Looking for a great breakfast, brunch spot in Jacksonville? Here are some suggestions
What's for breakfast? The Jacksonville area has a plateful of new as well as established breakfast and brunch restaurants poised to answer that question.
Menu offerings range from freshly made egg sandwiches to bodacious breakfast boards, chef-inspired benedicts, and plentiful pancakes, fruit bowls and waffles.
These restaurants are considered "go-to" mainstays for many when it comes to the first meal of the day. In other words, they are worth waiting in line to get a table.
Another Broken Egg
Four area restaurants, including 1012 Margaret St. in Riverside, (904) 580-5981, anotherbrokenegg.com
Founded in 1996 in Old Mandeville, La., Another Broken Egg offers a signature Southern-style menu such as chicken and waffles, cinnamon roll French toast, and Shrimp and Grits. It also features a variety of omelets and scrambles plus biscuits. In addition, it offers a full bar with hand-crafted cocktails.
Beach Hut Cafe
1281 3rd St. S., Jacksonville Beach, (904) 249-3516
Beach Hut Cafe is a Jacksonville Beach institution, now in its fourth decade serving up homestyle breakfast and brunch in a cozy, easy-in-the-islands-style atmosphere. The cafe's menu offerings are freshly made-to-order and fill the plate. Among the most popular is the Country Fried Steak Breakfast, which is a tender, lightly seasoned breaded steak patty capped with creamy smooth pepper or brown gravy. It comes with two eggs, grits or home fries and a choice of toast, an English muffin, bagel or biscuits.
Canopy Road Cafe
Two area restaurants, including 12525 Philips Highway #201, (904) 379-8928, canopyroadcafe.com
Canopy Road Cafe is preparing to open its third local restaurant in Mandarin this summer — joining established locations at 12525 Philips Highway #201 in Jacksonville and 90 Shops Blvd., Suite 10 in Saint Johns. The Tallahassee-based chain describes itself as serving traditional breakfast and lunch fare with exciting and creative twists. Customer favorites include Crab Cake Benedict, Steak N' Egg Wrap, Biscuits and Gravy Combo as well as waffles, French toast, egg skillets and build-your-own omelettes. The restaurant also offers specials such as Sweet Potato Pancakes, Pork Chop Breakfast and more.
Cool Moose Cafe
2708 Park St. in Riverside, (904) 381-4242, coolmoosecafe.net
Since 1998, Cool Moose Cafe has featured an eclectic menu showcasing traditional breakfast favorites along with innovative lighter, more healthy options. The signature breakfasts include the Irish Hash — a plate filled with grilled ribbons of potatoes with kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, supper cabbage, and shredded house-made corned beef. The traditional Eggs Benedict with toasted English muffin halves, Canadian bacon and medium-poached eggs topped with rich Hollandaise sauce leads the Cool Moose mainstays known as "The Benedicts." The cafe also is known for its signature three-egg Farmers Market & Brie omelet filled with sauteed onion, mushrooms, spinach, tomato, garlic and Brie cheese.
EggBoy
1241 Mayport Rd, Atlantic Beach, (904) 656-8105, eggboybreakfast.com
EggBoy specializes in breakfast sandwiches with names like S.E.C, Arlington and Hen House. The menu also features lunch sandwiches and more, all made from scratch, including fresh-baked bread from Jacksonville Beach’s Cinotti’s Bakery. Menu highlights include the Fried Chicken BLT with a hand-breaded chicken breast, Swiss cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, Bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, avocado smash, and buttermilk ranch on a brioche bun; B.E.C, which is Applewood smoked bacon, over-medium eggs, sharp cheddar, catch-up sauce, served on a toasted brioche bun; the Arlington featuring lemon sage turkey sausage, soft scrambled eggs, lemon-dressed arugula, avocado smash, caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, honey dijonnaise, served on a jumbo English muffin; and the Chopped Cheese, which is a chopped smash patty, marinated mushrooms, caramelized onion, roasted peppers, American cheese, and catch-up sauce served on an amoroso roll.
First Watch
10 area restaurants, including 192 Riverside Ave., in Brooklyn, (904) 862-2551, firstwatch.com
First Watch, based in Bradenton, bills itself as the "leading daytime dining restaurant brand." The menu typically features favorites such as avocado toast, smoked salmon eggs benedict, Farm Stand Breakfast Tacos and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. In addition, look for healthy favorites, such as house-made granola and pico de gallo, organic greens, house-roasted vegetables and cage-free eggs. Seasonal specialties such as Hawaiian French Toast or Shrimp and Grits and Hacienda Hash also are offered.
The Fox Restaurant
3580 Saint Johns Ave. in Avondale, (904) 387-2669, thefoxrestaurant.com
There's nothing pretentious or fancy-schmancy about The Fox Restaurant in Avondale. It serves good, old-fashioned American diner comfort food amid a fun atmosphere featuring iconic pop culture decor such as action figures, movie star posters and cartoons. Griddle greats on The Fox menu include a pancake, waffle or French Toast breakfast. All come with two eggs, a choice of bacon or a sausage patty and a choice of grits, home fries or fruit. Egg breakfasts range from the Mini Fox, with one egg, up to the Super Fox, with four eggs. Omelet and egg breakfasts come with a choice of grits, home fries or fruit and toast or a biscuit.
Grumpy's Restaurant
Five area restaurants, including 834 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park, (904) 215-1956, grumpysrestaurantco.com
It's virtually impossible not to smile when served breakfast or lunch at Grumpy's Restaurant. Based in Orange Park, the classic diner concept operates five restaurants in Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. Grumpy's Big Breakfast is the most popular dish on the menu. With two eggs, two pancakes, a choice of bacon, sausage patties or sausage links, it's served with a choice of grits, home fries or hash browns. The restaurant's homemade sausage gravy over two flaky buttermilk biscuits with two eggs and a choice of meat is hard to beat. Add a side of perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside hash browns, and well, it's a carb lover's dream.
Keke's Breakfast Cafe
Five area restaurants, including 12959 Atlantic Blvd. Suite 101 in Arlington, (904) 865-4979, kekes.com
Keke's Breakfast Cafe, based in Orlando, is best known for its large breakfast menu of waffles, pancakes, French toasts and more as well as a lunch menu of paninis, sandwiches, burgers, wraps and salads. Keke's tagline is "mornings from scratch,' and the restaurant chain also promises "no microwaves ever." Keke's also emphasizes that every dish is freshly made to order with "high-quality ingredients from hand-cracked eggs and vibrant fruit to real whipped cream." In addition, the restaurant grinds the coffee in-house for every pot.
Maple Street Biscuit Company
Multiple locations nationwide with five locally, including 2004 San Marco Blvd. in San Marco, (904) 398-1004, maplestreetbiscuitcompany.com
Founded in Jacksonville in December 2012, Maple Street Biscuit Company, now owned by Cracker Barrel, has five area locations in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach. The homegrown breakfast chain is known for its specialty biscuit sandwiches such as The Farmer, Iron Goat with goat cheese and sauteed spinach, and the Squawking Goat, with a fried chicken breast, fried goat cheese medallion and in-house made pepper jelly.
Metro Diner
Multiple locations nationwide with five locally, including 3302 Hendricks Ave. in San Marco, (904) 398-3701, metrodiner.com
Likely the best-known of Jacksonville's restaurant chains, Metro Diner was branded in 1992. Its original Hendricks Avenue restaurant continues serving breakfast and lunch favorites. Celebrity restaurateur Guy Fieri showcased the diner on his Food Network show "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives" in 2010, sparking Metro Diner's rapid expansion. Its website lists more than 60 locations in 12 states. Fried Chicken and Waffles leads the diner's signature dishes. It's a half or a quarter fried chicken with a Belgian waffle topped with powdered sugar and sweet, strawberry butter and served with Metro's unique sweet and spicy sauce. Another favorite is the Bissell Breakfast: two eggs plus bacon, toast, hash browns or grits, and a short stack of pancakes.
Scramblers
Multiple locations nationwide with two locally, including 1500 University Blvd W. in Lakewood Promenade, (904) 718-6605, scramblers.com
"The eggs are flippin" at Scramblers, which already has opened two of its planned five restaurants in Jacksonville. Dating back to 1989 in Toledo, Ohio, the family-owned restaurant chain offers a made-from-scratch menu and built a reputation for its "bottomless" pancakes, French toast and waffles. Other popular offerings include the Classic, which is three eggs any style, bacon or sausage, hash browns and two full-sized pancakes, and Uncle Moose's Manhandler Skillet, featuring bacon, ham, sausage, onions and a blend of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, on a bed of skin-on potato chunks topped with two eggs any style.
Tulua Bistro
Two locations, including 1703 N. Main St. in Springfield, (904) 559-9575, tuluabistro.com
Tulua Bistro, a Jacksonville Beach restaurant known for its bodacious brunch featuring bountiful breakfast boards, mega-size Bloody Marys and daily bottomless Mimosas, opened a second location in 2024 in a 78-year-old building at 1703 N. Main St. in historic Springfield. Both restaurants serve brunch all day. Boards, comprised of sweet and savory brunch mainstays, top the menu. The Springfield Platter includes two scrambled eggs, two bacon strips, grits or home fries and a warm biscuit. Another is the Go Jags Platter, featuring three sausage patties, three pieces of bacon, a whole order of biscuits and gravy, a side of cafe potatoes or grits and two eggs any style.
Vicious Biscuit
Multiple locations nationwide, including 211 Third St. in Beaches Town Center, Neptune Beach, (904) 539-4680, viciousbiscuit.com
Vicious Biscuit, a South Carolina-based restaurant that built its reputation for “viciously delicious” buttermilk biscuit-centric breakfast and brunch fare, debuted in Northeast Florida in 2023 in Neptune Beach. Its huge, made fresh-from-scratch biscuits serve as the foundation of over-stuffed sandwiches and other Southern comfort food. Its signature biscuits include The Vicious, which is a Cheddar and jalape?o biscuit with a crispy fried chicken breast, house-made maple sausage gravy, house Cowboy Candy (pickled jalapenos) and a maple syrup drizzle. Another is the Sea Biscuit, which is a buttermilk biscuit, fried shrimp, Thai-chili slaw, Yum Yum sauce and cilantro garnish.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Best places for breakfast and brunch in Jacksonville, Florida
