We adore brunch for lollygagging with pals over a carafe of mimosas, but we look to breakfast for caffeination and refueling. Here’s where we’re getting good morning grub in Fort Worth these days.
Brewed
Aside from an exquisite cuppa joe or fresh kombucha on tap, we dig the comfy, easy, hip setting at this Fairmount hangout. You cannot go wrong with Serrano grits, an egg skillet, or the berry waffle. Allow extra time for soaking up the restorative vibe here.
Cast Iron Restaurant
This restaurant inside the Omni Hotel is far better than you’d guess. Southern grits mixed with Veldhuizen Redneck Cheddar and applewood smoked bacon is worth the trip alone. Chorizo-potato hash cures whatever ails you, as do the smoked brisket eggs Benedict on caramelized onion biscuit and banana-walnut bread French toast.
Esperanza’s
Ah, the redemption found in a plate of huevos Mexicana (topped with cheese, natch). We like forking it into warm, supple tortillas along with pan-fried potatoes and velvety refried beans. For an added kick, pour some of the special breakfast salsa into the mix. Stop in the bakery next door for a pumpkin empanada on the way out.
FW Market + Table
Healthy breakfast never tasted so good. Chef Kalen Jane does a gorgeous plate of banana-oat pancakes with honey butter and berries that feels like pure indulgence but is actually gluten-free. Yo, Benny is her pair of poached eggs atop seasoned greens with turkey bacon and yogurt hollandaise. Fresh craft juices and Avoca coffee get bonus points.
Jazz Cafe
Chef-owner Nick Kithas calls his version of migas S.O.B. Eggs. Served with his signature pico de gallo, sour cream, and black beans, with hot tortillas on the side, they’re the bomb. If you have kiddos in your group and Kithas has time, he’ll make pancakes in the fashion of Mickey Mouse. Note: Breakfast only on Saturday and Sunday morning. BYOB champagne for mimosas.
Salsa Limón
Breakfast tacos abound, and migas too. But oh, the breakfast bowl: a combination of eggs piled with black beans, grilled onion, and bacon, topped with squiggles of jalapeño salsa. Chips come on the side, but you can get tortillas instead to make custom tacos. Wash it down with a glass of Jamaica (hibiscus tea).
Swiss Pastry Shop
Some of the regulars have kept the same tables occupied each morning for 20 years, but newcomers are welcome too. Get a spinach-mushroom-Parmesan omelet with a side of ham, or go on Saturday when Hans Peter offers his Grandma Bunion’s pancake, made with whole what, oats, flax, millet, sunflower seeds, walnuts, raisins, molasses, and cinnamon.
Taco Heads
On a beautiful morning, the patio at this new brick-and-mortar shop across the street from the Will Rogers Memorial Center is the place to park. Mix it up, ordering a flour taco filled with eggs, Wright bacon, and aged cheddar, plus a corn taco filled with eggs, garlic-oregano potatoes, and aged cheddar. Load everything with some of the signature salsa verde. We like additions of black beans, avocado, and grilled jalapeño too.
Vickery Cafe
Don’t panic when you see how crowded this cozy place is. Tables turn rather quickly, but there’s usually a couple of seats open right at the counter. Served all day, breakfast bests include migas tossed with brisket; French toast Monte Cristo filled with bacon, ham, fried eggs, and Swiss, with chipotle-raspberry jam on the side; and pecan waffles. Ask for freshly squeezed OJ.
Yogi’s Bagel Cafe
Beware the TCU crowds on weekends, which come en masse, as do the Tanglewood folks. Favorites include the Hopple Popple quesadilla, stuffed with scrambled eggs, tomato, onion, and mushroom; granola-blueberry pancakes; and lox Benedict, combining poached eggs, smoked salmon, and hollandaise on English muffin.
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Taco Heads gets the morning going with breakfast tacos.
