The Best Breakfast Sandwiches in LA
Los Angeles is not like New York, where breakfast sandwiches are found on every corner, but the city is filled with fantastic options if you know where to look for them. We've rounded up 27 of the best, ranging from healthy and vegan to decadent and meaty.
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Catch
The massive West Hollywood hotspot Catch is a celebrity magnet as well as a great place for brunch. Book one of the restaurant's 340 seats and try the Chick N' Egg Sandwich with a sunny-side-up egg, organic crispy chicken, caramelized onions, pickles, arugula and herb mayo. Enjoy the see-and-be-seen atmosphere over some champagne, one of the best pairings possible with fried chicken.
Petit Trois
Ludo Lefebvre took his beloved Petit Trois concept and opened it in Sherman Oaks. At Petit Trois Le Valley, guests can expect the same Parisian feel of the original Hollywood location, but with more space and new menu items. One such dish is the Mec Muffin breakfast sandwich with Parisian ham, American cheese, egg and sage.
Ma'am Sir
Chef Charles Olalia at Ma'am Sir is responsible for making what may be Los Angeles' best breakfast sandwich. It's not just perfectly cooked and exceptionally delicious — it's interesting and different as well. The Longganisa Sandwich stars housemade pork sausage, atchara (pickled unripe papaya), a fried egg and mayo on a pillowy bun. While you're waiting for your breakfast sandwich to arrive, snack on the pan de sal with pandan curd.
Paramount Coffee Project
Australian cafe Paramount Coffee Project brought its owners' vision to Los Angeles with a location inside ROW DTLA. Breakfast sandwiches here get served on buttery biscuits, like The PCP Breakfast Sandwich with curried egg salad, lemongrass cured ham, tomato jam and pea tendrils on a salt-and-pepper biscuit.
Jon & Vinny's
Fairfax landmark Jon & Vinny's is an LA Italian-American staple that's famous for its spaghetti and pizza made by Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook, but you'd be missing out if you didn't stop by in the morning for a breakfast sandwich. For starters, there's the BLT with bacon, fried egg, tomato, arugula and aioli. The sandwich gets bonus points because it's on grilled ciabatta from Gjusta, one of the best bakeries in town. Dine in, or take the sandwich to go and enjoy a streetwear edition of people-watching around Fairfax.
Fundamental DTLA
Popular lunch spot Fundamental DTLA is one of the cutest places downtown to start the day. From 8:30 to 11 a.m., Monday through Friday, settle into one of the picturesque banquettes and order the egg sandwich made with scrambled eggs, sharp cheddar, smoked paprika aioli and optional bacon or avocado. To pair with the sandwich, there are coffees from Stumptown and tea from Art of Tea.
Orsa & Winston
Josef Centeno's Japanese-Italian spot Orsa & Winston (named for his two dogs) is nestled in downtown' LA's historic core. Walk around admiring the neighborhood's architecture before stopping by for the Raspberry Sandwich, made with raspberries, whipped cream and mascarpone, all on the housemade milk bread. It's as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat.
Friends & Family
In East Hollywood, the bright and roomy Friends & Family by Chef Daniel Mattern and pastry chef/baker Roxana Jullapat is a place you'll want to hole up in all day, with friendly service and free Wi-Fi. The Eggwich is essentially a hearty breakfast platter snuck into a fluffy bun. You get a breakfast sausage patty, cheesy scrambled eggs, maple mayo and some greens with every bite. The sandwich is available daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in case breakfast cravings hit you later in the day.
Best Girl
The Ace Hotel's all-day dining spot, Best Girl, comes from the vision of multiple James Beard Award nominee Chef Michael Cimarusti. It's a cute and comfortable place to linger over coffee, maybe nurse a hangover, and admire the black-and-white checkered floors. When it's time to order, don't forget the mortadella sandwich, an English muffin with salume, a fried egg, arugula, provolone and Calabrian aioli.
Breakfast by Salt's Cure
It's a joy to go through the menu at Breakfast by Salt's Cure. Every item is a little piece of homey breakfast heaven, like banana nut oatmeal griddle cake with toasted walnuts and molasses-cured picnic ham. The breakfast sandwich is chef-y while still being comforting, with a chicken, pork or chickpea sausage, egg, cheese and an arugula relish on a housemade bun.
Rossoblu
A taste of Emilia-Romagna is tucked away in the Arts District at Rossoblu from Chef Steve Samson, Dina Samson and Hans Luttmann, and there's a dish on the family-style brunch menu that you'll want to keep for yourself: the breakfast sandwich. Sharing will seem difficult to impossible when the sandwich hits your table with its milk bun, stracchino, fried egg, arugula, salsa verde and housemade sausage. Vegetarians can swap the meat for trumpet mushrooms for an equally good time.
Las Glorias Del Buen Comer
There's nothing fancy about Las Glorias Del Buen Comer in Silver Lake. It's right off the freeway, it doesn't feature indoor seating (although you can sit on a covered terrace), and you order at the window. But what the place lacks in ambience it makes up for in absolutely delicious food. The breakfast sandwich feels lovingly made, with eggs, ham, bacon or chorizo, and cheese on Mexican bread. You'd be wise to add some avocado.
Astro Doughnuts
Childhood friends Elliot Spaisman and Jeff Halpern are responsible for making both doughnuts and fried chicken a part of breakfast. They're the creators of Astro Doughnuts, where you'll find The Works, a sweet and savory behemoth you won't be telling your doctor about. This breakfast sandwich is made with house-brined buttermilk fried chicken, a farm-fresh egg, bacon and white cheddar cheese, all piled between two savory doughnut buns, naturally.
Locali
Vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and meat eaters all can get behind Locali's vegan breakfast sandwich, made with a vegan sausage patty, vegan cheddar, vegan chipotle sauce and maple syrup on a sprouted-grain English muffin. The healthy neighborhood deli and market uses only organic ingredients, which pop particularly well in the Beauty Smoothies you're encouraged to try along with the sandwich. Get a little caffeine boost with The Berry Good, a blend of mixed berries, coconut yogurt, unfiltered apple juice and matcha.
Comoncy
Comoncy's head chef, Joseph Gillard, hand-selects and consciously sources all of the ingredients at his restaurant, giving preference to local farmers and purveyors. That means the Egg-cellent Sandwich — made with organic eggs, applewood-smoked bacon, scallion mayo and greens on whole-grain bread — is better for the planet, and also better-tasting, thanks to Gillard's extra efforts.
Konbi
This breakfast sandwich deserves your full attention, which is why it's a plus to have open-kitchen seating at Echo Park's new Japanese spot, Konbi. The layered omelet sandwich with dashi, mayo and Dijon is mesmerizing to watch being prepared, and tastes as good as it looks. Customers who get to Konbi early enough in the morning can also order one of the restaurant's guaranteed-to-sell-out pastries, like the impossibly flaky chocolate croissants.
Atrium
The new Atrium restaurant is covertly tucked down an alleyway in Los Feliz, making its lovely ambience and great food available only to those in the know. Head in for brunch by Chef Hunter Pritchett and pastry chef Gregory Baumgartner, and opt for a breakfast sandwich like the fried egg banh mi. Because you're already here, also order the heirloom cornmeal pancake, with pink guava jam, whipped burrata and sea salt; it's Baumgartner's favorite dish and is also gluten-free.
Yeastie Boys
Yeastie Boys have been rolling their bagel trucks all over Los Angeles since 2014, spreading their love for lox and schmear. There are many ways to go here for breakfast — like the Nutella, cream cheese and banana on a blueberry bagel if you want something sweet, or a combo of pastrami, egg and cheese on a poppy seed bagel if you'd prefer something savory. The timeless classic combo, however, is the sesame seed bagel with cream cheese, capers, red onion and lox.
Es Todo
Owner Sarkis Vartanian is not playing around at Es Todo in downtown Los Angeles. The Sin Fronteras sandwich will fill you up and keep you full all day, with egg, refried beans, Mexican cheese, avocado, nopales and spicy red sauce, all on a Mexican bun. The order is delicious for you and good for others: 10 percent of all Es Todo sales go to KIND.
The Crack Shack
The Crack Shack, from Top Chef winner Chef Richard Blais, puts a spotlight on chicken morning, noon and night. Unlike most fried-chicken spots, The Crack Shack focuses on using top-notch, humanely raised poultry. The locally raised, antibiotic-free Jidori fried chicken is particularly great for breakfast in the Señor Croque. Crispy chicken, bacon, fried egg, cheddar and a miso-maple butter go perfectly together on a tasty brioche bun.
Go Get Em Tiger
Go Get Em Tiger is one of those cafes where you feel comfortable the minute you walk through the door. The coffee shop has expanded all over the east side of LA, making its feel-good vibe available from Highland Park to Larchmont. Stop in for a top-notch cup of coffee and the GGET Breakfast Sandwich: a housemade English muffin with sausage, crispy fried egg, tomato, spicy scallions and aioli.
Animal
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo's meatier restaurant, Animal, naturally serves a hearty breakfast sandwich during brunch service. The Bodega Sandwich, available on the weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., stars ham, eggs and American cheese on a kaiser roll. If you don't need an egg in your breakfast sandwich, you could also go for the Boner Burger with the restaurant's "420 sauce," Jack cheese, poblano and red onion. Either way, you'll be leaving full.
Freedman's
Silver Lake's new Freedman's restaurant has garnered national attention for its excellent Jewish deli fare on Sunset Boulevard. At just 25 years old, owner Jonah Freedman even landed a spot on Forbes' 30 Under 30 2019 list for food-and-beverage professionals. You'll land yourself a delicious breakfast if you head there in the morning. Freedman's breakfast sandwich is built on a bagel, featuring smoked salmon, egg salad and greens.
All Time
You might have to battle the limited parking situation in Los Feliz, but all will be well when you find your way back to All Time for breakfast. There are breakfast pastries like kouigns, and The Better Breakfast Sandwich is made with a fried egg, fontina cheese, braised greens and bacon, on an English muffin. And hey, you're in LA, so why not add some avocado for an extra $2?
Dockside at Playa Provisions
Right along Playa Del Rey Beach, Playa Provisions packs four concepts into one space: whiskey bar, ice cream shop, market counter and seafood restaurant. Brunch goes down at the latter, called Dockside, every Saturday and Sunday. This is where you'll find a glorious breakfast sandwich, stacked with turkey and bacon sausage, an over-easy egg, Gruyère, vinegar collards, avocado and a house-pickled habanero hot sauce on ciabatta bread.
Border Grill
Back in 1985, two classically trained chefs, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, traveled all over Mexico in a Volkswagen Beetle and ate everything they could along the way. The result of the pilgrimage was Border Grill, their Mexican concept that now includes multiple locations, food trucks and a catering operation. Try their egg sandwich at the Border Grill Downtown LA during weekend brunch; it's made with egg, smoked bacon, pickled onions, morita chile aioli and arugula on a brioche bun.
