If ever there were a place that understands the necessity of a hearty breakfast—or most any other meal for that matter—it's Michigan. A great breakfast is essential for starting your day off right, so Michigan has a plethora of excellent places to get just that. We're going to make the process a little easier for you by pointing out 9 of the best places to get breakfast in the state!
A popular Kalamazoo and Portage fixture, with a variety of locations in both towns, East Egg scores big by offering a wide array of options. While it definitely does the job with toast and omelets alike, it also has a little something special in its Backpack Sandwich. The Backpack Sandwich starts out normal, featuring egg, cheese, bacon and sausage, but will go unique by offering your choice of bread...including bagels, English muffins, or for the truly adventurous, two pancakes.
Clara's on the River in Battle Creek has been offering three meals a day for quite some time, but for those who want something a little extra special, step in on Sundays for its brunch buffet. Featuring the breakfast standards, including both omelets to order and fresh-made waffles with toppings, Clara's also makes it clear that it's a Battle Creek institution. Featuring both Rice Krispie Treats and single-serve boxes of Kellogg's cereals, Clara's doesn't get much more Battle Creek.
Head out to Birmingham for a look at the fried egg sandwich as only a Michigan restaurant could do it. While the Commonwealth is known for its prowess in the breakfast standards—perhaps especially its coffee, which comes in a variety of options—the simple fried egg sandwich is its great claim to fame. Commonwealth's fried egg sandwich starts with two eggs over easy, supplemented by tomato, guacamole, Pinconning cheddar and hot sauce on multigrain bread.
One of Lansing's most iconic restaurants, the Golden Harvest, offers breakfast fare that's hard to top. Home to the Cereal Killer San'wich, this combination of fried egg, smoked ham, and cheese between two slices of French toast covered in Cap'n Crunch bits is just part of the reason that this place is routinely packed for breakfast. Throw in fare like the Gin Rummy Waffle and the Queso-tha-Mondays 'Dilla and the result is breakfast like no tomorrow.
If you've ever asked, “Why don't I eat more Finnish food?” then you're planning a trip to the Upper Peninsula. Start your trek at Suomi Restaurant in Houghton, where they'll offer you a bit of Pannukakku, which is actually pronounced differently than it looks. The Pannukakku is a Suomi specialty, a kind of baked custard that's more like a custard pie than anything else. For those less adventurous, fear not, as Suomi is described as having both the best pancakes and sausage gravy on Facebook.
When a restaurant actually names itself after food, you'd pretty much expect it to deliver on that one item. Just as East Egg delivered on omelets and pancake-based egg sandwiches, Toast in Ferndale is all about heated bread. The king of all toasts, meanwhile, comes from the B-Street French Toast, a combination plate of B's starting with bananas and bacon atop baguette toast, coated in—brace yourself—brown bourbon butter sauce. A B-string that's clearly part of the A-team, Toast will offer breakfast in a variety of thrilling ways.
Grand Rapids mainstay Wolfgang's offers an absolutely staggering array of breakfast options. Though it has nothing to do with Wolfgang Puck, it will still declare itself to be “home of the best breakfast in Grand Rapids.” Tall order, but Wolfgang's is ready to back it up. Want pancakes made in a similar fashion to tiramisu? No problem. The king, however, is the Missad, a scrambled egg dish that boasts chicken, turkey, Cajun sausage, mushrooms, onions and green pepper with hash browns, cheese, and all piled on a piece of English muffin toast.
If you came looking for meat in the morning, then Bay City's Krzysiak House restaurant will provide in grand style. Start with some great Polish imagery to spark the place up, and then order yourself the He-Man Breakfast, which as the name suggests, is sufficiently laden with meat to make most any meathead gleeful. The He-Man Breakfast is said to boast eggs, bacon, pork sausage, sausage patties, ham, and both home fries and toast with jelly. Just to top it off, the jelly is homemade.
With a vibrant atmosphere and fresh local ingredients, the Laundry is an excellent place to spend a few hours for breakfast. Some of their classic dishes include strawberries and cream hotcakes (made with yummy sugared strawberries and homemade whipped cream) and the “All Hams on Deck” skillet (cast iron skilled loaded up with applewood-smoked ham, roasted redskin potatoes, red onions, green peppers, and Vermont cheddar cheese).