Breakfast is worth taking seriously in San Bernardino, especially if you are heading into the mountains or spending the day following Route 66. A proper morning meal also gives you an excuse to choose a local diner or Mexican breakfast instead of the hotel buffet.
Go beyond eggs and toast
Southern California breakfast menus often cross comfortably between classic American diner food and Mexican dishes. Huevos rancheros, chilaquiles and breakfast burritos can be far more satisfying before a day on the road than another plate of anonymous pancakes.
If you want the classic diner experience, the wider Inland Empire has plenty of casual breakfast spots. I would favor somewhere busy with locals over a place designed primarily for photographs.
Eat before the mountain drive
If Lake Arrowhead or Big Bear is your destination, breakfast in the valley can be sensible. Mountain restaurants can become busy on weekends. On a leisurely trip, however, saving breakfast for a mountain community can make the meal part of the excursion.
Many independent breakfast restaurants close early, so check current hours. My preference is simple: coffee, something substantial and enough time that breakfast feels like the first part of the day.