The best breakfast in New Orleans to start your day

Ruby Slipper has grown into a mini breakfast empire with locations throughout the Gulf coast, the Carolinas and Tennessee. The expansion has thankfully not diluted the genius menu, one that puts a New Orleans twist on breakfast and brunch faves. Their spicy Bloody Mary is one of the best in the city, a perfect morning pick-me-up alongside a strong cup of coffee. The innovative menu features a lengthy list of Benedicts (cochon de lait, shrimp-and-grits, fried green tomato), sweet offerings (bananas foster pain perdu, stuffed French toast) and even lighter offerings (like a "skinny" version of their signature migas). Your pup’s welcome too—order off the Doggone Good Menu.

Toast now has three locations—Fairgrounds, French Quarter and Gretna—where you can dig into savory and sweet breakfast delights. The spot is known for its aebleskivers, round Danish puffed pancakes smothered in voluptuous sauces (lemon curd, caramel, jam, chocolate, maple syrup, Nutella and more), an indulgent but necessary order. Save room for savory or sweet crepes, omelets or toast (which comes in all sorts of tasty variations, including avocado, naturally).

This eclectic breakfast and lunch spot is a local favorite on Magazine Street. Slim Goodies serves classic comfort food with bold twists, all made with fresh ingredients (and lots of love). Most customers tend to order the Slammers, hash browns slathered in something delicious (think crawfish étouffée or chili with bacon and cheddar cheese), but the sweet potato pancakes are not to be missed.

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Who Dat Coffee Cafe, tucked back in the Marigny, serves breakfast starting at 7am. Sit inside or outdoors and order the Not Yo Mama's Corn Cakes, piled high with a mess of creamy egg sauce, bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and more. Or go all-in for Da Crabby Bené with crab cakes covered in poached eggs and a Creole hollandaise sauce. Whatever you order, know there's going to be spice in the mix somewhere.

Brennan's on Royal Street is hard to beat for an elegant morning. This legendary French Quarter eatery, integral to the high-end restaurant scene since 1946, serves a breakfast that rolls straight into the lunch hour. Start with a Cajun Bloody Mary, then indulge in Brennan's famous eggs Sardou, crawfish quiche or the amazing baked apple. Feeling really decadent? Definitely go for the decadent Bananas Foster dessert, which was invented here.

As the oldest organic juice bar in New Orleans, Surrey's Cafe and Juice Bar serves some of the best fresh-squeezed juices in town. But juice is just the beginning: you’ll also find hearty, house-made plates that will satisfy your morning hunger. For a serious morning sugar fix, opt for the bananas foster french toast. If you’re in the mood for something indulgent, order the Costa Rican breakfast (served with eggs, rice, pico de gallo, avocado and your choice of chorizo, bacon, sausage, ham or boudin) for a protein-heavy start or one of the local faves like boudin breakfast biscuit or crab meat omelette.

Any mention of Elizabeth's Restaurant, a local favorite, usually includes "praline bacon" in the description (as it should). Nestled in the Bywater since 1998, the eatery makes everything from scratch, including redneck eggs (fried green tomatoes, poached eggs, Hollandaise) and a fabulous French toast burrito. Pro tip: add hash browns as a side dish to anything you choose.

At Bearcat Café Uptown, your mood determines just how healthy your meal will be. Are you a “good cat” or a “bad cat” today? The former enjoys vegan tofu scrambles or house-made yogurt. The latter indulges in a fried chicken biscuit with crawfish cream sauce and an egg or a full breakfast with eggs, potatoes, sausage and a chai pancake for good measure. There’s a second location—and a bakery—in the CBD as well.

If you're craving a belly-warming breakfast, Wakin' Bakin' will hit the spot. This joint has two locations—in the French Quarter and Mid-City—and both serve up heaping plates and bowls filled with delights like eggs, bacon confit, cheddar, black beans, tofu and whatever else you'd like to throw into the mix. There’s a Meat Monster omelette or a “heart healthy” one with shrimp, so all preferences are covered. Be sure to try their homemade sourdough and a VooDoo Brew—equal parts cold brew iced coffee and chocolate milk.

Melissa Araujo brings the flavors of her Honduran heritage to life at Alma in the Bywater, where every detail—from the decor to the menu—tells a story. Served daily until 3pm, breakfast offers a mix of traditional and familiar favorites. The signature Alma Breakfast is a hearty plate of eggs, refried beans, sweet plantains, avocado, homemade crema and queso fresco. For those with a sweet tooth, the lemon ricotta pancakes with hoodoo liqueur syrup does the trick. There are also classics like avocado toast, biscuits and fried chicken, with a Honduran twist. A second location brings the same breakfast goodness to Mid-City.

From the crew behind Turkey and the Wolf, this offbeat spot on Magazine Street features an eclectic breakfast menu with items that’ll keep you going all day. Keep it simple with grits or carrot yogurt. Or go all in with a grand slam "McMuffin," featuring sage pork patties, hashbrowns, griddled onions and cheese. Throw in a side collards, sausage or bacon, and you’re all set.

Head Uptown to Riverbend where this legendary spot has served up breakfast and diner classics since 1946. Although there’s often a wait, it’s well worth it—as soon as you take your seat at the counter, friendly servers get right to work. Sip an orange freeze while you choose between staple dishes like omelets, pancakes and waffles. Camellia Grill is also open late weekends, serving all the breakfast options alongside burgers, sandwiches, dinner plates and more. Whatever time of day you go, round out your meal with a slice of pecan pie that’s finished on the grill.

This sunny cafe on Jackson Square serves creative Louisiana specialties and breakfast all day. You can’t go wrong with the Stanley Classic (eggs, pecan smoke bacon, heirloom grits and toast), but the rest of the breakfast menu is indulgent. Options like the Breaux Bridge Benedict (with seared boudin patties and smoked ham), the Eggs Benedict Po-Boy (with smoked Acadian bacon) or the breakfast seafood platter will fill you up to the brim, but after feasting on breakfast, you’ve got the whole French Quarter right there to walk it off.

Gracious has two locations (Uptown and the Garden District) where you can try delightful fresh treats like breakfast sandwiches, house-cured salmon bagels, housemade granola, morning buns and other baked goods. The Uptown location on Prytania has more seating if you’re hoping to stick around—just make sure you pick up a baguette for later on your way out.

Bywater Bakery on Dauphine Street is famous for the king cakes it dishes out during Carnival season, but it also bakes muffins, croissants and other pastries daily that are worth ordering all year long. Pair them with a full list of specialty coffees and teas and you’ve got yourself a breakfast of champions. The menu changes regularly, but highlights include a tofu scramble, avo toast, yaka mein and stuffed pistolettes.

Whether it's late night in the Quarter or it's noon and you're still in the mood for breakfast, Clover Grill always delivers. Perched on the corner of Bourbon and Dumaine and open 24 hours a day, this little diner is a quintessential NOLA spot. "We love to fry and it shows" is the motto, so don't be surprised if there's a little grease on your spoon. Chicken fried steak and eggs are a staple here, along with waffles, biscuits and gravy and fat burgers.

This charming spot in the 7th Ward offers a delightful breakfast experience that blends local flavors with international inspiration. The menu features a variety of breakfast tacos, including options like bacon, turkey bacon and tofu, each crafted with house-made refried beans, roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs and shredded cheese and wrapped in a warm flour tortilla. With ample outdoor seating, including a covered patio, Pagoda Cafe provides a serene setting to start your day, even if you’re just sipping a cup of locally-roasted coffee.

If biscuits make your heart pitter-patter, make your way to Willa Jean restaurant and bakery. Here, insanely fluffy biscuits are anything but ordinary. Try the fried chicken and Tabasco-honey biscuits, or get really deep into Southern flavor with the Benton’s bacon, egg and pimento cheese version. There's cornbread and a "hangover bowl” (pork debris, cheese grits, egg, potato), as well as avocado toast and granola—something for everyone, in other words.