Broken Yolk Cafe

The Broken Yolk Cafe is an American restaurant chain serving American breakfast foods mixed with Tex-Mex cuisine. Founded in 1979, it has forty locations mainly in Southern California, with others in other areas of the Western United States. The restaurant is most known for its Eggs Benedict.

History

The Broken Yolk Cafe was founded in 1979, in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego.[2][3] John Gelastopoulos, a real estate restaurant broker, bought the restaurant in 1993.[1][4][5]

The company began to franchise its locations in 2007.[6] Adam Richman visited one of the chain's restaurants in 2009 as a part of the third season of Man v. Food. He was able to complete the restaurant's BYC Challenge. In 2015, the first location in Arizona was opened, in the city of Mesa.[7] Fifteen locations were opened in Florida in 2016 in the chain's first foray into the East Coast. A Midwest location, in Illinois, was also opened in that year.[8] The first Nevada location was in Las Vegas, opened in 2019.[9] In 2020, the first restaurant in Idaho was opened, in Boise.[10]

Menu

Items served by the Broken Yolk Cafe include breakfast burritos, avocado toast, açaí bowls, parfaits, steel-cut oats, skillets, omelettes, Eggs Benedict, huevos rancheros, machaca, chilaquiles, pancakes, waffles, French toast, crêpes, burgers, a club sandwich, a BLT, melt sandwiches, salads, and the signature two eggs of any style with a choice of home fries, hash browns, fruit, Mexican rice, refried beans, black beans, and bread like biscuits, muffins, tortillas, and English muffin. Cocktails, juices, coffees, and beer are also offered.[11]

The chain also offers the BYC Challenge, where participants have to finish a twelve-egg omelette stuffed with, mushrooms, onions, cheese, and chili in under an hour. Accompanying the omelette are large servings of home fries and two biscuits. Those who complete the challenge will be placed on the Hall of Fame, receive a t-shirt, and not have to pay.[12][13][14]

Locations

As of 2025, the Broken Yolk Cafe has 41 locations. 29 of them are in California and concentrated around the southern part of the state. The franchise currently has four locations in Arizona, five in Nevada, two in Texas, and one in Idaho.[15]

Awards & Recognition

Broken Yolk Cafe is the recipient of several awards, primarily for its menu, culture, and franchise business:

• In 2024, The Orange County Register named Broken Yolk Cafe as the "Best Breakfast" in Orange County. [16]
• In 2025, Franchise Times named Broken Yolk Cafe as the "Top Breakfast Franchise" as part of the publication's annual Zor Awards.[17]
• In 2025, The San Diego Union-Tribune named Broken Yolk Cafe as the city's "Best Breakfast" in their annual ranking on San Diego's top destinations for food and drinks. [18]

External links

• Official website
• Broken Yolk Cafe Locations