Eclectic Kitchen

This place is really hit or miss. I’ve had 5 star service/​food, and 2 star service/​food. Guess it just depends on the day? Which is not great…
My first couple times here were five star trips, both tasty food (mmm, biscuits!), and friendly service! Which is how I ended up going back for two more visits, which ended up being two stars (burnt, flavorless food). Hoping that when I make it back for a fifth trip, it’ll be a 5 star day!

Food is always good and consistent. Quality neighborhood spot!

Food was good, service was good, but servings versus price was silly. Not sure where they found the two tiniest eggs in the world.

3 stars because the food was tasty. I had the paleo bowl for breakfast and it was very tasty.
Service sucked.
On entering the restaurant, I was not greeted, nor did I feel welcome. There were no smiles, or warmth. I felt as if I was intruding into someone’s home. The guy behind the counter simply gave me a menu and told me to sit anywhere I liked. I found a nice spot and browsed the menu, no one came over to take my order or to even ask how I was doing.
I got up and placed my order at the counter and served myself coffee since none was offered to me. I had to even ask where it was since they didn’t even tell me where it was.
I eventually got my food, tasted good. But again no server to check on me. They were having a fun time behind the counter though– not at all concerned with their customer. I found out about this restaurant online and came with high expectations.
I will not be here again, and I’ll advise others to stay away if they treasure their time and money.

I wasn’t too impressed with this place. I came around 12 pm on a Friday. It wasn’t very crowded at all but I still felt as if I was getting subpar service. Maybe it was something about me, but I just didn’t feel very welcomed. I like self serve coffee places but every time i went up it felt as if there was nothing left so they could have been a little more proactive on keeping that section well stocked for everyone. I got the egg and cheese biscuit which I didn’t like at all, the biscuit was very dry and left little to the imagination. All in all it was an okay place. They seemed to have some variety on the menu but most items seemed a little generic which is why I went for the simple option to see if the quality warrants the price. This place looked good on Unilocal but I guess it did not meet my expectations. Maybe it’s better on certain days or times.

Ok so every server at this place looks as if they’re surprised to be working hard but that’s sort of the charm of it. I don’t think they expect to be competitive because they aren’t one of those places with the line around the building. But give them a shot because 1. As stated, you don’t have to wait in line and 2. The food is good and diverse and everything you really want out of breakfast. I mean seriously, most of their food is served out of a bowl or in a skillet. Just delicious breakfast food thrown into one dish so that you can slurp it down your face.
So once they get used to the fact that people are starting to notice them, maybe the waitstaff and kitchen guys will get more efficient and quick. Either way I’d prefer to wait at a table, seated, than in a line.

We had a work event nearby, so we went here for breakfast beforehand. Given that it was a Thursday and we got there right when they opened, it wasn’t crowded.
Pros: The hash was wonderful, they had GF biscuits (and plenty of other GF options), and the space was comfortable.
Cons: The biscuit was a little dry (though since I had to request a GF one, I probably shouldn’t have expected anything other than slightly dry), and the coffee seemed a little cold (even though they had just opened)
Overall, I would return again.

Great little place. Their specialty seems to be real southern style biscuits. Had the biscuits n gravy and they were excellent :-)

Good hearty dinery brunch. Excellent biscuits, plus hash, cheesy grits, and more. What else do you need?
Strongly recommended for a weekday brunch meeting or hang-​out-​and-​talk-​chit-​for-​3-​hours. You can pretty much get self-​service coffee indefinitely.

I really wanted to like this place since they’re so dang close to my house.
…And then I walked out smelling like my uncles trailer park.
(Ok… like a Quentin Tarantino movie I started at the end of the movie)
So I walked in and seen the sign that says «wait to be seated» and within 5 mins I was seated.
I waited another 7 – 10 mins before someone walked up to take my order. I am like, can I have a cup of coffee please and was told, oh you can help yourself to the coffee over there. (my inside voice was like, why didn’t they tell me that when I sat down) ugh. anyway, I went to get coffee and a course it was empty. It took another 7 mins to get fresh coffee out. I can’t remember the last time in Portland were I ordered breakfast before ordering coffee.
I ordered the Paleo bowl w/​bacon. It was ok but lacked some spices.
It took a long time to get my breakfast out to me. The service seemed less than happy to be there this morning and the ventalation is not good so they open up the dining room window and so all the smoke filters out through there and on everybody clothes. Not Good.
So, Don’t be in a hurry if you eat here and your clothes will smell like bacon when you leave here.
with all the breakfast places in this town… I’ll pass

I have to say the service, décor and overall feel of eclectic kitchen is awesome! We ordered the biscuits and gravy with sausage and spinach, Big Breakfast and the French toast for kids all of which are fantastic! This place is a must visit.

It seems a little unfair that I get to write a review of the Eclectic Kitchen as all I ever get there is the Big Breakfast. It’s so good, and it gives you a little taste of everything.
They’re pretty standard Portland fair as far as restaurants go: Self-​service coffee and water, plentiful vegetarian options, small and, sometimes you’ll have to wait. I like the servers a lot, they always make us feel welcome, especially my 5 year old.
They do breakfast well; I’ve never had anything from the lunch menu. This is a great neighborhood spot that you should check out. You’re going to have to wait a bit if they’re busy but that just gives you time to chat with your dining companion and to slow down a bit.

One of the things I miss most about having to eat GF is biscuits. I had the GF biscuit breakfast sandwich here and it was wonderful. Unfortunately that isn’t where my review ends.
We went out of our way to go back the next time we were in Portland. I don’t know if there was a major change over happening, but a managerial type seemed to be training a new wait person. I can cut them some slack for that. We ordered and I got my ice tea but it was vile. It was tainted with coffee. I took it up to the counter and let them know. The manager said he thought it tasted fine. Um… no. He told me that coffee and tea were made in the same containers so that is bound to happen. Again, not a good answer. There are people like me that are very sensitive to caffeine and can’t have that contamination. He said he’d take the tea off my bill. Wow. That would be the least I would expect. I got a can of juice which of course I had to pay for.
Our food came and it was not good. The biscuit was so hard I ended up eating around it. The cheese was not melted at all. The bacon was great, but it did not make up for the rest of the sandwich. After the lack of customer service I had already experienced, I did not bother to bring up my complaints this time. What would be the point? They obviously do not care. I am very unlikely to make a third trip.

Such a cute and quaint spot! Service was very nice, friendly and attentive but not overbearing. The food was super yummy, and breakfast all day! Be sure to take a peak at the specials board before you order… I was a little disappointed I missed the opportunity to get pumpkin french toast.

When I saw ONE guy handling ten tables, bussing, and working the register I almost walked out. But he was calm, efficient, and didn’t flinch when we changed our order. The wait time for two breakfast orders was very reasonable.
The Paleo Bowl was ample and yum. Another Unilocaler indicated that the French Toast here is the best they’ve had: it’s definitely one of the better versions I’ve had. They offer a wide selection of hot sauces, not just the usual boring one or two.
Coffee and water is self-​serve, so get used to that, but this definitely helps with service efficiency. Cute place, parking is someone easy.

Small, quaint diner with unique and exemplary menu items. They’ve even got vegan and Paleo options if that’s your thing. The staff are timely and approachable, even during busy times. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed. A great place for Saturday brunch if you’re looking to avoid the PDX breakfast hype found elsewhere.
I had the biscuit sandwich with egg, bacon, sautéed spinach and guacamole. It was expertly crafted. Perfectly cooked bacon, flavorful guac (especially for January) and amazingly moist biscuits. In fact, the biscuits really shine at Eclectic Kitchen; they’re not too thick, they don’t fall apart, and they’re rich in flavor.
Highly recommended!

First time here. I had the biscuit sandwich with sausage, spinach and gravy. The food was very good. It was busy and only one person working the front of house service was uncomfortably slow.

Breakfast. It’s not a meal I usually leave the house for except maybe to pick up some bagels to freeze and use over a period of a month or so, but when you have someone in town for the weekend and he’s treating for said meal? You go out for breakfast.
I’ve passed Eclectic Kitchen and seen a nice menu but I really didn’t pay attention to the fact that their breakfast/​brunch items are what people come here for. Challah French toast, biscuits, cheese grits, breakfast sandwiches and the big breakfast. Lots to choose from and decisions to make. Bacon and potato hash? Maybe. Items with kale? Maybe not. There are vegetarian and vegan options but when there is bacon staring at me on the menu, I go for bacon every time.
The big breakfast has two pieces of challah French toast, a biscuit with gravy (I opted out of the gravy), two eggs, your choice, potatoes (or upgrade for cheese grits) and a side meat (bacon, sausage, chicken sausage and I believe a veggie sausage). It was a perfect side, nothing was greasy and it was all good. The French toast tasted exactly like what I make myself and the bacon came out well done and so crispy. I enjoyed the cheese grits as well. I got some hot chocolate as well but that almost seemed like it was Swiss Miss.
Overall a nice place and the prices were reasonable. It’s nice that it’s only a 10 minute walk for me there, so I guess I have found at least one more reason to leave the house for breakfast every so often.
Enjoy.

Take note of the low star reviews and then disregard them entirely. They are all entirely false. As duke of this place, you can trust Bullwinkle’s mighty moose palate.
Ambiance/​Décor: ³⁄₅
The place has about 8 – 10 tables and a bunch of random paintings and stuff on the walls. Absolutely lacking in hipster aesthetic. The décor feels more like a home than a restaurant which is nice in a lot of ways. Mix-​matched mugs as well.
Kitchen: ⁵⁄₅
Easily the best and most consistent breakfast I’ve had in Portland, and I’ve had a lot of breakfasts. These are far and above the best biscuits in the city. Biscuits and gravy? Yes. The best. French toast? Absolutely superb. The scrambles are simple, the flavors in tact and fresh — this is a refreshing break from the hyper-​buttery scrambles you usually run into where the flavors are all rather ambiguous. The home fries are excellent and can be had with extra happenings. My current favorite item is the sausage/​spinach/​gravy/​egg sandwich. Freakishly good.
Note: this place does not serve Stumptown coffee! And thank god. If I wanted sour coffee-​flavored water I’d go to any other breakfast place and be unhappy. They serve Trailhead Coffee which is actual coffee. Nice.
Service: ³⁄₅
Solid, consistent, nothing to write home about. I have never experienced «slow» service here and wonder what people mean by that.
It should also be noted that there is never, ever, a line for brunch. This place is clearly not «hip» or «in» which is exactly what I want when I’m hungover and hungry. Waiting in line with annoying scenesters is torture — give me excellent food and little else. Give me Eclectic Kitchen. Also, this place is run by a family and everyone is extremely kind. Extra points if you’re in when the lady is serving.

Can’t believe we waited so long when we only live 7 blocks away!
I have been searching for the best biscuits and gravy since we moved back to Portland nearly 4 years ago. Well, I just found it! Eclectic Kitchen just catapulted to the top of the list.
Perfect consistency of the biscuit and a flavor explosion in the gravy. I prefer a dense biscuit and a thick but not too thick, flavorful but not too salty gravy.
This is so good that it is taking every fiber of my being to not just wolf it down.
Kicks balls and ass!