September is National Breakfast Month, so we did the only reasonable thing: mapped every worthwhile breakfast and brunch spot we could verify across the entire Memphis metro.

That’s 52 spots — hand-formed biscuits, bottomless mimosas, honey-boiled bagels, and the diner where Elvis had his own booth — from Downtown all the way out to DeSoto County.

Last updated September 2026. A project of 901 Today, Memphis’s free daily newsletter.

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📍 540 S. Main St., Downtown · Daily, 7am–3pm · $

Memphis's oldest café, slinging plates since 1919. Grab the corner booth where Elvis used to sit and order his favorite: the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. their site

📍 3965 Summer Ave. · Wed–Sun, 5am–2pm, closed Mon & Tue · $ · cash only

Named "King of Breakfast" by Garden & Gun, and every biscuit is still hand-formed to order. The white gravy is the whole reason to set an early alarm — bring cash, there's no card reader in sight. their site

📍 317 N. Main St., Downtown · Tue–Fri 11am–5pm, Sat 9am–3pm, closed Sun–Mon · $

Owner BJ Chester-Tamayo has been serving soul-food breakfast — and a free hug with every visit — since 1997. The sweet potato cobbler has landed the place in the New York Times and on Oprah's radar. their site

📍 4838 Summer Ave., Bell Plaza · Opens 6am daily · $ · cash only

Flipping pancakes since 1957 — new owner Hunter Myers calls it "the last bastion of classic diners" in Memphis. Order pancakes for dinner and a meat-and-three for breakfast; nobody will blink. Memphis magazine

📍 237 S. Cooper St., Cooper-Young · Daily, 7am–2pm · $

A Cooper-Young greasy-spoon fixture since the 1940s, at this corner since 1968. A June 2024 kitchen fire closed it for nearly a year — new owner Ryan Glosson reopened it April 2025, keeping the wall of regulars' photos intact. Memphis magazine

📍 760 Mt. Moriah Rd., East Memphis · Daily, 5am–midnight · $

"The donut shop that never sleeps" since 1967 — one of the largest independently owned donut shops in the country, with dough that rises three times for an extra-light texture. Alton Brown is a fan. Facebook

📍 670 Jefferson Ave., Downtown & 5469 Poplar Ave., East Memphis · Mon–Sat, 7am–2pm, closed Sun · $

It bills itself as the best breakfast in Memphis, and the weekend lines out the door back it up. House-made sausage, all-day breakfast, and beignets worth the wait at both the flagship and the East Memphis spot. their site

📍 7 W. Carolina Ave., Downtown · Sunday brunch · $$

A riverside beer garden with bottomless mimosas and a full Bloody Mary bar — plus live bluegrass most Sundays under the old train trestle. their site

📍 111 Madison Ave., Downtown · Sunday brunch, 11am–4pm · $$

Go big: a mimosa flight runs $30, and the table-sized mimosa tower (serves 8–10) is $55. their site

📍 145 S. Main St., Downtown · Sat & Sun only, 11am–2:30pm · $$

Brunch inside a restored 1913 silent-movie palace. The Majestic Mimosa runs $8 a glass or $32 a bottle, and the shrimp & grits with andouille and creole butter is the move. their site

📍 83 S. 2nd St., Downtown · Sat & Sun, 9am–3pm · $$

Regulars come back for the Red Velvet Waffle, the Banana Foster French Toast, and mimosas and Bloody Marys priced to keep the table topped off all morning. their site

📍 149 Union Ave., Downtown · Sunday brunch buffet, 11:30am–3pm · $$$

The full hotel-brunch treatment at Capriccio Grill: hot buffet, omelet station, chilled shellfish, a carving station and dessert table, all under the roof of the ducks' own hotel. their site

📍 303 S. Main St., Downtown · Tue–Sat, 6am–2pm, closed Sun–Mon · $

Colorful, Instagram-ready breakfast burritos named after actual family members — try Gailene's Meat Lovin' or Bernadine's Shrimp & Avocado. their site

📍 276 S. Front St., Suite 105 · Daily, 8am–4pm · $

The original Hive: handmade, small-batch bagels boiled in honey-infused water before baking, from a founder who moonlights as a beekeeper. (There's a second, bigger location out east — see below.) their site

📍 496 Tennessee St., Suite 101, South Main · $ · BYOB

A women-owned South Main spot built around the Tennessee St. Biscuit — fried chicken, pickles and sriracha honey stacked on a scratch biscuit. Memphis Travel

📍 150 Peabody Pl., Suite 111, Downtown · $

From the Tandem Restaurant Partners team behind Zinnie's — grits done a dozen ways, served from breakfast straight through dinner. Downtown Memphis Commission

📍 164 Union Ave., Downtown · $

A locally owned coffee and bakery counter a block off Main — the easy stop before or after a Downtown breakfast crawl. Instagram

📍 111 Harbor Town Square · 7am–2pm · $$

Mississippi Delta-inspired breakfast with a river view in Harbor Town — a beloved Memphis concept that grew into its own full sit-down restaurant. their site

📍 954 Jackson Ave., Uptown/Pinch District · $

Shrimp & grits and French toast built around what the menu calls "authentic Memphian" breakfast cooking, just north of Downtown. Downtown Memphis Commission

📍 800 S. Cooper St., Cooper-Young · Wed–Sat 7am–2pm, Sun 10am–2pm, closed Mon–Tue · $$

Chef Kevin Sullivan's family-first Cooper-Young spot — "where breakfast and brunch meet family and fun," with omelets, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes all done well. their site

📍 966 S. Cooper St., Cooper-Young · $$

Built inside a former 1950s beauty salon where Priscilla Presley reportedly got her hair done — the mint-green wash basins are now bar sinks, and the hair-dryer booths are dining nooks. A Gourmet Top 100 pick. their site

📍 3547 Walker Ave., University District · Weekend brunch Sat–Sun, open until 2:30pm · $

A U of M institution since 1987, famous for the "World Famous BBQ Tofu" nachos and a menu deep enough for vegetarians and carnivores alike. their site

📍 3519 Walker Ave., University District · Tue–Fri 6:30am–1pm, Sat 7am–12:30pm, Sun 8am–1pm, closed Mon · $$

Wildly inventive, punnily named omelets near the U of M campus — a longtime pick for best breakfast in the city. their site

📍 2115 Madison Ave., Overton Square · $$

Latin-Southern brunch on a rooftop patio overlooking Overton Square — a lively, later-morning pick for a group. their site

📍 2094 Madison Ave., Overton Square · $$

Cajun and Creole "with a Memphis flair" — muffulettas, jambalaya and gumbo alongside weekend brunch service at an Overton Square standby. their site

📍 2149 Young Ave. · Opens Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026 · $$

James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence's Southern breakfast chain is landing its second Memphis-area location in the old Mulan Asian Bistro space — biscuits and shrimp & grits, opening day confirmed for Sept. 29. their site

📍 6063 Park Ave., East Memphis · Daily, 7am–2pm · $$

Build-your-own omelets, a crab cake Benedict, and specialty Bloody Marys at this East Memphis brunch destination. their site

📍 4550 Poplar Ave., Laurelwood Shopping Center · $$

Chef Kelly English's casual Cajun-Creole spot recently moved out east, now sitting right next to his own Restaurant Iris. their site

📍 395 S. Highland St., near U of M · $

The New Orleans-born roaster's campus-adjacent shop — espresso and pastries in a study-friendly space near the university. their site

📍 585 Erin Drive · Daily, 7am–7pm · $

Seven times the size of the original Downtown shop, with actual seating for about 40 — soups, salads and a full coffee bar alongside the honey-boiled bagels. their site

📍 603 N. McLean Blvd., Midtown/Vollintine-Evergreen · Mon–Sat 7am–3pm & 5–9pm, Sun 9am–3pm · $$

A neighborhood standby for a leisurely, made-from-scratch breakfast and brunch menu. their site

📍 2465 Whitten Rd. · Mon 7am–2pm, Tue–Fri 7am–11pm, Sat 9am–11pm, Sun 9am–2pm · $$

Part gastropub, part all-day breakfast counter — a full hot-breakfast menu served nearly until close. their site

📍 6412 Summer Ave. · $

A new Bartlett favorite in the old Egeray's Party Room, built around owner Stephanie Moss Townsend's mother's recipes — try the Peach Cobbler Waffle. Instagram

📍 6439 Summer Ave. · $

"Breakfast All Day" is the whole promise — oddball dish names like the Grumpus Breakfast and the Fat Bottom Cow chicken-fried steak & eggs back it up. their site

📍 5806 Stage Rd. · Mon–Fri 8am–2pm, Sat–Sun 9am–3pm · $

Locally known as "Chef Mo's" — a standout scratch-biscuit breakfast spot that's earned local business-press attention since opening. their site

📍 5675 Stage Rd. · $

Coffee and baked goods (in partnership with Barefruit Cafe) inside a converted former neighborhood pharmacy, right next to sister spot Side Porch Steakhouse. Instagram

📍 2076 West St. · Mon–Fri 7am–8pm, Sat–Sun 7am–2pm · $

Germantown's longtime diner institution — locals reliably call it out by name over every chain option in town. Yelp

📍 7535 Poplar Ave., Suite 109, Shops of Saddle Creek · Daily, 7am–2pm · $

Scratch-made biscuits with a rotating biscuit of the day — a reliable weekend-line draw at Saddle Creek. their site

📍 9087 Poplar Ave., Suite 111 · Daily, 7am–3pm · $$

French toast and mimosas from the fast-growing Texas-born brunch chain's Germantown outpost. their site

📍 7810 Poplar Ave. · Daily, 7am–2:30pm · $$

The daytime cafe chain brought its build-your-own bowls and specialty egg dishes to Germantown, drawing dedicated local TV coverage when it opened. their site

📍 9155 Poplar Ave., Suite 24 · $$

Part of a fast-expanding Southeastern breakfast franchise — a dependable, family-friendly stop on the Poplar corridor. their site

📍 3133 Forest Hill Irene Rd., Suite 107 · Mon–Sat 7:30am–2pm, closed Sun · $

An old-school neighborhood cafe that still takes orders by phone only — no online ordering, and regulars wouldn't have it any other way. their site

📍 103 N. Center St., Collierville · $

An independent coffee shop right on the Collierville town square, known locally for homemade quiche. their site

📍 914 Carrington Oak Ln. S., Collierville & 9752 Market Green Pl. N., Lakeland Town Square · $

A homegrown local mini-chain anchoring both Collierville and the new Lakeland Town Square — the Lakeland location hosts live jazz Saturday mornings. their site

📍 9580 Macon Rd., Cordova · Thu–Sun, 7am–2pm, closed Mon–Wed · $

Made-to-order cinnamon rolls (pick your glaze) and breakfast sliders — oddly enough, it shares its building with a golf driving range. Tripadvisor

📍 1890 N. Germantown Pkwy., Suite 99, Cordova · $

A Taiwanese bakery-cafe locals rave about for the taro bun and Japanese cheesecake — a genuinely different breakfast-pastry option. their site

📍 5226 Airline Rd., Suite 137, Arlington (also Germantown, East Memphis & Southaven, MS) · $$

A Memphis-born scratch-kitchen brand, not a national chain — known for elevated French toast and skillets. their site

📍 5780 Airline Rd., Suite 104, Arlington · $

A long-running, independently owned Memphis-area donut shop — early-morning donut-run territory for Arlington. Yelp

📍 4750 Navy Rd., Millington · $$

An elevated breakfast-and-brunch menu for a small suburb — shrimp & grits and chicken & waffles alongside biscuits and gravy and real espresso drinks. Facebook

📍 4761 Navy Rd., Millington · $

An independent, family-run diner (not the chain down the street) — skillets, omelets, biscuits and gravy, and a Coastal Skillet with shrimp and avocado. Facebook

📍 2902 May Blvd., Southaven, MS · $$

The Southaven outpost of the Memphis-born scratch-kitchen brand — same French toast and skillets as the Tennessee locations. their site

📍 210 E. Commerce St., Suite 8, Hernando, MS · Sun 8am–2pm, Mon closed, Tue–Thu 8am–2pm, Fri–Sat 8am–8:30pm · $

A family-run bakery-breakfast spot on Hernando's town square, with an on-site bakery case of cupcakes and cookies alongside eggs Benedict and French toast. their site

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