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 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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.