Having recently moved to the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland, I’ve been trying to learn the entire area on foot. I always feel you get a much better idea of a place on foot rather than driving around. I wasn’t disappointed this time either.
Very early in moving from Downtown Portland to Sellwood I found a little corner cafe in the area. A small dive called Bertie Lou’s Cafe. Open every day from 7am to 2pm except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now there’s a schedule I can remember. I was standing right in front of it so I decided to try it out. I have had a hard time not eating there every morning ever since.
To me, and I realize this is extremely subjective, but I’m the Chef, and say they have the best breakfast in Portland. That’s a big statement I know because breakfast is ‘THE MEAL /THE BOMB” in part of the world. Let my expand on why they’re so beguiling. For starters they have a counter that you can eat at. This makes a huge difference because you can chat with everyone cooking and at the counter and have a good time. I’ve learned about a lot of great hikes in town from the people here. So that’s a big part of it. But let’s get to the food.
They have the best home fries I’ve ever had, period. They’re crispy and cooked through every time. They also have the best biscuits and gravy I’ve had. If you can’t decide what to get, I recommend The Works, which comes with a little bit of everything. But their specials are also winners. They various options for eggs Benedict are always made perfectly. Overall it’s a great place that really feels like a classic American diner. Which makes sense since it hasn’t really changed since it was opened in 1943.
