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    Stepping Stone Cafe

    3.8 (1k reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Stepping Stone Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    STEPPING STONE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Stepping Stone Cafe

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    Stepping stone Cafe
    Adriana

    Stepping stone was overall an amazing experience, the service was fast and kind. The food portions absolutely blew our minds, you are getting your money worth!

    Empty glasses throughout the whole meal.
    John C.

    Today was, unfortunately, a disappointing experience. I truly hope what I felt wasn't the case, but I left wondering if my family was being treated differently and that's a very uncomfortable thought. If that was the reason, I really hope management takes a serious look at how guests are being treated. To start with the positive: the greeter (dark hair, mustache) was fantastic! Friendly, welcoming, and exactly the kind of person you hope to meet when you walk into a restaurant. Our server, however (portly man with brown hair, scruffy beard and mustache), was a completely different story. His attitude from the start felt dismissive, almost like a "what do you want?" tone. When I asked about adding something to my dish, he told me, "You need to look at the menu." I told him I was looking and didn't see it, and only then did he check his pricing, without any apology for the rudeness or for not knowing the menu himself. While waiting for our food, my wife and I noticed that his interactions with other patrons "most of whom appeared Caucasian" were entirely different. He was upbeat, cheerful, joking around... almost like we were watching two different people, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When he served our food, the polite attitude never carried over to us. It felt strange that I, the customer, was being more courteous than the person serving us. I know this place has a reputation for a little sass, but there's a difference between playful sass and selectively treating people poorly. If that energy is part of the brand, it should be consistent and not directed differently toward an Asian family. I've been coming here since the '90s, and I've always enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. But today's experience left my family feeling unwelcome, and that's something I can't ignore. If this is the direction things are going, I'll have to choose to support a business that treats "ALL" customers with the same respect. Also, he never checked on us at any point or refilled our waters, even though I left the glasses at the edge of the table to make it clear they needed refilling. Normally, this is the kind of service that would make me leave no tip, but I didn't want to stoop to that level."

    Rachel E.

    Great spot! Don't miss the huevos rancheros, the sauce is made in house. Gluten free toast! Fresh coffee, good Bloody Mary. We went on a Tuesday, not busy but could see it being busy on the weekend. Love the neighborhood!

    Corned beef hash, cinnamon roll and Eggs Oliver
    Rachel H.

    I hate how many reviews ding them for having a long wait line. It's a small space, and very popular. That's just the name of the game. You walk in, and it absolutely has the 90's vibe in a good way, down to the music and random figurines. We went around 9:30a in a Saturday, and there was a short line but it moved quickly. Not a good spot for larger groups. Again, a small space. Service and quick and friendly without being too over the top giddy. Food came out quick, and was delicious. Again, it's an American brunch not a Michelin 5 star restaurant. They nail it, and that's it. Absolutely get the cinnamon roll.

    Smothered badass
    Joshua L.

    Always looking for a great diner spot, and this one has been on my list for forever. Finally had the chance and it was certainly worth the wait. We did go on a Sunday Morning, which is prime brunch time. They don't take reservations so be prepared to wait in line for a little bit. The vibes in there are perfect if you're looking for the classic diner aesthetic. Hightop coutners, red bar stools, checkered flooring. They even play Sunday Morning Cartoons. Food was good. My wife had their Chicken fried steak. Really can't go wrong there. And I had the smothered badass. An interesting idea to have 2 classic breakfast items, chicken fried steak and hashbrowns inside an omellete; but I'm not entirely convinced that it pulls through. Both the steak and hashbrown ends up feeling pretty heavy in the omellete and it takes away from the crunch. Still worth a try and I'll definitely be back to try some of the more traditional options.

    French toast
    Alyssa H.

    Service was amazing, all the staff were so friendly and personable. The building is cute, quaint and cozy. The orange juice was really tasty and I thought it might have been fresh squeezed. I tried both the waffle and the French toast and I did not find that either were exceptionally out of this world- but they hit the spot after a long nightshift.

    Biscuits and gravy and absolute omelet
    Tierra H.

    Small place but really good food. Most people complain about the wait but we must of came on a good day. The service was cool. Nothing to write home about and I wish they had flavor coffee creamer but other than that the food was really good. Will definitely be back again

    Banana bread
    Keith F.

    This place was solid! Parking was one of the biggest issues with this place. After finding and paying for a spot we were seated near the front window. Our server who looked like Freddy Mercury, was fast and efficient. He kept our coffee mugs full which was greatly appreciated. The menu has all of the classics and a few out of the ordinary. I went with the banana bread hold the powdered sugar. It was still plenty sweet. The fresh walnuts provided a great crunch (see picture). I would definitely recommend and come back to this location.

    Interior
    Amy L.

    The line is literally wrapping around the building... really popular spot but we got 2 seats at the counter. I felt like we were going to fall off the entire time. I enjoyed my veggie omelette but the wait was really long especially since I was hungry. I appreciate the range of hot sauces they have. Don't trust the water cups though because I literally watched the waitress use the previous water cups left behind without washing them. Gross.

    Biscuits and gravy, chicken scramble and club sandwich.
    Paul E.

    I've driven by this place many times, and often seen a line outside for breakfast. Finally went today and I understand why people wait in line to get in. The food was delicious and hearty and served in big portions. In our trio, the biscuits and gravy order was the hero, but the scramble and club sandwich were also excellent. And if you like REALLY big pancakes, this is your place. They were huuuge and delicious. Service was no nonsense and fast. The inside is your run-of-the-mill neighborhood diner chic. Probably best to keep your party to 4 or less, as most tables weren't spacious, but perhaps they figure out a way to make larger parties work.

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    2 years ago

    Best breakfast in Portland! Been coming here for years and it never fails to impress.

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    3 years ago

    Man cakes Are huge! I always get the smothered Bad*ss! Huge omelet! Staff is amazing and super nice!

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    4 years ago

    I had breakfast here with a few folks today. The food and service were really good. We enjoyed the experience.

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    4 years ago

    Did take out. The pancakes were inedible. didn't try anything else but will not be eating here again

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    Page 4 of 25

    Ask the Community - Stepping Stone Cafe

    Fireside

    Fireside

    3.9
    (575 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Fireside sits on a busy corner on NW 23rd. There's outdoor seating, so like many places in…read morePortland, well-behaved dogs are welcome. What sets Fireside apart is their servers. They are genuinely happy. I've been here maybe a dozen times in the last two years, and the serving crew is always top notch. The cocktails are consistently great too. So, that goes a long way for repeat business! The food is usually excellent, and a recent brunch was outstanding (see pics). Occasionally, there has been a near miss with too much salt on the Brussels sprouts or other minor infraction like that. All in all, it has displaced Serrato as my "go to" to meet up with friends. I've only eaten outside, so I have no idea what the inside experience is like. Outside, it's a sheltered patio with heaters if needed and a few small tables against the building as well. Bonus for this area in general is that it's a great place to walk around and window shop, and it's relatively close to the Japanese and Rose Gardens (by car).

    Fireside is such a cute spot with a cozy atmosphere, and I really enjoyed the overall vibe. It's a…read moregreat place to grab a drink and hang out with friends. That said, my experience wasn't perfect. I was accidentally charged the wrong price for my Mexican lager, and it was difficult to get the bartender's attention to have it corrected. It was a busy afternoon since it was the holiday weekend and the day before the Fourth of July, so I understand they had a lot going on. Overall, I still enjoyed my visit and think it's a charming place. I just hope the pricing is a little more accurate and the service is a bit more attentive next time.

    Photos
    Sweetly curated shelves, love the shrubbery!
    Sweetly curated shelves, love the shrubbery!
    St Helens Ribeye
    St Helens Ribeye
    Blood Mary made with their homemade Bloody Mary mix with a hint of chipotle

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    Blood Mary made with their homemade Bloody Mary mix with a hint of chipotle
    G-Love

    G-Love

    4.4
    (513 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$$

    This is a familiar type of place for Portland - not inexpensive, but great food. It's small,…read moreshareable plates. A friend brought me here and we split 8 plates and each had a dessert. One drink and the "Employee Health" charge of an additional 5% made the bill $163.80 before tip. Okay, so that's the not inexpensive part. As for the food, there were several great dishes. I was not wild about the salad we got, The Crunchmaster Crisp, the my friend said a different one she had previously was really good. We got the Crusty Avocado - seeds coat the outside and inside the avocado is filled with Ahi tuna. That was a good dish. We also had Garden Peas which were pretty good. The trout was excellent, the Fried Chicken was unique, and quite good. We got a couple of the skewers (they're small!), the pork belly and the steak and both were great. I could have ordered several and made a meal out of those! The Milk Chocolate dessert was good, but I wasn't a big fan of the "baby popcorn". The Whip-a-licious was well liked by my friend. It was better than I thought it would be because I'm not a big passion fruit fan. Our service was excellent. All together, I definitely recommend for the food, atmosphere, and service. Just be prepared for an expensive night out!

    I really wanted to enjoy this restaurant. Unfortunately, our waiter seemed a little under the…read moreweather and got two of our orders wrong. There were also times where it felt like we were waiting forever for the next dish to come out. That said, the food was impeccable. Just keep in mind it's definitely true tapas style, so the portions are on the smaller side. My parents were visiting, and I wanted to take them somewhere with a fun Portland vibe. Even my mom commented that it seemed like something was off with our waiter. It was a bit disappointing because the food was so good, but the service took away from the overall experience.

    Photos
    A bathroom for the Gods and Goddesses and disco queens! Visited it twice because the playlist in there is as good as the food!
    A bathroom for the Gods and Goddesses and disco queens! Visited it twice because the playlist in there is as good as the food!
    Blackened Albacore over Tom Kha sauce with grilled apple bits, crispy potato nests & shimeji mushrooms
    Blackened Albacore over Tom Kha sauce with grilled apple bits, crispy potato nests & shimeji mushrooms
    Scallops

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    Scallops
    Papa Haydn Northwest

    Papa Haydn Northwest

    4.0
    (1.5k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    We stopped in for dessert after an evening elsewhere in Portland. The parking lot had space and was…read moreFILLED with fragrant jasmine flowers. We were seated immediately, but waited a short while for our order to be taken. They seemed quite busy. The dessert menu takes up a whole page. You can see many items in the front case when you walk in. There were at least 10 gluten free options, all clearly marked on the menu. All looked delicious and the decision was difficult for once. My dad had the mango black tea panna cotta and I went for the raspberry gateau. The panna cotta had great flavor. Subtle on the tea, strong with the mango. A generous portion but light enough that it could be finished. The raspberry gateau was rich and chocolatey. The raspberries were a necessity to add dimension to the dish. I recommend this location for celebrations, evenings out, or for a sweet treat just because. Everything is clean and it feels fancy and special without being overly exclusive. This location is right on NW 23rd and would make a great stop before, during, or after a day of shopping.

    The service was absolutely unacceptable from beginning to end. We waited an excessive amount of…read moretime for dessert, despite the fact that all the staff had to do was slice the cakes and bring them to the table. There was no reasonable excuse for such a simple task to take so long. To make matters worse, it took over 15 minutes just to receive our beers and desserts after ordering them. Our water glasses sat empty for most of the meal and were never refilled once. The waiter was inattentive, rarely checked on our table, and seemed completely uninterested in providing even the most basic level of customer service. We spent more time waiting than actually enjoying our meal. And you expected tip for your service? What a joke!!!!!! For the prices charged, this level of service is inexcusable. A restaurant can survive a mistake, but it shouldn't fail at the fundamentals of hospitality. This was one of the worst dining experiences I've had, and it completely ruined what should have been an enjoyable evening. I won't be returning, and I can't recommend this restaurant to anyone until they seriously improve their service.

    Photos
    Papa Haydn Northwest
    Braised Beef Radiatore
    Braised Beef Radiatore
    Cafe au Chocolate

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    Cafe au Chocolate

    Stepping Stone Cafe - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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