Continuing on our whirlwind tour of Portland awhile back, my wife and I had our most memorable breakfast at Byways Cafe. Since 1999, they’ve “been serving authentic, yet creative home style meals to people from all over the world! … we’re the diner destination for tourists and locals alike,” boasts their website and after one visit we were sold!

Inside

The inside is a bit kitschy, but in a very Portland kind of way. Antique plates cover the back wall and coffee is served from unique mugs where no two are alike. Speaking of drinks, their cocktail menu had us hooked right away. My wife went with the bloody mary with bacon ($8) and I was immediately drawn to the “chef’s day off” due to the ginger beer. This drink also adds vodka, soda, and orange juice ($8).

Drinks

As for food I went with one of the specials of the day, which seems to be permanent addition to the menu now, the Mt. Tabor Monte Cristo ($12.95). This is a monster that combines grilled ham, turkey, and Havarti into a triple-decker French toast sandwich. I’m glad this was added to the permanent menu as this was outstanding! The raspberry jelly on the side was equally as amazing.

Mt Tabor Monte Cristo

My wife went with the space needle scramble ($9.75) that combines 3 scrambled eggs with onion, spinach, mushroom, tomato, Tillamook cheddar, and a choice of protein. This also was served with a generous portion of fruit on the side. My wife loves Tillamook so this was an easy decision for her and I didn’t hear any complaints. The scramble was packed full of quality ingredients and was very filling.

Space Needle Scramble

The Byways Cafe is not to be missed. This was not only the best breakfast we had, but it was one of the best meals and service we experienced on our entire trip.