28 Popular Chain Breakfast Restaurants, Ranked Worst To Best

If you don't feel like cooking for yourself in the morning, it's easy enough to get in the car and find somewhere to eat nearby. One great thing about eating out for breakfast is the ability to try new dishes. Even if all you want is a plate of bacon and eggs, though, it's an undeniable fact that practice makes perfect with even the simplest of dishes so there's a reason why these things always taste better in a restaurant.

While the breakfast restaurant options are numerous, not all the chains are worth getting out of bed for. In fact, there are some chain breakfast restaurants that you might want to steer clear of, assuming you have any alternatives available in your area. Others, however, are worth taking a trip for, which you may need to do as not every restaurant on this list is a nationwide chain (Apologies if we missed your favorite regional one). Here's our ranking of breakfast restaurants ranging from the so-so to ones that could make for, as Tony the Tiger would say, a grrrreat way to start your day.

In theory, a trip to Tim Hortons for breakfast makes a lot of sense. Tim Hortons is known for its coffee and it has a variety of breakfast sandwiches on its menu. Plus, our friendly neighbors to the north do tend to go on and on about their beloved Timmies. Makes perfect sense, eh? Maybe not so much, at least not anymore. Tim Hortons has had its struggles as of late with the quality of its food and drinks falling as its prices go up. 

Some blame Tim Hortons' downfall on the fact the chain was taken over by Burger King, but whatever the reason may be, even Canadians are feeling disappointed with their former favorite. Even if you loved Tim Hortons in the past, going there today may be something you'll regret. The glory years of this chain are in the rearview mirror and they aren't coming back anytime soon. If coffee and a donut is your idea of breakfast, there are much better fast-food coffee chains from which to choose.

Bakers Square is a chain best known for its pie. Pie for breakfast may be an unusual choice, but it's not without historical precedent as apparently, it was somewhat of a thing in the 19^th century (via Press Herald). Pie is great, pie for breakfast is a-ok with us, and Bakers Square does make a mean pie. Why is it so low on this list, then? Because it appears to be quietly going out of business, that's why.

Per Nation's Restaurant News, American Blue Ribbon Holdings, the parent company of Bakers Square as well as Village Inn, emerged from bankruptcy in 2020 (it filed pre-pandemic, go figure), but it has had to close a number of restaurants. As of May 2022, Bakers Square is down to just 11 stores across 5 Midwestern states, although it also peddles its pies at a handful of Famous Dave's locations. If you come across one of the last remaining stand-alone Bakers Squares, make sure to go on a Wednesday, as you can get a free slice of pie with your meal. Speaking of breakfast, the restaurant does serve it all day, though there's nothing to get too excited about. The build-your-own breakfast is probably your best option — you can get the usual bacon/eggs/hash browns type of thing, go healthy with yogurt, sliced tomatoes, and cottage cheese, or even try something a little out of the ordinary by opting for a breakfast burger (sans bun).

Coco's, though not nearly as well known as Marie Callender's due to not having a similar frozen food business, is yet another so-so family restaurant chain redeemed by the fact that it, too, has a bakery capable of producing decent pies. Its pie selection isn't nearly as extensive as Marie Callender's or Bakers Square's, but it gets bonus points for jumping on the popular "pie shake" trend.

Assuming you don't want a shake for breakfast (although if you do, who are we to judge?), Coco's also does a pretty darn decent cinnamon roll which you can also get in the form of french toast. There's a full day's worth of calories in that (1970 to 2100), though, so you might want to opt for the somewhat lighter, less sugary brioche french toast instead, or go with the brioche eggs benedict for something on the savory side. The accompanying hollandaise with this latter dish isn't a true version of the classic French sauce, but it's a reasonable facsimile that is on par with what you'd expect from a breakfast chain.

Biscuitville is another regional chain, its region primarily consisting of North Carolina and Virginia. Like Tudor's, it specializes in — wait for it — biscuits. Yes, the name does not lie. While the biscuits are slightly different from Tudor's, we'd be hard-pressed to pick between the two of them. Biscuitville, however, does have a slight edge due to its famous "biscuit window" that lets you see a fresh batch of biscuits being made every 15 minutes. Plus, foodies take note: it also post the provenance of its ingredients, particularly the flour that comes from a local grain mill that's been supplying the restaurant for decades  (according to USA Today).

You're going to want to get a biscuit at Biscuitville, of course, since why else would you visit an establishment by that name? If you're a true fan of regional cooking, you may wish to experience its version of biscuits and gravy here, too. For a less messy, more portable breakfast, however, we recommend the country ham biscuit. If you've never had country ham, it's pretty much the American version of prosciutto (via The New York Times). While Biscuitville offers an "Ultimate" version topped with a fried egg and American cheese, the plainer biscuit and ham combo is pretty perfect all on its own.

Though you won't experience a "wow!" moment when dining at Le Peep, it's a perfectly acceptable breakfast destination. The best thing this chain has going for it is the wide array of options on the menu, although this document does not, as the website blurbs it, "read like a cookbook."  Instead, it pretty much reads like a menu, albeit a fairly descriptive one as menus go. Options range from the sticky-sweet Gooey Buns (broiled English muffins with cinnamon, brown sugar, and almonds) to the savory Harvest Hash (turkey, onions, sweet potatoes, green peppers, and broccoli topped with eggs and avocado slices), so you'll probably find something to your liking.

Be warned, though, that not everything on Le Peep's massive menu is worth ordering. The Mexican food, in particular, isn't all that great and while the pictures of the breakfast burritos and enchiladas look appetizing, what you actually see (and taste) on your plate can be a bit of a disappointment. If you want Mexican food for breakfast, go to a real Mexican restaurant instead of settling for the mediocre Mexican-ish fare you'll find here.

While Village Inn serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this restaurant chain is known primarily for its breakfast. Not only does it have plenty of tasty breakfast options, but it also serves breakfast all day long at dozens of locations in the United States. Unlike Le Peep, the Mexican-inspired breakfast choices at Village Inn such as the Tres Huevos Rancheros and the Smothered Breakfast Burrito are actually not too bad. The restaurant also gets bonus points for having a kids menu with options that should satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. We're not sure if non-kids can order off that menu too, but the Bucky's Mini-Hotcakes are something that would probably be pretty popular with tiny food fans as well as children. 

That being said, nothing really stands out on Village Inn's breakfast menu. Most options are good enough to satisfy you, but the food here isn't all that memorable. Unless Village Inn is the closest, most convenient breakfast option, it's not really worth making an effort to hit up this restaurant. 

If you wake up starving, Bob Evans is an okay place to go for breakfast. Though the quality of its food isn't the top of the line, the servings are enormous and you're quite likely to leave the restaurant no longer hungry unless you have an appetite that rivals that of Andre the Giant. For your hungriest mornings, go with the aptly named Whole Hog meal. This gargantuan breakfast comes complete with two sausage patties, two slices of bacon, a slice of ham, a hotcake, a slice of french toast, two eggs, and a choice of fries or hash browns. Sure, this breakfast has nearly 2,000 calories, but you'll do an extra workout later, right? You'd best make sure you're ravenous before going Whole Hog, though, since otherwise, you might not be able to finish it. 

The only real issue with Bob Evans is the quality of its hotcakes, as their menu calls them. While they are quite filling due to their size, they really aren't all that flavorful. Still, they make for a serviceable side as long as they're not the main attraction on your breakfast plate.

If you live in the South and you enjoy a good hearty breakfast, you've probably visited Huddle House a time or two, maybe more. Since its first location opened in Decatur, Georgia, more than five decades ago, this restaurant chain has been serving up some darn tasty Southern breakfast food. Today, you can visit one of its hundreds of locations and be confident that the quality should be fairly high.

If you've never been to Huddle House before, a good introduction would be the Country-Fried Steak Stuffed Hashbrowns. This meal begins with a big slab of country-fried steak topped with American cheese and scrambled eggs layered between a double dose of hash browns and smothered in sausage gravy. While this dish may sound complicated and messy, it does make for a satisfyingly savory meal. If you prefer something sweet, though, you may be in for a disappointment. Huddle House's breakfast menu features but a single waffle platter, while pancakes are only available as a side with the MVP combo platter.

The Eggs Up Grill doesn't have the largest breakfast selection out there, nor does its menu have any really standout items that are sure to wow. The signature dish, it seems, is a corned beef hash made with the founder's own recipe, so if corned beef hash is the kind of thing you get excited about, then Eggs Up may be your kind of place. It also a few interesting breakfast sandwiches including a fried egg BLT and an egg and cheese on a waffle, while the omelets include one made with shrimp and grits (Yes, this chain's locations are all in the southern states, so grits are on the menu).

What really sets the Eggs Up apart from an IHOP or a Denny's, however, is the fact that it has mimosas on the menu. There are actually three different ones, the first being the standard orange juice kind, the second made with cranberry juice, and the third flavored with chocolate and strawberries. Something else offered by Eggs Up that you don't see everywhere is a pair of non-alcoholic breakfast sparklers, one made with OJ, club soda, and grenadine and another with lemonade, club soda, and strawberries. These drinks make for a fun change from the standard juice or coffee if you're not looking to booze it up at breakfast.

Imagine if Denny's underwent a makeover and decided to rebrand itself as being a French café. Well, that's pretty much what you get with La Madeleine, which is a step up from Mimi's. La Madeleine actually does have roots in Brittany, though the chain itself was founded in Dallas, Texas and its vibe is pretty much chain restaurant-in-a-beret.

La Madeleine's food is really very good, if not the kind of thing that Julia Child would acknowledge as French cuisine at its finest. While this restaurant may never be your go-to weekly breakfast spot, it makes for a fun change every once in a while. Play along with the French theme by ordering the croque madame (ham and swiss with an egg on top). Although it's part of the all-day breakfast menu, this dish comes accompanied by a side salad, so it's got kind of a brunch-ish feel to it. If you want something more standard, though, the Country French Breakfast is your basic bacon and eggs with a hash brown patty (pardonnez-nous, it's a "potato galette"), with the only really French thing about it being the croissant that takes the place of the standard American toast or pancakes. While you can get champagne to go with your breakfast at La Madeleine, don't get too excited about it as t's just a mini bottle of J. Roget that comes with a carafe of OJ. The cost is only $6 for two mimosas' worth, though, so that's not bad.

The Broken Yolk Cafe started out as a standalone restaurant (as most chains did, once upon a time) in San Diego back in 1979, but in its 30^th year of operation had its first brush with nationwide fame. Adam Richman paid a visit to tackle the Iron Man Omelet, which consists of a dozen eggs, half a pound of cheese, and a bunch of veggies and comes accompanied by a pound and a half of home fries. This episode aired during the third season of "Man vs. Food," and suddenly the cafe was a huge hit (via Best Food Challenges). Expansion followed, and it now has over 30 locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Florida, and Idaho.

We're not sure whether you can still follow in Richman's footsteps my tackling the Broken Yolk's enormous omelet, although the Chandler, Arizona location was still advertising the challenge as recently as 2019. If your appetite is less gargantuan, though, Broken Yolk's menu has plenty more to offer. If you've got a sweet tooth, don't miss the Tiki Toast, which is grilled Hawaiian bread topped with berries, coconut, and caramel. Savory more your thing? The Border benedict puts a Southwestern spin on the brunch classic by using corn cakes, carne asada, and poblano sauce. If you can't make up your mind between sweet and savory, though, you can always have a little bit of both with a scrumptious raspberry-sauced Monte Cristo sandwich.

Snooze is a chain with a somewhat paradoxical name — if you're snoozing in the morning, you're not likely to have time for a leisurely breakfast, are you? And make no mistake, Snooze subtitle itself "An A.M. Eatery," so no late-night after-party breakfast/dinners here. So what does Snooze have that's worth waking up for? It does what it calls "creative twists on breakfast," which means trendy-yet-fun offerings like a Breakfast Pot Pie that's basically a sausage and gravy biscuit with a pastry puff replacing the biscuit or a Sweet Potato Bacon Smash Up with avocado, hemp seeds, pickled onions, and sriracha maple syrup topped with a poached egg (cage-free, of course).

The real draw at Snooze, however, may be its full bar. Not only does it have sparkling wine-based drinks like mimosas, but it also offers bloodies with hard liquors including vodka, tequila, and gin as well as Irish coffee complete with whiskey. A signature drink called the Orange Snoozius is basically a screwdriver with whipped cream, while the Morning Marg is the same as a margarita you'd drink at any other time of day. If you like to follow your snoozing with some serious boozing, then Snooze is the breakfast spot for you.

Celebrity endorsements don't usually figure into our calculations, but we make the occasional exception, one of these being for the late, great Randy "Macho Man" Savage. While Savage was a big fan of Perkins' egg white omelet, something that no longer appears on the menu, the restaurant does offer plenty of other great options. Perkins' pancakes, waffles, french toast, and crepes do tend to be on the small side, but the quality is unquestionable. The Belgian waffles are made from scratch and the blueberry pancakes are packed with fruit. 

Whenever you visit a Perkins location, getting something from its bakery is highly recommended, even when you're visiting for breakfast. Plus, as we've already established, pie is practically a breakfast food anyway. For a breakfast to go, though, you could just order one of the mammoth muffins, as they're so big there's a chance they might fill you up all the way to dinner. While Perkins' chocolate chocolate chip, apple cinnamon, and blueberry muffins are all pretty tasty, if it's strawberry season you should definitely go with the strawberry cream cheese.

If you're looking for a breakfast spot that will never, ever let you down, that would have to be Waffle House, a place that keeps its doors open through all but the worst of natural disasters. In fact, it took a worldwide pandemic to shut down its restaurants (via NBC). It's back in business now, though, and so you can get your waffle fix 24/7 come rain, snow, or hail.

Waffle House earns its place at the top of this list by providing cheap, reliable breakfast food day or night and because it's practically a cultural institution. What's more, its menu also delivers what could be considered the quintessential breakfast chain experience. The signature waffles, of course, are always a great bet. (The people's pick is the chocolate chip, but we're pretty partial to pecan.) Waffle House also does a surprisingly great steak and eggs — did you know it serves more T-bones than any other restaurant in the world? — but other egg-cellent egg partners include chicken, pork chops, or salty country ham. If you want to go all out, though, the All-Star Special comes with eggs, meat, toast, hash browns, and, yes, a waffle.