Me Too! Cafe: Where Kids (and Parents) Can Be Kids

By Lisa Clark
September 8, 2008

We moms have a lot of distinct talents: We can lift just about anything, our kisses make all the owies feel better, and we eat really, really fast. Eating fast is a survival skill because moms are so busy keeping peace at the table, there’s rarely any time to enjoy a meal. If we didn’t inhale our lukewarm food when we had the chance, we would probably starve to death, so we’ve learned shovel in bites between taking care of the kids. Meanwhile, we quietly long for a place where we can sit down and actually eat something in peace.

The people that designed Me Too! Café must have read our minds.

Beaverton’s Me Too! Café is a mom’s idea of paradise, because Me Too! has a playroom. Not just any playroom, but a supervised playroom with a deluxe play kitchen, train table, puppets, Lego tables and a separate padded play gym that keeps crawlers and wobblers safe from the big kids. There’s a coded lock on the door so you know your kiddos will be secure, and they have high windows so you can look in on them but they can’t see you (based on the theory that if kids can’t see you, they won’t miss you). The fee for the first child is $5, the second is $4, third is $3, fourth is $2, and each additional child costs $1. It’s a flat rate, not hourly, so you can linger.

Once kids are checked into the playroom, parents are free to embark on their guilt-free dining experience. The atmosphere is relaxed, easy-going and flexible, just like the clientele who frequent the cafe. Moms visit with friends over coffee, craft their hearts out in knitting circles and work on their laptops, enjoying the free Wi-Fi and time to actually think straight.

Hidden away in a strip mall with unfortunate parking, Me Too! Café features framed Crayola artwork to remind us that it’s a family-friendly café, while the blissful quiet reminds us that we can actually take the time to chew our food. There are tables for dining, as well as leather chairs and couches that invite parents to lounge, visit or read — just like you would at your local coffee house, if your barista were willing to baby-sit for you.

They serve lots of mom-type food (read: salads), sandwiches, nice dinners for date nights, and a kids’ menu if they need nourishment before they go off to play, and their prices are very reasonable. They’ve also applied for a liquor license, so things can only get better.