America’s Bucket List Breakfast Sandwiches
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A breakfast sandwich is often a thing of convenience — maybe it’s directly in the path of your morning commute, the first thing you eat before you’re ready to cook for yourself. And while a good breakfast sandwich helps you wake up in the morning, a great one will keep you up at night.
“A great breakfast sandwich should be comforting yet bold — it needs balance, contrast, and personality,” says chef and author Mawa McQueen, who founded Mawa’s Kitchen and Crêpe Therapy Café in Aspen, Colorado. In her experience, “What separates the best from the rest is attention to detail: the layering, the temperature, the seasoning. It should feel like it was built with care, not slapped together in a rush.”
Mawa’s Kitchen lavishes such care on its rotisserie chicken breakfast sandwich, in which sriracha aioli, pickled shallots, and arugula — plus optional fried egg and bacon — complement juicy, house-roasted chicken on toasted focaccia. Crêpe Therapy Café’s take on a BEC folds the classic fillings in a buttery crepe for a certain je ne sais quoi. Plus, McQueen will demonstrate this expertise during “Between Buns: A Breakfast Sandwich Showdown” at the 2025 F&W Classic in Aspen.
Elsewhere, McQueen admires the breakfast sandwich scene in Los Angeles, where hot spots like Gjusta and Eggslut know how to build layers of flavor, and in New York, especially the slightly indulgent bacon, egg, and cheese from Daily Provisions. “I believe a breakfast sandwich reflects the soul of a kitchen,” McQueen says. “It may seem simple, but when it’s done with love, precision, and creativity, it becomes a signature.”
Here are nine more places across the U.S. where chefs love to start their day with a breakfast sandwich.
You Bacon Me Crazy at I Egg You (Washington, D.C.)
Courtesy of Rey Lopez for LeadingDC
Chef Matt Adler of Caruso’s Grocery in D.C. and Bethesda, Maryland, swears by the BEC at I Egg You, served with a brown butter-fried egg and fontina cheese on tender milk bread, as long as you unlock its full potential: “Ask for it ‘slathered,’” he says. This off-menu order adds Old Bay aioli and candied jalapeños for an unforgettable sweet-spicy-savory combo.
Chinatown Egg & Cheese Sando at Golden Diner (New York City)
Courtesy of Marcus Lloyd for Golden Diner
“This isn’t just any BEC,” says Sungchul Shim, chef and owner of New York City restaurants Kochi, Mari, Gui Steakhouse, Bar92, Mari.ne, and DonDon Korean BBQ. “It’s a vibrant representation of the melting pot that is modern New York.” The Golden Diner breakfast sandwich is built on a sesame scallion bun, a daily treat for many Asian American households that has become a staple for many other New Yorkers, and features perfectly fluffy eggs “reminiscent of the egg soufflé I enjoyed during my Korean breakfasts.” To ensure the proper bite, add avocado for extra creaminess and bacon for the salty crunch.
Classic Breakfast Sandwich at Flour Moon Bagels (New Orleans)
Courtesy of Kat Kimball for Flour Moon Bagels
Chef Shannon Bingham of New Orleans’ Junebug says Flour Moon Bagels “checks all the boxes of a perfect breakfast sandwich.” It features eggs, American cheese, and a griddled pork roll — “the best breakfast meat” — alongside bracing chile crisp mayo on a homemade bagel. “You can taste how much the team cares — it really comes through in the food.”
Chorizo Papi Sando at Aaktun Coffee & Bar (Durham, North Carolina)
Courtesy of Aaktun Coffee & Bar
A “huge fan of homemade chorizo,” chef Ricky Moore of Durham’s Saltbox Seafood Joint says this sandwich at Aaktun features some of the best. The grind, spicing, and caramelization are telltale signs of a well-made sausage, he says, and the chorizo pairs beautifully with Aaktun white sauce — a creamy house hot sauce — and ”wonderful little carrot escabeche.” Another local fan, chef Chris McLaurin of Lutra Café & Bakery, offers a pro tip for the side of crispy tater tots: “Ask for extra white sauce.”
Longanisa, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich at Kasama (Chicago, Illinois)
Courtesy of Tim Flores
“Longanisa is the undisputed king of breakfast sausage,” says Dale Talde, chef and owner of Goosefeather in Tarrytown, New York. Between Kasama’s housemade longanisa and the egg, cheese, and Martin’s potato bun, “there’s no finer way to start the day and fight off a hangover.” Chicago-based chef Charlie McKenna, of Lillie’s Q, concurs: “I have always loved McDonald’s sausage, egg, and cheese, and Kasama does a much better version of it. It’s morning bliss.”
Bangin’ Breakfast Sandwich at Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen (Los Angeles)
Courtesy of GVO Hospitality
Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen serves a brioche bun slathered with spicy mayo and stuffed with a gooey fried egg, crispy bacon, and cheddar. This handheld is “built like the city of LA,” says chef Nyesha Arrington of FOX TV series Next Level Chef, who will also demo at the 2025 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. “It’s stacked with flavor and feels like sunshine.”
Pita Scramble at Court House Diner Family Restaurant (Cape May Court House, New Jersey)
Courtesy of Court House Diner
This unexpected sandwich haunts Kari Shaughnessy, chef of McMinnville, Oregon’s Hayward. “My GM and dear friend Jules took me to her childhood diner. I figured we were in for the usual pork roll and egg, but Jules threw me a curveball,” she says of the experience at Court House Diner. “We got these pita-wrapped breakfast sandwiches with scrambled eggs, white American cheese, ham, onions, green peppers. It was salty, cheesy, just a little sloppy…the kind of sandwich that doesn’t need to try too hard because it’s been perfecting itself for decades. Honestly? I think about it way more than I probably should.”
Breakfast Sandwich at Brunch, Bliss & Bubbles (Yakima, Washington)
Courtesy of Brunch, Bliss & Bubbles
The sandwich at Brunch Bliss & Bubbles is “built on a flawlessly flaky and buttery biscuit,” striking the perfect balance between comfort and craft, says Yakima chef Shawn Niles, aka The Fat Pastor. He recommends adding Spam. “Seared to a golden edge, it brings a nostalgic yet elevated flavor” that cuts through the creamy richness of American cheese and chipotle pesto.
Goetta Egg and Cheese at Eckerlin Meats (Cincinnati)
Sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches are a dime a dozen, but a version with goetta — a German-inspired local specialty — is worth seeking out, says chef David Jackman of Cincinnati’s Wildweed. The pressed loaf of braised pork and oats is made in-house, sliced, fried, and served on a soft NCH Bakery bun with egg and American cheese at the butcher shop Eckerlin Meats, and “it’s exactly what you’re looking for in a breakfast sandwich,” he promises.
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