Rusty Pelican Cafe

Took my brother out to breakfast for his birthday, and was looking for a nice place besides the usual dennys, party’s Eggnest etc spot around the area. (Thanks to Unilocal reviews!)
This place did not disappoint. being 6 months pregnant, I was craving sweet breakfast, so I ordered their Nutella crepes, it was deeelish! My brother got the California scramble and he said it was good… good portion.
The only thing I was hoping for was for them to have more espresso drink choices. I wanted a hot mocha, but ended up having hot chocolate instead…
But over all, I would recommend this place… already have a breakfast date planned wit the hubby!

Amazing service. This was our first time here and we loved everything! Yes, there was a 25 minute wait & while waiting I had my nails done next door! Super convenient!
The host, server were very nice. Everyone who we interacted with were pleasant.
They had delicious cookies and apple cider to munch on while waiting too!
About their coffee… It’s great! I think what makes it so good is that real cream they provide.
My bf got an all time favorite meal & I had the BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado). My sandwich was HUGE! It looked like two sandwiches in one! I only ate one half & was super full.
Their atmosphere is very fancy and I really like that.
We will definitely come back here again!

Very long wait to get a table at lunchtime on a weekend. Food came quickly though. Mushroom melt was delicious and kid’s burger was giant! Free refills on drinks.

By far the best breakfast spot! I highly recommend this place. Food is amazing and so is the service.

Great for a Sunday morning brunch before the Seahawks games! Also their game day mimosa for you over 21 folks is amazing! Favorite dish has to be their benedicts, one of the best in the area. Great food & great service. Only downside is that it can get a little busy on the weekends so make sure to call ahead to get on the wait list!

After reading a couple less than stellar reviews, I was a little skeptical. We’ve visited three times now, and can’t figure out why everyone doesn’t love the upscale atmosphere, nice staff and great food.
We’ve only been here for breakfast, but can’t imagine being disappointing at any time of day.
If you’re expecting Denny’s or iHop, then go there and leave being pampered to those who appreciate it.

It was great, you walk in and have some delicicous homemade hot apple cider. Breakfast was great and the Biscuits are humungous

Solid 3.5 stars. Hubby got the salmon Benedict. Good but muffins should have been toasted. My pacific omelet was decent but huge. I’d be obese if I ate the entire thing. Nice décor, service was ok too. My biggest disappointment was the coffee. For just under $ 4, I expect good strong coffee… Not the watered-​down kind. Might come back if in the neighborhood.

We met here for the SIL birthday breakfast. First impression was this was a bit fancier than a typical greasy spoon diner.
We were greeted right away and was shown to a table.
The food was awesome! The lemon supreme ricotta pancakes were SO good. Topped it off with some scrambled eggs and bacon. Had a bite of the Nutella banana crepes and all I can say is WOW.
Go there. It’s delicious. A bit spendy, but worth it.

We waited over a half hour to get seated, And another half hour to get our food. When we got our food it was good but it would’ve been better if it was warm.

Based on Unilocal reviews, we selected the Rusty Pelican as a breakfast/​brunch venue to meet my nephew’s new girlfriend. From reading the reviews, we also heeded the advice to make reservations which saved us from sitting outside on benches (albeit covered by awning) on this rainy morning waiting for a table at this very popular breakfast spot. After several minutes perusing the expansive menu, we finally narrowed in on our selections… really hard to pick with so many delectable dishes! Among the choices were two scrambles, one skillet (all three of a southwest, spicier flare) and a Dungeness Benedict. As we couldn’t resist, we added an order of the Gingerbread Pancakes with Lemon Curd for the center of the table as a «sharable» item and, instead of toast or standard breads, the guys both ordered the Eggnog Muffins which were divine. All four of us also had the Jingle Bell Mimosa («Jingle all the way» was the joke when we ordered for the whole table); a delightful concoction of strawberry purée, peach schnapps and champagne ~ YUM!!! Despite healthy portions on every plate, including our extra platter of pancakes, we left the restaurant with only one small to-​go box, four happy, full tummies and memories of a great meal. We will absolutely be back and will recommend to friends.
Given the various mentions and comparisons in other reviews, I’ll weigh-​in that, in my opinion, the Rusty Pelican tops Portage Bay Café in terms of food and ambience. Lastly, I didn’t catch his name, but our server was top notch ~ attentive, cordial, informative and personable. BEST breakfast experience I have had in a long, long time.

I have a handful of friends who raved about this place, claiming it was better than Portage Bay and well, I’m not friends with those people anymore (just kidding!). You can’t really compare the two because the style of food is vastly different, in my opinion.
We arrived Sunday around brunch time and it was PACKED! I would strongly recommend making reservations because our group was seated promptly while 15+ people were waiting outside…
I got the corned beef hash, which was the least favorite dish among what we collectively ordered. The corned beef, green bell pepper, and hash browns were a bit too dry for my liking and didn’t look the most appetizing in my opinion. The flavors were also a little bland. On the other hand, I sampled a bit of everyone’s dish and theirs were much better! The salmon benedict was flavorful and rich! The lemon ricotta pancakes were delicious with a sweet and tangy zest from the lemon curd and blueberries. The florentine benedict was yummy (your typical benedict with spinach). But my favorite was the Lumberjack omelette-​hearty and filling and the flavors were balanced and perfect! The pancakes were also light, fluffy, with a little bit of chewy (which I like!).
Overall, I think my high expectations made for a bit of a letdown. The food is better than your average breakfast joint and the service was great. But the hash was just not crackin’ (and it’s considered a customer favorite!) and for the price, the food was just O.K.

Food was decent, over priced… Was seated outside to avoid a longer wait, it would be nice if there was shade. French toast was not great. The water was the best part of the meal

*This review is for a month ago but I finally got around to writing a review*
I’ve eaten at their Seattle location and loved it so I was happy to find out they had a Bothell location close to my home. My family and I stopped in on a Saturday morning. Their was a wait (expected) but we got put on the list and found some comfy chairs in the seating area.
And then we waited… and waited… and waited. My husband noticed people just come in the door and get seated when he went to check with the hostess. Apparently they «must have crossed us out by accident». Hey things happen but don’t you think that when the same family of four is sitting in your lobby you’d at least check on them?
Once we got seated we figured well at least we get to eat. Then half of our food came out while the other half came out ten minutes later. My husbands order was wrong but he was so hungry that he just ate it anyway. The food we did get was good but we won’t be back.

Was at the Edmonds location a few weeks ago, and then decided to meet my Mill Creek friend at this location. I love both of them equally, but the service I had here was outstanding. He was awesome, friendly, and offered my friend good advice on what to order.
I got the corned beef hash, after really enjoying the omelette previously. I thought it was good, not what I expected, but it was good. Probably wouldn’t order it again, but not because it wasn’t tasty. Just not my cup of tea.
I love their portions, their passion fruit mimosa is always tasty, and their coffee is great! Consider me a fan!

Seriously?! This place is SO overrated. Waited forever for a seat and the food was okay, nothing particularly special. I feel like if I’m going to wait a long time it better be special!
I got the Pelican Waffle and a side of
sausage. The waffle was decent, the sausage was pretty good. My bf got the corned beef hash. We both agreed that it was too salty and it just didn’t taste all that good.
Also I thought it was a bit overpriced for what it was. A lot of items just came by itself so you would have to order a side of meat or potatoes etc… Service was pretty standard too.
My whole experience was just blehh. For a phenomenal breakfast I would rather go to Maltby Café down the road.

On a Tuesday morning it was packed! We waited for about 15 minutes, but didn’t mind at all; comfy seating and gave us time to look at all of the décor. It rang true to their name and very much resembled the seaside.
We were seated closest to the kitchen, divided by a large wall from the rest of the seating. It was nice to have some privacy from everyone else… including their kids.
We were helped by a server in training, he was polite and friendly, and by the looks of it, wasn’t far from serving on his own; he was great!
I had the Corned Beef Hash with a side of bacon. Both were INCREDIBLE worth going back for. I loved how big the portions were for the price they offered and how fast the service was.
Under $ 30 for two people. Only one star left off for the wait.

I’m a fan. This was a great find in Mill Creek. Really great quality food and bakery with hand-​made desserts, not frozen and baked in huge numbers but on demand which I love. I’ll for sure be back for some great breakfast and desserts. Locally owned and the family is very involved which is another bonus.
I’ve had their waffles, eggs, sausage gravy and biscuit as well as their bacon. I’ve also had their coffee cake and all of it was really great!
Enjoy!

This is the cutest breakfast place in Mill Creek by far!
I’ve only been here twice and both times Bryson and I ordered the same things because we liked it so much! I had the combo with eggs, bacon, and swedish pancakes. Yumm! Bryson had the dungeness crab eggs benedict. Double yumm!
The price fits the upscale/​peaceful beauty of a restaurant and the quality of the food so I have no qualms with spending a few more bucks than we would at maybe an iHop or soemthing.
Parking is usually fine as it has a big lot shared with other stores in the Mill Creek area.
My only problem with this place is that it’s so popular that sometimes you’ll have to wait for a table when you’re drooling on the comfy chairs in the waiting area up front. The good thing though is that they have some cookies and fruit-​infused water for you to hold you over until you’re lucky enough to be seated.

From the mouth of my 5-​year-​old: «This place has lovely bathrooms. We should come back!»
I took another reviewer’s advice and ordered the lemon ricotta pancakes. They were hands-​down the best pancakes I’ve ever had. They were light and portioned right. You don’t get an over abundance of food, which I find appeasing as the super sizing of American appetites has gone way overboard!
Ambiance and service, was top-​notch. I delighted in the little extras, such as the added carafe my tea came with, and the offering of bread before the meal — never experienced that with breakfast before.
Would have given 5 stars but found the beverages overpriced. $ 4.25 for a glass of milk? I could have bought a gallon at that price!