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The 50 very best breakfasts in Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney and beyond

From pancakes and waffles to French toast and eggs Benedict: these are the very best breakfasts and brunches in Collin County. Some like it hot. Some prefer a dish served cold.
breakfast
By Robert Robertson

From pancakes and waffles to French toast and eggs Benedict: these are the very best breakfasts and brunches in Collin County.

Some like it hot. Some prefer a dish served cold. Eggs Benedict is for those who like it a little fancy, and breakfast tacos is for those who don’t. Let there be pancakes for all, waffles for most, and infinitely decadent ways to dress up French toast. Here’s to bacon and eggs.

Best Breakfasts - Dessert First

There is no nutritional value here, only pure, sugary bliss. You’ve been warned. 

The Beignets at Toulouse Legacy West Plano make a delicious breakfast and certainly one of the best breakfasts in Collin County
Beignets | Courtesy of Toulouse Cafe & Bar, Legacy West, Plano

Toulouse Cafe & Bar at Legacy West, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Beignets De Paris

Lovely and light as clouds, Toulouse’s Beignets De Paris blur the lines between an egg-based French pastry and the classic yeast donut. One order is surprisingly generous, dusted all over with powdered sugar, intended to be shared and accompanied by a French press for the table. The cappuccino sauce is sweet, made to be effortlessly poured over each little pillow like a still-warm icing. It’s the most luxurious reason to rise early on Saturday morning. After, might come mussels in white wine, eggs Florentine, or gulf oysters. But the beignets are the flavor you’ll remember.

7301 Windrose Ave. c150, Plano | toulousecafeandbar.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW: Feeling very French at Toulouse Cafe and Bar Legacy West

Haywire at Legacy West, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Coffee Cake in a Can

At Haywire, breakfast comes in a tin coffee can, tipped over on its side to spill out onto a wooden platter. Their signature Coffee Cake in a Can is exactly what it sounds like: moist cake with deep veins of cinnamon, baked to a perfect pale gold. It’s already sliced, so it’s easy to claim your share, lather on the whipped cinnamon honey butter, and enjoy. It’s the kind of cake that fosters nostalgia for long days on the trail, eating breakfast under the sunrise—even if you’ve never done it before. 

5901 Winthrop St. #110, Plano | haywirerestaurant.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW: Haywire at Legacy West, a massive ode to Texas

Donut Kitchen, McKinney

Best Breakfast Pick: Monte Cristo

When beholding the Donut Kitchen’s formidable Monte Cristo for the first time, it’s best to break it down: thick-cut slices of smoked ham, roasted turkey, and swiss cheese, layered between not one, but two glazed cake donuts, and melted in a panini press. Topped with dustings of powdered sugar, and served with raspberry glaze, it is no mere sandwich, but a challenge and an invitation to taste true glory. 

205 W. Louisiana St. #102, McKinney | 7250 Virginia Pkwy. #140, McKinney

Earnest Donuts, Lewisville

Best Breakfast Pick: Sushi donuts

Earnest Donuts has done it: they have created the cutest donuts in the world. Demure and petit, certain flavors—vanilla salmon, anyone?—may not sound appetizing, and the presentation is so flawless that it will confuse your brain. From a perfect yeast donut topped with a Swedish fish, to a cheesecake donut, an earthy matcha green tea donut, and one covered in Fruity Pebbles, to my personal favorite, the earl grey donut, no two are exactly alike. Plus, check out the garnish: candied ginger and edible chocolate-dipped chopsticks. 

4740 TX-121 #700, Lewisville | facebook.com/EarnestDonuts

Best Breakfasts - Stacks on Stacks

Is breakfast without pancakes a breakfast worth eating? No, right? Keep scrolling for the best pancake breakfasts near you.

Pancakes at Ida Clair
Pancakes, Ida Clair | By Cori Baker

Ida Claire, Dallas

Best Breakfast Pick: Coffee Crumble Pancakes

Ida Claire is well-versed in the art of plate-sized pancakes served hot and practically melting under streams of blueberry compote warmed with aromatic cardamom. The Coffee Crumble Pancakes are airy yet substantial, deliciously covered in coffee crumble and housemade maple butter. The final flourish is yogurt whipped cream, resulting in a lighter, tangier topping than normal whipped cream offers. The Ida Claire menu, or “Savory Psalms,” is genteel, with all the trappings of Southern hospitality, an invitation to indulge.

5001 Belt Line Rd., Dallas | ida-claire.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW: I Do Declare: Breakfast according to Ida Claire

Haywire, Legacy West, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Texas Pecan Brown Butter Pancakes

Haywire’s brown butter pancakes tower three to a plate, surrounded by a peach compote that growls with Texas whiskey, turning a sweet flavor rich and burnished. Spiced pecans, one of Texas’ most iconic exports, are crumbled all over the top. Finally, while some restaurants play gracefully with their whipped cream, Haywire, predictably, dumps it in a huge heap on top. Haywire talks a big game about being Texas-sized, trying to capture the essence of its rugged independence, hardiness, and pride. Of their many expressions of Texas’ culinary breadth, one of the most successful and delicious is this big old stack of pancakes. 

5901 Winthrop St. #110, Plano | haywirerestaurant.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW: Haywire at Legacy West, a massive ode to Texas

First Watch, Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

First Watch might be a chain, but it operates like each link is a family-owned gem. Though outposts are scattered across the metroplex, each one prides itself on seasonal, local menus. One of their signature dishes, lemon ricotta pancakes, are thankfully offered anytime, anywhere. Two multigrain pancakes, made silky with ricotta, come on a plate, topped with a sunny cloud of lemon curd and freshly sliced strawberries. These hot cakes have a kind nature, gentle and friendly, pancakes that offer no ill will and won’t leave you in a sugar stupor.

5404 Preston Rd. Ste. 100, Frisco | 3131 Custer Rd., Plano | firstwatch.com

Eggsquisite Cafe, Allen

Best Breakfast Pick: Very Berry Cakes

Locally owned and operated—with a punny name—Eggsquisite Cafe is a celebration of breakfast. It’s clean and modern inside, and options are as wholesome and winsome as they come. One of their brightest dishes has to be their signature Very Berry Cakes. They aren’t all that complicated: three plate-sized cakes fan out, absolutely covered in fresh berries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries in a pleasing jumble. On top of everything, berry glaze zigzags one way, and vanilla glaze the other way, and thick, cool mascarpone touches down on top.

1314 W. McDermott Dr. #170, Allen | 6801 Warren Pkwy. #101, Frisco | 2058 W. University Dr. #800, McKinney | eggsquisitecafe.com

Best Breakfasts - Intercontinental Delights

Because the language of bacon, eggs, and syrup is universal.

bulla gastrobar spanish tapas legacy west plano food
Huevos Bulla, Bulla Gastrobar | by Brandon Hurd

Lily's Cafe, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Huevos con Salchichones

Lily’s Cafe serves breakfast all day, dealing in French toast, two-egg combos and burgers, sandwiches and Chef’s salads—your basic cafe food. But the real reason to go to Lily’s Cafe is the smaller Guatemalan menu that hides inside the American one. Guatemalan cuisine, sister to Spanish and Mayan cuisine, features lots of corn, chilies, beans, and characteristically thick tortillas. For a true, expansive Guatemalan breakfast, Huevos con Salchichones has all the fixins: eggs with grilled pork sausage, black beans with crumbly cheese, Guatemalan cream, fried plantains, and homemade corn tortillas to scoop it all up.

107 N. Butler Dr., Allen | 3100 Independence Pkwy., Plano | lilyscafetx.com

Lima Taverna, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Peruvian Tamale

Peruvian food is a lesson in culinary fusion, with hints of Asian influence due to mass immigration to Peru from Asia in the 19th century, African influences, European influences, and more. Lima Taverna shows it off. For brunch, you could play it safe with a Belgian waffle. But adventurous diners opt for something truly special. Unwrap their Peruvian Tamale to reveal cornmeal stuffed traditionally with chicken and salsa criolla. Every bite, gently spicy, whispers of dawn in the Andes. 

621 W. Plano Pkwy. #247, Plano | limataverna.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW: Ceviche at Lima Taverna

Bulla Gastrobar, Legacy West, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Huevos “Bulla” 

One of the most delicious egg dishes comes from Bulla Gastrobar, home of Spanish tapas. Huevos ‘Bulla,’ tastes simpler than it actually is. Wafer-thin homemade potato chips and Spanish fried eggs, basted until they’re fluffy, are dressed up with truffle oil and serrano ham. Keep a look out for the delicate potato foam—not as weird as it sounds, really just creamy and curious. The touch of truffle is subtle, letting the serrano ham play leading man. 

6007 Legacy Dr. Ste. 180, Plano | bullagastrobar.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW: Sharing is caring at Bulla Gastrobar

Meso Maya, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Croque Señor 

Meso Maya Comida Y Copas provides brunch with extra flair, and morning margaritas alongside mimosas and bloody Marys. Out of all their options, there’s one dish that simply can’t be found anywhere else: the Croque Señor. A sandwich on Mexican pan dulce is lovingly layered with generous avocado, sliced ham, and chihuahua cheese. The sandwich is crowned with two matching sunny side up eggs. It all rests in a roasted tomato broth.

4800 W. Park Blvd., Plano | mesomaya.com

Best Breakfasts - Meat Lover

Worship at the altar of steak, short rib, prime rib, and eggs.

Local Yocal in McKinney offers up a best breakfast in the form of mouthwatering steak and eggs
Local Yocal, Steak and Eggs | By Sam Marie

Local Yocal BBQ & Grill, Historic Downtown McKinney

Best Breakfast Pick: Steak and Eggs

As part of their weekend brunch, Local Yocal BBQ and Grill grills up a wagyu steak and eggs that is a worthy representative of Local Yocal’s tenure as one of McKinney’s premier butcher shops. Fresh, never-frozen breakfast potatoes provide a crisp, golden bedrock for sliced steak that melts in your mouth, just as wagyu should. Order your fried egg over-easy and it pools, lava-like, into chimichurri, and every bite evokes that perfect Saturday morning feeling of bliss. One bite, and suddenly, there is no work, no hardship, no war, no family members that disagree with you politically. There is only that butter-soft sirloin.

350 E. Louisiana St. Ste. A, McKinney | localyocalbbqandgrill.com

Knife, The Shops at Willow Bend, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Steak & Eggs

Celebrity chef, famous hothead, and self-crowned king of steak, John Tesar, is famous for his work with charred edges and marbled fat, so it’s no surprise that the best of Knife’s brunch is steak and eggs. Luscious buttermilk pancakes and eggs royal bedamned. Knife’s iteration of this breakfast classic is triumphant: two eggs any style, a generous heap of breakfast potatoes, and of course, a beautiful 44 Farms 10-ounce steak. With rich flavor and a tender nature, the meat is only seasoned with salt and pepper. It’s not about flash, but substance.

If you are ever going to eat steak and eggs, let it be here, seated at the table of the king of steak. 

6121 W. Park Blvd., Plano | knifeplano.com

Didi’s Downtown, Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: Short Rib Hash

This dish draws you in with the caramelized siren song of short rib that has been stewing in the braiser all night. Barbecue sauce doodles across the faces of two bright yellow egg yolks that are ready to burst over the bed of skillet potatoes and sauteed onion and peppers. Somewhere under there, pepper jack cheese is turning molten and stringy, keeping it all together. Didi’s Downtown has a fantastic brunch spread. But this hash is number one. Scoop up what scraps remain with two buttered slices of homestyle sourdough toast.

7210 Main St., Frisco | didisdowntown.com

Rick’s Chophouse, Downtown McKinney

Best Breakfast Pick: Prime Rib

Is any breakfast or brunch buffet complete without sliced-to-order prime rib? (Not to mention roasted pork loin paired with summery peach chutney.) The buffet spread at Rick’s Chophouse is classic enough to match the decor of gas lamps and tin roof, running the gambit from oysters and smoked salmon, to hashed brown casserole, biscuits and pan gravy, and chicken flautas. But Rick’s Chophouse is, at its core, a steak restaurant. The standing rib roast, properly honored with au jus and a dollops of creamy horseradish, is an unmissable feature of their Sunday brunch.

107 N. Kentucky St., McKinney | rickschophouse.com

Best Breakfasts - Waffling Around

When in doubt, waffles are always the answer.

The artisan waffle at Layered in Historic Downtown McKinney is one of the best breakfasts around, simple yet irresistible.
Layered, Artisan Waffle | By Cori Baker

Layered, Historic Downtown McKinney

Best Breakfast Pick: Artisan Waffle

Layered in downtown McKinney is part coffeeshop, part bakery, part boutique restaurant. While many restaurants claim they produce Belgian waffles, few truly capture its dence, pillowy essence the way Layered does. With the help of a Belgian waffle maker and imported sugar, Layered turns out delicious waffles, each huge and soft with the warm sugar-turned-caramel inside the batter so that syrup is rendered unnecessary. Instead, try a shower of fresh berries on top.

4419, 111 E. Virginia St., McKinney | layeredtx.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW: Layered in downtown McKinney does indeed have layers

Press Waffle Co., Legacy Hall at Legacy West, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: House Waffle

Made from a dough that is proofed for 24 hours to develop flavor and texture, and then loaded up with caramelized clusters of Belgian pearl sugar, these waffles are the real deal. Though they can come loaded with fried chicken, lemon curd, bacon and cheddar, the classic, most beloved flavor is also the simplest: strawberries, nutella, cookie butter, and a tower of whipped cream. Every bite is transcendent.

7800 Windrose Ave., Plano | presswaffleco.com

Taverna at Legacy West, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Waffle

Taverna in Plano offers all the warmth and welcome you could want from Italian food. It feels just barely rustic; perhaps it’s light blue and white napkins, or the hint of wicker in the patio furniture, perfect for morning mimosas. However, nothing tastes better on the patio than their delicate waffle. Enlivened with mascarpone, lemon mousse, and fresh berries, it’s clean and classic. 

7400 Windrose Ave. B130, Plano | tavernabylombardi.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW: Taverna at Legacy West

Spoons, Downtown McKinney

Best Breakfast Pick: Chicken & Waffles 

Spoons is one of those neighborhood places that makes a city feel like a community. They serve breakfast all day, and one of their most popular dishes is a true Southern classic: Chicken and waffles. A fluffy waffle is topped with chicken fried chicken breast, the kind that is crisp on the outside, and flavorful and tender on the inside. Pour honey almond butter and syrup all over the plate and dive in. Southern cooking doesn’t get better.

100 E. Louisiana St., McKinney | spoonscafe.com

Edith’s French Cafe at Watters Creek, Allen

Best Breakfast: Duck and Waffles 

Edith’s French Cafe has warm wood furniture, decorative rolling pins on the walls, and greenery on every table. Order a hot Cafe Chocolat, and enjoy a waffle topped with two sunny side up eggs and duck leg confit, which has been cooked in duck fat and aromatics for hours. Maple-glazed apples temper its richness, and the finishing flourish is mustard caviar.

916 Garden Park Dr. #500a, Allen | edithscafe.com

Best Breakfasts - French Toast

Chocolate orange, lemon ricotta, or bananas foster French toast? oui oui, mon ami, all three.

The Ricotta Chiffon French Toast served at Sixty Vines in Plano makes one of the best breakfast options money can buy.
Ricotta Chiffon French Toast, Sixty Vines in Plano | Photo by Cori Baker

Sixty Vines, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Ricotta Chiffon French Toast

Paired with a dessert wine, Ricotta Chiffon French Toast blurs the line between breakfast and dessert. Three fluffy slices of lemon ricotta cake, gently toasted, form the base for a generous pool of blueberry syrup, lemon curd, and mascarpone, all velvety soft. Dishes like this utterly elegant French toast are the reason brunch was invented in the first place. 

3701 Dallas Pkwy., Plano | sixtyvines.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW: Out to Lunch at Sixty Vines

Whistle Britches, The Shops at Willow Bend, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Pumpkin Pie French Toast

Whistle Britches’ Pumpkin Pie French Toast is a big gamble. Not only does it feature pumpkin outside of the autumn months, it also calls for a scoop of pumpkin ice cream right on top of hot griddled vanilla custard brioche. You’d better eat this French toast fast. Your ice cream is already melting into the moat of hot salted caramel around it. 

6110 Frankford Rd., Dallas | 2405 Dallas Pkwy. Ste. 4, Plano | whistlebritcheschicken.com

> LOCAL BEST RESTAURANT REVIEW:

Rye, Historic Downtown McKinney

Best Breakfast Pick: French Toast Stix

One of the true pleasures of Rye’s brunch is that their French toast is not static. Whenever you go, you may be greeted by a new riff on French toast, and though it’s always prepared in the traditional French pain perdu method. One day it might be Iranian cinnamon crème anglaise, torn cinnamon buns, brown sugar, cream cheese icing, coffee crumble, and toasted pecans. The next, maybe it features grilled peaches, spiked ice cream, spiced honey, and candied macadamia nuts. Half of the delight is the surprise.

111 W. Virginia St., McKinney | ryemckinney.com

Local Yocal BBQ & Grill, Historic Downtown McKinney

Best Breakfast Pick: Bread Pudding French Toast 

As Local Yocal’s chef says, if you’re going to do brunch, you’d better go wild. That was the spirit behind their Bread Pudding French Toast, a tower of bread pudding that has been sliced and cooked on the griddle. Inside, little chocolate chunks have turned molten. Robust clouds of whipped cream float on top, weighed down only with mint leaves, strawberries, and stiff drizzles of a homemade whiskey caramel so rustic you’ll still detect sugar crystals on your tongue. It forks off in soft, caramelized hunks. 

350 E. Louisiana St. Ste. A, McKinney | localyocalbbqandgrill.com

Bread Winners Café and Bakery, Lakeside Market, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Normandy French Toast 

What is brunch, without Bread Winners? A favorite for breakfast and lunch, Bread Winners has their brunch game down pat. For example, Normandy French Toast. With thick slices of sourdough bread, stuffed with cream cheese and bright raspberry jam, the Normandy French Toast is one of the most beloved in the metroplex. Topped with fresh berries and whipped cream, it’s easy to see why Bread Winners Café is an institution for local brunchers. 

4021 Preston Rd., Plano | breadwinnerscafe.com

5th Street Patio Cafe, Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: Bananas Foster French Toast

In a historic house surrounded by trees, on a street near downtown Frisco that has still managed to stay quiet, you’ll find 5th Street Patio Cafe, an institution for lovely, long mornings spent breaking bread. Of all their breakfast dishes, one of the most indulgent has to be Bananas Foster French Toast. Just the name summons to mind caramelized bananas on toast as soft and warm as a bread pudding. That’s precisely what diners can expect from their Bananas Foster French Toast, drizzled with a thick sauce whipped up from brown sugar and simmered rum, and topped with slices of fresh banana. 

8621 5th St., Frisco | 5thstreetcafe.com

Stampede66, Allen

Best Breakfast Pick: Chocolate Brioche French Toast

Light and fluffy, chocolate brioche bread was made to be coated in egg and sugar and griddled up hot, then filled with orange cream cheese, and custard-thick maple crème anglaise. Stampede66 is designed for comfort, masculine and sedate, with wide, comfortable chairs, and natural wood tables. If you’re going to slump into your booth at the end of a meal, let it be at the end of this meal.

777 Watters Creek Blvd. #2, Allen | stampede66restaurant.com

Best Breakfasts - Big Ben(edicts)

Our search uncovered lots of hollandaise and more than a few good eggs.

avocado eggs benedict sixty vines
Avocado Eggs Benedict, Sixty Vines | By Cori Baker

Sixty Vines, Plano

Best Breakfast Picks: Avocado Eggs Benedict

Close your eyes. Imagine you’re in Monterrey, at a quiet restaurant with big windows that overlook the Pacific ocean. A waiter who brews craft beer in his spare time brings you a plate of eggs Benedict for breakfast. It features free range eggs, their gentle yolks pooling on the slice of toasted ciabatta with the crystalized flavor of sea salt, soothed by avocado smash, and over it all, a healthy pour of hollandaise seasoned with a subtle twist of togarashi. You are no longer in Monterrey. But the plate remains the same.

3701 Dallas Pkwy., Plano | sixtyvines.com

Benedict Restaurant, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Baconberry Benedict 

If a restaurant names itself after a dish, then they’ve set a high bar for themselves. Thankfully, Benedict Restaurant offers the Baconberry Benedict. First, a slap-dash of blackberry preserves on toasted English muffin and melted Swiss cheese. Instead of Canadian bacon, they substitute a robust slice of downhome American bacon. A poached egg rests on top like the dome of a cathedral, poured with hollandaise and sprinkled with diced jalapeños.

8442 Parkwood Blvd., Plano | benedicts-restaurant.com

CRÚ Food and Wine Bar, The Shops at Legacy, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Crab Cake Benedict 

Whenever you go to Crú Food and Wine Bar, you’re sure to see at least one couple on a first date, a group of ladies sharing a bottle of Chardonnay, and a few married couples gathered with their business partners to toast exciting new ventures. It has always felt like a special occasion experience. Thus, their iteration of eggs Benedict must be glamorous. A humble English muffin—topped with baby spinach, poached eggs and a housemade herb hollandaise—is par for the course. Until, of course, you consider the crab cake.

7201 Bishop Rd., Plano | cruwinebar.com

Tupelo Honey, The Star in Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: Fit to be Tied, Pickled and Fried

In a glorious show of Southern hospitality, Tupelo Honey’s eggs Benedict are over the top, ditching English muffins for either buttermilk biscuits or—your best and most low-carb option—fried green tomatoes. After that, comes two medium poached eggs and hollandaise that plays beautifully off of melted pimento cheese. The final touches are rosemary potato cracklins, fried pickles, and bacon crumble, because everything is better with bacon.

6725 Winning Dr., Frisco | tupelohoneycafe.com

Eddie’s Diner, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: B.A.T. Benedict

Classic diner vibes? Check. Central location, perfect for sleeping eating on a Saturday morning? Check. Benedict with crumbled bacon, avocado smash, tomato, and just a dash of cream cheese under your poached egg? Check, check, and check. Sometimes, the best breakfast isn’t the one that is flashy or fancy, or even particularly healthy. Sometimes, it’s about hashed browns, diner coffee, and egg yolk pooling on your plate.

4709 W. Parker Rd. #425, Plano 

Best Breakfasts - Risky Biscuits

Literally everything is better on a biscuit.

The Biscuit Bar at The Boardwalk at Granite Park, Plano | By Cori Baker
The Biscuit Bar at The Boardwalk at Granite Park, Plano | By Cori Baker

The Biscuit Bar, The Boardwalk at Granite Park, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Fancy Chicken Biscuit

The Biscuit Bar hit the Dallas dining scene like a big, flaky meteor in 2017, and since they specialize in biscuit sandwiches and tots, it became an instant hit. Sure, there’s a country fried steak biscuit, a hot chocolate biscuit, and a pulled pork biscuit. But our favorite is still the most classic, the ever-pleasant and effervescent Fancy Chicken Biscuit: Southern fried chicken, dill pickles, and housemade fancy sauce. Simple, yet divine.

5880 TX-121 #102b, Plano | thebiscuit.bar

Patina Green Home and Market, Historic Downtown McKinney

Best Breakfast Pick: The BOB

Patina Green falls on the lunch side of the brunch divide, specializing in highly local, changeable salads in to-go containers, and sandwiches are fired upon ordering and wrapped up in paper. Every Friday, however, you can count on the BOB, otherwise known as brisket on a biscuit. The biscuit is jalapeño cheddar, fluffy with the barest idea of heat, and big enough to hold firm under the heavy load of fall-apart brisket and barbecue sauce. Move aside, Sloppy Joe. Your cousin BOB is here to stay.

116 N. Tennessee St. #102, McKinney | patinagreenhomeandmarket.com

Whistle Britches, The Shops at Willow Bend, Plano

Best Breakfasts Pick: The Whistle Britches 

This journey begins with a classic buttermilk biscuit, cut it open when it’s fresh from the oven. First, a layer of honey butter, then a dollop of pepper jelly, both dropped on it while it’s still hot and steaming. The honey butter begins to shine as it heats up. They pull a hunk of crispy fried chicken out of the fryer and plop it down. The honey butter turns to liquid gold, melting down the sides of the biscuit. By the time you pick it up, butter and jelly are dripping down the sides, catching in the bread crumbs and canyon-wall rivulets of fried batter. All that’s left to do is devour it.

6110 Frankford Rd., Dallas | 2405 Dallas Pkwy. Ste. 4, Plano | whistlebritcheschicken.com

Maple Street Biscuit Company, Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: The Squawking Goat 

It might have a funny name, but it’s a serious chicken sandwich. The Squawking Goat is a Maple Street special, once featured on Food Network, and a first order for any chicken sandwich lover worth their batter. It’s immediately recognizable by its a fried goat cheese medallion that rests on top like a tiara, and for the sting of Maple Street’s housemade pepper jelly. (All jellies, jams and gravies are made inhouse. It’s a point of pride for them.) Eat it as it comes, fried chicken and all, or experiment with adding sausage or shiitake mushroom gravy. Why not go wild?

3288 Main St. #111, Frisco | maplestreetbiscuits.com

Whiskey Cake, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Bacon Jalapeño Drop Biscuits

While the Bacon Jalapeño Drop Biscuits are technically listed as an appetizer, don’t believe it. The Whiskey Cake menu lies. These spicy little numbers are not only delightfully fluffy, but they are formidable and filling too. There’s nothing quite like a good, Southern biscuit, buttery on the bottoms with egg wash basted on top. The playful heat doesn’t come from the jalapeño, but from the spicy sausage gravy, and when cheddar and bacon are baked right into the dough, failure is not an option. Heart failure might still be on the table though.

3601 Dallas Pkwy., Plano | whiskeycake.com

Best Breakfasts - Southern Comfort

Nothing says Southern hospitality like a full breakfast table.

Shoo Mercy Griddle (honey pancakes), Tupelo Honey at The Star in Frisco
Shoo Mercy Griddle, Tupelo Honey at The Star in Frisco | Be Cori Baker

Tupelo Honey, The Star in Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: Shoo Mercy Griddle

Tupelo Honey’s Shoo Mercy buttermilk pancakes come in a fluffy three stack, finished with two crisscrossing strips of apple cider bacon, fried chicken, and butter pecans, two sunny-side up eggs on the side. Smother them in maple syrup and on the first bite, warm cinnamon bursts over the tongue like an angel’s chorus. It’s not a Southern breakfast unless there’s something fried, and Tupelo Honey provides fried chicken so crisp yet so flavorful it must be seasoned with magic. 

6725 Winning Dr., Frisco | tupelohoneycafe.com

City Works, The Star in Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: Mother’s Little Helper

This dish was built for hangover recovery and City Works isn’t afraid to admit it. In one bowl it contains everything you need to start off the day with some energy, beginning with a solid base of warm smoked cheddar grits, each spoonful made with love. They could have topped it with braised pork belly or breakfast sausage; instead, they top it with both. Take into account their smoked tomato and charred scallion relish that adds the ideal amount of sour tang—and it’s Mother’s Little Helper indeed. 

3680 The Star Blvd., Ste. 1300 Frisco | cityworksrestaurant.com

Whistle Britches, The Shops at Willow Bend, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Legs and Eggs 

In a place that lives and breathes fried chicken, it’ll be difficult to choose between Hot Cakes and Tenders, the Chicken Benny, and a simple chicken biscuit. But sometimes brunch needs to get a little heated. Legs and Eggs pairs Nashville hot-dipped chicken legs with two farm eggs, and one of their sturdy-yet-flaky buttermilk biscuits. They apply their Nashville hot sauce liberally, so that it tingles in every bite, and long after your plate is clean.

6110 Frankford Rd., Dallas | 2405 Dallas Pkwy. Ste. 4, Plano | whistlebritcheschicken.com

Depot Cafe, Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: Catfish Platter

The Depot Cafe has been owned by the same family since 1999. Though it may be hard to find—since it’s in the back of a gas station—it’s well-known for all the diner classics: huevos rancheros, biscuits and gravy, and bottomless coffee. The Depot Cafe is also one of very few places where you can get true Southern fried catfish for breakfast. While it’s not technically on the breakfast menu, it’s an open secret among regulars that you can order cornmeal-fried catfish anytime. Depot Cafe is also well known for their lovely, expansive vegan menu with plant-based migas, tempeh tacos and vegan French toast.

6733 Main St., Frisco | depotcafefrisco.com

Best Breakfasts - Toast Masters

These creative toasts are the best things to happen to sliced bread since … wait.

Prim and Proper, Millenial Toast served at Neighborhood Goods at Legacy West, Plano
Prim and Proper, Millenial Toast served at Neighborhood Goods at Legacy West, Plano | Courtesy of Neighborhood Goods

Prim and Proper, Neighborhood Goods at Legacy West, Plano

Best Breakfast Pick: Millennial Toast

Located inside Neighborhood Goods, Prim and Proper takes the concept of mashed avocado on bread, and elevates it to the status that it has always longed for. Here, avocado has been peppered up, dressed up and shown off with black pepper aioli and lemon zest. It’s a good-natured base upon which to build the nuttiness of ricotta salata and crushed pistachios. It’s ideal for both a lazy Sunday breakfast and a treat yourself day.

7300 Windrose Ave. Ste. A130, Plano | primandproper.co

The Nest, Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: Veggie Toast

Buzzing and modern, The Nest is the kind of place where mornings are always sunny, eggs are a perfect medium, and microgreens grace every plate. While most visitors are swayed by the cloud of ricotta cheese atop their Avocado Toast, too many people sleep on their Veggie Toast, spread with either rich, fuschia beet hummus, or choppy basil pesto. The slice of multigrain also provides a sturdy foundation for avocado, pan seared mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers. The Nest’s culinary staff are unequivocal masters of the breakfast toast. 

7777 Warren Pkwy. Ste. 325, Frisco | nestcafe.com

Duino Coffee, McKinney

Best Breakfast Pick: We Gotta Ricotta

Duino Coffee is one of those brightly-lit coffeeshops where nothing is ever all that complicated. Chicken pesto sandwiches, iced lattes, bottled juices by the register: it’s built for quick and easy caffeine boosts. Their line of toasts is easy enough that you could have made it at home, like the We Gotta Ricotta, a simple, pleasant blend of ricotta cheese, black pepper, and fresh homemade pesto. Finish off with their house special, a fresh banana sliced in half, coated in brown sugar, and grilled until it caramelizes.

7650 Stacy Rd. #200, McKinney | duinocoffee.com

Up Inspired Kitchen, Frisco

Best Breakfast Pick: Burrata Toast

Thick slices of both red and yellow heirloom tomatoes rest on a piece of crusty sourdough bread. Next, a chunk of burrata cheese, mozzarella’s creamier cousin, acts as both the main cornerstone of flavor and a base for shaved fennel and basil to cling onto. Rich, subtly nutty black sesame tahini has been drizzled everywhere, beyond the bread to pool on the plate with a consistency like olive oil. Wholesome and pure, the best part of this toast is its freshness.

5285 Dallas Pkwy. #400, Frisco | upinspiredkitchen.com

Originally published in the March 2020 of Local Profile issue under the title “Breakfast of Champions.”