Best Breakfasts in Carlsbad

Breakfast can get your day off to a great start – if you pick the right place. The best breakfast restaurants in Carlsbad offer a great mix of delicious food and sunshine-lit patios. Don’t forget to check our Best Coffee Shop List too as they also have food options. Here are the places you should visit to start your morning off right.

Criteria: Taste, environment, quality ingredients, service, uniqueness, ambience, variety, joy, furnishings

Cafe Topes

Neighborhood: Carlsbad Village

Quality unique ingredients and 3 different inside/outside areas makes this our top pick for breakfast in Carlsbad Village. Great variety and good outdoor/indoor seating for a delicious breakfast and top-shelf coffees. Family-owned and a step-up from others in friendly service.

What They Are Famous For: Big fluffy pancakes, super benedicts, superb meats, fresh made cinnamon rolls, robust menu, and great place to hang out. Smaller, more intimate feel than larger restaurants.

Hints: Go early on the weekends or be prepared to wait as the locals fill this up pretty quickly. Open for brunch and lunch too. Check for the specials on the wall when you walk in.

Reservations: No. Stand in line to order, and seat yourself.

760-434-8673

2725 State Street

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Naked Cafe

Neighborhood: Carlsbad Village

Large menu of gourmet breakfasts with super fresh, inventive ingredients – and many vegan/vegetarian dishes make this a best breakfast in Carlsbad for health-conscious delicious creations. Central Village location is a short walk or an easy park.

What They Are Famous For: Extensive menu, including exotic mimosas, premium coffees and teas all served on a sunlit patio in the center the Village Faire.

Hints: Check out all the coffee variations before ordering, and go early on weekends as it gets crowded.

Reservations: No. Stand in line to get seated.

760-720-7866

300 Carlsbad Village Dr. Suite 107A

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Tip Top Meats

Neighborhood: Carlsbad West

The restaurant is inside a German meat market/grocery store and is one of the best breakfasts or best brunches in Carlsbad for the price. You have to stand in a line to order and then seat yourself in their cottage style dining rooms. Check out the market before or after.

What They Are Famous For: Large traditional breakfasts with a wide range of German meats besides traditional bacon and sausage. Substitute polish sausage or bratwurst at no cost.

Hints: It’s worth the wait to get the best deal in town – 2 egg breakfast with Bratwurst (or other meats), home style creamy red potatoes and bread of choice – all for $6.98.

Reservations: No. Stand in line to order, then seat yourself.

760-438-2620

6118 Paseo Del Norte

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Shorehouse Kitchen

Neighborhood: Carlsbad Village

Shorehouse Kitchen offers an upscale village location matched with outstanding food and coffee options.

What They Are Famous For: An eclectic menu of outstanding healthy and decadent gourmet breakfast dishes. Salmon lox, short rib potato pancakes, pork chilaquiles, and mango pancakes are all here.

Hints: Go early on the weekends or be prepared to wait as this location gets busy Open for brunch and lunch too. You can get on the waitlist to lower the wait time. They have a separate coffee shop that is great for getting something quickly.

Reservations: Waitlist Click Here

760-720-3300

2833 State Street

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Beach Plum Kitchen

Neighborhood: Carlsbad West

The highest quality ingredients include homemade jams, fair-trade coffees, cage-free eggs, real maple syrup and from-scratch recipes make this one of the best breakfasts in Carlsbad – but its a few miles from the Village.

What They Are Famous For: A menu full of inventive imaginative breakfast variations with unique components that will get your mouth watering while you read.

Hints: This place gets busy on the weekends, but you can pre-register on Yelp. Mexican dishes and traditional spins are all good here – add the applewood bacon.

Reservations: No, but you can pre-register HERE.

760-931-1362

6971 El Camino Real #201

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Cafe Elysa

Neighborhood: Carlsbad Village

Quality unique ingredients and 3 different inside/outside areas earned this as one of our top picks in the Village for a delicious breakfast and top-shelf coffees. Family-owned and a local favorite.

What They Are Famous For: Big fluffy pancakes, super benedicts, superb meats, fresh made cinnamon rolls, robust menu, and great place to hang out. Many healthy and vegan choices here.

Hints: Go early on the weekends or be prepared to wait as the locals fill this street-side patio up pretty quickly. Open for brunch and lunch too. Check for the specials as you line up to order before sitting down.

Reservations: No. Stand in line to order, then seat yourself.

760-434-4100

3076 Carlsbad Blvd.

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Village Kitchen & Pie Shoppe

Neighborhood: Carlsbad West

Big extensive menu of breakfast categories has made this a Carlsbad favorite for decades. Reasonable prices, and good homestyle cooking with baked goodies galore.

What They Are Famous For: Omelettes, “scrambles”, pecan and cinammon rolls, biscuits & gravy, pancakes, waffles, potatoes many different ways – even German potato cakes and potato salad.

Hints: It pretty busy most weekend mornings, so expect to wait a bit. Take a piece of pie, cookies, cake or whole pie home afterwards. Lunch and dinner too.

Reservations: No. Stand in line to get seated.

760-729-6414

950 Tamarack Ave

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Swamis

Neighborhood: Carlsbad Village

Popular breakfast restaurant right on PCH/Carlsbad Blvd. in Carlsbad Village featuring a large menu of traditional and local favorites.

What They Are Famous For: Huge menu of traditional breakfasts with many Mexican variations, and some unique dishes featuring lobster, steak, hash, smoothies, fruit bowls with many vegan and GF options.

Hints: Go early as this place is busy – especially on weekends – or be prepared to wait a bit. Line goes quick as they seat a lot of people. Sign up as a VIP before you go and get a free house coffee.

Reservations: No. Stand in line to get seated.

760-434-7455

2780 Carlsbad Blvd.

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Don's Country Kitchen

Neighborhood: Carlsbad Village

Long-time downtown family-owned traditional breakfasts with many tasty variations. Convenient downtown location with a both indoor and outdoor on-the-street seating.

What They Are Famous For: Diner-style big servings of biscuits & gravy, omelettes, “scrambles”, benedicts, pancakes, waffles, stuffed hash browns and much more.

Hints: This is a smaller restaurant but they do seat outside and inside – so you may have to wait on busy weekend mornings. They also have great lunches.

Reservations: No. Stand in line to get seated.

760-729-2274

2885 Roosevelt St

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French Corner

Neighborhood: Carlsbad Village

Definitely a more French-European vibe, this restaurant/bakery has cozy comfortable inside seating and street-side seating along main drag PCH/Carlsbad Blvd.

What They Are Famous For: French bakery items, frittatas, omelettes, parfaits, and coffees – but the star attraction here are the savory and sweet crepes.

Hints: Go with a breakfast sandwich or the yummy crepes. The ham & cheese crepe with cornichon French pickles is our favorite. They also have super salads and sandwiches for lunch.

Reservations: No. Stand in line to order, then seat yourself.

760-453-7475

2744 Carlsbad Blvd

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Paris Baguette

Neighborhood: Carlsbad North

Upscale bakery across the street from the Carlsbad Mall featuring a high variety of immaculate looking, delicious pastries and baked goods.

What They Are Famous For: Clean, well organized self-serve display cases of a wide variety of items. You will say Wow! when you walk in and its hard to make a decision what to get.

Hints: There is another showcase for cakes near the checkout so consider taking home some dessert for later in the day – they are just as wonderful as the breakfast and lunch options.

Reservations: No. Load up your tray and head to checkout.

442-266-3002

2588 El Camino Real

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Super Donut

Neighborhood: Carlsbad Village

Sometimes you want a delicious donut and nothing else will do. When the mood strikes, head to Super Donut for fresh made donuts.

What They Are Famous For: Fresh made warm donuts daily including maple bacon long johns, glazed lemon pistachio masterpieces and much more.

Hints: They don’t open to 7am but go before 9am on weekends to get the good ones before they are gone. This is a family run, wait in line place that has been here since the 1980s. They also have a drive thru window, but parking is plentiful on the street.

Reservations: No. Counter service only.

760-434-8658

590 Grand Ave.

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