Alameda Cafe

10/07/09

Incredible Dining Experience

by reganhughes

We found this delightful cafe on a recent trip to Portland, and were blown away by the food & service. What a charming restaurant! The atmosphere was intimate without being pretentious... we were privy to a young boy's birthday party, while enjoying one of the best meals we have ever had. Our 11 year old son had, arguably, the best burger & fries he has ever eaten. The burger meat was hormone-free (this really makes a difference in the taste & texture of the meat) & it was grilled to perfection, while the hand-cut fries were the best any of us had ever eaten before. Our son is always on the look-out for the "best burger", & this one just topped his list! Prior to the main course, I had an arugula & green apple salad with candied walnuts & bleu cheese, while my husband had a ceasar salad. For the main course, my husband & I enjoyed a shared entry of pasta primavera in a garlic cream sauce... which the chef graciously separated into 2 serving bowls. This was served with freshly baked french bread. All food items were absolutely delicious! We followed dinner with the peanut butter pie. It was unbelieveably good. I have to admit, I over-ate a bit because the food was so amazing. While the food & the atmosphere were nearly perfect ( I cannot find a single flaw in either), the waitstaff was even more so.... they made us feel like welcome guests in their home. Any request that we made, was met with cheerful enthusiasm. We felt so lucky to have discovered this wonderful restaurant, it made for a magical evening. We will visit Alameda Cafe again & again, whenever we visit Portland.

• Pros: Food, service, ambiance, waitstaff
• Cons: None!

12/10/08

A mainstay cafe

by lottafun

This little neighborhood gem has been around for many years. We have married, raised our children and moved two times and we still continue to support this great cafe. The food and service have especially improved over the past several months. We absolutely love the breakfast they offer daily and are really happy to find out that their original meatloaf has returned to the dinner menu.

If you are seeking a clean and pleasant atmosphere with decent prices and delicious food then go to the Alameda!

• Pros: Super nice help and something to offer for everyone
• Cons: Tough to park at times

11/29/08

Don't Do It!

by ffiore

Don't be lured in by the fact that you can get a table here with very little wait. There's a good reason for that- this was one of the worst breakfasts I have ever had. This place has never been my favorite, but it has gotten unbearable. The signature James Beard french toast tasted like it was either made for another party two hours ago and sat under a heat lamp, or used three day old bread. It was nearly impossible to chew.

Bacon and eggs were ridiculously greasy, as though they had some extra canola oil poured on after cooking. Even my son's waffle was stale and icky. When a 4 year old chooses not to finish a waffle drowned in syrup, you have a problem.

Coffee was subpar, service was slow and not very friendly. Never, EVER going back, no matter how long the wait is at any other breakfast place in town.

• Pros: There's usually no wait- but that right there tells you something.
• Cons: Food, service, overall experience. Worst breakfast I have had in Portland, including area Denny's and the like.

05/27/08

don't bother

by dramani

Moved away several years ago, and was looking forward to returning to one of my favotrite neighborhood resturants.. after having lunch I wondered what had happened there... upon entering there was somewhat of a vacant feeling.. the lunch entrees were expensive for what you received... the service was friendly and adequate... the food was very ordinary... one of the items had to be returned to the kitchen twice. as it was not edible..

needless to say a huge disappointment....

04/30/08

Great comfort food...wintery place must!

by saspegasus

We always try to be SLOB's (Support Locally Owned Businesses) so with the Cafe so close we walked there a few weeks ago. The night was chilly and the food was perfect. I had their Shepard's Pie and my man had Chicken PotPie. The portions were great and the price fair. The art work on the walls was very beautiful and for sale. The service was a bit standofish but fast. Great neighborhood spot for a hearty dinner!

• Pros: good spices, good portions, well made
• Cons: none

03/18/08

Alameda Cafe is not kid friendly.

by outaboutpdx

Had to write this review to warn other parents. If you go to the Alameda bring something for your little ones to drink, they only have orange and grapefruit juice and no soy milk - also no kid's menu available. When we asked for kid friendly meals we were given our choice of grilled cheese sandwich or pasta with butter & cheese. We chose the pasta and it showed up considerably later than the rest of the food (like when everyone else was almost done) and it was uncooked cold pasta with parmesan shavings on it. no butter. no olive oil. it was inedible. I called the restaurant afterward to confirm that the person in our party who paid the check DID NOT pay for that plate of pasta and got a very nice person on the phone who apologized to me.

I have to throw this in - my four year old was a trooper because I got soy milk out of the car and was able to feed her a granola bar from my purse while she waited 1/2 hour for her cold inedible pasta to get to the table. Got kids? Skip this place completely or come prepared with their food and drink.

oh and the food? The people in our party that had burgers said they were really very good. People who ate other food (fish n chips, omelet, salad) rated their food as mediocre.

03/02/08

Reliably good food, a bit spendy

by rosegrrl

I've eaten breakfast here several times. It's good food but the restaurant often feels over-crowded and it's quite expensive for breakfast. Also, no espresso here.

• Pros: quite good food
• Cons: crowded, overpriced

11/14/07

Great food Slow service

by hungrygirl5

Went to the Alameda Cafe this weekend with a friend. There was no wait for breakfast, which was great since we were straving. The food was really good, the homefries were great. The coffee was a little bitter and the service was a little slow. It surprised me since I counted five people working in the dining room, all were standing around. I will go back because of the food, but maybe there should be a someone out front who is in charge.

• Pros: Great food
• Cons: slow service

10/07/07

Our Favorite Cafe!

by eatiegourmet

My friends and I have been frequenting this small cafe for many years. In fact, when we started going there they did not offer breakfast. Now you can go there for any desired meal and experience a tasty and pleasant experience at any given time.We love their generous portion of fish and chips for lunch, eggs benedict for breakfast, and if we are not in the mood for one of their amazing entrees we order their delicious burgers with perfect fries for dinner. With pleasant service in a charming atmosphere you can't go wrong at this place!

• Pros:  Friendly service and tasty food in a comfortable atmosphere
• Cons: Tough to part at times

10/06/07

Average food and average service

by derrickgonzales

This place costs too much money and doesn't deliver enough food for your buck. If you want them to bring you no food for lots of money and ugly waitresses then go there. My food was good, but where is the rest of it.