Sure, the breakfast taco is the undisputed champion of San Antonio’s morning hours, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only dish in the competition. Breakfast sandwiches are the unsung heroes of morning— and the ideal alternative for when you have hit a taco plateau.

This month, we are taking a break from the tortilla and introducing flaky croissants, dense bagels, and fluffy biscuits to the breakfast game. Fortunately, these local spots are more than ready to take the baton.

CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery
This Hemisfair charmer has a patisserie case brimming with cinnamon rolls and pain au chocolate, but one cannot live on sweets alone. Build a solid foundation for the day ahead with a breakfast croissant. Not one for light eaters, this royal sandwich gives a choice of ingredients like potato, bacon, chorizo, beans, or cheese. Mix and match to your heart’s content (just leave a few moments to walk it off on the beautiful park grounds.)

Max & Louie’s New York Diner
Though Texans may disagree with New Yorkers on the pronunciation of “Houston,” there’s no argument that the Empire State knows its way around a breakfast sandwich. Thankfully, this eatery on West Bitters Road has brought it to San Antonio in all of its glory. The Long Island egg sandwich is the classic in its truest form, just two cooked-to-order eggs, bacon, and cheese on a kaiser roll or chewy bagel.

La Panadería
Like a Hollywood rom-com with just the right score, this new-school panadería’s breakfast tortas can bring a tear to the eye. The bread is, of course, exemplary, but the fillings also impress, matching buttery scrambled eggs with fillings like chorizo, bacon and cheese, or turkey. Still the most swoon-worthy offering of all is the aptly named El Favorito with ham, Swiss, and a pair sunny-side up eggs. Both the Alamo Heights and downtown locations set the scene for a perfect meet-cute.

Pancho & Gringos
This Dignowity Hill mainstay offers a dizzying array of breakfast sandwiches, from the minimalist Eggs on a Roll to the très magnifique Frenchie served on French toast. Still, nothing sets off our yeehaw vibes quite like The Hillbilly. Scrambled eggs two-step with a pile of corned beer hash while a layer of melted cheese gives it extra gumption. Vittles don’t come much better.

Rosella at the Rand
For many downtown workers, this swanky hot spot is just a place to grab a good coffee — or maybe a quick happy hour cocktail after the grind. The small-but-mighty breakfast menu is a convincing argument for taking a moment to slow down. That goes double for the classic egg sandwich, made with farm fresh eggs, American cheese, and ham. The addition of a honey biscuit makes it special, adding just enough sweetness to complement the fat and salt. Thankfully it’s available all day for those who hit the snooze button one too many times.

Swine House Bodega
After a couple of years staging pop-ups, charcuterie wizard Joe Saenz settled into a downtown brick-and-mortar space in May. Though the whole-animal sandwiches offered at lunch rightfully have locals buzzing, the biscuits are a tour de force of White Lily flour, cultured butter, and house-rendered lard. They are topped with egg and cheese and a rotating selection of meats. Goodness gracious, are they delicious.