Northwest

Breken Kitchen

1800 NW 16th Ave.

503.841.6359

Breken Kitchen is a great café that offers up a healthy breakfast menu full of local ingredients. Owner and manager Jessica Cartango said her general idea for the new establishment was “to make it the kitchen of the neighborhood.” Their breakfast menu offers multiple grilled breakfast sandwiches, such as grilled peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and Nutella, but Cartagno said that their fried egg sandwich is easily the most popular breakfast item on the menu.

Cloud Seven Café

901 NW 10th Ave.

503.336.1335

Cloud Seven opened its doors this summer. This urban café offers up a basic and tasty breakfast menu and has freshly-brewed coffee by the cup. Manager Katheryn Francis said that their savory scones are some of the biggest morning sellers, and they include fresh, locally-grown veggies. Cloud Seven also serves up a great potato and seasonal veggie omelet. Their menu is reasonably priced, with pastries for $1.50–$5 and the omelet at only $4.

The Clearing Café

2772 NW Thurman St.

503.841.6240

This family-owned business is a great place to grab a quick bite for breakfast. They offer delicious, blended-to-order smoothies to go along with the food. And these smoothies are a must. There is the basic and tasty strawberry banana, or for those that want something a little more exotic they offer the Chimpanzee, a blend of spinach, pear, banana, lemon and ginger. All smoothies can have Nancy’s yogurt or natural supplements added. The café also offers breakfast with add-ons like cream cheese or avocado, and their popular breakfast burrito—which is made with free-range eggs—is just $3.50.

Stepping Stone Café

2390 NW Quimby St.

504.222.1132

Featured on “Man vs. Food” for the restaurant’s famous man-cakes, Stepping Stone is everything a customer could ask for in a diner. Owner Jennifer Wood said that on a customer’s first trip to Stepping Stone, one should “avoid coming on the weekends…[because] it can be a 30–45 minute wait…It’s loud, but it’s fun, but if you’re comfortable with that, it’s great.” She added with a laugh, “If you’re hungry and hung-over, great—we’ll have you.”

Grand Central Bakery and Café

2249 NW York St.

503.808.9860

One of six locations in the Portland area, the Northwest version of Grand Central is found a little off the beaten path but is well worth the trip. The bakery serves up delicious fresh pastries, breads and breakfast sandwiches. Said retailer Casey Enns, “We are the only real coffee shop on this side of [Northwest] 23rd [Avenue].” The windows to the kitchen and baking area allow customers to actually watch the bread and pastries being baked.

Everett Street Bistro

1140 NW Everett St.

503.467.4990

A sit-down breakfast restaurant great for visiting parents or relatives, this bistro serves a slightly upscale menu with traditional items and a great variety of egg scrambles. It is located a few blocks from the streetcar line and has bar as well as table seating. Everett Street Bistro’s full breakfasts range from $7–$12.50, and their egg scrambles are $8–$9.50.

Besaw’s

2301 NW Savier

503.228.2619

Besaw’s has its own garden and uses almost exclusively local produce. They have great customer service and both indoor and outdoor seating. One of the most popular breakfast items is the Eggs Benedict, of which there are several variations, all with made-from-scratch hollandaise sauces. This well-established (since 1903) restaurant is a must-see while in Portland. Prices range from $6 for lighter fare like yogurt and bagels to around $8–$11 for full breakfasts like the Eggs Benedict.