Best Places for Breakfast in Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh's early birds flock to unique breakfast choices cooked up by local cafes
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Pittsburgh, Pa., makes the most of it. Pittsburgh is home to some of the best breakfast spots in the country. Early birds are rewarded with unique and healthy breakfast options, many of which are prepared using locally sourced ingredients.
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In This Article
Bluebird Kitchen
Bluebird Kitchen helps start the day off right with handmade breakfast, lunch and dessert items. Bluebird sources its ingredients from local farms and suppliers for everything – from ham and chicken to bread and salmon – to obtain the freshest, best-quality ingredients possible. Bluebird updates its menu frequently as ingredients become available, and it strives to innovate new dishes that are inspired from seasonal and creative influences. These constant menu changes mean that even long-time patrons can still find something new to enjoy. Bluebird has two locations, one on Forbes Avenue and the other on Stanwix Street.
Dor-Stop Restaurant
Dor-Stop Restaurant is a staple in Pittsburgh that has been family owned and operated for more than 25 years. Dor-Stop serves an extensive breakfast menu that carries classic items like its world-famous hot cakes, tender sirloin steak with eggs and banana walnut oatmeal, as well as specialties like Lori’s stuffed raspberry French toast and the Rachel reuben sandwich. Dor-Stop grabbed national attention in 2008 when Food Network’s hit show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives showcased some of its dishes like pumpkin pancakes and German potato pancakes.
Coca Café
Head to the Coca Café in Lawrenceville to clear your head before starting your day. Coca Café is a modern twist on the traditional café. Its main attributes include a chic urban décor, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and a heavy focus on breakfast, brunch and lunch cuisine. Coca Café strives to serve the freshest seasonal items, so it sources as many of its ingredients as possible from local vendors. It serves a variety of conventional breakfast items as well as unique dishes like fried eggplant Benedict, rosemary cornbread waffles and avocado omelets.
Waffallonia
Waffallonia delivers a unique take on the traditional breakfast waffle. Waffallonia’s claim to fame is its introduction of Liege waffles to America. Liege waffles have been all the rage in Belgium for more than 200 years. Waffallonia goes to great lengths to make authentic Liege waffles by making their yeasted dough from scratch, importing special pearl sugar from Belgium and hand-cooking the waffles in a heavy-duty cast-iron griddle, which helps caramelize the sugar to give the waffles their crunchy outer shells. Waffallonia then turns up the flavor dial a notch by offering toppings likes strawberries, ice cream and chocolate sauce, to name a few.
La Gourmandine Bakery & Pastry Shop
La Gourmandine Bakery & Pastry Shop brings French delicacies to Pittsburgh. Fabien and Lisanne Moreau opened La Gourmandine in 2010 to bring Pittsburgh the kind of traditional artisan baking for which France has become famous. Fabien uses techniques he learned at the famous Lenôtre culinary school in Paris to prepare quick and delicious items that are perfect for breakfast. Among La Gourmandine’s offerings are croissants, baguettes and éclairs, as well as sandwiches and mini pastries like tarts and shortbreads. La Gourmandine is conveniently located in Lawrenceville and Mt. Lebanon.