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Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Northeast PortlandThe Tin Shed has a rep. for the best breakfast in town. But dinner at the Shed rocks! Great food, outdoor fireplace, awesome cocktails.
Mon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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So it was Veterans' Day and, as a matter of course, I get all federal holidays off. I happened to also have the previous 4 days off as well but it was the first full day that my darling wife was back in town after nearly a fortnight away. Unsure of how many other folks get the day off as well, we thought it was possibly a good day to get us some breakfast and not have to wait interminably for a table. We were mostly right.
There wasn't a table available (the indoor dining area is rather small) so we sat in a table in the covered patio area. We could have just sat there but my wife is more sensitive to cold than I and I'm not sure if all of their heaters were working. I did notice that breakfasters that did choose to sit outside were offered blankets, which is pretty effin' thoughtful. The folks ahead of us were seated in fairly short order and, in the meanwhile, we helped ourselves to the self-serve coffee (hot and delish). The staff kept us up to date about the status of our table, which only took maybe 10 minutes to be made available. We were initially offered a portion of the community table, which we took, but when a corner table became free a few minutes later, our waitress offered it to us and we took it. Again, very thoughtful!
The reason we drove out from SE to Alberta was to get some grits, which my wife was craving. We both had the standard two egg brekkie; hers with grits, mine with potato cakes. Both were quite good. I need to realize that even though I like my eggs over medium, I think you get MORE when you order scrambled. I don't know if any laws of physics are being broken to account for this increase in mass but I kind of think it's just harder to keep track of the amount of the scrambleds when cooking. The bacon was well cooked and high quality. However, it was not the best bacon I've ever had. I like it when it is crispy and tender, yet a little juicy when you bite into it. This was more meaty than that. Still good, though.
The corner table was a little hard to manoever in and out of and I don't know how the folks on the inside of the community table get out to refill their coffee so the space is slightly awkward but serviceable. It's cozy when you sit down. I was very happy with the service and consideration we were shown. Top marks for that.
It was a nice (yet selfish) way to spend Veterans' Day. I'm thankful for the sacrifices that our military members make and have made for us to enjoy life's little luxuries, like breakfast out on a cool autumn morning in a city that embraces freedom so eagerly.
Mimosa in a pint glass for $6.50? Count me in! (though if it were bottomless, I'd give this review 5 stars instead)
Beat the brunch rush by a couple hours so the wait wasn't really that long. Ordered the "everything naughty" sampler which included biscuits and gravy, potato cake (hash browns), scrambled eggs and your choice of breakfast meat.
Everything was good, service included. Would I go back? Probably!
We didn't have to wait in line or sit in the cold tent so that was cool.
I have to be honest with you, I was a little disappointed with the Tin Shed. This disappointment has more to do with quantity rather than quality. I ordered the French Toast expecting more than just one slice of bread. Sure the slice of bread was cut in half and extra thick but I still expected more. I am glad that I ordered some sides to square out my meal. But ultimately I think it all was more expensive than it was worth.
Gosh I sound like a pig.................well......I might as well mention that the whole "get your own water or coffee over there " thing was also off putting. I have to say that pint sized mimosas were pretty good!
I will probably be back sooner or later.....
I have been dreaming of Tin Shed for weeks now! Not only a cozy, intimate dining experience- but a menu that is excellent. Choose your seat at the bar in the center of the dining room, one of the handful of tables on the periphery, or out on the heated & covered deck. There are several options on the menu, and it will take you some time to decide (especially if you are vegetarian, like me- they have more than the usual few selections). Tin Shed combines your favorite ingredients to make unique but not eccentric meals that you will love!This is the fresh, home-made cooking you've been dying for but too lazy to cook up yourself. Not only that, but the service is on point and the price is right! I can't wait to return.
I do not understand the fascination people have with this place. The food is merely ok, which is criminal for the price. In other cities, this place would probably rate higher, but Portland has such a surfeit of quality restaurants why would I want to waste my time with so-so food and matching service? Even confining my criteria to the neighborhood of Northeast Portland, this place doesn't really stand out.
They do have a nice patio which is very pleasant in the summer, and they also allow dogs which is a bonus. If ambiance alone made a restaurant, Tin Shed nails it. Unfortunately, I actually care about the food, and this restaurant comes up short.
Additionally, the wait can be pretty bad for weekend brunch. This is a problem with all brunch oriented restaurants, however, so I don't hold that particularly against them, but the service can be very spotty. I lived just a few blocks away from this place for several years, and I can honestly say after the first few visits I had no desire to ever go back. I can get better food, cheaper, within walking distance. Sorry Tin Shed, not even your patio can save you.
First, I am a food snob.
Next, I ordered veggy buscuits and gravy and it arrived lumpy, white, tasteless, vile --and cold. It was left-over white sauce, not quite nuked long enough on a Busquick drop buscuit. I've never had to actually pay for anything like it, ever. The coffee was good. I will never go back.
Maybe the Sysco truck was late in arriving. Utterly horrible.
Do not go here if you are starving or in a hurry. You will wait, but its worth it. Housemade biscuits. Fresh ingredients. Friendly staff. Creative scrambles. Awesome patio. Very vegan friendly, so much so that even the separate doggy menu has a vegan option.
One of our favorite brunch places in the galaxy.
The smoked salmon eggs Benedict is tasty... And those sweet potato French toast r off the charts... Yummmm and I just finished this egg burrito with pesto wow so good.
I love Tin Shed for a variety of reasons. I used to come here all the time when it first opened in the summer and I loved chillin on the patio with a sandwich and an amazing drink. I haven't been back for years until recently, and this place hasn't changed a bit.
The Happy Hour is one of the best in Portland, it includes actual foods with nutritional value, which is sometimes hard to find during Happy Hour.
The brunch is also really good, but be sure to come before the 9 am rush or you might have to wait in the freezing cold and eventually figure out that someone else has claimed to be you and taken your table inside, as happened to my date and I this morning. I doubt anyone said anything to the table bandit, but I totally would have if I knew who it was...
We came here immediately after getting off the plane from Los Angeles, and it was an ideal choice made by our friends.
It was very un-LA and I loved it. The prices were so reasonable, we came during happy hour though, so that helped. I had the Mac n cheese of the day and a quesadilla (all off the happy hour menu, but you'd never guess flavor wise). The beer only cost 3 dollars! And it was a local microbrew that made me happy. Beer always makes me happy though. I've been told this place is best for breakfast, but I guess I'll have to wait till next time!
I loved my food but my friend on the other hand complained of the food being cold. I would return to the Tin Shed but expect to wait a long time for your food.
If I could attach exclaimation points at the end of those stars - I would have!!!
Whenever I have out of town guests I take them to this beloved local spot. Always a warm time with delicious food, with the benefit of many friendly and familiar faces.
The Tin Shed is one of the reasons Portland is Home to me. It is part of all of our's Home like so many places in this town
and why so many love this town.
I heart Portland and
The Tin Shed rocks. No. RAWKS.
This place is not worth the wait. If we hadn't waited for over an hour at 9 am to sit where the heater was not working, I would say that the food was alright. Nothing amazing, but alright. If want to wait on the street and be cold while eating breakfast with mediocre food this is a perfect spot.
We came in to have lunch.
It would seem that half of our group was a wee bit frowned upon. This half consisted of CHILDREN.
OH DEAR GOD... CHILDREN!!!
Look people... I have kids. Get over it.
Too fu%#ing bad if it irks you, someone has to grow up and take care of your Geriatric ass someday. You ought to think about this the next time you are so upset to serve my table.
Now that we've got that out of the way, I understand that popularity means that there are long waits. I was okay waiting an hour to be seated.
We finally got seated only to find that the service was crap. I am sorry, I know how exhausted you must be if you didn't get to sleep until 4AM.
I work in a similar atmosphere and am perfectly pleasant to even the most annoying troglodytes roaming these streets and yet I often don't get to sleep until 4AM.
The menu had nice selections but the burger I had was not good. Do all the buns come out glistening in an oil slick? That was a first for me.
We wrapped things up and vacated in a quick and orderly manner.
I am typically very sweet and forgiving with less than satisfactory dining experiences/establishments but was rubbed the wrong way.
I would suggest that those of you with kiddos go somewhere else that doesn't react to children the way vampires do to sunlight.
I love the food. I really like "Mikey Likes It." It's my new favorite drink in the world, even if it has a silly esoteric name.
Two-star deduction: we had to wait over an hour for our food. I'm accustomed to super-busy SF restaurants who don't miss a beat on their service, so this was unacceptable to me. At least the server could have told us that there would be a wait or explained why the food was taking so long. It was not even crowded. Not even a little bit. Some other yelpers have said this is their strategy to make the place seem more hoppin' than it really is. However, I believe this phenomenon is indicative of either extremely poor planning, or possibly the result of smoking whacky tobaccy in the kitchen.
The problem with working a 45 hour work week with the other Monday through Friday rat race entrants is dealing with the crowds when wanting to visit some of the more popular destinations around town. And despite having the "Up with People" theme song prominently placed on my now defunct MySpace profile page, sadly I tend to be down with most, as they get in the way of what I want, when I want it, as quickly as I want it. A little spoiled maybe? Regardless, because of this distain for the vast majority and a litany of other self centered and social disorder based motives, I have yet to frequent, or infrequently frequent (what?) some of Portland's top dining destinations.
This past Friday I had the rare day off as I was up on Pill Hill for a pre-op appointment to learn more about the giant "laser" that will soon be operational and etching a prescription onto my delicate peepers in less time that it takes to blow up the planet Alderaan. Jeepers! So after the 2 1/2 hour appointment to see if they could indeed give me x-ray vision (watch out ladies), I stumbled out of the Casey Eye Institute looking like a pale and intoxicated Stevie Wonder vampire, as the bright scorching sun slithered around my old man blue blockers, causing my fully dilated eyes to wither in pain as I staggered to the car with the assistance of the very preggo TLB.
Since this appointment was scheduled early in the day, laid before me was almost a full day to call upon some of those places I had yet to visit. The Tin Shed was at the top of my list.
We arrived around 11 and found a less then daunting 15 minute wait before us. Grabbing a cup of complimentary joe, I had the TLB read me some of the menu highlights as I was unable to read, which furthered the perception that I was indeed blind. Most people usually think I'm just deaf and dumb.
I must say that the Tin Shed did live up to all the hype. The outdoor garden seating was beautiful and relaxing, the service was friendly and attentive and they had pint sized mimosas. That's right...PINT SIZED MIMOSAS. The TLB and I both went with the Everything Naughty breakfast, because we are both naughty little monkeys and we wanted to sample an assortment of their dishes. While it wasn't the best biscuits and gravy I have ever had (Arleta Library owns that distinction) it was really damn good. Everything in fact was extremely well done.
Now the only problem is getting another weekday day off so that I can once again enjoy their amazing food. I have a feeling that a case of good old fashioned food poisoning might be right around the corner.
I would have given this place 5 stars if it wasn't for the wait.
The food was good. And it was my first time trying vegan sausage. Who knew vegan sausages were that good. I ordered Everything Naughty (or something naughty..) and it was yummy. All of my parties' plates looked yummy as well.
If I lived in Ptown, I think I would go once a month.. Not on a Sunday though because I don't think I have the patience to wait 1 hr to eat.
Great for two reasons: Giant outdoor patio and the MAGIC BURGER. Layers and layers of delicious goodness. I go here for dinner more often than I do for brunch. They have a much larger dinner menu than most places, and so far everything I've tried has been delicious. They have great drinks too. The only drawback is a bit of a wait, but that's fine with me, people watching on Alberta is always fun.
I like the Tin Shed, but it's not one of my favorites. They appear to use local ingredients and stick to a fairly vegetarian-esque menu. The food is always pretty decent, but the atmosphere is what gets me about this place.
Since it's so well known, the hipsters with attitudes just flock here. The wait is always incredibly long, and the place is tiny.
I guess maybe I just go for the dives that take pride in serving up a gravy bathing chicken fried steak? But if your parents are in town and you want to show them some clean, Portland fare, take them to the Tin Shed.
I wish that there was a 6th star you could pull out for excellence emergencies. I have 322 reviews and I could recall a handful or so of places that would be given the 6th emergency awesome star. Tin Shed is for sure one of them.
Maybe it was the sunny day lighting up the beautiful patio and the slight breeze. Maybe it was the fact that they were playing Micheal Jackson the duration of my visit. Maybe it was Sunday extended happy hour. Doesn't matter - Tin Shed became an instant favorite.
When the smiling waitress announced they had a $5 blueberry mojito special for the day I had a rush of endorphins - keep um' comin'. Blueberry and mint never struck me as a match made in heaven, but they are an amazing, and very refreshing combo.
We started off with the shed nachos that had a spicy Tillamook cheese sauce, and cilantro creme sauce that swept me off my feet. They are the perfect size to share and not to be to full for your meal because trust me you'll wish you had extra room. For dinner we ordered the Peter Piper Picked a Pesto and Butternutt Squash Ravioli. Both were perfect. I am normally not so pleased when I order Pesto dishes because it seems like something I could make as home, but it was delicious! The Butternutt squash was out of this world, very savory with an interesting twist.
This is the perfect place to enjoy a beautiful day out side with a cocktail...or actually any day no matter what the weather. They patio has inviting dark wood furniture and lots of plants which gives it a relaxing feel. I imagine when it's cold it gets packed inside, but I assure you whatever wait you experience is worth it.
6 stars. 6 freakn' stars.
Delicious~! We stood in line for about an hour but it was so worth it! I got Sweet chix and ate everything. The cheese grits were kind of blah but that's because I don't know how to eat grits. It taste like weird porridge to me and I only like rice porridge.
The only thing I didn't like about the actual restaurant was the self serve coffee bar. The first mug I picked up had lipstick on it and that's kind of disgusting. I don't know whose lipstick it is. They could have herpes for all I know.
Tin Shed has wonderful food, a great atmosphere and a fun menu. Their rosemary gravy is almost worth the trip alone, and I can't get enough of their house blend of coffee.
Be ready to wait for seating, which can be a little cramped, and don't count on anyone coming by every 5 minutes to offer refills on your drink (I suggest water or coffee, where you can get up and get your own refill).
Hazy [hey-ZEE]
-adjective, -zier, -ziest
1. characterized by the presence of haze; misty: hazy weather.
2. lacking distinctness or clarity; vague; indefinite; obscure; confused
3. the completely satisfied mood that you feel when your stomach is full-to-bursting, it is still morning, you were already barely awake to begin with, and now you are ready to slip into a breakfast coma of epic proportions.
Now, perhaps definition 3 is not exactly canon to the good people at Websters (or even Dictionary (dot) com for that matter) but it was the single answer that I could give after having a filling biscuits and gravy, toast, avocado, mixed fruit and pancake explosia-ganda at the Tin Shed:
CEC: (after we finished eating) How do you feel?
Me: ............hazy.
Yes, we had to wait for quite some time before we got a table, but isn't that true of, well, pretty much ANY breakfast nook on the weekends? There were no real frills...just a cozy atmosphere, good food in great proportion, and some killer orange juice!
Now, I am not about to say that the Tin Shed eclipses Zell's...I don't think that's possible. Still, it's a nice choice for a good meal and fast service, so look it up if ever you get that early-morning craving for a good, fair-priced breakfast!
I was so ready to love this place, but ended up disappointed. We went on a sunny Saturday morning, waited briefly with our cups of coffee, and were soon led through the pleasant patio area into the indoor seating area. I'm not sure if it was the hot weather or the open feel of the cafe, something about it made me feel like I was in Hawaii, which put me in a pleasant frame of mind.
The menu offered a range of breakfast possibilities, with some unusual offerings like curries, yam french toast, tofu dishes as well as the more traditional bacon, eggs, grits, etc. So I was excited to try something new, choosing a tofu curry that sounded unusual and fantastic. Our server was super polite, but the food took forever to come out. When it did come, my dish looked like everything the menu had promised, but when I took a bite of tofu, it tasted like nothing so much as lighter-fluid, same with the vegetables. I've had this experience before at restaurants that serve grilled vegetables, I don't know how it happens, whether they douse a fire in fluid while the food is on or what. I couldn't even put away half my curry, and I'm usually a plate-cleaner. I really should have sent the dish back, but I get embarrassed about doing things like that.
So, despite my high hopes the food experience was bad enough that I probably wouldn't go back. I was tempted to give two stars; the third is for what seems like a lot of potential. Maybe my dish was a fluke; Mr. T's standard breakfast (eggs, biscuit, potato pancakes) was pretty good.
Do people work in Portland, apparently not judging by the line and the crowd here on a weekday. But no one can blame them, I was brought here several visits to Portland ago and I have been here on numerous occasions and regardless of the day of the week there is always a line during breakfast/brunch/lunch. The food is always uniquely good, self service water and coffee even while you wait is great but I don't drink coffee. Outdoor dining is kind of weird when it is cold outside but great when the weather is just right.
Okay back to the food, it is slightly different variants of your favorite classics. Just good food.
Last weekend was my second visit to Tin Shed and the second week day morning I experienced the place packed to the brim. Does anyone work in Oregon? We waited a half hour before we were seated, which was fine. It was a beautifully hot day out and we were in no hurry.
The food is very good and creative. I had eggs and veggies drenched in gravy while my dudesky had the Benni. Both were quite delicious. Wait staff was nice and happy go lucky. You can even bring your canine companion to sit with you while you eat. Even better, the Tin Shed is surrounded by cute little shops like Mabel & Zora, so walking afterward is a must.
Newsflash: Service at Tin Shed still sucks. Granted, folks are pleasant enough, but here they are, in business for *years* and the staff is still running around like opening week headless chickens.
Interminable waits from arrival to seating, to ordering, to eating. Forgotten and incorrect orders. No water refills. No condiments for burgers. Etc, etc.
And why, if they're going to feature only two beers on tap, why pick one that tastes like hot feet marinating in rotten mushrooms? Why?
Tin Shed, please get it together.
Or, stop serving the fantastic fish tacos and I'll stop bothering you with my business.
I'd love to know what the 5-star folks are doing differently than me. Every time I go to the Tin… Read more »
I am always more than happy with the food I order here. It's better than expected. There is always a long wait whenever I come here, but it gets canceled out because the food is so good.
Plus, there's a cute little shoppe across the street and a farmer's market down the road a ways that I like to visit while I wait.
The price is nice for what you get, amazing food with generous portions.
Last time I visited I ordered the Tim Curry.
Tim Curry- Tofu, roasted garlic, yam, zucchini, mushroom & sweet onion in a coconut-curry sauce, served over a
bed of spinach & topped with roasted peanuts, raisins & avocado. 9.50
This is breakfast at it's best.
After too many long waits for truly mediocre food and sometimes pleasant (sometimes rather odd, but mostly) lack-luster service, we needed to blacklist Tin Shed for a minute. So, we took a year off to give them a chance to get their skit together...
First go back was generally passable, with a tasty strawberry lemonade, and a friend who LOVES their McCobb salad (though I miss the spinach version)... The happy hour fish tacos were enough to pull me back a week later for round two. The dog guests are a lot of fun to watch. Really could be the best part of dining here. Wish them all the best but I don't think we'll bother eating here again soon. Maybe in another year or two. Maybe not.
Update-Still sucks. Terrible service. My bloody mary was the worst I've had on any continent; 5+ spoonfuls of minced garlic in the bottom. WTF-Who does that?
I don't get the hype. Absolutely unfounded on the bland food and poor service. Why settle in a town… Read more »
I've always been a fan of the food, with the 'Fetch' being my favorite breakfast item and the cherry jalapeno quesadilla being my go-to item at happy hour (or as a light lunch). Cocktails are inconsistent, although the hot drinks are amazing. Espresso drinks are GOOD - however, why would someone serve a large mocha in a glass with no handle? Every time I go there I have to use a napkin to pick up my drink. The service however has become more and more spotty over the years, some completely ignoring you and some super friendly. I no longer bother on the weekends as the waits are hours long and often the service is reflected. They allow dogs in the outdoor area, which is a nice idea if you have a mellow dog, however a large percentage of the dogs in there should NOT be allowed - approaching other tables, barking, etc.? Don't bring your dogs if they can't behave. It's not cute. Love being by the fireplace on a rainy day or enjoying the movie night with a blanket - good stuff. So I still give Tin Shed a good review overall, but they are no longer my automatic breakfast or lunch spot in the neighborhood. I'd love to see the service get more consistent so maybe someday it would be always worth the wait...
I feel Like it really doesn't matter if I put in a review or not. What?.....there is like five hundred already. Whatevs I'm bored.
My pal and I wanted to grab a bite after I did her hair, so off we go to Alberta area. We walked in to look at the menu and decided to just go with it. Totally not their fault, but my neck was on fire from the eve sun which I chose to ignore since there was no other tables available. I soothed the pain by ordering a crisp glass off house white, BOO it was warm, oh well. Our server was super nice and the food was decent. I guess it was cool. I will have to try Brunch. Oh and Happy Hour!
Inexpensive and quirky. 3.5 stars.
I liked the option of sitting inside or outside, but I should have gone for the outdoor seating because service on the inside was a bit of a crapshoot. Perhaps it was just because we got the "Shafting table" -- you know, the ONE table in a restaurant that always gets overlooked. So fyi, it's the inside table right by the water and in front of the kitchen. Cuidado por favor. The servers were really nice, so it kinda made up for the million minutes we waited for our food and check.
I had the Spike Lee with cheese grits. Burrito was nicely spiced, filling. The cheese grits were pretty good for the first few bites, then the butter left me on the brink of angina. Also, I'm not sure why I was under the impression that the serve-yourself coffee was complimentary, but I thought it was. People, it surely is not. It is indeed $2. I felt betrayed.
Tin Shed isn't the most ingenious, pretentious, refined, organized, trendy, flavorful, comfortable, prompt, memorable, elegant, thrifty, or noteworthy culinary outing that you'll find in Portland, but it's decent food at slightly-above-decent prices. The menu has a lot of different options on it, but none that really struck me as being THE ONE THING to get.
The service was friendly, but definitely by-the-seat-of-their-pants, as evidenced by a sudden round of unordered drinks appearing at our table, thanks to operator error with someone placing orders in their computer system.
Still, the atmosphere is nice, especially on a nice evening where you want to dine outside. It's definitely not someplace to avoid, but it's also probably not someplace that will impress an out-of-towner or a first date. This is for people who want to eat a comfortable, normal dinner, and that's that.
I think Tin Shed is one of those places that would be truly excellent if it weren't so hip and popular. Let me explain.
We had tried twice to go here previously on a weekend morning and, after waiting 45 minutes, decided to go elsewhere before we starved to death. Third time was a semi-charm. I don't know how you actually get a table inside, maybe through bribery, but at least there was a patio heater above our table hot enough to burn our hair and keep our food hot. The menu is really good, with a great breakfast selection that made it difficult to decide. The food, when it eventually arrived, was delicious and well-portioned, at reasonable prices. The coffee was problematic.
Apparently, Tin Shed is one of those places that has unspoken rules and expectations of its customers, such as: get your own damn coffee. Problem was, the coffee station on the patio was constantly empty of coffee and clean mugs. I think it's cool that people waiting for a table can just walk in, grab a mug, and get some joe while they wait, but I feel like there should be a priority for actual sitting and paying customers. Or at least the wait staff should be checking to see if it needs maintenance. But when we finally did get coffee, it was good.
So, why do I still only give Tin Shed 3 stars? The people. Wait staff and other customers. I don't go somewhere to "be seen," I want good food and good service. And apparently, Tin Shed is so fucking cool, their wait staff can treat you like you're a charity case. Our waiter was inattentive and never came back to check on us. Fortunately, the food was fine, but how the hell would he have known? Also, I'm sorry... leave your fucking Great Danes and labradoodles and other assorted pets at home. There were dogs wandering around under my table, sniffing at my plate, and barking at each other. It felt like brunch at the Humane Society.
I'd go back to Tin Shed in a heartbeat, but only if the customers and staff remember it's actually a restaurant and not a snooty dog park.
WTF? I ate here about a year ago when my band was on tour, and it was fine. Not the most amazing breakfast, but good honest food at a reasonable price.
Our most recent trip was a 4 top for breakfast. There was a good wait (20 minutes) which was fine, as we could socialize and drink coffee (however, it wasn't complimentary, and there were no mugs, and they were out of some of the milks so I had to go to different stations to get everything). I was really excited by how many people were there, that my breakfast would slay. Boy would I be disappointed. After being seated (having already pretty much decided what to have due to the wait) we had to sit for 20 minutes before getting our order in to a disingenuous server. Since water is self-serve there was no reason for anyone to come check in with us. As a matter of fact, the mother and baby that got seated next to us 5 minutes after we sat, got their order in before us.
Finally, I ordered the Monte Python (clever Monte Cristo). After waiting 15 minutes, I started to realize that Tin Shed might be self service, or I would walk back there to find a stereo playing a CD called "The Sounds of Cooking" next to an array of 15 microwaves and a dumpster full of empty cardboard frozen breakfast packages with the contents removed.
25 minutes after ordering our food, our waitress brought our breakfast and asked if there was anything else we needed, to which my friend replied "No, we'll be done eating this in about 2 minutes." Probably detecting our indirect disdain with the wait (we were fucking starving) she said "Don't rush, take your time. That's what I tell my husband all the time." Lame. A simple "I'm sorry you guys had to wait so long, the kitchen is slammed" or something would have been some saving grace. A few minutes later she dropped our check with the standard "Thank You : )" scrawled on the bottom. We paid as quickly as possible (no tip, due to no service) and left, hopefully never to return. The food was "meh", my bacon side was cold, and the quality poor for the price. Denny's would have destroyed this place and served us in less than an hour.
My conclusion: The Tin Shed provides crappy service to create a line that projects the illusion of a busy/popular restaurant and that by making customers wait an ungodly amount of time for food, you become blinded by how lackluster it is due to starvation, and think it is good because your breakfast is named after a cartoon character. Don't be fooled. I was really disappointed and so were my three friends (and we aren't stuffy dudes). Go to Stumptown and then Voodoo instead.
I left here so relaxed and pleasantly full.
My man and I were checking out the Portland sights for the Memorial weekend and a friend had suggested this place to us. The look on his face and the urgency in his suggestion made me realize I needed to stop and smell these flowers.
Beautiful meandering garden with tables scattered about. We came around 3pm which is still breakfast time. Nice. Didn't have to wait long and got a perfect table. At the back of the garden on a small platform in the sun. Not too much sun, but just right. Right next to a colorful mural and some pretty birch trees that shaded us.
Ice tea sounded just right.
I ordered the Everything Nice. The sweet potato french toast is out of this world. Just a touch of cinnamon swirled in the orangey spongey bread with poppy seed crust. The color itself was lovely enough.
The Everything Nice comes with a little bit of everything and just enough sweetness.
Ok, and I'm not a fan of hashbrowns. People will tell you that I even shun tator tots (god forbid!) but I loved The Tin Shed's potato cakes. I don't know. They were just right. Maybe it was the sour cream and green onion on top.
My boyfriend got the Stay which is one of their "stacked" potato cake dreamy breakfasts. I was slightly jealous when his plate came out with all them beautiful veggies smothered in gravy. But then I think he got jealous of my french toast with real maple syrup. Hee hee!
The wait staff was genuinely kind and this had to be one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the garden. Maybe it was the great food and good service. I'm sure it was all of these!
I will definitely come back when in town!!!
Tin Shed is the bomb. I had the Stay which is potato cakes topped with scrambled eggs, roasted garlic, yams, zucchini an some other stuff smothered in mushroom gravy and I have to say that I think this might be my favorite breakfast I've had in Portland since I've lived here. Yes, you wait for a long time (less than an hour-- but still! A hungry belly doesn't like to wait!) but you can help yourself to cups and cups of coffee and dog watch.
The service was very good-- the young lady (short black bangs... not sure of her name...) who waited on us looked SUPER busy but she still managed to have a cool head and get crap DONE.
This vegetarian was very excited by all her choices and all her meat-eating companions found the menu equally satisfactory.
I would take a star off for the slooooowwww seating but I'm not going to because the food was just right and the service more than made up for it.
One last thing: They have a mini section on their menu for your dog friend.
I came here first on Wednesday the 25th and was so impressed brought my husband the next day.
Amazing selections for gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and all-out-meateaters.
Round 1 i had the Everything Naughty sampler, biscuits/mushroom gravy, egg scramble, and vegan sausage. Delicious! comes with potato cake (hashbrowns). Filled me up and the leftovers were still great cold out of the fridge the next day. My sis had the Tim Curry with cheese grits and it looked/smelled fantastic. I hardly got a spoon in to try the grits and found them to be perfecto.
Round 2 i had the "Special" of the day. Basically a vegetable/veggie sausage/egg scramble with grits, potato cake and a biscuit on the side. I also had a bloody mary that was soooo good! large and strong and full of spice. i highly recommend it.
What impresses me most are several things. #1 you get your own coffee which creates more time for the servers to not only take orders, serve food, but a chance for them to chat with you. No one seems rushed despite the packed place. #2 presentation of food is simple but feels like they took the time and effort to make your food delicious and visually appealing. me likey. #3 the restaurant instelf offers outdoor and indoor seating. on the cold mornings they make sure all the heaters are up and running and even offer blankets for guests and dishes of water for the canine variety.
Unfortunately I was visiting from SoCal so I shall miss you Tin Shed. but i will be back.
So me and a group of 10 people went here the other night with low expectations on getting a table right away and no expectations on the quality of food. Surprise! We got a table right away, had some solid Portland fare and got to hang out in the lovely garden as long as we wanted. And, lucky us, it was happy hour! Tin Shed gets 4 stars plus one star for the awesome happy hour deals!
The service was a bit informal, which I like. The garden was nice and cozy. I liked the fireplace. The food was good to delicious. My tilapia tacos were amazing. Very flavorful. The berry garcia looked pretty good and I kept hearing "Mmm"s from my friends. The mac and cheese was more mac and cream than cheese, but still tasty. The shed salad looked kind of gross (just not my type of salad), but my friend seemed to enjoy it. My 2 glasses of wine and tacos cost me $10 bucks. Patricia's happy!
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