Breakfast in St. Louis

2 N. Sarah St. Louis - Midtown

314-371-1446

Breakfast, Coffeehouse, Salads, Sandwiches

The original 6 North Coffee Company, located in the Central West End neighborhood, (the other is downtown) prides itself in being local and independent. The family-owned and -operated café, which is open Monday through Friday, serves Kaldi's Coffee, another locally owned company. The menu reflects typical coffee-shop fare, with lattes and mochas to drink and salads, soups and sandwiches to eat. 6 North also offers catering and box lunches.

6 North Coffee Company-Downtown

701 Market St. St. Louis - Downtown

314-241-4333

Breakfast, Coffeehouse, Salads, Sandwiches, Coffee Shops

The downtown location of 6 North Café offers a full menu of lunch and breakfast items. Located at 701 Market Street in the Gateway One building, patrons can enter the ground floor café at the corner of Eighth and Chestnut streets. The locally owned 6 North features Kaldi's coffee and loose teas, as well as assorted pastries, bagels and breakfast sandwiches in the morning. Lunch options include hot and cold sandwiches, wraps, salads and daily soups. 6 North also sells fruit, coffee and tea, smoothies, and box lunches catering to downtown offices. Plenty of indoor seating is available offering an upscale coffeehouse ambiance, with additional outdoor tables and chairs along Chestnut Street for fair-weather dining.

BitterSweet Bakery

2200 Gravois Ave. St. Louis - Soulard

314-771-3500

Bakery, Breakfast, Dessert, Ice Cream, Pastries, Staff Pick, Menu, Slideshow

Leanna Russo isn't the biggest fan of eating sugar and sweets, but that doesn't mean her Benton Park bakery isn't topnotch. In fact, a light hand with the sweet stuff is what makes Russo's pastries so darn good. The lemon meringue torte with a pine-nut crust and browned Swiss meringue is a lovely blend of sweet and tart with a savory backbeat. Be sure to try the peanut-butter bar, which knocks Reese's out of the park. Savory dishes, including a daily lunch special and made-from-scratch biscuits topped with peppery sausage gravy, are also available.

2 articles

Cabana on the Loop

6100 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis - Skinker/DeBaliviere

314-875-0532

American, Breakfast, Cafe, Sandwiches, Soul Food, Southern

Husband and wife Wendell Bryant and Latoshia Morrow opened their family-friendly Cabana on the Loop as a relaxed, vacationlike spot to grab breakfast and lunch. The restaurant occupies a storefront on the eastern edge of the Delmar Loop and offers breakfast, lunch and weekends-only dinner. Dishes lean Southern, such as biscuits with turkey gravy, shrimp and grits and a fried catfish sandwich. Cabana on the Loop has a large selection of dressed-up waffles and French toast, as well as a cereal bar that diners can top with a variety of accouterments. Don’t leave without trying the honey-glaze onion rings -- these golden beauties are like a cross between onion rings and a funnel cake.

Cafe Osage

4605 Olive St. St. Louis - Central West End

314-454-6868

Breakfast, Market, Sandwiches, Staff Pick, Menu

Attached to the Bowood Farms nursery in the Central West End, Café Osage offers breakfast and lunch fare featuring produce grown in a garden across the street, bison raised by Bowood Farms and house-smoked and -cured meats. Led by chefs David Guempel (Zinnia) and David Kirkland (Frazer's Brown Bag), the kitchen turns out an excellent take on the classic BLT with thick bacon, Brie, tomato jam and arugula, as well as a fine Carolina-style pulled-pork sandwich. The space, between the indoor nursery and a courtyard, is lovely.

2 articles

Cafe Pintxos

3407 Olive St. St. Louis - Downtown

314-338-2500

Breakfast, Tapas, Slideshow

1 article

Cafe Ventana

3919 W Pine Blvd St. Louis - Midtown

314-531-7500

American, Beignet, Breakfast, Brunch, Cafe, Coffeehouse, Dessert, Sandwiches, Soups

Here you can have a light lunch of excellent hot grilled sandwiches, sip a cappuccino while you study for the LSAT or even blot out a bad day with real-deal absinthe. Located on the edge of Central West End and midtown, the cafe adds a touch of artsy French style to an otherwise industrial stretch. Thanks to the patio and annex, there are always plenty of tables and comfy chairs to occupy everyone from neighborhood SLU students and businesspeople to casual passerby. The friendly staffers take their coffee seriously, but that's just the beginning. Sure, you can caffeinate at Cafe Ventana, but you can also brunch, booze and stave off boredom with trivia, movie nights and live music. On any given night, tables get pushed aside for everything from punk to indie rock -- just a couple of the flavors offered at Cafe Ventana after hours.

5 articles

Chris' Pancake & Dining

5980 Southwest Ave. St. Louis - Dogtown

314-645-2088

American, Breakfast, Brunch, Staff Pick, Menu

This homey south-city spot packs 'em in on weekend mornings, and with good reason: The breakfast items are out of this world. Fluffy three-egg omelets come stuffed with the usual suspects (ham, Cheddar cheese) and more exceptional ingredients (salsiccia, artichokes); heavenly pancakes (buttermilk or buckwheat) fairly flop over the sides of the plate. Come lunchtime Chris' offers a nice selection of sandwiches. This is good food served by good folks.

4 articles

City Coffeehouse & Crêperie

36 N. Brentwood Blvd. Clayton

314-862-2975

Breakfast, Brunch, Cafe, Coffeehouse, French, Staff Pick

In France crêpes are street food, but in Clayton they get the upper-crust treatment at this cute, bustling breakfast-and-lunch spot. The crêperie is particularly popular with female baby-boomer townsfolk in search of a quick, relatively cheap bite. And who can blame them? Nearly twenty varieties of sweet and savory crêpes (ultra-thin, ultra-light pancakes with an eggy-sweet flavor) come stuffed with endless, gourmet-quality combinations of roasted vegetables, Havarti cheese, mesquite-grilled chicken, creamed spinach, pineapple, smoked salmon, jams, bananas or classic Nutella. Soups, salads, sandwiches, quiches and Belgian waffles are available, but you don't go to Ted Drewes for frozen yogurt, do you?

3 articles

Clayton Diner

6 S. Central Ave. Clayton

314-727-2828

Breakfast, Diner

Perhaps every community needs a greasy spoon. If so, then the upscale downtown Clayton area meets its requirement with the Clayton Diner. Not exactly the type of food you might expect around the intersection of Central Avenue and Forsyth Boulevard, this diner serves up breakfast, burgers and other diner fare in a friendly, retro atmosphere. With a few booths and counter seating available, Clayton Diner is a true diner. The breakfast menu features eggs, omelets, hotcakes, French toast, and biscuits and gravy. Daily lunch specials include rotisserie chicken, beef tips in gravy and a catfish sandwich. Burgers and hot dogs are also available, including large offerings and smaller, "buck" versions available for 99 cents. And of course, what diner would be complete without a slinger, made here with two burger patties, cheese, hash browns and an egg all covered in chili.

Companion Bake House & Cafe

8143 Maryland Ave. Clayton

314-352-4770

American, Bakery, Breakfast, Brunch, Cafe, Coffeehouse, Dessert, Staff Pick, Menu

How do the folks at Companion possess the time or patience to turn out such lovely breakfast and lunch items at their Clayton eatery? Haven't they enough to do, turning out some 13,000 pounds of breads and pastries daily for dozens of St. Louis restaurants? Yet here's a scrumptious "Jive Turkey" sandwich (that's turkey, prosciutto, white Cheddar, roasted yellow onion and chili mayo on country white bread), there's a gorgeous slice of veggie pizza -- and let's not forget the eggs and French toast at breakfast. And you'll likely want to take home a treat: The bakery case boasts beautiful cakes, and a loaf of bread (in styles like rye batard, ciabatta, pumpkin-cranberry, or rosemary-olive oil) goes for about five bucks.

5 articles

Companion Bakehouse-Ladue

8791 Clayton Road Ladue

314-352-4770

Bakery, Breakfast, Cafe, Dessert, Menu

How do the folks at Companion possess the time or patience to turn out such lovely breakfast and lunch items at their Clayton eatery? Haven't they enough to do, turning out some 13,000 pounds of breads and pastries daily for dozens of St. Louis restaurants? Yet here's a scrumptious "Jive Turkey" sandwich (that's turkey, prosciutto, white Cheddar, roasted yellow onion and chili mayo on country white bread), there's a gorgeous slice of veggie pizza -- and let's not forget the eggs and French toast at breakfast. And you'll likely want to take home a treat: The bakery case boasts beautiful cakes, and a loaf of bread (in styles like rye batard, ciabatta, pumpkin-cranberry, or rosemary-olive oil) goes for about five bucks.

The Corner Cup

1221 Tamm Ave. St. Louis - Dogtown

314-899-0287

Breakfast, Coffeehouse, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Coffee Shops

The Corner Cup is a sister restaurant to the adjacent Tamm Avenue Grill. It focuses on paleo, gluten free and vegetarian breakfast options as well as traditional fare.

Crepes in the City

500 N. 14th St. St. Louis - South Grand

314-436-1900

American, Breakfast, Brunch, Coffeehouse, Crepes, French, Tea, Coffee Shops, Art Galleries, Performing Arts Venues

Dee-Lux Diner

700 S. Central Ave., Roxana Grafton/ Godfrey/ Alton

618-254-7115

Breakfast, Brunch, Diner

Denny's

1515 Hampton Ave. St. Louis - South City

314-645-1754

American, Breakfast, Diner, Fast Food, New American, Traditional, Menu

1 article

Donut Drive-In

6525 Chippewa St. St. Louis - St. Louis Hills

314-645-7714

Bakery, Breakfast, Brunch, Cafe, Coffeehouse, Staff Pick

Best reason to fish for loose change in your car's seat cushions: You only need about 47 cents to buy yourself a cakey piece of heaven from this little white building where they make doughnuts, doughnuts and nothing else (well, except coffee, the good ol' American diesel-fuel kind) the old-school way. That cakey quality is key: Chocolate glazed, custard-filled, cruller or plain, you get a doughnut with much more heft than the glaze-air-and-lard creations you find elsewhere. So what are you still doing reading this?

1 article

The Donut House

8500 Morgan Ford Road, St. Louis Affton/ Concord

314-638-5828

Bakery, Breakfast

1 article

Duff's Restaurant

392 N. Euclid Ave. St. Louis - Central West End

314-361-0522

American, Breakfast, Brunch, Staff Pick, Menu

High ceilings and exposed brick are the setting for this boho hangout. Though many dishes shine, get the inside scoop from your deft and diplomatic server when ordering. Sunday brunch is worth the wait (especially with mimosa in hand). Sidewalk seating provides primo people-watching at Euclid and McPherson, ever the hub of CWE society.

14 articles

Dunkin' Donuts

9860 Manchester Road, Rock Hill Webster Groves

314-918-1475

Bakery, Breakfast, Coffeehouse

Founded in 1950 in Massachusetts, Dunkin' Donuts has achieved global domination of the donut market with more than 10,000 locations in 32 countries. St. Louis donut lovers will find them here in practically every incarnation, from Bavarian cream-filled to chocolate glazed and sprinkle-encrusted, plus donut holes called, adorably enough, "Munchkins." Dunkin's house coffee--which it refers to as "America's Favorite Coffee," naturally--has a cult following and has been hawked by the likes of celebrity chef Rachael Ray with the slogan "America Runs on Dunkin'." Espresso drinks and frozen "Coolattas" round out the beverage selection, and there are also bagels and breakfast sandwiches, including healthier Egg White Flatbreads, for those with a sweet tooth that lies dormant in the wee morning hours. Finding your local location is a slam-dunk on Voice Places.

Eclipse

6177 Delmar Blvd., University City St. Louis - Forest Park

314-726-2222

Breakfast, Contemporary, Bars and Clubs, Staff Pick, Menu

As you might expect from the man who brought St. Louis Blueberry Hill and the Pin-Up Bowl, the restaurant inside the Moonrise Hotel features plenty of retro kitsch: paintings of ray guns and rockets, moon- and space-related tchotchkes behind glass. The menu veers toward contemporary bistro cuisine, including steak frites, roasted chicken and trout grilled on a plank. Appetizers include a topnotch (and spicy!) calamari starter in jalapeno-garlic butter and a lobster beignet (basically, lobster in a doughnut). Breakfast and lunch are served daily. The cocktail menu is excellent. For a change, try the Blood & Sand, a Scotch-based creation infused with citrus and herbs. In addition, the rooftop offers unmatched views of “one of the 10 Great Streets in America” (dubbed by the American Planning Association) all the way to the arch underneath a rotating moon, said to be the world’s largest. The newly opened New Moon Room offers an additional all-season indoor/outdoor space with bottle service.

3 articles

The Egg & I

11692 Manchester Road, St. Louis Town & Country

314-821-3447

Breakfast, Restaurants

First Watch-Chesterfield

Olive Blvd. & Chesterfield Parkway W. Chesterfield

636-530-1401

American, Breakfast, Brunch, Staff Pick

See listing under "Central County."

1 article

First Watch

8001 Forsyth Blvd. Clayton

314-863-7330

American, Breakfast, Brunch, Staff Pick

Hungry. Must shove food into pie hole and pour coffee down gullet, pronto. Must get to First Watch. At this expanding national chain's four St. Louis locations, cartoonishly large platters of breakfast and lunch staples come to the table cartoonishly fast. Concentrate your menu attention on the dizzying array of egg dishes, all of them great. Or go for lunch and the soups-and-sandwiches-and-salads route. See listings for additional locations under "Webster/Kirkwood" and "West County."

3 articles

First Watch-Creve Coeur

742 N. New Ballas Road Creve Coeur

314-994-7171

American, Breakfast, Brunch, Staff Pick

See listing under "Central County."

1 article

First Watch-Des Peres

13323 Manchester Road Des Peres

314-966-3913

American, Breakfast, Brunch

Hungry. Must shove food into pie hole and pour coffee down gullet, pronto. Must get to First Watch. At this expanding national chains four St. Louis locations, cartoonishly large platters of breakfast and lunch staples come to the table cartoonishly fast. Concentrate your menu attention on the dizzying array of egg dishes, all of them great. Or go for lunch and the soups-and-sandwiches-and-salads route. See listings for additional locations under "Webster/Kirkwood" and "West County."

First Watch-Kirkwood

491 S. Kirkwood Road Kirkwood

314-909-7271

American, Breakfast, Brunch, Staff Pick

See listing under "Central County."

1 article

First Watch-South County

5646 Telegraph Road, South St. Louis County Mehlville/ Oakville/ Lemay

314-293-1024

American, Breakfast, Brunch

Hungry. Must shove food into pie hole and pour coffee down gullet, pronto. Must get to First Watch. At this expanding national chains four St. Louis locations, cartoonishly large platters of breakfast and lunch staples come to the table cartoonishly fast. Concentrate your menu attention on the dizzying array of egg dishes, all of them great. Or go for lunch and the soups-and-sandwiches-and-salads route. See listings for additional locations under "Webster/Kirkwood" and "West County."

First Watch-St. Peters

McMenamy Road & Mid Rivers Mall Drive St. Peters

636-970-0050

American, Breakfast, Brunch

Hungry. Must shove food into pie hole and pour coffee down gullet, pronto. Must get to First Watch. At this expanding national chains four St. Louis locations, cartoonishly large platters of breakfast and lunch staples come to the table cartoonishly fast. Concentrate your menu attention on the dizzying array of egg dishes, all of them great. Or go for lunch and the soups-and-sandwiches-and-salads route. See listings for additional locations under "Webster/Kirkwood" and "West County."

First Watch-Webster Groves

220 W. Lockwood Ave. Webster Groves

314-968-9984

Breakfast, Brunch

Hungry. Must shove food into pie hole and pour coffee down gullet, pronto. Must get to First Watch. At this expanding national chains four St. Louis locations, cartoonishly large platters of breakfast and lunch staples come to the table cartoonishly fast. Concentrate your menu attention on the dizzying array of egg dishes, all of them great. Or go for lunch and the soups-and-sandwiches-and-salads route. See listings for additional locations under "Webster/Kirkwood" and "West County."