The Best Breakfast in Atlanta
Decatur Metro | August 18, 2010
So, we haven’t done one of these in a while.
And while we now know that people have some pretty strong opinions about where to find the best sandwich or the best burger in Atlanta, I can’t imagine that a bit of meat between to pieces of bread can bring out the passionate faithful like today’s topic: breakfast food.
AJC food writer John Kessler wrote a few months back that he was a big fan of the Thumbs Up on Edgewood, while others ranked Ria’s Bluebird Cafe or Social House as the city’s best morning nosh pit.
But that’s just one set of Decatur taste-buds among many.
So residents of the city of homes, schools and places to eat, where’s the best breakfast food in Atlanta? Because dang if just writing this post has made me hungry for just about anything dripping in maple syrup.
“Heap” Photo courtesy of Esquire
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Decatur Diner!
Is that a joke or did Decatur Diner finally open?
Sun in My Belly, Rise-N-Dine, Pastries A Go Go, and (when I’m in Asheville – it’s almost worth the trip all by itself) Early Girl Eatery. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
It’s really hard to top Watershed’s omelette of the day plus grits. Just wish it didn’t cost $13.
The cost of that alone should disqualify it from consideration.
Radial Cafe
Pastries a go-go has my favorite biscuits. But my favorite breakfast overall remains the same after almost 20 years: Murphy’s
Sweet Melissa’s pancakes 2 die 4!!!
Hands down, best breakfast in town is at Java Jive. Haven’t been there in a while but the Gingerbread waffle, wheat germ pancakes and Double-Bullseye are terrific. Add in the cool atmosphere and good service, and you’ve got a winner.
Gato Bizco has the best breakfast food and service
Thumbs Up Diner. All locations are good, but I’m very partial to the one in East Point, as I can walk there in 5 minutes. Tofu & veggie scramble makes you wish you were vegan, coffee is strong with prompt refills, and the homemade preserves are insane.
I have to give a shout out to Agnes & Muriel’s for old times sake.
Rise n Dine is great. Carroll Street Cafe is underrated.
Sun in my Belly! I love that place.
Sun in My Belly! Kirkwood Breakfast!
Pastries A GoGo! I have tried to make their biscuits, to no avail. And it’s always nice to always see Chef Bob Light there.
Love Sun in my Belly and Pastries A Go Go.
Same here… except on weekends when both are crowded…
Pastries a GoGo is great. I also still like the original location of Flying Biscuit. And sometimes you just have to have Waffle House.
Also like Sweet Melissa’s and Tom Thumb.
Technically not Decatur, but Bagel Palace has my vote.
you might want to check their recently published health score form February. Pretty bad.
Seconded, thirded and fourthed! At the risk of outing my true identity, I’m there almost every Sunday, and Saturday too during football season!
In Decatur – Thumbs Up (Griddle grits– have mercy!)
Outside Decatur: Rosebud (Amazing omelets, and that cucumber cooler is God’s own antidote for a hangover– not that I’ve had one recently…)
Honorable Mention: Mezcalito’s (Chilaquiles with eggs– shut the front door!)
Oohhhh, and Rosebud offers their brunch menu for dinner on Mondays!
Sweet Melissa’s will always be my favorite, but Thumbs Up is a close second. Pastries A Go Go is very overrated in my opinion.
Pretty hard to beat the full-on Irish fry-up on Sundays at The Marlay. Not one but 2 kinds of pudding (black and white)?!? Eggs, bacon rashers, bangers, potatoes, grilled tomatoes, and toast? Heavenly. And they offer it uncooked and ready to make at home.
Also, does a mocha chilly goat count as breakfast? A good weekday alternative for breakfast from a straw. Dancing Goats can’t be beat for frosty coffee-type beverages. Convinced they are made with true love.
Sun In My Belly & Highland Bakery.
Off topic a bit, but I bet whatever breakfast items Cakes& Ale offer in their bakery will be fabulous since they are, imo, hands down the best restaurant in Decatur.
Rise N Dine; Thumbs Up; Flying Biscuit
Whoops – thought my comment posted but guess not.
Atlanta – Radial Cafe and Highland Bakery.
Decatur – Sweet Melissa’s and Pastries…
Here’s a little love for Stone Soup Kitchen in Grant Park. Under the right circumstances, Waffle House can be divine.
What? You guys never eaten at Waffle House? The hometown phenom means nothing to y’all?
Silver Skillet is awesome; it’s ‘The’ authentic Atlanta breakfast.
$.02
I’m not a big breakfast eater outer, but I sho ’nuff love me some Waffle House!
WH kind of grosses me out. Last time I was at the Avondale location, the guy mopping the kitchen floor was slinging water everywhere, including my food as I was eating on the counter. We left, and won’t go back. Blech!
Swedish pancakes with lingenberries at IHOP even though it’s restaurant inspection scores are on the floor
Sun in My Belly and Stone Soup (Blue Corn Pancakes)
Surprised no one has mentioned it yet… yeah it’s a bar, but the Corner Pub makes an excellent breakfast. And a good bloody mary to go with it! They don’t open until 11:30, so it’s not for you early risers, but there’s no Sunday brunch crowds or waiting for a table.
Ditto on Corner Pub. The Hangover Hash and Breakfast Burrito are excellent.
Feast and Twain’s both have super brunches on the weekend. I’m not up early enough for breakfast on the weekends. that’s me and my prior week’s lost sleep’s time together.
Sun in My Belly
Radial
Duck’s Cosmic Kitchen
Almost every time we wait half an hour for a table and end up eating a mediocre, overpriced breakfast, we look at each other and say, “we shoulda just gone to Waffle House.” The one on College (more or less across from the Waffle House Museum) is pretty awesome. But I also LOVE the griddle grits at Thumbs Up.
The BEST PLACE for Breakfast and Lunch in Decatur to me is Pasties A Go Go on Ponce ( http://www.pastriesagogo.com/pages/directions.html ). It is one of the few remaining Mom and Pops Restaurants in Downtown Decatur. The food is GREAT and FRESH and the wait staff are the friendly people in Decatur and ALWAYS have a smile on the face. Even the Owner and Head cook will bring your order to your table. Also there one of the few places with there own parking a plus for Downtown Decatur. Even with parking behind the courthouse at night and weekends.
“Pasties A Go-Go”? Do you have to tip the strippers when they bring your food?
(Sorry– couldn’t help myself.)
Pastries
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I used to be a huge Radial Cafe fan but I’ve had some pretty poor experiences the last 2 or 3 times I’ve visited. Also gets to be pretty pricey ($2.50 coffees and $3.50 juices).
In terms of bars that offer brunch, the aforementioned Corner Pub stands out along with Steinbeck’s in Oakhurst. And speaking of Oakhurst, I’ve found Saba’s brunch to be pretty tasty and extremely affordable.
Of course Pastries should always be mentioned in this discussion alongside Thumbs Up.
And if we’re getting out of Decatur, I’m surprised not to have heard R. Thomas Deluxe Grille get any mentions. I absolutely love that place.
Forgot to mention:
Dunch @ the Earl on Sunday afternoons
Bobby & June’s Country Kitchen (if it’s still around)
Majestic Diner, anytime between 2:00am – 5:00am
Pastries A Go Go and Sweet Melissa’s are definitely my two favorites.
Candi’s in the Irwin Street Market (if we are venturing out of Decatur) is good and inexpensive.
and not gonna lie….we hit up the Avondale Waffle House most Saturday mornings. I check the health inspector score each week, and I swear, it is different. I am convinced the health inspector likes to eat there each week, but has to give them a score so he/she can write it off….and if the score is bad, does not really bother me… I get to watch them cook my food, so I see who is touching it, changing gloves, etc.
Oh, and their takeout is pretty nice too. I decided this past Saturday that I was “too pregnant to go outside” so the Hubs ventured over there for his breakfast and brought mine to me, still in bed.
Shay is my favorite waitress. Also like Twin – but he is cooking now. I just like that his name is Twin. Is he really a twin? Is his twin’s name Other Twin? And then there is Phat – we think her name is actually Pat, but she added the H just to sound cool.
Wow, we spend too much time at WH….
LOL Nubbs – yes, maybe you do spend too much time at WH. : )
Nubbs, we love Twin (and Shay too)! Twin is indeed a twin, and his (female) twin works at another local Waffle House. What’s confusing is when they borrow each other’s name tags… there was a woman working a few months back wearing Twin’s name tag, and we had to ask her — “are you Twin’s twin?” Nope — just wearing the name tag. I love playing Michael Jackson on the jukebox there, though last week there were some weird glitches, and songs were playing that I had NOT progammed in…
Pretty sure it was Phat wearing Twin’s nametag….if it was the same day we were there. There is a newer guy there now who has been known to sing the orders. Makes it all worth it…ahh, Waffle House.
Don’t get me wrong – we like Rosebud, Rise n Dine, Sweet Melissa’s and Sun in my Belly too – but WH consistantly hits the spot, is quick, close and cheap.
Rise N Dine!