Start your morning with a kick of flavor at some of the best Santa Rosa restaurants and cafes.
Brother's Cafe: The owners behind Sebastopol's popular Hole in the Wall opened a twin restaurant in Santa Rosa in 2022. Brother's Cafe serves a similar breakfast menu to the Sebastopol outpost (all day): omelettes, pancakes and Benedicts are great, but don't miss the Biscuits and Mushroom Gravy or Dutch Baby German pancake with caramelized apples. Located in the former Zee’s Diner, 3135 Cleveland Ave., brotherscafesr.com (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Mushroom hash and eggs with organic mushrooms, potatoes, onions and red bell peppers topped with two poached eggs and a homemade biscuit on the side, at Brothers Cafe in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Americana: Farm-to-table breakfasts from the owners of Estero Cafe in Valley Ford—all day! Top-notch dishes include fried chicken with country gravy, omelets, a lovely breakfast sandwich with Estero Gold cheese on a fresh ciabatta, yogurt parfait and pancakes with tasty fresh strawberry mimosas. 205 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, americanasr.com. (Courtesy of Americana)
Brew: An inclusive, couple-owned coffeehouse and cafe with tippity-top notch coffee drinks, tasty Village Bakery pastries, Rainbow toast, breakfast sandwiches, waffles and quiche. 555 Healdsburg Ave., Santa Rosa and 6566 Front St., Forestville, brewcoffeeandbeer.com. (Shutterstock)
Cafe Frida: A charming cafe and gallery with fancy coffee drinks, croissants, avocado toast and other casual morning sweets. A quiet outdoor patio is a favorite spot to meet friends. 300 South A St., Suite 4, Santa Rosa, cafefridagallery.com. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Cafe Mimosa: It's always mimosa time at this breakfast destination on Santa Rosa Avenue. Order a bottomless drink and pair it with gut-filling dishes, including country fried steak, biscuits and gravy, corned beef hash, smoked salmon Benedict, waffles, pancakes and stuffed omelets. 456 College Ave., Santa Rosa, cafemimosaaa.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Criminal Baking Co: You can smell the buttery goodness even before you head inside. Sinful Sandos are a must, as is the Fun Guy, with mushrooms, bacon, spinach, goat cheese, basil and arugula pesto, lemon curd and a baked egg. Plus, burritos, granola, quiche and daily pastries. Owner Dawn Zaft and her team also make plenty of gluten-free bagels and vegan pastries. Breakfast salutes include Huevos Rancheros, quiche, English muffins and waffles. 808 Donahue St., Santa Rosa, criminalbaking.com (Chris Hardy/Sonoma Magazine)
Village Bakery: Bread and pastries are a staple of this beloved bakery, but you can also order smoked salmon toast on their seeded sourdough, French toast, a side of country potatoes and a tasty breakfast sandwich on their housemade English muffins. 3851 Sebastopol Road, Suite 109, Santa Rosa, villagebakerywinecountry.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Johnny Doughnuts: This Marin-based doughnut shop replaced City Garden Doughnuts with their own brand of goodness that includes the "Crodough," a take on the croissant-doughnut hybrid, along with raspberry jelly filled Bismarks, wheat-free and vegan doughnuts and cinnamon rolls. 1200 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, johnnydoughnuts.com. (Courtesy of Johnny Doughnuts)
Lita's Cafe: No-frills family-owned cafe with hearty breakfasts that include chicken fried steak, Spam and eggs, Hawaiian locomoco (rice, burger patty, gravy and an egg), omelets, huevos rancheros, French toast and a Mickey Mouse pancake for the kids. 1973 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. (The Press Democrat)
Mac’s Deli: Breakfast is served all day (or at least until 4:30 p.m.) at this casual downtown deli. You'll find Benedicts with lox, fluffy pancakes, waffles, and omelets with anything and everything under the sun. 630 Fourth St, Santa Rosa, macsdeliandcafe.com (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Colibri Grill Cafe: A menu for everyone features seriously good Benedicts, including one with crab cakes, spinach, tomatoes and Hollandaise sauce. Coffee pear pancakes, Monte Cristo sandwich, corned beef hash and chicken and waffles round out the lengthy menu. 4233 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Dierk’s Parkside Café: There’s literally no room for pretension at this intimate neighborhood restaurant. It's a surprising place to find one of Wine Country's favorite toques, Mark Dierkhising. But over the years, he's created a morning institution popular with bed-headed kids, apres-bike groups and in-the-know Wine Country visitors hunched over Chicken Fried Steak, Huevos Rancheros and quite possibly the world’s best hangover cure: the Country Benedict. 404 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, dierksparkside.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Dierk’s Midtown Café: The offshoot of Dierk’s Parkside, Dierk's Midtown serves up a vibe and menu similar to that of the Santa Rosa Avenue location. While many people religiously order the Benedict, fans old and new should check out the seasonal specials like the spicy chorizo hash or cinnamon French toast with crispy bacon and eggs just how you like them. 1422 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, dierksmidtown.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Hank’s Creekside Cafe: Expect to sit around reading the paper on Saturday and Sunday mornings waiting for a table at this quirky Santa Rosa breakfast institution. Fluffy pancakes as big as your head, sausage, eggs and Huevos Rancheros, all served with a side of local cred and a homemade touch. Biscuits are made from scratch, eggs are fresh and the cottage fries are, Oh My God good. 2800 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, hanks-creekside.com (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)
Jeffrey’s Hillside Café: Former John Ash & Co. chef brings Wine Country dining to breakfast. Don’t miss their chilaquiles (best we’ve had), Southern-inspired biscuits and gravy, sticky bun french toast and cheese blintzes with lemon curd. Lines can get long on weekends, so put on your patient hat—it’s sooooo worth the wait. 2901 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, jeffreyshillsidecafe.com (Scott Manchester/The Press Democrat)
Omelette Express: The Don Taylor classic where omelets are king. And queen. And all the royalty. A lengthy menu has add-ons ranging from bacon and avocado to the more exotic anchovies and scallions. Daily Benedicts, French toast and oatmeal, too (if you really want that). 112 Fourth St, Santa Rosa, omelettexpress.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Vitality Bowls: A base of acai topped with fruit, grains, granola, honey or any of a dozen other toppings. Think of it as fro-yo without the yo. 1880 Mendocino Ave., Suite G, Santa Rosa, vitalitybowls.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Zoftig Eatery: Made-with-love egg wraps and scrambles, along with fresh pastries of the day are a Bite Club favorite. 57 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, zoftigeatery.com. (Chris Hardy/Sonoma Magazine)
Cafe des Croissants: Croissants of all flavors, big and small. They're best when heated up for the optimum deliciousness. For bigger appetites, get a breakfast sandwich or bagel with lox schmear. 85 Santa Rosa Ave., 1791 Marlow Road, and several other locations, cafedescroissant.com (Crista Jeremiason/The Press Democrat)
Crepevine: Obviously you want the crepes here, mostly because they come with so much good stuff inside and my favorite homestyle potatoes. Daily Benedicts, egg dishes and breakfast burritos plus pancakes and French toast make it a one-stop breakfast shop. 740 Farmers Lane, Santa Rosa, crepevine.com. (Courtesy of Crepevine)
Piner Café: A charming cafe with both the basics and some unusual picks served all day. The special is the chile relleno casserole, which usually sells out. Chicken fried steak, polish sausage, biscuits and gravy, pancakes and a long list of other breakfast norms. 975 Piner Road, Santa Rosa, pinercafe.com. (Courtesy of Piner Cafe)
Sam's For Play Cafe: Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink menu includes traditional bacon and eggs, pancakes and Hangtown fry. 2630 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa; 1024 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, samsforplaycafe.com. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
It’s a given that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why not make it the most delicious? Start your morning with a kick of flavor at some of the best Santa Rosa restaurants and cafes. Click through the gallery for details. Did we forget one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!
