Unearth The Voyage
Bacon makes everything better, especially breakfast. Whether you like it thick-cut and smoky, sweet and sticky, or perfectly crispy, there are chain restaurants across America that have turned bacon into an art form. From special bacon flights to candy-coated strips and even bacon-stuffed pancakes, these breakfast spots take bacon seriously and make it the star of the show, not just a boring side.
1. Denny’s – Home of Baconalia
Few restaurant chains embrace bacon with as much enthusiasm as Denny’s does through its famous Baconalia celebration. This bacon-obsessed event has given birth to wild creations like the Triple Bacon Sampler, premium bacon pancakes, and yes, even bacon milkshakes that sound absolutely crazy but taste surprisingly good.
Even when Baconalia isn’t running, you’ll find plenty of bacon love on the everyday menu. Applewood-smoked bacon appears in their legendary All-American Slam and various other Slam combos that pack eggs, hash browns, and toast alongside those crispy strips.
The 2025 breakfast menu keeps bacon front and center as both a featured ingredient and a classic side option. If you’re hunting for a diner that truly gets bacon culture, Denny’s delivers every single time with portions that don’t disappoint.
2. IHOP – Pancakes… and Serious Bacon Energy
Pancakes might be IHOP’s claim to fame, but their dedication to bacon deserves equal recognition. The Bacon Obsession menu changed the game by introducing thick steakhouse premium bacon that’s roughly five times thicker than standard restaurant bacon, making each bite feel more like eating a proper bacon steak than a thin strip.
This premium bacon shows up in breakfast plates, burgers, and even gets blended into a maple bacon milkshake for adventurous eaters. More recently, IHOP featured Maple Bacon Pancakes as their November 2025 Pancake of the Month, with smoky bacon and maple flavor baked right into the batter.
When a pancake house puts this much effort into perfecting bacon, you know they’re serious about satisfying every craving at once.
3. First Watch – Million Dollar Bacon
First Watch took regular bacon and turned it into something extraordinary with their signature Million Dollar Bacon. Four thick slices of hardwood-smoked bacon get baked with brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup until they transform into sweet, spicy, sticky-crisp perfection that tastes more like bacon candy than breakfast meat.
You can order it as a shareable appetizer-style plate or add it to any breakfast dish without hesitation. Imagine tossing that candy-like bacon onto your omelet, pancakes, or morning hash for an instant flavor upgrade.
This brunch chain understands that bacon doesn’t have to play second fiddle to eggs and toast. Sometimes bacon deserves to be the headliner, and Million Dollar Bacon absolutely earns that spotlight with every caramelized, peppery bite.
4. Snooze, an A.M. Eatery – Bacon Flight Paradise
Snooze brings playful creativity to brunch, and their approach to bacon reflects that fun-loving spirit perfectly. They’ve earned a reputation for their Signature Bacon Flight, which presents several bacon styles on one beautiful board like a bacon tasting menu designed for serious enthusiasts.
You’ll find classic strips alongside sweet-spicy versions rubbed with brown sugar and chili, maple-peppered bacon that balances sweet and savory, plus slices of rich habanero pork belly for those who like heat. Each variety offers a completely different flavor experience, turning breakfast into an adventure.
With a 2025 menu still loaded with creative benedicts, pancake flights, and indulgent sides, Snooze treats bacon like the complex, delicious ingredient it deserves to be rather than just another boring protein option.
5. Another Broken Egg Cafe – Southern Brunch, Bacon Everywhere
Another Broken Egg Cafe has grown rapidly by serving Southern-inspired comfort food that puts bacon in almost every corner of the menu. Their November 2025 updated menus show bacon woven through omelets, scramblers, Benedicts, sandwiches, and even kids’ plates like the Little Rooster that pairs scrambled eggs with bacon and toast.
This is the kind of restaurant where ordering any hearty skillet or breakfast combo almost guarantees at least a couple of bacon strips landing on your plate without even asking. Bacon isn’t treated as an afterthought or optional add-on here.
For anyone who believes Southern hospitality tastes better with bacon on the side, Another Broken Egg Cafe makes that dream a delicious reality with every single visit and every generous portion they serve.
6. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store – Thick-Sliced Country Bacon
Cracker Barrel keeps its breakfast-all-day promise alive and well, with bacon playing a starring role in that comforting tradition. Their 2025 breakfast menu proudly features thick-sliced bacon both as a build-your-own side option and as a key ingredient in their big country breakfast plates and loaded casseroles.
If you’re craving old-school diner vibes with a country twist, Cracker Barrel delivers exactly that experience. Their bacon-and-eggs plates feel like something your grandmother might have made, except better because someone else does the cooking and cleanup.
The loaded hashbrown casserole bowls bring bacon, cheese, and potatoes together in perfect harmony. For anyone seeking that classic American breakfast experience with generous portions and honest flavors, Cracker Barrel’s thick-sliced bacon hits the spot every time without trying too hard.
7. Waffle House – Greasy-Spoon Bacon Classic
Waffle House stands as a Southern icon, and while waffles and scattered hashbrowns steal most of the attention, their crispy Smithfield bacon deserves serious recognition too. Three strips of smoky, perfectly crisp bacon come standard with most breakfast plates, meant to be paired with eggs, waffles, or their famous All-Star Special.
Part of the magic happens right before your eyes. The open grill setup lets you literally watch your bacon sizzling and crisping while you wait, filling the air with that irresistible smoky aroma that makes your mouth water.
There’s something honest and satisfying about Waffle House bacon. Nothing fancy or overthought, just solid greasy-spoon breakfast done right, the way diners have been serving it for decades across the American South and beyond.
8. Bob Evans – Hardwood-Smoked Farmhouse Bacon
Bob Evans built its reputation on farm-fresh comfort food, and hardwood-smoked bacon sits at the heart of that wholesome image. The chain offers family-size trays of center-cut hardwood bacon for groups, with menu descriptions emphasizing the slow smoking process over real hardwood that creates deep, authentic flavor.
Thick slices stay wonderfully crisp at the edges while remaining tender in the middle, giving you that perfect bacon texture everyone craves. You’ll discover this quality bacon in many of their big farm breakfasts, Sunrise Savers value meals, and traditional bacon-and-eggs plates throughout their 2025 breakfast lineup.
When you want breakfast that feels like it came from an actual farmhouse kitchen rather than a factory assembly line, Bob Evans delivers that comforting experience with every smoky, satisfying bite of their signature bacon.
9. Black Bear Diner – Thick-Cut Bacon for Big Appetites
Black Bear Diner caters specifically to serious breakfast eaters who come hungry and want to leave completely satisfied. Their menus spotlight thick-cut bacon in multiple dishes, with portions designed for people with real appetites rather than dainty eaters.
Take The Grizz combo, for example. This beast of a breakfast comes loaded with pancakes, eggs, two sausage links, thick-cut bacon, plus potatoes, creating a full-on feast that could fuel you through an entire day of hiking or hard work.
If you prefer your bacon substantial and meaty rather than paper-thin and crispy to the point of shattering, Black Bear Diner was absolutely built for your tastes. Every strip feels hearty and satisfying, giving you the protein-packed breakfast you actually need to power through your morning without feeling hungry an hour later.
10. Perkins American Food Co. – Applewood Bacon and All-Day Breakfast
Perkins started its journey as a pancake house and remains proudly breakfast-driven to this day. Value breakfast deals like their popular 5 Under $5 and 6 Under $6 combos pair fluffy pancakes and eggs with Applewood smoked bacon as the go-to meat choice that never disappoints.
Recent coverage of Perkins’ new flagship restaurant in Orlando, along with their ambitious 2025 growth plans, confirms the chain isn’t just surviving but actively modernizing and expanding. Through all these changes, they’ve kept their breakfast-heavy menu at the absolute core of the brand identity.
For budget-conscious bacon lovers who don’t want to sacrifice quality for affordability, Perkins offers that sweet spot where great taste meets reasonable prices. Their Applewood bacon brings genuine smoky flavor without the premium price tag attached.
11. Huddle House – Any-Time Bacon Platters
Huddle House markets itself on the simple promise of Any Meal, Any Time, and that flexible philosophy absolutely includes bacon at every hour. Their MVP (Most Valuable Platter) lets you choose Applewood smoked bacon as your featured meat alongside eggs, hashbrowns or fruit, and either a waffle or pancakes to complete the meal.
Across their entire menu, you can also upgrade pancake plates to include eggs and three strips of bacon, making it incredibly easy to turn almost any order into a bacon-forward breakfast experience. No complicated customizations or weird substitutions required.
Whether you’re craving bacon at 7 a.m. or 11 p.m., Huddle House welcomes you with the same quality and portions. For shift workers, night owls, or anyone with unconventional schedules, this any-time bacon availability feels like a genuine blessing.
12. The Original Pancake House – Bacon Lovers’ Dream
The Original Pancake House has been serving breakfast for decades, with more than 90 to 100 franchises scattered across the United States. Still actively expanding and appearing on 2025 industry rankings, they’ve clearly figured out what breakfast lovers want and deliver it consistently.
Their menus make bacon a true centerpiece in creative ways. Bacon Pancakes feature bacon bits baked directly inside fluffy buttermilk pancakes for bacon flavor in every single bite. Then there’s the Bacon Lovers plate, which absolutely lives up to its name by piling seven slices of their special-recipe bacon alongside four eggs and pancakes.
Seven slices of bacon isn’t a typo or a mistake. It’s a deliberate statement that some people really, truly love bacon and deserve a breakfast that respects that passion without judgment or portion-shaming.
13. Village Inn – Classic Bacon-Heavy Skillets and Combos
Village Inn continues operating as a casual breakfast chain with over 100 locations as of 2024, appearing regularly in 2025 chain rankings. Their menu focuses on big breakfasts and pies, giving customers that classic American diner experience with generous portions and familiar favorites.
Their current menus include plenty of bacon-centric options worth trying. The simple 2-2-2 Breakfast delivers two eggs, two strips of bacon or sausage, and two pancakes for a balanced meal. The Ultimate Skillet goes much bigger, stacking bacon, sausage, ham, veggies, cheese, and eggs over potatoes, plus adding a side of pancakes for good measure.
If you want a classic diner breakfast where bacon comes standard rather than as an expensive add-on, Village Inn fits the bill nicely. Nothing revolutionary or trendy here, just honest breakfast food done right with bacon taking its rightful place.
