Tabor Hill Cafe – Portland

This was a cafe recommended to us by Chris. Not because he’d been there, but because he hadn’t, and was curious to know what it’s like. He especially commented on the photographs in the front window of the menu items, noting the photographic quality was of an extremely faded and questionable nature. And that ranks high in the kitsch, hole-in-the-wall style we all love. So what the hell, we went there for breakfast.

Hip would be one of the last words I would use to describe it. This was definitely not part of the Portland foodie revolution. It was comfortable and homey, with equally questionable framed art inside to match the questionable menu photos on the front window. It’s run by an enthusiastic and very helpful middle-aged asian couple. Had I known all the extreme pretentious foodie-ism that Portland had to offer on this vacation, the Tabor Hill Cafe would have been a godsend of simple good food to relish at the end of the trip. Especially because there was ample seating available. In fact, when we first arrived, we were the only diners.

The coffee was fine. If it was Stumptown, they didn’t make any effort to crow it out. It probably wasn’t. Nobody cared.

I had the pancake breakfast, with four “silver dollar” pancakes (biggest silver dollars I ever saw, btw), two eggs over medium, and sausage. Who asks for over medium, other than me? Considering its rarity, they made my eggs perfectly.

T had the standard bacon, eggs, potato and toast breakfast, with his eggs sunny side up. No complaints.

I should mention here that yelp ranked this place as average. Usually submitted by self-proclaimed foodies, with “mediocre at best” reviews.  Understanding that Portland has built a local economy on cottage industry businesses all supporting each other through artisanal coffee, beer, baked goods and bacon, it’s easy to see why the Tabor Hill Cafe is passed over. But there is a comfortable feeling here, with good parental vibes from the owners, and the cafe has its own clique of thoroughly unhip, loyal customers.

Don’t forget to pet the patchwork cat by the cashier area on your way out!

Tabor Hill Cafe (Southeast, Hawthorne)
3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, OR 97214