Comfort foods since 1975

If you’re looking for a friendly restaurant to get a well-priced and hearty meal, then there’s an old-fashioned diner located in the heart of Portland’s Multnomah Village that’s just for you.  The Fat City Café has been a mainstay for breakfast junkies in the Rose City for over three decades, serving up fresh cups of coffee alongside classic meals such as country-fried steak, omelets, hash browns and bacon. Much like the neighborhood that surrounds it, Fat City Café has a quaint, small-town ambiance that keeps its many customers happy, filled and coming back for seconds.

“It’s comfortable,” said Steve Madsen, a local resident who’s been eating at Fat City for over 20 years. “That’s the best way to describe it.”  

At Fat City, it’s not uncommon to engage in a little friendly banter with your server or possibly strike up a conversation with the owners, who you’ll often find waiting tables and taking orders during a rush. You’ll also notice that there’s enough décor and signage on the walls to keep your eyes busy for many future trips.

“The place has so much character. I love all the stuff to look at,” said Mandy Terrill, a customer who was making her first trip to the café with her husband. “It makes it fun.”  

Almost every inch of Fat City’s walls are covered with photographs, artwork, vintage road signs, funny posters and various memorabilia that help to give the place its down-home, American diner appeal. There are license plates from across the United States almost everywhere you look. It’s a feast for your eyes before breakfast has even been brought to your table.  

“It soon became, ‘Where’s the next open space we can put up a license plate?'” said owner Mark Johnson with a laugh.  

Johnson has owned Fat City Café with his wife, Helen, for over 10 years now, and throughout that time they haven’t made many changes to the place. In fact, many of the signs hanging on the walls today were put up by the original owners, the Boyers, back in 1974. (Apparently, George Boyer was quite the boxing fan and named the restaurant after his favorite movie, a 1972 boxing film called “Fat City”.) Over the years, the Johnsons have built close relationships with their longtime customers, many of whom, like Steve Madsen, eat here on an almost-daily basis.  

“We’ve got a lot of friendly people who have been with us for years,” said Johnson. “We feel we’re responsible for keeping this place running like the original owners intended.”  

The menu has stayed the same for the most part as well, and is still filled with favorites such as the Fat City Sizzle (hash browns mixed with ham, green peppers, onions and cheese, served with two eggs on top) or the Regular Joe Breakfast (your choice of sausage, ham, bacon or Spam, served with two eggs and a choice of hash browns or pancakes, along with a biscuit or an English muffin).  Fat City is also known for its bacon, some of the thickest and largest strips you’ll find anywhere.  

“Our three-year-old, Chase, loved the hot chocolate with whipped cream,” said Mark Terrill, who first discovered Fat City when his parents took him on weekends growing up. “But personally, I’m here for the bacon.”  

Along with the landing-strip-sized bacon, it would be a mistake to visit Fat City Café and not order their famous old-fashioned cinnamon rolls, which come in one size only—really big.  Closer to the size of a softball than your average pastry, the fluffy cinnamon bun has a gooey center filled with icing—a tried-and-true recipe that’s been used for over 30 years.  

“Nobody leaves hungry from here,” said Johnson with pride.  

Another of the café’s claims to fame is from an incident that happened in 1987 between then-Mayor Bud Clark and Portland’s then-Chief of Police.  Over coffee, in front of all the morning patrons, the mayor fired the police chief on the spot. The story made the front page of the Oregonian and is now framed above the very booth where the now-infamous event occurred with a sign that reads, “The police chief was fired here.”

“People come in and just want to sit in that spot, and we’re more than happy to fire anybody that wants (the full experience),” joked Johnson.    

Not only does Fat City have well-priced meals with ample portions, but the diner also has a fun and intimate atmosphere. Take a seat and have breakfast at the front counter or grab a chair at the “community tables” in the back, where anybody can sit and enjoy a meal whether they come alone or not.  It’s usually where you’ll find Steve Madsen, eating breakfast with friends or chatting up a new acquaintance while waiting for his favorite meal, the biscuits and gravy.  His photograph is pasted under the glass of the table, along with other regular customers who only add to this restaurant’s rich history.   

Says Madsen, “You know, you can solve all the world’s problems over a good cup of coffee.”