clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Two egg sandwiches sit on top of each other with a crisp sausage patty and green pesto.
Fried Egg I’m in Love
Fried Egg I’m in Love / Official

17 Spots to Grab Amazing Breakfast Sandwiches

From the classic egg and cheese to Portland’s most elaborate breakfast concoctions

View as Map
Fried Egg I’m in Love
| Fried Egg I’m in Love / Official

The breakfast sandwich is a staple for on-the-go morning meals, hangover cures, and weekend brunches. At its most basic, it generally involves egg and cheese between two slices of bread, often with a breakfast meat involved, but the simple form provides innumerable variation, from towering, multi-layered meat and egg combos to waffle sandwiches with bacon and peanut butter.

In Portland, a city that’s all about breakfast and brunch, breakfast sandwiches can be found at restaurants and food carts across town. Of course, these days things can be more complicated, but luckily many places in town have made the dreadful pivot, offering takeout and delivery options through apps and socially distanced service windows.

As usual, these locations are organized geographically, not by ranking.

A number of Portland restaurants have resumed patio service. The level of service offered is indicated on each map point. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: for updated information on coronavirus cases in your area, please visit the Oregon Health Authority’s COVID update page. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.

Read More

Chop St. Johns

Copy Link

Though it’s best known for its hearty, meaty deli-style sandwiches, Chop in St. Johns also offers breakfast sandwiches. The Train is like a breakfast from a Parisian cafe with ham, brie, and butter on a flaky baguette, but those looking for something more familiar as an American breakfast sandwich will be satisfied with the McChop, a take on the McGriddle: a lightly spiced sausage patty lands on a fluffy sourdough English muffin, joined by egg and cheese. There’s also the simply named Breakfast Sandwich with ham, Swiss, and fried egg on a potato bun. Whatever the order, it’s best to call ahead as Chop often has lines, especially around lunch time. 

Pine State Biscuits | Alberta

Copy Link

Pine State Biscuits has been a staple of the Portland brunch scene — and the related hangover cure scene — since it opened its tiny biscuit shop on SE Belmont in 2008. Though that location is long-since closed, the North Carolinian-founded biscuit restaurant now has three locations, each with online ordering availability. The signature dish remains the best: The Reggie, a fluffy biscuit with fried chicken, cheese, gravy, and bacon. Ordering it as deluxe means it gets a fried egg for even more breakfast appeal, though that can be a bit overkill. Dedicated fans can even order make-at-home Reggie kits now, through the website.

It’s official: There is nothing under-the-radar about Matta now, especially when it comes to brunch. The lines of people waiting for its internet famous breakfast sandwiches, stacked on green “shokupandan” buns, can be daunting, but they’re worth the wait: Egg yolks drip down smashed pork patties leveled-up with nước chấm, glued together with a sheet of melty American. Walk up to order on most Sundays, but Matta switches up its menu often — it’s best to keep an eye on the day’s menu via Instagram.

Fried Egg I'm In Love

Copy Link

The Cure-inspired restaurant which began as a food cart now has three bright and cheery locations across town; in the Before Times, each attracted daily crowds for the punny breakfast sandwiches, but today they each have a robust and socially-distant system for picking up orders, with information available online. Everyone is sure to have a favorite from the large menu, but it’s impossible to go wrong with the signature Yolko Ono, a deceptively straightforward sandwich with pesto, sausage, parmesan, and a fried egg on sourdough. It’s even better with a hash brown patty, which gives it a buttery, crispy layer.

Either/Or

Copy Link

Either/Or’s breakfast sandwich may seem under-the-radar to some, but the little sausage-and-egg sandwich punches above its weight. Served on a bolo levedo — a sweet Portuguese version of an English muffin — from the bakery Jen & Bee’s, the Eggs Ray Spex combines a fried egg with a killer house-made sausage patty, given the added oomph of shiitake mushrooms. Sriracha aioli provides a smidge of heat, tucked under a blanket of gooey cheddar. Order it ahead of time or by walking up.

Bernstein's Bagels

Copy Link

A bagel shop that will satisfy even the most ardent of bagel snobs, Bernstein’s opts for prosciutto rather than bacon and a slab of omelet as the egg, along with arugula and cream cheese. A pro-tip is to get it on an everything bagel and substitute the cream cheese for a vegetable schmear with crunchy cucumber, which gives the already dreamy sandwich a nice textural contrast. Orders can be called-in ahead of time for pick-up.

Lottie & Zula's

Copy Link

The East Coast energy at this Eliot neighborhood sandwich shop is absolutely palpable, especially when it comes to breakfast. The shop’s bacon-egg-and-cheese is true to form, a melty shroud of American and cheddar — the ideal duo to balance flavor and texture — draped over egg and bacon on a lightly sweet bolo levedo. But if the premise of a breakfast grinder appeals, Lottie & Zula’s builds quite a few each morning, loading hoagies with everything from sausage patties and fried eggs to roasted red peppers and onions. The restaurant is open delivery, takeout, and patio service.

Lovejoy Bakers

Copy Link

A longstanding bakery in the Pearl district, Lovejoy Bakers offers a wide array of delicious baked goods, including pastries and breads like ciabatta rolls. These flaky on the outside, fluffy on the inside buns make a fitting support for the breakfast sandwiches here, which hew traditional with egg and fontina cheese, egg and breakfast meat, and scrambled egg with lox. For those not looking to buy a house anytime soon, Lovejoy also offers an excellent avocado toast with lemon zest and olive oil for a vegan option. Order forms for takeout and delivery can be found online

Bowery Bagels

Copy Link

Bagel purists will likely reject the premise of a bagel sandwich outright, and while they certainly have the right to, anyone else can enjoy them. The ones at Bowery Bagels — the intimate, friendly little bagel shop and hot sauce store from a New York transplant — avoid the somewhat common problem of too-tough bagels and slippery ingredients, instead offering their fluffy, chewy bagels sandwiching egg and cheese with a variety of breakfast meat options, including the not-so-kosher ham, sausage, or bacon. They’re each named for a Portland historical figure, and are available for takeout and delivery, with order forms online.

Delicious Donuts

Copy Link

An unassuming little shop on SE Grand and Burnside, Delicious Donuts is mostly known for its wholesale services to cafes around town, as well as its quick coffee and doughnuts. But it also offers a number of breakfast items, including Aiden’s Sandwich. A no-fuss breakfast sandwich, Aiden’s comes with American cheese, fluffy eggs, and a choice of meat and bread. The obvious call, when getting a sandwich from one of the city’s best spots for doughnuts, is to get it on a doughnut. Fritters, especially, hold up well to the pile of meat, cheese and egg; the whole thing is indulgent to the point of absurdity, but sometimes that’s the point of breakfast. Delicious Donuts regularly sells out of their signature items, so those looking to get a sandwich on a donut should get there on the early side of things — definitely before noon. Order online for takeout or drop by the shop to place an order in person.

Toki PDX

Copy Link

The brand-new Korean restaurant from the team behind Han Oak, Toki recently began offering brunch, which includes an impressive slate of breakfast sandwiches: A bao bun sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning comes with meat options like koji-cured pork belly or a house sausage patty, with a layer of egg and cheese. The whole thing hits a griddle and comes wrapped in golden foil, easily munched while walking around downtown Portland. Order online for pick-up.

Meat Cheese Bread

Copy Link

When a restaurant’s name is the exact description of an item in question, it’s generally safe to assume it makes that product well. This instinct will be rewarded at Meat Cheese Bread, a cozy hole-in-the-wall in the sleepy Buckman neighborhood, which offers sandwiches and breakfast daily. The steak, egg, and cheese is a standout for its lovingly smoked meat and delicate, fluffy bun, as is the ham sandwich which is transformed into a breakfast special by adding an egg for $1. Stop in or call ahead for orders.

The Hazel Room

Copy Link

A cute tea shop and cafe in a vintage Hawthorne house, Hazel Room’s breakfast sandwiches aren’t the kind to be snacked on while walking or driving; served on hearty cheddar-and-onion biscuits baked in house, these stacked sandwiches offer variety beyond the usual mix of cheese, egg, and meat, even if that’s just a bit of jam and chevre on the Bacon Is my Jam, or prosciutto, pesto, arugula and pickled onion on a biscuit. Best, the restaurant offers vegetarian options for each sandwich, as well as gluten-free biscuits. These can be enjoyed out on the tiered patio or taken home, with a variety of delivery and pick-up options available online. 

Best Baguette

Copy Link

Better known for its excellent and affordable take on banh mi, Best Baguette also has a menu of breakfast sandwiches that are often slept on. The egg, cheese, and croissant sandwiches are simple but delicious: extremely buttery croissants, a pile of fluffy eggs, and plenty of cheese. There are meat options, as well, but the basic is filling enough to satisfy most breakfast needs, especially if paired with a milky coffee drink or bubble tea. A drive-through for those on their way to work or to the mountains — or simply wanting to cut down on interactions during the pandemic— is an added bonus.

Cafe Rowan

Copy Link

This Creston-Kenilworth cafe levels up the breakfast sandwich game, thanks to its house-made touches: The shop’s bacon-egg-and-cheese comes with a surprisingly pleasant slather of house-made blueberry jam, or the house-made breakfast sausage on the restaurant’s Dame sandwich. The Dame is a particular treat, with some melty aged manchego, a fried egg, and a genius combination of gochujang and Mama Lil’s aioli. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout.

Smaaken Waffle Sandwiches

Copy Link

With a food cart at Hawthorne’s Asylum and one in Beaverton, Smaaken offers its sandwiches folded in thin, delicate, slightly sweet waffles. The robust menu includes a large number of breakfast sandwiches, from a basic egg and cheddar to some fun meaty ones like the Elvis with bacon, peanut butter, and banana. Most come rubbed with a bit of maple butter to add some richness and a touch of sweetness that contrasts nicely with the savory fillings. Diners can swing by the carts or order delivery through a variety of apps online.

Milwaukie Cafe and Bottle Shop

Copy Link

Residents of the outlying Milwaukie can brag about housing the gem that is Milwaukie Cafe. The cute, rustic sandwich-shop-slash-wine store offers a menu full of breakfast items and sandwiches, including a few biscuit options like a bacon, egg, and cheddar or a sausage-and-jam biscuit sandwich. All of it is worth the drive from Portland, though Milwaukie residents need no such excuse to visit.

Loading comments...

Chop St. Johns

Though it’s best known for its hearty, meaty deli-style sandwiches, Chop in St. Johns also offers breakfast sandwiches. The Train is like a breakfast from a Parisian cafe with ham, brie, and butter on a flaky baguette, but those looking for something more familiar as an American breakfast sandwich will be satisfied with the McChop, a take on the McGriddle: a lightly spiced sausage patty lands on a fluffy sourdough English muffin, joined by egg and cheese. There’s also the simply named Breakfast Sandwich with ham, Swiss, and fried egg on a potato bun. Whatever the order, it’s best to call ahead as Chop often has lines, especially around lunch time. 

Pine State Biscuits | Alberta

Pine State Biscuits has been a staple of the Portland brunch scene — and the related hangover cure scene — since it opened its tiny biscuit shop on SE Belmont in 2008. Though that location is long-since closed, the North Carolinian-founded biscuit restaurant now has three locations, each with online ordering availability. The signature dish remains the best: The Reggie, a fluffy biscuit with fried chicken, cheese, gravy, and bacon. Ordering it as deluxe means it gets a fried egg for even more breakfast appeal, though that can be a bit overkill. Dedicated fans can even order make-at-home Reggie kits now, through the website.

Matta

It’s official: There is nothing under-the-radar about Matta now, especially when it comes to brunch. The lines of people waiting for its internet famous breakfast sandwiches, stacked on green “shokupandan” buns, can be daunting, but they’re worth the wait: Egg yolks drip down smashed pork patties leveled-up with nước chấm, glued together with a sheet of melty American. Walk up to order on most Sundays, but Matta switches up its menu often — it’s best to keep an eye on the day’s menu via Instagram.

Fried Egg I'm In Love

The Cure-inspired restaurant which began as a food cart now has three bright and cheery locations across town; in the Before Times, each attracted daily crowds for the punny breakfast sandwiches, but today they each have a robust and socially-distant system for picking up orders, with information available online. Everyone is sure to have a favorite from the large menu, but it’s impossible to go wrong with the signature Yolko Ono, a deceptively straightforward sandwich with pesto, sausage, parmesan, and a fried egg on sourdough. It’s even better with a hash brown patty, which gives it a buttery, crispy layer.

Either/Or

Either/Or’s breakfast sandwich may seem under-the-radar to some, but the little sausage-and-egg sandwich punches above its weight. Served on a bolo levedo — a sweet Portuguese version of an English muffin — from the bakery Jen & Bee’s, the Eggs Ray Spex combines a fried egg with a killer house-made sausage patty, given the added oomph of shiitake mushrooms. Sriracha aioli provides a smidge of heat, tucked under a blanket of gooey cheddar. Order it ahead of time or by walking up.

Bernstein's Bagels

A bagel shop that will satisfy even the most ardent of bagel snobs, Bernstein’s opts for prosciutto rather than bacon and a slab of omelet as the egg, along with arugula and cream cheese. A pro-tip is to get it on an everything bagel and substitute the cream cheese for a vegetable schmear with crunchy cucumber, which gives the already dreamy sandwich a nice textural contrast. Orders can be called-in ahead of time for pick-up.

Lottie & Zula's

The East Coast energy at this Eliot neighborhood sandwich shop is absolutely palpable, especially when it comes to breakfast. The shop’s bacon-egg-and-cheese is true to form, a melty shroud of American and cheddar — the ideal duo to balance flavor and texture — draped over egg and bacon on a lightly sweet bolo levedo. But if the premise of a breakfast grinder appeals, Lottie & Zula’s builds quite a few each morning, loading hoagies with everything from sausage patties and fried eggs to roasted red peppers and onions. The restaurant is open delivery, takeout, and patio service.

Lovejoy Bakers

A longstanding bakery in the Pearl district, Lovejoy Bakers offers a wide array of delicious baked goods, including pastries and breads like ciabatta rolls. These flaky on the outside, fluffy on the inside buns make a fitting support for the breakfast sandwiches here, which hew traditional with egg and fontina cheese, egg and breakfast meat, and scrambled egg with lox. For those not looking to buy a house anytime soon, Lovejoy also offers an excellent avocado toast with lemon zest and olive oil for a vegan option. Order forms for takeout and delivery can be found online

Bowery Bagels

Bagel purists will likely reject the premise of a bagel sandwich outright, and while they certainly have the right to, anyone else can enjoy them. The ones at Bowery Bagels — the intimate, friendly little bagel shop and hot sauce store from a New York transplant — avoid the somewhat common problem of too-tough bagels and slippery ingredients, instead offering their fluffy, chewy bagels sandwiching egg and cheese with a variety of breakfast meat options, including the not-so-kosher ham, sausage, or bacon. They’re each named for a Portland historical figure, and are available for takeout and delivery, with order forms online.

Delicious Donuts

An unassuming little shop on SE Grand and Burnside, Delicious Donuts is mostly known for its wholesale services to cafes around town, as well as its quick coffee and doughnuts. But it also offers a number of breakfast items, including Aiden’s Sandwich. A no-fuss breakfast sandwich, Aiden’s comes with American cheese, fluffy eggs, and a choice of meat and bread. The obvious call, when getting a sandwich from one of the city’s best spots for doughnuts, is to get it on a doughnut. Fritters, especially, hold up well to the pile of meat, cheese and egg; the whole thing is indulgent to the point of absurdity, but sometimes that’s the point of breakfast. Delicious Donuts regularly sells out of their signature items, so those looking to get a sandwich on a donut should get there on the early side of things — definitely before noon. Order online for takeout or drop by the shop to place an order in person.

Toki PDX

The brand-new Korean restaurant from the team behind Han Oak, Toki recently began offering brunch, which includes an impressive slate of breakfast sandwiches: A bao bun sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning comes with meat options like koji-cured pork belly or a house sausage patty, with a layer of egg and cheese. The whole thing hits a griddle and comes wrapped in golden foil, easily munched while walking around downtown Portland. Order online for pick-up.

Meat Cheese Bread

When a restaurant’s name is the exact description of an item in question, it’s generally safe to assume it makes that product well. This instinct will be rewarded at Meat Cheese Bread, a cozy hole-in-the-wall in the sleepy Buckman neighborhood, which offers sandwiches and breakfast daily. The steak, egg, and cheese is a standout for its lovingly smoked meat and delicate, fluffy bun, as is the ham sandwich which is transformed into a breakfast special by adding an egg for $1. Stop in or call ahead for orders.

The Hazel Room

A cute tea shop and cafe in a vintage Hawthorne house, Hazel Room’s breakfast sandwiches aren’t the kind to be snacked on while walking or driving; served on hearty cheddar-and-onion biscuits baked in house, these stacked sandwiches offer variety beyond the usual mix of cheese, egg, and meat, even if that’s just a bit of jam and chevre on the Bacon Is my Jam, or prosciutto, pesto, arugula and pickled onion on a biscuit. Best, the restaurant offers vegetarian options for each sandwich, as well as gluten-free biscuits. These can be enjoyed out on the tiered patio or taken home, with a variety of delivery and pick-up options available online. 

Best Baguette

Better known for its excellent and affordable take on banh mi, Best Baguette also has a menu of breakfast sandwiches that are often slept on. The egg, cheese, and croissant sandwiches are simple but delicious: extremely buttery croissants, a pile of fluffy eggs, and plenty of cheese. There are meat options, as well, but the basic is filling enough to satisfy most breakfast needs, especially if paired with a milky coffee drink or bubble tea. A drive-through for those on their way to work or to the mountains — or simply wanting to cut down on interactions during the pandemic— is an added bonus.

Cafe Rowan

This Creston-Kenilworth cafe levels up the breakfast sandwich game, thanks to its house-made touches: The shop’s bacon-egg-and-cheese comes with a surprisingly pleasant slather of house-made blueberry jam, or the house-made breakfast sausage on the restaurant’s Dame sandwich. The Dame is a particular treat, with some melty aged manchego, a fried egg, and a genius combination of gochujang and Mama Lil’s aioli. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout.

Related Maps

Smaaken Waffle Sandwiches

With a food cart at Hawthorne’s Asylum and one in Beaverton, Smaaken offers its sandwiches folded in thin, delicate, slightly sweet waffles. The robust menu includes a large number of breakfast sandwiches, from a basic egg and cheddar to some fun meaty ones like the Elvis with bacon, peanut butter, and banana. Most come rubbed with a bit of maple butter to add some richness and a touch of sweetness that contrasts nicely with the savory fillings. Diners can swing by the carts or order delivery through a variety of apps online.

Milwaukie Cafe and Bottle Shop

Residents of the outlying Milwaukie can brag about housing the gem that is Milwaukie Cafe. The cute, rustic sandwich-shop-slash-wine store offers a menu full of breakfast items and sandwiches, including a few biscuit options like a bacon, egg, and cheddar or a sausage-and-jam biscuit sandwich. All of it is worth the drive from Portland, though Milwaukie residents need no such excuse to visit.

Related Maps