Canadians Got Real About Canada's Best Fast Food Breakfast & One Spot Totally Dominated

Sorry, Tim Hortons.

A breakfast sandwich from Wendy's. Right: A coffee from McDonald's.

A breakfast sandwich from Wendy's. Right: A coffee from McDonald's.

Associate Editor

Wondering what’s the best fast food chain if you’re looking for a quick breakfast in Canada?

As it’s the most important meal of the day, we asked Narcity readers where to find the most underrated fast-food breakfast in the country… and let’s just say it might not be where you'd expect.

The question, which was posted on Narcity's Facebook page, racked up hundreds comments in under a week, and there seemed to be an unequivocal winner.

And no, it’s surprisingly not fast food giants McDonald’s or Tim Hortons.

Instead, the spot that got the highest number of mentions is none other than A&W.

“I don’t eat fast food often but when I do, A&W all the way!” read one comment, which was liked over 50 times.

“A&W has delicious breakfast and I'll say even their coffee is better than McDonalds,” another stated.

They added that how good the coffee is can depend on when it was made, but noted, “If it’s fresh, it beats normal coffee at McDonald's and Tims anytime.”

“A&W! Best breakfast ever,” another agreed.

And if you aren't sure what to order from the popular fast food chain, don't worry, as a lot of Canucks also chimed with breakfast recommendations.

"So many people don’t even know about the Classic or Canadian breakfast at A&W," one person said. "Best deal around if you have time to sit and eat it."

A&W’s classic bacon and eggs breakfast features toast, three strips of bacon and two eggs.

Meanwhile, the All-Canadian special dishes up two eggs, toast, two strips of bacon, two sausage links, two slices of tomato, and a hash brown.

However, A&W wasn’t the only fast food joint praised by Narcity readers.

Wendy’s also got a whole lot of applause, especially for its breakfast croissants.

“My local Wendy’s is pretty bomb. The home fries are my fav,” one Facebook user stated, while another added that the Wendy's Swiss croissants and potato wedges are "actually really good."

As you'd expect with any fast food callout, McDonald’s also got a handful of mentions.

“Hash browns from McDonald's [are] my guilty pleasure. So good!" one Facebook user said, while another called the pancakes "fire."

However, McD's did come with its fair of criticism, with one commenter calling it "overrated."

And, of course, Tim Hortons did get a few mentions too.

“Everyone loves to hate on Tim's but I'll take a bagel belt any day,” one Timmies fan said.

Other notable mentions from Canadians include Triple O’s, Swiss Chalet, Burger King, Denny’s and Dairy Queen.

Or you could do what one user recommended and stop by multiple spots for that all-important morning meal.

“A&W for the hashbrowns, but Wendy's breakfast croissant is insane. And get a side of the Swiss cheese sauce to dip them 'taters in!” they suggested.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for the best fast food dishes in Canada overall, we asked chefs for their favourites... and there are so many delicious gems to shake up your usual order.

Hungry yet?

  • Associate Editor

    Janice Rodrigues (she/her) was an Associate Editor with Narcity Media. She's a lifestyle journalist who swapped the sandy shores of Dubai for snowy Toronto in March 2022. She's previously worked with newspapers Khaleej Times in Dubai and The National in Abu Dhabi, writing about food, health, travel, human interest and more, and her byline has also appeared in blogTO in Toronto. She has a master's degree in media and communications from the University of Wollongong in Dubai. Since arriving, she's been busy exploring Toronto and is excited about everything it has to offer (with the only exception being the snow).

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