Where to Grab Breakfast in SLU

You know the saying: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While the phrase gained popularity in the early 1900s as part of a marketing push for cereal, there’s still a strong argument that breakfast might be the tastiest meal of the day. Luckily, South Lake Union has plenty of delicious options to help you start the morning right. Here are a few neighborhood favorites worth waking up for.

The cozy brunch

Café Hagen has been a cozy SLU staple for several years now. The Dexter location (700 Dexter Ave N) serves up breakfast buns, avocado toast, and other morning essentials. But if you visit the Thomas Street location (1253 Thomas Street) on the weekend, you can dive into a full Scandinavian-inspired brunch.

The Café Hagen brunch includes scrambled eggs with your choice of smoked bacon, pork sausage, or mushrooms, plus a Danish heart waffle topped with seasonal jam and whipped cream, avocado, and house-baked bread. It’s the kind of leisurely, comforting meal that makes a weekend morning feel special. cafehagen.com

The do-gooder

FareStart is well known as a reliable lunch spot and for its incredible Guest Chef Nights featuring local culinary stars and thoughtfully crafted multi-course dinners. But many may not realize that the FareStart Café inside Amazon’s Houdini building (399 Fairview Ave N) is open to the public for breakfast.

Standout options include the chorizo, potato, and egg burrito or the crispy polenta breakfast burrito. Every purchase helps support FareStart’s Barista & Customer Service Program, which teaches people ages 15½–24 valuable job skills and confidence as they work toward personal stability and financial independence. Food served at the café is prepared by professional chefs alongside students in FareStart’s Food Pathways Program. farestart.org/cafe

The Mediterranean bagel

Opened in March 2025 by cofounders Murat Akyuz and Jaafar Altameemi, Toasted (901 Dexter Ave N) brings Mediterranean flair to the classic bagel shop.

According to Akyuz, the most popular breakfast item is the turkey bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich topped with a super-secret sauce. For something sweeter, try the date and labneh—an open-faced bagel spread with Medjool dates and tangy Turkish labneh, finished with crushed walnuts, za’atar, and olive oil.

Pair it with one of Toasted’s specialty drinks, like the Spanish latte—a double shot of espresso sweetened with condensed milk. Keep an eye out for the tahini latte, which will soon join the menu. toastedseattle.com

The veggie sammy

Mainstay Provisions (2295 Seventh Ave) is the perfect stop for a quick bite. This all-day café and market offers soups, sandwiches, salads, rotisserie chicken, and more—but the breakfast sandwiches deserve special attention.

They’re built on house made English muffins and come with classic bacon or sausage options. The veggie version is a standout, layering egg, roasted butternut squash, arugula, pickled onion, and ricotta for a satisfying and flavorful start to the day. mainstayprovisions.com

The sweet indulgence

The donuts at Doce (2305 Sixth Ave) are made with scratch ingredients and a special 24-hour raised brioche dough, resulting in airy pastries packed with flavor.

Expect inventive options like passionfruit crème brûlée, guava con queso, and the wildly popular tres leches donut—rich but perfectly balanced. Doce also offers vegan selections, and the March menu features flavors like key lime, chocolate Irish cream, chai cookie crumble, and raspberry. docedonut.com