09/21/06

Love this spot!

by spotspot

This is a great spot for breakfast or lunch. The egg dishes are outstanding, and the pancakes and waffles will satisfy anyone's sweet tooth. I don't recommend going on the weekends, due to the long wait and zoo-like atmosphere, but if you can sneak in for a meal during the week, do it!

Very kid-friendly, the staff are great, and they do seem to try to cater to people's special requests. The scones don't excite me much, but everyone else seems to go nuts over them, as they're baked fresh all day long and served free with every meal. The lunch menu is a little sparse, but it's one of the top breakfast spots in town!

• Pros: Great food, friendly staff, cozy environment
• Cons: No reservations accepted, limited lunch menu

09/07/09

Became our favorite Weekend Brunch

by lvsgoodfood

I wrote a review in 2006 after moving to Portland from Los Angeles. (under lvsgdfood) I did bring my husband to my newly found treasure. Zell's became our favorite Sunday Brunch place. Don loved the corned beef hash. Being a native New Yorker, he felt it was the best he ever had. We never had a bad experience there. Don even knew one of the waiters from his commute on Alaska between Portland and LA. We always brought our friends visiting from LA there. Even the food critic we brought was impressed.

My last meal there was bittersweet. I came to say goodbye to our favorite resturant in Portland. After losing Don to cancer, I knew it just wouldn't be the same for me. The staff was very kind, even though they did not know why I wouldn't take off my sunglasses, and the tears, though quiet, did come. The food was perfect, the atmosphere charming, and the staff respectful. I will miss you, Zell's. Thank you for all of the wonderfull memories. I will and do cherish them.

• Pros: Wonferful food & atmosphere

08/24/09

Good Food & Very Friendly Service

by EastCounty503

In addition to their full selection breakfast/lunch menu, the chalkboard specials are great. The scones, eggs, potatoes, and coffee were all fantastic. This place really knows how to give you a wide variety of options for a great breakfast experience.

• Pros: Very attentive service and quality food
• Cons: Small size

01/01/09

Delicious Breakfast, Great Service

by LoveYourLife

Zell's is our first and favorite choice for breakfast. The menu has so many wonderful descriptions it is difficult to choose which to try next. Each dish we've ordered was delicious, perfectly seasoned, hot and bountiful (to-go boxes are a must)! The friendly staff delivers prompt service. Our coffee cups are never empty and they offer to-go cups when we leave. Fresh, hot scones are delivered "before" you order with fragrant jams already on the table. Our children's favorite. There may be a wait, but coffee service is provided on a help yourself basis and we consider it a very good sign that people are willing to wait for this excellent neighborly restaurant.

• Pros: Great food and service in wonderful location.
• Cons: Street parking.

12/01/08

Wow, Simple Food Prepared Perfectly Awful

by apnance

My wife and I went here for breakfast. We ordered two different omelets. Both omelets were served runny and bland. Undoubtedly out of thoughtuful consideration for the main act, the potatoes on the side were equally bland if not blander.

My wife's company excluded, sadly the most interesting part of the meal was the presentation of the question of "How does one ruin an omelet this badly?"

And last, but certainly not least, the waitress fit the meal perfectly. Her superficial smiles faded quickly revealing thinly veiled contempt for her meal tickets. To be fair however, the bus people seemed genuinely friendly and helpful.

Call me crazy but $9 should buy a fully cooked omelet with atleast a hint of flavor.

• Pros: Awesome picture window views of gorgeous fall leafscapes.
• Cons: Horrible food served by unfriendly waitstaff

10/22/08

Fantastic Breakfast Spot!

by StefenG

While staying in Portland I happened upon this spot and it was so good I went twice in a row as I was leaving for the Bay Area the next day. The black board specials are fantastic and incorporate fresh in season veggies and fruit. It is in a good neighborhood and worth the drive. Hat's Off to a GREAT breakfast! If I lived in Portland I would make this a weekly event.

• Pros: The food of course!
• Cons: Parking is on the streets.

09/24/08

LOVE IT!!!

by austinblue

i had to laugh after reading a review from buckmanddweller. i think they may have been writing about a different restaurant. i'm not sure how they could have waited 10 minutes for a menu...the menus are on the tables!!!

07/20/08

Get Smart, Zell's

by zuzu13

I merely called Zell's to ask if they had any vegan options and the person answering replied, "Vegans eat eggs, right?"

Get a clue, Zell's. It's adorable that you're old school, but you're located in Portland, Ore.

I brunched at Crush, where the word "vegan" was prominently displayed on the menu.

02/29/08

Great pancakes!

by havinfuninptown

I loved my pancakes - they were insanely light and fluffy, but not too fluffy. Quaint and cute. But get there early if you actually want to eat breakfast! Like, before 9am on the weekends especially.

09/28/07

Love the food, peeved by the spotty service

by buckmandweller

I've frequented Zells many times in the last 3 years since it's so close to my house. And who wants to travel far for breakfast? The menu is a great mix of delectable sweet and savory items. Any type of pancake special they have, you should very seriously think about ordering. They do classics well and have interesting flavor combination for their scrambles.

Food aside, the service is very spotty and entirely depends on your server. My biggest complaint about this place is that on slammed weekends where there's an hour wait, the staff does not hustle. Tables remain unbussed for close to 10 minutes. Staff stands around talking to each other right in front of you while you're waiting for 15 minutes for a menu. I've had to wait up to a half hour for a check to come even though we were very obviously ready for the bill. Although, other times (about half the time) the service is perfect. The food is awesome, but the service may leave you completely unsatisfied. I've seen a much better service record at other restaurants in the area.

This review would be 5 stars if not for the frustrating service (at times). Although, the food is good enough to overlook it.

• Pros: Great menu, free scones with fresh jam
• Cons: Service is very poor at times, up to a 45 minute wait on weekends

02/16/07

Zell's is a treat

by fackel

There is just nothing you can say wrong about Zells. Excellent service, excellent cocktails, delicious food and free scones!! We love going here, but try to not do it too often because we love it so much, we don't want to wear it out.