This is my favorite place in Portland. It's completely no frills, small town diner, middle America grandpa food. It's not fancy, it's not gourmet, it's just regular old comfort food for a tiny price. The family who runs it are no nonsense and will not put up with your crap. If you're a classist a-hole, like a couple of the other reviewers, and can't stand to eat in the presence of poor people, then stay away. The pancakes are big, thick and delicious. I highly recommend them. The hashbrowns are good and greasy, the sausage links are superb and the cook knows how to cook the perfect egg, any way you want it. I usually come here early in the morning, so I can't speak about their lunch, though the one time I did get lunch here, I had a fantastic old school ham sandwich (White sandwich bread, ham, mayo. They don't mess around.) with a glass of milk and it simultaneously made my day and made me miss my Midwestern grandma. read more

Cash only but Best $5 breakfast in downtown Portland. 2 big pancakes, egg, 2 pieces of bacon. Coffee is a little thin but with this price go get a cup of real Joe up the street. Small place takes you back in time to a simplistic life. Nice family runs he place but leave your attitude at the door or else they will call you out. read more

Great little dive in Portland, owners are friendly and the food is great. The price is fantastic, breakfast for three was $20! Ensure you stop by and try this place out.... read more

John's Cafe - Dining area... - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This is THE place to get good breakfast near the Pearl for less than $10. This morning I had 2 eggs, toast, and hash browns for $3.95. All prepared quickly by two people who seem to own the place. The food isn't anything super special but the prices reflect that, unlike other establishments nearby. Couldn't figure out where the owners are from, they have thick accents and are very nice. On a weekday morning around 8:30 there was one other customer in the entire place. They only take cash but there is an ATM a block north on Broadway. No complaints here. read more

Good basic food at a very low price. People seem a little standoffish, but are polite and provide good service.

Plenty of bang for the buck. Family run business. Very inexpensive. We seem to go there at least once a month. If you want fine dining don't come to Johns, if you want a great double burger on the cheap, this is the place for you. read more

Neither my favorite nor the worst lunch I've ever had. I had a cold tuna sandwich & my coworker had a burger. The food & the service were neither great nor bad. The big downside to this place was not realizing they don't take debit/credit cards until we were almost done eating. I had to leave my friend there & go down the street to get cash at a nearby bank. read more

I have been coming to John's Cafe for over 10 years as of lately are customer service and quality of food has rapidly decline also his wife will overcharge you and when confronted she will come up with an unreasonable excuse as to why I will no longer is eating at John's Cafe due to their lack of integrity read more

This might just be the friendliest place in America. In our current political climate you just need to come in here and feel the love. And the breakfast is great too!! read more

Nobody does breakfast like the Greeks, and John's Cafe is no exception. How they can put out a breakfast of pork steak, hash browns, two eggs and toast for $6.00 is beyond me - and coffee that tops Starbucks by a long shot for only $1.50 with refills. This is one of the best kept secrets in downtown Portland. John and Kristina, the owners, have been on the same corner for over 45 years and pretty much nothing has changed in that time. If you're looking for chic and trendy, look elsewhere. This is purely retro with fast, friendly service at prices nearly anyone can afford for a meal that completely satisfies, and a host of regulars will attest to that. read more

Solid diner breakfast. No frills, just two eggs, perfect hash browns, sausage links, toast, and a simple cup of coffee. It's affordable and the staff are warm and friendly too. read more

We showed up around 11:30 on a Sunday morning expecting a wait. The place was hopping but not seemingly overwhelmed. We stood at the desk, ignored by the supposed host for the better part of 10 minutes before WE asked HIM if there was a list? Seems we were one of three groups of 3 or more that hadn't even been acknowledged. To top it off, the contempt we received when we WERE acknowledged was ridiculous. Needless to say, we went elsewhere. Doubt we'd try again. read more

Very cute breakfast place . Great cheese omelete Fun atmosphere! The pancakes are the best in town.

I ate a modest tuna sandwich here. Reminded me of those from the good ol days. I observed huge mouth watering burgers and fries go by. Large portions. Very reasonable prices, cash only. Great place for a meat eater for sure. .. read more

Its cheap! No thrills basic diner. Go here for your basic eats. Food was good and service was ok. I would go again and try something besides the omlet. read more

Great quick breakfast, straightforward diner, no frills and the food is great. I'll be back.

The coffee was not good, the pancakes were good and you can't beat the price of the brrakfast special. The place had a lot of character, the epitome of a family owned diner. Cash only. read more

Very cheap lunch$13 for two people. Cash only is the only drawback. Very intimate old school diner with a classic ma and pa vibe.

We're not talking gourmet or high-and-mighty cuisine. We're talking good old fashioned blue-collar-all-American food. It's inexpensive, mostly good and the service is a throwback to yesteryear. I've been going there for many years. I like its no-frills, down-home atmosphere. Somehow I always like their coffee though it's not your ordinary "fabulous blend" that you simply must have. Portions are good. The overall value is excellent. The owners, John and Elena work to see that your meal is just right. Their son, Tom is often there to help out. This family has owned this place for over 42 years. They work hard so you can enjoy a hearty meal at a good price. I love this place. read more

Good Golly. I can hardly believe I'm the first to review this dive (and I mean that in the nicest possible way). I have spent a lot of my time in Portland complaining about the lack of cheap breakfasts. It is as though eggs get exponentially more expensive the further West one travels. While I hate to play the, "where I come from" game, it has to be said: Where I come from you can get breakfast for less than $4.00. This is also true at John's Coffee Shop. The husband and I had our anniversary breakfast here (yeah, we're fancy) and were not disappointed. Nothing fancy. Eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns for $4.00. The best part was the "ambiance." The fixtures, stools and booths are obviously original, and it appears the owners are too. A charming woman from...the Ukraine? Romania? An Eastern Block country? waited on us. A homeless man wandered in off the street and started yelling Bible verses and the charming woman chased him out with WITH A BROOM AND YELLED, "Shoo! Shoo!" I can't make this stuff up. Word of warning. Coffee is wretched. Awful. Bring your own if that kind of thing is important. I doubt they would care. read more

Five star diner-style old school homey breakfast and lunch joint. Cash only but you won't need much of it. Great food at 1970s ultra low prices. The Greek couple who run the place have been there for 42 years: he cooks and does dishes, she waits tables, buses and runs the register. We had the chicken fried steak breakfast and a John's Special. All ready in no time and not a single thing to complain about. Ten or so stools at the formica counter, with table seating for maybe 16-20. Mechanical register, 8-track stereo/radio playing....great feel to the place. read more

Had a 5 hour layover at the train station and asked someone who worked there where I could find and unpretentious diner. The gentleman told me that John's is the only place close by that fits the description. My Denver omelette, hashbrows, and coffee were everything I hoped for. read more

This place is run by the owners - a sweet couple who loves Portland. Breakfast is good - a little greasy - but the coffee is hot and strong. Cash only. read more

A throwback to my childhood ... A small restaurant with more counter than booths, good food, a simple menu, and good service. My first time here and I was taken care of like a beloved niece. I'm coming off a dastardly cold and was coddled with tea and chicken soup. I will be coming back. read more

Not only great, classic breakfast grub but John and his wife have been there for more than 40 years and the stories they can tell! They have seen it all! If you want to know what's really going on downtown, get their take. Enjoy! read more

I really enjoy this family run Portland restaurant. A nice hardworking family has owned it since the 70's. It is perfectly old school.

Really enjoyed this little diner. Home cooked meal feel. Cheap. Good breakfast. Vintage diner with old school cash register and decor. Cash only. Definitely will recommend! read more

Service is quick and friendly. Food is good and cheap. Been in for lunch now three times and have taken colleagues twice. If you are looking for a lite lunch look elsewhere, but if you are up for a proper classic diner experience, this is the place. read more

The only time I can see myself darkening the door here again is if I'm extremely hungover and desperate for food and also broke. The food is mediocre at best, but very cheap, so it's easy to let the quality slide. A side result of the low cost is the clientele, which slanted extremely heavily towards the "tweaking" sort when we visited. This is one of those places that gets romanticized because of how "old school" it is, but really it's just cheap and seedy. The food reminds me of what schools used to serve in the cafeteria. We will definitely NOT be returning. read more

John's has been run by the the same beautiful Greek couple since June 10, 1973. At this writing, that's almost 45 years. They retain the commitment to customer service of recent immigrants, but they've been American citizens for decades. With almost a century of experience between them, they run a tight ship. Dimitri (aka John) can whip up a meal of perfectly cooked bacon & eggs with freshly grated potato hash browns in less time than McDonalds can hand you their best pre-packaged breakfast. And Christina, his wife, will hand it to you on a perfectly arranged, heavy breakfast plate to enjoy with real silverware. With their amazing work ethic and strong focus on the task at hand they are not chatty, but regulars (and there are many of us) will attest that kinder, more genuine people are difficult to find anywhere. The food is standard American breakfast fare; nothing exceptional in terms of ingredients--although they always ensure it's the best quality. What really differentiates them is their superior attention to detail, service and value. One very small caveat: Unlike most places, no credit cards, cash only! read more

One of the last vestiges of old Portland soul. If you are looking for slick corporate nonsense and staff with name tags, who read from a script, go over a few blocks. If you want good, reasonably priced food served by real people, and coffee with a great cross section of Old Town, minus people in thousand dollar yoga outfits, slide up to the counter! Admire the vintage cash register and a family who actually loves one another, F-bombs or no. I wish I had found it years ago. read more

We took our two young God children to Portland and ran into this café for an early breakfast. It was cheap, tasty, and filled with love from the owners. We had a memorable breakfast to start our Portland adventure. I had the pork chop special and enjoyed it. One child had French toast and the other had pancakes, bacon, and eggs. My wife had an omelet. All enjoyed their food. A trip back to the past with a dash of downhome cooking. read more

If I could enter ZERO stars, I would. I came in at 11:20 and they close at 12:00. As soon as I walked in, the terrified lady looked at me, she immediately said "we're closed" as there was an open sign lit up. As I looked on yelp to see where else we could get breakfast, couple white kids walked in and sat down. I looked inside and saw the white lady stare me down. DO NOT STEP FOOT INSIDE if you're Asian. I'm from California and this was a total culture shock. I guess she didn't see my white boyfriend beside me... read more

Cozy mom and pop breakfast diner close to Union Station. The décor probably hasn't changed since the 70's and I wouldn't change a thing. The pancakes are huge and the prices are a bargain. The service is friendly in an understated way. Remember to bring cash as they don't take credit cards. read more

This place I love Love LOVE. Delicious and great in prices and always fast and friendly. I've gone there four times in one month. It's small, classic cafe. The two owners have been there over thirty years.... I can see why. Total Portland, with an old flare read more

Owned and operated by a family that has been there 30+ years, John's Cafe is a great little place to grab breakfast / burgers for a really great price. Very sweet and very simple and very cheap. Cash only is sometimes inconvenient, but it's so cheap that is rarely a problem. Old fashioned and quaint . read more

Most wonderful small cafe that I have been to in Portland. It feels very comfortable, and the food is amazing. It is a really beautiful piece of the recent past. read more

Horrible breakfast, everything is greasy, apparently the don't carry decaf coffee. Oh yeah, if you don't have cash it's a block walk to the ATM where you will be charged $3.50 fee. Ugh read more

A no-frills kind of place. I was quite pleased with The basic bacon eggs toast and coffee breakfast. The bacon was crispy and plentiful. The hash browns were hot and crunchy on the outsides, my eggs were cooked to order just right. $6.25 was my total. I've been here a few times and have never been disappointed. read more

Really good food that is very reasonably priced. They are known as a blue-collar restaurant and the owners run the place themselves.