The bagel sandwich from Black Hand Coffee Co. (Photo by Kate Thompson Feucht)
Breakfast Sandwiches
Bagel Sandwich, $4.50 at Black Hand Coffee Co.
3101 Patterson Ave., 804-855-0800
It’s fat. It’s a little drippy. And it’s spot-on for clearing bleary morning eyes. The Cupertino’s bagel is chewy, the egg is just beyond undercooked, the cheese is so melty, and the bacon, so meaty. When in season, opt for tomato for 50 cents more. Always add the pesto. —Robey Martin
Ham Biscuit, $4.99 at JM Stock Provisions
1531 W. Main St., 804-257-4300
What’s fluffy and salty, running spicy and sweet down your hands while you eat? It’s JM Stock Provisions’ tasso ham stacked on a house-baked lard biscuit. Order it with honey and hot sauce, gratis, for a rock-solid start to the day. Just get there before they sell out. —Stephanie Breijo
Breakfast Sandwiches, $2.75 to $4.25 at WPA Bakery (Church Hill and South Side locations)
2707 E. Marshall St., 804-716-9797; 3414 Semmes Ave., 804-477-6449
How do I love WPA breakfast sammies? Let me count the ways. I love the melty scramble of egg and sharp cheese on biscuit squares; the thick bacon, egg and cheese English muffins satisfy every day’s need. When ordering, I reluctantly pass the trays of strawberry muffins in order to fill my belly with proteins; vegan option available. —Genevelyn Steele
French toast from Satterwhite's (Photo by Kate Thompson Feucht)
Sweet Stuff
Chocolate Cream-Filled Doughnut, $1.21 at Country Style Doughnuts
4300 Williamsburg Road, 804-222-2466; 8900 W. Broad St., 804-270-1180
Tuesday and Sunday mornings proffer the choicest selection at both Country Style Doughnuts locations. The chocolate cream-filled is a powdered-sugar-coated full moon. Biting into this yeasty cloud yields a chocolate pastry cream abyss. Note: They’re open 24 hours, and closed Mondays. —GS
House-Made Pop Tart, $3 at Sefton Coffee Co.
24 N. Eighth St., 804-343-2034
I get nostalgic around Pop Tarts. The treat elicits memories of the high school morning rush, complete with the impossibly heavy backpack. Sefton’s flakier, more adult version brings back the memory but leaves out the processed sugar. Add a small cup of coffee, and the flashback feels fly for $5. —RM
French Toast, $4.75 at Satterwhite’s
116 Broad Street Road, 804-784-1994
It’s a simple spread of three large slices of white bread, battered and turned crispy brown on the grill. A light dusting of cinnamon sugar sweetens the deal on this simple yet substantial diner fare, but don’t neglect the clear plastic squeeze bottle of maple syrup on your table. —SB
The Breakfast Special at City Diner (Photo by Kate Thompson Feucht)
The Whole Shebang
The Breakfast Special, $4.50 at City Diner
2237 W. Broad St., 804-254-1974
This one’s for the early birds: Load up on two eggs, any style, sidled up to toast and sausage or bacon, plus a tumble of home fries, a pile of fried apples or a pool of grits. Get it from 6 to 9 a.m. only, weekdays only. Don’t go changin’: No substitutions allowed. —SB
Half-Order of Biscuits and Gravy, $3.75 (With Eggs, Add 99 Cents) at The Dairy Bar
1602 Roseneath Road, 804-355-1937
Don’t let the half-order fool you; just one of these house-made biscuits is a mountain, surrounded by a lake of white gravy chunked with sausage. Add two sunny-side-up eggs and watch those waters run a rich, yolky yellow. —SB
The Breakfast Special, $3.99 at Midlothian Apothecary
13502 Midlothian Turnpike, 804-794-5592
Your two eggs any-which-way with side of bacon or sausage — in link or patty form — and buttery biscuit or toast — also thrown on the grill — arrive on a plastic plate at this pharmacy’s charming diner counter. A cup of coffee will bump you over the $5 limit, but only by 24 cents. What’s more, this meal is available until early evening. —SB
