Genies Cafe

Genie’s is my favorite go-to reliable breakfast spot. Best in Portland, no doubt. Excellent service, friendly atmosphere, and the food is always locally sourced with premium quality ingredients cooked with homemade level care. This is a special place with an intangible magic energy that can only be experienced. Words just can’t do it justice. Thank you for all the memories!!!

The food was a bit soggy. My poached eggs were floating in vinegar and water. The French toast was soggy. The Bloody Mary cocktail was very good and loaded up with treats. The cold brew cocktail was also good. With so many local artists in Portland, it would be lovely to include local art in the atmosphere. One of the photographs was clearly hung 90* off just to fit it in the space. The server was nice and food was brought out quickly. I ordered a French Toast to-go to take home to my husband. It was forgotten about when the check came. But I decided I didn't want to bring it up, wait, and then pay for another soggy experience so, I guess they did me a favor.

Amazing breakfast and amazing coffee. Love this place! Super friendly too.

Phenomenal breakfast! Scramble, eggs Benedict, omelet - all fantastic and good portions. It was a bit too busy for coffee refills and so, so loud. Worth it though!

Was excited to try this place but unfortunately it did not hit the mark. The bloody mary was mediocre. The eggs benedict had a slice of ham on it that was so dry and flavorless that I imagine it must’ve been very old meat. The only reason I’m giving it 3 stars is because the waitress was attentive and kind.

A really big corner diner. Last stop for food on my way to the airport. Walked from my bnb and ordered at the bar. They opened kind of late for breakfast (9am) so I'm guessing lunch is more their thing? I got the breakfast sandwich and fruit to go. This is one of the better sandwiches I've had. Even with a runny egg, it stayed together, this croissant bun is working miracles. Salty, savory, sweet with a tiny kick, it's hitting all the marks. But @$15, it's a little pricey. I so wanted a bloody, but I had to say no. Friendly staff gave me a water instead while I waited.

So good! Dang tasty, cooked to perfection. Solid hollandaise. The Bloody Mary was amazing - so many fantastic pickles and bacon, even though mine was virgin ($6.95). Definitely making this a repeat breakfast spot!

How this place gets 4.5 stars is beyond me. Waitress was apathetic. Biscuits and gravy was mediocre. I swear the scrambled eggs were powdered. The “cappuccino” tastes like weak Folger’s with foam on top. And all for $30! Absurd.

I hadn't been to Genies since...probably 2016/2017 and it was such a treat to stop in today. 100% one of the best breakfasts I've had in Portland of late. Reasonably priced, really great portions and super kind, attentive staff. The veggie hash was insanely good, lots of tasty veg and the hashbrowns were perfectly crisp (I'm a big fan of potato forward breakfasts). I appreciate that it feels much less cramped then places like Screen Door, and isn't trying to be too fancy. It's just a good, solid breakfast. Excited to come back and get in on some of their vodka infusions Note: I went at 9ish on a Monday. I know weekend brunch can be a different vibe.

Went here when I visited Portland. Was a fun medium sized restaurant. Food was great and staff was very accommodating to our large group. I had no issues with the food and was very tasty.

Portland is chock-a-block in great breakfast and brunch places. Genie's is near the top of the pile and has the added benefit of withstanding covid and all the competition. Expect a noisy, rock-music laden environment with cool art and a variety of ages and types of Portland hipsters to be your dining companions. The menu had a wide variety of breakfast classics and lots of creative Benedicts. I had the Vegetarian Benedict served on Risotto Cakes (after a false start of the regular Benedict was returned to the kitchen-maybe a side-effect of the loud music?) and my dining partner had a classic breakfast. The risotto cakes were tender and lightly breaded and the poached eggs added creamy, yolky goodness. The potatoes were nicely seasoned and tasty. We will definitely return here again next time we visit!

Funky atmosphere. Rock music but at a volume where you can still have a conversation. Wait staff were friendly, prompt, and helpful. The food was a bit of a mixed bag. I had the avocado toast which was AMAZING! Very sophisticated flavor palate with fresh avocado slices, smoked tomatoes, a perfectly cooked egg, chevre cheese, and herbs. I had it on the seed lovers wheat. The fruit was lovely, fresh and generous. I My partner's traditional was less successful. The over medium eggs were lightly done over easy. The bacon was fine, not spectacular. The biscuit was very good. The menu listed here hasn't been updated in probably a year. Price for the traditional was $5.25 more than listed here. Total for the 2 of us was about$36 so not too bad. I would definitely come back for the avocado toast.

5 of us went there for breakfast on Saturday. As usual it's a long freaking wait while seeing other people of 2 people arrived after us get seated before us. I really don't understand the logic on seating group of more than 4. If they keep seating those 2 people in a 4 people table. The bigger group just have to wait forever. After the wait we're still squeezed into a 4 people table. Well, we should have split into 3 and 2 next time. After seated, it takes the waitress 15 mins to come order our drinks. Then another 20 mins to order our food. By the time we get our food, it's about 50 mins. If you're hungry, don't go there. Food was ok. Nothing special. Price is better than many places though. They do have lots of interesting choices of bloody Mary's.

A fantastic breakfast. Wait staff has a great attitude. Friendly service. The best bloody mary. If they opened at 7:00 I'd be here every day.

My first time here and ordered the pancakes for breakfast, but didn't know they give you three huge ones... Not complaining, perfect amount to say for the next day if you can't finish your first service, because I definitely think this is multiple servings of goodness. The butter, the rich syrup, and a side of sausage, added, make for a perfect breakfast when you consume them all together.

Was invited to try Genie's... A friend said that the place was very good, I stopped in to check it out. It was on a Saturday morning just before 9:00. Plenty of available seating but many folks streaming in through the morning. I was lucky that we got there when we did. There was a line by the time we left. I would've gladly stood in that line to get the meal that we did. Everyone of the meals that we ordered was the size of a hubcap. Come to find out, we didn't even order the big stuff! Menu as well thought out, prepared well, overall great experience. Top-notch greasy spoon in my book.

Genie's is your standard American diner, you wait and are seated at a simple table and chairs. OK, maybe a little higher quality than your standard diner. The coffee is OK but only good enough to warrant straight up drip. Our waitress was very attentive, filling up our water and coffee as we wait for our food. I ordered eggs Benedict which is very good, exactly how I expect the dish.

I went to Portland to visit a friend and we decided to go to Genie's one rainy morning. I would give anything to be back there eating some of the best biscuits and gravy I have ever had. Our waitress was on top of everything and has great suggestions. The atmosphere couldn't have been anymore perfect. Good friends, great food and beautiful conversation in the windowed corner of a cute cafe sipping tea watching the Portland rain

Though the interior is a bit simple and very reminiscent of old diners, the staff were kind, the service was prompt, and the food was really tasty. I ended up ordering a chocolate milk and the Campfire Burrito which came loaded with all of the fixings and was topped with an absolutely delicious pasilla pepper crema. The burrito was of a good size (though I personally wish it was a bit larger) and was really tasty. I will say though the presentation was a bit weird. I was expecting to be able to pick it up and eat it but it had the crema on the outside of it so you had to eat it with a knife and fork which causes a lot of the ingredients to fall out making it a bit difficult to get a bite with everything in it. Not a deal breaker of course, but something to think about. Overall, a great breakfast was had here.

No wait time on this casual Thursday morning. Was refreshed to see they have 6-8 cocktails on their breakfast menu as well as softer drinks like mimosas. The menu is nice and full, with both sweet and savory offerings. There's plenty of natural light in every corner and soft rock playing. Perfect little brunch spot! Would be delighted to return again.

Genies was a post drinking staple of mine living in Portland back in 2010. Thankfully it has survived the pandemic and for my return in 2022! It was mostly as I remembered it. Has a bit of the usual diner smell to it, okay but not great service still (at least all the times I've visited) but solid food to pick from. I did miss the old bloody Mary bar they had stationed in the corner for bloody Sundays but alas times change and certainly during the pandemic it wouldn't have been a thing. This visit I had an omelet with fruit and toast. The dish was cooked as expected and the fruit even had some blueberries in it. The coffee refills were consistent and the flavor of my omelet was delish even if not the most revolutionary or mind blowing in presentation or flavor combinations. I don't remember it being so expensive though, but I understand costs have spiked these last few years. Genies still is a dependable and delish staple to stop in to- get there before 930 to avoid weekend line.

This place is fantastic. I've been here a few times and everything is top notch. Food. Service .if you want a great place to eat. Try this place.

My forever best brunch of Portland spot. I compare every other Eggs Benedict on the planet to Genies. There is no match. Don't try! This is brunch! This is life.

Spinach omlet and genies potates were a high quality execution on a classic. Great chorizo, veggies, and accrutments. Will return again. Service was amazing and super kid accommodating.

First time diner...WOW. What a treasure this place is. The ambiance, food, vibe, coffee to die for but the best part of Genies is the service. Home run in any park. Do not miss this place it rocks.

In the past, Genie's was great, but breakfast this morning was a disappointment. Two orders of Eggs Benedict, both cold. They used to offer GF English Muffins, but now served on toast. Sauce pretty flavorless. Their famous Blood Mary was also bland and watery. Cost quite high for the quality. Service was prompt and friendly, but overall the food was just mediocre. Perhaps just another casualty of subpar dining, post Covid. Not sure we'll give it another try.

Yuck!!! Eggs Benedict overdosed with lemon flavor. Friend's scramble had big inedible chu cos of gristle ham. The potatoes and coffee where the only good thing

I'm always on the lookout for that PERFECT breakfast spot - I want the best toast/French Toast/Biscuit, Belgian waffle, etc to go with the way I like my hashbrowns - crispy and hot without too much oil, and sausage links that aren't too dense or spicy. Oftentimes, I get one or two things pretty close but I've yet to find a place for me with all three! Today, we tried Genie's. We lucked out and found a ; parking spot only a block away. Walking in, the place seemed kind of dark and dingy. I know my husband was thinking, "WHERE did my wife take us this time?!?!?" I have a habit of taking us to some weird places, most are pretty good tho! We were seated in the main room next door and this area was bright and half full of people on this early Sunday morning. It made us feel better about my choice =) We ordered: French Toast, Eggs Benedict with breakfast potatoes, sausage links, jalapeño bacon, and hash browns. The French Toast was some of the best I've ever had. Sweet, crunchy and not overly soaked with the batter. I prefer just butter and powdered sugar (no syrup on my French Toast. This keeps it to the level of sweetness I prefer and doesn't let it get too soggy. Hash browns were pretty good but they only had Portland Ketchup which is not my favorite. Sausage was OK, but too dense for my personal taste. Eggs Benedict has some Hollandaise sauce where you can really feel the love. The ham was kind of plain and not temperature hot. Same with the breakfast potatoes. They had cooled down too much by the time they got to our table and this diminished the flavor a bit. The jalapeño bacon was interesting but strangely reminded us of peanut butter? We would come here again. Definitely get the French Toast and try a few other things too!

Had a blast having brunch here with some friends last week! But man oh man is this place always busy! Luckily our party of three had to wait for maybe 10 minutes? Staff were friendly- although busy! My pals ordered Bloody Mary's while I stuck with a chai. The alcoholic drinks came out FAST- and they tasted great! Unfortunately it took maybe 20 minutes to get my chai, as the lure were some mix ups with the staff forgetting which table ordered it. Because of the wait and mix up, I was grateful to have my drink on the house. The chai was still yummy with just the right amount of spice. My friends both ordered the Country Fried Steak while I stuck to being a typical hipster and ordered the Avocado Toast. The Country Fried Steak was a hit- especially the gravy. Both friends inhaled their meals and left their plates clean. They also wanted to shout out the potatoes as they were crispy and flavorful. My avocado toast was also rockin! Although I asked for scrambled eggs I noticed they were over rash, but no biggie. This tasted delicious and didn't feel super over filling, especially as I had the fresh fruit on the side. A great meal with a few bumps, but really nothing major. This is still a MUST VISIT for anyone looking for a great brunch with an awesome atmosphere!

Consistently excellent food and service. And Secret Aardvark hot sauce on every table! My happy place.

Food is Great, there's nothing on the menu that's not tasty, I believe in having my bacon crispy and I always get that way, never have to ask for it twice. I love the home made biscuits. My daughter in law loves the Bloody Marys (there to die for)! Family ambiance is wonderful!

Four of us with very different palates ate here and we all left happy. They have lots of vegetarian and vegan options plus plenty of eats for the carnivores. My husband and I shared the vegetarian hash and I will say we left there stuffed! Another member of our party had French toast and said (downside - no sugar free syrup and she's diabetic; almost everybody has SF syrup these days.) Another one in our group had the breakfast sandwich, came with two meats and was HUGE. Served with potatoes. They have fancy alcohol drinks, very good coffee, generous portions, and friendly & attentive staff. I never knew this place existed and it is only 16 minutes from our house. We will be back!

Fabulous breakfast, fabulous service, can't wait to come back! It is a little out of the way gem, that we were so happy to find!

Genie's Cafe is a hidden gem. I had the special Strawberry Stuffed French Toast and a Morning Tonic. Both were delicious! Great food and service. Highly recommend, you won't be disappointed.

Everyone here is awesome. Service is top notch. The food is fantastic. The coffee makes me want to dance (and the cocktails make me actually dance!). The big windows make me feel like I'm outside but I'm warm and cozy. Love it

Old school baby: looks and tastes like it. Someone takes your order and you don't bus your own dishes. The Chicken Fried Steak was better than okay, a very good version. Its irregular shape probably means it's not a frozen processed patty. The thinner crisp edges are a nice touch. Can't decide between mushroom and sausage gravy? Get both. The skin-on potatoes were average. Portion is very fair. At most places toast is usually included, but not here. The server was kind. However, she didn't know if the parking within eye sight of the building was metered. Maybe get to know your surroundings. My original intention was to go to Pine State Biscuits, but oh man, that line!

Genie's Cafe was my first PDX eats! With a variety of bustling businesses around (aka some long wait times) we decided to stop by Genie's Cafe situated right on the corner of the intersection. I'm surprised it wasn't busier! Food was delicious - I had the Denver omelet with all the toppings neatly tucked in the fluffy omelet and my boyfriend had the chicken apple sausage scramble. What else can I say besides it was diner/cafe food done RIGHT and I'm so glad we popped in. PLUS - check in on Yelp and you get $2 off a cocktail! And those were good too! I had the pumpkin chai latte with pumpkin flavored vodka, but the winner was there bloody marys! They have all sorts of infused vodka and I think my boyfriend ended getting a combination of one with horse radish and another with bacon and habanero infused vodka. All in all, a solid choice for breakfast/brunch if you're around this area.

Love this spot! Great classic breakfast, good service, and I've never had to wait long before getting seated. Really good food and a solid spot.

So we walk in to the bar area and there is no one in there. The bartender says we can sit anywhere. So we choose a high top bar table. After a few minutes he says there is more seating in the other room, if you like. We don't move, expecting someone to bring us menus and whatnot. Servers come and get drinks from the bar. A couple glance in our direction but say nothing. After 10 minutes or so we just think everyone is rude and we clearly won't be served here so we walk to the other dining room and have a seat. If it wasn't for our server, I'd be giving this place 3 stars for there service. But our server was fantastic. I was torn on which Bloody Mary to get. I love spicy and he convinced me I wouldn't die. So I got the hottest one they have, The Carolina. It was pretty fantastically spicy. It was perfect. I ordered Huevos Rancheros which was so freakin tasty. If you get a chance, eat here. Just don't sit in the bar expecting food service.

We have friends from out of town that would give this place 5 stars and ALWAYS request to go back when they're visiting! I've been going for many years, and have had both excellent and deplorable service, so my view is a little more tampered. We've ordered food that never showed up, been completely ignored (while all the patrons around us were well taken care of), been to the bathroom when it was seriously disgusting. Plus it's really, really loud (which I believe is to blame for the missing and/or mistaken food orders) and not very comfortable. So why keep coming back? Well, the food is REALLY good. And the people at the bar are always terrific. And, you might have guessed by some of the other reviews -- but there's hardly ever a wait (or much of a wait) even on the weekends. (Plus the bad things I mentioned before seemed to be isolated incidents.) So yes, they get 4 stars from me, even with the hiccups we've experienced over the years. Favorites include: alllll the yummy drinks, plain or special pancakes, the bacon (oooh, the bacon!), the omelets and the benedicts. In fact, I don't think I've ever been disappointed by the food (as long as it showed up as ordered.)

First time came in here from Seattle. Almost lunch hrs and ordered lunch special today. Something....pork sandwich and choice of fries or salad. It was a wonderful flavor and great taste....but messy bcz soft. Service guy was so nice and kind of me. I enjoyed here so much and food was 5 stars.

Came here with my boyfriend a couple of months ago and it was good. I had eggs benedict. English muffins were crispy, hollandaise was good, and the potatoes here are awesome. I didn't drink anything that morning, but it seems like they have some really good alcoholic drinks and a lot of variety. I wasn't super wowed by the service and the price on our meal ended up being about $40 which I think is overpriced for brunch. Eggs bennie was $13 and IMO is a bit expensive for the small portion you got. I'd give it a shot again because I think it tasted good, but I probably would try something different next time around.

Our group of friends decided to grab breakfast and decided to try this gem out. Immediately upon walking in we were greeted with friendly smiles. They asked us to wait for a couple of minutes to situate our tables and provided us with coffee while waiting! Food was great, service was amazing, and we didn't have to wait that long at all and we had 9 people! I wasn't feeling adventurous so i ordered just two eggs, the breakfast potatoes and their chicken sausage patties that were made there. Wasn't a huge fan of the chicken patties but I'm glad I gave it a try! Tried my fiancé's country fried steak and it was pretty delicious as well. Seemed like all the boys enjoyed their country fried steaks and all the girls enjoyed their food as well! Our waiter was so attentive and accommodating! We really enjoyed our time there and they even made paying SUPER EASY. Would recommend this place to anyone !

Really yummy breakfast and not greasy. Friendly staff. The bloody Mary was delicious, not spicy, which I prefer. Everyone in our group was happy with their meals, too! I will definitely come back here again.

Breakfast this morning was good, but not what I expected from Genies. It has been a while since we've been here and it wasn't busy although they did have a steady stream of people, no lines out the door like what we've seen in the past and it might be because the food was average. Lacking the flavors it use to be known for. Everything is there the menu, servers are great but my Huevos Rancheros conceptually was good and the plating perfect but lacked the seasoning I expected. Steff had the apple sausage scramble her report is less than stellar but sounds similar to what I said, the flavors were off and not what we came for or remembered of Genies.

Hands down the best breakfast in Portland. The Bloody Mary was amazing and practically an appetizer before our breakfast. I had the Florentine omelette that was full of amazing veggies cooked perfectly. And the Jalapeño bacon is a MUST TRY. All of the staff are amazing, friendly and attentive. Get over there STAT!

FIVE stars for food, minus 2 stars for noise. Maybe you're the kind that loves shouting across a small table to be heard, and having to repeat orders twice or so here times to be understood, but it's a deal-breaker for us so (regretfully) we will not be back. However, If you already suffer from hearing loss, I recommend any of the Benedicts, and the pancakes were fine. I had the crabcakes with the asparagus, and the side of potatoes. Also, to my delight, the hot black tea was excellent.

We ended up in this place after giving up on a one-hour wait elsewhere (on a Thursday morning!) and excitedly were seated in a couple minutes. However we were disappointed soon after. As a pancake/waffle/French toast lover I normally order something from the griddle but DO NOT ORDER FRENCH TOAST HERE! It's a soggy paste of a toast soaked in uncooked mix of egg and milk and I'm not exaggerating it. The worst french toast ever. No wonder there was no line outside!

I wonder if most of the patrons of Genies are those who didn't want to wait in line at Pine St Biscuits... I know that's why we walked in! We didn't have to wait but 5 minutes to get seated here. You walk in and see a big bar area, where all the coffee and alcoholic beverages are advertised. They have a lot of bloody mary options with different kinds of infused vodkas - including the world's hottest pepper paired with a live scorpion! (Not for me!) My friend got a bacon infused bloody mary and it was delicious, but still spicy. Half of us got other alcoholic coffee options, and nobody was disappointed. Their menu was full of breakfast and brunch options, especially for the egg lover. I ordered the country fried steak and would give it about a 3 star rating because I wasn't a huge fan of the sausage gravy. But it was nice and crispy. We all got the potatoes au bryan, and they were pretty basic. Their crispy potatoes may have been better. All of the other plates (denver omelette, eggs Benedict, other omelettes...) were completely cleaned by my friends with zero complaints and smiles on their faces. I even tried two of the omelettes and was pleasantly surprised being an egg hater, so that's really saying something. The wait staff was quick and good for refills. They mixed up some plates and toast orders, but that's nothing that can't be fixed. The pricing wasn't horrible either. I would definitely go back - and for being a last minute decision, we were not disappointed. Also props to the tip, the water was great haha!

I dropped in here for breakfast a couple days ago and everything about it was PERFECT! Luckily, the place was not busy and it was a lot bigger than I had imagined. Our server was quick, helpful, and very kind. I ordered the mushroom omelette, which normally comes with toast and potatoes. I've been on keto for a while now and opted to not have either of those.... our server offered fruit right off the bat and had no issues. I also ordered a side of hollandaise to top my omelette with (if you haven't tried it, DO IT!) We also ordered some bloody mary's which were a HIT! They have so many different options on the menu. Tons of flavored vodka's as well. I suggest checking their website before going so you can see all of their specials!

We had a delightful breakfast at Genie's today. They've expanded their me unto include numerous gluten-free options, including pancakes! My husband had the chicken sausage scramble and my son had eggs, bacon and a gluten-free blueberry pancake. The service fantastic. Theron was gracious, thoughtful, and had great timing on checking in. Genie's is a fantastic spot to enjoy an old school breakfast cafe experience and solid awesome breakfast food.

French toast!! Get your French toast fix here! It's super fluffy and made to perfection. I tried the eggs Benedict's as well and it was delicious. The portion size is just right, enough for one person but definitely not enough (or too delicious) to share. Parking is somewhat of a nightmare due to the nearby restaurants' popularity, so do planned on circling around the block. Overall it's a solid brunch spot and I'll definitely be back for more!

Came for brunch because Genie's was advertised as having "one of best Bloody Mary in town." It was very average. However, good value for the food and portions, excellent service, fair ambience, had lots of windows and bright daylight which was a big plus!

A favorite spot of mine. It's small but very busy and good. The drinks are amazing. I got a BFK and it was strong and tasty. The food came out fast and was hot and made just the way I wanted it.

Kid and baby friendly. We came with our stroller but there isn't enough room at the table. The host provided us with the Koala Kradle which was nice for my baby sleeping in the car seat. Good thing she's a heavy sleeper because it's very loud inside!!! Everyone seemed to be shouting. I wasn't too impressed with the menu as it is like any other brunch restaurant. They do have specials! Unfortunately the one dish I wanted from the Specials menu was sold out! Sooooo i think they should've erased it from the specials menu or told us ahead of time. I ordered Bacon Benedict as a backup. The Poached eggs were NOT poached! When I cut the egg in half the yolk was not gooey and creamy and did not flow like lava all over my benedict. Okay, it was a bit gooey. The egg was more like a medium boiled egg on the inside and only appeared like a poached egg on the outside. If you don't want to yell so your friends or family can hear you or you want some perfectly poached eggs, I'd go elsewhere.

Had a lovely breakfast at Genie's with friends. It's a very relaxed atmosphere, not super fancy but comfortable. We were there pretty much when they opened on a Sunday morning so we beat the morning rush. By the time we left it was hoppin' in there! Our server was very nice and was quick to bring us coffee and water. Our order also came pretty quickly which I always appreciate. I guess we were there early but hopefully that's how it is all the time. Let's see, I had two pancakes so not the most diverse breakfasts but they were big (and pretty dense!) and tasty! Others at our had chicken fried steak with potatoes and a veggie scramble with cottage cheese (she went for the healthy option). Her scramble looked, and apparently was, delicious. The guys liked the chicken fried streak. I didn't see any leftovers on their plates! Next time I would like to venture out and have a different breakfast, maybe one of their scrambles. They looked pretty good. I would recommend this place for a nice, relaxed, low key, and tasty place for brunch.

Recently went here on a Sunday. I know, crazy! We've been many times before and pretty much know what to expect. It's not the cleanest place for brunch. It's not the quietest place by a long shot. But we had the best Mimosa ever and the Benedict was spot on. Service was good and we didn't have to wait too long. Maybe we got lucky Maybe they got lucky But I'm giving them four stars for now and we'll go back again soon

I've been to Genie's Cafe several times now for breakfast and each time it's been outstanding. The first time I was here they had a breaded pork loin and potatoes on special that was amazing. The other times I've been here I've had a more traditional breakfast with bacon. Their potatoes are wonderful and I love the selection of bread that they offer. I would love to try their chicken fried steak and biscuits and gravy. This is a place that I will continue to go back to.