Six Great All Day Breakfast Spots in Berkeley
Where to Find the Most Important Meal of the Day at Any Time of Day
Breakfast is great. Soft eggs, juicy meats, crispy toast, and more great flavors come together to create a perfect start to the day. But why should it be confined to only the early hours of the morning? What can you do when the desire for breakfast hits in the afternoon or evening? Are you supposed to just sit and wait until the next morning?
You don’t have to with this useful collection of great Berkeley breakfast spots that have you covered from morning to late at night.
Crepevine
Crepevine, in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto, is a great location for both breakfast and brunch lovers. While this is a chain restaurant in the Bay Area, don’t let that turn you away. Their quality beats out many of the independent breakfast spots around. They have an extensive menu that one would expect at a brunch spot with salads, sandwiches, eggs, and more. Where they really differentiate themselves (and this is predictable by their name) is in their crepe selection. If you’re after something light and flavorful or heavy and delicious, their extensive crepe offering will be able to sate you.
What You Should Get: Their Santa Fe crepe and (if you want a real treat) their S’mores crepe.
Menu: View Here
Price Range: $11 to $30
Hours: M-Sun: 7:30AM to 11PM
The Sunny Side Cafe
Probably the closest spot to the Cal campus, The Sunny Side Cafe is one of Berkeley’s most popular breakfast spots. Always packed on weekends, try this place during the week to avoid a long line. You’ll find a lot of interesting combinations here as well as some fantastic house-made options. If you’re after a substantial amount of food that’s served up fast this place is for you. You can’t really go wrong with anything on their menu (particularly their breakfast specialties), but be sure to pay special attention to their meat dishes as they tend to be particularly good. If organic, farm fresh, and humanely-raised are a priority for you then make sure Sunny Side is on your to-do list.
What You Should Get: The house-made granola and (for something a bit more hearty) their Pigs-in-a-Blanket.
Menu: View Here
Price Range: $11 to $30
Hours: M-Fri: 8AM to 2:30PM; Sat & Sun: 8:30AM to 3PM
Lama Beans
A popular North Berkeley hangout, Lama Beans provides the same great weekend breakfast and brunch options it's famous for every day of the week. If eggs are your favorite part of breakfast this will be your new favorite spot. Their omelettes and scrambles are just right and they really deliver when it comes to their Eggs Benedict. If you do happen to drop by for their weekend brunch you’ll also be able to try their delicious chicken & waffles as well as their unique breakfast pizzetta.
What You Should Get: Any of their Eggs Benedict combinations.
Menu: View Here
Price Range: $11 to $30
Hours: M,Thu,Fri: 7AM to 9PM; Tue,Wed: 7AM to 3PM; Sat: 8AM to 9PM; Sun: 8AM to 8PM
Homemade Cafe
A few blocks West of downtown Berkeley, Homemade Cafe has built up a pretty loyal following over the years for their great breakfast. You’ll find all of your favorite breakfast dishes here but what earns them a place on this list are their breakfast sandwiches. If your favorite part of breakfast is the flavor combination of eggs, meat, and cheese then nothing captures that mouthwatering mix better than Homemade’s sandwiches. There shouldn’t be much of a wait during the week but go after 1:30PM on weekends to avoid the usual brunch crowds.
What You Should Get: If you love your bacon, their breakfast BABE (Bacon, Arugula, Basil, Egg) sandwich comes packed with it.
Menu: View Here
Price Range: $11 to $30
Hours: M-Fri: 7AM to 2PM; Sat & Sun: 8AM to 3PM
Bette’s Oceanview Diner
One of the most popular attractions in Berkeley’s Fourth street neighborhood, Bette’s Oceanview Diner has been a local weekend breakfast and brunch favorite for years. Just like The Sunny Side Cafe, Bette’s isn’t always easy to get into during the weekend so if you want to skip the lines try hitting it up between Monday and Friday. The menu is fairly standard for your traditional diner but with some surprising twists (like their soufflé pancakes). While the menu is standard, this isn’t your average greasy spoon diner. The quality is what you’d expect from the trendy neighborhood location Bette’s is situated in (but the prices certainly don’t reflect that). Be sure to hit up their bakery one door down for a few extra treats to take home with you.
What You Should Get: Any of their soufflé pancakes as well as their crispy home fries.
Menu: View Here
Price Range: $11 to $30
Hours: M-Fri: 6:30AM to 2:30PM; Sat & Sun: 6:30AM to 4PM
Au Coquelet
Au Coquelet is an amazing spot for breakfast lovers for several reasons. First, it’s open till two in the morning so they have you covered later than anyone else. Second, they provide a spacious area with free WiFi for getting work done which makes them wonderful for the breakfast-loving student or busy professional. Third, they’re closer to campus than most other places. Finally, they’re fast and you don’t have to wait long for your food which isn’t always possible at the more crowded spots in town. Overall, Au Coquelet is the right choice for anyone with little time but a big desire for breakfast.
What You Should Get: French Toast
Menu: View Here
Price Range: Less than $10
Hours: Sun-Thu: 7AM to 1:30AM; Fri & Sat: 7AM to 2AM
The Best Meal of the Day for Any Time of Day
No matter when the desire for breakfast strikes this guide has a place for you. Trying to find a spot while on the go? You can always refer to this list and many other helpful community collections on the Gojurn app (available for iOS and Android). Think there’s a great Berkeley spot we didn’t mention? Let us know about it here.