What’s housed inside a modest turtle-green building on the corner of Southeast 32nd Avenue and Belmont Street is more than an ordinary breakfast place. It is, in fact, my favorite breakfast joint in all of Portland.
Catering to a hipster’s every need with a menu full of unique and insanely delicious items, Cricket Cafe surpasses the rest of the city’s breakfast joints by combining fresh ingredients with a bright and cozy atmosphere.
Owner Dan Allen has worked diligently for 10 years to make this hot spot what it is today.
With a huge focus on awesome local ingredients, it’s no wonder that each bite tastes like an explosion of pure Portland. Fresh produce straight from the Portland Farmers Market melds into every omelet, skillet and hash to create inspired flavor profiles you won’t find anywhere else.
Take, for instance, their Painted Hills Hash, a local favorite and shining star at Cricket. It is made with succulent roast beef from Painted Hills, chopped potatoes, savory caramelized onions, a sprinkling of rich asiago cheese, garlic and thyme, all served hot and crispy.
But it doesn’t stop there. Top those miraculous makings with two perfectly poached eggs covered in house-made hollandaise and a handful of crumbled bacon and you’ve got the breakfast to end all breakfasts!
Or, if you’ve got eggs in mind, the Golden Goat Omelet is practically a whole farm of flavor, as it is stuffed full of creamy chèvre cheese, grilled zucchini, garlic, fresh tomatoes and green onions, and served with a pile of hash browns or home fries.
Eaters beware: These delicious culinary concoctions come in massive portions—you definitely get what you pay for.
And lest I forget: Cricket has some of the best liquid breakfasts in town. With a complete list of hot and cold breakfast cocktails, and a killer collection of bloody marys, Cricket can help you start your weekend right with a slew of sinful selections.
And while you dine away on some of the finest breakfast food Portland has to offer, there is a constantly changing selection of quirky local art to surround you. Although they’re sometimes packed on weekends, Cricket’s phenomenal food is well worth the wait.
Inside and out, Cricket is a picture-perfect café that knows what good food is all about. From their tasty sustainable ingredients to their stellar chefs and fantastically friendly staff, Cricket Cafe is the whole package and then some.
From Portland State, head to Southwest Salmon street and hop on any eastbound 15 bus. Hop off at the Southeast 32nd Avenue and Belmont stop, and you’re only steps away from the doors of the glorious Cricket Cafe.