Byways Cafe

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1212 NW Glisan St
Portland, OR 97209

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(503) 221-0011
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Byways Cafe - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 25 )
( 4 )
( 3 )
( 2 )
( 6 )

Best

My wife and I visited on a Wednesday morning at about 8:30 a.m. and it wasn't too busy. It isn't a very large restaurant so be prepared to wait during busy times. Don't wait to b...

Worst

My roomates and I decided to go here because of all the 5 star ratings. We are in our mid 20's, a little hungover, and looking for some good food. The wait was over an hour with...

Terrific Burgers!!! 6/7/2007

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat those amazing burgers. I go for the burgers, shakes & fries, but I stay for the sweet smiles on the wait staff's faces. They're just teriffic! Portland needs more places like this. My ONLY complaint at all is that I smell like grease when I leave. Pros: great food, great service, great wait staff Cons: greasy air more
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The best coffee in Portland 3/25/2007

The coffee here is truly amazing. The food is good, huge portions. The servers are friendly and the food comes fast. The only downside is that the place is TINY and there is always a wait on weekends. Plus, there is no place to wait so people tend to stand and stare at you while you are enjoying your food. A little disconcerting, but oh well. Everything else is really good. more
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Best place for great breakfast! 11/2/2006

There is a short wait generally for breakfast on the weekends, but once seated, its a treat! Blue corn pancakes are creative and delicious. Bacon is tasty and not oily or fatty-tasting. Had the special brie-scramble which was delightful. I was in town for 1 month and had breakfast here 3/4 weekends. Can't beat a wonderfully tasty breakfast! Pros: great breakfast, cute diner Cons: short wait on weekends more
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Good place for an afternoon pie and coffee 11/1/2006

If it were any bigger it wouldn't be so quaint. I like going there at some of their quieter times. Sunday after 1:00 is good. more
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Like so many breakfast joints in PDX - good food, small place = long wait 10/31/2006

Expect a wait but it is worth it. Very unique breakfast items and menu in general. Once we got in (a 45 min wait at least) we had a super waitress and really enjoyed the coffee. I loved the pancake special and my wife was in heaven with the french toast. Space is limited so you'll really want to send someone down to put in your name before the rest of the group comes over. Have to say this is the best breakfast in the Pearl as far as I'm concerned. Pros: specials, coffee Cons: parking, long wait more
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Grandmalicious 8/26/2006

Byways Cafe has so much going for it, great food, fabulous coffee and fresh baked melt in your mouth pastries. The staff works hard to make you feel welcome and to see that you don't wait long to order once you are seated. My favorite place for breakfast on the west side. The only drawback, if you could call it one, is that you can't always take a booth by yourself when the restaurant is busy due to lack of space but to me that is not as important as food and service. Try the blue corn pancakes and bacon. This place is a treasure. As the pearl is to the Oyster, Byway's is to the Pearl. more
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Food and atmosphere no longer makes up for the service 8/13/2006

I used to put up with the mainly rude waitstaff for the food and the cute surroundings... but not any more - after the rudest waitress of them all spilled coffee on and stained my coat. When I confronted her about it she told me there were coat hooks at the front door I should have hung my coat on... instead of setting it on the chair next to me! Gimme a break. She didn't apologize in any way, shape, or form and stormed off. Needless to say, I didn't leave a tip and never went back. There are plenty of great diner type places in Portland with Great Ambiance, Great Food, AND Pleasant, Professional waitstaff. Forget this place and move on. more
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Consistently wonderful! 8/9/2006

My daughters and I found this place in the Oregonian yearly food guide about 5 years ago and have been going there ever since. We love this place! One must learn that the wait on the weekend mornings is just a fact of life, but other than that the food consistently delivers. They have specials everyday that are well worth the look-see. I had my first carrot cake pancakes with maple cream cheese, there on a special. I've been making my version ever since. The scones are always wonderful and different everyday. Pros: Great food, wonderful wait staff, good location with fairly easy parking Cons: Very very small, hard to feel comfortable on super busy days more
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Wow, loved it!! 7/29/2006

On a recent trip to Portland I used citysearch to find ourselves a breakfast spot. I was intrigued with the description, so decided to check it out. One of the best decisions we made on this trip! :0) The service was great. Very friendly. Fun atmosphere. The food was awesome...and you certainly get plenty of it!! Looking forward to going there again on our next trip to Portland. I wish we had something like that here in SJ. If we do, I haven't found it yet. Pros: Food, value and service all were awesome. Cons: It's a bit small, so seating might be an issue...as may parking. more
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BEST BREAKFAST, BEST SERVICE. 7/8/2006

YOU CAN'T BEAT THIS PLACE...THE FOOD IS ALWAYS GREAT. THE WAIT STAFF ARE THE FRIENDLIEST AND FASTEST IN TOWN...I LOVE THIS PLACE. Pros: FOOD, SERVICE, PRICE Cons: none more
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Greatly disappointed 6/23/2006

I wish I could say that I enjoyed the lunch I had at this cute 50's style diner, but it turned out to be a real let-down. We were not greeted when we entered....so my boyfriend and I just took a seat at the bar. No one really paid any attention to us for a good 5 minutes after we sat ourselves. I ordered the corned beef sandwich with a side salad. All it was was 2 pieces of dry bread with no type of sauce. It came w/horseradish on the side but I was expecting some kind of reuben dressing. The corned beef was even more dry and had little flavor. We didn't get asked for a refill on our drinks the whole time. The salad just had a couple of shredded carrots on top and the ranch dressing was completely bland and tasted like milk. I don't expect much from small diners, but this was really bad. Its a shame too because the place itself is really cute. Pros: Atmosphere, 50's feel Cons: Food, service more
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Happiness Cafe 11/23/2005

Crunchy Blue Corn Pancakes! Wont find those elsewhere in our fair city. Cozy, good for solo paper reading breakfast at the counter or family brunch after an outdoor stroll waiting on the weekends. Everything fresh and flavorful and hearty, in an upbeat, homey, yesteryear atmosphere. Don't ever leave us Byways! Pros: Best Breakfast, Cozy, Cheerful Cons: None more
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I love Byways!! 9/21/2005

Byways is so delicious and the people who work there are always friendly. Their clam chowder is AMAZING!! The rest of their food is really quality diner style food, not Denny's style food. It's great. The only thing I hate about Byways is that they stop serving breakfast at noon on Saturdays and they close at 3pm. I know they don't have space in their kitchen to do breakfast and lunch at the same time (I asked them) but it's really too bad. Maybe they can kick out the fur store next door and expand. Pros: food, service Cons: close too early, no breakfas after 12 more
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cheap eats the closes at early bird hours 6/27/2005

greasey spoon dosen't simply explain the fair here it is incredible but sadly not open late for those delight midnight jaunts from the bars (netherless the location would be horrible to roam over drunk) but overall the food is fabulous very 50's with a camp kitsch touch. Have used it as a toned down version of the roxy to show to my mother (very hard to compare, may server similar burgers but simply a totally different atomosphere) Pros: Prices, Food, Staff Cons: Hours (3 pm?), Cramped more
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A Great Pearl Spot 3/31/2005

What can I not say about this little jem of a place? Byways is a great break from the rest of the dining fare in the Pearl. A jumping diner with INCREDIBLE turkey burgers, EXCELLENT homemade desserts and SASSY service with a smile. A+. more
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This place always brightens my day! 3/1/2005

From plate-size cookies to homemade soups, this quirky cafe always serves up smiles and quality comfort food. Check out their pancake specials on Sundays and order a scone while you wait, you'll be glad you did. Their coffee is awesome and the british waitress Julie always makes sure your mug is never empty. We love you Byways! more
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Authentic Friendly Diner 4/19/2004

Tucked away in the heart of the Pearl District, this place is a great escape when you've had enough of the neighborhood gourmet plates and upscale shops. It's all about friendly, happy service with good down home cooking. Go for the delicious burgers (try the turkey!), or a daily special like chili, with some lemonade or a milkshake and you won't be disappointed. The decor is as any diner should be, interesting little knick knacks from wall to wall. It's a little cramped so try to get into breakfast/lunch a little earlier or later, but in general it's not a big problem. Pros: Good prices, Friendly Service, Quirky Decor more
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Yummy for lunch and breakfast! 9/22/2003

Great breakfast joint, and I just recently started frequently for lunch too -- delicious. Try the veggie sandwich and the blue corn pancakes... Pros: Friendly staff, Great Coffee Cons: Time it well -- you could wait for awhile on the weekends! more
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Great decor. Food/Service compares. 10/2/2002

We didn't have to wait at 9:30am on a Wednesday, so I can't comment on that. The decor is awesome, and the service is perfect for such a place. Somehow we both ended up ordering some sort of "scramble", and were tired of the taste after 3 bites. It was OK, but I recommend ordering something more mainstream. more
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What A Treat! 6/18/2002

Delicious food... friendly service... what more could you ask? Well... maybe you could ask for a little more space. It is a little cramped for seating, but I don't mind a little less elbow room when I can experience such wonderful food and happy, friendly, outgoing servers! We love the Sunday breakfast... I think we go there almost every week. We're also known to show our faces there for lunch on Saturday, too! It's one of our favorite places in all of Portland! Pros: Great Food, Great Service Cons: Tight Seating, wait for seats more
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Menu for Byways Cafe


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Editorial

  • The Scene
    Kitschy and fun, Byways feels like a blast from the past with its vinyl banquettes, 3-D viewfinders, friendly servers and soda fountain. The crowd is mixed: 20-somethings nursing weekend hangovers, young families and Pearlites converge for hearty, satisfying breakfasts and lunches.

    The Food
    The Pearl's own greasy spoon transcends diner fare by improving on the classics. At breakfast, try the Mt. Rushmore Hash, a mix-mash of potatoes, spicy corned beef, melted cheese and hot peppers. Amaretto-infused French toast is pure indulgence; creamy, aromatic brioche topped with honey butter is well worth the 15-minute wait. For lunch, attempt the juicy, 1/3-pound hamburger with tasty homemade potato salad, or the Crater Lake Cobb salad, which is done with spinach instead of lettuce and doused in crumbly blue cheese. Don't miss the sweet treats: Chewy brownies, piping-hot scones and cookies have a loyal following.

  • 4/21/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Payments: Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Pearl, Neighbors West - Northwest
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