A good breakfast gives us the energy we need to start our day.

Most Canadians who eat breakfast eat it at home, but about 20 percent of us grab something on the way to work or school. In fact, breakfast foods are the second most popular item ordered at restaurants (fries and onion rings take the top spot).

While toasted westerns and cream cheese bagels are popular choices, these four local independent cafes offer tasty versions of the classic fried egg breakfast sandwich.

And, if you prefer, they also offer vegetarian and gluten-free adaptations.

King O Racha

Where: The local restaurant, Cambridge

With sandwiches like Notorious BLT, Yolko-Ono and Beetnik on the menu, many made-to-order choices are available at The Local Eatery in downtown Galt.

The King O Racha is a tasty and hearty double-decker bagel sandwich, filled with a fried egg, bacon, cheddar, fresh greens and tomatoes and topped with garlic sauce and a dash of sriracha.

Husband-wife team Harman and Ruby Kaler purchased the cafe a few years ago. Since then, they’ve added their own twist to the original sandwiches.

“The ways of making them are different. I do a mix of India and Canada,” Ruby Kaler said. “The way I cook bacon and eggs with lots of spices…people love it.”

Waffle sandwich

Where: Café Two Forty Five, Guelph

Located in the Hanlon Creek Business Park, this two and a half year old cafe offers a range of inspired sandwiches mixing creativity and a bit of fun.

The Waffle Sandwich is like having Sunday brunch as your breakfast sandwich at work. It features fried eggs, bacon, cheddar, spinach and garlic aioli between two Belgian waffles.

Co-owner Michael Ciccia said it was created after mentioning an Eggo waffle sandwich to his business partner and café chef, Connie Raso. She immediately offered an alternative.

“No, they have to be Belgian waffles,” Raso said. “Because they’re thicker and hold up to grilling. They also have a sweet taste, so it’s a sweet and savory combination.”

Hellorr!

Where: Poppy’s, Waterloo

The bagel cafe in downtown Waterloo sells about 400 to 500 fresh Montreal-style bagels every day. Some are used for their next-level sandwiches, with fillings inspired by local ingredients.

As Toronto Raptors fans, chef-owners Mike and Ashley Fry named the sandwich after the basketball team’s iconic announcer’s shout, “Hellorr!”.

You choose the bagel you want, then it’s loaded with a fried egg, turkey sausage patty, bacon smear, spinach, Havarti, tomato and chili mayonnaise .

“We’re both chefs, so we wanted to create something simple but a little elevated or unique from the average breakfast sandwich. It’s a success, I like to think,” Ashley Fry said.

Pro tip: put it on the whole bagel and have plenty of napkins on hand.

The pregnant cowgirl

Where: The Yeti, Kitchener

In its 13 years of operation, this downtown Kitchener cafe has become a go-to daytime spot for a meal and coffee.

The idea for their fan-favorite sandwich originally came from a staff member who was making something similar in Toronto. She suggested that if they added an egg, they could call it The Pregnant Cowgirl.

This sandwich contains local and homemade ingredients. Grainharvest’s organic multigrain bagel is filled with an egg, tomato, bacon, aged cheddar, avocado and a drizzle of garlic aioli.

“It just took off and became our signature dish. And to this day, it accounts for almost half of our sales,” said owner Victoria Kent. “It’s a nutritious sandwich. It checks all the boxes. It’s messy. It’s filling. It’s substantial.”