Skip to content

10 Breakfast Chains That Serve the Best Omelets

Big, hearty, fluffy, and filled with just about any ingredient you could possibly want.
FACT CHECKED BY Mura Dominko

The omelet—or omelette if you prefer the French version—is a food stretching back to ancient Persia, according to "Breakfast: A History," and it has been part of breakfast spreads around the world since. In the dish's most basic form, it consists of beaten eggs and is cooked in fat.

However, you could say Americans have taken their omelets to new heights. Primarily a breakfast food (that makes an excellent lunch or dinner as well), omelets in America are big, hearty, fluffy, and filled with just about any ingredient you could want. We love ham and Swiss cheese between freshly cracked eggs, veggie-stuffed versions, and creative takes, such as a Philly cheesesteak omelet (yes, it exists, and it's fantastic).

While cracking a few fresh eggs at home is a treat, not everyone has the time or skills to make a perfectly fluffy omelet packed with their favorite fillings. Egg lovers, we've got you covered with the best chain restaurants serving omelets around the country (and using real whole eggs to boot).

Bakers Square

Bakers Square Restaurant and Bakery omelet
Bakers Square Restaurant
Nutrition: (Per Baker's Omelet):
Calories: 380
Fat: 29 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 670 mg
Carbs: 7 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 26 g

This midwestern chain with locations in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio, is known for its tasty baked goods and excellent breakfast served all day long. Get the signature Baker's omelet with ham, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cheddar, or try the smothered meat lovers version that has ham and onions inside and is covered with country sausage gravy and chopped bacon. All are served with seasoned hash browns or fresh fruit and a choice of toast, buttermilk pancakes, English muffin, bakery muffin, or biscuit, to make it a hearty start to the day.

8 Fast-Food Chains With the Best Breakfast Burritos

Bob Evans

Bob Evans three meat and cheese omelette
Bob Evans
Nutrition: (Per Western Omelet):
Calories: 630
Fat: 46 g (Saturated Fat: 16 g)
Sodium: 1,620 mg
Carbs: 12 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 42 g

Beginning with a humble sausage shop in Ohio, Bob Evans' titular founder emphasized a focus on hearty, homestyle cooking and expanded that to more than 400 restaurants across the U.S. As farm-fresh breakfasts almost always include eggs, it's no surprise that the chain makes a mean omelet. Like most restaurants, it offers a build-your-own, with hearty fillings, or you can try the Three Meat and Cheese omelet or the Western omelet, filled with hickory-smoked ham, sautéed onions, red and green bell peppers, and cheddar cheese. All are served with hash browns or home fries and freshly baked biscuits.

The Cheesecake Factory

Cheesecake Factory Spinach Mushroom Bacon and Cheese Omelette
Cheesecake Factory
Nutrition: (Per Spinach, Mushroom, Bacon and Cheese Omelet):
Calories: 1,050
Fat: 90 g (Saturated Fat: 46 g)
Sodium: 1,570 mg
Carbs: 14 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 48 g

Given its incredibly diverse menu, it's not surprising that the Cheesecake Factory offers several signature omelets, including its popular omelet with fresh spinach, smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms, green onions, and loads of melty cheese. Or, start your day your way, with a create-your-own version, where you pick four fillings from options including bacon, ham, cheddar cheese, and more to build the fluffy omelet of your dreams.

I Tried the Croissant Breakfast Sandwich From 5 Fast-Food Chains & the Best Tasted Gourmet

Denny's

Denny's Moons Over My Hammy Omelette
Courtesy of Denny's
Nutrition: (Per Moons Over My Hammy Omelet Platter):
Calories: 1,080
Fat: 67 g (Saturated Fat: 21 g)
Sodium: 2,760 mg
Carbs: 64 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 52 g)
Protein: 9 g

Founded as a donut shop in 1953, this diner-style chain has a rich history with breakfast, and most of its restaurants serve it all day and night. From traditional to creative styles, Denny's has you covered with omelets such as the Moons Over My Hammy, made with three eggs and filled with ham, Swiss cheese, and American cheese. All of the chain's hearty omelets are served with toast and hash browns.

First Watch

First Watch Bacado Omelette
First Watch
Nutrition: (Per Bacado Omelet):
Calories: 1,200
Fat: 83 g (Saturated Fat: 29 g)
Sodium: 1,325 mg
Carbs: 62 g (Fiber: 11 g, Sugar: 27 g)
Protein: 44 g

This growing chain's name is a nautical reference to the first work shift on a ship. First Watch only serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays and brunch on the weekends (including tasty brunch cocktails). Its omelet options—and there are a few—are indulgent with fillings such as ham and Gruyère, and bacon and avocado in the Bacado. Guests can add toast or mixed greens to this egg-tastic meal.

I Tried Every Breakfast Sandwich at Panera & the Best Was Big and Cheesy

Huddle House

Huddle House Prime Rib Tips Omelette
Huddle House
Nutrition: (Per Western Omelet):
Calories: 450
Fat: 37 g (Saturated Fat: 14 g)
Sodium: 800 mg
Carbs: 8 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 20 g

Primarily based in the Southeast, this chain founded in 1963 has more than 200 locations. The name is a reference to a football huddle. The chain focuses on homestyle cooking the whole family can huddle up and enjoy. Huddle House serves "fluffed and stuffed" omelets, packed with Philly Cheesesteak fixin's, and a Western-style with ham, cheese, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. All are served with a choice of homestyle grits, crispy hash browns, or seasonal fruit, and buttery toast or biscuit.

IHOP

IHOP Big Steak Omelette
IHOP
Nutrition: (Per Big Steak Omelet):
Calories: 1,020
Fat: 68 g (Saturated Fat: 24 g)
Sodium: 1,730 mg
Carbs:  39 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 65 g

IHOP stands for International House of Pancakes, and the restaurant has been a standard stop for breakfast in the U.S. since its founding in 1958. IHOP doesn't just deliver fluffy pancakes. It also serves omelets that are both fluffy and hearty. Meat lovers should head straight to the Big Steak omelet, while healthy eaters will enjoy the pesto veggie egg white version. All are served with a choice of one side, including three pancakes, hash browns, toast, or fresh fruit.

I Tried the Pancakes at McDonald's, Denny's, & IHOP—and Only One Chain Makes the Best Stack

Original Pancake House

Original Pancake House omelette
Original Pancake House

Nutrition information unavailable.

Another popular pancake chain that nails the omelet recipe, Original Pancake House, was founded in Portland, Oregon, in 1953. It has more than 100 locations today. The cozy chain has some of the fluffiest pancakes you'll find, but it's got eggs, too. Its "direct from Barcelona" Spanish omelet features fresh mushrooms and is smothered with a spicy, peppery, tangy sauce. All fluffy omelets are served with three buttermilk pancakes, so come hungry.

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery Omelette
Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
Nutrition: (Per Granny's Country Omelet):
Calories: 640
Fat: 41 g (Saturated Fat: 16 g)
Sodium: 700 mg
Carbs: 34 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 36 g

Established in Cincinnati in 1958 as a pancake house, Perkins expanded quickly to franchise across the U.S. As with many other restaurants on this list, the chain makes amazing and hearty breakfasts, including fresh-cracked classic omelets. You can build your own, but Granny's Country omelet is a stomach-filler with diced grilled ham, onions, green peppers, American cheese, cheese sauce, and crispy hash browns.

7 Fast-Food Chains That Serve the Best Hash Browns

Village Inn

Village Inn Country Music Star Omelette
Village Inn/Facebook
Nutrition: (Per Country Music Star Omelet):
Calories: 1,260
Fat: 89 g (Saturated Fat: 31 g)
Sodium: 2,900 mg
Carbs: 69 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 12 g)
Protein: 52 g

The Village Inn, or VI as it's known to many, was founded as the Village Inn Pancake House in Denver in 1958. The iconic orange sign and hearty country-style cooking have stayed mostly the same since, and that includes the three-egg omelets. You can always build your own, but the restaurant offers a changing menu of specials. At the moment that includes the Country Music Star omelet, made with house-made sausage, diced ham, and onions, and topped with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, country sausage gravy, and bacon. Yeehaw!

This story has been updated to include additional entries, fact-checking, and copy-editing.

Tanya Edwards
Tanya Edwards is a seasoned food and health journalist, who has held roles at Yahoo Health as Managing Editor and at Food Network as Programming Director. Read more about Tanya