Great food, really good coffee too. They do basic breakfast items really well. Come here if you're looking for great breakfast potatoes, eggs and pancakes. You need to make a reservation online due to COVID. Outside seating only. read more

Great outdoor seating! Walked here for breakfast twice on our vacation out there last week! The service was great!!! The menu was great, even though I got the same thing both times. Their buttermilk pancakes with the pepper bacon were awesome!! Everyone should visit this lovely local restaurant! read more

My husband and I came here and really enjoyed it. We sat outside and had breakfast. The home fries are amazing, their homemade jam is bright and fresh and delicious. The staff was extremely nice. We would definitely come back and recommend others to try it out! read more

The server was nice & apologetic when I verified the unbelievable price of $5.50 for a cappuccino? Decent food & good service but disappointing to see the exorbitant coffee price. read more

One of the few places to get breakfast in Portland for under $10 that isn't a dive. They cooked my eggs scrambled just right--"soft-ish"--and the cheese hash brown were really tasty. My husband enjoyed his biscuits, and as someone who has been making his own forever, he's tough to please. I'd have given this place four stars, but the coffee was dreadful. That said, I would go back. read more

This is a review by a vegetarian 4.5 stars Just about my favorite French Toast and Hash Browns in Portland. Custard is just about soaked all the way to the middle on the Challah and the hash browns have crunch in each bite. Deduction only because it can be a little claustrophobic and hectic when it's full read more

First time back with the new ownership. Ordered a skillet, and it was fantastic and huge! Had leftovers for days. Will definitely be back.

Ordered the goat cheese omelette. Incredibly bland. The giant mimosa was good and the service was decent. But I wouldn't go out of my way to come here. read more

Nice homey cafe - not too long of a wait late Sunday morning. Space is a little tight, servers are friendly... I ordered a delicious hash dish with roasted ancho potatoes with roasted pork shoulder, peppers, cheese, roasted tomato salsa, corn tortillas in a spicy sauce. Great flavors, well developed, portion size was good. Servers were nice, not too attentive though throughout the meal. A little more pricey than other brunch spots, but the food was tasty. My friend ordered the Florentine Benedict and one of the eggs was poached perfectly, the other was undercooked with the whites not all the way done. Overall a good dining experience and I'd go again to try other options read more

Cricket Cafe - Roast pork shoulder, peppers, ancho roasted peppers in a nice smokey sauce. Very good! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Love this little neighborhood breakfast spot! The folks who work there are so kind and attentive and the vibe is really sweet. I feel blessed to live around the corner. read more

What is it about people in Portland who love diners that aren't all that great? Why is it that there is a huge ass wait for this place? I don't get it. The Cricket is obviously a local favorite, and as I scanned the crowd, I noticed that it consisted primarily of the 21-26 year age group. That should have been my first indicator. The menu reads like somewhat schizophrenic mish-mash of diner vs. attempted-gourmet vs. north-west fare vs. bar. They have many of the usual breakfast favorites combined with some interesting options such as a blue cheese and bacon omelet. The drink list is quite long, and had I been in the mood, I may have partaken of a fine looking libation. After a decent sized wait (for a 1-top), I was seated in a corner way up in this little elevated back room. After another decent wait, I was greeted with a "you ready?" Me: Sure. Her: "Whaddya want?" Me: Uh, ok... OJ, Tea, and the hash with sourdough toast. Her: (turns around and walks off). Amazingly, the food came out quite quickly for how packed the place was. I was presented with an OJ, my tea, and what looked like a pretty small bowl of hash which was topped with 2 over-medium eggs and a SHITLOAD of hollandaise! On the side, one of the sorriest looking half burnt pieces of sourdough I have seen in a while. Her (as she is setting the food down): "Anything else?" Me: Uh, no.... (it happened so quick I forgot to ask for hot sauce). Somewhat annoyed that I got my OJ and tea at the same time as the meal, I dove in. Wow, it was tasty, but GREASY. Woo, I feel the gut bomb coming on. Now, you are saying to yourself "gee Don, what do you expect, it said it came with hollandaise.." Well, yeah. It did. But the grease is not from the hollandaise, and they didn't have to add the extra 2 ladles of the hollandaise. Seriously. For the first time in a looooong time, I was unable to finish a small sized bowl of food. The puddle of red grease just kept staring at me from the bottom of the bowl, as if to say "Ha ha you IDIOT, you knew you should have ordered the veggie sausage instead!!" "Hey, I internally yelled back, I have had sausage hash before and it's never been this greasy!!" Needless to say, I can see why this place is popular with those who have yet to grow into their palates. At 22, I would have waited an hour plus for that meal. Extra grease and surly attitudes is what fuels that set. Now, 10 years later, I will tip my hand and show my age to all of you. The obnoxious and pretentious inner-SE set can have this place in all of it's greasy and mediocre glory. They can revel in the curt yet smiley service. They can wait in the rain to pay $15 for a standard breakfast enrtree, juice, and tea (not counting tip). I'll go somewhere better, cheaper, and faster next time. Or, if I want to wait, Jam on Hawthorne it is. read more

I've got a crush on the Cricket Cafe. It's bad really. Not one of those starry-eyed 2 week kind of crushes, but one of those where you look at that person and think: "I want to stalk your Facebook profile - repeatedly." Yes friends, Cricket Cafe is like one of those kinds of epic crushes. Not only do they have excellent coffee and service, they have "Build your own Scrambles" - with the option of tofu instead of eggs, which I have a severe hankering for. I gets my grub on with a mixture of well-seasoned tofu, fresh spinach, tomatoes, and red pepper combined with pepper jack and pepper bacon (yeah bacon and tofu go well together - if you don't like that, then there's something wrong with YOU). I do the lo-carb scam, so I don't get the toast or hashbrowns, and I always seem to get a little extra of what really matters - the bacon. In addition to the great food, they have an extensive list of brunch drinks to get your buzz going. Flavored mimosas (I like the marionberry), Bloody Mary's of course, and my personal favorite - a party girl drink in the morning, the Morning Zombie. It's the best cure for a hangover. There's not much downside to the place other than a serious infestation of hipsters that always seem to be oh-so-smug, but that's a small price to pay for breakfast/brunch nirvana. Stop by and check it out - you'll be glad you did. (PS, I am not really a FB stalker, but I do play one on the radio) read more

NO MORE WET TOFU. Wet tofu is one of the worst crimes perpetrated against tofu scrambles in the world. Wet tofu makes the entire scramble feel damp and slightly soggy, as opposed to spicy, delicious, and crumbly. I take brunch very seriously. Even moreso when I'm hungover. I woke up this morning with a distinct throbbing behind my eyeballs, two cats fighting at the foot of my bed, and reeking of hickory smoke. The only solution? Brunch. Upon my insistence that I go to a new place, my roommates and I set off for the Cricket Cafe. The place has a cozy feel to it and the man who sat us was *rather* attractive. I had a five star feeling in my heart, but it was short lived. Their drink selection is phenomenal - habanero bloody marys? Yes, please. However, their vegan options are fairly lacking. They have an option for building your own scramble, which I took advantage of - veggie sausage, avocado, onions, and spinach! However, at $1.40 a pop on average, my scramble cost me $10.25. Really? The home fries were entirely forgettable and the tofu was wet and cubed instead of scrambled (another huge pet peeve of mine). At this point I was only willing to part with two stars, and I would have stuck with two stars if it hadn't been for our phenomenal server - RyAnn. This woman was a machine. She checked on us repeatedly, anticipated my roommate's to-go box needs, and never let my coffee level dip below the halfway mark. She gets a star all by herself. The flavor was good, but wet, flaccid tofu leaves me cold. Fail. At least the soundtrack to our meal was phenomenal. Jonathan Edwards, The Village People, and a disco remix of the Star Wars theme. Yes, really. read more

Let's dip into a long lost bag of SAT analogies... Cricket : Belmont = a. Bird : Mr. Belding b. Couch : Couch c. Teddy Ruxpin : Gresham d. Jam : Hawthorne I'll let you ponder on that one for a while and get on with my review... It was the abundant "drink your breakfast" menu that pushed the Cricket Cafe from "A-Ok" to "Yay! I'm a fan." (Side note: 3-stars is above average folks!) But the overall experience was just that: A-Ok. Food was tasty, menu seemingly accompanied all needs, and service came with the SE smile and sass that I've come to not only expect, but truly enjoy. Based on first impressions, I think I will go with D in the future. read more

favorite brunch spot in portland. the food is great and the staff are so, so nice. sad all the 1 star reviews are from door dash. maybe don't order brunch to go, that's a no brainer. read more

Everyone should avoid this place. Don't go there. Seriously, stay away. I mean, who really even LIKES the deliciously mouth watering hash dishes topped with perfectly melty poached eggs? Who needs a breakfast burrito bigger than your face, jam packed with delectable fixins? And why would you ever want to mix your brunch with large mugs overflowing with godly mimosa nectar? Seriously, just because I order and slurp down one to two of the salty life juice they call Bloody Right Dirties during every visit doesn't mean I enjoy it. And just because I purposely save some of my Saints Hash so I can relive my Cricket experience again at home in a few hours, doesn't mean their food is THAT good. You guys, just don't even go there... so this delicious place can be mine forever. read more

At one point, I had a chance to rent an apartment directly a block from the Cricket. The current tenant was a friend of a friend and with just a call from her to the landlady, the three and a half pages long waiting list for the apartment would magically disappear. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that the apartment, despite its astoundingly awesome location in my favorite part of town, was not the one for me. Perhaps this revelation was a blessing in more ways than one. The reason? I'd be so close to the Cricket that I would end up eating there often. Or rather, I'd be drinking there at 11 every weekend morning under the semblance of "going to eat brunch." Then I would begin to filter in during the weekdays and forget to go to work. Then I'd be perpetually slow and prone to giggling fits. The Cat's food bowl would go empty. The laundry and unpaid bills would pile up to the ceiling. The landlady who had once been so kind would ruthlessly toss all my possessions out onto Belmont and leave me with nothing but a jar of Dijon mustard and a folder of delinquent parking tickets to my name. And all on account of my proximity to a place where the drink menu stands out but the food never leaves an impression beyond the morning. Kind of makes me wonder if an invisible dude named Clarence got his wings by making me say no to the apartment. read more

It's easy to take a place like the Cricket Cafe for granted when you live in a metropolitan area. Then you move to a small town and you start to miss those little neighborhood cafes. The place people go Saturday morning with their friends to rehash last night's antics. The place people go Saturday morning with "last night's antic". The place people go with their partner-in-crime to have brunch and read the music section in the paper together. It's a dynamic place, a big-city place, and trust me...you'd miss it if you didn't have it. Cricket Cafe-I don't take you for granted. I love your atmosphere, your menu is filled with breakfast classics with just enough of a twist to make them fun, water and coffee are kept filled at all times, and your service is prompt and friendly. Thanks for keeping it real. read more

I remember how Cricket Cafe used to be. I'm going to hold onto those memories but in the future will remember they're just that: fond memories. Of a place that no longer exists. The dishes are mostly still the same as years back - Big Farm Breakfast, Saints Hash, Monte Cristo, etc. But the food quality is not the same as it was 4 or 5 years ago, and the service, at least when I went today, was awful, and not in that understandable way. (C'mon, I get it, breakfast is busy in Portland, but at least say hi or something to me if I'm sitting at a table waiting to get a drink order in for 20 minutes). I had one of the hash dishes for $13. The tiny-cubed potatoes could have come from a bag out of the freezer, the meat and potatoes were cold, and while the two poached eggs were hot, and, thank goodness, the yolks weren't solid, the whites were runny. The biscuit was kinda dry and also tasted like it was probably from a mix. It wasn't gross or anything, but for $13, I expected better. My dining companion was similarly ho-hum on the French toast -- it was nothing bad but definitely nothing to write home about either. Frankly, I'd still probably come here out of nostalgia for breakfast at times, but I won't, because the service will really stick with me. I felt like I had done something wrong - our server seemed irritated and didn't ask if I wanted a second drink during a two-hour-long breakfast, the host seemed annoyed when we asked him if we could grab a box after waiting for a half hour to ask the server. And they weren't even full at that point, as far as tables go. This was once one of my favorite breakfast spots in Portland. Today, there are much better options. read more

We had the biscuit sandwiches ($8.95), and the oatmeal ($5.95) with really bad (read: acidic but weak) coffee. My biscuit sandwich was bad: the biscuits were soft, mushy, and dry: clearly, they had been microwaved warm! Appalling!!! The scrambled eggs were dry and flat. The hashbrowns were tasty, though greasy. The oatmeal was like paste (Common Ground's is, by far, the tastier!). Service was inconsistent: fast to take the order, but then we had to wait a good 15 minutes for the check, and, being that it was a weekday, it was pretty quiet in there. The prices were fine, given the amount of food. I don't get the hype! This was, at best, meh. And, I'm being kind! read more

Sorry Cricket, I started singing your praises the first week you opened. Remember that, when I ordered the tofu scramble and you got it wrong, and then you got it wrong again and then you gave me a card to come back and get a free breakfast and then you got that wrong? I didn't even hold it against you because I was vegan and you were pretty cheap and close to my house and the staff were pretty nice, if typical hipster douchebags. Then I stopped being vegan, which meant that I could enjoy your Saint's Hash, easily the best item on the menu, and marvel at that delicious spicy hollandaise that was served with it. For several years I swore that this was the best breakfast dish in the city. Now, however, I cannot return to you in good conscious. Your staff are still bitchy, the wait is still long, but now the food is more expensive, the pricing for veggie options is ridiculous (add two dollars to sub veggie for pork- wwhhaa??), and it is absurd to be penalized for being vegetarian, the hollandaise is no longer spicy, and really, there isn't anything else on the menu worth eating. I am sure that for the people that just moved here from Minneapolis and Kansas City this places seems totally radical and tubular but seriously, it used to be and now it really isn't unless you are comparing it to Denny's or IHOP. read more

Service was super slow and my mushroom, bacon, spinach omelet was on the cool side, I'm sure in direct relation to the slow waiter. He was very chatty- to everyone else that was a server or bartender but only breezed by our table a couple times. We came in party of 5 at the tail end of the day, 2:30pm. So maybe he was really wiped out. We were one of the last tables to be waited on in there. The gal that was busing the tables was hilarious to watch, like she was moving in a coma. It was so strange, her lack of energy. This gal's dress looked like it was missing pants underneath and for a job where you lean over tables, you really need to think about outfit choices. She was completely oblivious to this. We placed bets if she wore underwear or not. All the different selections of Blood Mary's were overwhelming. I wanted the simplest one that wasn't too spicy and with help from my friends at the table I got it figured out. It was very yummy and looked great when it was placed in front of me, after a slight mix up. The food was just not okay, I liked my drink much better. If I find myself there again I think I'll just order two of those and a side of bacon. The omelet is the kind where they cook both sides of the egg, cook the filling on the side, then put it in the egg and fold over the top THEN put cheese on top of that so it wasn't very melted. YUCK. The home fries were barely browned and were really mushy. I didn't eat them at all. read more

The first time I ever went to Cricket was on a weekend, and it was busy as expected. The food was incredible; I had an omelette the size of my head. My boyfriend had one of the best bloody marys i've ever had. I swore to one day return. Shouldn't have done it, MacArthur. It turned out to be a bigger disaster than Malibu. I had some friends in town (the same ones I took to Blue Pig on Division) and I wanted to impress them with a slightly pretentious yet laid back atmosphere and food that would knock their vegetarian socks off. In my mind, Cricket fit the bill. It was a weekday morning, and there were plenty of empty tables. The waitress put together two of the small tables for us in the middle of the room, right where there was a glowing swarm of flies. A SWARM OF FLIES. All good, I don't pretend to be classy ALL the time. Then a booth opened up, and someone else that works there offered to let us sit there instead. Even better. Unfortunately, that was the peak of the experience. Our waitress didn't crack a smile. She didn't take a drink order, which isn't a big deal, but I totally forgot to order coffee. She just went right into it with "what do you want?" Um ok? I let it slide and ordered a Truckdriver Burrito, and I was pretty excited about it too. The waitress seemed pretty cool to me, maybe she was just really laid back? I was impressed with her - albeit with a bit of nervousness - because she was able to instantly commit our orders to memory rather than writing it down. Since it wasn't busy, the food came within 15-20 minutes. Still excited. Miss Waitress puts our plates down without saying a word and walks away. Later, when it still wasn't busy, she was coming in from waiting on a table outside and passed our table. She said "how are you guys doin?" with barely a sideways glance, and walked on by without pause. Again, it still wasn't busy. One of my friends was done with her coffee, and another needed a refill on his water. I still needed my first cup of coffee. We all opened our mouths simultaneously to speak, but the speech never came, leaving our jaws agape with shock that we could be treated so. Inexcusable 'tude, girl. The next time we saw her, she was dropping off the check. Then after a half hour of sitting (with no water or coffee), she finally came and picked it back up. The food is pretty good, by the way, and honestly I wanted to give this place at least three stars. However, I was so humiliated and insulted by this experience that I honestly don't think I will ever go back to Cricket. There are plenty of cute little cafes around these here parts with good service and lower prices. If you're buyin, I'll come here with you and hopefully it will be a better experience. Otherwise, I intend to save myself the aggravation. read more

From my three trips to Cricket Cafe I've observed that two types of patrons frequent this place: the health conscious and the unconscious. The health conscious types are usually on a strict diet, but they still expect a lot of options with just as much flavor. Check. Then there are the poor unconscious types, like me. We crawl in, scribble our names on the list and stumble straight to the coffee bar. Then we study the menu to find the greasiest thing available even before we're seated. Grease comes from three things: cheese, hashbrowns and BACON. The Cricket Omelet includes all three plus onions and it usually gets smothered with gravy. I get it without the gravy and opt for the ketchup instead. The area is cool, the people are cool and the ice water is cold. But what's even more definitive is that everyone comes here because they love food. read more

The weekday brunch hours are more relaxed, and tables more available, so I prefer going then. Friendly staff, good hearty breakfast. Good Coffee & prices. I used to love their Breakfast To Go bag special - coffee and 2 good breakfast Sandwiches - for just a few bucks. That was great - bring it back! (made it worth dating someone who can't even cook, in this District - partly to get the Cricket breakfast! heh...) Transit: Good Bike/Walking area. Belmont Bus 15. Easy & enjoyable walk to/ from Hawthorne (the 14) or the Crosstown 75 bus - on SE 39th Ave. read more

Let's be honest folks, a bloody mary is a salad for alcoholics - we have to get our vitamin C somewhere other than a screwdriver, and the Cricket has one of the best bloodies in Portland - I like my bloody mary with lots of veggies, and the Cricket serves theirs up with celery, okra, olives, jalapenos and lemon. Mimosas are also grand, but to be honest a Mimosa is hard to screw up. That's why the bloody mary is my litmus test for a good brunch spot. oh and the food is good, too. no really, it is. what makes the cricket top notch is their service. Came here with a friend and her order was messed up (real sausage in a veggie scramble is kinda a big booboo). Not only did they remake the dish, but they brought us another round of drinks on the house. read more

The Cricket had its run as a favorite breakfast place of mine for a good long time. I like the coffee, the hashbrowns, the vegetarian biscuits and gravy... and for lunch I REALLY like the grilled cheese. For what it's worth, Cricket's service and quality does yo-yo a bit, but it's generally a good place to check out breakfast or lunch in the Belmont area. read more

I had a terrible first experience here wherein the waiter forgot to put in our order, so we waited for our food for about 45 minutes, only to be told that they'd forgotten and would now put in our food order. After all of that, I really expected the meal to be free, but guess what? It wasn't! Not being someone to judge a restaurant by just one bad experience, I vowed to come back one day and give it another shot. Last weekend I did just that and was so surprised to discover that it was yet again another terrible experience... the food was completely ho-hum/lackluster. Forgettable in the extreme. Not only that, but our waiter had such a bad attitude and seemed to really hate his job and his customers. I've no idea why this place has such good reviews. Would not come back again. read more

first time here, service is 5 stars for sure, cook (or communication between staff) is a 2. ordered our eggs over medium, these are definitely over easy. baked hash browns is what we were really looking forward to which turned out to be nothing but disappointment. one order is already so small now cut that in half for all the burnt stuck under and around it. vegan gravy- wonderful flavor* rancheros- wonderful flavor* sassauge burrito- strong taste and a little dry (added vegan gravy) french toast- it's french toast. Average. i'm assuming texas toast. we liked it would have given 2 stars but their giant mimosas made it 3* xo read more

A couple of highlights for this place would have to be the Saints Hash and the best take out deal in town. The Saints Hash has potatoes, sausage, peppers, eggs, and hollandaise sauce that I drench in Aardvark hot sauce. It's a heavy meal, a greasy meal, and designed solely to cure the brown bottle flue that you picked up while staying out too late the night before. The best breakfast deal in town has to be their take out special. Two breakfast sandwiches and a coffee for $3.99. I just don't know how you can beat it. We add a side of hash browns and for for $8 plus tip we have the perfect diner breakfast for two without having to sit next to the "hipster" who smells like stale cigarettes on flannel. read more

I was trying to think of what to write, and I noticed Turner's review below were Turner states, "Let's be honest folks, a bloody mary is a salad for alcoholics - we have to get our vitamin C somewhere other than a screwdriver, and the Cricket has one of the best bloodies in Portland - I like my bloody mary with lots of veggies, and the Cricket serves theirs up with celery, okra, olives, jalapenos and lemon." So yeah, the Bloody Mary's are serious kick ass! Love em'! The food is generally really good, a couple years ago I had been a few times and it was hit or miss. As for all the reviews about bad service - still haven't had that yet. Maybe it's because I cordially "interact" with the staff instead of being passive aggressive like the north west tends to be. Amazing how much better service you get when one involves themselves in a friendly way. All it takes is a smile or two and a whitty remark. But I digress, this place is by far one of the coolest places in Portland for breakfast. As with many of the non-downtown places, the east side vibe of Portland can be awesome unto itself, and this establishment just adds to that awesomeness. I however now live in Seattle and won't be visiting Cricket nearly as much, but hope to whenever visiting (which will happen pretty regularly). read more

Let me start off by saying the food is amazing. I dream about their cinnamon oatmeal pancakes. So what's the rub? This place has hands down consistently some the worst service I've ever experienced. The food kept me coming back, but after about 10 visits I got sick of the abuse. Most of the time it was the standard hipster treatment. I have no visible ink, no piercings, no a-symmetrical haircut. The people who do however, always seem to get their order taken and check delivered before me. You want your coffee refilled? Don't count on it...seriously. Think I'm paranoid? I did too, but it happened visit after visit. On one occasion my bacon came out a midnight shade of burnt. Not really a big deal, they were busy, it happens. When I asked my server for another couple of strips, she looked down at the (no exaggeration) blacker than black, inedible slices of bacon and said "oh, are these a little too well done for you?" Delivered with a pseudo surprised tone. read more

really good eggs flourentine really good biscuits and vege-gravy today I had their drink special which was hot cocoa with chocolate liquor and orange vodka. WOW! So sososoooo good! Their liquid breakfast cocktail menu is amazing, I want it all....next time I'm getting the chai hot toddy. First time I went there the regular hot chocolate was THE best I had ever had, today it was just meh. read more

Cricket Cafe - best hot cocoa in PDX. hands down. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Oregon