A souffle pancake that sinks on the way to the table, an 80s-themed diner and a hotel brunch in an old candy factory.
Order breakfast in La Crosse and you might get a souffle pancake that rises in the oven and sinks on the way to your table, or an omelet paired with a John Hughes movie. Hollandberry and The Breakfast Club & Pub sit about 0.3 miles apart downtown.
The rest of the morning menu runs from a diner on Rose Street with all-day breakfast to a hotel brunch in a former candy factory. Hours below come from each place's own pages or Google's profile, so call before a long walk.
Sponsored
Hollandberry Pannekoeken, the Dutch pancake house
Hollandberry opened on a Sunday in mid-March 2026 at 200 6th Street South, in a converted former bank drive-through, as the second location of a Rochester, Minnesota, restaurant that dates to 1986.
The American relative, the Dutch baby, was introduced at a Seattle cafe in the first half of the 1900s and is baked in a hot metal pan, and it falls soon after leaving the oven. That is why servers carry a pannekoeken to the table fast, and why you should eat it before you take the photograph.
The Breakfast Club & Pub and its 1980s theme
Eighties pop culture runs through the decor, the playlist and the menu at 214 Main Street.
A diner breakfast on Rose Street
Weekend brunch and bottomless mimosas
The Charmant Hotel occupies an 1898 candy factory building, and Explore La Crosse lists weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with brioche French toast and a croque madame.
On Saturdays, 4 Sisters advertises bottomless mimosas from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a reviewer says the server kept every cup full. Explore La Crosse's brunch roundup names more places, including one on Lake Onalaska.
Early starts and Sunday mornings
Opening times decide the plan more than the menu. Free Range Exchange, at 215 3rd Street North, lists a 6 a.m. opening every day, with sandwiches, soups, quiche and a bakery case. Hollandberry lists 6:30 a.m. every day, Grounded Patio Cafe lists 6:30 a.m. on weekdays, and Jules Coffee House lists 7:30 a.m. from Monday to Saturday and is closed on Sunday.
Sunday is the thin day, so the safe Sunday plans are Hollandberry, which stays open until 4 p.m., the Charmant brunch, or The Root Note, whose own site lists weekend hours from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check each place before you set out, because hours shift with the season.
Coffee shops that serve breakfast
A lighter start is a bakery case and a coffee, and the coffee shops in La Crosse sit within a few blocks of the pancake houses. At Jules Coffee House on Pearl Street, the Fisher Family bakes scones daily and the menu includes soups and crepes, and reviewers recommend the Pettibone crepe and the cinnamon roll.
At Grounded Patio Cafe on Main Street, the kitchen turns out breakfast sandwiches, and a reviewer says it was packed and lively, so expect it to be loud on a weekend. The kitchen at the Root Note serves crepes and organic dishes and closes at 2 p.m. every day, and reviewers say the staff handle gluten-free and vegan requests well.
Fitting breakfast into a La Crosse day
Breakfast pairs with a walk, since the river is about 0.6 miles from Hollandberry. Plan the rest of the day as a full day in La Crosse, with the river and the bluffs on the list.
Save dinner for the Cajun kitchen on Pearl Street, which Travel Wisconsin places in a former hotel building.
Come early for the pancake that rises in the oven, and Riverside Park is about 0.6 miles away when you have finished.
Frequently asked questions
Published October 5, 2026
