a delicious breakfast from Brunswick
The town of Brunswick, Maine, is the perfect balance of city amenities and small-town allure. With its rich shipbuilding history and the added attraction of the Bowdoin College campus to boast of, Brunswick’s appeal is far-reaching and diverse.

There is a vibrant arts scene here in town as well as a bustling swath of quaint retail offerings—and in due part to the college’s influence, a wide variety of dining options…especially for breakfast.

Map of Brunswick Breakfast Spots

Here is a handy map of all the best Brunswick breakfast spots mentioned in this post:

Wild Oats Bakery & Café

This café/bakery/deli features an all-day menu that includes five breakfast paninis—and being a bakery, all of their bread is made fresh daily, in-house.

Since 1991, Wild Oats has been providing a warm, welcoming dining space, designed to allow folks to linger over delicious fare and lively conversation.

And speaking of delicious fare—for a zesty morning wake-up call, give the Southwestern panini a try: Baked scrambled eggs, ham, pepper jack cheese, green pepper, onion, and chipotle mayonnaise.

Location: 166 Admiral Fitch Ave, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Wild Oats Bakery & Café

Little Dog Coffee Shop

I’d go to this spot just because of its name and slogan: “The Little Dog Coffee Shop—Sit, Stay, Enjoy!” Featuring locally-roasted coffee, the Little Dog Coffee Shop offers a whole host of hot and cold beverage options, freshly baked goodies, and a variety of made-to-order breakfast items.

I recommend you choose one of their signature creations—I’m partial to the Chorizo Burrito, a kick-butt combination of chorizo, cheddar, eggs, cilantro, roasted tomato, red pepper, red onion, garlic, and corn—all wrapped in a fresh flour tortilla.

You can also opt to build your own sandwich; just choose your bread, protein, cheese, and veggies.

Location: 87 Maine St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Little Dog Coffee Shop

Broadway Delicatessen

Since 1988, this family-owned local favorite has been using as many local ingredients as possible for their homemade fare. Open for breakfast and lunch, the menu here is chock-full of creative diner classics like Benedicts, omelets, egg platter options, and burritos.

Be sure to check for daily specials—because they are not to be missed. One of my recent favorites was the Atlantic Benedict: Eggs Benedict on a warm biscuit with smoked salmon, capers, and hollandaise sauce.

Location: 142 Maine St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Broadway Delicatessen

Big Top Delicatessen

The sized-just-right breakfast menu is served all day at Big Top and features several signature sandwich options on an English muffin, bulkie roll, bagel, or toast; you can also opt for two eggs instead of one.

Big Top offers a café-style, casual indoor dining area as well as a few outdoor tables, and is very popular with locals and tourists alike. If you’ve never been to Big Top, I suggest ordering the Zazel breakfast sandwich, on a bagel: Egg, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, and provolone.

Location: 70 Maine St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Big Top Delicatessen

Dog Bar Jim: The Coffee Shop

With its eclectic, quirky décor and local, organic ingredients, Dog Bar Jim offers a daily rotating menu made up of creative breakfast options as unique as the vibe here.

The Pecan Sticky Buns are legendary, and made fresh every morning; be sure to order one along with whichever delightful savory breakfast item is on offer.

The house-made burrito is always a hands-down favorite: Flour tortilla, local eggs, Cabot cheese, and a rotating variety of fillings like Korean BBQ, Filipino Bacon, and Chile Verde.

Location: 90 Union St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Dog Bar Jim: The Coffee Shop

Union Street Bakery and Cake Shop

Pull up a spot on a comfy sofa, armchair, bistro table, or booth—and feel free to stay awhile at Union Street Bakery.

While primarily a bakery and cake shop, there are a couple of delicious breakfast options on the menu here, in addition to nearly a dozen lunch selections.

Even if you just go for a coffee, it’s worth the visit to enjoy the cozy atmosphere—but I recommend trying the Breakfast Sandwich: House-made focaccia, mesclun greens, tomato, Dijonnaise, egg, and optional bacon (which I recommend, as well—duh).

Location: 40 Union St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Union Street Bakery and Cake Shop

Mister Bagel

A Maine favorite, this franchise shop has eight other locations within the state and it’s easy to see how it’s become so popular over the years.

The bagels are baked fresh daily with all-natural ingredients, and the breakfast/lunch menu features 15 different bagel options as well as 12 cream cheese offerings.

There are also other toppings to choose from, like lox, hummus, or melted cheese, as well as a delicious breakfast sandwich—I suggest getting yours with Canadian bacon and cheddar.

Location: 161 Pleasant St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Mister Bagel

Brunswick Diner

Historic and iconic, the Brunswick Diner has gone through several iterations since 1946—but management has consistently kept its promise of providing delicious comfort food at affordable prices. The Brunswick Diner is a classic example of an old-time dining car—complete with an authentic Wurlitzer jukebox—and claims to be “the most authentic” in the state.

The hearty breakfast menu is loaded with all manner of options like sandwiches, Benedicts, pancakes/French toast, omelets, and house specialties.

I always opt for the latter; specifically, the Bowdoin Bowl: Crunchy tater tots, Brussels sprouts, cheddar, bacon crumbles, cherry tomatoes, two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and scallions.

Location: 101 Pleasant St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Brunswick Diner

Flip

The latest addition to the Brunswick breakfast scene, Flip’s lively atmosphere is fitting for everyone—families, college kids, or a catch-up-with-an-old-friend breakfast.

Self-touted as a “breakfast and brunch bar,” Flip offers breakfast cocktails in addition to a full menu; you can even opt to add a lobster tail to your Bloody Mary, because Maine.

If you’re here with a few other folks, consider the Flip Break-Feast (they compare it to a breakfast board), which serves four: Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, fresh fruit, waffles, and homemade biscuits.

Location: 212 Maine St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Flip

Frosty’s Donut and Coffee Shop

Frosty’s has been hand-cutting their donuts daily, in the same location, since 1965; that’s a lot of donut experience.

With 23 cake donuts, 16 raised donuts, and 11 bagels to choose from, you can follow my lead and get both sweet AND savory from the menu.

Right now, I’m feeling like a maple-frosted blueberry cake donut with a jalapeño cheddar bagel and sun-dried tomato basil cream cheese. Can you say “carbo-load?”

Location: 54 Maine St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Frosty’s Donut and Coffee Shop

Wildflours Gluten-Free Bakery

If you have Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you know how hard it can be to find breakfast options when dining out.

But if you’re planning a visit to Brunswick, I have great news for you folks: Wildflours gets you. GF donuts, bread, scones, quiche, muffins, cinnamon buns…and that doesn’t even account for all the desserts Wildflours has on offer.

Call ahead if you are looking for something specific—because many popular items sell out fast.

Location: 54 Cumberland St, Brunswick, ME 04011
Website: Wildflours Gluten-Free Bakery

In addition to the delightful options reviewed above, Brunswick is also home to the establishments below, each offering some manner of breakfast items.

The Noble Kitchen & Bar provides an elevated Sunday Brunch, while The Butchers and Bakers is a great spot for bakery goods and coffee.

Bohemian Coffee House & Deli and Warmings Market feature great grab-and-go breakfast items—and for a unique taste sensation (and if you’re feeling adventurous), try the Fan Tuan at Zao Ze Café: Sticky rice-wrapped Chinese duck fat donut, pickled mustard greens, pork cotton candy, and an egg.