Best Breakfast}Byways Cafe

Located in the Pearl District of Portland, Byways Cafe is like stepping back in time.  Although it’s only been there for ten years, you feel like it’s been there forever. With a fun and charming retro atmosphere and lots of comfort food Byways is a popular destination for Portland locals and visitors and has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

We arrived at 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and had about a five minute wait.  By the time we left an hour later there were a dozen people waiting in line.

There is lots to keep you entertained while you wait for your food.  The place is decorated, rather covered in travel memorabilia and souvenirs.

Many of the items have been brought to the cafe by their customers when they return from vacation.  While we were there a man brought in a shirt from a favorite ball team of one of the cafe workers!

The menu is full of lots of down home, comfort cooking.  I ordered the Blue Corn Pancakes which is a specialty of the house.  They were served with a yummy pecan and honey butter as well as maple syrup. Yes, the pancakes are blue and they have a nice little crunch to them with the corn meal. It was a fun variation on a pancake and I loved the pecan honey butter.  My husband enjoyed a nice egg scramble with fresh fruit.  If you go for lunch I understand their burgers are the best!  They serve breakfast all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

I loved the retro counter.  There is just something about a restaurant with a counter.  It reminds me of my high school days and going to the lunch counter at Woolworths downtown on our lunch hour.

Definitely give Byways Cafe a try and enjoy stepping back into time for an hour or so while enjoying some good food.