Pearl’s Bagels, a cafe in Mt. Vernon Triangle, is in the perfect spot to grab a quick breakfast sandwich to start your day. The menu options are almost endless, because while you can order predesigned options like the Frenchie, topped with juicy honey ham, eggs, gruyere cheese, and heaps of spicy dijon mustard, you can also build your own sandwich. Pearl’s is also a great place to post up and do your morning work. The shop is open daily but closes at 2pm.

There are a few reasons to hit this all-day American restaurant and cafe in Navy Yard, like their homemade cold brew that’s quite good and the buttery croissants. But the real reason we come here is the scallion-pancake egg sandwich. They come with your choice of bacon, kimchi, or sausage, and are served with a spicy, tangy garlic-chili oil. It's a great spot to work while you eat—or maybe it’s eat while you work?

We love an on-the-go breakfast that gives us an energy boost that isn’t from a short-lived sugar rush. And on those days, we go to Turning Natural. The Anacostia juice bar serves about 20 different smoothie and fresh juice options, including our favorite, the Bob Marley, a tropical smoothie full of papaya, pineapple, mango, and peach. And they get you in and out in under 10 minutes, so you have time to stop even on those days that you’re running a little behind schedule.

Florida Avenue Grill is a DC institution that has served residents since 1944. It’s an old-school diner, so think tattered vinyl booths and bar seats that have withstood the test of time, with customers that range from longtime regulars to the occasional tourist. The restaurant is only open Friday through Sunday from 9am-2pm, so time is of the essence here. Their world-famous hot cakes, served with butter, cinnamon, and powdered sugar, are the stuff of dreams.

Call Your Mother knows how to attract a crowd. This fast-casual Jewish deli is the closest Dc has gotten to a New York City bagel—which is a big deal. The bread, ranging from plain to maple salt and pepper, is made fresh and served with cream cheeses like strawberry-mint and candied salmon. Their signature sandwiches, like The Pastrami Sun City, made with pastrami, egg, cheddar and honey, are instant classics.

Murry & Paul’s is the definition of a no-nonsense diner, with minimal decoration, a straightforward American breakfast menu, and a cash-only policy. On weekends, it gets seriously packed with people waiting for a table and mulling around the bar while the staff manages an obscene number of carry-out orders. The restaurant has served Brookland for over 50 years, and you can tell by the large crowds that the restaurant, and its food, are much appreciated.

Heat Da Spot, a beloved local gathering spot in Columbia Heights, serves some seriously good breakfast. Come here for the Ethiopian menu where you can get things like ful, a fava bean and egg sandwich brimming with flavor, and chechebsa, fried flatbread marinated in spiced butter and berbere that’s peppery and crispy in all the right places. On the weekends you’ll find people forever lounging on the gold couches and the mismatched furniture that decorate the space.

The Coupe's all-day breakfast menu and massive seating options mean breakfast lovers of all types can find what they need here. The restaurant takes up the entire corner of the block, which means there’s space for everyone — and plenty of natural sunlight thanks to a series of windows along the far wall. There’s an extensive coffee and pastry menu, if you’re not looking to take on a whole meal. Though if you do, you can’t go wrong with The Coupe Royale.

La Tejana, a Tex-Mex restaurant in Mt. Pleasant, is a go-to neighborhood staple for a quick and delicious breakfast. Inside, you’ll be instantly enveloped by the space. Plants hang from shelves overhead, coffee grinds sit next to jugs of horchata, and the staff banters from behind the counter with regulars, recommending orders and drinks like the Dirty Horchata. The restaurant only serves five taco options that they rightly recommend you order in batches of two or three.

This family-owned restaurant in Capitol Hill is everything you want from your neighborhood cafe. It’s the type of place you can sit at a table by a window solo or side-by-side with friends in a booth dissecting the drama from the night before. Expect nothing but the fundamentals: booths, bar seating, and wooden tables that can be rearranged to accommodate big groups. The straightforward menu is full of American breakfast classics, the best of which are the omelets and the french toast.