The 10 best brunch and breakfast spots in Saratoga Springs

Breakfast in Saratoga Springs starts early and ends early. Compton’s fires the grill at 6 a.m., Country Corner closes at 1:30 p.m., and Sweet Mimi’s runs five days a week with a line out the door on Sunday. The newer rooms lean toward brunch with a drink: The Merc pours prosecco spritzes five days a week, and PDT Maison opens only on Saturday and Sunday.

This list is for anyone trying to eat before the track, before a hike or after a late night on Caroline Street. Eight of the ten are in the city; the other two, in Ballston Spa and Malta, are worth the drive.

How we chose

We picked breakfast and brunch kitchens with a consistent local reputation across independent sources, local and national press coverage, and longevity, then confirmed each is open as of late September 2026 from its own website or a 2026 source. We favored places that serve breakfast most of the week and mixed diners, bakeries and sit-down brunch rooms. Restaurants that post no brunch service were left off.

Hours, prices and dates below come from each business or official source and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

Sweet Mimi’s Cafe & Bakery

Lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote ($18.75) put Sweet Mimi’s on Beat Bobby Flay, and the Phila Street cafe has served breakfast and lunch since 2013. The New York State Restaurant Association named the shop Best Restaurant, Eastern Region, at the 2025 RISE Awards. Plan around the schedule: the kitchen runs Thursday through Monday only, takes no reservations and seats first come, first served, so weekend mornings fill fast.

Hours: Thu–Mon 8 a.m.–2 p.m. (Sunday is brunch only); closed Tue–Wed

Address: 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• The New York State Restaurant Association named Sweet Mimi’s Best Restaurant, Eastern Region award at the RISE ceremony on January 28, 2025.
• Signature plates include cinnamon roll pancakes and bacon pancakes with salted caramel, each under $19.
• Every menu item is available to go, and the bakery takes pre-orders and specialty cake orders.
• Breakfast sandwiches start at $12 for Charlie’s Sandwich on an English muffin.

See the full directory listing

The Country Corner Cafe

Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives stopped at Country Corner Cafe for the PBJ Cristo: Saratoga organic peanut butter, house strawberry jam and banana on egg-battered Texas toast. The corner spot at Church and Woodlawn opened in 1991 with 27 seats, and the O’Callaghan family now runs the kitchen with much of the longtime staff. Breakfast is served all day, seven days a week, which makes a late weekday start easy.

Hours: Daily 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.; breakfast served all day

Address: 25 Church St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• The cafe opened in 1991 as a 27-seat corner eatery.
• Owners Julee and Mark O’Callaghan kept the longtime menu and staff when they bought the business.
• The PBJ Cristo was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
• The kitchen is open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

See the full directory listing

Compton’s Restaurant

Early risers head to Compton’s, where the grill on Broadway starts at 6 a.m. John Compton opened the diner in 1984, and his daughters Sandy and Tina and son-in-law Bill Maher took over in 2016. Expect an old-school room, servers who have stayed 20 years or more, fresh-cut fruit and blueberry pancakes. The Daily Meal called Compton’s New York’s best hole-in-the-wall breakfast in late 2025. Skip Wednesdays, when the doors stay shut.

Hours: Daily 6 a.m.–2 p.m.; closed Wednesday (per the Daily Gazette, November 2025). Check current hours before you go.

Address: 457 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• The Daily Meal ranked Compton’s New York’s best hole-in-the-wall breakfast spot, as reported by the Daily Gazette on November 17, 2025.
• John Compton opened the restaurant in 1984, and family members bought the business in 2016.
• The Daily Gazette put a typical meal at $12 to $15 per person.
• Doors open at 6 a.m., earlier than most downtown breakfast spots.

See the full directory listing

Mrs. London’s

A lemon-glazed almond croissant big enough to split is the order at Mrs. London’s, a French-style bakery and cafe that a pastry chef and his apprentice opened on Broadway in 1977. Mornings bring breads and laminated pastries; by lunch the case shifts to croques, paninis on ciabatta and seasonal quiche. The shop opens at 7 a.m. every day and stays open until 6 p.m., so a late-afternoon pastry run works too.

Hours: Daily 7 a.m.–6 p.m.

Address: 464 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• Mr. and Mrs. London left Greenwich Village and opened the bakery in Saratoga Springs in 1977.
• The lunch menu includes smoked turkey and French ham croques plus paninis on ciabatta.
• The bakery is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Mrs. London’s also bakes cakes and takes online orders.

See the full directory listing

The Merc

Brunch runs five days a week at The Merc on Broadway, which suits anyone who wants eggs benedict on a Wednesday. The kitchen smokes the brisket for a $24 hash and the pork for a carnitas benny with chipotle hollandaise. A spritz list topped with prosecco is poured only during brunch. Book a table through Resy on weekends, or order takeout online through Toast when the dining room is full.

Hours: Brunch Wed–Fri 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Sat–Sun 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; dinner Wed, Thu and Sun 4–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 4–9:30 p.m.

Address: 430 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• Chicken and waffles with bourbon maple syrup is $21 and buttermilk pancakes are $13.
• Six prosecco spritzes, from Aperol to watermelon basil, are served at brunch.
• Brunch starts at 10 a.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m. on weekends.
• A weekday happy hour runs 3 to 6 p.m. at the bar, Wednesday through Friday.

See the full directory listing

PDT Maison

Weekends only is the rule at PDT Maison, a Euro-style cafe on Maple Avenue that opens Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 3. Chef Adam Foti, trained at Johnson & Wales, cooks from Quebecois and Sicilian roots: popovers with honey butter, a French omelet with gruyere and ham, and oeufs benedict. Park on Lake Avenue or in the City Center garage, since Maple Avenue spaces belong to police and the lot next door tows.

Hours: Sat–Sun 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Address: 35 Maple Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• Scratch-made popovers come four for $8 or six for $10.
• Chef Adam Foti holds American Culinary Federation certification and culinary degrees from SUNY Schenectady and SUNY Delhi.
• Reservations are recommended but not required.
• The building hosts private brunch and dinner parties for up to 50 guests across the first floor, patio and third floor.

See the full directory listing

Shirley’s Diner

Challah French toast and Montreal poutine share the menu at Shirley’s Diner on West Avenue, a homestyle kitchen on the west side of the city with a full breakfast and lunch menu. The diner serves every day of the week and reopens for dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. after a midday break. Families and anyone staying on the west side will find easy service here, and pickup orders go through DoorDash and Uber Eats.

Hours: Mon–Sat 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4–8 p.m.; Sun 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 4–8 p.m.

Address: 74 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• The kitchen serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week starting at 7:30 a.m.
• Shirley’s also serves dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. daily.
• Menu items include challah French toast and Montreal poutine.
• Gift cards and online ordering are available through the diner’s website.

See the full directory listing

Uncommon Grounds Coffee & Bagels

New York-style bagels come out of a full bakery on site at Uncommon Grounds, and a Probat roaster in view of the counter turns out coffee in 20-pound batches. For a quick breakfast on Broadway, this is the budget pick: grab a bagel and a cup and keep walking. The cafe opens at 6 a.m. on weekdays and stays open until 9 p.m., long after the brunch places close.

Hours: Mon–Fri 6 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sat–Sun 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m.

Address: 402 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• Bagels are baked daily on premises in the cafe’s own bakery.
• Coffee is roasted in small batches on a Probat roaster in the store.
• Weekday hours start at 6 a.m., and the cafe stays open until 9 p.m. every day.
• Soups, sandwiches and desserts round out the menu.

See the full directory listing

Iron Roost

Waffles are the whole idea at Iron Roost, a 45-seat Front Street cafe in the village of Ballston Spa that Linnaea DiNallo opened in 2012. Even the French toast is cooked in the iron, and savory waffle wedges replace bread on sandwiches. Gluten-free and vegan waffles cost $9.50. Join the online waitlist before driving over, and note the early close: 2 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Hours: Tue–Fri 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m.–1 p.m.

Address: 36 Front St., Ballston Spa, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• Owner Linnaea DiNallo opened Iron Roost in 2012.
• The Roost Brunch plate pairs two eggs, bacon, ham, sausage and a full buttermilk waffle for $19.50.
• The menu has gluten-free and vegan waffle options.
• The cafe sits across from Wiswall Park, home of the village’s summer farmers market.

See the full directory listing

The Ugly Rooster Cafe – Malta

Route 9 in Malta is home to the second Ugly Rooster Cafe, a family business Ariel and Maggie Pagan started in Mechanicville in 2009. Ariel trained as a pastry chef before opening the cafe, and the family also runs a catering company. The Malta kitchen serves breakfast and lunch every day from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., which makes the cafe a handy stop for anyone living south of the city.

Hours: Daily 7 a.m.–2 p.m.

Address: 2476 US Route 9, Malta, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• Ariel and Maggie Pagan opened the first Ugly Rooster in Mechanicville in 2009.
• The Malta cafe is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Pickup and delivery orders can be placed online.
• The same family runs Ugly Rooster Catering.

See the full directory listing

Also worth knowing

The Local Pub & Teahouse on Grand Avenue lists weekend brunch from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on its homepage, though the same page also posts conflicting summer hours, so call ahead. See the listing.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get breakfast early in Saratoga Springs?

Compton’s on Broadway opens at 6 a.m. and Uncommon Grounds at 402 Broadway opens at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 6:30 a.m. on weekends. Mrs. London’s opens at 7 a.m. daily.

Which Saratoga Springs brunch spots take reservations?

The Merc takes reservations through Resy, and PDT Maison recommends reservations for weekend brunch. Sweet Mimi’s does not take reservations and seats guests first come, first served.

Where can I get brunch on a weekday in Saratoga Springs?

The Merc at 430 Broadway serves brunch Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Country Corner Cafe serves breakfast all day, seven days a week, until 1:30 p.m.

Last checked September 25, 2026. See a place we missed or a detail that has changed? Send us a correction.