Red Kettle

It takes about two minutes walking around in Idyllwild to realize that breakfast is king here. The main strip is lined with cutes-y early morning cafes, making picking a spot somewhat stressful. We’ll narrow it down: Go to Red Kettle. The historic diner is one of the oldest buildings in town (it originally opened in the 1920’s as a candy and ice cream shop) and is now our preferred spot for a hearty, no-frills breakfast in Idyllwild. The menu covers a ton of ground—there’s everything from French Dips to huevos rancheros—but we like to keep it simple. Sometimes a plate of well-cooked eggs and three crispy strips of bacon is all you need.