Detour Cafe

The service was very friendly despite being very busy. The potatoes were excellent and generous. the Italian sausage with roasted red peppers, mozzarella, and roasted onions made for a delicious and cheesy entrée. The cardamon bread is homemade presumably and quite good. I highly recommend this modest, unpretentious, and tasty café. Oh and the best thing? No line!

Service was poor, and it was not busy. Never got re-​watered, or asked if anything was OK.
Two people were on the floor and two in the Kitchen. Food came promptly, kitchen was quick. Tiny table; why they seated us at the childs table ?? dunno. Sparse décor.
I didn’t like my Fritata. It tasted eggy, not well made. Would recommend the breakfast
egg sandwhiches. around 5 bucks and they did a better job on those. Noticed that the
customers, I assume were regulars, because the staff knew them by name; The regulars
ordered the breakfast egg sandwhiches; they seemed to be in the know on the menu.
IF we should return, I’ll just order the breakfast sandwhich to go.

Good service. Stumptown coffee. Very good breakfast had the BLET with potatoes. Even though I am not a fan of focacia I will say there was excellent, may have converted me to change my mind. Also has a spacious outside area to bring your doggies.

I hope it was just a bad day, and a bad catch. The salmon frittata special was really in edible. It was way too fishy a flavor for smoked salmon. We made the mistake of sitting inside in front of the swinging kitchen doors, so it was terribly noisy as well. I’m sure it’s much better sitting outside, and ordering a more predictable breakfast.

Service is spotty, and they don’t serve espresso drinks (is this Portland?!), but they have some great breakfast options. I had the farmer breakfast which is kale, potatoes, an egg, some meat, some bread. On a weekday morning, it’s completely dead, so if you want a quiet place to eat, it’s perfect. They have a little patio, which on a nice day is pleasant. Broder is really close, and I know people are all over that, but honestly, I like Detour better.

The service was fantastic and the food was delicious! The vibe is very casual and laid back. The parking might be a problem but the reward is worth it.

Based on the other reviews, I guess I was expecting more. But maybe I should have read the more recent reviews and not just gone with overall rating in my selection of this place. AND, I probably should have gone with a skillet for brunch like everyone else, but I was feeling the need for something green so I went for the salmon salad. There wasn’t much salmon to it… like it was hiding. It should have been called a spinach salad with salmon seasoning or something. If I find myself there for brunch again I’ll go for a skillet because they looked pretty darn good.
Great spot, but I’ll probably be trying other options before returning.

The best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever eaten: The Don with their homemade hot sauce. Do it!

The Detour Café offers myriad options to its patrons, thanks to a menu dominated by build-​your-​own options. It has good ideas, but its execution leaves something to be desired.
I was amazed with all the possible combinations offered by their frittata and potato skillet options. It can take awhile to decide what all to get. I found myself wishing for some recommended combinations, though I decided that Italian sausage, manchego, roasted onions, and roasted red peppers would be a good bet over the potatoes, with scrambled eggs. You can’t win on pricing, though – the potatoes beg for an egg, just as the frittata demands a side of potatoes. Count on spending at least $ 2 more than the base price for those.
Once my skillet came out, I found myself somewhat disappointed with how it was prepared. The potatoes, while piping hot, tasted undercooked, lacking that starchy tenderness I associated with well-​made potatoes. The scrambled eggs, rather than mixed in as I would expect, were not scrambled at all. Rather, I was basically given a tiny, unfolded, plain omelet atop my potatoes. Since they were all served in a little ceramic bowl on top of my plate, mixing the lot up proved a messy proposition. Compounding this frustration was the matter of the cheese – I got a truly minuscule amount, shredded and melted (as best as a few shreds can) atop the eggs. Once again, I would’ve much preferred it mixed in with the dish. And more cheese, too!
On the side came toasted cardamom bread, which was OK (apparently it’s homemade). That said, it didn’t knock my socks off, and nor did the marionberry jam that others had lauded. I got the sense that they don’t butter their toast, given how dry it is, and nor do they offer any butter with it. Also, I would’ve liked more cardamom flavor to it. It wasn’t bad, but while it could’ve been good, it wasn’t.
To drink, I had a small Bloody Mary, made with local Moonbrine pickle brine. Again, nothing special. While spicy, it lacked the juiciness that tempers a good Bloody Mary. It’s not bad, though, and squeezing the lemon slice garnish into the drink definitely improves its flavor. Still, there are better bloodies to be had in this town, for sure. A cheaper bet that may be better is a mimosa – my friend rather liked hers, and it was made with decent cava and organic orange juice, unlike the nasty André-​and-​Minute-​Maid combinations you sometimes find elsewhere at brunch joints.
The strongest thing my friend and I saw at breakfast was the French toast she ordered. It was made from the cardamom bread, and smothered in deliciously tart cooked cherries and sliced almonds. The maple syrup (for $ 2 extra) added a nice further complexity. Great concept. Still, it was a bit too eggy for our tastes. I get that it’s not supposed to be dessert, but I maintain that good French toast always avoids tasting like an egg, just as it avoids cloying sweetness. This dish came close, but couldn’t quite accomplish the former mission.
Service was weak. I normally don’t comment much on it, as everyone has on and off days, but I was surprised by how many things they overlooked. We had to deal with a notable period of ambiguity where they’d cleared off the table but had neither told us to wait nor to be seated. Not a problem today, but I can see that causing disaster on heavy-​line days. Especially considering what brunch lines look like in this town. Also, as we were sitting outside, we were never informed about the special they had listed on the board inside (a shame, too – when I saw it, it sounded lovely!). While they seemed in a real hurry for us to order once we sat down, they then did not check up with us at all for the rest of the brunch.
The Detour Café has a lot of great ideas. I love that they use local ingredients and allow for customers to take the lead in constructing their own skillets and frittatas. I’m impressed by the combinations they offered with the French Toast. I admire the fact that they make their bread in-​house. That said, nothing was very well made. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good, either. Particularly with regard to the skillets, this doesn’t seem that hard to correct. In the meantime, it’s too expensive and mediocre to justify, as long as there are great brunch restaurants and foodcarts that serve better dishes nearby. Particularly when some of those places are cheaper, too. While the Detour Café has potential, I can’t give it a higher grade until its craftsmanship matches its creativity.

Love it here. Friendly staff, champagne in the mo’, and hot pepper cream cheese. Dog-​friendly, semi-​shaded, sheltered patio. I’ve never had to wait, but I’m a reasonably early bruncher. I love the option of breakfast or lunch available. All-​around perfect spot.

I’ve gone here over the years but it seems the quality has gone down over the years. After a while a bunch of the stuff starts to taste the same. I love that they have so many vegan options (esp the sandwiches) but I don’t know anymore… their stuff is just kind of boring to me now.
Maybe a few menu changes would help but for now, I don’t have much interest in continuing having Detour as our brunch spot.

First impression is that the Resturant is not clean. The menus are wrinkled and stained, the floor in the open kitchen is filthy. The service was slow. The food was under seasoned. The cheddar biscuit, that I paid extra was odd. It was a sweet oddly textured — not light or flakey or even cheesy — more like a pastry with melted cheese on top. And, then the potatoes — flaccid, flavorless and oily.
One word– disappointing.

Meh, I am not returning. Overpriced and underwhelming.
Got french toast using «cardamom» bread and honestly I cannot taste the cardamom. Plus the bread is on the dry side, no butter to accompany it, super sweet weird cherries on top and tasteless slivered almonds as well. And $ 1.50 for maple syrup. Last I checked, maple syrup and french toast have a responsibility to each other. Maple syrup is not optional. I would prefer maple syrup to be included and leave out the jarring cherries and pointless almonds.
Also the floor is dirty and the chairs flex and make horrible scraping sounds when you are scooting your chair in/​out under the table. The interior is dreary and could really use some better lighting.
My mom’s dish was described as being served in a «cazuela». I’m not sure what the point of this was. It’s just a serving dish. It’s like saying, blah blah food served on a PLATE! Yay PLATE!
As I said, meh, I am not returning.

Hey!
This place is fairly cool! And I am picky. My new friend and I met here last weekend on a sunday and there was: no wait. As in… BRUNCH at NOON in PORTLAND in GOOD WEATHER and no HOUR-​LONG waiting list. Wow, that threw me off.
My pototo cazuela dish was tasty enough after adding some salt. I loved the fact that I could drink like 17 cups of Stumptown coffee (self-​serve) for $ 2.50. The cardomom bread baked in-​house was bland and weird… not sure what the hype is there!
The service was good and the staff were friendly and interesting to talk with. Outside sunny patio seating was the icing on the frittata.
I will most likely return sometime soon.

On a rare sunny Sunday in March, I needed a place to study that was not my usual haunts. The Detour Café was perfect. Portland’s brunch spots typically have a 40 minute wait, but the Detour is a little-​known gem. Serving breakfast all day and lunches as early as 10 means there is a wide variety to choose from. The organic, cage-​free, and freshly-​made menu options allow for everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions or preferences, to enjoy their experience here. To top it all off, the staff was friendly, efficient, and genuine. A 5 star recommendation!

Wonderful experience.
Looked for a new place in my new neighborhood to enjoy a late brunch. Saw good reviews and decided to chance it and happy to say the positive reviews reflect my experience.
I had steak and eggs and I have to say it was delicious. The steak was cooked properly and not too tough. The potatoes were full of flavor and seasoned right. The salad was a nice touch and the vinaigrette was delicious. I am going to make it back definitely and will probably take friends. My son and girlfriend both were really happy with their meals.
Service was prompt and not pushy. We were told about the specials and the self serve coffee the minute we walked in the door. Cannot wait to bring the pup back in warmer weather to enjoy the patio.

Another weekend another brunch.
This is a nice café very close to Pok Pok on Division, nice cosy place, not too long of a wait on a rainy saturday morning.
Their main brunch items are build it yourself fritatas and potato skillets. Nice options for ingredients that make for a solid brunch place. They have egg sandwiched too, but our group stuck to fritatas and skillets!

Love Detour café. We are a bit biased since it’s within walking distance to our house, so maybe take this review with a grain of salt. The staff is friendly and know most of their customers by name. The patio is dog friendly and they provide your dog with a bowl of water and treats. The food is top-​notch, especially the brunch menu which consists of frittatas, sandwiches, and skillets. Mimosas are reasonably priced as well which only adds to the great overall value of Detour.

So I guess I’m a dick.
I got the last steak of the day. Thank god. I was really in the mood for steak and eggs and this did not disappoint. I heard two other people try to order it but the server said they were out.
I shall eat and savior this steak for you, my friend.
Considering how I’m usually not a fan of onions and here I am eating a lot of them? You’re something special. The spices and sauce they used is amazing, whatever it is.
I also can appreciate the tasty salad. Not a usual breakfast side but it’s very fitting here.

I gotta appreciate a place that makes their own breads and biscuits. As well as any place that serves really good potatoes but that was about the only thing that hit it outta the park. I found the rest of the food (we ordered the mini egg sandwich and French toast) was very under seasoned which made for a bland taste.
The only saving grace of the French toast was the compote on top which was delightful and sweet. However the bread itself tasted like nothing. And my egg sandwich was more like a basil and tomato sandwich between crumbly nothing. The biscuit didn’t have much flavor.
The service was great though and they let us bring in our coffee from next door. I want to give this place another chance but I’m skeptical and turned off by this first experience.