This post has been updated from an earlier version.
You Bacon Me Crazy at I Egg You
517 Eighth St., SE
Scott Drewno and Danny Lee’s daily-breakfast destination on Barracks Row specializes in deliciously indulgent dishes like a drippy bacon-egg-and-fontina sandwich served on griddled milk bread.
Reuben at Bullfrog Bagels
2000 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 1341 H St., NE; 2800 10th St., NE; 317 Seventh St., SE
While some deli Reubens are as big as apple pies, this relatively compact bagel version—piled with corned beef, housemade sauerkraut, and a big slather of Russian dressing—is easy to polish off in one sitting. Another hangover buster: the salt bagel with jalapeño cream cheese.
Bistek at Lapu Lapu
216 Market St., W., Gaithersburg
This Filipino breakfast spot in Kentlands comes from the owners of Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly in Rockville. A bunch of the egg sandwiches here hit the spot, but my favorite is this bun layered with lemon-soy ribeye, pickled onions, a fried egg, and more.
Pauli Cicero at Cracked Eggery
3420 Connecticut Ave., NW; 1921 Eighth St., NW
This pair of all-day breakfast-sandwich spots in Shaw and Cleveland Park puts a Goodfellas spin on a ham, egg, and cheese. The sweetness of its ricotta and spicy honey is balanced with tangy sun-dried tomato, arugula, a fried egg, and chopped prosciutto. “We hate when you take a bite of prosciutto and pull the entire piece out of a sandwich,” says cofounder Mike Tabb.
Rude Girl at Buffalo and Bergen
1309 Fifth St., NE; 240 Massachusetts Ave., NE; 3501 Connecticut Ave., NW
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Hit up Gina Chersevani’s breakfast standbys—including its new Cleveland Park location—for a bacon fix sans the egg. Her Rude Girl, set on a bagel of your choice, pairs strips with jalapeño cream cheese (the Rude Socialist, which switches in maple-syrup/pecan cream cheese, is good for a salty-sweet craving). Go gentle with a plain or egg bagel, or try the Old Bay-seasoned round.
Any Egg Sandwich at Meats and Foods
247 Florida Ave., NW
Looking for a nothing-fancy, bodega-style breakfast sandwich? This beloved Bloomingdale sausage shop has what you’re looking for. Here, a squishy potato roll is laden with eggs, cheddar, and a choice of ham, sausage, veggie sausage, or crispy potatoes. Pro-tip: Add in some pickled jalapeños, and don’t forget the housemade hot sauce (or the Mexican Coke).
The Sun City at Call Your Mother
Several locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
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The ever-growing bagel behemoth upgrades the classic BEC in a few ways: there’s a mix of sharp cheddar and melty American cheeses, a hint of spicy honey, easy-to-eat/transport bodega-style eggs, and a super-seasoned everything bagel. I like it with pastrami, but the bacon version—and the Thunderbird, with chicken sausage—are tasty, too. Grab an order of latkes with sour cream and apple sauce on the side.
Nova Lox Bagel at Bread Furst
4434 Connecticut Ave., NW
Mark Furstenberg’s Van Ness bread bakery/market low-key puts out some of DC’s best bagels. They’re Montreal-style—smallish, slightly sweet, and seeded all over—and fantastic with cream cheese, pickled onion, arugula, and salmon that was cured in-house.
PSB at Ruthie’s All Day
3411 Fifth St. S., Arlington
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The glossy milk buns you find on the dinnertime barbecue plates here do double duty with the morning menu’s breakfast sandwiches. This hefty creation has scrambled eggs, pimiento cheese, bacon, arugula, and pickled onion.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
