Houston’s Best Restaurants for Breakfast All Day
15 Prime Spots That Don't Believe in Ending the Day's Most Important Meal Early
BY Annie GallayPondicheri serves its Indian-inspired breakfast all day long.
Breakfast is, undeniably, the most important meal of the day. But it often gets rushed through or forgotten entirely in the course of a busy day. The real time people carve out for breakfast food is weekend brunch, but we all know that’s more about mimosas and Bloody Marys than good ol’ fashion plates of eggs, bacon and grits.
But if you don’t manage to eat breakfast between 7 am and 11 am, it’s not too late. Plenty of classic Houston restaurants serve breakfast all day, many until well into the afternoon, at least until 2 pm. Some Houston breakfast hotspots even serve it until 5 pm or beyond.
These are Houston’s Top 15 Restaurants for Breakfast All Day. They cover all kinds of early morning eats and keep ’em coming for you.
House of Pies
3112 Kirby
This one really ought to be called the Building of Breakfast. People come for the lemon icebox pie, but they definitely stay for the breakfast. It’s no wonder why, when that category alone is divvied up into three different sections: Texas Breakfasts, Specialty Breakfasts and three egg omelets.
Enjoy it all 24/7, whether you go Lone Star State-style with fajita steak and eggs, feel special with a sausage scrambler or go wild with Monterey shrimp omelet with Jack cheese.
Lola
1102 Yale
Counter service comes to life at Lola, which suddenly finds itself at the center of The Heights revolution. The modern diner, which even boasts vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free offerings, serves breakfast classics til 9 pm every day.
Lola favorite Challah French toast makes quite the impression with fresh strawberries, as does the home skillet with either chicken fried chicken or chicken fried steak with three eggs any style and your choice of seasoned house potatoes —phenomenal — parmesan grits or corned beef hash.
The Buffalo Grille
Multiple locations
This major mainstay serves breakfast til an impressive 2 pm Sundays and Mondays, but it’s the rest of the week where both locations of The Buffalo Grille truly shine. From Tuesdays through Saturdays, it’s all the bacon, eggs and hashbrowns you can imagine til 9 pm.
Sure, 8 might be a little late for you to indulge in Buffalo Grille’s signature cinnamon coffee, but who’s going to stop you? Especially when you soak it up with huevos rellenos with stuffed Anaheim chilis or biscuits and gravy.
The Breakfast Klub
3711 Travis
What’s in a name? Well, everything, ‘k? This cult favorite for epic soul food boasts some of the best breakfast in all of H-Town. You can chow down til 2 pm Sundays through Thursdays, then all the way from 10 pm through 3 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Breakfast Klub go to is, of course, wings and waffles — or for the weirdos out there, you can sub the waffles with a buttery pancake or even French toast. That’s not the only signature. Try the “katfish” and grits on for size, complete with two eggs.
Avalon Diner
Multiple locations
You’ll be hard pressed to find a native Houstonian who hasn’t had a delicious breakfast from Avalon Diner at one point or another, whether in River Oaks, Stafford, Kirkwood and beyond.
Famous since 1938, Avalon draws super long lines, so be prepared to wait. Get ready for all the tasty traditional dishes, done right: corned beef hash and eggs, migas, eggs sandwiches. You can even get a slice of cantaloupe on the side. And if you’re a true grits lover, you can’t go wrong. Sides come in either a cup or a sizable bowl.
Blacksmith
1018 Westheimer
This Montrose favorite is perhaps most loved for its warm, fluffy-as-all-get-out biscuits, served until 5 pm, along with the rest of the breakfast eats. That means Vietnamese steak and eggs with house pate, smoked Salmon dill scramble and more.
But you can’t pass up a cup of fresh, steamy Joe when you take the trip to Blacksmith. This place prides itself on carefully and exotically sourced coffee, which is sometimes best enjoyed as an espresso. But cortados, cappuccinos and lattes are definitely on the table.
Pondicheri
2800 Kirby, Suite B132
Industrial-chic Indian café Pondicheri made its mark on the River Oaks crowd as soon as it arrived in West Avenue. And its influence has certainly endured, especially due to its breakfast, served until 3 pm daily.
Each dish has a delightful twist, like the breakfast Frankie with masala eggs and cilantro chutney, the railway omelet with spinach roti and keema and eggs, a dish with lamb mince slow-cooked with spices.
Did we mention the bake lab upstairs? Snag a cookie. You won’t regret it.
Frank’s Grill
Multiple locations
This unassuming grill has really caught on, playing to nostalgia for simpler, yet every bit as savory, times. That means a ham, turkey and egg sandwich for just a bit more than $5, pork chops with eggs and more, served til 3 pm each and every day.
But that doesn’t mean Frank’s Grill doesn’t take the occasional risk. Think baby beef liver and onions. Frank’s also brings solid, if diner-style breakfast tacos. Like, eight-inch breakfast tacos, if you can handle it.
The Classic
5922 Washington
The Classic promises fresh-faced American bistro eats for the every day. We’re not entirely sure what fresh-faced means, but the ingredients and flavor are certainly fresh. Conceived by the founder of Benjy’s, The Classic has got a reputation to uphold — and it certainly does.
Think re-envisioned staples soft scrambles with Hamachi, avocado and jalapeno roe, all-American cinnamon raisin French toast with local eggs and a breakfast sandwich with vegan breakfast sausage. And you can even find some breakfast items on the dinner menu, served til 9 pm.
That’d be the breakfast sandwich, Dutch baby pancakes, soft scramble and smoked salmon.
La Guadalupana Bakery & Café
2019 Dunlavy
This fabulous family-run spot for Mexican breakfast and baked goods is tucked over on Dunlavy, and it’s definitely worth exploring. The humble but mighty hole in the wall has incredible tortas, chilaquiles and migas.
The patio is dog-friendly, and the perfect place to sip café de olla and nibble on some traditional pastries made with love, like tres leches-filled churros and almond croissants with the perfect paste.
Snooze an AM Eatery
Multiple locations
It may have “AM” right there in the name, but there are definitely breakfast pros in the “PM” too. Breakfast is served all the way to 2:30 pm every day at Snooze, meaning you can get your filling of breakfast pot pies, shrimp and grits and a pretty darn good shakshuka.
But the pancakes steal the show. Under the category of “sweet utopia,” you’ll find banana pancakes, blueberry pancakes, sweet potato pancakes and the ever-popular, mysterious “pancake of the day.”
If you just can’t decide, no fear — there’s even a pancake flight at your fingertips.
The Dunlavy
3422
At this spot, you might be too distracted by the stunning views to actually eat your breakfast. The posh, chandelier-studded spot overlooks Buffalo Bayou Park, truly taking your breath away.
But if you manage to get your grub on, enjoy breakfast until 2 pm. Smoothies and juices are a refreshing way to start out, including a blueberry colada or mango Julius — virgin, of course. To keep things on the light side, go for bites like muesli or chia seed pudding.
Harry’s Restaurant
318 Tuam
A collective shudder went through Houstonian breakfast lovers when this standby temporarily shuttered. Where else to gorge yourself on Greek-inspired combo plates and pancakes the size of your face, and then some?
It’s “The Globe on Your Fork” at Harry’s, an unassuming spot with consistent, reliable and flavorful eats. Some people are a little stressed about the updates, but the quality of the food hasn’t changed, from classic egg dishes to mighty waffles.
But best of all? The hybrid, massive pancake comelet. You have to see it to believe it.
Baby Barnaby’s
2904 Fairview
Barnaby’s has truly taken over the city, from positioning its classic Barnaby’s all over to establishing this charming little offshoot in Montrose. It’s every bit as colorful and vibrant, and the menu is every bit as robust.
Think elevated classics, like the buffalo scramble with ground buffalo, onion and spinach, green eggs with artichoke hearts and jack cheese and chipotle barbecue pulled pork and eggs.
Le Peep
Multiple locations
For the past 30 years, Le Peep has been livening up the Houston restaurant scene with its broad array of hearty breakfast classics and “health club” choices. You can enjoy it all until 2 pm Mondays through Fridays and until 2:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
On the light side, there’s the six egg white scramble with smoked turkey, or filled with fresh spinach and mushrooms. Benedeicts abound, whether you’re feeling salmon, hash browns or hamsteak. If you’re going the healthy route, you’ll be pleased to find all dishes contain calorie info.
If you’re going for a Benedict, you clearly won’t be quite as delighted.