
Whenever I crave real American hamburgers, pancakes, and bacon, I head over to Breakfast in America, a small, cozy diner on rue Mahler.
One morning after realizing a croissant just wasn’t going to cut it anymore as my only source of breakfast, I ordered the 2x 2x 2 – 2 scrambled eggs, 2 delicious light and fluffy pancakes (which I smothered in maple syrup) and 2 pieces of perfect, crisp bacon. (If you want to pig-out have the 3x3x3). Other breakfast specialties are steak & eggs, omelettes with cheese, Swiss & mushroom or New Mexican style with salsa & cheddar, and thick-cut French toast. You can skip the too authentic bland, tasteless American coffee.
The interior of red pleather chairs & banquettes, black & white tile floor and stainless steel toasters at every table, is cute but not cutesy and inviting. There’s a counter in the middle with authentic steel and red pleather revolving bar stools. The service is American friendly and the waitresses speak better English than French, so you don’t have to be intimidated by formal French waiters when you try and order. The crowd is half American and young hip Frenchies in their 20’s.

Their burgers, good but not great, are still better than most French ones. Their midi formule is a good value: 10 euros (7.50 if you are a student) gets you a burger or cheeseburger, lots of good fries or a heap of creamy Cole slaw, a Coke and dessert (a warm chewy chocolate chip cookie, donut, or muffin). Burger choices include chili, veggie, cape codfish, and grilled chicken.
I have not tried most of the other things on the menu but the Nachos, chicken nuggets, chili and BLT sure looked yummy.
I met the owner Craig Carlson last year when the diner first opened. He’s a down home friendly American guy from Connecticut who was a screenwriter and director. He decided to open the diner after living in Paris for a while and missing fast food from the U.S. This is his second branch, after the success of the first one by the Sorbonne. His partner Darren, from New Zealand, is equally nice and runs the rue Mahler branch.
Breakfast in America
4 rue Mahler, 75004
Open 8:30AM-11PM 7 days
Tel. 01 42 72 40 71
Metro: St. Paul
17 rue des Ecoles, 75005
Open 8:30AM-11PM 7 days
Tel. 01 43 54 50 28
Metro: Cardinal Lemoine

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