NYC: Best Breakfast Sandwiches
When it comes to breakfast foods, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a thoughtfully constructed breakfast sandwich. I’ve tried a lot of them since moving to New York City in 2018, and have compiled a list of my favorite finds.
Daily Provisions (multiple locations)
Daily Provisions’ “The Lumberjack” breakfast sandwich began as an off-menu special, but quickly grew so popular that it was added to their daily breakfast menu across all locations. It’s a BEC (bacon, egg, cheese) sandwich on a homemade maple cruller. I had high expectations for this, and it exceeded all of them. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and salty, but is definitely heavy, even though it’s small.
Golden Diner (123 Madison St.)
Golden Diner is an Asian diner with New York influence serving traditional comfort foods, sometimes with a little twist. Their “Chinatown Egg & Cheese Sando” is my favorite breakfast sandwich in the city. It features soft-scrambled eggs, American cheese, and a hash brown patty served on a homemade sesame scallion milk bun.
Edith’s (multiple locations)
Ediths Sandwich Counter began as a pandemic-era pop-up, serving comfort foods out of Paulie Gee’s Pizzeria in Greenpoint. They now have two brick-and-mortar locations- one in Williamsburg, and one in Tribeca. They have a great breakfast sandwich named the “BEC&L.” It has bacon, egg, latke and cheese on an everything bagel and is simple and delicious!
Little Ruby’s (225 W 4th Street)
The popular chain of Australian cafes, Little Ruby’s, opened a fourth location in The West Village, that offers exclusive menu items, and a full bar. Their daytime menu has a Breakfast Burrito on it that’s filled with scrambled eggs, chorizo, scallions, jack cheese, spicy aioli, tater tots, and shishito salsa. It was hefty and flavorful, and will hopefully be added to their Murray Hill, Soho, and East Village menus as well!
Win Son Bakery (164 Graham Avenue)
Not to be dramatic, but Win Son Bakery’s breakfast sandwich will change your life. It has an egg and raclette cheese folded and griddled into a crispy scallion pancake served with a side of ginger aioli. I had high expectations for this, and it exceeded all of them. They don’t take reservations and lines can get excessively long on weekends, but I assure you, it’s worth the wait.
Ursula (387A Nostrand Avenue)
Nobody does a breakfast burrito better than Ursula! They have four different menu options, and I usually go with the “Vegetarian Egg” which has hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and green chile packed into a flour tortilla. The eggs are soft and fluffy, the hashbrowns are gold and crispy, and the chiles add the perfect kick. The pastries here are also top notch and should not be skipped!
Thai Diner (186 Mott Street)
There is nothing ordinary about this breakfast sandwich from Thai Diner! The “Thai Diner Egg Sandwich” has egg, cheese, sai oua herbal sausage, and Thai basil wrapped in roti and is served with a spicy dipping sauce. It’s rich, flavorful, and always satisying.
The Noortwyck (289 Bleecker Street)
The Noortwyck is an American restaurant in the West Village opened by chef Andy Quinn and sommelier Cedric Nicaise who met working at Eleven Madison Park. Their weekend brunch menu has a simple and delectable breakfast sandwich featuring aged cheddar mornay and a fried egg on a Japanese Milk Bun. You can add bacon and hash browns to it for an additional charge, and I definitely recommend the latter.
Isle of Us (1481 3rd Ave)
Isle of Us is a marketplace and cafe on the Upper East Side serving made-to-order and prepared foods as well as a beautifully curated selection of pantry and household goods. Their all-day breakfast menu has an “Eggs & Hash Burrito” filled with scrambled eggs, a hash brown potato, pickled jalapeño, roasted garlic, cheddar cheese, and tomatillo salsa. There is also an option to add chorizo. I was impressed by this wrap, and highly recommend it, along with their “Yogurt and Preserves Bowl,” and “Green Garden Toast.”
Vinegar Hill House (72 Hudson Ave)
Vinegar Hill House is a cozy American restaurant in Brooklyn serving dinner seven nights a week, and a great brunch on the weekends. You don’t hear many people talking about their breakfast sandwich, and I think that’s a mistake. Their “Egg & Époisses Sandwich” features a scrambled egg, époisses cheese and chives on a brioche bun. It’s simple and perfectly done. Bacon can be added for an extra charge, but in my opinion, it doesn’t need it.
Blue Light Cheese Speakeasy (158 Green Street)
The Blue Light Speakcheesy is a breakfast pop-up in Greenpoint that serves breakfast tacos on Wednesdays, breakfast burritos on Thursdays, flings on Fridays, bagel sandwiches on Saturdays, and buns on Sundays. I tried the breakfast burrito, and was pretty impressed. It’s a flour tortilla imported from Mexico filled with scrambled eggs, fingerling potatoes, chipotle aioli, pepper jack cheese, spinach, and crunchy lime cabbage.
Electric Burrito (multiple locations)
Electric Burrito is a Californian-style burrito shop with locations in the East Village and Chelsea. They offer various different breakfast and lunch burritos, and my favorite is the Classic Breakfast Burrito filled with eggs, beans, cheese, and fries!