Gateway Breakfast House

Worth the Drive Gateway Breakfast House absolutely blew me away! I ordered the house special taco omelet, and it was hands-down one of the best breakfast dishes I’ve ever had. It was huge, loaded with the perfect balance of fillings, cheese, and toppings—and came at a great price. I also got a side of hash browns, which were cooked to perfection: golden, crispy, and just right. The menu is packed with tempting options—seriously, everything coming out of the kitchen looked incredible and made it hard to stick to just one dish. The old-school diner atmosphere gives it a cozy, nostalgic feel, and it’s clearly a favorite among regulars. The staff was friendly and efficient, and the place looked clean and well cared for. Honestly, it’s way better than you’d expect for the area. If I didn’t live so far, I’d be here every weekend. That said—this place is worth going out of your way for. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Cozy little place with awesome food and great servers. The eggs Benedict was awesome and the chicken cordon scramble was good too. Ask Kari for the Kari menu and she'll give you some interesting ideas worth trying! (Hope I spelled her name right.)

Great food, terrible service. My wife and I have eaten here a few times and the food is very good. I wanted to share this place with my family. We added our party to the waiting list and waited. And waited. Granted, there were six of us so we knew it was going to be a little longer wait than normal, but they kept seating party after party who had arrived after we did. After an *hour*, and watching people leave who had arrived after us, we gave up and ate somewhere else. If you want to go with more than two people, don't bother.

Bright and lively, with friendly and energetic staff, this diner has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We had the Taco Omelette ($17.25), the Strawberry French Toast ($12.50), and Coffee ($3.75 x 2). This was our first time trying the Taco Omelette, and we both thought it was delicious – the combination of taco and omelette worked so well together. The pancakes, which we chose as a side, were surprisingly large, fluffy, and had a subtle hint of salt that made them easy to enjoy. The French Toast was tasty, but I would have preferred fresh strawberries instead of the ones used (maybe in May, fresh strawberries are used?). Overall, we had a wonderful time and really enjoyed our meal.🤤

Delicious food and 5 star service! They were so outgoing and very friendly with my baby boy. 🥰

Our waitress (been there for 13 years) was AMAZING!! Best rueben I have had in a long time. Wife loved her cinnamon French toast. All around great. We will be coming back the next time we're in Portland for sure.

It was just a great over all experience. My father in law was tickle pink when he saw he was sitting where Obama sat.LOL

Outstanding breakfast! Service can't be improved!! The place was full and it's easy to see why once experienced. Yet, we were seated immediately.

Cozy clean place. Love the decor/theme and the staff are pleasant. The food was really good. Glad we got a chance to experience this restaurant.

Seated us right away in a small but crowded restaurant. Friendly, persistent and frequent refills of water and coffee. Substitutions no problem. Food was delicious and also both my veggie omelette and pancakes were well crafted. Coffee was good black (I didn't need sweeteners or half and half). They didn't rush us after coffee refills. For an American breakfast place, although it was ultra casual, it gets five stars. P.S. lots of funny signs on the walls made us laugh.

No frills just classic breakfast and lunch. Super friendly and fun folks here. Wait staff are cheerful, even singing at times and on top of everything. They've been doing this a long time and it shows. Big portions at good prices. The sausage links are some of the best we've had. And no extra charge for eggs like I've seen at other breakfast places recently. Maybe baked into the price, but still very affordable. It can be a wait--but they move folks fast. I can see why they received a Presidential visit many years back, this is where real people eat in their community. Keep up the good work!

waitress forgot the coffee I ordered with breakfast. since I like to drink coffee while waiting for the food I didn't try to flag her down for it while waiting, she wasn't around enough anyways. the staff was singing and laughing very loudly- I am hard of hearing and it was very loud. I mentioned the coffee had been forgotten and she just got defensive and said I 'wasn't charged anyways'. I said I knew that and she got defensive again saying she would have brought it if I had flagged her down. I wouldn't go back again. food was on the cool side by the time I got it and chicken fried steak was soggy under the gravy.

Outstanding!! The staff are like going to your aunts house and having breakfast with family. The food is seriously so dang flavorful! Best breakfast we've had in years!!

A great meal at the Breakfast House today! The service was amazing and the Chicken fried steak can't be topped! Such great food here.

There is not much more I can say about Gateway Breakfast House that I have not said already ...BEST BREAKFAST IN PORTLAND ... HOOAH! It is the first restaurant I visit when I return to Portland and for good reason, they have great food, reasonable prices, and the service is extraordinary, always. This place is an institution in East Portland and I hope they flourish for years to come. CombatCritic Gives Gateway Breakfast House 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And Remains On My ¨WALL OF FAME¨... More Bombs Are Better!

Excellent ambiance and staff. A step back in time. Super nice staff and clientele. I'll be back-- a neighborhood gem

The food hear is always good. Everyone knows everyone and the portions are pretty good size. The service as always is good. The place is kids friendly and they have coloring pages and crayons. Never had a problem with parking. Rating out of 5 stars Food portions - 5 Food Quality - 5 Service - 5

Food was great! Service was prompt after short wait. Ambiance very casual and friendly staff. Large portions.

Oh sure the food is excellent and the service is fantastic... But, this place is an iconic Portland Landmark. Obama had breakfast here, and so should you! Gateway Breakfast House has a very Portland-E vibe. It's pretty cool... I can promise you that you'll be happy with this one... you have Mark In The Dark's personal guarantee! Gateway Breakfast House can get busy, so plan accordingly. We went at 10:30 AM and had no problems. Check the menu on their website, here is the link. gatewaybreakfasthouse.com

Gateway Breakfast House is a small old school restaurant for breakfast and lunch. If you want classic dishes with large portions in a clean unassuming atmosphere, this is it. Prices are mid. My 3 eggs, hash browns, sausage, toast, and coffee was about $20 without tip. There can be a wait, they have a seating area inside with benches for that, and a wait list. The staff keeps the list moving. The crowd was all ages, from families to grandparents and no hipsters in sight. The children at the next table were delighted by the waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. I had 3 eggs, classic shredded hash browns, wheat toast and German sausage, 2 links, interestingly served sliced lengthwise. I wouldn't say the sausage was particularly German, but Germany is big. They have a little local fame as President Obama visited for breakfast back in the day, so if it's OK for him, it's OK for me!

This is what it is- a breakfast joint. The food was "okay", but the service was exceptional. All the wait staff were friendly, polite, and expedient. I prefer to avoid chain restaurants, especially when traveling. Gateway fit the bill. I could tell they had a regular clientele. There is no better way to become "part of the neighborhood" than to take a seat, then watch and listen to the interactions. I got fueled up, and headed out for an awesome day. Check it out if you're in the neighborhood!

Came here for an American breakfast and got just exactly that! Everyone was so delicious and satisfied my cravings. Many people were ordering burgers so I'll be coming back to try one of those. Highly recommend if you are looking for a place with great service and food!

Prepare for very long waits to sit & confined cramped space at the Gateway Breakfast House...

Great place to eat. Wonderful service and people. Very affordable and gives it that small town vibe. Our omelettes were delicious and served up quickly. Sadly the place isn't open very late but when it is, it's quite busy every day of the week. Obama did eat here and if you're lucky you can snag the same booth he sat in.

This small cozy restaurant has fast and friendly service with good food at a great value. Love that they support other local businesses by printing their business information onto the dining tables. Also the fact that former President Obama ate here! If he ate there, you know it's good!

I can see why it's ala ways packed! We decided to try it one day after always driving by. I had to order take out as we had just had a baby and weren't able to wait the long wait time. The food was great and it was ready to go when they told me it would be. It has a classic diner feel on the inside that is more and more rare these days. You can tell that the staff has its regulars that they love to joke around with which always speaks volumes.

The service was fast and friendly and the food was delicious! It was crowded but food came out fast. We chose to sit at the bar rather than wait for a table.

Great people serving good food. I really like the french toast here. Hash browns and country fried steak are solid comfort food. I always feel welcomed by the friendly staff and other customers.

If you're a breakfast lover like me, then do what Barack Obama and I did, go here! I am absolutely a breakfast person and hash browns are a must for me, so when I heard about the Gateway Breakfast House, I knew I had to try it. First, this is your typical diners and dives place... no fuss no muss, but what it lacks in chic, it makes up for in spades with the food and the people. Nancy the waitress greeted everyone who came in by name, even hugged a few and knew everyone's order. People chat to each other across tables and booths, so I never was left out. YES! Obama did eat here, which was part of the enticement for me, but the food was good at a very reasonable price. Every part of the experience made me feel like I was home. If you like diners, you'll love this little place!

Always solid basic breakfast fare and great service. I can see why President Obama visited.

Excellent service! Food was exceptional and you'll definitely need a to go box! Portions are large. Weekends are busy, so I'd definitely go early and have patience.

Good, solid diner food in a friendly and comfortable environment. The fresh grilled mushrooms in my omelette were tasty.

Great food, price, and service! Countryman breakfast is enough for 2 people. Chicken fried steak was good and gravy was definitely homemade! Would come back again for sure

My boyfriend and I love little diners and this is a new one on our list. This is a small diner on Halsey with decent parking and a large breakfast menu. We were greeted right away and there was a waiting list for the tables and no waiting for bar seating, so we took the bar seating because we were hungry. The menu had a large variety of items from pancakes, omelettes, steak and eggs, and some lunch items as well. I got the waffles with strawberries and whip cream and my bf got their chili omelette. Now the waffles here are not Belgian waffles, they are the skinny ones. The waffle was good but I would prefer the thicker waffles since the strawberries and whip cream can drown the skinny waffle. If I ordered it again I would probably ask for a crisper waffle and the toppings on the side. My bf omelette came with toast and hash browns and he ate the entire thing before I was done with my waffle. We also ordered coffee, I got the vanilla cappuccino and I got free refills! I would also like to note that the staff here is so sweet. We had an older lady who took really good care of us and made sure our drinks were kept full and we were happy. I felt so welcome like I was a family member. We will return again.

I was craving for some strawberry waffles on a rainy morning and I recalled of this local place in my area! I guess is a pretty well known breakfast/lunch joint but never had the opportunity to check it out before so it was the time for me to try it :)) Have your breakfast and dessert at the same time when you order the strawberry toast with whipped cream. It's three thick slices of French toast, covered in strawberries and generously topped with fresh whipped cream. Yum! You going to be disappointed when you visit this establishment. Something I noticed is that all the staff take customer service as a big priority perhaps it has to do with the fact the the place isn't too big. They came to our table many times (more than on other places I've been) to check up on us. Overall, a cool as tasty experience! Keep on Yelping!

The food! Is OMGoodness!! Delicious!! The service is always amazing, we usually always get the same server and she is so sweet! She knows what we want. The place is old and charming, there's a booth where President Obama sat when he visited Portland. They have his photo and a plaque on the wall. It's always full of customers you might have to wait that should tell you something

This is a cute place. Wanted breakfast on the way to the airport and this popped up. Service is fast and friendly. Drinks and food came with a very little wait. My bacon and eggs were great. Cooked perfectly and came with hashbrowns and toast (extra straw for not dripping in butter!). His ham and cheese omelet had the right combination of ham and cheese.

This is clearly a local hangout. Small but clean. The food was particularly good. I only had scrambled eggs with bacon and an English muffin but all were cooked perfectly. Same for my sister's breakfast who wanted everything well done. The staff was very friendly. Definitely recommend.

The staff were really efficient. The space was nice and bright. The food was hot and brown and there was plenty of it! We went for a late breakfast and waited about 20 minutes. The fare is traditional diner fare and made well. No frills!

Another Sunday Brunch, we waited 10 mins. (after putting our name down). We were seated at the bar. I ordered the Mushroom Swiss Hamburger. It came with a choice, that I wanted a soup for today, which was Chicken Noodle (perfect for a lightly rainy weather). Hubby ordered the Rib-eye Steak with sauteed mushrooms, mashed potatoes with gravy, and vegetable (corn was late, it reminded me of the corn that we used to eat, when visiting my husband's grandmother). This made me think: we should have sweet corn kernels again, it's been decades! I was surprise to have Mushroom Swiss (with very little mushroom), but it also had lettuce, fresh slice onion). It was huge! I was taking big bites, must be hungry, but I only ate 1/4th. It also came with fries! Lots of fries! Leftover is for another meal. (As usual). He thought the food was excellent. The portions were large (as usual), the price was lower than expecting. And everything tasted good. On our way out, I inquire about groups. "No reservations. Our restaurant can accommodate a lot, but it's first come first serve and they will have to sign in and still wait like everyone else. But, sure, we welcome groups!' UPDATE: As I sit to enjoy my MUSHROOM Swiss hamburger, the following day, cut into 1/4th, they actually used the same sauteed mushrooms as my husband's Rib-Eye and mine had very little mushrooms. It was disappointing! The 1/2 part, had two mushrooms slices. The main ingredient was mushroom, but where are they all?

Enjoyed a mid-week breakfast here ... friendly staff and good food, what more can one ask for?!? Eggs Benedict was well made and delicious. Hash browns were perfectly crisp! Pancake was a little tougher than I prefer and difficult to cut with a fork. Omelet was cooked perfectly and had lots of filing!! Lots of people were in PJs while enjoying their breakfast!

First time trying. Great small dinner atmosphere. Hostess was very friendly and attentive. Food was great. Chicken fried steak was on point. I'd eat here again anytime.

Asked the server for a breakfast recommendation and she said chicken fried steak and she was not wrong! Great flavor with country gravy. Great diner coffee. Service is very helpful and the inside has a great diner vibe. Glad I had the chance to go.

The food is amazing and it has that neighborhood feel ambience. Definitely the employees are happy to serve and their good service speak to it! Definitely the best breakfast in this area.

Nothing flashy at Gateway. The food is simple and delicious. The service is quick and responsive.

Full disclosure- it's been a few years since I have been here- I actually couldn't remember the name. I just saw someone post about it and realized it was the Breakfast place that made an impression on me. I was stuck in East PDX one morning and traffic was bad on 84 so I decided to find a place for breakfast. Just happened to drive by Gateway and decided to turn around and come in. Place was packed- I found a stool. The server knew most of the patrons by name which was impressive. I ordered a coffee first- omg best cup of joe I've had in a restaurant. Good enough that I asked about it and found out it was a local roaster. So good. I had an omelete with hashbrowns and toast. Way more than I could possibly eat. So good! This was before I was reviewing on yelp or maps so no pictures. Glad I had my memory triggered this morning. One of the best breakfast places in the Portland region!

Very nice staff and great food! One of the best chicken fried steak ive had 10 out of 10

There is a reason you have to wait to get a seat here. Food is hot and tasty and the service always comes with a smile. Will definitely be returning.

One of my favorites!! Always good food and the staff is always friendly. I usually get breakfast. The French toast is the best!!!

Always good rib stickin' meals. Ribeye was a bit fat riddled but still good. Service top notch and always friendly. Went in this Saturday morning at 10 a.m. and only had to wait 20 minutes with a full house. They get you in, get you served and then you go home and nap! Lol

We haven't been here for about four years. Things haven't changed. The place hasn't changed, it's still spotless with one person cleaning and clearing tables. This place is usually packed with a waiting room. We lucked it and were seated immediately with menus and water followed by hot coffee. The food was delicious as usual. Val had the mushroom and sharp cheese omelette accompanied by two huge pancakes. I had two eggs over easy(perfectly cooked) a huge piece of sausage, potatoes and a biscuit, every thing was above anyplace else we've had breakfast. In four years they haven't lost a step, don't take my word for it, give this place a try, and remember come hungry, as you'll get a lot of food for your dollar.

Your basic, old-school breakfast place with friendly staff. No fancy or trendy stuff on the menu. I like that they have a Pick-3 breakfast option, so you can customize to get just what you want. I was disappointed they didn't have a gluten-free bread option for the toast, but that's okay. It's pretty small, so expect to wait during peak times.

If you're looking for a great homemade huge breakfast this is the place. I had the breakfast biscuits and gravy and that was some of the best I've ever had. The servers are very friendly and greet you with a smile. From the time you order till you get your food is fast! I was impressed and happy. Because it's a diner it can get noisy but they shows how comfortable everyone is.

Food was yummy and service was top tier. Only reason why I'm taking a star is the wait time was long.

Disclosure: Review and visit were during Covd-19 pandemic. This is a neighborhood dive spot that should get 5 star reviews!!! I mean, seriously, who plays "Oh, Sheila" by Ready for the World now?!?! So, I bookmarked this place for breakfast since it got high reviews AND OBAMA visited in 2012!!! You can tell this is true neighborhood spot with regulars, one of which told us where we were in the queue as he sipped on his coffee and smoked his cig... It was an hour wait due to the limited capacity, but well worth it. I had the corned beef hash & eggs (if this is ever on the menu, it's my go-to), my hubby had the french toast with strawberries. The corned beef hash was what I expected - with the crispy edges, too!!! It was perfectly cooked, with just the necessities (potatoes, as a hash should be) - no other add ons to make it fancy, served with 3 eggs (cooked to order), and I opted for toast and hashbrowns. I would easily order this again. And prices are super affordable! Our bill came up to $26 with 2 cups of coffee. There were 2 people manning the entire place (minus the short order cooks) and they did phenomenal!!! I would definitely come back!

Great breakfast place. The food was good pancakes were fluffy and the taco omelette was divine!! The chicken fried steak was less than average. The gravy on top was cold and a little jello like but the hot apple cider was delicious like 10/10. We came on a Monday at 10am and it was packed. Service was ok. Waitress was rushed and did ask the table behind us to get up and leave because they were sitting and talking and there was a wait. Overall still a good place.

If you are in Portland, you NEED to visit this breakfast place! It can get a little busy on the weekends, but I promise you it's worth it. I'm not a big breakfast person but we ate here 2X on our trip. All the food is delicious. The staff gives such a warm and comfy vibe. We jokingly (not jokingly) said that we would make a trip JUST to come back to this restaurant itself.