The Early Bird -- a truly great, innovative restaurant that is a must-stop if you're passing through Ellensburg. I'm lucky to live here so I get to go at least once a month. While every dish is an eating experience, the Early Bird has monthly specials that are as unique as they are wonderful. The only problem: they only exist for that month (although manager Erica tells me they occasionally have made a monthly special a permanent fixture). Come early or late on weekends -- The Early Bird is often difficult to snag a table, especially on Sunday mornings and in the winter when they don't use their outdoor dining area. Also: their adjacent sister eatery, the Night Owl, is a similarly high-quality Korean restaurant. read more

In this case, the early bird most definitely gets the worm. I visited this local cafe after seeing Rufus Du Sol at the Gorge. Unfortunately for me, many other concert goers had the same Sunday morning plan. While The Early Bird is delicious, it's by no means speedy. We originally received a 45-minute wait for takeout, but ended up waiting closer to 75-minutes. My order consisted of the Eggs Benedict bowl with the veggie medley, monkey bread, and a hazelnut iced latte. The perfect cure after a night of debauchery. You can tell they're doing their best to manage crowd control, especially the morning after a popular concert. Something to note is that you must have a table secured before ordering food. They don't let you order and wait to be seated to help lessen the crowding. Pro tip: the city park behind this building is much better spot to wait for your food. There's seating and even private bathrooms - a god-send after a night of camping at the Gorge. read more

The Early Bird - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

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What a gem in Ellensburg. Amazing atmosphere, great food, and awesome people. DELICIOUS! read more

The Early Bird - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

Loved this brunch place! You need to follow their directions: they have it posted! Grab a menu, secure a table, then order at the counter. Came in on a busy Mothers Day and this place was PACKED. We secured our table outside. Wait took a bit of time, but WORTH it. Loved the food and drinks! I had the lavender mimosa and it was tasty! Definitely recommend! Outside has blankets and heated lamps when it's chilly too. You pretty much self-bus but the service is kind delivering the food. read more

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Read reviews about this local breakfast/brunch and was excited to try it. I love finding great places when traveling. This place did not disappoint. Know that you should grab your menu as you walk in and, choose a place to sit. And after decided what you want to eat, go to the front and place and pay for your order. Water is in the back, where you help yourself. I have a dog, meme Benny-- so of course I had to order the Benny bowl. I had poached eggs instead of fried. Definitely a win. Every bite was delectable. The ratios of everything were perfect, a very hearty portion. I left full and happy. I took a picture of my dish, but for some reason, it's not in my album. My husband got the sausage scramble. His was good, but he said mine was better and I would have to agree. ;) the bathroom was very clean and decorated very classy, I mean who has gold finishes for their toilet seat covers and toilet paper holder in a restaurant? if I am ever back here, I will definitely come back to this place. Go! You won't be disappointed. read more

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Amazing breakfast. Just give yourself plenty of time. They are popular, the crew is hustling, and it will take a bit to get your delicious breakfast. Worth the wait! read more

This has been our perfect annual stop after Beyond Wonderland for the past 3 years. Menu has something for everyone; flavorful, filling and their monkey bread is the best welcome back to society after 4 days in a field. Staff is always friendly, providing the most awesome service despite how busy they are. Not being from the area I'm not sure if the ambiance at other times, but our trips it has always been welcoming, good background music, and the other diners are friendly as well. Highly recommend giving them a stop. read more

Wow.. Early bird gets the...... no worms ... the chicken and waffles was AMAZING... my bride had the burrata toast and a latte... staff is so nice.. read more

The Early Bird - Burrata Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

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Super cute and casual breakfast spot! Walk in, grab a menu, sit anywhere you want, then walk over to the counter and order when ready. Had a latte (outstanding) and the fresh berry waffle. It had fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries with lots of whipped cream. Waffle could have been better (not light and crispy but not super heavy either. Came with a side of fruit including pineapple, cantaloupe, honey dew, and grapes. Fruit was in season and not just a "garnishment." Had a nice meal and if in the area will definitely come again! read more

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I've been in Ellensburg a long time, and this is hard to write but, The Early Bird is now the best breakfast in town. The Big Bowl has a great egg, to meat to gravy to potato ratio, and tastes great. My wife had the Hot eggs in a basket, which was a May Special and was also amazing. The service is always friendly and the coffee's are always great and creative. read more

The Early Bird - The Big Bowl - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

Great vibes and great food! Arrived at 10:15 on a Saturday morning and got the last inside table and another patron was kind enough to hold the table for me so I could let my wife know who was outside. The place was hopping. The Cali Bowl was delicious. Just the right amount of bacon, avocado, potatoes and cheese with eggs over medium which was perfect for the dish. Staff were friendly and efficient. I also enjoyed having access to the drip coffee to refill as needed. Would definitely come back. Would also like to try The Night Owl next door. read more

The Early Bird - Cali Bowl - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

This place is so cute! I love the amount of natural light you get in here. You seat yourself, which was fine with me. You order at the counter after you get your seat and a menu, and then get to wait for food. The food is the best part! I got an amazing breakfast and my daughter got waffles that were to die for! We'll be back! read more

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Great menu and food, friendly service. Can you open another in our town? I had the B&G plate for lunch and was totally pleased with the meal. read more

We stopped here for lunch while traveling. Went a couple miles out of our way but worth the slight delay. Husband had Bulgogi Bowl and I the Chix Bacon Ranch Bowl. Both were delicious with fresh and plentiful portions. The establishment was clean; all staff very friendly. My only improvement suggestion is to replace the overly dry fried chickpeas with canned ones. But even so, the salad was fantastic. Highly recommend! read more

Cozy lil spot with some outstanding brunch! The staff are amazing. I love that their menu highlights new options regularly. Best French toast options in Ellensburg! read more

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The fullest 5 stars are well deserved! The early is doing it right and hands down my favorite breakfast spot in ellensburg Grub: Selection of dishes is superb, there really is something for every one. Chicken and waffles? Avocado toast?? Eggs benny bowl??? Umm yes please x everything on the menu!! Have yet to order something that wasn't absolutely scrumptious. Bonus: great drip coffee Digs: Centrally located on good ol' Main Street in downtown Eburg. A little bit challenging to park but def worth a short walk and perfect place to start if you're planning to explore around dt shops. Peeps: Walk-up and order, so not a lot to report on the service aspect. Would have been nice to have had someone come by to check during meal but not a deciding necessity. Sweet staff overall. Summed up: Fave spot for an "early bird" bite. Cute, clean vibes + consistent delish cuisine = major win. Thanks for keeping my tummy and taste buds happy EB!! read more

The Early Bird - Avo toast with egg whites + side salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

We ordered the breakfast charcuterie filled with homemade fruit topped chocolate. The classic avocado toast with a side salad was great except it could use a bit more avocado spread. My husband ordered one of the bowls and loved it. The service was good. The ambiance was nice, quaint, and cute. read more

The Early Bird - The fruit charcuterie board. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

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I really enjoyed the unique style of ordering the restaurant offers. The food was amazing, service was quick, and everyone working was extremely pleasant. read more

Food is always delicious and service is great! We can always find something for everyone here from sweet to savory. Coffee is yummy too! It's a pitty my son is graduating this year as we won't have a reason to stay in Ellensburg and go to our favorite brunch spot! Will definitely stop in when we're in the area or passing through! read more

The Early Bird - This was the special bowl of the day on Easter: 2 eggs, potatoes, salmon, asparagus & hollandaise sauce. Yum! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

This is great little place, right on main street, downtown Ellensburg! The restaurant is clean, with a happy feel. Clean restrooms. We ordered at the counter, and then the food was brought to the table, with a gracious offer to get anything we needed, hot sauce, etc... Staff was 100% happy, and wonderful! The drip coffee is outstanding, how do they do that? Wow! We had the Chicken , egg and waffle plate, amazing in house syrup. This was outstanding, delicious, etc. The other breakfast was the loaded Chorizo tacos, so much work on a perfect presentation, only surpassed by the taste, and fun. These people have perfected what they set out to do. read more

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This charming cafe has a fresh, healthy menu! The bene bowl was amazing with excellent flavor. The service is as charming as the space, kind and efficient. The latte was also fabulous! read more

The biscuits and gravy were so yummy!!! Perfect biscuit texture and amazing gravy. The early burger was okay-I tried it without tomato jam but was told the tomato jam makes it a lot better. The chicken and waffles were good. Chicken was perfectly crisp and juicy inside and the syrup with the waffle was yummy. Sat down and then ordered at the counter. Food came out pretty quickly. Everything came out and then a long line started forming so get there a bit earlier in the day as possible. Vibe was very cute brunch spot. Glad I was able to try it when I was out in Washington. read more

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If you're ever stranded in Ellensburg, or just live here, go here! Great breakfast, good amount, great taste, fast, not loud. Really wonderful experience. read more

The Early Bird - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

Oh my gosh this was YUMMMM! I would come back here many times over. I came with family and we all ordered something different and every single item was delicious. We had the breakfast grilled cheese, the B&G (1/2 size biscuits and gravy), the breakfast tacos and a Hawaiian waffles. I am so picky on my biscuits and gravy and rarely like restaurant made gravy. This one changed that. Breakfast tacos had some spice! This place deserves more than 5 stars if I could give it. I'm from out of town and I sure hope to try and come here again once more before I head home. Staff was friendly, food was fantastic, there were more than your basic pancakes and eggs meals available. We didn't even get a picture until we had almost finished our meals. Yes yes yes!! read more

The Early Bird - It was so good we didn't get a picture till it was gone - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

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Honestly I was really excited to come here with my friends as we are visiting from California and not familiar with the area. We looked this place up and it had good reviews! It's very cute inside and overall very friendly staff! My issue is due to the fact I manage a restaurant myself for 5+ yrs now and have been in the restaurant/service industry over 10 yrs. I would 1. Never allow a guests food to sit in the window for over 10min. 2. Allow the guests to see that food sitting in the window, getting passed by multiple servers who checked it out, but not ever served it. 3. The food was sadly not worth the wait or experience. I had to physically stand up, ask the manager who was standing in front of the hot food window and ask for all of our food to be served or I could even take them myself because it was sitting so long. When I mentioned to the manager that I was just unhappy with the food sitting in the window getting cold, I didn't want any compensation or free food. I solely wanted to let her know that her server was aware of the food sitting because she went up to the window multiple times checking tickets w no action to our food. I felt the manager continued to dismiss what I was saying, and offer free food. I reiterated to her, it's not about getting something for free or money back. I only wanted her to be aware of the lack of staff awareness. She let me know she was very aware of her staff and that the server was like her "dory" and always forgets things. As a manager I would never dismiss a guest and excuse poor performance from my team. As a guest, I had to come up to you while watching my food get cold in the window. Again, the place is really cute and the servers are overall friendly. I just feel the manager thought free food was a way to dismiss bad performance, and that's not at all the point I wanted to make. Servers should not be considered "super forgetful" and thats okay. The point in having a strong service team is Hot food, done right. Very lastly, as much as I wanted to love this place for the vibes, the food was honestly some of the most plain food I have ever tasted. I had to salt it all myself, there was 0 flavor to the biscuits and gravy that they say they are known for. Coffee tasted very cheap, either cheap beans or just bad beans. Syrup tastes cheap. The only positives I can say is that the special Matcha and monkey bread was very good. I wish I could recommend more from here, but honestly after the whole experience, I didn't leave with the best taste in my mouth. I hope the manager does a better job with her service and kitchen team because this place could be great if food tasted good and servers was not forgetful like "dory." For how expensive food is, lack of taste, and lack of proper service. No amount of cute decor or fake smiles can cover up the root of the issues here. It looks like even 5yrs ago someone had almost the exact same experience with multiple 1-2star reviews alll mentioning the same issues to this date. read more

My husband and I stopped in Ellensburg as it was snowing heavily, and we wanted to be fortified before we headed west over the pass. We found this chill and authentic diner and had the red beans and rice. It was outstanding. People are friendly, bathrooms are clean, and the atmosphere is really sweet. read more

Strongly recommended to have a meal here. Charming atmosphere with friendly & prompt service. The Bkfst all looked amazing with good portions and creative flare to them. read more

The Early Bird - Toast with salmon n eggs w/fresh fruit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

Order at the counter and then find a seat. servers will bring your food out. Everything was greasy and the food came out quickly but made to order. Nice place to hang out and have a tasty bite to eat. read more

The Early Bird - Breakfast tacos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

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Chicken & Waffles w/ homemade maple butter syrup FANTASTIC Best ever! Chorizo Taco (4) AMAZING flavor! read more

What makes this place amazing is the staff. The place was packed line out the door, everyone was working so efficiently at lightening speed, but not stressed. I waited tables longer than I care to admit and I can't say I've seen a kitchen staff singing when their slammed. Genuinely enjoying their work, pulling tickets and orders... being cordial. Who wants Ramsey when you can have this guy? Food was incredible, waffles were PERFECT. Crispy, soft, light, tasty. The biscuits were incredible, veggie hash.. Yum! And monkey bread! Omg. Smoked salmon toast, breakfast tacos were so good. The hazelnut latte was a hit. Def a place not to miss. Great vibes, incredible service, amazing food! read more

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Fantastic service, food, and ambiance. The service is fast both with ordering and getting your food. It can get busy sometimes especially for breakfast but if you plan accordingly it's a great place to sit down and eat while you chat with your friends. If you're in town for an event, it's a great place to visit for recovery food. Be sure to check out their specials, they taste amazing! read more

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Interesting food, fun environment- liked the outdoor eating area - once we understood the service / grab your own menu & order at the counter it was fine - little chaotic at first read more

First and last time here since we were just passing through town. Since the food was just average, we would try somewhere else next time. The inside is small and there is nothing to absorb the sound so its pretty loud, especially if there are kids there. And then on top if that, the music is playing at a decent volume so we struggled to hear each other. Its first come, first served and you seat yourself inside or outside. I wish we would have chosen outside since it is so much more peaceful. You go to the counter to order, get a number, then they bring you the food. Nothing special to report about the service. They do have a handful of gluten-free items, as well as the GF toast and potatoes so a GF person could find something they like. Again, the food is decent enough but I am sure we could find something more tasty. read more

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Great menu and the food is killer tasting. Nice laid back atmosphere. The staff was attentive, smiling, humorous and knowledgeable.

Stopped here with a group of friends on Sunday morning. The restaurant was very busy given it was memorial weekend and the first show of the year at the gorge, but the staff did well handling the crowd, taking orders, and checking on customers. You have to grab a table before placing your order at the counter. We ordered the chicken and waffles, Asian salad, kale salad, mimosa flight, and cold brew. Everything tasted great and prices weren't bad. The waiter serving outside was kind and attentive to our needs. They had heaters outside and provided blankets as well which was nice. Will definitely stop by here again when I'm in the area. read more

The Early Bird - Asian salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

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First time here. It was absolutely amazing. The food and the staff. We will stop in every time we are headed over the mountains

They have a breakfast burger that was absolutely incredible!!! I added jalapeños to give it a kick but man, all I can say is delicious. Great service, great atmosphere with nice paintings. But the burger was to die for. read more

This place is dope as hell. Excellent music choices so you can vibe out while you wait for your brunch to be delivered. There's a variety of options, all of them delicious. We had the salmon egg Benedict with a side of bacon and it was the bomb dot com. Also, they have two gender-neutral bathrooms, both sparkling clean. A great place to drop a deuce in a time of need. Great service too. My dumb-ass sister left her retainer on a napkin that got bussed but the server dug through a bin of dirty dishes to retrieve it. read more

The Early Bird - Eggs, bacon, Americano. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

I got to eat at The Early Bird this morning. The workers were helpful and kind, the seating outside was inviting, and the food was so good. I had the morning salad which was just as delicious as I remember from a visit a few years ago. I will definitely return! read more

The Early Bird - Morning salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ellensburg, Washington

Cool spot with great and interesting food. Went with the Korean marinated steak breakfast burrito and it was excellent!