The South knows its way around a hearty breakfast plate. Case in point: biscuits, grits, country ham, and don’t forget the fan-favorite chicken and waffles. (And since you’re in Nashville, the smart move is to order that chicken hot.) But that’s not the only thing on the menu around here. Whether you’re looking for perfectly prepared eggs, sizzling bacon, or a stack of pillowy pancakes, these restaurants have your back bright and early, not just on weekends but during the week as well. For more pre-lunch options, check the Nashville brunch map.
Read MoreWhere to Score the Best Breakfasts in Nashville
Start your morning with cheesy omelets, pillowy pancakes, and, of course, hot chicken biscuits, throughout the week
Nadeen's Hermitage Haven
Out in Hermitage, Nedeen’s is a well-known local go-to for hearty breakfasts that taste as good as they look. Owners Nadeen and John Hoffman opened the restaurant in 2017 and have been churning out plates of chicken and waffles, cheesy hash, and open-faced biscuits topped with chopped sausage, gravy, cheesy scrambled eggs, and chives that bring locals back time and again.
Also featured in:
Cafe Roze
This intimate East Nashville cafe serves sunny West Coast vibes with a long stretch of bar that lends itself to a solo morning breakfast or catching up with a friend or two. Starting at 8 a.m., chef Julia Jaksic’s breakfast menu balances the indulgent (i.e. smashburgers and stout waffles) with more health-conscious dishes like bowls of beet tahini, turmeric eggs, and lentils, along with ginger mango smoothies
Big Al's Deli
Alfonso Anderson, aka Big Al, has become a local legend and Nashville ambassador. Big Al’s Deli — tucked away in the Salemtown neighborhood — opens at 7 a.m. during the week and 9 a.m. on Saturday (closed Sunday and Monday) and serves up breakfast classics such as pancakes, French toast, and biscuit sandwiches to hungry commuters and neighbors alike. Make your way to this rustic, white-washed cottage for a Bowser biscuit sandwich with bacon, sausage, egg, and cheese.
The Nashville Biscuit House
Don’t let outside appearances fool you — Nashville Biscuit House has one of the best breakfast biscuits in town. This little East Nashville restaurant opens at 6:30 a.m. during the week and 7:30 a.m. on Sundays (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) and has a drive-thru, making it easy to grab a quick bite before work. Besides the biscuits, NBH offers everything from pancakes to French toast to fill-your-own omelets.
Monell's Dining and Catering
A long-time Germantown staple in a beautiful Victorian-style house from 1905, Monell’s serves all-you-can-eat country breakfast seven days a week starting at 8 a.m. Expect the likes of sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, country ham, pancakes, eggs, grits, and fried chicken, and be prepared to break bread with strangers — seating, like the meal itself, is family-style.
Yeast Nashville
When there’s no time for a leisurely breakfast or a long pancake line, swing by Yeast in East Nashville. Open at 7 a.m. daily, this counter-service bakery is one of the only places in town to find tender Czech-style sweet kolaches topped with buttercream and sprinkles and Tex-Czech-style savory kolaches stuffed with a mix of sausage and cheese — simple to grab and eat as you go. They’ve also recently opened a second location in Donelson (2713 Lebanon Pike).
Sky Blue Cafe
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (with limited sidewalk tables), Sky Blue is a petite East Nash favorite. Long waits on the weekends are not unusual, so a weekday trip is a good game plan to try the PB&J stuffed French toast pancakes, hot chicken biscuits, or three-egg omelets with signature home fries.
Pinewood Social
Not every pretty place serves good food, but Pinewood does. Located in the historic Trolley Barns, the stylish bowling alley’s fun vibes and comfortable booths create a solid place for a “working breakfast” during the week, be it challah French toast, chicken and waffles, or breakfast tacos with guajillo braised pork. Wash it all down with some Crema coffee, and hey, if you don’t have time to sneak in a game on one of the six reclaimed wood lanes from the old Indiana Bowl O’Rama, you can at least watch someone else roll a few frames while you eat.
Two Hands
With sunny murals portraying popular Australian sights and a bright, beachy interior, the small New York-based chain Two Hands brings some serious Aussie-cafe vibes to the Gulch. Standouts on the “brekky” menu, available 8 a.m. daily, include buckwheat banana bread, smashed avo toast, and brassica salad with charred broccolini, brussel sprouts, and hummus. Look out for a Franklin location slated to open in summer 2023.
Pancake Pantry
Yes, this Hillsboro breakfast icon from 1961 is packed with tourists at most hours, but Pancake Pantry is still worth the pilgrimage for candied bacon and buttermilk pancakes stuffed with chocolate chips, blueberries, pecans, and an assortment of other fillings. Go for breakfast during the week and you may avoid the seemingly endless lines that snake around the block on weekends. If you care less about visiting the hallowed grounds of the original, you could also try your luck at the large modern expansion in the Hyatt Centric Nashville hotel downtown.
Also featured in:
Proper Bagel
People have flocked to Belmont’s Proper Bagel since 2016 for fresh New York-style bagels, bagel sandwiches with smoked fish, salads, baked goods, and more starting at 8 a.m. daily. Prepare for lines in this chic, modern, minimalist space, but the food’s well worth the wait.
The Butter Milk Ranch
Word of advice: Tackle the Butter Milk Ranch’s pastries with a team. This sunny, mid-century modern bakery and cafe in 12 South puts out some monstrous concoctions, including a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookie the size of a toddler’s head, peanut butter cup croissants, and cream-filled oatmeal cookie sandwiches. If you want to sit for a full-service breakfast at the cafe, the croissant pita bread with warm bacon queso and the cube croissant Benedict topped with hollandaise sauce deserve a place on your table. Both sections of the restaurant open at 8 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
The Nashville Jam Co.
The Nashville Jam Co.’s traditional southern breakfast menu is available daily at 8 a.m. in Berry Hill, where the simple cafe has some lovely outdoor seating. A few morning favorites include the PB&J Chicken Biscuit (that’s pimento cheese, bacon, and tomato jam, mind you), the fried green tomato wrap, and the Bronuts, another take on the biscuit-doughnut hybrid, battered, fried, filled with cheesecake, and finished with blueberry compote.
Stay Golden
At this bright and sunny Berry Hill coffee shop/all-day cafe you’ll find a prosecco bar and inventive coffee drinks (like the signature brandy vanilla latte), all using beans from its sister company, Good Citizen Coffee Co. To go with your coffee: generously-topped avocado toast, crispy yeasted waffles, breakfast tacos, and gluten-free biscuits that might actually best the real thing.
The Loveless Cafe
The Loveless Cafe draws fans from far and wide to the southwest outskirts of Nashville for its famed country cooking and setting. After more than 65 years of buildup, a visit to the charming landmark itself is at least as important as what’s on the plate, if not more so. But obviously, you’ll want to dig into some of the renowned biscuits — simplify things with a biscuit sampler platter, including your choice of four highlights like fried chicken, country ham, and pulled pork, available all day starting at 8 a.m. during the week and at 7 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.