Harris Vacations Staff Writer | October 30, 2024
You’ve heard it all your life… breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, it’s not just the most important, but is also one of the most delicious!
No matter if you have an appetite for eggs or a craving for a cinnamon roll, you can start your day right during your next Alabama vacation with these Orange Beach and Gulf Shores breakfast restaurants.
After much taste-bud tempting research, we’ve compiled a list of our six favorite breakfast spots. Before you head off on an adventure to Gulf State Park or for a round of golf, feast on these drool-worthy selections. It’s also perfectly acceptable to take a nap after breakfast while on vacation. You might just need one!
It’s hard to choose a favorite at The Ruby Slipper Café in Orange Beach is difficult because every item on the menu gets a thumbs-up!
However, what this slice of breakfast heaven may be best known for is its eggs benedicts. These aren’t your ordinary benedicts, either. Don’t order expecting your selection to be served atop an English muffin. Instead, you’ll find a monstrous, airy homemade southern biscuit. You have six extraordinary benedicts to choose from, including the Chicken St. Charles, which includes a fried chicken breast and two poached eggs finished with a pork Tasso cream sauce.
Tasty Tip: Order a side of Pig Candy Bacon or the French Toast Batons stacked up like a game of Jenga. The kids will love it, and so will you!
The Southern Grind Coffee House is a local favorite. You can’t go wrong with breakfast in this relaxed, beachy coffee shop. There are two locations for you to get your caffeine fix: one at The Wharf and the newest location inside Hotel Indigo (both in Orange Beach).
This mom-and-pop shop serves up a great selection of breakfast items, but our favorites are Chef Jim’s Belgian Waffles topped with fresh strawberries, fresh whipped cream and drizzled in white chocolate. If that sounds like pure indulgence… it is! However, you’re on vacation and that’s allowed!
Another favorite at this Orange Beach restaurant is the Jalapeno Potato Scramble. Load up on your protein with three eggs scrambled with fresh baby spinach, Bella mushrooms, and either cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, or feta cheese.
Rise and dine at Brick & Spoon located on Canal Road in Orange Beach AL. Voted one of the “Top 10 Breakfasts in the US” by Travel + Leisure, it’s hard to pass up the restaurant’s shrimp & grits. It’s a meal big enough to feed you and a friend, or ask for a to-go box and save the rest for lunch! If you have a sweet tooth, opt for the bananas foster French toast with caramelized bananas and pecan pieces.
Tasty tip: Don’t miss their “build your own Bloody Mary” option where you choose the ingredients and the spice level to create your signature cocktail.
When you want a down-home breakfast with made-from-scratch recipes, the locals know to head to Sassy Bass Amazin’ Grill in Fort Morgan. There’s nothing fussy about the food, and that’s what makes it so filling. In fact, grab a plate and head to the breakfast buffet filled with all your traditional favorites and a few unique dishes, too.
The owner swears by the savory porridge made with grilled beef, pork, and oatmeal porridge. Another one of our favorites at this Fort Morgan restaurant is the generously stuffed grilled shrimp burrito.
When a quick breakfast is calling your name, and a sweet tooth is driving your breakfast choice, nothing beats Café Beignet in Gulf Shores. If you’ve never had the culinary pleasure of sinking your teeth into this puff of donut-like powdered sugary goodness, you’ve been missing out.
Order a dozen for $12. You can order them plain and covered in confectioners’ sugar or get the vanilla pudding-filled beignets topped with chocolate syrup. Either way, you really can’t go wrong. We think they’re best served alongside a delicious latte (dunking them is recommended).
Tasty Tip: Get them hot and devour them hot! Beignets are best when they’re just out of the fryer and dunked in powdered sugar. These are the pillowy delights a Gulf Shores breakfast dream is made of!
You can’t beat Sunliner for breakfast in a classic diner setting, and you’re guaranteed to fall in love with the 1950s setting and the great food. The waffles are a must-try, as are the cheddar cheese omelets. For something lighter, try the avocado toast. Or, if you’ve got a sweet tooth, don’t miss the banana nut French toast.
Don’t forget to bring some quarters for the jukebox for an authentic 1950s experience!
Tacky Jacks has locations in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and Fort Morgan and each branch guarantees a great start to your day.
You’ll find classic American dishes on the menu including shrimp and grits, farmer’s omelet, and short stack pancakes. The crabcake benny is a top pick — it’s served with gouda grits that you won’t be able to get enough of.
For a boozy brunch, add a mimosa or a Bushwacker (a creamy frozen cocktail and the Gulf Shore’s signature drink) to your order.
This popular coastal spot will be a hit with the whole family with its extensive breakfast menu, beach access, and the famous foam pit.
This spot is also great value and the all-you-can-eat family-style breakfast will set you up right for the day. For $19.99 per adult and $8.99 per child, you’ll get all the breakfast classics including eggs and sausages. And they’ll keep ‘em coming until you say stop!
Really though the number one spot for a Gulf Shores breakfast is…your own balcony or beachfront deck!
Smell the salt air and enjoy cool morning breezes without changing out of your pajamas. Our vacation rental homes in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Fort Morgan all come with fully equipped kitchens and everything you need for breakfast in paradise, minus the groceries and chef, of course!
Pick up breakfast-ready muffins and fruit or send someone out on a Café Beignet run. Sip your coffee and enjoy the views of Alabama’s beaches. It really doesn’t get any better than this.
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