Breakfast can mean a lot of things for each person. Whether you are a stack of pancakes type or a coffee and bagel-to-go type of riser, there are plenty of breakfast places in Austin doing the most important meal of the day justice.
As well as having the best breakfast tacos, pastries, and sandwiches, some of the cafés on Secret Austin’s list are known for their elegant décor. The blue Clarkville cottage, The Driskill Hotel’s vintage-style café and bakery, and the long marble bar at June’s All Day all add a touch of sophistication to your first bite of the day.
1. Josephine House
Start your morning off right at this pretty cottage in Austin—Jeffrey’s sister restaurant. Butter croissants, ricotta pancakes with maple syrup and strawberries, and avocado toast are some of the wholesome items on the menu. Grab a dark roast coffee at the small marble bar or find a shady spot on the patio. As well as serving up a quality breakfast, Josephine House is open for lunch and dinner.
📍1601 Waterston, Clarksville, Austin
2. Vaquero Taquero
Breakfast places in Austin serving up tasty tacos aren’t few and far between but Vaquero Taquero’s breakfast and street-style tacos are known for a reason. The taquería’s winning flavors secured their signature taco, Al Pastor, the top spot on Austin Monthly’s Taco Bracket. Make your own breakfast taco or choose between the refried beans and cheese or slow-cooked beef cheek taco, and more all served on handmade flour tortillas.
📍 North Campus: 104 E. 31st St., Austin 📍 Downtown: 603 Sabine St., Austin
3. Veracruz All Natural
Veracruz All Natural is also known for its authentic Mexican cuisine. Owned by two sisters, Reyna and Maritza Vazquez, the restaurant has expanded to five locations across Austin. They value the importance of using organic and fresh ingredients in cooking. Build your “El Breakfast Taco” from two items or more, including bacon, chorizo, egg, potato, refried pinto beans, and cheese. If you are more of an adventurous breakfast person, everything from the traditional taco to the grilled chicken taco is mouth-wateringly good. The healthy “Good Morning Juice” is also there for the guilt-ridden…
📍 Several locations
4. June’s All Day
Early birds can find “a little bit of Paris” on the corner of South Congress Avenue. June’s All Day serves breakfast, lunch, and an all-day bistro menu. While grabbing a delicious pastry and coffee to go, you’ll feel like you’re in a charming café not so far from the Eiffel Tower. Soak up the sun from the front patio and enjoy a bowl of house-made granola or some buttermilk pancakes. From the seductive croque madame to the banana bread and other baked goods at the bakeshop, June’s All Day will meet all your breakfast needs.
📍1722 South Congress, Austin
5. Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop
And so we find ourselves recommending yet another one of the breakfast places in Austin specializing in Mexican cuisine—it’s hard to resist! Joe’s Bakery is an institution and has been serving the community for over 54 years. It is a family-run business dedicated to bringing “positive results and complete satisfaction”. Serving all-day breakfast, the menu features huevos rancheros, tacos, and a chicharrone plate served with fried pork skins cooked in salsa, potatoes, beans, and tortillas.
📍2305 E.7th St., Austin
6. 1886 Café and Bakery
If you’re feeling more in the mood for a morning luxury, you can breakfast at 1886 Café and Bakery—also known as “Austin’s socializing parlour”. The Victorian-style café provides an elegant setting for a relaxed breakfast. Famous for their Quiche Lorraine and Texas-shaped pecan waffle, the café serves an impressive list of Texan favorites, including a fried chicken sandwich. Cinnamon rolls, cranberry scones, and an array of muffin flavors are some of the morning goodies you can expect to find at the salon turned gambling hall turned luncheon room turned café at The Driskill Hotel.
📍604 Brazos St., Austin
7. Pacha Organic Café
Marjorie and her husband David created a place for breakfast dining that feels like home. Pacha’s mission was to support organic and sustainable food. Organic eggs, flour, butter, milk, and vegetables are some of the quality ingredients the café has stocked in its larder. Tacos are getting a look in here again, but within good reason. Pacha’s hearty tacos such as “Taco de Mayo” and custom breakfast tacos are worth trying. Make sure you try the popular pear-bacon-scallion pancake—pancakes are Pacha’s specialty!
📍2915 Guadalupe St., Austin
8. Better Half Coffee & Cocktails
As an award-winning, all-day café in Austin, Better Half Coffee & Cocktails is a great choice for your morning fix. Choose between a breakfast sandwich with crispy hash brown, egg, and smoked paprika aioli, and the chicken biscuit which comes as a southern-fried chicken breast with jalapeño-honey butter. Wash it all down with a seasonal latte or chagaccino. The buñuelos, a Mexican-style dough, are an absolute must dipped in coffee.
📍406 Walsh St., Austin
9. Nervous Charlie’s
Voted Best Bagels in Austin 2022, Austinites on the go in the a.m. will appreciate the convenience of Nervous Charlie’s. Order your next bagel made using ingredients shipped from both New York City and sourced right here in Austin. A breakfast from Nervous Charlie’s is memorable thanks to the variety of bagels, such as poppy, sesame, onion, French toast, and cinnamon raisin. Personalize the perfect bagel by choosing from over nine different types of cream cheese. You can also opt for one of the breakfast sandwiches on the menu like a bagel with lox or the pastrami and breakfast potatoes bagel.
📍5501 N. Lamar St., Austin