The Best Fast-Food Chains To Buy Breakfast At
Busy mornings call for a stop at one of the best fast-food breakfast chains to quell your grumbling tummy.
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“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” is a sentiment that the vast majority of Americans have heard their whole lives. However, for many whose schedules always leave them short on time, especially in the morning, it’s not practical to whip up a full-on spread of bacon, eggs, pancakes, or whatever else your growling tummy might have a hankering for. This is where the oh-so-convenient and ever-reliable fast-food breakfast comes in. Riding through a drive-through on your way to work to fulfill your early morning need for sustenance can oftentimes be a lifesaver. Fast-food breakfast can also serve as a wonderful weekend treat, too, especially if you’ve had a super long week and don’t have the energy to even lift a spatula. For these reasons, fast-food breakfast has real value. Hence, we chose the restaurants with the very best fast-food breakfast.
PANERA BREAD
Breakfast Items To Devour: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on an Asiago Bagel, Chipotle Chicken Scrambled Egg and Avocado Wrap, Greek Yogurt with Mixed Berries Parfait
Why It’s The Best – Panera is a fast-casual fast-food joint that boasts a breakfast menu that rivals most other fast-food establishments. What separates Panera breakfast from the others in the pack and truly makes it one of the best fast-food breakfast joints, is that it uses real fresh eggs on all of its sandwiches and wraps instead of pre-made frozen egg patties. That fresh ingredient mantra extends past Panera’s egg-based options, as well. Its fruit, oatmeal, and parfait are all made with fresh ingredients, too.
You’ll find a slew of sandwich options on Paneras’s menu to choose from. What’s nice is that even though the menu contains preset sandwich configurations, diners can customize each sandwich to their liking. For instance, you can swap a brioche bun for a bagel, or a scrambled egg for an over-easy one. Customization is always nice to have.
Panera’s coffee game is nothing to sneer at either. While it may not be Dunkin’, it certainly will get the job done and put the extra pep in your morning step. One mustn’t forget that Panera is also a bakery. So for the days when you a craving sweet over savory you can grab one of their signature scones or treat yourself to one of their super moist muffins. Whatever you choose you can’t go wrong, just make sure you get there before 10:30 AM.
CHICK-FIL-A
Breakfast Items To Devour: Chicken Biscuit, Chick-Fil-A-Chick-n-Minis, Hash brown Scramble Burrito, Hash browns
Why It’s The Best – People go to Chick-Fil-A to indulge in some of its delicious chicken, and it’s no different for breakfast. Chick-Fil-A’s chicken is what makes it one of the best fast-food breakfast chains, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There is something so intrinsically satisfying about pairing chicken with a perfectly buttery and flaky biscuit. It really is the simplest things in life that elicit such pure pleasure. Don’t forget to add some Chick-Fil-A sauce to the sandwich to take the sandwich even further up a notch.
While the chicken options on Chick-Fil-A’s breakfast menu are worth raving about, for those days when your just not feeling chicken there are a number of other items on the menu worth trying, too. In fact, in recent years Chick-Fil-A has done a lot to expand its breakfast offerings. In fact, their hash browns can give certain other chains a run for their money. They do have coffee, however, brewed iced teas and signature lemonade stand out to a greater degree. Their Sunjoy (lemonade and tea combo) beverage is particularly enjoyable.
WENDY’S
Breakfast Items To Devour: Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant, Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, Bacon Egg and Swiss Croissant, Breakfast Baconator, Seasoned Potatoes
Why It’s The Best – Wendy’s is new to the world of fast-food breakfast, however, when they officially hopped on the bandwagon in 2020 they truly brought their A-game. Their deliciously satisfying breakfast menu items quickly landed them a spot on our best fast-food breakfast list. Menu items like the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit and the Breakfast Baconator will have your mouth watering before you even take a bite. That’s certainly a signal that Wendy’s got something super right.
For being so new, Wendy’s breakfast menu is really diversified and comprehensive, further bolstering its best fast-food breakfast designation. They offer a wide variety of sandwiches, there are the typical suspects like bacon egg and cheese and sausage egg and cheese to more unique offerings like Honey Butter or Maple Bacon Chicken sandwiches. Also, instead of hash browns, Wendy’s stands out and separates itself from the crowd with its seasoned home fries. You’ll also be pleased with their fresh brewed coffee to complete your breakfast trifecta.
TACO BELL
Breakfast Items to Devour: Bell Breakfast Box, Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito Potato, Breakfast Crunchwrap, Cinnabon Delights
Why It’s The Best – Taco Bell might not be your first thought when it comes to breakfast. However, we urge you to give this unlikely best fast-food breakfast option a chance. Taco Bell made a somewhat quiet foray into the fast-food breakfast scene some years back, and its menu has evolved to become as enticing as it is comprehensive. Keeping with their Mexican-themed cuisine, the Taco Bell breakfast menu consists of a creative array of breakfast burrito options. All their breakfast burritos are well worth a try, however, the Cheesy Toasted options are supremely delicious.
Taco Bell rounded out its breakfast offerings with staple hash browns and tasty sweet Cinnabon bites. Of course, there is also coffee. And, in typical Taco Bell fashion, there is a breakfast-themed Mountain Dew soda called Kickstart Orange Citrus. If you think your stomach can handle that much sugar in the morning, then go ahead and give it a try.
MCDONALD’S
Breakfast Items To Devour: Egg McMuffin, Sausage Egg McMuffin, Bacon, Egg, and Cheese McGriddle, Hash Browns, Hot Cakes, Coffee
Why It’s The Best – Who would we be if we did not include the crowned king of all fast-food breakfasts on our list of best fast-food breakfast? McDonald’s is absolutely a cornerstone of fast-food breakfast. Ever since the Egg McMuffin made its debut back in the early 70s, McDonald’s has remained the reigning figurehead in that category, and for good reason. When it comes to breakfast, McDonald’s gets it right on every level. From their McMuffins and Hash Browns to their famously delicious fresh-brewed coffee, you’d be hard-pressed to find an individual that isn’t a fan of at least one McDonald’s breakfast menu item.
The McDonald’s breakfast menu is as iconic as the fast-food behemoth itself. Although not overly diverse, there are enough options to satisfy a variety of palettes. The McGriddles check off the sweet and savory box. The hotcakes and hot cakes combos are perfect for those looking for a more traditional platter. Then of course there are the McMuffins, and the biscuit sandwiches are not to be ignored either. And all must be paired with at least one hash brown, that’s non-negotiable. Bottom line is that McDonald’s knows breakfast and we need not say more.
THE CONCLUSION
Fast-food breakfast is quintessentially a part of American culture. The best fast-food breakfast chains know that and have done everything they can to meet the culinary cravings of a hungry populous. Next time you are in a hurry in the morning but are simultaneously super hungry, stop by one of the best fast-food breakfast chains. Your grumbling belly will thank you.
