The Upper Thumb is blessed with sandy beaches, fun places to visit, and great inexpensive places to eat. We compiled a list of the top restaurants, grills, bakeries, and bars that offer breakfast. These are the top-rated Michigan Breakfast foods and places to go for your morning meal according to the travel sites Yelp and TripAdvisor.

We’ve personally been to most of these fine establishments to start the day and they are all worth visiting for your morning wake up. We combined ratings (Star Ratings) and ranked all the top spots here.

Brew Moon – Caseville

Coffee, and pastries. A true coffee bar. Not a full breakfast menu but high-quality pastry and nibbles. Hint: Visit the gift shop and bring your laptop. Great place to chill and do a little work on their wifi before you hit the beach.

Open during the summer season – 9 ½ stars

Murphy’s Bakery – Bad Axe

Bakery – A classic bakery and coffee shop that has been around for years. Is an actual commercial bakery and you will find Murphy’s Bakery items throughout the thumb. One of their best is the English muffin bread. Locations in Bad Axe and Port Austin.

Open year around – 9 1/2 stars

Walt’s Restaurant– Caseville

Eggs and Omelets – This is considered one of the top breakfast places in the Thumb. The servers come with an attitude that can come off as snarky but is good-natured. Offers good American style breakfast with homemade bread and jams. Hint: Cash Only and ifs its super busy you may be asked to sit with others, which has it turned out to be fun and interesting.

Open year around – 8 stars

Wooded Island Sports Grill – Caseville

Wooded Isle is a relative newcomer and touts itself as a sports bar. However, it offers a full breakfast menu with daily specials. They make their own bread and portions are generous. Hint: Try Sunflower Seed Bread and homemade corned beef hash.

Open year around – 8 stars

Franklin Inn – Bad Axe

Hotel restaurant. Business travelers and those workers who are putting up the hundreds of wind turbines in the thumb swear by this place. It’s known for a fine buffet breakfast.

Open year around – 8 stars

Varney’s Coney Island Café – Harbor Beach

Large portions and near the harbor. Staunchly loved by the locals. If you’re a sailor in the harbor it’s a short walk to breakfast.

Open year around – 7 ½ stars

The Lighthouse Café – Port Austin

This place is across the street from the Port Austin farmers market and a short walk from the harbor so it’s packed on the weekends. Hint: The home fries and homemade bread and sausage are worth the wait on Saturday morning

Seasonal – 7 ½ stars

Main Street Cafe & Bakery – Pigeon

Move away from the shore and it gets real. Rub elbows with locals and the farmers who frequent this cafe for their early morning coffee. Full breakfast menu. Specialty is the pecan tarts Hint: Sunday Brunch Buffet is highly popular

Open year around – 7 ½ stars

Shelly’s Bar and Grill – Grindstone City

Roadhouse Bar with a full breakfast menu. Awesome. This place supports many of the local teams and you can usually find entire families stopping by.

Open year around – 7 ½ stars

Al’s Restaurant & Bakery – Harbor Beach

Considered one of the finest places on the east side of the thumb. Country cooking with traditional American breakfast fare.

Ed Note: Sadly this iconic restaurant was also hit by a fire in 2018. The result was a total loss. The community is looking forward to a rebuild in the future.

Open year around – 7 ½ stars

Peppermill Restaurant – Bad Axe

Traditional Family Style restaurant. Huge local following. A place to see and be seen in Bad Axe. Editor’s note: Their website seems to be in the process of being edited.

Open year around – 7 stars

The Lamplighter – Sebewaing

Omelets are the specialty and they are served all day. Sunday breakfast buffet. The Rotary club meets here so it has to be good.

Open all year – 7 stars

Michigan Breakfast Foods at Lefty’s Diner– Caseville

A busy tribute to the 1950s. Lefty’s has an original soda fountain bar and a drive-in awning that is not in use. Suitable for traditional breakfasts and lunches. Waits can be a bit long, but a popular place in Caseville.

Open all year – 6 ½ stars