The combo of bacon, egg, and cheese gets reinterpreted at restaurants across the country

Many consumers seek out the breakfast staple of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich because of its comforting familiarity. But the classic American combination has now been embraced so widely that it goes beyond the traditional platforms of sliced bread, bagels, croissants, and the now-common breakfast burrito. In fact, the BEC, as it’s known in some circles, has evolved into a canvas for innovation. Starting with a reassuring foundation, restaurant operators are seizing the opportunity to experiment, whether by tweaking ingredients, changing how it’s presented, or adding new flavors while preserving its essence.

That includes wrapping the trio in a paper-thin Lao version of a roti at Bad Idea in Nashville, enveloping it in pizza dough at Peel Wood Fired Pizza in the St. Louis Suburb of Edwardsville, Ill., incorporating a beloved local pork product at Cackleberry in Cincinnati, turning it into empanadas at Abby’s Empanadas in Spring Lake, N.C., and more.

Read on to see how those and other operators nationwide are putting their unique twists on the classic BEC.