Bijou Cafe
Categories: French, American (New), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, Downtown132 SW 3rd Ave
Portland, OR 97204 (503) 222-3187
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Breakfast
51 Reviews for Bijou Cafe
Portland loves it's brunch and Bijou Cafe has the best brunch in town...
Plus, if you go during the week, the have a killer burger. Just don't try and order it on a weekend- outta luck!
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This is the best panini sandwich that I have ever had. It was the mushroom panini - perfectly sauteed mushrooms, the spinach was perfectly done (not too mushy, not too crunchy), the cheese was melted and creamy, and the mustard was there with force (thanks you). The bread was also awesome - the super-grain bread that makes you feel like you're eating a meal when you've just eaten a slice of bread. Plus, the slice size was just right - not too thin, not too thick. The lentil soup was a little bland, but it was still quite good.
The service was very average... otherwise I think that it would have received the full 5 stars. I really have never had a tastier sandwich. Did I say that already?
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I woke up spinning. Who the hell was the smart-ass who put my bed on a rollercoaster? Since when does the sun lower itself instead of rise? And how did the hotel get the desk and chairs to hang off the walls like that? Why is it that instead of standing up like a normal human being I'm falling sideways and having to grip the wall. Note to self: no more drinking heavily. Or at least drinking heavily without eating. And then taking cough medicine on top of it.
OK, that's it. I'm seriously going to kill the chucklehead who's pounding on the drums so rhythmically in my room. Was that an added bonus with the hotel? Oh... no, that's my watch ticking off seconds.
Warrior needs food... badly! And coffee. Give me coffee or give me death. Or... if I'm already dead, please just pour some coffee on my corpse, maybe it will sink in and give my pour tortured spirit some respite.
I don't know how I managed to shower without falling down and braining myself. I did drop my deodorant on my toe. Frickin hurt. Which took my mind off the pounding in the rest of my body for about 3 seconds.
I wandered down to Mother's Bistro. Looked inside at the humongous crowd. Listened to the cacophony of dishes and dining. No thanks, I'd rather listen to thrash metal.
I checked mobile.Yelp.com on my phone. Punched in 'Breakfast' in Portland, OR. Limited to downtown. Got the Bijou... Brett O.'s review. Good review to read. I headed over, walked in, saw that there was no waiting list for the counter, and sat my sorry, aching, pounding, caffeine-less body down.
The wait staff were awesome. Maybe it was obvious I needed nourishment, I mean I didn't need a glowing neon sign over my head, I think the red in my eyes and my general sickly skin pallor did that for me. I got coffee and OJ right up. Pulp in my OJ, which I usually hate but this was some fresh squeezed stuff, like they had one of those machines out back that grinds the orange down into delicious juicy-ness and puts it in a cup. Oh man. I started feeling better immediately.
And the coffee. Ooooh the coffee. Yeah, it probably tasted especially good considering my condition, but it tasted ESPECIALLY good. I don't know why. There was a rich flavor to it that I don't normally notice. I mentioned this, and one of the waiters made sure to come fill me up from the fresh brewed pot as soon as it was ready. Thanks man, holy crap!
I started feeling human again. I couldn't decide between a mushroom/cheese hash and a mushroom/cheese omellete. My waitress let me know that the hash has a lot of garlic in it. Which is usually fine, except... warning bells went off in my head (which still hurt, but not as much). DANGER WILL L. She said, and I quote: "I like our omelets better because they're... well... perfect." Ooooh. A challenge!
Well, she was right. I've never seen an omelet look so pretty. I mean... perfect shape, perfect cheese consistency, perfect ratio of mushrooms to cheese to eggs. I didn't put salt/pepper/anything on it. I ate it as was. It was REALLY FRICKEN GOOD.
They had marionberry jam for my toast. In the words of Dr. Dre: "Hell yeah!"
I ate some of the potato side stuff, typical filler, nothing special there. Tabasco always makes everything like that tasty.
As I walked out into the fresh air, I realized I wasn't in pain anymore. I was actually full and happy. Human again. Just what a hang-over breakfast is supposed to do.
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So the food was OK. I had an oyster omelet and it was heavy on the onions. The French Toast looked great.
I deducted some stars because the waitress we had was kind of rude in many cases. I'm sure she thought she was funny....but she seemed put off when we didn't order right away and she made the comment "That's OK I'm here all day."
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Gotta say, I'm a bit disappointed. Could it have been that my scrambled eggs were RUNNY? Or that the potatoes were flavorless and oil soaked to the point of yellowness? Or that the restaurant doesn't take American Express? Yes.
Our hotel recommended this place for breakfast. Our party of 4 are all non-Portlanders. All of us really enjoyed our visit here. Unique items, (Oyster hash, roast beef hash) special ingredients (fiddleheads, organic syrup and ketchup) great personable service made for a very nice breakfast experience. I can understand why it's such a well reviewed place in Portland.
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I can't say I care much whether the service was good, the wait was worth it, the dining area was appropriate, or how the omlettes were cooked because I had the oyster hash. As soon as I was finished eating my oyster hash I was sad because I was no longer eating oyster hash. The next morning, I knew my day was going to going to be a rough one because here I was back in Denver and no oyster hash would be found. I've already forgotten the name of this place - to me it's just that place in Portland with the oyster hash, and I know I'll do everything in my power to come back here and have it again sometime soon.
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Pretty tasty, but not sure if it's worth the wait on a Saturday morning. The omelets are cooked the "french" way (aka, half raw). I hate my eggs runny, but the husband loved it. Servers aren't very friendly, but I am not sure I'd be either if I had to deal with hundreds of people early on a Saturday morning.
The fresh grapefruit juice was however, outstanding!!
Oh, and loved the light, airy ambiance!!
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I love this place for breakfast! It also happens that Voodoo Dough Nuts and Stumptown Coffee Roasters are on the same street within a couple of blocks of each other.
We usually stay at the Embassy Suites across the street and even though breakfast is included, we always go here at least once before coming home.
They have a pretty simple selection of items, but they do a great job of putting everything together. The homemade sausage is really good and so is the hash. They have very good coffee too.
Service is always great, the place is really clean and the wait isn't too bad. The longest we've ever waited was probably 20 to 30 minutes tops on a weekend.
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Menus with pictures. They seem to stir up different emotions with everyone...but for me, it is always slightly unsettling when the food that arrives looks so much like the picture that you're convinced the chef is cooking by numbers rather than using a recipe.
Bijou did NOT have picture menus. However, the food elicited this emotion. It came out looking so perfect and undisturbed that I could have been convinced it was cooked in some sort of food shaped mold and injected with flavor and color! My veggie omelet tasted oddly similar to my potatoes, and while fruit dish boasted some rare additions, they all tasted the same. Hmmm...
The food was certainly good, the service was quick and friendly. Was Bijou the "Jewel" that name insists? Perhaps. But did it live up to the hype? Most definitely not.
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Bijou Cafe was a bright, cheery spot for breakfast on a dreary Sunday morning. Our omelettes were tasty, the potatoes crispy and well-seasoned, and the strawberry jam delicious. It is nice that you can choose a housemade muffin along with your omelette if you like. Service was prompt and friendly. In short, our meal was perfectly nice but not very memorable. I wouldn't object to going back, but wouldn't go out of my way- especially since it is just outside of a not-very-nice neighborhood.
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BiJou = FABULOUS!!!!!!! Stumbled into this place at 1:30 pm looking for something fabulous (preferrably breakfast). The place was packed but we found a spot at the counter. The staff was super friendly which is always significant to my dining pleasure. And the food????.................It was superb! The top special was an artichoke heart omelet with orange bell peppers, Feta cheese, mushrooms and kale......I was in heaven. By 1:30 all of the sticky buns were gone sooooooo, that was the only downfall. Next time. Anyway, kudos to BiJou!!
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Portland is full of great breakfast places with fresh, fun ingredients. Places like the new Bar Carlo on SE Foster and Zell's on SE Morrison.
Bijou Cafe is about $5 more per person than those restaurants (meal and coffee tab for two came to $35 with tip!) and the food doesn't even begin to compare. My oyster omelet was so-so, the coffee was weak and cheap-tasting (get some Stumptown!), and my husband's roast beef hash was overcooked and tough. Also, the roasted potatoes are far tastier at other places I've been.
The only thing Bijou has going for me is location... Basically, when you're downtown and you want something more than a bagel and coffee for breakfast, you're kind of in trouble.
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So after dating a SF'can I heard all about the infamous oyster omelet. My first foray into this local delicacy was in Seattle at 13 Coins (see review below) and almost lost my cookies. Needless to say I was commited to the cause and when I was last in Portland with my family we stopped into Bijou Cafe for Sunday Brunch. I immediately noted the inclusion of this unique item on the menu and went ahead and crossed my fingers for round two.
And....It was AWESOME....no cold oysters, no strange aftertaste...just fresh with a touch of ocean goodness. The potatoes and toast were tasty too, as well as the bottomless cup of coffee.
Service is decent, but hey...its kind of diner-esque so don't expect too much. Definitely top five brunches in PDX in my books!
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I have to say that I had very high expectations. I don't think they were met. Maybe its because I went in during what turns out was the last hour they were open....Our waiter was nice, but not overly friendly. The food was good but no the BEST. I am a big fan of potatoes and hash browns. Bijou's eggs+bacon breakfy comes with potatoes but they were very much lacking in flavor. The portions were good, especially for the price. I would like to go back and try breakfast during actual breakfast time, but the crowd waiting outside always keeps me away.
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Coffee: perfect strongly brewed without turning bitter.
Waitress: ultra patient as my friend and I kept chatting rather than ordering.
Food: very well done, not too much, not too little. Made our stomachs happy.
Atmosphere: Adorable, light, bright, a happy place to start the day.
The wait: got right in and it seemed like they had the perfect flow throughout the time we were there.
This might be my new favorite breakfast spot.
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One of my favorite stops when in Portland. Bright and simple interior, excellent drip coffee, organic food, and some of the best pancakes in the Northwest - not the usual dry and fluffy boringness, but the spongey, buttery kind of pancakes (my favorite!)
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Came here after seeing all the great Yelp reviews and wanted a real breakfast on my last day in Portland. I really liked how laid back and simple this restaurant is. I sat at the counter and had really attentive service by all of the waitresses that came by. The menu is full of local and organic items, and everything looked delicious. I wound up with the wild mushroom and cheddar omelet. The omelet was okay, but what I really loved was the jam that came with my toast. Not sure what kind it was, but it tasted so fresh! The potatoes were great too.
Would definitely come back here again next time I'm in town!
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I highly recommend the mushroom hashbrown. Its really good with some salsa! We went there right after our RUN FOR THE CURE. The mimosa is pretty good too. The service is great and I love the environment. My meat eating friends love the bacon and the sausage patty. They say the potatoes are really good and well flavored.
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The Bijou Cafe continues to impress me and will become a must on all my trips to Portland. My first visit, I was treated to possibly the best homeade sausage I have ever had. I love that they are committed to good, organic food too. Pancakes, omelettes and mushroom hash are all great! Well worth the wait.
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A girlfriend of mine raved about this place - so perhaps my expectations were too high going into it.
Bijou was good -- not great. The atmosphere is comfortable and we went late enough in the day that we missed the crowds and were seated right away. Our waiter was nice and had a good sense of humor (always a bonus).
The food was ok ... not wonderful ... not very memorable. Had there been a long wait I think I'd have been most disappointed. And parking is kind of a hassle.
I would try this place again ...
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I take trips to the city of roses JUST so I can eat here. It's another restaurant where you see the same ffriendly faces, even after 15-20 years... definitely worth the wait (1 hour sometimes!)...the steak hash is consistantly scrumtious and the coffee is delightful. Try the buckwheat waffles and yogurt with fruit. I wish they would bring back the snapper hash. I'm hungry - I'm off to Expedia/Alaska Airlines/Southwest to book a ticket - It's time to eat!
*Side note, I miss the drawings from customer that they used to put up on the wall near the host stand...that was from years ago...but I loved seeing my work on it.
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2 words -
oyster hash.
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I'm in the Bijou fan club, too. This place uses good quality ingredients to create good food.
The one thing I've learned, though, is I don't want to be here on the chef's day off. If I don't see a bald dome through the window, I'm moving on, as his kitchen staff botches something on my plate every time he's not around. Usually it's the eggs, or they'll overpower a sandwich with massive amounts of strong onions.
But when the chef is in the kitchen, everything is perfectly wonderful.
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We were here for lunch at about 11 on a Friday, so there was no wait. Food was delicious. I had the heirloom salad and the special soup (vegan tomato), and was pleased by how great such a simple meal tasted. Good ingredients make all the difference in the world. Hubs had the Bijou burger, which he enjoyed (I didn't enjoy the fact that it was so rare that the blood dripped and then pooled on his plate, but I guess that's my problem). Service was quick, efficient, and pleasant. Highly recommend it.
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I hesitate to rave about this place and make it even tougher to get seated at weekend breakfasty hours, but this was one of the best breakfasts I have ever had, even if we did wait upwards of 45 mins for it.
Fluffy, light, yet flavor-packed cypress omelette and roast beef hash are what we ordered, and the omelette came with this crazy-good cornmeal blueberry muffin, fresh from their oven.
We only wished that we'd come there for breakfast both Sat and Sun of our weekend visit, instead of wasting our time at that Greek joint a few blocks away (but that's for another review...)
Oh, and the waitress was sweet as pie, and the coffee was fantastic.
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We ate here twice during our weekend and to quote Hubby on our second visit, "Good call Babe!" The oyster omelet was to DIE FOR. Sooo good and it had bacon in it too!! The second time I had mushroom hash and added eggs on top, also killer. Hubby had cornbeef hash, only okay, and whole wheat French toast with fresh fruit compote, killer. I would be here ALL THE TIME if we lived in Portland!
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the morning after the Portland marathon I was famished and needed a big, hearty, delicious breakfast. Bijou's was recommended by the Marriott City Center concierge and was a short 5 minute walk. Got their and it was a 15 minute wait but the moment you walk in you know you are in for a treat. I ordered a roast beef hash with two eggs over-easy, fresh OJ, and shared two buckwheat pancakes with my friend. Service was quick and friendly and the prices were about $10-$15 a person. Definitely go back. The neighborhood isn't the best place to go for a walk as to the north is a bunch of adult video stores which is somewhat random.
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Great breakfast spot -- went on a weekday, and it was quite crowded, but no waiting. Service was prompt. I had the roast beef hash -- with two eggs over easy. Eggs were prepared perfectly, still runny yolks -- just the way that i like them. The has itself was a good portion of meat, potatoes and onions. Very tasty.
My dining companion ordered two eggs over easy with bacon, hashbrowns, and a special toast (can't remember what it was called) -- that tasted like croissant bread with a hint of anise and orange. It was outstanding! Definitely would visit again.
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Mediocre.
I believed all the hype. I waited the 40+ minutes for a table. I was genuinely excited. The decor was plain, the service was okay, the water was kind of warm, and the food was just...plain? I think plain is a good word. I expected to be wow'd. I sadly wasn't. It's not worth the wait for me, so I won't be back.
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Bijou Cafe came highly recommended from one of my favorite Washingtonian's co-workers and most definitely did not disappoint. Service is friendly and capable; tea is loose leaf and the specials written on the chalkboard sparkle making this French-inspired cafe a great place to fuel up before a walk to the Pearl or a drive to the coast.
The mushroom hash is a must-order and made perfect if you ask for a side of sour cream to go with.
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okay. i love condiments. i know that this makes me less of a food purist and imagine i will get some crap for this when i embark my culinary career but nothing makes me happier than ketchup, tobasco, and a mutltude of jams.
Bijou has the condiments covered. Homemade organic ketchup, 3 kinds of tobasco, home made jam, and 2 types of syrup along with the salt, pepper mill, cream and raw sugar. I was in condiment heaven!
Then the food came out! The mushroom omelette is outstanding! Also enjoyed the mushroom hash, quesedilla and french toast (forgot which one).
It was so good, we ate here both mornings of our brief stay in Portland. I miss it already.
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What a cute place!! Delicious food. Love the buckwheat pancakes and soba noodle salad. Yummmmmeh.
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Not a fan. Nothing like paying $10.25 for an omelet that only had cheese, onions and potatoes in it and not having much flavor. The side potatoes were also cold because our waitress was a little spacey and left the food sitting for 10 minutes waiting to be served.
It was an awfully busy plaec as well so we had to wait for a table for 2 for over 40 minutes. Granted the restaurant is awfully small. The atmosphere leaves something to be desired as well, it is just a very plain place.
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I love to eat breakfast here, but generally do not as it is pretty busy everytime I venture to go. None the less, I highly recommend eating here to anyone as the food is just awesome, healthy, organic, option of free range and they use more interesting ingredients than most for breakfast.
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I kept noticing the breakfast crowds at Bijou Cafe and now I know why.
The food is very good. The vibe is so very Portland cool. The waitresses seem to know almost every customer, so there are many regulars. Really good service.
My cornmeal pancakes and breakfast potatoes were, were, like, ahhh, Thanksgiving Breakfast! Colleen The Vinyl Queen had an omlet which was also "premium."
Bijou Cafe also has musical guests some nights. When I was there they were promoing a Jazz group that would be playing there that night. I do believe the price was $15 for dinner/buffet and the show! Not bad! And, only in Portland will your breakfast spot be havin' a Jazz show that night!!!
What a cool place!
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Pumpkin Tomatilla spread, Cave Aged Cheddar Quesadillas.
Enough said. And they even shared the recipe with me since I loved my quesadilla so much.
Everything is either:
Locally produced
Sustainably Harvested
Organic
Free Range
-or-
Heirloom
The food is terrific and the feel of the joint is warm and cozy. I like. I like.
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I was a bit surprised when it was completely empty at 1pm for lunch. But it was cute and the people who work there are uber nice.
I ordered the quesadillas. They arrived looking uninspiring. Not even a garnish -- and tasted terrible. All 4 of us at the table grimaced upon tasting them.
Two of the groups had omlets and reported that they were very tasty. WE also all agreed on the black bean soup. But the bread is pretty dry.
Be warned the lemonade is lemony -- which is awesome -- but it is so tart it is hard to drink. Be prepared to add sugar or to practice your pucker.
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Tasty burger and shake at this downtown cafe
I know this is touted as a great place for breakfast, but I'm going to give it kudos for their killer burger and milkshake. Definitely try their Bijou Burger. It's made with that tasty Painted Hills beef, but the real treat is the homemade jalapeno relish they add on top. It's sweet but with a kick and so darn good! Definitely leave some room, though, for one of their famous milkshakes. Don't let the higher than average price discourage you -- this creamy treat is worth every penny.
Tip: If you love a VERY garlicky and lemony Caesar salad, definitely order one here.
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Almost a reason to visit Portland in itself. I could build a nice day with going to the Bijou for breakfast, walking up to Powell's and checking out the books, then walk into the Pearl to look at the art galleries, have lunch, go home take a nap and then head out to dinner...
One of the positive differences between doing business in Portland as compared to San Francisco is the business breakfast. In Portland this is common and I am a big supporter of getting my meetings over with and then having the day to work or if needed travel.
Anyway, I am big fan of the Bijou's oatmeal, the give you toasted hazelnuts to put on top, just too good. The omletes are out of this world and they actually fry an easy egg for you. This might be the only place outside of France that understands what "over easy" actual means...
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