Few things are as fun in this life as waking up and making the choice to head out for breakfast. Instead of dragging yourself to the kitchen and firing up the stove before you’ve even had coffee, you get to have someone else do all the hard work for you, and enjoy a bunch of foods that you likely don’t have the energy to consider making first thing in the morning. You know what can quickly kill the joy of going out for breakfast, though? The bill. One of the reasons why breakfast chains are so popular, and why they seem to spring up everywhere, is that they’re usually reasonably priced. In recent years, though, that’s been put to the test, and some of the most popular breakfast chains are now almost universally thought to be way too expensive by their customers.

What’s pretty wild, too, is that a lot of these chains have made their name on offering affordable, down-to-earth food. Restaurants like Bob Evans, Denny’s, and IHOP, which have previously been considered value for money, are now gaining a reputation for being overly expensive. Others, like Broken Yolk and Another Broken Egg, aren’t necessarily known for being reasonable, but are constantly named as not being worth it. Let’s dive into the breakfast chains you should probably avoid if you want an affordable meal.

Read more: Customers Say These 10 Fast Food Chains Have Seriously Dipped In Quality In 2025

First Watch

First Watch restaurant exterior - Jhvephoto/Getty Images

First Watch has had an incredible run lately. In August 2025, it reported that it had reached a milestone of 600 restaurants, alongside enormous increases in its total revenues and system-wide sales. The chain has its eyes on dominating the market and achieving a total size of around 2,200 units.

It’ll only do that, though, if it can retain a good value proposition for its customers — and lately it doesn’t feel like that’s happening. In 2025, some people have started to feel that First Watch’s food just doesn’t justify its cost, with customers dubbing it being too expensive for what it is. “It is expensive breakfast food that I don’t feel [is] worth the price,” said one person on Reddit – one of many who feel this way.

It seems as though First Watch’s offer is also its downfall. In a market ruled by the likes of Denny’s, IHOP, and Waffle House, which give customers hearty plates of fried foods, First Watch opts for a classier approach. Its menu of avocado toast, healthy breakfast wraps, and multigrain pancakes is certainly a breath of fresh air. However, when that simple portion of avocado toast costs $12.99, it’s not hard to see why people feel like it’s just not worth it.

Bob Evans

Bob Evans restaurant exterior - Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Bob Evans used to be synonymous with value for money, and the kind of place that you knew you’d get a reasonably priced, reliable breakfast from, especially when compared with Cracker Barrel. Now, however, that just doesn’t seem to be the case. In recent years, Bob Evans has faced accusations of a decline in quality, combined with an increase in price, which has coincided with uncertainty around its future. Bob Evans explored a sale back in 2022, before ultimately putting itself up for purchase in 2024 ... although it still hasn’t sold.

In the meantime, customers have been left pretty disappointed with what they’re getting. Folks who dine there have reported paying high prices for tiny portions of breakfast food, particularly when ordering online. One Reddit user posted a picture of a skillet bowl that set them back $15, for what looks like a few spoonfuls of food. “My husband & I have noticed that BE has gone down dramatically in quality & portion size,” said another disappointed customer in the same Reddit thread. “The dinner rolls are like the size of small rocks. It used to be fluffy & soft. Now it’s like stale bread.” Whether you’re eating there for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it seems like it’s no longer that good of an option.

Waffle House

Waffle House restaurant exterior - Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Waffle House may have recently gotten a boost of publicity in a Jonas Brothers song, but it seems like that band of brothers are the only people who are happy to be associated with the chain. More and more people have been turning away from the restaurant entirely, due to its hefty price rises that have left most folks unable to justify eating there. In the last five years, Waffle House’s prices have risen by almost 33% on average. Although this is below the standard rate of increase for many chain restaurants, it’s still 11% above the rate of inflation for 2020 to 2025.

People aren’t just annoyed about its base prices going up, either (although there are plenty of folks who certainly feel that way). They’re also exhausted by a new fee that the chain has recently introduced, which requires customers to pay an extra 20% on all to-go orders. This has massively elevated the cost of some meals, and some long-time patrons have been left deeply frustrated by the price of their standard order becoming way too expensive.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant exterior - Just dance/Shutterstock

Dunkin’ Donuts is typically thought to be a little more affordable than other breakfast and coffee chains. However, that reputation may soon change, if its recent prices are anything to go by. Customers have recently been feeling increasingly stung by the cost of Dunkin’s food, particularly for orders that aren’t really that big at all. Others have started to think that the items that they’re getting don’t feel worth it, with one Redditor stating that while the pretzel sliders they bought were tasty, they didn’t justify their $4.99 price point, partly due to how small they were.

The issue of size isn’t a new one at Dunkin’, either. Customers have started to notice that the chain may well be indulging in a little bit of shrinkflation when it comes to its breakfast foods, with accusations that its breakfast sandwiches have shrunk. Its famous donuts also seem to be getting smaller, and its coffees also no longer represent value for money for everyone. If Dunkin’ isn’t careful, it’s gonna drive a lot of loyal customers away.

Broken Yolk

Broken Yolk store exterior - grandopeninggirliez / Instagram

Compared to other breakfast chains, Broken Yolk is on the smaller side. The San Diego-born concept has been around since 1979, but it’s only managed to grow to a few dozen locations across a handful of states. While we can’t put our finger on exactly why Broken Yolk hasn’t exploded in popularity like other breakfast joints, price might be something to do with it. Customers have repeatedly dubbed Broken Yolk as overpriced, with people noting that its food is average and not worth the cost.

Not only that, but Broken Yolk has also been plagued by accusations of being overhyped, and therefore may be pulling customers in through its reputation as opposed to the quality of its food. “By far the worst eggs Benedict I’ve ever had in my life,” said one Redditor, in a thread discussing the most overrated places in San Diego. “I can’t understand why they’re always packed with a line out the door on weekends.” Others agreed, also stating that the restaurant takes way too long to give you your food in the first place, before you even have to pay for it. It’s not a great look for the chain, to be honest.

IHOP

IHOP restaurant sign - JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

IHOP has never been known as somewhere that’s too expensive. For much of its history, it’s been known as a down-to-earth chain where you can get breakfast for a relatively reasonable price. In the last half-decade, though, that’s completely changed. Between 2020 and 2025, IHOP had the highest price rises of any fast-casual chain, with its menu items increasing in price, on average, by an eye-watering 82%. That figure is almost four times the inflation rate for the same period.

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It’s probably no surprise that customers are noticing the price hikes, and they’re not happy about it at all. One person on Reddit described IHOP’s menu prices as “pure chaos,” before listing the wild cost of additional items in their order, and asking, “Have they lost their minds? Do they want to lose business?”

To give IHOP credit, it does seem to be aware that its prices have gone through the roof. In September 2025, it launched its first Everyday Value Menu, promising a selection of breakfasts available every day for just $6. Its only problem is that it may have done so too late to beat the reputation of being overpriced, and many IHOP pancake orders now empty out your wallet.

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel restaurant sign - Logan Bush/Shutterstock

Cracker Barrel has an image problem, folks. In the last couple of years, the chain has started to feel distinctly old-fashioned and of a different time, with the CEO even admitting in 2024 that it had lost its relevance in the modern market. This admission came at the same time as disappointing sales figures for the company, after which it announced that it would be raising its menu prices.

Although the chain stated that it would only raise the cost of its food by around 5%, that seems to have been enough for it to tip fully into overpriced territory for its customers, who have also noticed a simultaneous drop in quality. Its breakfast food has come under particular fire for being much worse than it used to be. “I ordered Grandma’s Pancake Sampler, and it was AWFUL,” said one very disappointed customer on Reddit. “The hashbrown casserole doesn’t look or taste ANYTHING like it used to, and the ham was so salty I couldn’t take more than a few bites. The sausage patty was dry and had no flavor, and there was something strange going on with my scrambled eggs.” Seems like this chain has lost all of its charm; even its new logo is hated by customers.

Denny’s

A Denny’s sign is illuminated against a blue sky - Nick Fox/Shutterstock

Few breakfast chains have received the blowback that Denny’s has recently over its prices. Customers across the board have noticed that the cost of its food has skyrocketed, while the portions and general quality have decreased. A customer on Reddit stated that Denny’s now seemed “way overpriced,” with portions that are “significantly reduced.” The customer went on to state that they “ordered an Original Grand Slam with an extra egg. Looked like two eggs, the bacon was one strip cut into two, and sausage links have shrunk to half the size.” This is a sentiment echoed by plenty of others who have observed that the chain is now seriously expensive, with other restaurants feeling more reasonable while having better food.

For its part, Denny’s hasn’t been shy about pointing out that it has had to raise its prices. In early 2025, it announced that it would be adding a surcharge to egg dishes in response to the increasing cost of eggs across the country. However, this doesn’t necessarily justify the increased cost of its other foods, nor the smaller size of everything else on the plate. Plus, given that Denny’s dubbed this a temporary measure, you’d expect its prices to drop back to normal once eggs did the same. It’s hard to feel as though this “temporary” move was, in fact, a subtle way to introduce higher prices across the board.

Another Broken Egg

Another Broken Egg Cafe restaurant exterior - Brett Hondow/Shutterstock

Another Broken Egg is a chain that feels pretty trendy. Although it was first founded in 1996, it has recently started to stand out a little more, thanks to its offering of classy breakfast foods that feel both comforting and a little bit special. The trouble is, if you want to enjoy eating there, you’re gonna have to fork out a lot of money — and sadly, a lot of its customers don’t think you get what you pay for. “Prices at Another Broken Egg are WILD,” stated a very honest reviewer on Reddit. “You gotta check your credit score before you go to brunch. But when you have a chance to overpay for an average meal, you gotta take it.”

One thing that seems to stand out for people who eat at Another Broken Egg is its fairly chaotic nature. When you’re paying almost $12 for a single waffle, you can at least expect it to arrive promptly at your table — but people have noticed that service times are seriously lengthy, staff turnover is high, and morale is low. On top of all that, the food just isn’t that great. It feels like yet another franchise that’s had a lot of hype, but it isn’t necessarily all that earned.

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