Byways Cafe

05/26/2008 Posted by PDXpotato

After a glowing review of Byways on the Food Network, my good buddy was ecstatic to try it out when she came to visit me. I love trying new places, so we had high hopes for this piece of Americana. We went on a Saturday, and our rumbly tummies were not excited about the 20 minute wait, but we were patient. Once seated, my buddy was a bit grossed out by the amount of dust/grime, but I tried to view it as "authentic." The kitschy decorations were cute (in a dead-grandmother sort of way) and our waitress was great. We waited another thirty minutes for our food to arrive (so a total of nearly an hour). My buddy was not impressed with the hash, even though the Food Network had made it look delish (disclaimer: she hates onions, and it was loaded with them). I ordered the special, Lily's Scramble, which was tasty, but not anything to write home about. However, what really hooked us was the blue cornmeal pancake we had ordered on the side. It was fantastic! In fact, it was so good that we decided to come back again before my friend left for home. On Monday we went again, and were prepared for another long wait. Good thing, because we sat outside in the sprinkling rain for nearly half an hour (note to Byways--an awning would be great!) This time, we ordered nothing but pancakes. (I also ordered a raspberry scone, which the waitress forgot to bring, so I don't know if they're any good.) When our pancakes arrived (sans meat or eggs or other side dish--these are a la cart here), we dug in with gusto, only to discover that they were awful! My friend summed it up when she said they tasted like what she imagined kitty litter pancakes would taste like. There was also barely enough butter for half a pancake, let alone three. In conclusion, make sure to double-check their hours (call ahead) and pray to god that it's not a bad day, otherwise the uber-long wait and overpriced meal will leave you feeling cranky.

Pros: ambience (if you like kitsch)

Cons: long wait, inconsistent quality, inconsisten service

05/17/2008 Posted by aljk

After the reviews from FoodNetwork we were very disappointed. We have no reason to ever go back. The food was cold, the hash very DRY and cold, but the bacon was not bad, it was even warm. If the food had been hot, we could have made it better at home. We were there at 8:30 am, no wait, so they can't say it was because they were too busy. I almost forgot, the blue corn pancakes were great but not worth $43.00 which was the total of our bill.

05/10/2008 Posted by Kelleyknd

I took my mom here because she saw it on the food network. Talk about a disappointment. We had to wait about thirty minuites, this did not bother us as we thought the food would be great. When we got in and received our food it was a complete letdown. Not only did it not even come close to what was shown on TV it actually sucked. Please think twice or three times before going there. Nothing like paying thirty bucks for a crappy breakfast. This is the kind of thing that makes you wish you could get a refund because your actually embaressed that you paid that much for the the crummy food.

Pros: None

Cons: Carls Jr. serves a better breakfast!!!!!

05/04/2008 Posted by dirtyfroggy

My friends and I tried Byways after seeing it on Diners Drivins and Dives, and absolutely fell in love and are going back again and again. The service was great and even though we had to wait 35 minutes to get in it was worth it. Food was wonderful and our waitress was great too. She was very attentive and sweet, very grandmotherly.

Pros: Cozy, friendly and fun

Cons: NONE

04/30/2008 Posted by stoney1977

The key lime pie is the most ridiculously delicious I have ever tasted! It is absolutely to die for if you like lime. My husband got the German chocolate cake and to start off the piece was massive enough for 4-5 people to share with no one feeling slighted; he ended up taking most of it home. I don't know what was in the frosting but it is a wonderful chocolate flavor without the over-sweet sick feeling you can get with other frostings. The cake itself was moist and flavorful without being too heavy. Our server Jeff (?) was great and made us feel at home, very warm and friendly. The savory food we had was delicious too but nothing compares to those deserts. Yummy!

Pros: Amazing deserts, yummy food

Cons: Not enough room

04/21/2008 Posted by frankie9m

Best breakfast in town with a real home style flair, I just wish the place had more seating but Megan is beautiful too.

Pros: baked goods

Cons: small place

12/14/2007 Posted by tlcfoodie

My husband and I went there last Saturday for breakfast. There was a small wait of 30 minutes but we knew that there would be and came prepared. It was well worth the wait. The service was great and fast. The food was better than I've had at top dollar places. My husband had the pancakes and loved them. The bacon was thick and chewy, not the over cooked crumble to pieces we've had at other places. I had the corned beef hash and it was to die for. We loved the atmosphere and the wonderful food and all for little money.

Pros: Everything

Cons: parking

10/28/2007 Posted by hungryi

If you want a perfect tuna melt and fries, you will get it here every single time. I have had lunch here about once a month since years before the restaurant changed hands/names (It was formerly Shakers cafe) and it has always been consistent. The service is good. Expect long waits on the weekends, but relatively prompt seating on weekdays. The fries set the standard: never greasy, no off taste of old oil, just enough salt, fresh potato taste. This is old-fashioned food, not trendy (and inconsistent quality) stuff like the other Pearl restaurants serve. It will probably appeal most to people who grew up in homes where at least one of the parents cooked -- and cooked well. Also highly recommended: grilled cheese and Meg's Veggie Mountain.

Pros: Consistently good food.

Cons: None really

10/15/2007 Posted by tosweet4you

The dudes that wrote the previous message are the reason why cool people go to Byways. For those of you that are more concerned about being caught in a place that has "grandma-ish" decor thankfully you have a plethora of homogenized options such as Manzana and TGIFridays! I'm glad you won't be back because to tell you the truth it's people like you that ruin the experience for people like me. My girlfriend and I have been going there every Saturday for the last year since we moved into the neighborhood and we love the Fried Egg Sandwich...Also, they brew Stumptown coffee and refill it quite attentively. What makes small cafe's like Byways, Fuller's, and the Stepping Stone so great is that they are keepin' it real; real food for real people without the monotony of the burbs. Byways has awesome food hands down...They were recently on the Food Network so it's been kinda tough to get in on the weekends, thankfully they serve breakfast all day on Sundays.... So, if you want yummy, homemade food go there..If you want to go to a place that caters to frat boys don't go to Byways.

Pros: Great Food

Cons: Wait on the weekend, Occassional Frat Boy

10/02/2007 Posted by quinnmo

My roomates and I decided to go here because of all the 5 star ratings. We are in our mid 20's, a little hungover, and looking for some good food. The wait was over an hour with 4 names ahead of us, and our food took about 45 minutes to come out. We were also seated at the diner counter and not at a table, but we were so hungry we didn't care. The atmosphere is definitely different from anything in the Pearl, which is something that area needs, but it kinda made us nauseous with all the grandma appeal. Or maybe it was just us being hungover who knows. The food was good, can't deny that. Our server was nice, but not attentive even though she was right in front of us we had to swing our arms around to get more water. It's decent if you want to wait a long time... it's just really really small so it takes awhile. Don't bring your family there, or new friends, it's not that impressive. Just nice to have if you live in the area. We're probably never going back though.

Pros: different atmosphere than anything in the Pearl

Cons: LONG WAIT - REALLY SMALL - claustrophobia