How to Eat Breakfast All Day in Atlantic City

Anyone who’s ever celebrated the night away in Atlantic City, New Jersey, knows that “breakfast time” is a flexible concept. Whether you’re waking up with the sun to grab a perfect spot on the beach or groggily requesting a late checkout, these places have the best breakfast in Atlantic City waiting for you. From upscale to budget-friendly, you don’t have to venture far to find a great eatery to satisfy all your breakfast cravings—first thing in the morning or well into the afternoon.

Enjoy wallet-friendly comfort food

A true hole-in-the wall, Maria’s Luncheonette is a tiny nook of a restaurant that serves up some of the best breakfast in Atlantic City (in whopping portions) all day long. The French Toast Deluxe Platter is the ultimate hangover cure, with eggs, home fries and your choice of breakfast meat on the side. Oh, and it’s under $10. If you can’t decide between pork roll, sausage and bacon, great news: You don’t have to. The Meat Lover’s Breakfast Sandwich packs them all into your choice of a bagel, croissant or roll.

Taste an Atlantic City classic

Since 1946, late-night revelers and fishermen up at dawn have been sitting down to breakfast at Gilchrist Restaurant. The restaurant moved to Margate and then opened a location in Galloway. Today, two additional locations make the list of best Atlantic City breakfasts and serve up the restaurant’s famous hotcakes, fluffy and moist in the middle, crispy around the edges. For the full South Jersey summertime experience, order the blueberry version.

Experience organic eats and art

Located on Ventnor Avenue, the Brittany Cafe serves up fresh eggs any way you like them.

For a classic American breakfast made with organic—and often local—ingredients, head to the cozy Brittany Cafe. Veggie lovers swear by this spot for the best breakfast in Atlantic City, thanks to its amazing three-egg omelet, packed with your choice of in-season produce. The vegetables aren’t the only local thing on offer here; the walls are lined with works for sale by local artists.

Drop in on your way out of town

As you head out of Atlantic City and toward the Garden State Parkway, keep your eyes peeled for the Cracked Egg Cafe, a tiny joint in the nearby town of Galloway that understands the best breakfasts should be a little greasy, and the pancakes always piled high. Speaking of pancakes, give the apple pie short stack a try. Even if you’re not quite hungry enough for a full “hungry man” breakfast, tell your waiter to keep the coffee coming: It’s one of the best cups in town.

Kick things up with Caribbean flavor

You can order a traditional breakfast—eggs, bacon, the works—when you sidle up to the counter of Lenox Cafe, a “greasy spoon” spot beloved by locals. But you’ll be missing out if you don’t try the mangu, a Caribbean-style breakfast of mashed plantains served with fried salami and fried cheese. Wash it down with a morir sonando, the best breakfast drink you’ve never tasted.

Start your day with soul

You may not know this, but Atlantic City is a land of plenty when it comes to soul food. At Kelsey & Kim’s Southern Cafe, you won’t find much that’s fancy, but when the food’s this good, it doesn’t need to be. Skip the menu and go straight for the grits: They’re not just the best you’ll find in South Jersey. They may be the best grits anywhere! The fried chicken and waffles is an utter delight and will keep you full and happy all day long.

Indulge and delight in decadence

OK, so you can’t actually eat brunch at Nero’s all day. In fact, you can’t even eat brunch there every day. This classic steakhouse only serves brunch on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but get there—even if you have to drag yourself there. This all-you-can-eat buffet, while a bit on the pricier side, is well worth it, as it goes well beyond the typical brunch fare. Help yourself to filet mignon, grilled swordfish, crab claws and sushi in addition to the more traditional breakfast foods you can stack on your plate. Then head to the DIY Bloody Mary bar, mix yourself the perfect cocktail and get comfortable, because that glass is bottomless.

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