John Street Cafe

I have only had breakfast here, but mostly because this is the place I think of when I want to go out to breakfast. Make sure and view the specials board when you visit. My best breakfasts have been ordered off of it. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. I love that the outdoor seating is dog friendly. Service can be a little slow during busy times, but I think all restaurants struggle to get staffing these days. My go-to items... scrambled eggs with asparagus, bacon and brie cheese, lemon-ricotta pancakes with blueberries, and the marinated chicken omelet with Italian sausage, cream cheese and sauce. 4/13/24 Another visit today with another great meal. That raspberry jam on the sourdough toast is fire! I love this place. Service was also excellent today. 5 stars all around! 6/23/24 Breakfast here never disappoints. This morning, my son, granddaughters, sister, and niece joined me. We all left happy with full bellies.

We ended up here when our first breakfast choice was unavailable. What a happy accident that was- This place has hands-down, the absolute best toast we have ever had in our lives. Will be coming back (and dreaming about that French toast)

Very average cafe with slightly higher than expected prices. I can't really say that the food was better than any other breakfast restaurant that I've eaten at. Combine this with the fact that the service was extremely mediocre, I didn't see any reason to return when there are dozens of restaurants in the same area. I'd like to take a minute to provide a few critiques about the service. As someone who has trained servers at five star restaurants there are two things that need to be immediately addressed. First, a customer should never have to ask for water. It's free. As a server you should be wandering your tables, picture in hand, topping off customers water glasses. Never let the customers water get below half. Second, if you are tired, having a bad day, hung over, whatever is going on, you are in a customer service industry. Put on a smile, speak up, make eye contact with the customer and if engaged by the customer, make small talk. You are selling two products, food and your service. That aside the only other thing is value. $4.25 for a side of potatoes is ridiculous. It's a potato with minimal seasoning. Seriously though have your cooks heard of salt? Do your cooks taste the food they serve? It was all very bland.

Cute local American fare breakfast spot. This is a perfect location for a lazy Sunday brunch. Or if you have family staying at your place and you live in St John's come here to save yourself cleaning dishes and let John Street Cafe take care of you. They have all the staples for breakfast and a huge board of specials. If you're local to North Portland this place is a good spot for last minute brunch.

John Street has a traditional breakfast restaurant menu with no substitutions, and a long list of specials that adds variety. Service is always friendly, but not necessarily speedy. Wknd brunch wait can sometimes be long after 10am. Their back patio is a fantastic seating option, especially if you have kids or dogs. The playstructure across the street is a nice bonus while waiting to be seated, or for after meal wiggles.

Nice little spot for wholesome food and morning cocktails. It was busy Saturday and it took a bit for food. Nothing with with that. I'll be back!

Food was very fresh and tasted great. We got the burger with the white bean soup and the blackened fish salad. All excellent, even the iced tea was good. Service was good and did not disappoint. Will definitely return.

We’ve been to this place about 3 times during and after COVID. We liked the food in the past and we like the food now. Many choices of wonderful omelettes and good quality food. But the reasons for only 4 stars are the atmosphere, warmth and service of the place are just not quite there. In terms of atmosphere: the place could be so much better if it took more from the iconic location that it is in (St. John’s) and developed more of a personality around that. A little soft music wouldn’t hurt. In terms of warmth: I think if it had a more defined personality the warmth would come after but the servers would have to match it. In terms of service: it really isn’t that bad but then again, our server had not warmth and no personality. There was an older lady that came out from the back at one point and she seemed more smilie and cheerful. Someone like her as a front face would be great. Other than that it is a good place and has potential to be even better.

Small and cozy cafe. Service can be slow but if you are having a good conversation with friends, time will pass. Our server was great, we got everything timely. We ordered vegetarian egg Benedict, Wichita server offered to split into two plates, and it was perfect amount for two girls. They also offer some brunch cocktails and coffee beverages, good breakfast place. I will try again when I am in the neighborhood.

Food was delicious. The pancakes are huge! The oranges they serve with the pancakes were very sweet. The service was good, we got seated in the back patio instantly. While we were eating, we saw the special menu they had and we missed that they had french toast! -Maybe we will try it next time! The ambiance of this place was great, very family friendly and peaceful. We will definitely return when we are in Oregon again.

The food here was very yummy and very classic diner which is exactly what we were craving! This is a nice alternative to the typically very crowded brunch places - more cozy and straightforward. The only reason I don't give it a 5 is because service wasn't the best.

St Johns is such a cool area, lots of parks nearby and shops to explore. Not as crowded as Hawthorne but nice mix of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. John Street Cafe is usually packed for brunch on the weekends and there's plenty of outdoor seating at their private patio. The service was great. Waitress brought a toy for our friends kid to play with. The French toast hit the spot. The slab of bacon and scrambled eggs was tasty. Very rich bacon. My friend ordered the Benedict and that looked pretty tasty also. The side of breakfast potatoes was also scrumptious. Nice spot in St Johns. Lots to try on the menu, staff was friendly and chill.

This is a wonderful breakfast/brunch spot that's a bit of a secret I think. Located in the heart of St. John's, they serve breakfast & lunch Wednesday through Sunday until 3pm. The food is always delicious, we'll-made, and reasonably priced. Services is solid, and sometimes even fantastic. In warm weather, there is an outdoor seating area that's in a small garden, a really nice touch. Sometimes service is slow due to the tiny kitchen but the wait is worth it. I recommend the Bacavo omelette if you go!

We saw that this place had good reviews so we gave it a try. Worst customer service we have ever had!! It wasn't very crowded, but it took 15 minutes just for a server to come to our table and take our order. 45 minutes later there was still no food and water glasses were empty, with nobody stopping by to refill or apologize for the delay. Over an hour had gone by and we were told we were "third in the queue". We decided to leave at that point. So disappointing.

Goat cheese omelet (pro tip: put the jam on the toast and the omelet on the toast and it's the best thing ever) ...hence why it's an empty plate. It was SO dang good. Wow. Fresh af.

Quiet little Cafe, a lot of nice art! Staff was very friendly and accommodating while we asked for a window table. Arrived late afternoon on a Sunday. All tables were full. Breakfast and lunch menu offered. I ordered the French toast, bacon and orange came with the order, eggs to order! The food was fresh, hot and arrived in very short time. Definitely will return, the menu is huge! Thank you staff for a wonderful experience!

Stopped in here today for breakfast and I have to say it was 5/5 stars. Their sausage & bread IS amazing. The seasoning on the potatoes is great too. We will definitely be returning.

Brought the family for Brunch here. The staff is friendly and the food is good. It was great that we didn't have to wait for a table here, although I think we just came at the right time. Everyone enjoyed their food. My nephews said it was the most delicious breakfast they've had. Only one thing to point out, one of us had a green chile omelette, and you couldn't taste any green chiles. Other than that, thumbs up!

Did the server psychically predict that I needed more coffee? She refilled my mug mere seconds after it clanged with the table. Nope, she just did it again! I had the corned beef, hash and eggs special for $16. I know, feels a bit steep, but it's reflective of the inflated rents and food costs these days (01/2023). The sourdough was well buttered and toasted to perfection. The special was voluminous enough to feed 2 people. And we're not talking canned corn beef and hash, it's the real deal. Well-seasoned but not canned ol salty. In fact, I'd say it's a little under salted which is perfect for those of us looking to choose how far into hypertension we want to delve. In all, the service was great, the coffee was flowing, and I definitely recommend John Street Cafe for a fulfilling and tasty bite.

There is no place in St. Johns that is more welcoming and has better food. This cafe has the best possible lineup on meals. Always a good time!

This place is a stone's throw from my little apartment. And down a flight of stairs. Been there a few times. Still never sat in the back but it sure looks pretty. The only issue I had was that they put full filberts (what's their other name?) in their pancakes which is a little difficult to eat. Otherwise, brilliant and their omelettes are wonderful.

This rating is a reflection of service, mostly. It was busy on a Saturday. My partner and I ordered omelettes. About an hour and 20 minutes later, we noticed people seated 30-45 minutes after us were being served omelettes. That's when we got up and walked over to the back where our server was and asked if our food was still on the way, at which point the server said there was some kind of mistake with our order. The server brought out food right after this interaction. During this period, my coffee was refilled once about 40 minutes in by someone who was not our server. Never did a server come around or ask us if we were ok, needed anything, etc. We felt forgotten about. We expected some sort of comp for the poor experience but none was given at first. So we spoke with the manager who did not want to give us the time of day. She comped our drinks. It was a really sad welcome to Portland as this was my first time in the city. It was a really, really poor experience. Food was ok. Nothing I couldn't make at home with identical taste. It was fine. Nothing else. The ambiance was nice. I was excited at the beginning of the experience. I do not recommend this restaurant for others looking for a breakfast meal.

Delicious food, difficult hours to find them open! Often closed earlier or altogether even than their limited posted hours.

Another favorite food place of mine in St. Johns. When I'm lazy, I go to Over Easy. When I want fresh breakfast food, I walk to John Street Cafe. It's lavender-lilac interior with spacious windows and art on the walls makes it a light and bright place to sip coffee while waiting for a gourmet omelette. The service is brisk and unobtrusive. "Bizqwik" pancakes are not to be found here. Hearty, homemade fare are the options. My go-to is veggie cheddar on roasted red potatoes. Omit the cheese for an easy vegan or gluten-free option.

Excellent food but very slow service even with few customers on a late Fri. morning; no explanation given.

Came in here for brunch by myself my last day in Portland. The waitress greeted me with a smile and told me to sit wherever I wanted. I treated myself to a mimosa and to my surprise I got a mini bottle of champagne with a cup of orange juice to make it myself (a little bit of OJ is the best way to make one IMO). I then ordered the two eggs with bacon combo. It came with toast, oranges and breakfast potatoes. I also ordered a side of avocado to put on the toast. The eggs were perfectly cooked (I ordered over medium and they were perfect), bacon was soooo thick and delicious, plus it came with 4 huge slices! As someone who doesn't over indulge in bread, I couldn't get enough of the toast. It came with two different jams and although I think it was a raspberry one and not sure of the other, I wished I could've taken jars of it home- so good. They also have a good portion of avocado! I almost cleared the plate but was so full I left just a little which I kind of regretted after I left lol. Really happy I tried this place as it was a good breakfast to close out my trip. Thanks so much!

The food is delicious. I usually go for breakfast and they have a good variety of options but lunch is good too. The outside area is great during the summer and inside is pleasant and reasonably quiet for a conversation. I've found the staff to be exceptionally friendly and accommodating.

Service took a little too long. I believe they forgot our order and they didn't even compliment us for the 1.5 hr wait. Food is okay, a little expensive.

We got Lucky, This Place is Popular!! Nestled away in a strip of unassuming stores and shops is John Street Cafe in Portland OR. This hidden Gem restaurant is a local hot spot for breakfast, brunch and lunch in the St. John's area. On this visit in which I was joined by colleagues from the local EVRAZ I decided on a homemade soup to try and the Blackened Red Snapper Salad which was a fantastic dish for a lunch. Filled with fresh veggies and thinly shaved cheese and a very light dressing and of course a perfect portion of red snapper, not enough to give you a food coma but just enough to know you had something to eat. All in all a great lunch and affordably priced. The St.Johns area in Portland is known for its eclectic food scene with many little Ma-and-Pa places serving all kinds of different cuisines, definitely worth checking out if you're exploring the local food scene in Portland.

The food was tasty, and the location fun. On the higher price. Had the Bacavo Omelette and would have it again in a heart beat.

Only here for the first time so can't speak on consistently but I'm so impressed, had to drop a 5 star. Will be back in 3 months and I will change it if it changes but guys if you're brunch people, you know the struggle for decent breakfast potatoes. John Street Cafe does it right and not even greasy right just plain old right. The quiche special and the veggie eggs Benny were both perfect even the presentation. Portions and pricing are great. Service and location were average but gave a mom and pop feel I didn't mind.

Come to John Street if you're in need of a classic mainstay breakfast and brunch place. I've been in Portland 20 years and have watched many beloved brunch spots go under- Mississippi Station, Tapalaya, and most recently Zell's. While eating a final brunch at Zell's, I heard the staff and another customer mention John Street as a go-to and had to check them out. They're unfussy, reliable, good quality food with a lovely back patio and pleasant staff. I've never had to wait for seating, either. The benedict, the brie omelet, and the coffee nudge are favorites.

Delicious food and great service. I got a spicy Bloody Mary and Yikes! They weren't kidding.

Moved to St. John's a couple months ago and have enjoyed going to this spot a couple of times. Tried to come to brunch today. Put our name on the list with a phone number at 1:28 and went around the corner to have a cup of coffee while we waited. At 2:30 I called to ask where we were in the list. After confirming my name the staff person says, "Well, you can come in now, I guess." Me: "Ok, we'll be right there." And hang up. In the literal 300 ft walk to the cafe the same staff person calls us back on my partner's phone (meaning, they have the number we left) and says, "My manager wanted me to tell you that our kitchen closes at 2:45. But you can still come in if you want. Oh... and we're also out of potatoes. Sooo...." Me, kind of annoyed: "I think we're good, thanks." Staff: "Ok. Sorry." Hangs up. They close at 3pm. As someone who spent 8 years in the service industry, I do genuinely understand the frustration of having someone come in close to closing and, honestly, I don't want to make anybody's work day any harder than it needs to be. But this whole experience was just unnecessarily thoughtless and rude. What a waste of time and an incredibly bad impression to leave.

Called ahead on this rainy Sunday morning to make a reservation in the patio for 6. Arrived and they had us all set up in the patio exactly as requested. Service started a bit slow but turned into just the right amount of non interruption and attentiveness. Delicious Bloody Mary's, giant homemade fruit pancakes and the veggie eggs benedict did not disappoint. Definitely will be returning to this gem!

I love their quiche when they have it on special. Great American breakfast! Friendly staff

Ordered 3 sandwiches, 2 ice teas, 1 iced latte. One hour later, still no sign of receiving the food order. Restaurant was not busy at all. Explained we needed to leave, the manager was barely sympathetic, and charged us for the drinks, despite the terrible service. Avoid this place unless you want to spend your entire day there.

I went here for breakfast one morning and it was so good I wanted to go back the next day. I ordered the chilaquiles (except they called them something different, I forget now) and it was soooo good. I also had a chai latte and it was okay, not great. Otherwise, everything was fantastic!

Went to brunch with a friend here. We expected to be waiting in a long line like you would at almost any other breakfast/brunch place in Portland, but no. We were able to seat ourselves in the beautiful, plant-filled, shaded outdoor area and someone came right out to take our orders. I got the bacon, spinach, and mushroom quiche and it was INCREDIBLE. So tasty and a good portion. It came with roasted potatoes, orange slices, and toast with jam. Everything on the plate was so good. The potatoes were perfectly roasted and seasoned, the toast was good and the jam was delicious. My friend loved her omelet and the potatoes and toast and jam as well. Service was great--attentive but not overly so. I am so glad I found this place!

What a delightful find for us--delicious breakfast and coffee with good service in a clean, bright cafe. We had: --black coffee--smooth and robust with as many refills from a thermal pot as I could enjoy --artful latte with equal deliciousness --bowl of fruit that filled me up--the toasted hazelnuts added flavor and richness. This comes with yogurt, but dairy isn't my jam, so they offered extra fruit. This was bountiful--strawberries, kiwi, melons, banana, pineapple and blueberries. Completely fresh and delicious. Boom! --my friend's blueberry, strawberry, hazelnut pancake looked amazing; she verified that its fluffy, golden demeanor was tasty, light and just what she was craving. It was huge--enough for two people. The service was pitch perfect--friendly and efficient. I'm a fan and will be back for this charming, no wait, crazy-easy-parking cafe.

If you ever get here trying their blackened salmon omelette. Thank me later loved hope their outside patio.

I went in there for brunch they took my order and 40 minutes later I still didn't have my food I got up and walked out the place was not busy I don't know what the hell happened but very disappointed 1st time 1st time I tried the place I don't think I'll ever go back If you can't get food to somebody with in at least a 1/2 an hour You're a bunch of fucking idiots

I had the eggs Benedict and my husband had the feta cheese and Italian sausage omelette. Both were very good. The omelette came with potatoes and toast. The Benedict came with potatoes and fruit. I'd recommend this place.

Good service, mediocre food. Shared the Javo omelet, canned tomato "salsa", cool cream cheese, only good part was tasty avocado slices. Second time here, second time leaving disappointed. Won't be back a third.

Eggs. Toast. Potatoes. Sausage. That's all you need sometimes for a good breakfast. The one thing that stood out to me was their sausage. It's not your typical sausage links, but fresh handmade patty...definitely worth it! The service is friendly and the place is very clean.

Excellent food and staff! Great coffee as well! Love going for brunch! Take out packaging is great as well!

Before I went in, I saw some others had posted pictures of benedicts. Unfortunately, when I went there today; they pretty much only had omelettes. Omelettes are NEVER my go to choice at any brunch place, so I was pretty disappointed. I did end up liking my food; but I definitely wish they had more variety on their menu. If you come here, definitely plan some extra time to wander around the boutiques & cute one-of-a-kind neighborhood it is in. Scored some super cute & unique Christmas presents while wandering around!!

Five stars for the bacon. John Street provides four thick, large, lean slices of bacon on the eggs-your-way special. It's some of the best bacon I've had, and cooked perfectly. The rest of the meal was fine (I prefer hash browns to breakfast potatoes, and I forgot to order my toast dry (western US restaurants presume everyone wants it buttered the same way). Service was friendly and helpful, to the extent that COVID makes such niceties possible. Be forewarned that the sign is abnormally bland: I walked right past the place while looking for it.

Well, let me start off by saying that this review is about service, not food. We went in between the breakfast/lunch rushes and there were 2 other tables seated, both of which already had their food. There were two servers on. It took forever to get someone to bring us a menu and ask if we wanted drinks, then another interminable wait for our order to be taken. Food came out in pretty good time, which has everything to do with the kitchen. Once we were served, our server did not check in to see if anything was needed, if everything was ok, if water needed refilling, nada. She sat in the back alcove chatting for the entire time that we were in the cafe. We had to get up and ask for the check. We couldn't even catch her eye - and we tried for five minutes - because she was completely ignoring the floor. The food itself was great and I would have loved to give this place five stars (and would have, if it were purely based on that). It was one of the best omelets​ I've had in ages, super generous portions, great potatoes, toast with delicious jam, all around thumbs up. My *only* complaint about the food is that the orange juice cost an outrageous amount for the amount we got. Literally a tiny, toddler-sized​ glass of juice. The rest of the food was really reasonably priced for what we got though, so it balanced and I didn't feel like we overpaid for the meal as a whole. I'll go back, at least to see if the service was a fluke. The food was that good. I would love to support this neighborhood cafe. But not if that kind of customer service is the norm.

I wish I had a place like this to have breakfast in, close to where I live. A friend took me here for breakfast and it was lovely: great coffee (free refills), and a wonderful omelette (cilantro with black beans, Monterey jack cheese and a spicy green salsa) with original fresh ingredients, served with rye toast, jam and fried potato. My friends were equally impressed with their food as well, All polished off with good service - what more could one want?

Really nice little spot we came across after dropping our kid off in Portland. The feel of a true small town cafe. Not extremely prompt, it I think that is kind of the Portland feel from what I am told. Breakfast was fantastic. Home made sausage patty is a must. Their home made bread and preserves were delightful. We had to flag down the wait staff a few times for coffee and bill, but that pales compared to the food and experience. Will definitely be a go to place for us whenever we are in town.

Always great food and service! The pancakes are huge, all the omelettes are delicious, and the bacon is out of this world. You will not be disappointed! :-)

If I could give less than one star, I would. In the name of transparency, this review is based solely on customer service, not on food. Being a Portland native, of course we miss the original John St. Cafe on Hawthorne. Blvd. and the old owner but because the menu has stayed the same we decided to come back for the Bacavo. There were 4 of us who came for brunch and we sat outside in the back. It wasn't overly busy, just a regular Saturday. We all ordered and I ordered a pancake w/ a side of bacon. After a reasonable amount of time, everyone got their food but me. I figured the waitress just couldn't carry it all so, she headed back in for my food. She came back with my side of bacon and said the pancake was on its way. It never came, never came and still never came. My bacon was now cold and nearly 30 minutes passed. Everyone was done eating when my pancake arrived. I ate but I was fuming. I figured the waitress would apologize or at least take the pancake off our bill but no such luck. I was so put off by this experience that I sent them a written letter explaining how disappointing the overall experience was and guess what?...No response. We will keep our memories of the old John St. Cafe and from now on, I will make my own Bacovo.

I ate here today for breakfast. It was... fine? But definitely not a good enough experience to get me to come back. First, the menu leaves a lot to be desired. It's about the least interesting breakfast menu I've seen in Portland. 90% omelettes. I was honestly considering packing up and just heading elsewhere, but time wasn't on my side. An omelette it was. I ordered an omelette with bacon inside and blue cheese on top. I expected crumbles, and instead got what I can only assume was dressing? It was.... fine? It came with a normal size portion of roasted potatoes and a huge serving of wheat toast. At (I think) $11.75 it was a great deal, but I just wasn't excited about it. The space is... fine? It's clean and bright, with lots of windows. However the decor is sparse and the music reminded me of elevator Muzac. The whole place felt subdued and sterile. Service was great. My server was incredibly friendly and on top of it. Zero complaints there. If you need food, they've got it. It's (you've guessed it)... fine. But a fine breakfast or brunch in Portland just doesn't cut it.

Such a delicious and sweet place! No egos here, just good food and good service. There was a tiny wait that lasted no longer than 10 mins on a Saturday morning, I'd say that's pretty good for the Portland area..... I was really pleased with everything I ordered. I ordered bacon (cooked to a good crisp!), two eggs, potatoes. I also got a side buttermilk pancake which was perfectly fluffy and chewy. Coffee was sub-par but I'm not much of a coffee snob so it worked just fine for me. I'll definitely be going here again, thanks John Street Cafeeee!

I'm so sad I'm leaving a bad review because I love this place. The food is always amazing as well as the cocktails. Unfortunately they only had one server on staff poor guy was taking orders , making drinks , cleaning tables and who knows what else. My food took an hour plus .. and I was only one person , my drinks took 10 min each. What was the point of reservations if it's first come first serve? Poorly managed, poorly organized. People were leaving constantly. Please do better.

The food here is great but the wait time to get our food was ridiculous. Be prepared for that. It wasn't busy and it took 45 min to an hour for the food during our last visit. The bacavo omelette is my fav and the bacon is amazing!

Wow, this breakfast was on point. I ordered the corned beef hash that was on special and it was the perfect ratio of meat to potatoes/peppers/onions; cooked wonderfully. The eggs were just how I asked, and the bread was fresh and delicious. I'll be thinking about this meal all day, and I'm sure to be back soon!