Leo’s Coffee Shop

Had breakfast at Leo’s with Peter, and «the boss». As usual, everything was good, and we had a few laughs. Leo’s is one of a kind, and I love it!

Excellent customer service. Good, cheap, basic American breakfasts and fountain treats. A real throw back to times past. Nice quiet atmosphere.
Doesn’t take plastic.
Hours: M-​F 6:30am –3:30pm.
Closes at 3:30 pm.
Closed Sat & Sun.

«With onions? Why noooot!» Peter is so so so sweet and really makes this place a frequent favorite. The place is super inexpensive and the food is great. (I say the food is great I’ve been there probably 15 times and I always get the same thing, but the one thing I get is always great). This is super worth your time and money you will feel so cared for and so will your tummy.

After reading good reviews online, I am pleased to say that my first lunch at Leo’s was great. I am a college student and always looking for deals on food. Leo’s Coffee Shop serves up good food at rock bottom prices with service that truly goes above and beyond. The atmosphere is homey, comfortable and above all, humble. It was a pleasure to be served so quickly and politely. I tried to tip 3 bucks (about 65% of the meal price) but the owner handed it back to me and assured me that it wasn’t necessary. Leo’s Coffee Shop is a fine establishment run by salt-​of-​the-​earth kind of people.

All of the reviews forgot to mention how spectacularly clean this place is!
I loved it – Decidedly old-​school down-​home cooking /​hot coffee/​warm syrup /​fresh food…
Price is crazy reasonable and both Leo and his wife are amazing!
Make sure you go (and get ur 2 free papers)

You have to be in the know. Hidden in a medical dental building, it is quite unassuming. I was told about this place randomly, when someone mentioned they make great milkshakes. Well, I did not try those, but I stopped in for some breakfast. The daily special listed was french toast, with a side of bacon (4 slices) for $ 4.45. This also included a free newspaper they tried to give me. The year is 2012. You pay more to take two trips on trimet. The food is served up by Leo and I am guessing his wife, but im not sure about that. They speak broken English, and when I left I was given numerous bows and told thank you more times than I can count. I kept putting down more dollars for a tip with each bow and thank you to make up for my guilty feeling of eating the food for such a price. I will return for the milkshake. The food is good, not gourmet, but you feel satisfied and full. It is basic diner fair, and you have a nostalgic sense of an older and better time. Go in with sensible expectations, and you will be satisfied. This is not fancy food prepared by a hot new chef making setting a new trend. You get eggs, bacon, french toast, coffee, and pancakes. its a good meal at a great price.

I had my brother meet me for lunch here today. My brother and I are native Portlanders, so we might miss some of the newer venues in town, but we have a pretty good bead on the long-​time restaurants in the area. My brother was genuinely shocked that Leo’s Coffee Shop even existed and that he had somehow missed it. He fell in love with it and couldn’t believe the outstanding customer service and the prices. He now plans on bringing his whole family in to eat there. I really had to smile because it’s not often that I manage to outsmart my brother in this area, so really it was a great deal all around.

Leo is the sweetest man ever (or who I assume is Leo) literally walking through the door just puts me in the best mood. It is such a sweet nostalgic diner type place, and not a diner type place in the commercialized Ruby’s or Johnny Heartbeats or Johnny Rocket sense of a nostalgic diner. It is just a down home sweet place for breakfast and lunch (they close early-​ish)
Leo always greets you with newspapers and a menu and a huge smile and a bow. Literally too cute. He is always bowing saying thank you and checking you are happy. The food is really well priced and good.
Go eat here it will make you so happy to see such a sweet little family (his wife is in the kitchen as he runs the front) and eat a cheap meal.

I’ve never been bowed to so many times! never did know this place was here as i usually am going South on 13^th. Minus 1.5 stars for the lousy coffee. Otherwise not bad.

I have walked all around downtown and for some reason I had never seen this place, and it is a shame that I didnt until today.
My friend and I went and were in love from the moment we saw the décor. It has the same feel as Monk’s Coffee Shop (for the Seinfeld fans out there) and it is cozy and warm and a great place to enjoy a relaxed meal.
The food is simple, it is a diner after all, and the service is stellar! Peter (the owner in my estimation) is a one in a billion kind of guy who does everything he can to make you feel welcomed and comfortable in his establishment. We ordered a couple of sandwiches, grilled swiss cheese on sourdough for me, with fries and it was hot ready quickly and delicious. The fries were unlike fries I find in other places, and I liked the crunchiness, but not overly so, they had to them. The entire time we were there Peter made sure we were taken care of. I had several glasses of water and he made sure I knew where the bathroom was!
If you are looking for a fun simple place to get a nice breakfast or lunch this is the place. The prices are great and that matched with the delicious food and impeccable service, makes this a place everyone should try out.

You want to go back in time? When lunch and life were simple? To, maybe, get a grilled tuna or grilled cheese like a (well my) suburban mom would make?
Go to Leo’s today. The menu and prices are direct from decades ago. The service is beyond fantastic.
You won’t find a deli with piled high sandwiches you can never finish. You will find plain food that hits the spot and satisfies. You’ll probably also feel years younger because you haven’t eaten like this in a long, long time.

Leo’s Coffee Shop is a gem. In the midst of impersonal, stuffy atmosphere restaurants, Leo’s takes you back to a 60s diner and the prices have been stuck since then. My favorite two things about Leo’s are the service and the prices. A meal for $ 3-​$ 4 is still possible at Leos. Even better, the service is impeccable.
Peter, the proprietor, greets you very cordially and provides you immediately with water and a few papers to choose from. He always pushes in my chair as well. When I’m ordering to go and waiting, he bring me some water while I wait. Companies should go to him when they’re looking at customer service. He is top notch.
Food is okay. Service and prices are phenomenal.

Bring a child, sit at the counter and order a chocolate milkshake. Your kid (inner and outer) will feel wonderful as Peter loves children of all sorts and sizes. He hand makes it fro hard ice cream and Hershey’s but it’s excellent, cold, fast, overflowing (he seems to always mis-​judge the amount by about 30% for kids), and perfect treat for after library time.

Hey, it’s like everyone says! Peter is great, the food is OK, and the prices are amazing. No fancy food with even fancier prices here, and you will never find more gracious service. By the way, Peter’s wife does speak English and is very friendly when Peter is (very rarely) not there.

Ah, Leo’s. This classic American diner is one of my favorite places in Portland. I go there at least once a week and have the special: french toast, bacon, eggs and coffee for $ 4.25. The place looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 1960s – which it probably hasn’t. It’s all part of the charm, you see.
The food is your standard, greasy-​spoon fare: hashbrowns, eggs, super-​weak coffee. The prices reflect this, as most meals are under $ 5.00. What you’re really paying for is a little time with Peter, the owner, sole server, and the most charming and obsequious person you will ever meet. And he is ALWAYS there.
Next time you’re at the downtown library on a weekday, pop on over to Leo’s (right on the corner of SW 11^th and Taylor). I promise it’s money and time well-​spent.
My favorite Peter quote: «16 ounces, with bubbles!» — as he pours super-​weak orange juice right to the brim. It’s … well, it’s goddamn adorable, that’s what. Here, see for yourself.

Ike pretty much nailed it, it’s very Lynchian. Peter is the proprietor, and says «right away, right away» constantly as he obsequiously leads you to your table and takes your order. He also does an amazing flourish as he presents the newspaper, coffee, etc. Then comes the Yin of Leo’s, the cook (his wife?) who stone-​faced puts your food in front of you.
The food is «meh», but you have to see Peter in action, it’s amazing. My girlfriend says she «just wants to put him in her pocket.» Also it’s amazingly cheap.