Maybe it’s because we grew up eating cereal, but one thing is for sure: Breakfast bowls are where it’s at. Whether it’s Greek yogurt, oats, acai berry puree, biscuits, rice, or hash holding them down, the resulting creations tend to lean towards the healthier side. (Still waiting on the breakfast salad craze to hit Memphis!) We’ve been impressed by the selection of breakfast bowls at local restaurants and decided to round up the best of the best for our readers.
This hip, Cooper-Young brunch spot has one of the most creative breakfast bowls we’ve found. The Thai-style breakfast bowl features a coconut, saffron, and lemongrass ginger lime broth; a pork dumpling; maitake; avocado; watermelon; cabbage vegetable slaw; pearl jade rice; and two sunny eggs. But they had us at “dumpling”!
Brisket for breakfast? File this one under: Put an egg on it. This hearty macro bowl consists of sliced brisket, potatoes, roasted red peppers, spinach, maple barbecue sauce, and a fried farm egg. “Macros” is short for macronutrients, which are proteins, carbs, and fats. One of three macro bowls (there are buffalo chicken and smoked turkey macro bowls as well), the smoked brisket macro bowl offers 42 grams of protein, 32 grams of carbs, 13 grams of fat and 413 calories—if numbers are your thing.
The Hearty Bowl at this lively Bartlett brunch spot takes a standard breakfast hash up a few notches with the addition of a nutty Parmesan cheese and smooth hot sauce. And as hearty as it is, we highly recommend getting a biscuit on the side, as their motto is rightly, “We’ve got biscuits, mane!”
Bryant’s is the earliest place to get a breakfast bowl fix. The dining room opens before the sun comes up, the line moves fast, and there’s both indoor and outdoor seating. Our grit bowl—filled with eggs, cheese, sausage, and, yes, grits—was hearty and tasty. Mix it up with your choice of meat, or try the Gravy Breakfast Bowl, featuring—you guessed it—biscuits and gravy.
You can turn any breakfast biscuit into a bowl at this sweet downtown neighborhood eatery across from the old Tennessee Brewery. The biscuits come with a variety of fillings—fried chicken, brisket, potato latkes, and grit cakes—so just imagine them served open-faced with two eggs and cheddar cheese on top! The BLT (bacon, potato latke, and tomato jam) is a fun and filling take on a classic nosh.
We think Midtown staple Cafe Eclectic’s Sunny Tater Hash should be rebranded as “Loaded Breakfast Fries.” The fried russet potato hash (which looks like chopped up leftover fries) is smothered with bell peppers and onions, topped with bacon, jalapeños, yellow and white cheddar cheese, and a sunny-side-up egg. (Vegan and vegetarian versions are available upon request.)
Please don’t make us choose just one thing at City Silo. If you are looking for fresh and healthy food, they are the obvious go-to, with locations in East Memphis and Germantown. The Hippie Scramble features two fresh farm eggs served with roasted and grilled sweet potato hash, seasoned black and kidney beans, kale, serrano avocado spread, quinoa, and brown rice. The Super Classy Acai Bowl consists of a thick, blended base of acai berries topped with yogurt, almond butter, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, cashews, roasted pepitas, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, bee pollen, and granola. File under: things we don’t have time to make at home.
The menu at Hustle & Dough inside downtown’s Arrive hotel is small, but every single item has a high level of care and attention to detail. The Yogurt & Granola bowl—with its rye bread granola, gel-set whipped yogurt, seasonal citrus fruit, and mint leaves—is no exception. Almost too pretty to eat, it’s a feast for the eyes that will power you through the day. Pro tip: buy a bag of their house made rye bread granola to take home.
This elevated “Waffle House” style diner in Harbor Town is a celebration of Southern comfort foods using high-quality ingredients. The Grits Bowl with oyster mushrooms, chili crisp, cowboy butter, jammy egg, and chive is just one of the many delicious ways to start the day at Kinfolk.
The Sweet Potato Hash at the Liquor Store is a longtime favorite. The bowl is filled with sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, and wilted spinach and topped with sofrito, two eggs any style, and your choice of Cuban pork, bacon, ham, pork sausage, chicken, veggie sausage, or vegan chorizo. Thanks to the wide selection of breakfast meats and egg styles, it never gets old. We’re currently loving the Cuban pork with sunny eggs and a side of the house green sauce. Try it at the Broad Avenue Arts District or East Memphis location.
Starting at 7 a.m., you can have your pick of six delicious breakfast bowls at Sunrise Memphis’ two locations—in the Medical District and East Memphis. If, like us, you don’t always go for traditional breakfast foods, the Bi Bim bowl is for you. The char siu pork, fried egg, kimchi, scallion, pickled daikon and sticky rice will bowl you over. Tofu is also available as a substitute for pork. And while we’re looking at vegetarian options, the Breakfast of Champions, featuring tofu, spinach, peppers, mushrooms, onions, sriracha, peanuts, scallions, and wheat toast is a winner. Plant-based meat can also be added.
