Wendy A.
Yelp
Destination, Hillsboro, to hang out with the Saturday morning Pickers. We showed up a little early for the music, but right in time for breakfast, so we popped in at the seemingly only game in town.
Just cuz they got a corner on the Hillsboro nosh market don't mean they ain't putting their best foot forward! The breakfast menu (served until 10:45, if I recall correctly, to enable efficient transition to lunch), was plenty varied with more than a few options I really wanted to try. Middle-aged sedentary lifestyle affording what it does, I only ordered one thing, the pile up..., but I shared it with my friend who shared her short stack of waffles.
Pile ups will be pile ups... the mark of superlative being squarely on the chile. And let me tell you, red to green, they mastered both. So, so good! (Man, why did I have to share that??) I'm also delighted to say that the waffles were of my preferred thin and crispy variety rather than the Belgium sort. They were roughly the size of an Eggo, in fact nearly visually identical, but definitely not a freezer-box flavor. Hard not to enjoy a waffle, admittedly; they fit the bill perfectly for sweet breakie dessert. And the prices were exactly what they should be, indicative of craft quality but not of craft pretentiousness.
The staff were so so lovely, and the locals prone to chat with out-of-towners. Hillsboro seems like a tight-knit community of folks enjoying small town western retirement... positively charming. There's even a winery a couple blocks away. But if you're planning to check the town out, definitely come on a Saturday morning so you can sit in on the Pickers' bluegrass jam session. And DEFINITELY come early enough to have breakfast at the general store and cafe. Then stay for lunch!