Ten Best Breakfast Places in Palm Beach County

Mom was right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Sure it gets your metabolism going and supposedly people who eat breakfast eat fewer calories over the course of the day. Blah, blah, lose weight, blah, blah, be healthier, live longer - whatever.

Point being: breakfast is good for you -- even if it includes a heaping portion of bacon, creamy scrambled eggs, grease-soaked potatoes, and a side of syrup-and-butter-doused pancakes. Minor details.

Time to come up with a game plan.

See Also: Ten Best Breakfast Places in Fort Lauderdale

Whether you're looking for a healthy yogurt parfait, a sturdy English version, some Belgian-inspired waffles, some good ole' American bacon and eggs, or, hey, even an Indian puri, a tasty meal first thing in the morning is the best way to set a positive tone for the day.

No matter which poison you pick, it should revive your spirits (and possibly, the size of your tummy), and get you going on your way.

You may already have a favorite place to start the day or you may be looking for some tips; either way, here are the ten best breakfast places in Palm Beach County.

Get ready to dig in.

10. Juno Beach Café

Located in -- big surprise! -- Juno Beach, this little breakfast and lunch spot is known for serving an impeccable brekkie (and lunch). It offers an array of savory dishes like biscuits and sausage gravy ($5.95) with bacon and eggs ($9.45) and chicken fried steak and eggs ($9.45), but it's best-known for its "Uncle Eddie's Pancakes." The sweet cakes come in small and large portions, and a variety of mixtures, such as blueberry ($5.95/$7.95), multigrain ($5.45/$7.45), and hazelnut ($6.75) with Nutella spread between two UEPs, filled with sliced strawberries, and finished with powdered sugar, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

See also: Ten Best Sandwich Shops in South Florida

9. The Green Owl

One of the oldest restaurants in Delray Beach, this old school diner sits on some prime real estate. But while the city has gentrified around it, the Owl has remained exactly the same. The décor is delightfully shabby (not the artificial, look-at-how-we-sandpapered-the-edge-of-this-table shabby -- but actually shabby!), with wallboard like you'd find in your grandma's basement, and lots and lots and lots of owls. On weekends, there is a line around the corner with people clamoring for its good old diner fare like the Combo Special ($4.50), two eggs, with corned beef hash of three bacon strips or sausage and toast; "Big Bill" ($5.75), two eggs with three hotcakes, and four bacon strips or sausage; or one egg and toast ($2.50). Be prepared to bring cash (when the rest of the world went electronic, they decided to stay on the paper system).

See also: Ten Best New Restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach Counties in 2013

8. Dune Deck

Sunday mornings are best spent eating French toast and sipping mimosas with a view of the beach -- heck, we'll take that start any day of the week. Set atop the dunes of Lantana Beach, this breakfast, lunch, and brunch place offers great fare and prime panoramas of the Atlantic. Veggie omelets take on the flavors of the fresh sea-breeze; eggs benedict taste as bright and vivid as the suns rays. Service is swift, and the coffee is strong. And the stuffed French toast is the sort of custardy goodness Parisians only wish they would have made. Add daily specials like Florida lobster Benedict and fresh fish plucked from the docks up the road and you've got a breakfast fit for even the most sun-baked of Floridians. Just make sure to pay for your meter -- you don't need parking patrol to rain on your glorious day.

See also: Ten Best Waterfront Restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach Counties

7. Southern Kitchen

If there's one thing every knows about the southern foodies, it's that they love their grease. Butter, lard, shortening, cheese: if it's southern it's going to be heavy. And that suits us just fine on a weekend morning -- we're most likely dying of a hangover anyway. Southern Kitchen in Lake Park offers guests a taste of good ol' home style favorites with a taste of southern hospitality. Dishes like creamed chipped beef over toast with two eggs ($5.25), large stacks of buttermilk pancakes ($3.95), and Beggar's omelet ($7.50) with sausage, peppers, onions, cheese & topped with sausage gravy will have you up and running in no time. Or just send you back to where you need to be -- bed.

See also: Ten Best Bars for Cocktails in Palm Beach County

6. The Pelican

Like the rest of downtown Lake Worth, this little open-air breakfast and lunch joint is willfully eccentric - part beach shack, part diner, part Indian café. The Pelican serves rave-inducing blueberry pancakes ($8), a daily special pancake (like banana and coconut), terrific omelets ($9 to $11) bursting with fresh vegetables with thick slices of whole wheat toast, and egg/sausage/bacon combo platters for breakfast. Sounds good enough, right? That's only where it begins. Halfway down the menu the Indian inspiration kicks in. Dishes like eggs nissa ($13) and Pelican's nihari ($15), beef shank curry, braised for over 8-hours, served with two egg, served with naan and homefries are stimulating and exotic. We dare you to find a more inspiring way to start the day than that?

See also: Five Most Outrageous Burgers in Palm Beach County

5. Christina's

Just a few blocks north of the restaurant hustle of Delray's Atlantic Avenue, is a very Florida (i.e. very laid-back), yet always packed breakfast. Located in Pineapple Grove, the tropical decor is the perfect way to start your day. The offerings include the usual breakfast suspects served in satisfying but not gut-busting portions, such as buttermilk pancakes ($6.95) and California omelet ($9.25) with avocado, mushroom, green onion, tomato, cream cheese, and cheddar. While you can't go wrong with anything, we suggest the salmon platter ($12.25), a hearty helping of beautiful pink lox, cream cheese, capers, chopped tomatoes, and sliced onions served with an English muffin. If you are looking for something heartier, they also serve a mean eggs Benedict ($9.95), drizzled in tangy hollandaise.

See also: Ten Best Seafood Restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach Counties

4. Howley's

Open in the same West Palm Beach locations for more than half a century, this classic diner offers breakfast all through the day and night (well, 2 a.m. on weekends, 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights) as well as cocktails -- yes, that's right, you can get a martini with your scrambled eggs at 2 a.m. or 8 a.m. The retro spot boasts a digital jukebox, flat-screen TVs, live music, and a full bar to compliment its easy-on-the-wallet (and delightful-on-the-tastebuds) Belgian waffles ($5.95), steak and eggs ($11.75), and Momma's Hot Cakes ($5.95).

See also: Ten Best Juice Bars in Broward and Palm Beach Counties

3. The Breakfast Shack

If a place has the meal served in the title, you know it's legit. This Boynton Beach spot specializes in -- we're pretty sure you can figure it out on your own -- the first meal of the day. It offers all the basics, like eggs (one for $3.49), triple cheese ($6.99) and western ($7.99) omelets, and stacks of buttermilk pancakes (short for $3.99/$4.99 for tall), but it's the creative concoctions, such as coconut macadamia French toast (2 for $4.99/ 3 for $6.49) and, our favorite, the crab cake benedict ($9.99), that have use coming back for more.

See also: Ten Best Cheesesteaks in Broward and Palm Beach Counties

2. Benny's on the Beach

Located on the Lake Worth pier, this (truly) glorified concession stand serves hot dogs, hamburgers, seafood specials, pita pockets, and subs to beach-goers throughout the day, but it's known as one of the best places to break your fast in Palm Beach County. Aside from the obvious ocean view (seriously, this is Florida, you should see the beach first thing in the morning at least once a week), Greek-diner type meals are impressive; don't miss the Athenian omelet ($10.99) if you like gyro meat, but the best offering is the most unusual the stuffed red raspberry granola French toast ($10.95). Brunch is served all day. We suggest wearing your bathers, stuffing your face, and then passing out on the beach.

See also: Ten Best Romantic Restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach Counties

1. John G's

You know you're in for some good eats with a line out the door, and around the corner for a seat on the weekends. That's how it will be at John G's in Lake Worth this weekend, and the next, and the one after. You get the point. A locals' type spot that's been known for generations, the place serves a remarkable brunch (breakfast served until 11:45 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday) with plenty of tasty treats. But, if you're looking be blown away, try the thick-sliced french toast, served multiple ways. We love the original cinnamon nut ($8.25) -- three slabs of moist toast coated with a layer of cinnamon-sugar and slivered almonds -- or the raisin cream cheese ($7.95) drenched in warm, house made raisin syrup. Again, make sure to stop by an ATM on the way (cash is all they take).

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Follow Sara Ventiera on Twitter, @saraventiera.