The Best Breakfast Spots in Greater Cincinnati, According to Our Readers

No. 10 Best Breakfast: Yuca

700 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue
Yuca is a breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant that serves up Latin-American-inspired dishes made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients.

Menu recommendation: The Hangover: A gluten-free dish featuring two sunny-side-up eggs laying on a bed of spicy chorizo and homemade potatoes with pico de gallo and avocado on top.

No. 9 Best Breakfast: Blue Jay Restaurant

4154 Hamilton Ave., Northside
This homey Northside diner has been owned and operated by the Petropoulos family since 1967. Stepping inside is almost like stepping back in time with the row of cozy booths, wood paneling on the walls and the dining counter. The menu features classic breakfast and lunch dishes that come in generous portions, as well as Cincinnati-style chili.

Menu recommendation: The Northsider: A 3-Way omelet with cheddar cheese and chili that you can also build up to a 7-Way by adding onion, tomatoes, peppers and/or beans.

No. 8 Best Breakfast: Maplewood Kitchen & Bar

525 Race St., Downtown
This California-style brunch favorite from the team behind Thunderdome Restaurant Group offers bright, fresh flavors and cold-pressed juices. Enjoy a variety of delicious breakfast options alongside a hot cup of locally roasted coffee.

Menu recommendation: The Millennial favorite and so California — Avocado Toast: Comes with pistachio, local honey and sea salt.

No. 7 Best Breakfast: HangOver Easy

13 W. Charlton St., Corryville
HangOverEasy is in a perpetual state of brunch, offering breakfast and lunch options alongside a full bar every day of the week. It plays host to many young University of Cincinnati students experiencing their first-ever hangover, and the menu doesn’t take any radical risks, plating up dependable diner fare found on most American breakfast and lunch tables. Bloody marys and mimosas are nothing fancy here, but are priced to fit collegiate budgets and expectations.

Menu recommendation: Sausage Party: Local sausage, green peppers, onions, tomatoes and ‘hoe fries’ (home fries) topped with two eggs in any style and queso and served with toast.

No. 6 Best Breakfast: Taste of Belgium

Multiple locations
Taste of Belgium is best known for its hot, fresh Belgian waffles, made from a thick dough and coarse Belgian beet sugar, which caramelizes on the cast iron press. Find the heavenly breakfast food topped with strawberries and cream or Belgian chocolate.

Menu recommendation: Waffle & Chicken: If you’re not craving a sweet breakfast, try this customer fave, served with Ohio maple syrup, hot sauce and a side salad with lemon vinaigrette and blue cheese.

No. 5 Best Breakfast: Original Pancake House

8355 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Township; 9977 Montgomery Road, Montgomery; 9403 Civic Centre Blvd., West Chester
A diner chain that’s been serving up no-fuss breakfast since the ‘50s, Original Pancake House has every American breakfast favorite, from omelets to biscuits and gravy, but it specializes, as the name suggests, in pancakes any way you like ‘em. The pancake menu alone is a treasure trove of delicious combinations of ingredients, ranging from the simple chocolate chip or blueberry pancake to a Swedish pancake featuring lingonberries and whipped butter.

Menu recommendation: Dutch Baby: The ultimate pancake. This is a fluffy, delicate, “German” pancake cooked to golden brown and dusted with powdered sugar. It’s also served with lemon wedges, whipped butter and extra powdered sugar; and here in Cincinnati, you can also add a scoop of Graeter’s vanilla bean ice cream to the top — and you should because you deserve it.

No. 4 Best Breakfast: The Echo

3510 Edwards Road, Hyde Park
Founded in 1945 in Hyde Park by Louise Schwartz, The Echo has become something of a neighborhood attraction for Cincinnatians everywhere. Despite its age, The Echo has adapted to the modern consumer, offering trendy dishes such as breakfast burritos, artisan wraps and more. But don’t fret: all the classic breakfast comfort foods remain on the menu.

Menu recommendation: Eggs Benedict: A classic you can get three ways — traditional (Canadian bacon); Florentine (spinach) or Echo-style (goetta). All are served with hollandaise and a side.

No. 3 Best Breakfast: Sugar n’ Spice

4381 Reading Road, Paddock Hills; 1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine; 10275 Summit Parkway, Blue Ash
Huge, fluffy omelets and “wispy-thin” pancakes have made Sugar n’ Spice a bona fide breakfast institution since 1941. One of the city’s most popular places for people of all ages and backgrounds to dine and socialize, the diners are decked out with colorful and vintage flair. They are famous for giving patrons little rubber ducks as a souvenir – a charming tradition that keeps people coming back.

Menu recommendation: The famous wispy-thin pancakes, natch: A secret recipe since 1941, get these griddle goodies as a half stack or full. You can also get them as chocolate chip or blueberry pancakes.

No. 2 Best Breakfast: First Watch

Multiple locations
Breakfast in its fullest and most spectacular form, there’s something on First Watch’s menu for everyone, whether you want a hearty dish of eggs, bacon or toast or something that looks like it belongs in a California influencer’s “My Morning Routine” vlog.

Menu recommendation: Farm Stand Breakfast Tacos: Three corn tortillas filled with scrambled eggs, Cajun chicken, chorizo, cheddar and Monterey jack, topped with avocado and pico de gallo and served with black beans.

No. 1 Best Breakfast: Sleepy Bee Cafe

8 E. Fourth St., Downtown; 3098 Madison Road, Oakley; 9514 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash
Serving locally sourced food for breakfast, brunch and lunch, Sleepy Bee Cafe offers both dine-in and carry-out options. The menu features an array of breakfast classics along with innovative and dietary-restriction-friendly offerings.

Menu recommendation: Bee Cakes: Gluten-free pancakes made with almond milk, quinoa and buckwheat flour.