Lake Route Cafe

CLOSED
So sad, because this little restaurant, even under new ownership, had good food (not great like before) and great prices.
Restaurants like this closing is an example of everything that’s wrong with the world…

This place is closed permanently. We need a new neighborhood café.

Had me their Montana Potatoes w sour cream and over easy eggs! It was soooo good, but did the portion get smaller? I used to eat half for b-​fast then the rest for lunch.

What can you say about Lake Route Café. It is under new owners, and they’re working out the kinks. But the food is just fine, and the prices are outstanding. It’s within walking distance from our house so it’s perfect for a lazy Saturday morning. Hot coffee, good eggs, and a ridiculously low bill every time. Not for everyone but works for me.

This place has changed ownership sometime in the past few years, definitely since the 2008 reviews.
It’s quieter now, although we do tend to go early, and the service is GREATLY improved. That being said, the other staff wasn’t incompetent, just slow and ‘friendly’ with a bit of ‘distracted’ thrown in.
Still, this place has really gotten much better all around.
I got the pecan waffle ($ 4), it was delicious (they also offer a bacon waffle, for the same price, which I will try next time) chock full of pecans, which is a requirement, not on top, INSIDE, please. A side of two eggs were cooked quite nicely ($ 2) and together, they were just the right amount of food.
My hubby got the veggie/​cheese omelet ($ 6) the omelettes at LRC previously were on our ‘avoid’ list, but clearly, the new cook has it down. The broccoli was steamed perfectly and the omelet was overflowing with it.
My kiddo got the pancake special ($ 6) with a buttermilk or wheat cake or waffle, one egg and ham. She ate it all right up.
We spent under $ 25 including coffee and juice and were out of there in under 45 minutes.

This place is very small and on weekend mornings, can be packed. But it is worth it. I have never had a bad meal here. I highly recommend stopping here for lunch during the week. I ate lunch here on a Monday and it was almost empty. Wow, same great food, very fast service and the really good prices. I had the special of the day — Montana Potatoes and with tip got out of there for less than $ 8. Gota love this place!

…been going here for 19 years. It used to be quite awesome. It has deteriorated greatly the last few years. Smaller portions, carelessly prepared food, hard, old biscuits, poor service from preoccupied, slovenly wait staff reeking of cigarette smoke. This sentiment was mirrored by several locals while dining this evening across the street at the newish Café Vignole. LRC has gotten so bad that I’d much rather go to Tommys in Renton. Mostly, I make the trek to the Mt. Baker neighborhood or to the Georgetown Truckstop… Restaurateurs take note! Unless LRC gets it together, there’s room for a quality breakfast house in the South end. There used to be a line to get into this place.

Crowded, but yummy: my french toast was cinnamon-​y, the boyfriend’s meal was filling, and my best friend’s food doesn’t count because she was sick, had no taste buds, and yet she ordered the bacon waffle…
The price was also good, and no one complained when we asked if we could just sit and have a cup of coffee after our plates were taken. The only drawback? We felt bad, because the place is so damned small.

My mom was in town and we were feeling indecisive about where to go, and were heading down to Renton for breakfast, when I spied a much closer café. From the outside it looked promising… small, no parking near by, crowded. Inside all the tables were packed (unfortunately not enough two tops… many couples and one single taking up big tables), and we were told the wait would be 20 minutes. We decided to wait and see if it was worth it. Happily we were seated five minutes later.
The service was just ok. The waitress seemed totally overwhelmed, in that way that makes you feel kind of bad for your mom asking too many questions… and that is just not good. Mom’s omelet came out cold, and with cheese even though she had not asked for it. The breakfast biscuit I ordered was much more biscuit than I could eat, and a bit slim on the fillings. However the whole thing had a down home comfort food charm, and mom’s eggs were good once heated up. Best part: $ 12 breakfast for the two of us!
I’d consider going here again if I don’t feel like leaving the neighborhood or paying twice as much in Columbia City, but I don’t see this becoming a regular haunt.

Yum. Yum, yum, and yum.
Good sized servings of delicious, no-​nonsense food with timely, friendly service.
Don’t go there, though, because I don’t want to have to stand in line behind you to get a seat.

Ever get lazy and renege on a promise of breakfast for your houseguests? you can use this place to make up for your promise breaking ways without breaking the bank.
Great place to grab a homecooked breakfast without making it yaself. The square biscuits are a meal within itself. The french toast was grilled nicely, but it did taste like someone jus used their Arnold’s brand multigrain from Safeway to make it, but it was good nevertheless. The Montana potatoes was excellent tho’ and maybe i shoulda just had those instead of all the other stuff. A mound of skillet potatoesa nd peppers and onions topped with a fried egg sunnyside up? I think i need to get my cholesterol checked after a visit. service was a little slow but still friendly. and 2 kids and 3 adults ate for less than 45 bux w/​tip. i’m glad that this place has been around for so long…

Why am I the first to review this great breakfast place that’s not changed in the 20 years we’ve enjoyed eating at?
June 27^th addendum. Well all good things must end. We had a simple breakfast this morning at the Lake Route and boy has it taken a turn for the worse. The service was very poor, our order and others were screwed up, and the food was mediocre. The biscuit — never their fine point — was hard and stale. The Montana potatoes were poorly served, somewhat tasteless and under done. (I’ve ordered the same item for 20 years so it’s sad to see such a change.) The coffee was luke warm and rancid. They just don’t seem to care anymore.
The lake route has had a very good basic breakfast menu that has not changed –except in price– for 20 plus years. This isn’t the place to go to if you must have your café Vita coffee and a low carb breakfast. Do join the regulars for a good cup of joe, excellent montana potatoes and decent biscuits. I’ve never tried the waffles so I can’t comment.
This is one of the few good local breakfast places left that you still see the family enjoying together — from the kids to grandma. It’s rather like a limited menu High Spot for the middle class in the south end. They’ve been remarkably consistent for over 20 years. Where else are you going to eat half way between Seattle and Renton?