Toulouse Petit's Croque Madame. Photo source.
So many of the best breakfast sandwiches out there are pretty bare-bones: meat, eggs, and cheese between an English muffin, bagel, sliced croissant, or toast. Add specialty ingredients and an already delightful early morning item can really transcend. These top Seattle picks have either mastered the art of the basic breakfast sammie or made a name for their unique creations.
Americana | 219 Broadway E | 206-328-4604
This Capitol Hill comfort food joint slings a mean weekend brunch menu that includes a signature breakfast sandwich -- sour bâtard from local bread hero Macrina Bakery, scrambled eggs, bacon, arugula, and homemade aioli served with rosemary potatoes. Looking to veer from the classics? Try the poached pear and taleggio cheese sandwich on crispy sourdough (add bacon to really punch it up). Americana’s take on a classic grilled chicken sandwich is also available during brunch hours for those who want to go straight for lunch.
Café Fonté | 1321 1st Ave | 206-777-6193
Next time you drop into Fonté for a legendary Seattle-roasted espresso, stick around for the brunch menu (served until 3pm). The downtown café does a Croque Madame with French ham, gruyere, béchamel, and a sunny egg on top of housemade brioche. You can also choose from a selection of daytime sammie favorites including a chicken club, tuna melt, and dolled-up grilled cheese with sweet onion jam.
Photo credit: Stephanie Forrer
Honest Biscuits | 1433 1st Ave | 206-682-7179
Find really fresh, really local biscuit sandwiches at this Pike Place Market destination. Mornings are just better with a homemade buttermilk biscuit… especially one that’s loaded up with meat, cheese, eggs, or veggies. The MacGregor (the most requested menu item) features Bavarian Meats bacon, Beecher’s Flagship cheese, and caramelized onions. Breakfast sandwich purists can order theirs with a local cage-free egg and melty Tillamook cheese (solo, with bacon, or with Uli’s chicken and apple sausage). Also keep an eye out for rotating seasonal options.
Toulouse Petit | 601 Queen Anne Ave N | 206-432-9069
The beloved daily brunch at this Lower Queen Anne Cajun-creole pulls out all the stops. Toulouse Petit’s Croque Madame rendition includes Snake River Farms ham, gruyere cheese, dijon mustard, and two eggs beneath a creamy Mornay sauce (béchamel with grated gruyere melted in). Alternatively, go for the signature Toulouse Breakfast Sandwich with a fried egg, bacon, avocado, greens, tomatoes, and herb aioli.
The Wandering Goose | 403 15th Ave E | 206-323-9938
Capitol Hill’s very own Southern-style cafe keeps things intimate with a cozy thirty-seat dining room. Its small scale frees up Chef Heather to focus on consistent freshness, right down to serving and selling homemade honey (courtesy of rooftop beehives). Try some with peanut butter, banana, and optional Benton’s bacon on the Big Trouble -- one of three fixture breakfast-centric biscuit sandwiches (pro tip: also ask about the biscuit of the day!). For a more traditional sammie, The Easy features egg and cheese (plus bacon, sausage, or country ham for meat lovers), while the Sweet Blonde stacks it high with sliced country ham, an overeasy egg, cheese, and Steen’s butter.
