Talking about the best breakfast sandwich might sound sooo east coast to Californians, like talking about the best lobster roll or how to do a shrimp boil correctly, but breakfast sandwiches hold a special place in our hearts here at When In San Diego, so deal with it. We have a love for all of them, whether they are bare bones smash jobs served on thin, stale white bread from your local cash-only hole in the wall or lofty creations with arugula, avocado, and inevitably some sort of aioli, served on thick warmed ciabatta bread at a trendy glamorous lunch spot. Breakfast sandwiches are the best start to any day – portable, filling, packed with protein from several different farm animals, and infinitely customizable. Below we have listed some of our favorite breakfast sandwiches in San Diego and chosen what we think is the best.
Why do all these places have “Donuts” in their name? We don’t know. Perhaps they know that calling themselves a bagel shop in San Diego would be an affront to all those bagel snobs in New York. Or perhaps it is just one of those unanswerable questions.
Also, please skip the local corporate chain sandwich shops, like Eggies and Broken Yolk and Breakfast Republic. Just… skip them. Their breakfast sandwiches are as soulless as the corporate entities that fund them.
3. Nomad Donuts
Nomad Donuts is a popular place in North Park and for good reason. This is a locally-owned bagel shop (with donuts, obviously) that serves up Montreal-style bagels, which are smaller and a bit more dense than your typical bagel. Nomad has a huge menu with probably the most creative sandwiches in all of San Diego, but we are here to talk about breakfast sandwiches and their “Basic Bitch Egg and Cheese” is on point. The bagels are all freshly made that day and nice and crispy, the bacon is thick and well cooked, and the proportions are right. Nomad is a little more expensive than other places, but it is worth it.
If you are in the mood for something other than a bacon egg and cheese, Nomad Donuts has plenty of options. We like the Buenos Dias (egg, chorizo, pepper jack cheese, and a homemade green salsa), the Queso Birria bagel (birria, onions, and habanero salsa on a pepper jack cheese crusted bagel, served with a side of consomme), and the Black and Blue (brisket, bacon, gochujang and apricot jam, blue cheese spread, and onion rings on a charcoal egg-washed bagel). Yea, they go all out at Nomad Donuts. You can’t really go wrong here.
2. OB Donuts
OB Donuts serves one of the best breakfast sandwiches in San Diego and only loses out by a small margin. This no frills spot is located on the corner of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Niagara Ave in Ocean Beach. They have a few options for breakfast sandwiches besides the standard bacon or sausage egg and cheese. They have ham, turkey, and supposedly avocado, but we like to keep it simple at OB Donuts. Just get your protein-laden sandwich and move on with your day.
Their donuts at OB Donuts are delicious too – the glazed ones are like Krispy Kreme donuts, but extra large, and the old fashioned donuts are absolutely perfectly made. They often give you a free donut with your sandwich because the people here rock and they care more about customer service than the bottom line. So come support this local, family run business. You won’t regret it.
1. Rose Donuts
Rose Donuts in Linda Vista has the best breakfast sandwich in San Diego and it’s a pretty easy call – the place is locally famous if you are in the right circles of breakfast sandwich afficionados. Rose Donuts, like OB Donuts, is another no frills spot that highlights their donuts, but the star of the show is actually their breakfast sandwiches. The menu is straight forward – bacon, turkey, and ham are your meat options. Croissant, bread, and bagels are your outside options. Egg will be involved. That is it, now enjoy.
We have never in our lives been able to get past a good bacon egg and cheese on an everything bagel and we can’t get past the one at Rose Donuts either. The bagel is crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle, just like a bagel should be, and the everything bagel has the perfect amount of toppings on it (including salt, as it should be). The bacon is crispy and crunchy, the cheese is a slice of melted white American, and the ratios are the ingredients are just perfectly executed. The croissant option adds even more decadence, so why not?
The donuts at Rose Donuts are also not bad. They are more cake batter-y than the light fluffy, Krispy Kreme-style donuts at OB donuts, but they are still tasty. The best part is the prices at Rose Donuts are still cheap compared to everywhere else in the city. They used to be cash only, so you know it’s good.
Also, note that there is another Rose Donuts that is NOT the one we are talking about and there is a Rose Donuts and Ice Cream that we have never been to… just go to the one on the map below.
Honorable Mentions
Black Market Bakery
Black Market Bakery in North Park gets a mention for the quality of their sandwiches as well as the shear originality. Another locally own bakery with freshly made everything – our favorite sandwiches here are the Farmhouse (bacon egg and cheese plus ham), Yo Soy Rizo (the spicy soy chorizo is delicious), and Hot Potato (a tasty hashbrown sitting in the middle of a tasty sandwich). See our review of Black Market here.
Influx Cafe
Influx Cafe serves a solid, slightly elevated breakfast sandwich, with the choice of bagel or ciabatta bread. They also have lots of other sandwich options, such as turkey melts, pesto and mozzarella options, and lots of vegetarian choices. All of them are tasty. Influx Cafe has three locations – Little Italy, Golden Hill, and North Park.
