I do not even remember how I first found out about SSC, but my first visit was in 2010 and it has become a staple on my return trips to Portland. It's small, located in an otherwise residential neighborhood (though just two blocks from a busy and burgeoning business and restaurant area), and I imagine the wait is busy on weekends, but I've managed to only hit it for dinner to avoid the wait. Service is quick, efficient, and friendly. The scrambles are great, as are the mancakes (good luck consuming more than one!) and the portions are huge. Most recently I had the corned beef hash served over a bed of sliced potatoes and topped with two poached eggs plus hollandaise. Absolutely killer. Great music soundtrack as well. In the unlikely event you have not been here, make it a must-do on your next trip to PDX. read more

Home of the mancakes! Just mentioning it makes my tummy ache. Nope I did not have a mancake. Oh, so what's a mancake? A huge pancake! Its thickness is as big as 1/3 of a cake and its diameter is 1ft - I think. Devouring 3 mancakes is the food challenge here - that's practically the size of a whole cake.I instead enjoyed a simple, pleasant, and satisfying omelet while painfully watching waiters carrying mancakes to other tables. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Stepping Stone. It was creative, enjoyable, and fascinating. Other than the random artwork on the walls, fishing wire was connected to the front door and strung throughout the whole restaurant with random items such as ornaments, toy figures, and junk, so when the door opened all the objects would move up and down. Awesome! Amusing observation - if someone ate the mancake challenge, I would think they would be running to the bathroom. Dam, the bathroom was the size of my shower. Not only that it wasn't distant from the dining area - wth. They should have a warning under the mancake challenge in the menu. "Good luck with the mancakes! Warning, we have a tiny bathroom." read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - stepping stone - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I've heard quite a bit about the Stepping Stone. First time was on tv when Adam Richardson from Man vs Food went to the Stepping Stone to try out the Man Cakes. My friends and I decided to order 1 of the Man Cakes ($1.50) just so we could try it out for ourselves. I've been talking about doing this for at least a year now. So, the pancake is definitely a good sized Pancake, no question there. It covered the entire plate*. I really liked the texture of the cake - fluffy and tasted wonderful with their strawberry jam. Now, the 3 short stack pancakes would definitely be a challenge for anyone to finish. I had the 2 egg combo breakfast that came with hashbrowns and a side of toast. Everything tasted great, however, I wished that the portion size for the hashbrowns was a little bigger. They weren't the traditional shredded hashbrowns....more like sliced augratin style potatoes without the cheese, however still very good. My friends had the Veggie Scramble which consisted of spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes , and tillamook cheddar cheese and also the Ranch Omelet that consisted of mushrooms, peppers, ham, onions, tomatoes, and cheese. They were all fabulous dishes! 2 thumbs up for the Stepping Stone! *If you really want to see a giant pancake, go to Hungry Tiger Too. HUGE cake that literally overflows the oval shaped platter. There is no way you can finish this thing... read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - Veggie Scramble - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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**Breakfast Review** The Stepping Stone Cafe holds its own in a town with many tasty breakfast spots. The giant pancakes are famous, but the omelets are pretty good too. The pancakes are fluffy and moist and eating more than one is a challenge. The omelets are big and packed with meat and/or veggies. You can even build your own...I recently chose the chicken sausage. I've found the service to be above average, despite the attitude of the wall signs and menus like, "You eat here because we let you." The small cafe is tucked away deep in NW Portland, so parking is a challenge and seating is too. Get there early unless you want to wait. read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I love this place for brunch!!! I had a delicious Bennie this morning and not only was it prepared perfectly, the egg yolks were the color of farm freshness. I also trust SSC to serve a great huevos rancheros every time. Their Bloody Marys are bitchn good! Wait staff are super friendly and many happy pups hang out and get lots of luv. SSC is my go to spot! read more

So good!! The bacon, avocado, swiss omelette is my go to but I've heard great things about to the other omelettes and biscuits and gravy. Great service - staff is always efficient and super friendly. Bring your appetite. Highly recommend!! read more

It's pretty hard to mess up breakfast which also makes it pretty hard to make a memorable breakfast. Stepping Stone manages to do the latter. The breakfast here is perfect if you want to splurge and feel really full after! I had the Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy. The CFS was breaded perfect and tasted great. The gravy put it over the top. Delicious white country gravy with chunks of meat inside. This was one of the best CFS's I've ever had. I decided to substitute my toast for a mancake to see what all the hype was about. This thing was huge! I couldn't even make it through half! How do people eat three of these? Anyway, the taste was great and be sure to get the pure maple syrup if you order one. I live in Las Vegas but next time I'm Portland I will definitely hit this place up for breakfast again. read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - Veggie Omelet (Back), Chicken Fried Steak (Left) and one mancake. - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Oh Stepping Stone Cafe, how you put so much thought into your food. Never have I had a chicken fried steak and gravy that tasted so good. The chicken fried steak was nicely peppery and perfectly fried. The meat inside was tender with the right amount of chewiness. And the gravy, well, that just brought it all together. It had a smooth, richness to it that complimented the chicken fried steak. Now for the mancake. It provided both quantity and quality to my surprise. The mancake is huge, peeking off the sides of the plate. So big that when i poured syrup on it, it oozed off onto the table...haha. What got me was the first bite, wow. It was so fluffy. The decor of the place ties it all together providing a cozy, quirky ambience. Figurines on the ceiling move up and down as customers go in and out the door. Good job Stepping Stone. Can't wait to come back here. read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - Chicken Fried Steak with a Man Cake - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

One word: mancakes. Breakfast food was great! The only reason I don't give this place a 5 is because the coffee was not the best. read more

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Okay, so, I work in the restaurant industry and I seriously NEVER leave poor reviews on here. As an occasional "victim" of hostile Yelpers during my years in the business, I know the power this site can hold and always wield it carefully and kindly. However, I gotta put some truth up on here about Stepping Stone - or at least, the Stepping Stone Cafe that is now operating, anyway. We've been going to this place for like, three years now and have always loved it. Before the pandemic, it was the fastest, funkiest, give no **cks place to get breakfast and possibly booze, in town. The music was always playing, there was crazy stuff on the walls and the staff always seemed to be having a good time. The food was always reliable and delicious, too. So, like everybody who loved this joint, we were super bummed when it, and every other restaurant, closed in March of 2020. And like everyone who loves this place, we were thrilled when it opened back up. But, like a lot of places, it had changed some. The groovy, weird stuff on the walls had been replaced by less decorated, institutional green paint, and the staff was different, but is was okay. We were just glad to go in and get a stack of Mancakes and try to act normal. But here's the rub: on Mondays and Tuesdays they close at shortly after 1pm - even though their posted close time is 3pm. Because my partner and I are both restaurant people, our days off are generally during the week, specifically, Mondays and Tuesdays. And because we're restaurant people and work late, we usually head out for a day-off brunch about noon or 1pm, and in the past few months, we haven't been able to get to Stepping Stone before the server is closing up. For a while we could get served if we got there by 1:30, but in recent months, we've been turned away as early as 1:15 - and sometimes a little rudely. It seems pretty weird to close up for lunch at 1:15, but if you guys are gonna close then, you might want to change your posted hours. We want to keep coming here but unless we come in earlier (which isn't gonna happen unless we get REAL jobs!) we just can't get there in time. And just to be very clear, the food was, and still is, stellar. But as a front-of-the-house person, myself, I gotta say, the service needs a bit of an overhaul. read more

Sometimes I just want simple food done well. I'm glad I found this place. The atmosphere is interesting--they played Madonna the whole time I was there. The food is just what I wanted: simple and well done. The eggs and hash browns were excellent and filling. I made the mistake of ordering a mancake to go with them. That was too much food. I'll know better for next time. Order the orange juice. That was fantastic. I had two glasses. If I had to sum-up this place in two words, they'd be "go" and "now". read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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So, there I was, in the mood for some coffee and rock music with my breakfast, and it came to me, Stepping Stone! So I headed out for my stand in line. (30 min, outside). I know Sunday would be busy, so I chatted with some other patrons to pass the time and puffed on a clove cigarette. . Pro tip: seating at the counter is first come first served, so with a small party you can potentially skip the line..... I'd been here before, with the hubby, but couldn't pry him out of bed this morning. So when I got my spot, I ordered the seasonal special mancake, bananna-eggnog, and a Cajun scramble to bring to the hubby. The ACDC was blaring, the coffee was great, as was the mancake. ( only one, cause they truly are HUGE). The banana & eggnog in the pancake went well with maple syrup. I could swear there was a hint of citrus.... Of course I could only eat half. But damn, if I am going to leave my warm bed on a Sunday morning, this is a good reason to do so. The patrons tend to be younger, but anyone who wants great food comes on in. The decor is your standard breakfast cafe, with a twist. (where else can you buy a souvenir thong?) You can get beer with your breakfast, which I love. The down side is that you must wait outside for your seat, and word is out so you will wait but the wait is worth it. Kids seem to enjoy the vibe, but those with hearing loss might find the venue a bit rough on conversation. Parking is not easy, but I live nearby, so I just walk over. read more

It has been many years since I've been here. Needed an early breakfast place whe I waiting for my mom at the hospital. It did not disappoint once again. The bloody Mary was spot. The bartender was awesome and very friendly. Had the Canadian bacon and cheese omlett with rye toast. Delicious! Thank you again for another amazing meal. Will be back soon. read more

Quant, divy breakfast joint that serves breakfast all day. I've been here a few times in the last few years. The food ranges from great to terrible, depending on what you order. The dishes I recommend are those with gravy. The service is always nice. And it's quick: today's order seriously took 10 minutes to come out. read more

We were looking for a diner type place on a Saturday evening and a friend of mine had recommended this place only for breakfast. We found they were open late hours as well. What sounds better than breakfast for dinner? It was not crowded for a Saturday evening. We were seated at the bar. A word to the cautious, the diner definitely has some charm and "character." They have this contraption where the cords going to all the hanging figures are attached to the door and they lift upon door entry. We each decided on sandwiches, a Reuben for me and he got the special Monte Cristo. One order of fries is plenty to share! Our sandwiches came in about 10 minutes. This is definitely one of the best Reuben sandwiches I have had. Keep in mind, I've never been to New York but New World Deli in Austin makes a mean Reuben. This version is made with pulled corned beef. Which is unusual as I've only ever had sliced meat. The meat, while tasty and well seasoned, was difficult to bite through. It was still so delicious that I give it full marks. My other half reheated beautifully the next day for lunch. His Monte Cristo was good, large portion, and came with french toast bread and sizable quantities of turkey and ham. Based off our meal, I'd recommend this place. We were quickly seated and our food came quickly. We never wanted for anything during our visit so the service was great for what we needed. But we also didn't wait in line so that is important to remember. read more

Don't bother. Got there at 1PM even though they closed at 3. Was told they were closed. Told the server that the website said they closed at 3 and he said the owner doesn't care what the website says. Another one bites the dust in a city that has turned into a dump. read more

Came in on a Friday a little after noon and were seated immediately. Excellent service from our waiter Mathew! He was upbeat and genuinely very friendly. He really excelled at making us feel welcome. Food here is absolutely massive but is delicious, especially the banana bread french toast. It wasn't too sweet and had the perfect balance of brown sugar and banana. read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - Banana bread french toast and three mancakes - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Always seem to forget about this diner and maybe because it's just a random hidden corner. Meant to go to BeSaw's but so glad I didn't. The service there is a hit or miss but Stepping Stone Cafe never disappoints. Pro: - Food. Large portions. Cooked well. Basics diner food without the grease. Huevos rancheros is one of the best. The jam tastes like its homemade. Coffee is strong and always refilled. - Ambiance. It's a small old school diner that reminds me of home. There's a counter space for a quick bite. - Service. Service in Portland is usually terrible but the the staff here are friendly without the pretentiousness. Not once did we have to ask for a refill. And, did I mention they're friendly! Cons: - None. But I imagine this might be packed on weekends. Maybe? read more

Six of us went here the afternoon of new years day. Being from Seattle and trying this place for the first time we didnt anticipate the long wait for a table. It was hard for them to accomidate that large of a party so we ended up having to split up our party to a group of 4 and 2. After the wait the food was absolutely worth it. Service was adequate but they were incredibly busy so dont go on such a busy day. Highly recommend getting eggs benedict, The Smothered Badass and the mancakes all with a side of hollindaise sauce and gravy. Some of the best I have ever tasted. If you are ever looking for a hearty meal to fill you up for the entire day go here! This place was so good we went back the next day and had just as great of an experience without the wait. I would come back to portland just for this breakfast! read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - The Smothered Badass - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place is a gem. The atmosphere was laid back, casual, and quirky. Staff was also very fun and friendly. Finally....the best part....the food was out of this world! I had the biscuits and gravy, two eggs, and the cinnamon roll. Death by carbs, but oh so good. The biscuits were huge, but very light and fluffy. Made for good leftovers (you'll have them, trust me) the next day. The cinnamon roll was epic with the most amazing, light, cream cheese icing. read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - The 'to die for' cinnamon roll. - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Yes! It's real classic portland restaurant! Dishes are good not special, taste is okay. read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I have been here now 6-7 times ovef the last 12 months and it always was awesome foode they served. The prices are very fair and the portions is huge. I love this place for brunch, but even on weekdays they often have a waiting list. On a Sunday morning I had to wait 1h. But it's worth it, there is a reason they have been on TV (man vs. food). It's not just about the price and portion size, the taste is a dream. I would give them 10 stars :D read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I live in the neighborhood and am a regular. The coffee is great! They also have a good deal on mimosas. Since most of the servers are in a band, they play a nice variety of music - a lot of classics or rare tracks. One of the best Eggs Benedict in town. Great way to kickoff the weekend. This place is busy and the servers are always hustling so don't expect to be babysat. It's a straightforward dining experience: pick a seat, read the menu, ask questions, order, pay your bill. Not that hard. If you get a chance - sit at the counter and have Denise as your server. She's the best. My only complaint: bring back the raspberry jam!! read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Got here at 8:10 on a Wednesday night and they wouldn't seat us because they were closing at 9. There were plenty of tables available.

My first time trying stepping stone today! It was really delicious. I had the eggs Benedict and it was amazing. The hollandaise was perfect!! read more

The huevos rancheros was so good! My only complaint is I wish they had heated up the enchilada sauce, but it still tasted amazing. Great coffee, fast/friendly service. read more

Randomly came across this spot and decided to go for breakfast -- wow. What luck, this place is down to earth but totally eclectic. A cup of joe to start followed by an egg sandwich plate, sub avo for the ham, with hash-browned potatoes. So good and the portions were huge. We sat at the counter and that was fun. Will definitely come back every chance I get. read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This diner is fantastic, a step back in time with fabulous old time customer service. I was greeted with a smile that warmed my heart and started my day with a positive outlook. I ordered the chicken fried steak for breakfast. It was just amazing. The building was built in 1912 and it's been the Stepping Stone Cafe since the 1940s. If you want a fun dining experience I strongly recommend this cafe. Breakfast is served all day and there is a special item on the menu called the "Mancake" which is really large pancake - just delectable. read more

My husband was in love with this place, a year ago, when we last came. Last year we paid $25, with tip, to feed four adults. This year it was $40. Their prices have raised significantly and I can't say the service standards have raised with it. I was confused as to who our waiter/waitress was and had to ask for water and coffee a couple times. If there is one thing I hate it is an empty coffee cup! The food was decent, but it didn't blow my skirt up by any means. Large portions are probably the best thing about this place and the novelty of eating their "mancakes". Decently priced for breakfast still, but the memory of our $25 breakfast lives on! read more

Best Eggs Benedict ever! love the Happy Days feel Looking forward to coming back soon read more

There's usually a line out the door at this brunch place so I was excited to eat here. Went here on a Friday morning and no line. Yay! Place is cozy and clean, servers are friendly, including the one working the bar. Had the French toast, and D'other, with coffee and chocolate malt shake, and a side of hash browns. I don't know why this is so popular? The food is, at best, average. They sprinkle cinnamon powder and powdered sugar on top of what seems to be white bread, and it doesn't work. The cinnamon just leaves a dry feeling in your mouth. Total of 3 slices of white bread cut in half, it's as mediocre as can be, the only thing that I can think of that's worse tasting that that was the one they serve at CrackerBarrel. The "hash browns" they have (I put quotations on it because it's more a scalloped potatoes than any hash browns I have ever had) tastes like stale coconut oil, and badly needed salt at the very least. The D'other omelet made me wish I took a picture of because the 3 tomatoes sitting on top of it was obviously old it was practically translucent. For $32 in Portland, you can do so much better. The only saving grace in this place are the workers. Attentive, helpful and genuinely nice. read more

Simple place, simple review. The wait staff has always been good, not overly friendly which I think they take pride in. I really don't need a chatty Kathy in the morning either. Food is great. Food amount is absurd as most humans don't eat this much in one sitting. Share it, whatever you think you want, split the meal with someone else. I'm just over the novelty of oversized pancakes and 10 lb biscuits smothered in 2 gallons of gravy. Once the wow factor is gone you just have a plate of wasted food. There should be a food line outside where you give someone the full meal that is leftover to some starving individual. Problem solved! read more

Came in with my mother and sister for a little brunch and expectation was quite high. Beef and hashbrown's presentation looked delicious but wasn't able to eat as it was a bit cold. The pancakes were delicious, however. If you don't care much about the state of the establishment and are here for just their infamous pancakes, do try this little part of NW Portland read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great breakfast! Good old American food, diverse crowd, beautiful setting. Great way to start a Portland day.

The cafe appears to have been a local establishment for a long time and being located in a neighborhood the parking is limited. We had to park three blocks away and arrived before 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday in order to get a seat. The staff was very friendly and filled our coffee multiple times. The meals were delivered hot and in a timely fashion even though there were 12 of us. The pancakes were at least a foot across and fluffy. The Bloody Mary was also a hit. I had the Cinnamon Roll French Toast. It is prepared with Cinnamon Roll batter which made it a bit thick. Think i would have preferred cinnamon french toast without the batter. read more

Here is the fucking facts. I was in town for a funeral and thank the heavens this place was close and open!!! All the other bars in the neighborhood were hoyty toyty gay bars and raunchy red neck hook up bars. If you are looking for a hella rad punk rock spot. Look no further. Honeslty awesome!!! read more

Stepping Stone Cafe - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I saw this place on an episode of man vs food and it without a doubt did not live up to the standards I saw in any way shape or form! The man cake was basic, nothing to brag about. I ordered a side of bacon and it absolutely, literally looked like it came out of my ass. Overcooked to the nines! The service was horrible, I couldn't get a refill on my drink to save my life. My friend who I was with asked for no cheese on his omelette because he is lactose intolerant and his omelette was dripping with cheese. The overall experience of this place absolutely SUCKED!!!!! I would never recommend this place to anybody, I would rather go to IHOP! read more

Funky little place with great food and friendly service. Bonus! They open early so night shifters getting off at 7 AM can mosey on in before heading home. Excellent mimosas and Bloody Mary's. read more

Always has been one of my favorite spots for brunch and breakfast or a later night meal. I would give 5 stars but the last time I went, just the other day, my cinnamon roll French toast was very dry, however still delicious. They have great options for meat lovers and veggies alike as well as many healthier options, sweet, and savory items. I love the feel of this diner and all the unique decor. It was fun coming in here on a weekday and seeing all the usuals drinking their coffee. Waitstaff is always great and parking is usually fairly easy- but there is some construction there right now. read more

Old neighborhood spot still rocking it! Staff has always been friendly and food always good.