Here's What Time McDonald's Stops Serving Breakfast

If you've ever driven into a McDonald's craving one of its several breakfast sandwiches only to be told it was "too late," you are not alone. The loose rule across most locations is that McDonald's stops serving breakfast around 10:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. Most people believe that there is a strict cut-off when all McDonald's locations need to cease breakfast service, but that's not exactly true. Each McDonald's restaurant can decide for itself when it stops serving breakfast. That means, if you're lucky, you may get an additional thirty minutes at some locations.

As soon as mid-morning passes, the staff has to pivot from breakfast prep to lunch prep. This means making room on the grill and planning for burgers, fries, and nuggets. If the staff tried running both menus all day, it'd be a juggling act that slows everything down. So, goodbye hotcakes and hello Big Mac. But it can get complicated. Some locations are open all day, every day, and deciphering the transition from late-night dinners to breakfast might be a game of trial and error.

Many locations open as early as 5:00 a.m., especially in major city centers or along highways. If that is the case, then you will be able to get your breakfast by daybreak. General opening hours are 7:00 a.m., and breakfast will still end at 10:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. So, breakfast could be quite short depending on the location.

Now that you're aware breakfast at McDonald's can stop anywhere between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., depending on the location, you're probably wondering how you're supposed to time it correctly. The easiest move is to use the McDonald's app. The app shows the breakfast hours for the location you're going to visit, so there's no second-guessing. You can even place your order in advance with the "Order Ahead Service" option. 

Interestingly, McDonald's did have all-day breakfast at one point, but there are currently no plans to bring it back — with fewer menu items, restaurants can provide quicker service and make fewer mistakes. When heading to McDonald's for breakfast, keep in mind that the menu might vary by region, so you'll have to factor this into your breakfast plans. Some items may not be available everywhere in the country, similarly to how McDonald's menu items can vary by country. So don't presume what you ate at a branch in Florida will be available in Louisiana.

Whether you are in a hurry on a busy morning, getting the kids off to school, or simply craving the famous eggs-Benedict-inspired Egg McMuffin, good timing is everything. Ten minutes could make all the difference to your breakfast run, but now you have the tools to beat the cutoff.