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You’ve heard it many times before—breakfast is a pretty important meal, and what you choose to eat sets the tone for the rest of your day. Whether you opt for an on-the-go snack, a sit-down feast, or skip it altogether, you are making an important decision. So choose wisely and read on, because we’ve put together a guide to help you through all your breakfast-choosing woes.
For the people who need their caffeine first and their food later—we see you, we hear you. Coffee and tea lovers can find precisely what they’re looking for at spots like Frog Hollow’s Story and Soil Coffee, which offers high-end coffee drinks and simple food offerings like baked goods, yogurt parfaits, and other grab-and-go options, depending on the day.
Another option and a bit newer to the Hartford coffee scene, Semilla Cafe + Studio is a neighborhood hub in the Clay Arsenal neighborhood that celebrates the Hartford BIPOC community as well as arts and culture, which also offers innovative coffee drinks, seasonally-inspired teas, and a few tasty bites. Beyond its caffeinated offerings, it is a retail space, record store, and host to many arts and music events throughout the year.
Hartford is home to a few diners that offer all the hearty breakfast favorites you know and love, served up hot and fast (with plenty of coffee refills!). These greasy spoons are perfect for those of us that need a Saturday or Sunday morning breakfast spot that will soothe their, uh, headache (potentially one caused by being out too late the night before…). Here are some of our fave spots, by neighborhood:
Ashley’s Restaurant—family-owned diner spot with classic breakfast staples like Belgian waffles, eggs your way with home fries, and more.
Allegro Cafe—a large breakfast made to perfection every time. Pro tip: they only accept cash, so come prepared!
Mo's Midtown Restaurant—delicious diner food with a pretty expansive menu, including the “Ragin’ Cajun” omelet, Mom’s Apple Walnut Pancakes, huevos rancheros, and more.
American Mexican Diner— a breakfast spot with classic American breakfast faves featuring dishes with Mediterranean and Mexican influences.
Beyond the coffee spots and diners, Hartford is a city full of hidden gems serving authentic cuisines from around the world, and some of these restaurants also specialize and offer a variety of breakfast options. For those who are looking for authentic fare inspired by various countries’ cuisine, we’ve also compiled our favorite spots to check out.
Donde Julio—Colombian
Open every morning at 7:30am with the exception of Sundays, Donde Julio serves up a ton of different breakfast options with American and Colombian-style influences.
Aurora’s—Guatemalan
Authentic Guatemalan cuisine with a variety of smoothies and juices and other breakfast favorites like avocado toast, loaded breakfast burritos, and more traditional Guatemalan-inspired breakfast items like estrellados, pan con frijoles y queso, and more.
The Corner Cafe MX—Mexican
The Corner Cafe MX is a Mexican restaurant that opens bright and early at 5:30am every day, except for Sunday when it opens at 7:00am. You can enjoy breakfast favorites like pancakes, french toast, or waffles here, along with more traditional options like tortas and breakfast wraps with choices of meat like chorizo.
Scott’s Jamaican Bakery—Jamaican
If you love Jamaican-baked goods like scratch-made patties (your choice of fillings like beef, chicken, and spinach and cheese) or fresh baked hardo bread, one of our favorite spots to hit up is Scott’s. And for all of you that enjoy a sweet little breakfast treat first thing in the morning, Scott’s has it all! We’re talking cinnamon buns, pound cake, puddings, cookies—you name it.
Monte Alban—Mexican
Open every day at 9:00am, Monte Alban is one of our favorite spots to grab Mexican-inspired breakfast in the West End, plus they have a cute outdoor patio space perfect for warmer months.