The Dish Cafe

Restaurant · Fremont

The Dish Cafe

Restaurant · Fremont

2

4358 Leary Wy NW, Seattle, WA 98107

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The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by Harry Cheadle
The Dish Cafe by Photo by Amanda Castleman
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null
The Dish Cafe by null

Highlights

American diner with Mexican twists & huge portions  

Featured in Eater
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4358 Leary Wy NW, Seattle, WA 98107 Get directions

dishcafe.net

$10–20 · Menu

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4358 Leary Wy NW, Seattle, WA 98107 Get directions

+1 206 782 9985
dishcafe.net

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 8, 2025

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The Best Diners in Seattle | Eater Seattle

"This is a tiny little diner in the neighborhood I guess we’re calling “Frelard,” an unlovely collection of industry and ramshackle businesses. But don’t sleep on the Dish! The egg-and-potato diner standards are all done super well here, sometimes with a Mexican twist, like the “Slacker,” which is basically eggs and enchilada sauce; it rules. The funniest and also best thing here is the “scone,” which is actually a huge slab of coffee cake." - Harry Cheadle

https://seattle.eater.com/maps/the-best-diners-in-seattle
View Postcard for The Dish Cafe
@afar

"This humble diner has a rabid following, which often earns it Best Breakfast in Seattle status (it has even made a Zagat's list of the top breakfast spots in the country). The family-owned restaurant has two North Seattle locations, but try the original Ballard one first. It's cozier and has an entire wall of hot sauces. Be prepared to queue on the weekends: A coffee stand, covered pavilion, and space heaters take the edge off on chillier days. You'll be rewarded for the mild inconvenience with fabulousness like the Slacker Especial (eggs scrambled with enchilada sauce, tortilla chips, green chiles, and jack cheese)."

The Best Restaurants in Seattle
View Postcard for The Dish Cafe

Todd Ayers

Google
Food was ok. I ordered the chicken fried steak and biscuits and gravy. Had it numerous times other places but here it tastes a lot different. Not what I was expecting. Atmosphere was nice and quiet.

Steve U

Google
Been a regular for years. A great spot! Ew menu refresh with more excellent Mexican inspired breakfast option.

guadalupe ramirez

Google
All in all it offers exactly what you want from a diner breakfast. The proportions are huge and flavorful, the coffee is top notch and the service is friendly and fast. The atmosphere is very welcoming and feels local. Highly recommend this place for breakfast.

Pfeifer Hill

Google
As a highly acclaimed breakfast connoisseur, I was eager to try The Dish Cafe given its high ratings. I was especially, ESPECIALLY, excited to try the breakfast potatoes. I want to note upfront that the reason The Dish did not get five stars from me today was because I got an extremely skimpy portion of potatoes in comparison to my counterpart’s serving. Luckily chivalry is not dead and he gave me some of his potatoes. They needed a little salt, but otherwise I was satisfied with them. It’s hard to find breakfast potatoes in Seattle, a city that seems to prefer hashbrowns. These weren’t the best I’ve had, but they’ll do. My Seattle to Portland scramble was good, and reasonably priced. The whole menu was affordable, which is something I appreciate. The scone was very peculiar, although it wasn’t bad. I would describe it as more of a coffee cake or cornbread. The breakfast sandwich was good, the eggs were well done and the bacon was thick. Bonus points for thick bacon. Portion sizes were adequate. Service was great, our servers were very friendly and entertaining. The outdoor dining area was nice. Overall, I had a good time and good food. If you’re local, or in the area, this is a solid spot for breakfast.

Maia Hammy

Google
If you're on wheels, ask for a seat in the patio (there's heating and it's covered--see the picture). I'd you go indoors, it's a right fit and you must go up/down one big step. Outdoor seating is also dog friendly. Excellent service but a tiny bit slow to get our food on the weekend (as expected for this type of restaurant in this neighborhood). It's a breakfast and lunch place only--no dinner. Love the creative fusion menu: American breakfast with Mexican influence. We had the traditional eggs bene with avocado (yum!). And a sausage/ veggieb scramble. You can also make your own combo omelette or scramble.

Cher Lancaster

Google
The Dish has updated their menu neighborhood friends. If you are like us we never have to look at the menu since we go frequently. Well they have added new menu items and have updated the inside. The owners are great people and run this wonderful neighborhood gem!

Binit Banerjee

Google
We found this joint while driving by and stopped to get some brunch. I took a single blue berry pancake and from their lunch menu I got The hot Italian. The sandwich was pretty good and came with a side of their roasted potatoes which was good as well. Will definitely recommend this one. The pancakes I felt could do a pinch of salt more but great portion size overall. My wife got the garden omelet with a side of potatoes and a scone. That was okay, the potatoes were pretty good.

M G

Google
Ordered chicken fried steak, honestly terrible. Potatoes were extremely salty and my over-medium eggs were under-cooked. I was shocked since this place seems to have such good reviews. Maybe the chef had an off day, but this meal made Dennys look like a good restaurant. The waiter was super nice, though and the prices were great. Atmosphere was typical of a little diner on the side of the road. Cozy and pleasant. It's a shame the food was horrible.
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Joey R.

Yelp
We stopped at The Dish Cafe for breakfast. The place is cute and quaint. The service was impeccable! We both got a scramble/omelet, and although we appreciated the excellent service, the price for the quality and amount of food was absolutely unacceptable. We noticed it was a bit pricey, but thought it would be a lot of food w/ three eggs as part of the meal. We actually laughed when we got our food because it was just not enough food. The add-ons were also outrageously priced.
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Anders L.

Yelp
We traveled to Seattle last month for a week, and ended up here for breakfast every day. We only planned on going once, but got into returning every day. I can't speak to many of the menu items since I ordered a Roma omelette every day, and had a scone as my side (which was almost closer to corn bread, but really good). Friendly staff, lot of coffee refills, and a pleasant and buzzing local vibe to the place.
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Charles S.

Yelp
This place is amazing wonderful people great food prices are not going to break. The host is comical and interactive. They just opened a second location in green lake
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Su-jen Y.

Yelp
Decent food near my friends place but defo not anything amazing. I liked the potato's and the hollandaise sauce was not tangy sadly.
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Pedro J.

Yelp
This is a small restaurant that was in walking distance of our Airbnb. This is an excellent restaurant with a great classic menu. I would recommend this is to anyone in the area! Service was outstanding and we are going back again today for breakfast!
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Natasha B.

Yelp
4.5 but rounding up! This is the few places in Seattle that serve proper breakfast. Nothing fancy, just perfect breakfast food. Prices are very reasonable and the food is so good. Their Blood Marys are also top notch. The staff is quick and so sweet.
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Kris B.

Yelp
The food here was delicious, love the homemade jams, and the people are so nice! My favourite breakfast place.

Deborah F.

Yelp
I'm back AGAIN for the beat breakfast I've had ever! Fantastic food, great people! I want to try more menu items... but I just love the SOB
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Gus F.

Yelp
I don't like to leave a bad review. First off the service was good & my coffee cup never got empty. Everyone was friendly & cheerful. The biscuits and gravy were so so at best. The gravy appeared to be straight out of a can without hint of spice or sausage. True it is not listed as sausage gravy, at least a hint of spice would be good. The poached eggs were perfect. What they advertise as a scone comes out looking like a slice of corn bread. While tasty it was a far cry from a scone. The food was not good enough for me to want to go back. A nice place that easily could be great.
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Greg M.

Yelp
A great little cafe. A local feel. Great service good homemade food. We were traveling, but could imagine it as out go to place if we lived in the neighborhood. (It also has parking!)

Dave C.

Yelp
Food average, deafening ghetto music interfering with conversation, waiters whooping, hollering, yelling and screaming orders across the restaurant, slider open to outside seating creates artic draft, kids crying, cramped, food just okay. Never will return. Awful.
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David S.

Yelp
My wife and I wanted to try this place based on reviews, so we called at 9:30am on a Sunday and asked if they were open. After they confirmed that they were, we drove over from Bellevue only to find a crudely scrawled "CLOSED" on the door next to their posted hours that said they were indeed supposed to be open. My wife called and asked what had changed and they hung up on her. To make matters worse, people inside were dining and drinking. So, maybe save a trip and go someplace that actually wants your business.
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Noah B.

Yelp
* Biscuits and gravy 4/5 * Omelette 4/5 * Scone 4/5 -Biscuits and gravy was pretty dam good. Tons of gravy and it came out hot. Potion was so-so but potions in general here are a little small for breakfast. -Omelette was cooked perfect and i would say they do eggs very well here in general. -Scone is a must! Order it as a app and push them to bring it out early because they run out. This time i was a little dryer then the last time we were here. Otherwise with the homemade jam its a 5/5

Erica R.

Yelp
Staff is hardworking and kind! The food is always great and a good price! Seating area is small but they work with what they've got. Feels like a family business. First choice for a local breakfast on the weekends for us, I always get the eggs Benedict.

Rebecca S.

Yelp
Me and my partner have gone her a couple of times and it always hits the spot. And it's reasonably priced. Also love the staff. They're all very friendly.

Elizabeth B.

Yelp
Service was not good - asked for more coffee multiple times and never got it. Also after being there for 45 min and finishing drinks were asked to leave... super rude staff. Wouldn't come again!
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Cathy S.

Yelp
We were in town visiting from Wisconsin. We went for a walk one morning from our Airbnb and came upon to this lovely restaurant for breakfast. Service was fantastic and the food was great! Would definitely recommend!

Anna H.

Yelp
Great local spot for breakfast/brunch. Friendly staff, busy casual atmosphere with lots of local color.
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ChriStina H.

Yelp
Meal was decent Service was good but frenzied- they're very busy always! Outdoor patio seating is open, despite signage saying it isn't. Unfortunately, the heater by our table was out of propane.

Jack H.

Yelp
The food was very good and the waiters and the cook were also very nice. It was a very warm welcome and it was really nice eating out here. I've never really been to a Seattle breakfast Café, but it was a pretty good start.

Everyday R.

Yelp
What a fantastic gem. Breakfast was delicious. My sunny side up eggs, toast and potatoes were elevated by excellent seasoning on the potatoes which were cooked to perfection and delicious jam for my toast. Everyone in our group devoured their meals!
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Lynna O.

Yelp
Make sure you stop by this awesome spot! Reasonable prices, great staff & amazing breakfast food. It's nothing fancy but the food is fresh and delicious! House made jam on the table. Really good. Options for scones or toast. Soda is canned. Big portions & tasty food. 10/10

Margie S.

Yelp
First time to eat breakfast at The Dish Cafe. Erik is very professional and friendly. The coffee is delicious. We had eggs, ham, potatoes and toast. Will visit again soon.
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Stacy S.

Yelp
Vegetarian eggs Benedict... really good, would have better with half of the hollandaise. Corn beef hash was really yummy, once Tabasco was added. Breakfast sausage was salty. Place is clean, yet not very sanitary per current covid needs. Staff wore masks, but not gloves. Tables were cleaned, but not sanitized. Server was friendly, but slow... we had to ask twice for Tabasco.
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Tony P.

Yelp
The food was tasty and well-prepared. They serve breakfast and lunch, I've had the huevos verdes and the tuna melt, portions were satisfying. They accommodated our large group (9) and the service was great, fast and friendly. Feels like a family run place. It's casual and the prices are reasonable. Highly recommended.

Marchelle R.

Yelp
The service is great. The food comes out steaming hot and delicious never had a bad experience.
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Elizabeth E.

Yelp
Looking for a good plate of food at a decent price? The Dish is it! Was in the neighborhood shopping at Indoor Plant Shoppe and decided to find a place with breakfast to go. Found this neat little spot. Cute local diner with regulars at the counter being greeted by super friendly staff. Was a little early for my order but luckily they whipped it up and I was out the door in 7 mins! Loved the wall of hot sauces near the kitchen window. Great outdoor seating and little tables inside with a bar. Ordered a breakfast burrito and a Nicko scramble. Everything was flavored perfectly! Great portion sized & has left me wanting to come back again very soon.
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Laurie L.

Yelp
This was yummy! Good memories of having breakfast with the family. And they provide a range of spicy sauces. Fun sitting at the counter. Hefty servings!
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AJ M.

Yelp
One of my go-to diners. The great spot for a casual, standard breakfast: scrambles, pancakes, French toast, two egg breakfasts with potatoes and toast, coffee, OJ, etc. Much better food quality than a Denny's or IHOP, but with standard accoutrements like freezer jam, cream and sugar on the table, and normal condiments. A relief in Seattle where everyone else is forcing us to choke down some disgusting version of all-natural or house-made ketchup. If you are a big diner breakfast fan like me, you might care to know this place doesn't offer shredded hash browns. A bummer, but the potatoes are good so I don't mind too much.
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James B.

Yelp
My go to for breakfast/brunch. Love the blueberry pancakes. Be aware they can be very busy
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Shelby E.

Yelp
I've been looking for the perfect brunch spot and I found it. Chefs kiss- I went back the following week
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Brenna Y.

Yelp
I cannot believe this place is so under the radar! I spend a lot of time in Ballard/Fremont and love to eat out...yet it took over a year of being in that area to try The Dish Cafe! This place gives you a warm diner feel. I love breakfast so much and they do it right. No funny business, just great food and great prices. I love how low key it is- so unsuspecting on the side of a busy main road but totally worth it. It's small inside and when I went (last year) they had no outdoor seating, but I hope they found a way to space everyone out because I'd be SO SAD if it closed! 100% recommend checking it out- especially cute on a rainy weekend (or weekday...) with the vibrant colored decorations and paint :)
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Erin M.

Yelp
Food was decent and super cute hole-in-the-wall, family run place! The scones are more like a coffee cake and not a traditional scone.

Saeer H.

Yelp
Food is OK not great They take forever to make your food And very very rude owner never going back to that place
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Christine R.

Yelp
So I was in the area for an appointment at Lashybaby and arrived earlier than expected. So to kill time my husband (who drove me) and I decided to grab some grub at this small and quaint restaurant. Now, since we have 4 kids, and 2 under 2, we would probably have skipped the restaurant had we had our kids with us since its really small and a tight fit, but since we were sans kids we thought, why not try this place out. We were warmly greeted upon entering, asked if we wanted a table or to sit at the counter, and again sans kids we sat at the counter. I had the eggs Benedict and the French toast. Both were deliciously flavorful and cooked to perfection. They came out in a reasonable amount of time and the coffee cup was never not filled ;) overall a wonderful breakfast spot.
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Joel M.

Yelp
The old time diner with a vaguely nautical theme! Perfect eggs (and country fried steak). Interesting characters wandering through on break in a fairly industrial part of town, but still pretty family friendly I'll bet. An easy walk from the Subaru place if your getting an oil change.
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Christa H.

Yelp
Perfect no frills breakfast. Pretty busy so wouldn't recommend in a rush. But totally perfectly priced and a really solid breakfast option!
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R B.

Yelp
Hey, don't go there, it's always packed. My son and I discovered the amazing place this past Saturday. Wow! Dish Cafe reminded us of our favorite place in Chicago. The food was delicious! My son had an omelette with a scone, the scone was great and massive. I ordered bacon with the egg and potatoes ~ was perfect with enough to share. Great service too. This will be our go to spot.

S K.

Yelp
This has been one of my fav restaurants for years, and the food is still great, but portions have shrunk A LOT! I always get the eggs Benedict and today when I went, unfortunately, there was 1/3 the amount of potatoes with it as normal. Sad and weird considering how cheap potatoes are in general.

Emma H.

Yelp
I've never seen a staff so efficient but cool at the same time. We come here every Sunday before band practice and the tasty food makes for tasty jams. Love the tile floors too! Eric is our guy! He always makes us feel taken care of!!

Mark D.

Yelp
A charming place with splendid food. I love small diner style restaurants with a solid, well executed menu that has a few novelties. In this case it was the "add curry" option. It made a my scramble a revelation. The service was superb. Attentive without intrusiveness and charm without overplaying the role. Just a great place to feel like you belong even if you are just passing through.
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Chelsea M.

Yelp
I eat here almost every weekend. Staff is always friendly and fast, and the food is super delicious. I've eaten here at least 50 times and will continue to go as much as possible! If you are in the area, don't miss it.
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Rose W.

Yelp
I went for brunch here with a friend and was so disappointed with the food. I just got french toast with scrambled eggs and it was lukewarm and thin. I had to flag down the server multiple times and she provided good customer service once I had her attention. It honestly just felt like a waste of money coming here for brunch.
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Kevin Z.

Yelp
Delicious. Always fast. Great breakfast. I'm a big fan of the tofu scramble or hue is rancheros.
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Angela G.

Yelp
I love this place. The food is great the service is awesome. I can't say enough. I'm happy they survived the whole Covid thing. I hope they continue to stay around for a long time.
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Ashley K.

Yelp
Not sure why people would wait in line for this place, honestly. Every aspect of it was mediocre. The wait admittedly wasn't took long, but it was windy out. There is a small table out front with coffee, but no one bothered to explain this to us, and there were no cups except for two dirty, used ones next to the thermos. After we got in, we were seated a little to the back, which was nice as it was slightly less noisy. But I don't mind a lot of noise in a breakfast place/diner. The decor on the walls, simple water glasses and laminated menus warmed my heart and reminded me of some of the diners I miss on the East Coast. Our waitress started fine... she came promptly to take our order, and food came quickly, but then we never saw her again. We had to flag someone down for coffee refills, and no one bothered to check in on us. Also had to wave someone down for the check/to-go boxes. One caveat, I was so sad to see on Yelp that there's a cool selection of hot sauce! I had no idea and would have totally taken advantage of them, but wasn't informed :( The food: I ordered the breakfast burrito and my date got the pigs in the garden. She said "I can't remember the last time I had to salt my food at a restaurant." It was so, so bland. The biscuit she got was terrible. Note, they are not Southern style, fluffy biscuits, but very flat and floury. Potatoes were good. My burrito was only flavorful from the mound of salsa and sour cream on top. The black beans were flavorless. One bright side I could see: I bet this place is incredibly reliable. It looks like it hasn't changed ever. But I won't be back to check that in the future.
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Andy B.

Yelp
Working from home during the Corona virus scare meant my wife and I got to go to lunch together. We jumped in the car, and went to discover someplace we'd never been. A surprising number of pizza joints in our neighborhood, but neither of us wanted pizza. "What's that? The Dish? Kinda looks like a dive... Let's try it!" What a great decision. Wife had a turkey sandwich and I had the special - chicken fried steak eggs benedict. Hollandaise sauce is homemade, and some of the best I've had. Turkey sandwich was a turkey sandwich, but the potato salad needed only a little more pickle juice to be some of the best I've had. Pricier than I'd expect from a hole in the wall, but I guess that's life in Seattle these days... When we sat down, the waitress gave great recommendations, and was incredibly enthusiastic. I said to my wife, "If the food is half as good as she makes it sound, this will be our new regular spot." We'll be back!
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Brian C.

Yelp
Here is my simple formula for enjoying a meal at the Dish, developed as an occasional patron over the last two decades: 1) Don't go on the weekends. The place is overrun, sometimes dirty, and the staff is over-wrought. You won't get their best, and will likely be frustrated at the wait. At these times, I'm happy that The Leary Traveller next door does a good brunch, too (weekends only; and keep in mind: they're 21+). 2) Peek in the windows and count the number of small children you see. In that close, loud environment, screaming infants and rampant toddlers can ruin the peace of the most stoic diner. If you see more than three, go to plan B for sure. 3) They do certain things very well here, others not so much. Anything with potatoes is a good bet, like hash and the SOB Spuds.as is their famous Benedict. Also, anything with Southwestern or Mexican flavors is generally flavorful and generous- their Huevos Verdes is a personal favorite and, with avocado, very diet-friendly. The Burrito is a go-to for many. Beware of the soups (very hit-and-miss), sausages (almost always have bits of bone) and turkey dishes (tend to be dry). Service on the weekdays is seamlessly good, in my experience. My coffee cup is always full. :) If you hit them at the right time, the Dish offers solid value and friendly service. Recommended for weekday brunch/lunch.
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Alice L.

Yelp
I can see why this spot is favored with the locals. Springy, fluffy blueberry pancakes, the delicious 'slacker', scone, and wall of hot sauces make The Dish a cozy, satisfying breakfast haven! Not to mention, everything is served by the warmest, friendliest waitstaff. You can't help but feel at home. Not my typical choice, but the blueberry pancakes were well worth the deviation. They are super light and fluffy, but have a nice springy texture that I can't quite describe. The blueberries are huge and whole in the pancakes :) The Slacker has everything you'd want in a breakfast - eggs, potatoes, hot sauce! If the heat isn't enough for you, pick out more sauce from the wall behind the counter! It comes with choice of toast or scone, and I recommend the scone. Not your typical scone, it looks like a coffee cake and has a slightly corn breads texture! Not too sweet either!