Best Breakfast in Van/Port
Some say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you believe that or not, the morning meal can be wonderful if you know the good breakfast joints. Start your day right with one of these.
1. Stardust Diner
Vancouver – EastMy go-to breakfast joint for 20 years. One of lowest prices in town, excellent service, good coffee, great vibe and legit bacon, gravy, pancakes, etc. Helpful wait staff in a retro, mid 20th century style. Of course they serve lunch and dinner too. PRO TIP: If you like spicy, have an omelet with jalapenos.
2. Buenos Días Mexican Cuisine
Vancouver – East
This eatery is where Goldie’s BBQ used to be is not your run of the mill Mexican joint. No chips and salsa. No margaritas. But you’ll find the cleanest, gourmet Mexican food in the area. They have a big emphasis on breakfast hence their name. It’s served all day. I’ve been there twice. The first time I had a suadero burrito. It was perfect. When you take a bite you can taste each ingredient distinctly. They have great sauces for you to choose from. Two green, a red and a habanero. We like the red one the best. I was recommended a Jamaica drink that I really liked. It’s not like soda with corn syrup and and not like juice. It’s hard to describe. But it’s very pleasant. The chilaquiles con huevo Y carne is a delicious meal.
3. Crave Grille
Vancouver – North
.Crave serves breakfast starting at 7am. The Hangover has bit of everything. The bacon, ham and sausage are good. Eggs are eggs. The pancakes were huge and a meal itself. Their steak burrito is the about the best breakfast burrito in the territory. EVERYTHING comes with potatoes. The coffee is not great and definitely not worth four bucks. German pancakes on Thursdays.
4. Cecilia
Vancouver – South
Stylish breakfast/brunch spot owned by Amaros Table. It’s fancy with a twist. My wife likes the Tres Leches French Toast. It wasn’t too sweet aside from the whipped cream. She’s also a big fan of the Dutch Baby. My son likes the chicken and waffles. Amaro’s has amazing chicken so of course they they’re going to have that on the menu. The biscuits and gravy comes with bacon and eggs. It sounds enormous but their style of biscuits are much smaller. The gravy is a bit different than the garden variety. It was good but I like the traditional style better. They have two kinds of Benedicts. I had the usual with ham which is good. The coffee is kind of bitter. The vibe of the place is savvy and more spacious than La Provence. We particularly enjoy the subdued yet groovy music selection that sounds like it could have been in Pulp Fiction. PRO TIP: At this writing, reservations on their website show full even when their not. Better to call. If you like spicy, ask for their habanero sauce.
5. La Provence
Vancouver – East
Elevated yet comfortable breakfast joint. Everything is quality but one of the more expensive breakfast in Vancouver. Sometimes it can be a long wait for a table. Yet there are folks who swear by La Provence.
6. The Diner
Vancouver – Central
The Diner is an excellent breakfast joint that serves great food but there’s more than meets the eye. First off they’re only open until 2:30pm and closed Monday and Tuesday. That’s not too out of the ordinary but hey ask you not to tip! They state on their menu: ” Skip the tip. Feed a neighbor. Our staff are paid a livable wage. Instead of tipping, you can donate toward the cost of a meal for someone in need.” The Diner is run in association with Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit that delivers more than 25,000 meals each week to older adults in the Portland metro area and southwest Washington. All that and the prices are still very reasonable.
Their Eggs Benedict is some of the best I’ve had in VanPort. The bacon is awesome too. The pancakes and eggs are as expected. The biscuits are very good. They have two types of gravy. One has chunks of bacon but it has a hint of sweetness from brown sugar. The other is a country gravy with no meat and lacks flavor. I wish the latter had the bacon. Their friendly staff are a delight.
7. Bleu Door Bakery
Vancouver – Downtown
Bleu Door has a savvy French art direction. They serve breakfast from 8am-2pm and a dedicated brunch menu on the weekend. Their croissants are baked in-house. The eggs are fluffy and nicely seasoned. This is a more refined approach and fits the vibe of the restaurant. Bleu Door has wonderful lattes too. Their Madeline latte is one of the better ones I’ve had. Street parking is catch as catch can.
8. Lisa’s Country Kitchen
Vancouver – Central
A Vancouver epicenter for retired gents. The price is cheap and the food is decent. PRO TIP: Check the daily specials. Order the one that includes coffee. The hot links are fantastic…when they have them. WARNING: They don’t honor the on-line menu prices. Plenty of parking.
9. Kirkpatricks Sports Bar & Grill
Vancouver – East
Best price breakfast in Vancouver. The catch is they don’t open until 9am. Kirkpatrick’s has 6 different breakfast specials that are just $8 each. Coffee is $3.25. Together it’s just $11.25 total. The bacon and eggs are good. The over easy eggs were spot on. They give you three good size pieces of bacon. Be sure to tell them how you like the bacon cooked. The toast is garden variety, white toast. The coffee is ok. The chicken fried steak is about as good as it gets. The French toast looks great. VIBE: I not a fan of the obligatory TVs and loud volume at sports bars. But the TVs at Kirkpatrick’s aren’t obnoxious and the volume is off at 9:30am. You can talk comfortably. The bar has a half dozen beers on tap and a few token wines. No craft cocktails here. Just one sweet vermouth (Martini & Rossi) and it’s not refrigerated. But they’re well equipped for pedestrian cocktails. The proprietor, Kevin is very friendly and takes pride in his work. This is the best kept secret for anyone looking for a low price breakfast in Vancouver.
10. My Father’s Place
Portland – Central
Fab historic PDX eatery. Great breakfast spot in an iconic Portland dive bar/restaurant. They serve great comfort food at bargain prices. They’re almost always open (7am-2am). My Father’s Place opened in 1978 and still run by the same family. But that location has been a bar for over 100 years. I like the chicken fried steak with gravy and O’Brien’s (hash browns with peppers and onions). It comes with eggs and a biscuit. The bacon is excellent. They have three different types of blood Mary’s: cilantro and garlic, bacon infused, and habanero. I opted for the habanero. It was just okay. I’ll just order a beer next time. There’s street parking only and you have to work to find a spot.
11. Gateway Breakfast House
Portland – NE
Hearty breakfast served is this neighborhood favorite. They have legit ham and bacon.
12. Joe Brown’s Cafe
Vancouver – Downtown
I think they built Vancouver around Joe Brown’s. It’s a great old school eatery since 1932 that serves excellent breakfast. Joe’s is the oldest restaurant in Vancouver. The staff are well experienced. Our waitress is quick. She covers the whole restaurant but we never feel she was rushing or stressed. The best deal are the Joe Specials. Coffee is good. Street parking is catch as catch can.
13. Natalia’s Cafe
Vancouver – Camas
Natalia’s Cafe is a medium priced breakfast served in a cozy eatery on a corner in Camas. They serve quality food. The sausage links were large and had good flavor, although I would have liked more spice. The bacon was decent size and taste. The biscuits are enormous…but very dense. I prefer them a bit lighter. The gravy doesn’t taste quite like what you expect from sausage gravy. I can’t put my finger on it. My daughter loved the corned beef hash. The staff is fantastic and knows everyone’s name. Street parking in easy during breakfast hours.
14. Cameo Cafe
Vancouver – CentrL
Moderate priced, large portions eatery on a golf course. Breakfast always available.
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