty cocktails.
You can savor Mama Koko’s shrimp and grits at breakfast or lunch! Photo by Justin Tsucalas.
Mama Koko’s
More than a place to grab a hearty breakfast inspired by Black Southern, West African and Caribbean cuisine, Mama Koko’s is a place to gather your community and be your authentic selves. General Manager Angola Selassie wanted the Old Goucher eatery to exude the same hominess and joy as his mother’s (the Mama Koko) home kitchen. There are myriad seating options to serve your crew, from high-top tables to cozy couches and an outdoor patio. In the evening, the space transforms into a stylish cocktail bar serving strong drinks and small plates.
Miss Shirley’s Café
Miss Shirley’s is a renowned, family-friendly favorite, featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. What started in 2005 as one small café has now grown to two locations in the city and one in nearby Annapolis. Check out the pancake and French toast of the month, made from seasonal flavors such as pumpkin or egg nog. If you tend toward the savory side, you won’t want to miss the Chicken ‘n Cheddar Green Onion Waffles or the eggs benedict with crab cake and fried green tomatoes.
Indulge your sweet and savory tooth at Miss Shirley’s!
Spoons
This longtime Federal Hill favorite serves breakfast all day and is known for its over-the-top comfort foods like The Beast (buttermilk biscuits sandwich with fried chicken, fried eggs, smoked bacon, sausage gravy and cheese) and the 3B breakfast burger. Plus Spoons serves giant cups of house-roasted coffee to help revive you from the food coma that inevitably ensues.
THB Bagelry & Deli
Nothing hits more after a night out than a breakfast sandwich, and THB—Towson Hot Bagel—serves up some of the best in Baltimore. Pick from classic bagel flavors like plain, everything, blueberry and chocolate chip, or opt for a specialty only-in-Charm City option like the Old Bay Asiago. Plus, THB releases colorful themed bagels for Maryland Day, Ravens games and more. Other menu items include omelets, deli sandwiches, salads and paninis. Visit them in Locust Point, Canton or Charles Village.
Topside
Not only do the views from Hotel Revival’s rooftop restaurant offer the perfect backdrop for Instagram-worthy pics, but its beautifully-plated brunch dishes are just as deserving of a photo shoot. Chef Mario’s twists on breakfast classics include chicken and waffles with a harissa glaze, pancakes with cannoli cream and eggs Benedict with tarragon hollandaise. It’s the perfect place to fuel up before exploring all that the surrounding Mount Vernon neighborhood offers, from the Washington Monument to the Walters Art Museum and Baltimore Basilica.
Go to Topside for the view, stay for the chicken and waffles.
