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Breakfast Champions

Skip the snooze button, and find out where to rise and dine in 417-land. We’ve compiled a guide to the local morning menus that will make dinner jealous.

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Irresistable cinnamon roll and assorted danishes and muffins at Lola's Pastry and Eatery.

Specialty Breakfasts

When the craving for an omelet or a short stack is too much to handle, head to these specialty restaurants for breakfast catered to your specific morning style.

Anton’s Coffee Shop
Specialty: Omelets
937 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, 417-869-7681
Breakfast served 6 a.m.–2 p.m., Mon.–Sat.;
8 a.m.–2 p.m., Sun. Closed Tuesdays.
At Anton’s, picking your morning omelet is a difficult choice. The restaurant is famous for serving more than 30 palate-pleasing omelets. A few local favorites include the Cajun Omelet, with bell peppers, onions, sausage, ham, jalapeño cheese and Cajun seasoning; and the Opulent Omelet, which has mushrooms, bacon and Swiss cheese. You won’t find fancy frappuccinos here—Anton’s serves only premium drip coffee, ground fresh daily.

The Artisan’s Oven
Specialty: Baked Goods
1832 S. Ingram Mill Rd., Springfield, 417-885-5030
Breakfast served 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Sat.
Breakfast may only be served on Saturdays at The Artisan’s Oven, but it’s worth the weekend wake-up. The bakers arrive each morning and make whatever delicious goodies they feel like: cinnamon rolls, cranberry orange scones, blueberry and apple crumb muffins, zucchini bread, banana nut bread, cinnamon chip scones. The savory tarts (similar to quiche) are popular, with flavors such as tomato, basil and fontina cheese or bacon and Swiss with herbs and caramelized onions. If you can’t get enough of the breakfast fare at The Artisan’s Oven, special orders can be made throughout the week.

Aunt Martha’s Pancake House
Specialty: Pancakes
1700 E. Cherokee St., Springfield, 417-881-3505
Breakfast served 6 a.m.–2 p.m., Tues.–Sun.
True to its name, Aunt Martha’s is the place in 417-land to get a short stack. With more than 15 different types of pancakes, you’ll wonder if you’re staring at a dessert menu: chocolate, peanut butter, gingerbread, honey and chocolate-chip pancakes satisfy any a.m. sweet tooth. Pecan, blueberry and cornmeal pancakes please the more traditional crowd, and the usual breakfast suspects make a deserved menu appearance: eggs, omelets, T-bones, ham, hash browns and biscuits and gravy.

Bric’s Belgian Waffle and Pancake House
Specialty: Waffles
4760 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield, 417-823-8480, 1882 James River Rd., Ozark, 417-582-2600
Breakfast served 6 a.m.–9 p.m., daily
If you’re tired of your standard Eggo, grab an early seat at Bric’s Belgian Waffle and Pancake House for bacon, ham, eggs, country-fried steak and, of course, waffles. Belgian waffles have deeper pockets and a sweeter taste than regular waffles, and the restaurant uses waffle irons shipped straight from the namesake country. Picky eaters can choose from plain, cinnamon and sugar, pecan, fruit-topped and dessert waffles (which come with a scoop of ice cream). Just don’t ask about the waffle batter: It’s a secret recipe that’s been handed down for more than 80 years.

Lamar’s Donuts
Specialty: Donuts
3654 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield, 417-886-0040
Donuts served 5 a.m.–3 p.m., daily
We won’t tell if you indulge in a little guilty pleasure for breakfast. Lamar’s makes more than 50 varieties of donuts every day, including blueberry, strawberry, apple spice, pumpkin and cranberry orange. Several different varieties are available each day, along with cinnamon rolls, filled éclairs, strawberry turnovers, apple fritters and bear claws. The bestselling donut, a chocolate-iced raised donut called Ray’s Original, was invented by the chain’s founder.

Lola’s Pastry and Eatery
Specialty: Baked Goods
110 N. Fort St., Nixa, 417-725-9225
Breakfast served 7–10:30 a.m., Mon.–Sat.
Try the Irresistible Cinnamon Rolls (above), and you may never go back to the refrigerated Pillsbury variety again. The rolls are made from scratch with buttermilk and cream cheese frosting—and they sell out almost every day. Other baked goodies include Danishes, assorted muffins, coffee cake, cookies and brownies. (We assure you, brownies can be considered breakfast foods.) Hot meals are popular, too, including three-cheese and herb quiche, old-fashioned oatmeal, French toast and breakfast sandwiches.

Panera Bread
Specialty: Baked Goods
9 locations in 417-land.
Baked goods sold all day, unless they sell out.
Panera reigns supreme in the world of bagels and pastries. The restaurant may not have a drive-through window attached to its exterior, but it does serve up a speedy breakfast that’s bound to fill you up. The bacon, egg and cheese grilled breakfast sandwich has egg, white cheddar cheese and Applewood-smoked bacon stuffed between ciabatta bread. And with signature bagels such as savory asiago cheese, dutch apple and raisin or cherry vanilla, it’s hard not to find something to like.

St. George’s Donut Shop
Specialty: Donuts
3012 S. National Ave., Springfield, 417-882-1718, 3628 E. Sunshine St., Springfield, 417-881-7515
Donuts served 3 a.m.–2 p.m., daily
Call it an early morning (or a late evening) at St. George’s, which opens for business at 3 a.m. Owner Katy St. George arrives at the store at 1 a.m. to start preparing the day’s baked goods. The store has more than 20 varieties of donuts, including glazed, chocolate-iced, cinnamon crumb, peanut butter fritters, strawberry rolls, cinnamon twists, donut holes, muffins and bagels. And don’t worry about getting the same batch of donuts two mornings in a row. St. George’s makes everything fresh daily, and the employees give all leftover donuts to the Alpha House at the end of each day.

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