Top Ten: Breakfast Spots in Portland
By Jim Thomson
Nothing warms the soul like a hearty and hot breakfast. Portland offers up many favorites. Here are some of ours.
Tin Shed [1438 NE Alberta St]
It's good to be naughty. I probably say, "It's worth the wait," a little too much on these round ups, but this would have to be the tagline for Tin Shed if they wanted to add one. But honestly, I have given up a few time here because of the wait, but it was beyond my control. Tin Shed is a very homey and comfortably setting. If a cozy, warm blanket on a lazy Sunday morning were edible, it would be the Everything Naughty. Homemade, fluffy buttermilk biscuits topped with apple-wood smoked bacon gravy or some other veggie kind. Actually their veggie options are quite surprisingly wonderful. Tin Shed also has a great happy hour if you sleep in and they serve breakfast all day as well.
Bijou Café [132 SW 3rd Ave]
Very cute and cozy, the old bricker that houses Bijou exudes history. Proudly serving local and fresh ingredients, the Bijou certainly paved the way for this Portland niche. A perfect place to take visitors to help sum up the Portland natural food scene experience. Sometimes a little pricey, but the overall score and generous portions make Bijou a great destination. Don't leave without trying the roast beef or oyster hash.
Mother's Bistro & Bar [212 SW Stark St]
Mother's does know best. Their service is very inviting and friendly, and just like mum; they serve you while it's hot and perfect. A favorite of many Portlanders, their comfort food will raise the bar beyond belief. Every item made from scratch, slow cooked with the best possible ingredients around. For the win, order Mike's Special. Tender prosciutto ham, fresh tomatoes, basil, provolone cheese and roasted garlic is a taste combination that is impossible to beat. The Salmon Hash is also top notch. Reservations are a must, especially on the weekend and forget about Mother's day.
Broder [2508 SE Clinton St]
If not Mother's, there is always Broder's (Swedish for brother). The Scandinavian cuisine of a plethora of pickled, smoked and cured items combined with vast amounts of coffee will make any Portlander smile ear to ear. The setting is very authentic, a minimalist/modern Swedish flare. I good bet is their sampler 'bord.' There is a Swedish Bord (rye crisp, salami, salmon cured in salt/sugar/dill, grapefruit, yogurt and honey, lingonberry and hard cheese) and a seasonal bord to choose from.
Arleta Library Bakery Café [5513 SE 72nd Ave]
The Arleta Library Bakery Café stakes claim on the quaint Southeast sector not yet run over by business - so much so, in fact, that even fans have a hard time remembering which cross street marks it. Once inside, you are reminded of its smallness - testament that if you blink you could miss it - the narrow space split by the kitchen to the left and a short string of tables to the right, perhaps less than ten total in the entire place. Many dishes are served with 'Library Fries,' wedges of crispy red potatoes served with homemade ketchup. Hands down the best biscuits and grave can be found at the Library. Heck, it even says so on the menu (heavy black peppered rosemary sausage gravy over biscuits and sliced roasted pork loin).
The Country Cat [937 SE Stark St]
Step into The Country Cat for a comfortable, family-friendly dining experience any time of day, with a modern, sustainable spin on old family favorites. The chicken fried steak is nothing like what I have seen before and is amazing. Golden, crispy blooming batter blankets a moist and tender beef steak. The smoked Steelhead Eggs Benedict is also a good bet. The homemade Bloody Mary ketchup sets off their home fries, and speaking of, so does their Bloody Marys.
Fenouil [900 NW 11th Ave]
Calling all eggs ben-addicts, look no further, Fenouil provides a handful of options (crab, salmon, braised short ribs, pancetta, ham, oh my). All of which come with unique ingredients to compliment the rich flavors from the protein of choice. This quaint little French café in the heart of the Pearl transports you to Gay Paree, even if it is just for brunch.
Zell's: An American Café [1300 SE Morrison St]
The atmosphere is warm and inviting, service is fast and friendly, the food is hearty and very affordable and the coffee is hot and there for you in the lobby if you have to wait for a table. Gingerbread waffles, fluffy frittatas, buttery German pancakes, makes it hard to provide a decent single item to suggest. There are also daily specials to make the decision even more difficult.
Little Red Bike Café [4823 N Lombard St]
If Portland had a café baby, it would be Little Red Bike by local couple Evan Dohrmann and Ali Jepson. They offer organic, sustainable and local ingredients. The amazing menu changes so often that it is often updated on their blog and twitter. If that intimidates you, the Buttermilk Biscuits and Rosemary Mushroom Gravy is incredible and often on the menu. Their house coffee is from Courier, stated as the best coffee in the Pacific Northwest. Open for breakfast and lunch until 2pm, they keep their bike-through window open for a couple hours after closing offering homemade ice cream and other cold desserts to bikers (at a discount) and walkups.
Pine State Biscuits [3640 SE Belmont St]
Take this mix of old-style Southern goodness and modern restaurant professionalism, throw in some Portland foodie sensibility, and you have Pine State Biscuits. Using only the freshest local ingredients, often straight from the farm, the owners of Pine State built a following at the Portland Farmers Market with their golden Creamtop Buttermilk Biscuits served with sausage or mushroom gravy, thick-cut bacon, fried chicken, eggs, grits and preserves...Read More From The Portland Breakfast Guy.
Notable Mention:
Cricket Café
Fat Albert's
Hale's Breakfast and Lunch
Cup & Saucer Café
Have your own favorite Portland breakfast spot? Tell us about it below.
View Breakfast Spots in Portland: Top Ten in a larger map
Nothing warms the soul like a hearty and hot breakfast. Portland offers up many favorites. Here are some of ours.
|
It's good to be naughty. I probably say, "It's worth the wait," a little too much on these round ups, but this would have to be the tagline for Tin Shed if they wanted to add one. But honestly, I have given up a few time here because of the wait, but it was beyond my control. Tin Shed is a very homey and comfortably setting. If a cozy, warm blanket on a lazy Sunday morning were edible, it would be the Everything Naughty. Homemade, fluffy buttermilk biscuits topped with apple-wood smoked bacon gravy or some other veggie kind. Actually their veggie options are quite surprisingly wonderful. Tin Shed also has a great happy hour if you sleep in and they serve breakfast all day as well.
Bijou Café [132 SW 3rd Ave]
Very cute and cozy, the old bricker that houses Bijou exudes history. Proudly serving local and fresh ingredients, the Bijou certainly paved the way for this Portland niche. A perfect place to take visitors to help sum up the Portland natural food scene experience. Sometimes a little pricey, but the overall score and generous portions make Bijou a great destination. Don't leave without trying the roast beef or oyster hash.
|
Mother's does know best. Their service is very inviting and friendly, and just like mum; they serve you while it's hot and perfect. A favorite of many Portlanders, their comfort food will raise the bar beyond belief. Every item made from scratch, slow cooked with the best possible ingredients around. For the win, order Mike's Special. Tender prosciutto ham, fresh tomatoes, basil, provolone cheese and roasted garlic is a taste combination that is impossible to beat. The Salmon Hash is also top notch. Reservations are a must, especially on the weekend and forget about Mother's day.
Broder [2508 SE Clinton St]
If not Mother's, there is always Broder's (Swedish for brother). The Scandinavian cuisine of a plethora of pickled, smoked and cured items combined with vast amounts of coffee will make any Portlander smile ear to ear. The setting is very authentic, a minimalist/modern Swedish flare. I good bet is their sampler 'bord.' There is a Swedish Bord (rye crisp, salami, salmon cured in salt/sugar/dill, grapefruit, yogurt and honey, lingonberry and hard cheese) and a seasonal bord to choose from.
|
The Arleta Library Bakery Café stakes claim on the quaint Southeast sector not yet run over by business - so much so, in fact, that even fans have a hard time remembering which cross street marks it. Once inside, you are reminded of its smallness - testament that if you blink you could miss it - the narrow space split by the kitchen to the left and a short string of tables to the right, perhaps less than ten total in the entire place. Many dishes are served with 'Library Fries,' wedges of crispy red potatoes served with homemade ketchup. Hands down the best biscuits and grave can be found at the Library. Heck, it even says so on the menu (heavy black peppered rosemary sausage gravy over biscuits and sliced roasted pork loin).
The Country Cat [937 SE Stark St]
Step into The Country Cat for a comfortable, family-friendly dining experience any time of day, with a modern, sustainable spin on old family favorites. The chicken fried steak is nothing like what I have seen before and is amazing. Golden, crispy blooming batter blankets a moist and tender beef steak. The smoked Steelhead Eggs Benedict is also a good bet. The homemade Bloody Mary ketchup sets off their home fries, and speaking of, so does their Bloody Marys.
|
Calling all eggs ben-addicts, look no further, Fenouil provides a handful of options (crab, salmon, braised short ribs, pancetta, ham, oh my). All of which come with unique ingredients to compliment the rich flavors from the protein of choice. This quaint little French café in the heart of the Pearl transports you to Gay Paree, even if it is just for brunch.
Zell's: An American Café [1300 SE Morrison St]
The atmosphere is warm and inviting, service is fast and friendly, the food is hearty and very affordable and the coffee is hot and there for you in the lobby if you have to wait for a table. Gingerbread waffles, fluffy frittatas, buttery German pancakes, makes it hard to provide a decent single item to suggest. There are also daily specials to make the decision even more difficult.
Little Red Bike Café [4823 N Lombard St]
If Portland had a café baby, it would be Little Red Bike by local couple Evan Dohrmann and Ali Jepson. They offer organic, sustainable and local ingredients. The amazing menu changes so often that it is often updated on their blog and twitter. If that intimidates you, the Buttermilk Biscuits and Rosemary Mushroom Gravy is incredible and often on the menu. Their house coffee is from Courier, stated as the best coffee in the Pacific Northwest. Open for breakfast and lunch until 2pm, they keep their bike-through window open for a couple hours after closing offering homemade ice cream and other cold desserts to bikers (at a discount) and walkups.
Pine State Biscuits [3640 SE Belmont St]
Take this mix of old-style Southern goodness and modern restaurant professionalism, throw in some Portland foodie sensibility, and you have Pine State Biscuits. Using only the freshest local ingredients, often straight from the farm, the owners of Pine State built a following at the Portland Farmers Market with their golden Creamtop Buttermilk Biscuits served with sausage or mushroom gravy, thick-cut bacon, fried chicken, eggs, grits and preserves...Read More From The Portland Breakfast Guy.
Notable Mention:
Cricket Café
Fat Albert's
Hale's Breakfast and Lunch
Cup & Saucer Café
Have your own favorite Portland breakfast spot? Tell us about it below.
View Breakfast Spots in Portland: Top Ten in a larger map
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