{"id":403703,"date":"2026-07-18T18:56:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T18:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/403703\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T18:56:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T18:56:20","slug":"underrated-fresno-breakfast-restaurants-to-try-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/403703\/","title":{"rendered":"Underrated Fresno breakfast restaurants to try today"},"content":{"rendered":"

This town loves a good breakfast.<\/p>\n

Hit up a classic breakfast joint on a Saturday morning \u2014 say, Fresno Breakfast House<\/a>, The Train Depot<\/a> or Batter Up Pancakes<\/a> \u2014 and you\u2019ll be sure to find a packed waiting area.<\/p>\n

But what about the overlooked ones? The ones people might not know about. Maybe they\u2019re new. Or they\u2019ve been around but seem to operate under the radar, despite getting good reviews.<\/p>\n

Here are five breakfast restaurants you may not know about. And if you do, good for you for being in the know.<\/p>\n

5 breakfast restaurantsCountry Waffles at Shaw and Marks \"Country Country Waffles at Shaw and Marks avenues has been around for more than 20 years, but almost never has a wait. Bethany Clough bclough@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n

There are several Country Waffles<\/a> locations in the area, but the one at Marks and Shaw avenues is often quiet and not busy \u2014 even on weekends. And it\u2019s not because of the quality of the food.<\/p>\n

It gets 4.5 out of 5 stars<\/a> on Yelp.com.<\/p>\n

The owners bought it three years ago, though it\u2019s been around for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n

Its vintage decor gives it a cozy blast-from-the-past feel.<\/p>\n

The top sellers are omelets and waffles; specifically, the chicken and waffles. The omelet favorites include the meat lover\u2019s with sausage, bacon and ham.<\/p>\n

Details: Country Waffles is at 3050 W. Shaw Ave., #101. Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.<\/p>\n

Early Birds Cafe at Olive and First \"Early Early Birds Cafe opened recently near First Street and Olive Avenue. Bethany Clough bclough@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n

Breakfast and lunch spot Early Birds Cafe<\/a> opened in May near First Street and Olive Avenue. It\u2019s on this list because it\u2019s new, but it does get packed on weekends.<\/p>\n

It serves an all-American breakfast. There\u2019s an 11-ounce country-fried steak and eggs. And there are \u201cMexi-Cali\u201d breakfasts, including the popular chile verde served with omelets or eggs.<\/p>\n

Blueberry ube pancakes are a top seller, along with Vietnamese coffee.<\/p>\n

The restaurant gets lots of visitors from the nearby airport, and people in the neighborhood who walk there, said owner Kanitha Soukaseum.<\/p>\n

Details: Early Birds is at 1276 North First St. and open 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.<\/p>\n

Wake Me Up Farms at Champlain and Perrin \"Wake Wake Me Up Farms serves breakfast all day at Champlain Drive and Perrin Avenue. Bethany Clough bclough@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n

Wake Me Up Farms<\/a> is a bakery and cafe that opened over the holidays and serves breakfast all day.<\/p>\n

In addition to baguettes and rounds of fresh-baked sourdough bread, it serves baked goods such as muffins, avocado toast topped with steak and eggs, frittatas, chicken bowls, salads and more. There are also take-and-bake gourmet pot pies in flavors such as beef bourguignon and pepperoni pizza.<\/p>\n

Its breakfast burritos are a popular seller, stuffed with sausage, eggs and New Mexico Hatch chiles.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a large menu of coffee drinks, along with flavored lemonades and teas.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a kid-friendly business with indoor and outdoor seating.<\/p>\n

Owner Ciara Cerro started selling her sourdough bread at the Clovis farmers market, eventually leaving a corporate job to open the bakery and cafe. Many of the recipes at the business have been handed down from women in the family and won awards at local fairs.<\/p>\n

Details: Wake Me Up Farms is at 1122 E. Champlain Drive, suite 101. Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.<\/p>\n

Cracked Pepper Bistro at Palm and Herndon \"Vatche Vatche Moukhtarian has started Cracked Pepper Cafe, offering counter service breakfast and brunch along with his Sanctuary Roasting coffee drinks as an affordable option for customers at his Cracked Pepper Bistro, photographed Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n

Cracked Pepper Bistro<\/a> near Herndon and Palm avenues is known mostly for its high-end dinners \u2014 and its famous bread pudding.<\/p>\n

But some people still don\u2019t know it\u2019s serving breakfast and brunch too (just check out The Bee\u2019s story about it back in March<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The restaurant started offering a limited menu<\/a> this spring. There\u2019s bacon, eggs and potatoes, smoked salmon bagels and a slow-cooked pork belly served over rice with an egg.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the full-service sit-down experience you get at dinner. Instead, you order at a counter.<\/p>\n

Owner Vatche Moukhtarian has gotten into roasting coffee and runs the Sanctuary Coffee Refuge<\/a> at Northwest Church. (And he\u2019ll soon be running a cafe at Fresno City Hall.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Those coffee skills are on display at Cracked Pepper\u2019s brunch also, with lots of creative lattes made from his locally roasted espresso.<\/p>\n

Details: Cracked Pepper\u2019s breakfast is at 6737 N. Palm Ave. from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.<\/p>\n

Rumi Baklava at Shaw and Marks \"Hamed Hamed Alghazali, owner of Rumi Baklava, stands over trays of freshly made pastries at the new bakery on West Shaw Avenue at Marks Avenue in Fresno on Tuesday, May 16, 2026. Alghazali, who owns Fabiano Coffee Roasters, is also planning to open a Mediterranean cafe. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n

Rumi Baklava<\/a> is a new-to-Fresno bakery that you\u2019re going to be seeing more of.<\/p>\n

It opened at Shaw and Marks avenues<\/a> behind Outback Steakhouse May 1 selling racks of pastries, including kunafa<\/a> and baklava. There\u2019s baklava made with pistachios, walnuts or cashews. There\u2019s also the popular \u201ccrown of the king,\u201c a round pastry filled with nuts covered in a shiny, sweet glaze.<\/p>\n

Most of the pastries are Syrian because that\u2019s where the pastry chef is from.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also find lahmajoun \u2014 sometimes called Armenian pizza \u2014 a flat dough spread with ground beef.<\/p>\n

And of course, there\u2019s coffee, because this business is owned by Hamed Alghazali of Fabiano Coffee Roasters<\/a>. He also sells his coffee at the Vineyard Farmers Market.<\/p>\n

Next up, he plans to open a new Mediterranean cafe in the former Lewis Diamond Co. spot at Alluvial Avenue and Fresno Street in northeast Fresno.<\/p>\n

Details: Rumi Baklava is at 2767 W. Shaw Ave. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.<\/p>\n

\"Crown Crown of the king \u2014 round pastries filled with nuts covered in a shiny, sweet glaze \u2014sit in the display case at Rumi Baklava, a new bakery on West Shaw Avenue at Marks in Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com \"Sourdough Sourdough bread is baked on site at Wake Me Up Farms in north Fresno. Jose Juarez Special to the Bee \"Fresh Fresh blackberries alongside Bread Pudding at Vatche Moukhtarian’s new Cracked Pepper Cafe, photographed Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com
\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Bethany Clough<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fresno Bee<\/p>\n

Bethany Clough covers restaurants and retail for The Fresno Bee. A reporter for more than 20 years, she now works to answer readers\u2019 questions about business openings, closings and other business news. She has a degree in journalism from Syracuse University and her last name is pronounced Cluff.\n <\/p>\n