This week we headed back downtown to the Bijou Cafe.  Jim was at a conference all day so it was just us two girls.

The Bijou Cafe is located at 132 SW Third Avenue and is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Breakfast is served all day.  Their specialities are Oyster Hash and their omelets although we tried neither.

We opted for some carb loading and went for their oatmeal pancakes which were huge, filling and oh so yummy!  My daughter chose the brioche french toast which she said was like eating cake – yum!!

I loved the fresh look of the blue and white checked tablecloths and the light coming in through the windows made for a nice cheery place to enjoy breakfast.

We arrived at 9 a.m. and were shown right to a table.  There was a bit of a line when we left about 45 minutes later. Service was friendly and fast.

I was eyeing the omelets as they were delivered to the neighboring tables so I think another trip to the Bijou Cafe is in order so that we can give one a try!

We’d love to hear about your favorite breakfast place in the Portland metro area!

Our first visit was to Mother’s Bistro in downtown Portland. They had just been closed for some floor refinishing so the place was packed the day we visited. Even though the restaurant was overflowing and there were a lot of people waiting we were seated within 5 minutes. I don’t know if it was because we were just a party of 3 or we were just lucky!

Just like the name implies, Mother’s uses recipes from mothers around the world. Chef Lisa Schroeder has recently come out with a cookbook too, “Mother’s Best”, featuring a collection of some of the most popular recipes from the restaurant.

Mother’s was selected “Restaurant of the Year’ by Portland’s Willamette Week. Voted ‘Best Brunch’, ‘Best Comfort Food’ and ‘Best Lunch Spot’ by Citysearch.

The restaurant is large and just seems to flow from room to room. I loved the chandeliers in the room we were in!

But the other room is just as pretty!

Service was fast and friendly and we enjoyed a yummy breakfast.

I had the waffles with gingered peach compote and my daughter had the blueberry pancakes which were huge – they filled the whole plate. My husband enjoyed one of their egg scrambles, a special of the day.

The lunch and dinner menu looked great too and we’ll be back to try it out! They even have a message for my college kids on their coffee mugs!

Mother’s is located in downtown Portland at 212 SW Stark, Portland, OR 97204. Check out their website for hours.

Mother’s Bistro is a place we will definitely revisit and hope you will too. We’d love to hear what some of your favorite breakfast spots in the Portland area are. Please leave a comment and let us know!