Genie's Cafe

06/18/2008 Posted by kirstenrudberg

My boyfriend and I went after they had just opened, and had heard really great reviews. We sat at the bar and had OK service and OK food, nothing special. We then realized that maybe the great reviews were because all the hipsters could be together and celebrate their hipness in one place. It earned its reputation because it was a place to see and be seen. After a few years, tried it today. Got a lukewarm cappuccino, a waitress who seemed annoyed at me for existing and average, bland food. The good thing is it is not too expensive. That is a positive.

Pros: price

Cons: bland food, indifferent waitstaff

06/14/2008 Posted by misscrissy

I have been a regular customer at Genie's for the past year or so....the service is usually ok, the food is usually good. Today I went in for brunch with a friend and we ordered a cajun benedict, which came with literally 2 white pieces of fat grisle under the eggs, super gross. I don't know if they had ran out of good cuts of ham or what, but we sent it back and asked to replace it with the regular benedict, which is always good. I would have not been upset, but our waitress was rude about us ordering something else, and then when she brought the bill, both of the benedicts were on it. I said something and she brought the manager over who said he would take off half of the amount of the sent back food, I could not believe that we were charging us for that extremely bad food....obviously did not care about seeing us ever again! Never in my life have I had that happen, they were just so rude I will never go back there! There is something to be said for standing behind your employees, but when your wrong, your wrong. If you serve bad food by accident, you should be willing to fix it and try to make your customers happy.

Pros: good food most of the time

Cons: bad service

06/03/2008 Posted by moxiefox

We've gone here for a few years and the food and service is always good and consistent. They have the best eggs benedict in Portland though the vegetarian version is not as tasty as the other versions. Great place to bring out of town guests because they won't let you down. Can get busy on the weekends, come early or much later.

Pros: Consistent yummy food, cool and attentive servers

Cons: Parking, wait is longer on weekends

06/02/2008 Posted by icklewissy

I went to Genie's last Saturday and the wait was not bad at all, unless you're a whiny, impatient git such as any driver who almost barrels over me by making a right before I completely cross the crosswalk, or, Veruca Salt. The service was prompt, friendly, and attentive, so I really don't understand some of the reviews here. The hostess was so cute, it should be a crime. Their hollandaise did not come out of a can. In fact, it was the best hollandaise I have ever had the pleasure of ingesting. It's fluffy, light texture was very complimentary to the creaminess of a runny egg yolk. I will most definitely frequent this place whenever I get the chance.

Pros: Everything.

Cons: Nil.

04/04/2008 Posted by tsaojunior

The food is simply amazing. Genie's has quite the variety that you would struggle to find at other places. Most, if not all of what I saw was organic and local. Everything looked good however I had to go with the cakes. The white chocolate chip-hazel nut pancakes melted in my mouth. I just previously read a comment about the poor service someone received, so I would like to give you all hope: Me and my girlfriend had great service. The food was timely for how busy it was (they were at capacity and on approx. 10 min. wait time), and the quality obviously top notch. The only possible thing I could recommend to make it better would be to add a chicken fried steak option hehe. When we came in the owner, "Big J", was at the door with a smile. He seated us and gave us some good drink and food recommendations which turned out to be right on the money. If you don't live close, IT IS WORTH THE DRIVE!

Pros: THE FOOD! (obviously)

Cons: So good you might be in for a small wait.

02/25/2008 Posted by jpmoorepdx

Just went to genies for the first time after repeated suggestions from friends. The food was great. The scramble was fresh and you could taste the difference in the ingredients they used. Nice to see a veggie sausage gravy that still tastes great. However the service was awful. we were seated nicely enough but our server wasnt interested in us.No hello how are you doing or even an attempt at hospitality. When our food came it was set down if front of us and then she walked away without saying a word. we ate our food without ever being checked on( which i guess was ok because the food was great) or asked how things were. Same thing with the check. Just set it in on the table and walked away. i said thank you 3 times and she never responded. I and everyone at the table work in the industry and were shocked at how little our server cared. I usually tip 25-30 believing strongly in tip karma, but i couldn't stomach more than 15 percent and to be honest she didn't deserve even that modest of a tip. I would be more understanding if they were slammed but our server had plenty of time to do all the things needed- she just chose not to do them. i am now torn between going back and getting some great breakfast close to my home or never stepping foot in there again because i know there places that are happy to have me. Hopefully the rest are better, they cant all be that bad.

Pros: nice ingredients

Cons: obviously the service

11/26/2007 Posted by etatseht

Genies is my new favorite breakfast spot! They have delicious potatoes and there biscuits are great!

09/19/2007 Posted by czipper

As a repeat patron of Genies Cafe I feel it's neccasary to warn others: THE FOOD IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! They use fresh and local produce and meats which makes a huge difference in the taste and consistency of their delicious menu.Their creative specials are never dissapointing- Always a tasty treat sensation! Fast, polite service only compliments your dining experience further. Now that they have lattes it is even harder to stay away...but why would you want to?

Pros: Quality for everyone

Cons: Maybe parking or big groups

08/11/2007 Posted by the_steve

A Great breakfast and a mug of Stumptown Coffee..................... Genie's Cafe Is Highly Recommended..

06/08/2007 Posted by fuzzyjelly

Genies has always been a great bet for breakfast. Excellent vegie options. Friendly. Full bar. Bring the paper on the weekends. You'll probably have to wait, but it's worth it.