Local Favorites for Breakfast in Naples, Marco Island & Beyond

To fully enjoy a day of fun on Florida’s Paradise Coast, you first need to fuel up. That means breakfast. There are countless restaurants across the Naples area that will serve you the first — and some say most important — meal of the day. They range from eateries within resorts to tiny mom-and-pops.

For this list, we have chosen nine restaurants that are independent and locally owned. Each has its own distinct cuisine, vibe, and location, but they all have one thing in common: The locals love them.

Naples Breakfast & Brunch

Jane’s Garden Cafe on 3rd

For those seeking an elevated al fresco morning meal in elegant environs, Jane’s Garden Cafe on 3rd is the ideal choice. Situated in the heart of downtown amid upscale restaurants and shops, you’ll dine in Jane’s English Gardens under a brightly colored umbrella, or on the Courtyard Patio. This place fairly begs you to start out with a Mimosa, Bellini or Bloody Mary. From there, choose from a vast menu that ranges from healthy (The Acai Bowl) to decadent (Bourbon Vanilla Belgian Waffle). The British Breakfast features eggs, home fries, English muffin, choice of meat and baked beans. As the menu says, it’s “fit for a king.”

The Cove Inn Coffee Shoppe

Located in a small hotel on the waterfront in downtown Naples, The Cove Inn Coffee Shoppe is the go-to place for pancakes. The top-of-the-menu Fisherman’s Folly features fluffy and hearty flapjacks with an array of toppings and sides, ranging in price from $6 to $9. A bargain? Absolutely. The Coffee Shoppe, which opened in 1980, is a small space, family owned, located next to the Cove Inn’s lobby. You can eat there or, for those staying at the hotel, order takeout and eat on a balcony overlooking Crayton Cove. The Coffee Shoppe also serves a full selection of breakfast favorites — burritos, sandwiches, omelets and the like.

The Rooster Food+Drink

The Rooster Food+Drink leans even more Southern than Joe’s Diner. How about Biscuits with Jalapeno Sausage Gravy or a Cornmeal Fried Green Tomato Benne (with Citrus Hollandaise)? We’ll do you one better: Pulled Pork & Grits (with two poached eggs). The Rooster’s menu also includes all the breakfast standards — made with down-home love. The restaurant, located just west of the Naples Airport, has a comfy, no-frills interior, augmented by a few outdoor tables under red umbrellas.

 

Marco Island Breakfast Favorites

Doreen’s Cup of Joe

A lot of restaurants claim to use locally and regionally sourced ingredients, but Doreen’s Cup of Joe spells it out right on the top of the menu: Eggland’s Best cage-free brown Eggs; all-natural, preservative-free sausage from Bradley’s Country Store in Tallahassee; milk products from a local farm in Myakka City, and so on. Centrally located on Collier Boulevard, Doreen’s is airy and well-lit, with handsome wood floors. It also features a large area of covered outdoor seating. The vast menu covers the gamut: omelets, skillets, Belgian waffles, French toast and a few Mexican-style entries. Pancake lovers can expand their horizons with Pumpkin Cheesecake, Key Lime, Lemon Ricotta and Baked Apple.

Stonewall’s American Bistro

Set in a classy stand-alone building on Collier Boulevard across from resort row, Stonewall’s American Bistro promises “fine food fast.” After ordering at the counter, you can dine inside or outdoors under an umbrella. Stonewalls’ menu runs the breakfast table: sweet stuff (e.g. Cannoli-stuffed French toast); egg stuff (omelets, Benedicts, burritos); healthy stuff (Avocado Toast); and innovative stuff like the indulgent Crab Cake Benny — poached eggs and two crab cakes on an English muffin topped with Hollandaise and served with seasoned potatoes.

Hoot’s

This unpretentious place proudly casts itself as a diner in a resort town not known for them. Situated on the northern part of the island in a shopping center, Hoot’s serves comfort food with some twists. You can create your own omelet — diner style — or opt for something a bit more creative, like the Andouille Scramble or Shrimp & Tomato Benedict. The small (but not cramped) space is unfussy, with basic tables and a small counter. Hoot’s also has a Naples location about nine miles southeast of downtown on U.S. 41.

Everglades City Breakfast & Beyond

Nely’s Corner

The sign on the building says Everglades Fishing Co., but make sure you step inside and navigate through the bait and tackle and convenience-store basics — because a special breakfast awaits. Nely’s Corner proudly calls itself a “scratch kitchen,” and the food lives up to that billing. Carnivores should opt for the Steak & Eggs — petite medallions served in a skillet over breakfast potatoes and eggs your way. For a more Southern twist, there’s Country Fried Steak covered in sausage gravy. Nely’s also serves an array of other breakfast staples — skillets, sandwiches, burritos, pancakes — as well as mouth-watering Chicken & Waffles and Shrimp & Grits (the ultimate Everglades breakfast treat!)

Island Cafe

To prepare for a day out in the wilds — or sitting by the pool, for that matter — stop into this eatery for a hearty, nothin’-fancy breakfast. Island Cafe is located a block from the water in Everglades City (pop. 190), the only proper town in America’s most famous wetlands. The Breakfast Burrito is a customer favorite, and big-appetite types should dig into the Angler’s Breakfast, a six-ounce steak with three eggs any style, grits or potatoes, and biscuits. If an airboat ride is part of your Everglades itinerary — and it should be — three airboat operators are within a couple blocks of the Island Cafe.