Sunny-Side Up
16 May 2023
Wherever you wake up in Boulder, you’re not far from a bangin’ breakfast. From huevos rancheros to a steaming stack of flapjacks to a Front Range twist on the south’s own shrimp and grits, there’s no better way to start the day than with a bite from one of our favorite breakfast joints in – and around – town.
By JASON FRYE
B.O.B.S. Diner
820 Main St, Louisville
Dishing up diner classics and Front Range favorites, B.O.B.S. Diner will feed you like you’re one of the family. Go big with a smothered burrito or the Kitchen Sink – an eggy, meaty smorgasbord topped with green chili – or decide on “I Can’t Decide” for a pair of pancakes, eggs, sausage patties and bacon strips. Or keep it on the light side with a simple pancake, egg and meat, a pair of scrambled eggs with avocados and toast, or a solo buttermilk pancake.
Centro Mexican Kitchen
950 Pearl St, Boulder
Your late breakfast might look something like brunch at Centro, but that’s alright because it’s so good you’ll want to cry. Start with a salsa sampler and the yellowfin tuna aguachile to start, then tuck into a birria breakfast burrito, a (vegetarian-friendly) Dutch Baby pancake topped with mezcal caramel apples, or the truly exceptional duck hash with sweet potatoes and a pair of eggs over-easy.
Hidden Café
829 Main St, Longmont
You don’t need to search for a filling breakfast, just head to Longmont’s Hidden Café. The He-Man Omelette has four eggs and a double fistful of breakfast meats – that’s enough to feed a family of three – and the Country Breakfast comes with biscuits, sausage, country gravy, eggs and a pair of pancakes. Otherwise keep it small with the two-egg breakfast options (with pit ham, chicken fried steak and more), a spicy Mexican Scramble, or even a pair of tamales topped with eggs and served with home fries.
Jill’s Restaurant & Bistro
stjulien.com/dining/jills-restaurant
900 Walnut St, Boulder
It’s hard to beat breakfast at the swank St. Julien Hotel. The gorgeous dining room and attentive service are only part of the equation, but the real star is on the plate. Keep it simple with eggs benedict, a wild mushroom omelet, or an açai energy bowl; or opt for something like the house-cured gravlax with hardboiled egg and whole grain crostini, the vegetarian-friendly pancakes or berry cheesecake French Toast, or even a fruit-filled smoothie to start your day.
Lucile’s Creole Café
2124 14th St, Boulder
Creole and Cajun flavors rule the day at Lucile’s Creole Café. The Cajun Breakfast – red beans with bacon or sausage, poached eggs, hollandaise and a buttermilk biscuit – is a perpetual favorite, and once you slather that biscuit with some strawberry-rhubarb jam, you’ll be a fan forever. But start your breakfast with an order of beignets – those hot and fresh New Orleans-style donuts – and begin the day on the tastiest note possible.
Morning Glory Café
1377 Forest Park Cir, Lafayette
Vegetarians can dive into the breakfast burrito and the fried rice bowl while meat lovers enjoy the Spicy Jackalope Sausage and Eggs (that sausage isn’t actually jackalope, it’s boar, rabbit and antelope with cherries and habanero). Everyone enjoys the pancakes and the spinach, onion and mushroom Boulder Omelet. For something a little different, try the Ahi Tuna Open Face Quesadilla; the wasabi aioli is a delicious wakeup call.
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
1617 Pearl St, Boulder
Any place that offers up a Pancake Flight has our attention, and Snooze – the bright, atomic-chic spot on Pearl Street – has done just that. But there’s more than flapjacks to get excited about. The sweet and savory Monte Cristo Brioche Toast. The bevvy of Benedicts (that barbacoa chile verde benny is *chef’s kiss*). Veggie-friendly breakfasts from bowls to tofu scrambles. An egg-topped bowl of shrimp and grits. We’re excited – and hungry – for it all.
Spruce Farm & Fish
2115 13th St, Boulder
This is where fine dining meets an unbeatable brunch inside the Boulderado Hotel, so come to Spruce Farm & Fish hungry. The Prime Rib Hash uses Certified Angus Beef, the deviled eggs are topped with smoked Rocky Mountain trout, and the barbecue bison and pork belly burger is decadent from the first bite to the last. Add in a barrel-rested cocktail, a spicy Bloody Mary, or a classic Bushmills Irish Coffee and you’ve got a meal to remember.
Tangerine
2777 Iris Ave, Boulder
From locations in Boulder, Lafayette and Longmont, Tangerine serves from-scratch breakfast and lunch every day of the week. From French Toast topped with pears or strawberries or other seasonal fruits to an exceptional Chicken & Waffle to a vegan scramble topped with a piquant Romesco sauce, every bite from Tangerine pleases. If you’d rather have a handheld breakfast bite, try the Pesto & Egg Sammy or one of the best friend chicken sandwiches in town.
The Buff
1725 28th St, Boulder
If you’ve been around Boulder for a while, you know The Buff is really The Buff 2.0, a delicious re-envisioning of the original family-owned breakfast and lunch joint. Steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, a half-pound breakfast burger, these heaping plates will fill you for the day, as will the too-good-to-be-true Buffaquiles (homemade tortillas heaped with chili con carne, eggs, cheese and green chili).
The Garden Gate Café
7960 Niwot Rd, Niwot and 1135 Francis St, Longmont
Craving a crepe? Ready to savor a skillet-sized scramble or a southwest breakfast favorite? The Garden Gate Café’s got you covered. From the simple Papas Fritas to the meaty Mammas Fritas to some spicy pork tamales, you’ll get your fill of Front Range flavors; or you can opt for omelettes, sweet or savory crepes, veggie-filled scrambles, or the classic buttermilk biscuit with sausage gravy and eggs. Everything’s fresh, everyone’s friendly, and there’s a table waiting for you.
The Huckleberry
700 Main St, Louisville
There’s a lot on offer at The Huckleberry, fortunately every bite of it’s delicious. We’re partial to their scramlettes – the perfect union of omelet and scramble – especially the salmon scramlette and the veggie-packed garden scramlette, but every order of French Toast, potato latkes, and breakfast tacos have us wishing we were Hobbits and it was time for second breakfast. While you’re here, enjoy a cuppa from The Huckleberry’s sister business, The Boulder Tea Company.
The Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
1709 Pearl St, Boulder
With three locations in Boulder – Downtown on Pearl, the Baby Goat on East Pearl, and an on-campus outpost in Norlin Library – you’re never far from a killer cup of coffee. Grab something to nosh on – baked goods and breakfast sammies fill the bakery case – while you wait for your perfectly-crafted café drink to arrive. Linger a while over your coffee or tea and spend that time catching up on your studies or catching up with friends.
The Parkway Café
4700 Pearl St, Boulder
When you can’t decide between a classic diner breakfast or the flavors of Mexico, head to The Parkway Café, they dish up delicious bites either way. The classic French Toast or buttermilk pancakes shine; as do the breakfast enchiladas; a half dozen big breakfast burritos; and the Migas Cuatro Quesos, a killer combo of scrambled eggs, chorizo and tortilla chips smothered with cheese.
Walnut Café
3073 Walnut St and 673 S. Broadway, Boulder
You’ll find a monster biscuit at Walnut Café, one so big that in the south they’d call it a “cathead” biscuit because it’s the size of a tomcat’s head. It’s no joke. Neither is the Southside Omelette (a superior version of the Denver Omelette) or the Duzer-Rrito (a massive burrito you’ll need three hands to hold). Of course, you can go for something sweet like the blueberry cornbread pancakes or the classic cinnamon French Toast.
