You may be wondering: Why breakfast sandwiches? Back in August of 2019 as I was drunkenly walking to the beach after a particularly aggressive boozy brunch in Los Angeles, I made a claim to my roommate Dev: Breakfast sandwiches might be the ultimate food. That is, I think breakfast sandwiches have incredibly high potential as a food and I’m not sure humans have explored that potential enough.
Unfortunately, I am not a great cook. However, I am great at eating food. So, I am writing this section to keep a record of my quest to explore the breakfast sandwiches of San Francisco (and perhaps the world).
Before jumping into the reviews, I want to give a quick overview of how I rate the sandwiches. I am giving an overall rating out of 10 based on 5 axises: bread quality, egg and cheese quality, meat quality, added ingredients, and overall integration of the entire sandwich. As a reference for where common sandwiches stand, a Jimmy Deans breakfast sandwich is like a 2.5 on my scale, a McMuffin a 4.0, and a BK Double Crossain’wich ~5.0 (I will not apologize for this, it’s just a damn good fastfood sandwich).
- Bop! Breakfast of Pan – Istanbul, Turkey
I just can’t help but feel like Istanbul is going to have a major role to play in global politics over the next 5-10 years. It has a different aura about it, like a city ready to resurge as a place all eyes are on. Or at least that’s what I kept thinking out loud on a recent trip there (much to the annoyance of my travel companion who after 4 days of me repeating that told me “for fucks sake Nathan, I get it”). But seriously, it’s not often I take a city break and get completely blown away. From twisting, vibrant streets to rooftop wine bars overlooking the city to standing in awe inside the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, I was impressed on all fronts.
I’m a fat guy though. I’m here to talk about food. On the third day of the trip, I dragged my always patient travel companion over to the hip neighborhood of Kadikoy on the Asian side of the bosphorus. We were hunting for a top notch breakfast spot. Bop! Breakfast on Pan fit the bill. About half of the menu was breakfast sandwiches. This was my kind of place. I went with one of the Chefs Specials, an egg sandwich on a Turkish bagel with Sucuk, Ezine, and tomatoes.
Chefs Special The Sandwich – 8.9/10
Full disclosure, this sandwich reminded me of a Turkish version of the egg and cheese croissants my mother used to make. So I have a bit of nostalgic bias. The Turkish bagel was a flattened version of a US bagel. Good structural integrity and great flavor. My only criticism is I wanted more of it. The fried egg was incredibly runny and mixed well with the melted Ezine to give an amazingly creamy texture. The flavor kick came from the Sucuk, the star of the show and a new favorite breakfast sandwich ingredient for me. The spice from the Sucuk was complimented with the tomatoes which brought in just a kick of sweetness. Think it could have been a bit more balanced with less cheese and tomato and more Sucuk and egg but overall spectacular sandwich.
- Phil You Up, Leatherhead, UK
No book has impacted my opinions on breakfast food like Felicity Cloake’s “Red Sauce, Brown Sauce”. I’ve visited a few places featured in her epic ride exploring British breakfasts. They’ve never disappointed. One of these is Phil You Up, a food truck specializing in sandwiches just outside of London. In true Felicity fashion, I used a recent cycle packing trip as an excuse to finally make the pilgrimage to this sandwich Mecca.
We rolled up to the B and Q parking lot where the truck is parked on a crisp October morning. It was exactly 8:51am when we arrived. Much to the dismay of my travel companion, we quickly worked out that the advertised opening time of 830 was slightly off. So while she marched off (somewhat annoyed) to take advantage of the bathroom in B and Q, I anxiously waited the 9 long minutes until opening. Any skepticism I had about a sandwich served in a hardware store parking lot evaporated with the first bite. The sausage, bacon, egg sandwich lived up to the hype.
The Sausage, Bacon, and Egg The Sandwich
Overall: 8.8/10
Overall, top notch sandwich. While the sausage was solid and perfectly respectable in its own right, the back bacon stole the show. Perfectly charred like you’d want from food truck, it was somehow simultaneously crispy and a bit chewy (satisfying both my travel partner and I’s differing opinions on the matter). The egg was perfectly cooked, just enough yolk to seep out and give the sandwich some moisture and texture but not enough to cause a mess. A slightly toasted classic white roll feels like the only bread that can correctly complement the charred flavors and egg yolk so was an excellent choice. The mayo and ketchup on top may seem a bit basic but fit the vibe perfectly and let the flavor of the meat shine through. It’s a hearty sandwich that sets the mood perfectly for a long day out on the bike.
- Cheryl’s on 12th, Portland, OR, USA
Portland is growing on me as a food city. Ive yet to have a bad meal there. On my last visit, the lady at the check in desk of the hotel told my girlfriend and me that “we couldn’t go wrong for food”. After dropping our luggage, we set off to rustle up some food, undeterred by the dreary Oregon rain. Eventually, we ended up at Cheryl’s on 12th.
Cheryl’s is your classic American diner, highlighted by big portions, endless coffee, and giant cinnamon rolls to finish off your meal. Located downtown, we grabbed a table by a window to do some people watching. I only had to glance at the menu once to know I was getting the Jumbo Breakfast Sandwich.
The Jumbo Breakfast Sandwich Overall: 8.7/10
The Good
This sandwich absolutely smacked. The meat department featured a triple threat of ham, sausage, and bacon. The Black Forest ham was the star both in quality, taste, and quantity. The bacon was cracking and the right mix of chewy and crunchy. The bread? Spot on. Perfectly toasted, buttered white bread. Crunchy outside, soft inside. Can’t fault it. The egg was perfectly cooked. I’m a firm believer that cream cheese is one of the worlds most underrated condiments. So I always have to be weary of biasing too much. However, I loved the addition of a schmear of cream cheese. It was a great base, adding a nice creamy texture. The thick slab of cheddar, slightly melted and oozing off the edges, tied the sandwich together and gave it a hearty, warm feeling that was perfect on a drizzly Portland day.
The Bad
3 things could have been done to push this sandwich into the upper echelons of all time greats. First, the sausage was a bit low quality. Now, I recognize that I may have slighty elevated expectation for sausage quality living but it stuck out like a sore thumb when compared to the ham and bacon. Second, I love cream cheese but it’s not really something that sets a sandwich apart from the crowd. Theres nothing here that makes ya say “wow, now that’s unlike anything I’ve had before”. Last, it was a bit too meat heavy. I’d like to have seen a bit more egg to balance out the triple threat.
- Hygge cafe, Chertsey, UK
The cycling community in London is large and thriving. Admittedly, it’s a bit of a cult. But an encouraging and supportive one. Everyone in it knows the same routes. It’s the sort of thing you pick up as you go. And someone will tell you if you dont. One of these routes is the Bun Run. It goes from Richmond park to Windsor and back. Thousands make this pilgrimage every weekend.
But this post is not about the Bun Run. Rather a cafe slightly off this beaten path. Theres a town enroute called Chertsey. Just outside sits the Hygge Cafe. Flocks of locals fill the tables. We were the only cyclists there (and by far the youngest). The perfect warming hut during a cold bike ride. The menu is almost exclusively breakfast food. Obviously, their local breakfast sandwich, The Stack, caught my eye.
The Stack Overall: 7.3/10
The Good
The back bacon was perfectly crispy. Cumberland sausage added a peppery/herby kick. I absolutely adore a hash brown in a sandwich. It added great texture and taste. Standing on its own while complimenting the stark textures of the meat. And you can’t accuse The Stack of being dry. The runny yolk made sure to address that. A Crusty Roll was a great choice of bread. The inside creates a soft base for the rest of the sandwich. The entire sandwich has great balance, as all things should.
The Bad
Let’s start with the bread. There’s a fine line between crusty and stale. The Stack overshot by a mile. The egg was burnt on the edges. A weird contrast to the perfectly runny yolk. Obviously, no cheese. The hash brown only covered half of the sandwich. And the bacon lurked in the background. It should have come forward.
- Roast and Toast, Sowerby Bridge, UK
When I first came over to the UK, there weren’t many counties or regions I could have named off the top of my head. To be quite honest, I probably would have struggled naming all 4 of the countries that make up this country. One place I would have gotten though is Yorkshire. Located up in the north of England, it’s filled with absolutely stunning scenery and loads of history. Cycling through the Yorkshire dales (a national park filled with moors, valleys, villages, and sheep) is an absolute dream. Well… if you dont mind the constant hills that is.
In a recent trip, my girlfriend and I went to stay 40 min outside of Leeds in a small town called Sowerby Bridge. We managed to have a great time despite some set backs like leaving a bike helmet on the train and having to cut a bike ride short when the fog on the dales was so thick you couldn’t see more than 20 feet in front of you. One of the reasons the trip was still a success was a local breakfast stop called Roast and Toast. They have a build your own breakfast sandwich option. As I didn’t want to bias based on choosing ingredients I liked, I got all none vegan meat toppings when ordering which made for easily one of the biggest breakfast sandwiches I’ve had to date.
The Sandwich
Overall: 8/10
The Good
This sandwich was an absolute unit. The amount of meat would have put most American sandwiches to shame. The sausage had great texture and taste and the back bacon was chewy with a nice char on it. The egg was a standout, good and runny, giving solid moisture throughout the sandwich when it broke. The mushrooms delivered a surprisingly hearty base and the ketchup gave a nice tang to an otherwise hearty sandwich. For me, the star was the black pudding though. I love black pudding on a breakfast sandwich, it brings texture, great flavor, and oddly ties everything together nicely.
The Bad
There are a few things you could nitpick about this sandwich. The first is the bread. A white roll is a breakfast bread staple in the UK but this one was more bland and less fluffy than others I’ve had and certainly too dry despite being buttered. Of course no cheese and with how big the sandwich was, I could have done with another egg. The sausage was a bit underwhelming. Not that the sausage was bad by any stretch of the imagination but I expected it to knock my socks off being so close to Cumbria. It also didn’t have much kick to it and even a little bit of salt and pepper would have made this sandwich come to life.
- Tulip Tree Tea Room, Chiddingstone, UK
Despite the constant rain and gloomy weather most months of the year, London is a surprisingly big cycling city. Any day of the week, cyclists flood the streets, from commuters on Boris bikes to the serious cyclists zipping around on £3000 bikes. A thriving community of cyclists has developed and on the weekends you can see them flocking to the countryside in droves. Whether it’s a smashy ride or a gentle pootle in the lanes, a coffee stop is usually obligatory. Subsequently, there are a variety of cafes which cater to riders in the areas surrounding London.
One of these spots is the Tulip Tree Tea Room opposite the Chiddingstone castle. An easy 40 kilometers or so from Crystal Palace, it’s a cozy cafe that’s perfect for a stop to grab a bite to eat and warm up. I visited on a recent bike ride on a rainy October Saturday. I had been told of their banging breakfast sandwich so of course I had to try their All Day Breakfast Sandwich.
The Sandwich
The All Day Breakfast Sandwich Overall: 7.4 / 10
The Good
This sandwich is packed with bacon. Bit of a bold move but if you back your bacon and put forward some well cooked (not too crispy not too chewy), flavorful back bacon like the tea room did, it works splendidly. The brown bread was simple but added a great doughy texture and was a solid choice for the sandwich. Add in an almost perfectly cooked fried egg, some sausage, and a dash of mayo and this hearty sandwich was the perfect fuel up halfway through a long ride.
The Bad
For what might be the first time in the UK, I was underwhelmed by the quality of the sausage. Not that it was necessarily bad but nothing compared to the bacon it accompanied and was certainly not a Cumberland sausage. The bread lacked some structural integrity making it hard to eat as the sandwich fell apart in my hands. There was no cheese (obviously) and not much pizzazz outside the mayo. The sandwich was also too bacon heavy. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the bacon was the star of the show but even Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen. Bring in a few more stars to support the bacon and add a bit more pizzazz and this sandwich could really be special.
- The Great American Bagel Bakery, San Jose, CA
On a recent trip out to the United States for a wedding and to see my brother, I had a bit of time in the San Jose airport. As far as food goes, San Jose international has somewhat slim pickings when compared to the bigger SFO just up the road. After walking the length of terminal B looking at options, I was just about to give up hope and resort to getting a scone from Starbucks or something when I spotted a big sign that said “Bagel”. This turned out to be The Great American Bagel factory. Admittedly, I was quiet excited to have a classic American breakfast sandwich on a bagel again so of course I had to try their headline breakfast sandwich: The Supreme Sunrise Bagel on an everything bagel.
The Supreme Sunrise Bagel The Sandwich
Overall: 5.6
The Good
This was a well integrated relatively standard bagel sandwich with a round sausage patty, egg, and American cheese. The sausage had a surprising amount of flavor to it and gave Italian sausage vibes. I was absolutely chuffed to be back in a country where cheese is a standard ingredient and I am an absolute sucker for an everything bagel. The sandwich just does the job.
The Bad
I would say that the bad can be summed up in one phrase: lack of quality. The bacon tasted like it had been cooked in the microwave, the cheese may have just been velveta, and the egg tasted like it had come out of a McDonald’s fryer then sat under a heatlamp. Probably the most disappointing though was the bagel which tasted no better than a bottom shelf bagel from Walmart For a restaurant with the phrase “bagel factory” in the name, I expected it to be better. Lastly, while I was pumped for the cheese, it was all bunched in the middle and there wasn’t all that much on there.
- Cafe Ole, Clapham Junction, UK
One thing that confuses many new Londoners is the difference between Clapham and Clapham Junction. While clapham is known for its bougie high street where the legendary infernos sits, clapham junction is a ~20 min walk west and actually is located in Battersea. Clapham J is an overground train hub and one of the main stops coming from the south of England into london.
Just outside the train station but off the main drag is a local cafe called Cafe Ole. It’s got a nice quiet vibe inside and it’s the kind of place that always has an old man or two sitting outside with a coffee and a cigarette watching the world go by. I visited Cafe Ole on a sunny summer solstice to get some coffee, do some work, and of course have their breakfast sandwich aptly just named: The Breakfast Sandwich.
The Breakfast Sandwich The Sandwich
Overall: 4.8/10
The Good
This is a solid, simple, hearty sandwich. The ciabatta bread is certainly the star of the show, it’s just good quality bread. The sausage in particular had good flavor to it and with the bacon gave a surprisingly nice texture. The egg was scrambled as opposed to fried which I found a refreshing change of pace from your classic London sandwich norm.
The Bad
Honestly, besides the bread, the sandwich did not have that much going for it. The sausage and bacon were both low quality, the egg was alright but not particularly well cooked, there was nothing extra to make it special, and of course no cheese. While the balance of the ingredients was alright, it was pretty dry. I didn’t hate the sandwich but I wouldn’t say it’s one I would necessarily recommend.
- The Farmers Mistress, Battersea, UK
It always astonishes me how wherever you are in London and no matter how much you’ve explored, there are always new places to see and local spots to be discovered. I’ve lived in the clapham-battersea area for about 2 years now. As a self proclaimed breakfast aficionado, it surprised me to see a brunch spot I had never heard of with 4.7/5 stars on Google just a 20 minute walk for me. This is how I ended up at the Farmers Mistress.
The Farmers Mistress had a very unique vibe. Tucked away in an unassuming spot just south of Battersea Park, it mixes the stylish, bougie vibe of a cocktail/brunch spot you’d expect on clapham high street with hint of a naughty, farmer theme. With plenty of great options, my eyes were of course drawn to their breakfast sandwich: The Posh Sausage Butty.
The Posh Sausage Butty The Sandwich
Overall: 8.6/10
The Good
Full disclosure, this was one of the best breakfast sandwiches ive had in a while. Not only did the presentation match the stylish vibe of the restaurant but every component was top quality and had a fun twist. The bread was a charcoal brioche seasoned seed bun. It was fluffy but not overpowering and made me consider how I’ve lived this long without trying a charcoal bread. The sunny side up duck egg (yes duck) was a great addition, giving the sandwich a great runny texture without becoming sloppy. On theme with regular ingredients with a pizzaz, the chipotle ketchup gave a great kick and the avocado (which I usually hate) added both wonderful texture and an awesome flavor. The star of the show though was the sausage patty. It was bursting with flavor and the quality was a step above the usual stellar British sausages.
The Bad
I really only have two major critiques. First and almost obviously at this point… no cheese. Second was the integration. While each ingredient by itself was phenomenal, the sandwich itself was exceedingly meat heavy. It was more of a breakfast burger than it was a sandwich.
- Mediterranean cafe – London, UK
Soho is a bit of a mixed bag of places. On one hand, you’ll find some of the best restaurants and cocktail bars in London. in some ways, it’s the definition of living in a big city, bursting with life and people. It makes you feel excited and alive. On the other hand, it’s chalk full of tourist traps, overpriced food, and congested with thousands of visitors. You just never know what you’re gonna get. However, you can still find plenty of hidden gems around Soho. On a recent quest to find a breakfast spot down in Soho, I ended up at the Mediterranean Cafe.
Despite being smack in the middle of Soho, with the sun shining and lack of crowds in the area, it almost felt like we were at a cafe off a quiet street in Lagos. The vibe definitely lives up to the Mediterranean name. They had a breakfast sandwich on the menu so this is where I tried the Bacon, Sausage, egg sandwich
The Bacon, Sausage, Egg The Sandwich
Overall: 5.1/10
The Good
The sandwich itself never tries to be something it’s not. It comes exactly as advertised with bacon, sausage, and egg on slices of buttered white bread. Per usual in the UK, the meat was the star. The classic Cumberland sausage, back bacon combo never disappoints and this sandwich did it well. The egg was a solid fried egg so no complaints there. A bit of a dark horse, the buttered white bread actually performed above expectations. At first glance the bread looks like your classic low quality white bread. Think Wonderbread. The more I ate though, the more I thought the bread was a very solid choice for the sandwich. It really added to the “basic and wholesome” feel the sandwich was going for.
The Bad
The real issue here was that it was too basic and too simple. It’s hard to give a high rating to a sandwich who’s main “extra” ingredient is that the bread was buttered. The integration was alright but there wasn’t really anything to integrate and while it wasn’t bad the processed white bread was… well processed white bread. Lastly, obviously there was no cheese which is always a minus. All in all, the base was sort of there but it needs more life and pizzaz to be anything more than average.
- SOHO Coffee Co, London, UK
If you ever find yourself in central London at 8 am on a Sunday, you’ll find a shockingly empty place. In stark contrast to the usual hustle and bustle of the weekdays or weekend days filled with tourists, Sunday mornings are sleepy and the relative silence is sort of eerie and serene at the same time. I was recently down in covenant garden during such a period and looking for a place to get a coffee.
One of the only centers of life open was the SOHO coffee co. It’s a London based chain with multiple locations all over England. While I had been to one before, it’s the first time I noticed their “bacon buttie” menu. For those not familiar, a bacon buttie is another British classic and is simply: bacon and either ketchup or brown sauce on bread. It’s exceedingly basic (which, coming from the country who created “beans on toast”, is not necessarily surprising) but hits the spot on chilly British mornings. However, Soho coffee co. had spruced up their butties so I decided to try the Big Breakfast Bacon Buttie.
Big Breakfast Bacon Buttie The Sandwich
Overall: 6.2/10
The Good
Chain coffee shops don’t usually make their sandwiches from scratch. SOHO coffee does. As you’d expect, the meat was the star of the show. It had that classic, perfectly cooked British back bacon that’s a staple on bacon butties and having three Lincolnshire sausages on a sandwich is always great for the meat lovers of the world. I liked the fried egg. It was nothing to write home about but definitely a solid, no frills, well cooked egg that’s hard to be upset about. Staying true to its bacon buttie roots, the big breakfast buttie was served on a classic English white roll which, despite being a bit basic, gives some great texture and a hint of flavor without getting in the way of the stars of the show. The ketchup on top capped off a solid take on a bacon buttie.
The Bad
For being the star od the show, the Lincolnshire sausage left much to be desired in terms of quality. Even though it was cooked in house, it still felt too processed which was odd given Britain’s typically top notch sausages. If you’ve read my blog before you know I had to take off a point for no cheese (even if it is shooting the messenger a bit given bacon butties never have cheese). The bread was solid but would have liked to see it toasted to give the sandwich a bit more texture. And while ketchup is a classic, it’s pretty bland and isn’t turning any heads. The biggest glaring weakness, however, was balance of the ingredients. The sausage absolutely dominated the flavor here. I’m aware that it’s supposed to be the star of the show but for christ’s sake remember that the sandwich is a team and the other players need to play too. It needed either less sausage or more egg/bacon to balance it out.
- Dishoom, Covent Garden, London, UK
Someone once said to me that London is a world hub because it’s “at most 10 hours from just about anywhere”. Cape Town? 10 hours. San Francisco? 10 hours. Dehli? 10 hours. Add in that this was at one point the center of one of the biggest empires the world has ever seen and it creates a city defined by a diverse tapestry of cultures and people. And with this amazing mix of cultures comes an extensive array of high quality food.
London is also arguably one of the best food cities in the world. So, for a restaurant to constantly come up as a favorite by pretty much everyone I talk to is quite a feat. If you try Dishoom one time though, you’ll immediately understand why. Everything they do is top quality and if you’re ever in London the nearly constant 30min-1 hour wait is certainly worth it. However, while Dishoom’s dinner is phenomenal, their brunch may be even better. During a recent work breakfast, I got the opportunity to try the aptly named Wrestlers Naan Roll.
The Wrestlers Naan The Sandwich
Overall 9.1/10
The Good
The sandwich is an utter game changer. Both the sausage and bacon have amazing seasoning and top shelf quality. Each of their naan rolls come with a light spread of cream cheese, tomato chili jam, and coriander leaves that make for an unreal, unique flavor combo you’d only find at an Indian restaurant. They add a lightly fried, runny egg that causes the yoke to mix with the jam and cream cheese for an amazing moist but creamy texture that is to die for in each bite. And the naan bread itself? For lack of a better word, it’s fucking amazing (excuse my French). This sandwich will blow your mind.
The Bad
I really don’t have much negative to say however, there are 3 areas that if improved would skyrocket this into uncharted breakfast sandwich territory. First, more cream cheese. Dishoom gave me a taste of this seemingly rare ingredient in London and I just wanted more. Second, the bacon was just a hair crunchy. I know it’s personal preference but making it chewier would only add to the texture in my humble opinion. Lastly and most importantly, the integration was thrown off by overbearingness of the chili jam and the richness of the sausage. Dial those down just a hair and this sandwich might just change the world.
- Wrights Bar, Holborn, London, UK
It seems every university has its own unique set of hole in the wall cafes, hometown bars, and local coffee shops. Universities in the heart of one of the biggest cities in the world are no exception. The London School of Economics is located right in Holborn, smack in the middle of the Big Smoke.
In the middle of campus is the definition of a hole in the wall spot called Wrights Bar. Wrights Bar is what londoners refer to as a “Greasy Spoon”, a great cheap breakfast spot that is essentially the British version of a classic American diner. Walking in you are greeted by the smell of frying eggs and meat, a noisy and packed room, and a lot of loud Italian voices owned by the family the runs the place. It’s a homey feeling that’s missing from most restaurants in the bustling city center. In my latest visit, I decided to try their bacon, egg, and sausage sandwich on a ciabatta roll.
The Bacon, Egg, and Sausage on Ciabatta The Sandwich
Overall: 7/10
The Good
For a breakfast sandwich from a greasy spoon, this sandwich was absolutely bang on. As you’d expect from an Italian run cafe, the ciabatta was fantastic. The meat, on par with the proud tradition of greasy spoons across London, was top notch. The eggs were well cooked, it had a great overall integration, and it was topped off with a dash of salt and the perfect amount of mayo. And with a price of 5 quid in the middle of London? Ya really can’t complain too much about this sandwich.
The Bad
The flip side is that it was after all a breakfast sandwich from a greasy spoon. It’s gonna be just what you need but it’s not going to win any awards. The sausage was definitely overcooked and the sandwich was incredibly bacon heavy (which, to be fair, is how the British tend to like their breakfast sandwiches). While the toppings were nice, they are rather basic and there’s no razzle dazzle that would put this sandwich over the top. Lastly, there is of course no cheese which, if you’ve followed my blog thus far, we know is always negative points.
- Leon, Stansted Airport, London, UK
My latest adventure started much earlier than I would have preferred. Leaving for the airport at 4am on a Saturday is always bleak, even when you’re getting to do something cool like go snowboarding in Bulgaria. The drive through clapham featured scenes of the infernos crowd flocking to Taco Bell before stumbling home after a long night of debauchery and clubbing. It’s an eerie scene. After an hour long car ride a few friends and I arrived at Stansted airport, still well before the ass crack of dawn, and walked into the mayhem of all the people catching the early morning Ryan Air flights. No one is a happy camper in an airport at that time in the morning, particularly when it’s crowded and the queues seem endless.
Trying to rejuvenate the positive spirit that had slowly waned within the group after sitting in the security line for 45 minutes, we went to grab a bite to eat when we got inside the terminal at a popular chain here in Great Britain called Leon. To my delight, they had a whole menu of Sourdough muffins to choose from and this is where I had my latest breakfast sandwich: The Sausage & Egg.
The Sausage & Egg The Sandwich
Overall: 5.3/10
The Good
This was a really decent airport sandwich. Following the tradition of English breakfast sandwiches having top notch meat, the thick cut in half sausage links were the star of the show and received full marks. The tomato sauce added a nice blast of tomato and the sourdough muffin was a solid choice of bread. For only £4.59, it’s a great value sandwich.
The Bad
Though a decent one, it is still an airport sandwich. While Leon’s is much more natural than a McDonald’s sandwich, the egg gave that unnatural, somewhat manufactured feel that you get from the egg in a McMuffin. The bread could have been toasted and the Sourdough muffin wasn’t the highest quality. The integration of the sandwich really wasn’t great. I had to preform some pre-eating rearrangement surgery to keep it from falling apart and the sauce should have been more evenly distributed. And as always with these British sandwiches… no cheese.
- Fried Egg I’m in Love, Portland, OR
I arrived in Portland on a cold December day. With 4 hours to kill before I took a train up the coast to Tacoma, I decided to walk around downtown as opposed to hanging out in the quant but admittedly somewhat depressing Amtrak station. I was looking for food when I came across Fried Egg I’m In Love. With 4.7 stars on Google i had to go.
The place itself is a food truck set in a beautiful square downtown which had a big Christmas tree in the middle and some local bands playing Christmas songs. Trying not to let the ambiance effect my ratings and method, I asked the guy taking orders which sandwich was best out of a few wonderful options. He told me to get the Yoko Zeppelin (which had double all the ingredients of their classic Yoko Ono) with added Holy Aioli.
The Yoko Zeppelin The Sandwich
Overall: 8.8/10
The Good
I bit into this sandwich while sitting alone in a coffee shop and audibly said “wow”. The flavor was absolutely incredible. The sandwich went for a deli “melt” vibe, having slightly greasy toasted bread and some nicely charred thin sausage patties that gave it the classic melt taste and feel. The eggs were fried perfectly (and the name didn’t disappoint, I’m in love with em). Top that off with the added slathering of pesto (which permeated the bread) and holy aoli and this sandwich was absolutely unreal.
The Bad
This is the first time I actually had an internal debate about not taking off points for a lack of cheese because 1) a few of other sandwiches on their menu had them and 2) I could have paid extra to add. However, i did ask the very nice guy taking the order what add ons I should add and he did not say cheese. So as a purist and someone who trusts in the system, I unfortunately had to take off the point. I think cheese would have added to this sandwich and skyrocketed it into the elite group of 9+ point sandwiches. The only other complaint was not enough of the holy aioli. I felt like I was teased with small hints of it and I would have much rather had that flavor absolutely smack me in the face.
- Napa Farms Market, San Francisco International Airport
On my most recent trip out of SFO, I swung by one of my old favorite airport food spots, Napa Farms Market. I’ve found that, for the most part, airport food around the world is rather unhealthy and greasy. In classic California fashion, Napa Farms Market is an exception to that norm, offering quiet a few healthy (but of course overpriced) options. They also serve equator coffee so is a prime pit stop for those who appreciate a good cup of joe.
To my excitement, I noticed two breakfast sandwiches on their menu during my latest trip to the market. Obviously I had to get one which is where I had their Bacon, Egg, and Cheese breakfast sandwich
The Bacon, Egg, and Cheese sandwich The Sandwich
Overall: 5.2/10
The Good
Let’s start with the star of the show: the ciabatta roll. It’s an Acme roll so of course it’s top notch and it lived up to the hype. It created a great base for what I’d consider the classic combo of egg, cheese, and bacon. The eggs were decent and the melted aged cheddar was a great compliment tying the sandwich together. The sandwich kept with tradition of Nap Farms Market and tasted clean and healthy as opposed to overindulgent and greasy.
The Bad
The ciabatta roll was like LeBron on the Cavaliers: a star with little support. The bacon was the biggest let down, it felt microwaved and the only positive is that it was in fact meat. The eggs were pretty mediocre and were not much better than the bacon. While bacon, egg, and cheese is a classic combo, that was all the sandwich was and it had no pizzaz, added ingredients, or anything to make this sandwich remotely special. While the base was there it lacked the quality throughout to be anything more than mediocre.
- Dubh, Dublin Airport, Ireland
My most recent breakfast sandwich came after a mad dash at the Dublin airport. With only a 1 hour 15 min layover, I knew my connection in Dublin on my way to San Francisco would be a tight one. So when we sat at the gate in London for an hour with mechanical issues, I was sure I’d be spending the night in Dublin after missing my flight (despite the flight attendants best attempts to assure me otherwise). Never one to back down in the face of adversity, I was determined to make the flight so got my out of shape ass in gear and ran like the wind through the Dublin airport.
I arrived to the gate in what must have been a new airport record, vey out of breath and fortunately with both hamstrings intact, only to find that the flight had been delayed by an hour and a half. With my newfound hour to kill, I went to the food stand Dubh where I had their All Day Breakfast Sandwich and a well deserved pint of Guiness.
The All Day Breakfast Sandwich The Sandwich
Overall: 4.3 /10
The Good
For a breakfast sandwich I got from a kiosk in an airport, I really liked the sandwich. The egg had good consistency, the tomato gave a good flavor, the mayo gave a great texture (who doesn’t love mayo though), and the turkey wasn’t near as dry as I thought it would be. As a Kansas boy at heart, I also thoroughly enjoyed the thick slices of over-processed white bread. Overall it had a nice comforting simplicity that I rather enjoyed.
The Bad
On the flip side, it was a kiosk stand breakfast sandwich. There was rather little balance and evenness in the flavor. The bread was overpowering, the tomato flavor was only in select bites, it had an extremely thin layer of meat, and (classically) no cheese. The insides of the sandwich itself was concentrated to the middle leaving big bites of bread on the edges. While wholesome, there was no pizazz in this sandwich and it clearly needed a lot of TLC to elevate it beyond the kiosk sandwich level.
- Mey’s Art Cafe, Bruges, Belgium
About an hour outside Brussels sits a cute little tourist town named Bruges. Many know it from the famous movie “In Bruges” that all my British coworkers kept saying I “had to watch”, but I’d never heard of it so pretty sure it’s one of those niche British things.
The town itself is wonderful and everything you’d want from a classic European town. From fantastic markets to the canals, the city is scenic, quaint, and prime to spend a weekend exploring. The Belfry offers some spectacular views and the Basilica of the Holy Blood supposedly has a vile containing blood that came from Christ himself.
After a weekend exploring, I ended up at Meys Art cafe, a quirky family run cafe/art gallery in downtown Bruges. Besides the heavy BDSM themed art upstairs by the mens bathroom, the place has a lot of charm and it’s where I had the Meys Bagel.
The Mey’s Bagel The Sandwich
Overall: 7.1/10
The Good
The Mey’s Bagel was a great warming sandwich on a rainy October Sunday in Western Europe. The egg had a great flavor with some added herbs to season and give it a kick and a solid consistency to match. The bagel was well toasted but the winner for me was the generous use of cream cheese. Now I’m a sucker for cream cheese but it’s hard to deny the benefit it brings to a breakfast sandwich.
The Bad
The sandwich itself was not well balanced. The eggs were overpowering the flavor. The bacon was both low quality and non existent. Overall it was just missing some “pop” and originality. Add in the blandness of the bagel and its clear all the elements were just not there.
- Milk, Balham, UK
Along the Northern Line corridor in Southwest London is a neighborhood called Balham. Historically, Balham has a reputation of being a bit “stabby” but recent gentrification has caused a slight shift towards bougie as the Clapham crowd has crept south. This has resulted in a quieter downtown with that gives off a bougie vibe like Clapham without Clapham’s overt need to appeal to mid-20s college graduates pining for bottomless mimosa’s at brunch. Amongst the trendy shops downtown is a breakfast spot called Milk
When I arrived at Milk on a warm early October morning, the line was out the door despite Milk doing a wonderful job of making use of their space with tables filling the inside and lining the sidewalk outside. Once we got in and were seated, one look at the menu was all it took to decide on ordering their famous Convict Breakfast Sandwich.
The Convict The Sandwich
Overall: 8.7/10
The Good
This was one of the most unique sandwiches that I have had in a while. The star of the show, in my opinion, was the hangover sauce, which gave a flavorful tomato kick and was unlike any sauce I’ve had on a sandwich. To add to the flavor, the sausage was well seasoned and had a distinctly herby flavor, making the sausage one of the more unique patties I’ve had on a breakfast sandwich. The sandwich also had a rare ingredient for British breakfast sandwiches: a healthy dose of cheese. Top this off with a hash brown layer and some well done eggs and this was definitely one of the better breakfast sandwiches I’ve had in a while.
The Bad
The one piece that I can complain about here is the bread. While the rest of the ingredients were top notch, the bread left something to be desired. Additionally, while cheese did make an appearance, I would have liked to see a bit more of a star roll as opposed to being overpowered by the hangover sauce and sausage. Add in a little more cheese and give the bread a bit of a makeover and the Convict Sandwich would be truly elite.
- Biggi’s Cafe, Cala Millor, Spain
The Biggis Ciabatta I sampled my most recent breakfast sandwich on the island of Majorca, one of Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain. About an hour and half from the main hub of Palma is a buzzing beach town called Cala Millor. With a great pedestrian strip and a pristine Mediterranean beach, Cala Millor isn’t the least touristy spot by any means but has all the elements for a great island vacation getaway.
Tucked away from the hustle and bustle is a cute brunch spot called Biggi’s Cafe. The menu is in Spanish, English, and German (Majorca has what I found to be a surprising number of German speaking residents and tourists) and consists of a variety of plates from around the world. Many of these seem to incorporate the cold cut type meats and cheeses that are exceedingly more common in buffet type breakfasts in Europe than they are in the US. This cold cut theme underlined there breakfast sandwich: The Biggi’s Ciabatta.Overall: 7/10
The Good
The sandwich itself was cold cut ham, bacon, sliced hard boiled egg, ham, lettuce, and a yogurt sauce that was close to a tzatziki. I was taken a back by the cold cuts at first but on second thought, it makes sense given how hot Majorca is. Biggis was opened by a German pastry chef so as expected the bread quality was exceptional. The rest of the ingredients all tasted fresh and this sandwich was a very well put together sandwich and is great on a hot Majorcan morning. The dark horse of the sandwich was definitely the yogurt sauce. It gave a nice underlying freshness that made this sandwich feel properly Mediterranean.
The Bad
As much as the cold cut was fresh, nothing on the sandwich was hot and that just didn’t work as well as a hot sandwich for me. It also became clear that cold cut type breakfasts are their specialty and this was their sandwich spin off. While the ham and cheese were nice, the bacon added very little and I almost couldn’t taste it at all. My biggest complaint, however, was the hard boiled eggs. I see what they are trying to do but I’m here for a breakfast sandwich, not an egg salad. Of all the ways to prepare eggs for a sandwich, who decided hard boiled was they way to go here? While I’ve never stated it explicitly before, I truly believe hard boiled eggs don’t belong on breakfast sandwiches and I’m getting upset just thinking about it.
- Box Sociaal, Amsterdam, NL
My first foray into breakfast sandwiches on mainland Europe happened during a recent trip to Amsterdam to visit some family. The trip happened to coincide with Pride, making for a packed, festive atmosphere all weekend. Desperate for a breather from the crowds, we ventured out into the calmer neighborhoods.
Due east of Rembrandtplein and just off the beaten tourist tracks sits a seemingly trendy neighborhood called Plantage. We found this rocking spot called Box Sociaal that had abit of a wait but was absolutely worth it. On top of a fun, vibrant atmosphere, they had a robust menu (including a Shakshuka called ‘Shak-attack’) and great ratings online. This was where I had the Kater Breakfast Sandwich.
The Kater Breakfast Sandwich Overall: 8.8/10
The Good
I thought this sandwich was a home run. They absolutely smacked it out of the park. The sandwich was on a solid house milk bun with a nice slice of chedder cheese (as I’d expect the Dutch to do well). The cumberland sausage was great but the thick slices of bacon were the star of the show (and thats saying something for someone who likes sausage more than bacon). The egg was well done and it had some nice salt and pepper on top. The add ons crushed it with a thick rosti layer and ketchup that was almost a paste it was so thick. All and all, a wonderful sandwich on a beautiful day in Amsterdam.
The Bad
Hard to critique this sandwich but it wasn’t without it’s flaws. The weak point of this sandwich was the integration. The pastiness of the ketchup and the flavor of the bacon overpowered the rest of the sandwich just a bit and I would have liked for those flavors to have been toned down. The cheese was great but, as seems to be a systemic problem this side of the pond, it needed more, maybe another slice. I think this would have helped balance the flavors a bit more. Last but not least, it was missing that “pop” of flavor and spice that would taken this from a great breakfast sandwich to one competing for the top spot. While a great, hearty sandwich that I’d have any day of the week, no one flavor made me think “damn, this is something special”.
- Josie’s, Romsey, UK
Nestled in the south of England near the Isle of Wight is a sleepy little country town named Romsey. Just a 2 hour train ride from London Waterloo, it’s far enough away to be out past the suburbs but close enough for a weekend trip.
Among the great hiking in the area, quant town vibes, and handful of pubs sits a hidden gem of a breakfast place called Josie’s. This place is AMAZING and if you are ever in Romsey (for whatever reason) Josie’s should absolutely be your first stop. At Josie’s, I had their Sausage Broiche Bun
The Sausage Broiche Bun Overall: 8/10
The Good
Honestly, one of the best cheeseless breakfast sandwiches I’ve had. It consisted of a brioche bun with sausage, bacon, a fried egg, black pudding, and tomato chutney. I realize this is yet another breakfast sandwich twist on an English breakfast but there’s a reason it’s stuck around for so long. The meat, as per usual in England, definitely impressed. The egg was well done and the tomato chutney was a great addition that added flavor and moisture to the sandwich. The big surprise, IMHO, was the black pudding which added great texture and a “hearty” feel that tied the sandwich together quiet nicely. Overall, a great sandwich after a long weekend of hiking.
The Bad
Despite the British having this weird cultural lack of cheese on their food, it doesn’t give this sandwich a free pass on being cheeseless. Cheese would have added to the experience and it was missed. The tomato chutney was a bit thick and not spread well, giving a few mouthfuls of overpowering tomato flavor and others where it was completely absent. The biggest weakness, however, was the bread. It wasn’t great quality, could have benefitted from being toasted to give it some more character, and generally just fell flat.
- The County Seat, Prescott, AZ
In the high dessert of Arizona there’s a sleepy town named Prescott. Once the capital of Arizona, it’s now split between being a college town for Embry Riddle university and being a retirement community. The downtown is a classic small town square surrounded by all kinds of boutiques, shops, and bars. One of which is a surprisingly trendy spot called The Country Seat which is where I had my latest breakfast sandwich.
Overall: 8.7/10
The Good
This sandwich really surprised me. I convinced myself beforehand that this was going to be way too tomato heavy, which as someone still skeptical about tomatoes in anything but a sauce, was going to be an issue. But admittedly, the balance was perfect. White cheddar was the perfect cheese for this, the tomato added a nice refreshing touch, the bacon was well seasoned, English muffin perfectly toasted, and the tomato Mayo was just an absolute knockout. This was one of the best put together sandwiches I’ve had yet and ranks up there with the best.
The Bad
While I don’t have too much bad to say, there are of course some areas for improvement. While the bacon was good, it was over cooked. I want a nice crispy bite for my bacon, not beef jerky. Second, within a sandwich of quality ingredients there was one glaring misfit: the iceberg lettuce. It felt out of place and was easily the odd man out. I get they were going for a BLT vibe but in my opinion it didn’t quiet land the way they wanted. This may be my bias as I’m not a BLT fan to begin with but using the cheapest member of the lettuce family feels a bit like a cope out.
- Picnic, Cornwall
If you ever find yourself touring through Cornwall, one spot to hit is Falmouth, a quant seaside town recently making headlines by hosting part of the G7 conference. Along the harbor is a very touristy strip of shops and restaurants that makes for a great bop on a sunny day. One of these coffee shops is a trendy little spot called Picnic. I stopped into the shop for a quick lunch and decided to get their breakfast sandwich: The Full Cornish Stack.
The Sandwich: 8.4/10
The Good
This sandwich was a fun breakfast sandwich take on an English breakfast and included most of the less controversial elements: mushroom, sausage, bacon (English bacon), eggs, and tomato in the form of a chutney. As a believer in American breakfast superiority, I wanted to not like this sandwich but damn it, it was good! The meat quality is on par with a good English breakfast: the sausage and bacon were incredible and headline the whole thing. It was served on some delicious homemade brown bread that was heavily buttered to take away the dryness. For eggs they were scrambled, making (in my professional opinion) a necessary deviation from the fried egg standard of the English breakfast. Mushrooms were well done and the tomato chutney was a lovely surprise topping that I thought pushed this sandwich to a new level. Overall the integration is there (as to be expected from sticking with a tried and true method of breakfast) and this sandwich rocks
The Bad
You may notice one element missing from the list above: cheese. Now I don’t want to shoot the messenger here as this was in essence an English breakfast which doesn’t have cheese but come on, NO CHEESE?! This alone holds this sandwich back from breaking into the elite breakfast sandwich level. It would also help with the dryness of the sandwich. Given everything, the butter and chutney did a great job of taking away most of the dryness, but not all. It was still a touch dry. Lastly, adding cheese may have covered up another chink in this sandwiches armor, namely, the fact that the eggs were pretty average. That said, overall, great sandwich and fix these 3 issues and it may just be elite.
- Butte Bagels, Crested Butte, CO, USA
Just off the main drag in the sleepy mountain town of Crested Butte is a gem of a breakfast sandwich shop called Butte Bagels. It’s a small wooden building with that slightly hippy Colorado mountain vibe. I visited on a Sunday morning in January and despite it being 12 degrees Fahrenheit, there were people lined up outside. The whole menu was breakfast sandwiches (which is just incredible). I asked the girl behind the counter what her favorite was and that’s how I ended up deciding on the Scotty.
The Sandwich
Overall: 8/10
The Good
Overall, enjoyed the sandwich. As expected for a mountain town, the sausage was just spot on. They added latke to the sandwich which brought an awesome flavor and crunch without the overbearing potato flavor you find in say a hash brown. The bagel was solid too. All this together made for a nice balance in the sandwich.
The Bad
While the ingredients that were there were great, it was lacking in two key areas: cheese and moisture. Now, some of the other sandwiches on the menu had sauces on them so can’t speak about all of them but the glaring flaw was just how dry it was and I missed the melty gooeyness of the cheese.
- Barbary Coast Pastry and Coffee
I visited Barbary Coast after a Sunday morning run through SF on a sunny day in February. It has the look and feel of a hole-in-the-wall big city coffee and pastry shop (which it is) located on the corner of Eddy and 5th, nestled in between the Tenderloin and Fidi. It’s got a quant vibe and it’s a nice pit stop during a stroll down Market st.
The Sandwich
Overall: 6.0/10
The Good
I ordered a pretty classic ham, egg, and cheese on a croissant. I may be biased towards this combo because it’s what my mom would make us growing up on Sunday mornings. The croissant was warm and flaky and the sandwich had a good ratio of all the ingredients. Each bite was that hearty goodness that you crave in a breakfast sandwich.
The Bad
The biggest issue I had with the sandwich was quality. I actually recognized the brand of ham they used because I used to buy it in college when I was buying in bulk trying to save money. While I am all for saving money, I don’t like to skimp on breakfast sandwiches. Additionally, for a standard sandwich like this, I like the cheese to be that perfect melty, gooey consistency you find on a well pressed panini and I just did not get that here. It’s better than your run of the mill BK Double Crossain’wich but it doesn’t stack up against my mom’s Sunday morning sandwiches.
- Devil’s Teeth Bakery
I frequent Devil’s Teeth Bakery quiet often. In fact, their Special Breakfast Sandwich was a large part of the reason I started this blog. Pick any weekend to go and the line is out the door and down the block, but for good reason. Located off the beaten path in outer sunset, I recommend grabbing the sandwich and walking down to enjoy it on the beach. You can find them at 3876 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122.
The Sandwich
Overall: 9.4/10
The Good:
The Special Breakfast Sandwich itself is a masterpiece. Served on a warm, freshly made buttermilk biscuit, this thing is melt in your mouth good. They have a classic base of ingredients: scrambled eggs, pepperjack cheese, and bacon. However, they spice it up by adding avocado, actually chopping the bacon so it’s easier to eat, and adding a Lemon-garlic aioli that’ll rock your world. It’s hard to beat this sandwich and it’s good any day.
The Bad
While I don’t have many critiques for this sandwich, I do think it’s a little too heavy on the avocado (which is great for you avocado lovers out there) and not heavy enough on the cheese and aioli (although can you ever have enough aioli?).
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