For some of the best tacos in Houston, visit this beloved taqueria, which delivers fresh, handmade flour tortillas stuffed with bold, flavorful fillings. Whether you choose the chorizo and egg or the spicy papas Mexicanas taco, every bite is a winner. Beyond tacos, the menu features homestyle Mexican favorites like rich, comforting menudo (available Saturday and Monday) or a hearty pork chop with egg and beans. Pro tip: Expect a line at this laid-back spot, but it moves fast and is well worth the wait.

With no more than a dozen tables inside, this Heights restaurant is a neighborhood gem many diners wish was more of a secret. The Mexican restaurant serves a variety of tacos, loaded sopes, chilaquiles divorciados (presented with both tomatillo and guajillo sauces), and deep-fried gorditas — all with a down-home feel. Try the signature cinnamon coffee, served in a colorful clay mug, and take in the whimsical decor and fun nods to pop culture.

Dandelion Cafe’s newest Heights outpost welcomes the community to kickstart their day with freshly brewed coffee concoctions, build-your-own omelets, breakfast tacos, and “sweet stuff” such as buttermilk pancakes and blueberry lemon curd French toast sticks. Be sure to try out its competition-winning chicken and waffles — a combination of cornbread buttermilk waffles and marinated and fried boneless chicken, served with compound butter, maple syrup, honey, chili flakes, and hot sauce, with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Diners can also visit locations in Bellaire.

This French Moroccan cafe offers an all-day menu with halal breakfast staples available daily until 4 p.m. Sweet or savory? The choice is yours with dishes like pain perdu, smoked salmon Benedict, and omelets served with roasted breakfast potatoes. As a bonus, the restaurant has a full-service coffee program, serving up lattes, cappuccinos, and more.

Breakfast is just the starting point at Ema, a newer Mexican bakery and cafe in Houston that garners lines extending outside its doors. Following significant experiences in the worlds of coffee and taquerias, James Beard semifinalist Stephanie Velasquez and partners Nicolas Vera and Marlén Mendoza take the possibilities of corn seriously at this Heights outpost, where they illustrate the beauty of Mexican bread and dining by way of the country’s produce, grains, and native ingredients. The menu highlights Mexican foodways through delightful breakfast plates, refreshing coffee drinks and aguas frescas, and plenty of outstanding pastries. Try the French toast with brioche and hoja santa custard or the sweet papaya salad with yogurt and agave lime dressing for a dish you’ll remember Ema by.

There’s just something elegant about having a crepe for breakfast. A French classic, crepes at this Heights cafe are simple, light, airy, filling, and customizable. Diners can personalize their crepes with sweet or savory fillings and unique combinations inspired by the seasons. Coffee, tea, salads, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches like croque monsieur round out the menu, making it a perfect spot for breakfast or a light brunch.

Open since 1984, this diner serves up generous portions of classic comfort food in a warm atmosphere. The giant pancakes are legendary, best paired with crispy pecan-smoked bacon or a hearty egg dish. Come lunchtime, dig into a juicy burger or go all-in on the homestyle chicken-fried steak. Check out its other location on Bissonett Street, and its

Open for: Breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee

Price range: $

Pastry chef Vanarin Kuch’s Koffeteria made the James Beard semifinalist list this year, and with good reason. The talented chef offers inventive takes on pastries inspired by countries across the Asian continent. Influences from Cambodia, Vietnam, London, and France are visible in beloved pastries like the black sesame mochi with salted egg yolk pastry, the pistachio baklava croissant, a citrusy London Fog roll, and his mainstay — the beef pho kolache. Kuch also crafts a brunch menu that fuses Cambodian and Houston flavors with pupusas made with funky fish paste and taco machetes made with Cambodian boudin.

Must-try dishes: If going for brunch, order the Twako taco machete, a spin on a Mexican-style taco with beef-fat rice tortilla stuffed with refried peanut puree, cheese, and twako, or Cambodian boudin — a fermented, slightly sour beef. If craving something sweet, the Salty Cambodian coffee and almost any pastry will be enough to tickle your fancy. But, Know before you go: Pastries can sell out quickly. Fortunately, you can reserve your pastries online ahead of time.

Diners flock to this Mexico City-style all-day breakfast cafe and diner for plates of its breakfast tacos, loaded egg dishes like chilaquiles and huevos rancheros, and other sweet breakfast treats. The waffles de maiz soaked in cajeta caramel are amongst the highlights on the sweet side of the menu, and its conchas make for a great grab-and-go bite to pair with a coffee.

For impeccable, friendly service and a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast, head to this local chain’s OG Montrose location. The menu plays all the hits — migas, corned beef hash, eggs, waffles, and French toast — but the dishes with its signature crispy potatoes reign supreme. Start the morning off right with its crispy spuds, which are fried to perfection, and don’t be afraid to bring your pooch on the patio. Barnaby’s is known for being incredibly dog-friendly.

This charming New York-style delicatessen offers a giant menu with countless breakfast favorites for every craving. Diners can go simple with hot and cold cereals, loaded plates of blintzes and pancakes, breakfast tacos, bagel and lox, shakshuka, omelets, or so much more. Best of all, breakfast here is what you make it. The restaurant also offers a wide variety of sandwiches, dessert cases full of pies and cakes, and a cute soda fountain where ice cream float dreams are made.

A Houston classic, this laid-back retro restaurant has been dishing out all-day breakfast, burgers, and old-school soda fountain treats since its days as the Avalon Drug Store in 1938. Start your day here with offerings like migas, chicken-fried steak and eggs, and fluffy challah French toast. Milkshakes, root beer floats, and banana splits bring a nostalgic touch, making this a go-to for comfort food lovers. Its second outpost is located on the Katy Freeway.

Nestled upstairs in the space of Pondicheri, this Indian-inspired counter service hotspot churns out colorful breakfast plates, juices, and pastries. Choose from dishes such as the oat uppma and eggs — a South Indian hash with chia seeds, steel-cut oats, millet, buckwheat, black garbanzo, and two eggs or go with the dwaffle — a fermented crispy dosa waffle served with diner’s choice of ghee or maple syrup and fresh fruit. A perfect complement to any meal here is the rose lassi drink — a traditional Indian beverage made from yogurt with rose, hibiscus, and cardamom.

Tiny Boxwoods offers an effortlessly chic dining experience in a lush, garden-like setting. The menu is refined yet comforting, with highlights like the quiche Provençal, chia seed pudding, and chilaquiles. Don’t leave without trying their famous chocolate chip cookie. For the best ambiance, snag a patio seat under the twinkling string lights.

A Houston institution since the ‘60s, this all-day diner is known for much more than just its pies. Expect all the quintessential diner breakfast options with a Texas flair, such as rib-eye steak and eggs, beef fajita and eggs, and its sinful griddle options, including the banana pecan pancakes. But don’t be afraid to keep it sweet and simple with a slice of pie and coffee. Here, that counts as breakfast, too.

For a filling breakfast that won’t break the bank, head to Goode Company’s hamburger and taco joint, which promises a combination of breakfast tacos, and plates featuring American and Mexican favorites. Expect egg dishes galore, including omelets, migas, chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, or the option to pair eggs made your way with venison sausage, bacon, pork chops, ham, and la guisada. Pancakes and pecan waffles are also on offer, with sides like rice, beans, hashbrowns, and toast. Complement your meal with agua frescas (in watermelon, cantalope, or lemon), orange juice, horchata, freshly brewed coffee, a Mexican coke, or a chocolate cinnamon shake.

Open 24 hours a day, Dot specializes in breakfast for any time of day. The menu hits on all cylinders, with plates of pancakes, biscuits, French toast, giant omelets, and all the breakfast meats one could want. While diners could build their own breakfasts, Dot offers its own fun combinations and platters, including its Houston omelet — whole eggs loaded with bacon, sausage, ham, onions, bell pepper, and cheddar cheese — and its chicken-fried steak and eggs. Both platters are served with hashbrowns or grits and toast.