Need to fuel up before an outdoor adventure? Or just looking for a great, authentic place to get brunch? Check out these eight restaurants and cafés for the best breakfasts in Charleston, West Virginia.
Black Sheep’s burritos are definitely worth experiencing for lunch or dinner when you are in Charleston, but on the weekend, stop in for their special brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 2:30 pm. You can get the regular Tex-Mex-inspired brunch staples such as huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, and morning-time quesadillas, but the West Virginia flair comes forward with traditional favorites like house-made biscuits and gravy and whiskey cream French toast.
Cafe Crema is a perfect spot to grab a simple breakfast and coffee. Located 10 minutes west of downtown Charleston in Dunbar, the coffee shop run by a mother-daughter team offers all the classic espresso drinks, plus breakfast pastries, waffles, grits, and oatmeal, all at very reasonable prices.
While you’re wandering around Capitol Street, stop in at Taylor Books for breakfast. Owner Ann Saville wakes up early every morning to bake fresh scones, muffins, and other pastries for the café. Quiches and coffees round out this simple breakfast spot.
The Capitol Market, with its shops and farmers’ market, is another great place to see a landmark of Charleston and get a great start to your day. Inside the historic train depot, you can head over to Soho’s for their Sunday brunch special. With rotating menus, you’re sure to find something fresh and delicious, with a West Virginia-Italian spin to it.
Need a quick breakfast bite while you’re in town for business? Check out the classic fare at Swiftwater Cafe. The café, which is open early Monday through Friday in the heart of downtown, has breakfast sandwiches, plates with eggs and protein, fresh pastries, and an à la carte breakfast plate menu too.
If bagels are your breakfast bread of choice, then Starlings Coffee & Provisions is the only place to visit in Charleston. Although they are known for their New York-style bagels, Starlings also has lots of other homemade pastries, including muffins and cinnamon rolls, hearty breakfast sandwiches, and serves a special brunch menu on the weekends with fresh-squeezed orange juice mimosas.
The owners of Starlings also run the farm-to-table restaurant Bluegrass Kitchen. Brunch takes place 10 am to 3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and features ingredients sourced from West Virginia and the Appalachian region. The West Virginia classic of biscuits and gravy are homemade, peppery, and rich, while the Appalachian-by-way-of-Germany potato pancakes are dressed up a bit and served with sour cream. There are also plenty of vegetarian options, and you can opt for veggie-bacon or real-deal West Virginia smoked ham. In addition to great food, Bluegrass Kitchen is a winner because the prices on the mimosas and Bloody Marys are almost too good to be true.
Ok, so let’s be honest: Tudor’s Biscuit World isn’t winning any Michelin stars, but it is revered and honored in West Virginia, and worth a stop if you’re visiting any part of the Mountain State. There are nine locations of Tudor’s in the Charleston area, serving all of your classic breakfast needs, from biscuits and gravy to eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns, without any pretension.
