Little Red Bike Café

This was one of my favorite breakfast places of all time.
I was very sad to hear that they’d closed their doors but just found out today that some of the same awesomeness of the LRBC can be found at Lucy’s Original food cart. (
)
Just thought I’d share in case ya’ll were missing it like me!

I have a random habit of looking at wedding photos/​blogs/​planning sites and not because I’m one of those «girls», but because I think I enjoy seeing people on one of the happiest days of their lives. Anyways, I came across an adorable wedding where they rode away on a little red bike. They had homemade favors and the details just made me «aww» out loud. Then, after reading further I learned that the couple owned a little café/​bakery in Portland. Their cute vows made me vow to visit the place.
Places like this make me love Portland and makes me happy that good food is not lost in the hype.
I popped in on a rainy day that was supposed to be sunny, so we pretended just the same and sat outside under the overhang. I ordered an Alleykat and A had the Black Bean Chorizo Torta. My eyes made me also order a quiche and slice of banana cake to go. The french press coffee was bottomless and self serve. Service was quick and our seat outside had a view of the kitchen. There were a lot of people, but it wasn’t a long wait.
From the pictures, they must make an effort to make the fruit on the plate pretty and different each time. My Alleycat was filled with proscuitto, housemade fig jam, carmelized onions, a fried egg, white cheddar, and dijon mustard on freshly baked ciabatta. The torta came with black pepper kettle chips and housemade chorizo, avocado, black beans on ciabatta. Both were amazing. The ingredients melted into the ciabatta into an eggy, sweet, savory, messy bite of deliciousness.
The quiche and banana cake we got for later were equally awesome. The quiche had a croissant crust and was filled with a creamy quiche base, broccoli, and sausage. The banana cake had a yummy cream cheese frosting, crisp toasted coconut, and banana fragrant cake.
I would honestly eat here everyday if I could.
–I know they have since closed and hopefully they will soon find a new home so we can all enjoy their deliciousness once more…—

06.14.10
a c t u a l l y
Friday the 18^th is the last official day of service @ the LRBC. I’ll see you there at least a few time this week. Why?
POSTED BY JOSH? at 9:15am
l e t t i n g g o
It’s true, I can’t control this swiftly approaching finish, but I can certainly tell you to read Jen K.‘s beautiful LRBC review
POSTED BY JOSH? at 9:10am

This weekend I was preparing for battle as part of the Rose Festival Dragon Boat Races and I was in need of inspiration and a hearty breakfast. Joshua C’s review pointed the way and as I read their blog (
) about how the café came to be and how it will all soon end, it brought tears to my eyes.
My initial reaction was that life isn’t fair. But it was also a reminder that sometimes you just can’t win. Doesn’t matter how much effort and care you put into something, you can’t control the universe and sometimes you need to walk away. Preferably with your head held high.
We’ve all seen many businesses close in the last few years. Sometimes it is sudden and without any warning to customers and then there have been some very public battle royales between restaurant owners and their landlords. It has been ugly.
When I arrived Saturday morning, I was greeted with a smile and impressed that even though they were going through a lot of turmoil, you couldn’t tell as a customer. The space is light and bright, very clean and well ordered, and I was completely charmed by the kitchen’s wrap around window so you can view the action from the sidewalk as you enter the building.
I ordered the ZooBomb breakfast sandwich and it was just right. Add an Americano and I was ready to take on the world, or at least paddle my heart out on the river that day. My spirits were lifted.
My plan was to return on Sunday, since I’m slightly superstitious when it comes to preparing for a race. Do everything the same way. Unfortunately they didn’t open until 9:00a on Sunday, so it was too late on race day. In a bizarre twist, my dragon boat experience this year also ended quite suddenly due to a series of events beyond my control.
And I couldn’t help but think of the Little Red Bike Café while going through my own personal turmoil. Head held high. Service with a smile. Keep it positive. Accept the inevitable. Regroup. Move on.
I wish them all the best in their next venture. I think we’ll both be back stronger than ever. Adversity is food for soul. I don’t know about LRBC, but I’m ready to kick some ass!

Came here for a quick bite for lunch and later learned to find out that the place is closing on their blog. Sad to say it was going to be a start of a beautiful friendship for this summer. Boo!
I ordered the Paper Boy to go. Simple egg sandwich with cheese upon a ciabatta roll. The ciabatta was lightly toasted and the fried egg was cooked perfectly. When you take a bite thru the yolk it oozed into the pores of the ciabatta.
If you do plan on coming here before they close: you order your food, pick a seat and you’ll be served. What’s funny is that on their wall they have a note saying not to hit on their employees (eye candy alert!). The place is quite inviting and gives you this «homey» feeling. If you want to leave a little bit of you as a part of their farewell, they have their birdhouse box and you can write your sweet fond memories or what you would like them to know as a token of their journey at LRBC.
Food was simple and the place was packed. I would come back to get more food again but I think when I do come back, they would be closed :(

Something simple as an egg sandwich for brunch can be easily done at home but if you’re looking for something on the more extraordinary side try little red bike café on n. Lombard. Their egg sandwiches are the must unique and delicious you’ll find around town.
I myself went with the Messenger. A perfectly fried egg, layered with two crispy applewood bacon smothered in a Gorgonzola cheese spread, all on a Ciabatta bread spread with cinnamon apple butter. Hmmm hmmm good. Don’t think for a second that a kind of bread like Ciabatta will be to hard and crusty. LRBC’s Ciabatta is soft and chewy with a light crunch. The wifey had the biscuit and gravy with 2 eggs on the side. It was done well but not to the level of the Messenger. But her bloody mary was great success. perfect spiciness level and the presentation of the drink was the best I’ve ever seen.
The staff is one of the friendliest you’ll ever come across.
The Messenger: $ 7.50
biscuit and gravy: $ 5.00
2 eggs any way: $ 2.00
bloody mary: $ 6.50

If I lived closer, I would be here every day. I would probably try to sleep here. This place is adorable, cool, fun, friendly, and friggin’ delicious.
It’s got just the right amount of quirkiness to make super-​Portland and playful while maintaining a solidly consistent menu. I don’t really need to add a 79^th review of the breakfast sandwiches: JUST GET ONE. They are just as delicious as they are beautiful. I didn’t want to bite into mine and ruin the masterpiece But then I finally did, and it was so, so good.
In addition to the famous sandwiches, you can also get some plates and their pastries are fabulous. Foolishly, I did not get a bloody mary but saw others’ and they were gorgeous. We had no problems getting a table for four right away, but we did go at the later end of brunch, closer to 1 pm.
I can hardly wait to return. They came back stronger than ever after being shut down for a while after the shop flooded, which was super sad, but everyone rallied for that. Don’t forget to add a pin to the map in the restroom to show how far you traveled to get to the LRBC.

I believe this is the best brunch food in PDX– no joke. The wait sucks though, so best to arrive after 100 on a weekend. Full of Portland Uni students. Small joint inside. Nice seating outside if weather is same.
Bagel and Lox was very yummy too. Even the side salad was good. Simple, but good.
We wanted to try everything. Fortunately there will be a next time. It will be hard to pass up Elvis, though. That’s the best French toast ever. Gots to be good for you. Just has to be.

This is my favorite restaurant in Portland. And if you know Portland and all of the amazing food in it, that’s saying a lot! I live down the street and I’ve actually found myself going through withdrawal when I haven’t visited within a week (like right this moment).
They have an awesome base menu, built up around amazing egg sandwiches, but they’re always switching things up, adding new stuff, they have daily specials, etc., which is fantastic! All of their dishes are creative and crafted to perfection and I can honestly say in my countless visits that I’ve never once had anything less than phenomenal. I personally recommend the Sunday brunch, when they pull out all the stops on their specials, and have a different French toast special (s) every week — and the best biscuits & gravy in town!
They also serve an excellent cup of coffee! They brew beans from local roaster, Courier Coffee, and they’ve always got a talented barista on hand to serve you up some deliciousness.
And the icing on all of this cake is that the owners and the people who work there are the nicest, raddest, sweetest folks you ever could meet. Oh and speaking of cake, their banana coconut cream cake is AMAZING. OK that’s enough from me, do yourself a favor and get on over there and give them a high 5 for me!

Let me start with the clarification that the food was fantastic. I mean the biscuits with the rosemary gravy is, possibly, one of the most amazing things I’ve ever put in my mouth (yes that does sound dirty). The french toast with whatever came in the middle of it (lemon something) t was fantastic and sweet and came with a berry syrup that was warmed. Awesome! (side note: ask for the chocolate croissant to be warmed)
So what’s the deal with the last missing star? You have to go up and order at the bar and they bring it to you. Do I think it’s fair that I took that star away? Well, no maybe not. Am I still going to do it? Yeah, yeah I sort of am. Sorry, it’s just really, really not my thing.

Oh how I love the breakfast sandwiches here. The ingredients combonations are incredible. I was telling a friend, if you asked me to go to the store to buy fig jam I would punt you in the mouth, but in sandwich form here, delicious. The fact I arrived here at 8 instead of 8:15 made me bump it up a star, as I have been here before and waited. I don’t wait very well so me coming back again should say something.
The staff is friendly and cool without trying to outcool the patrons which is nice at a place this booming.

Beep Beep! Hater alert.
I believe that the same thing that makes this place adorable is the same reason I am a bit turned off. It’s just so tiny. If it wasn’t so damn busy it would be lovely. It’s hard to take your time and enjoy breakfast when there is a huge line and people are packed in like sardines. On the other side of the coin it’s hard to wait for a table here because there is only a few, so you know you’re in for it.
They do zip food out which is a plus. I ordered a tuna melt… I know, I know not breakfast but it was very good. The breakfast menu was a little too limited, nothing really stood out for me. My friend ordered a fried egg sandwich which I was impressed by. Just a little to cramped for my style. Perhaps for mid-​week breakfast this would be an ideal spot, but on the weekends its just too much.

They’re open Mondays now! Woohoo!
UPDATE: They are open for dinner! Tues-​Fri from 6 – 9!

Restaurants I’ve eaten at after reading a ton of hype about them have often let me down. Little Red Bike Café was not one of these. I was so happy with my sandwich, which if I remember correctly was called The Messenger: fried egg, apple butter (the best part!), bacon and some other toppings on a ciabata roll.
It’s simple, yet somehow amazing. The wait can really suck, but today we got right in by adopting some communal seating habits.
I really didn’t like the coffee there. I think in the winter everyone starts serving citrus flavored coffee that’s just not for me.
The place is cheap, too!

Really awesome breakfast at a fair price.
Daughter and I went there on a Sunday for brunch. Had to wait a few minutes for a table, but no big deal. You will end up rubbing shoulders, and the tables are tipsy (It’s just that kind of place), but that is the atmosphere. If you want fancy, don’t bother coming here.
Staff was friendly, and without attitude. I had coffee in hand in 5 min, before we got our table.
Food was first rate. Daughter had a vegetarian smoked tempeh sandwich on ciabatta bread. Really good. The salad that came with it was a bit too vinegary (maybe that’s a word), but the sandwich was just to die for. I had the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and lox topped with a fried egg. It was truly wonderful. Perfect mix of balanced flavors.
All in all, a truly great experience. I’ll be back.

My friend told me about this place and she took us here for Sunday brunch She told me the Fried Egg sandwich is the signature thing to order, however, I really wasn’t in the mood for the Fried Egg so I thoroughly read through the menu to see what else will quiet my grouchy stomach.
MmMM pecan pancakes or huevos rancheros? If I go with the pancakes it’ll be eating cake for dessert like I did at Papa Haydn the morning before with my sister… okay not a good idea. Huevos Rancheros it is and the Roasted Jalapeño Mousse definitely caught my eye ;)
We were lucky to find a spot in the tiny vicinity. I’d say that Pomelo on Judah has more space than this! My friend got her Americano and we chatted til my food was placed before me.
Awwwww yeeaaaa!!! This was definitely substance although the dried mango with, perhaps, cayenne sprinkled on it did not suit my taste buds but it did for Maya so I gave it to her :) I dipped my fork in the Jalapeño mousse every time i was to take a bite outta the concoction of beans, tortilla, egg, and salsa. No need for hot sauce! oh man this was so good! i was a tad disappointed when all of it was gone but my stomach was quiet and back to it’s job of digesting.
$ 9.50 well spent but a little touchy on the wallet but I am paying for the quality of the ingredients and it tasted delish.

I’ve been enjoying the Little Red Bike Café for over a year now, and while I no longer live in St Johns (I moved to SW) I still have mornings where I’ve got to hop on my little red vespa & drive up there.
Needless to say their Coffee is good, their OJ is yummy, but the Zoobomb with Veggie bacon?
The Little Red Bike Café could relocate to Hades & I’d still ride out there to get my mitts on what is easily my favorite breakfast sandwich of all time.

I was in town one weekend and wanted to hangout with some local friends between a string of texts, Sunday brunch came up and than the address of this place popped up on my phone. Sure its small but who can miss a place with a red bicycle on the roof? Well to call this place small is like calling my a Mini Cooper a spacious car. First of all you stand in line to order, wait for a table to open up, don’t forget to get your own utensils. I ordered a VLT, and a glass of OJ for my brunch but as I was at the counter I noticed these little pastries with sugar on it and my mind went into 5 year old mode, next thing I notice I have this sugary confection that tastes incredible. Waiting for a table can be tricky when its super crowded, do I wait outside so I m not on top of people, or do I wait outside for a table or do I wait for a table inside.
Anyways the VLT was really awesome, just the right about of salty, sweet, yummy, and freshness. Where else can you can get a VLT???

I dunno. maybe I just wasn’t in a mood for a sandwich for breakfast?
We came in on a Saturday morning, early enough that there were a couple of tables available, so no wait was necessary. It was a nice day too, so there are more tables outside you can sit on, which is nice. The place is very clean, nicely decorated. All the food was fresh, with little touches to show they care.
I ordered the Raphino’s, which consists of the «Portland’s Best Cinnamon roll» — not so much, it was OK, not too sweet, but a little drier than I like, the coffee (which was good, according to my mom) and the bacon, egg, cheese sandwich. The chai I ordered was kinda weak, I wouldn’t order it again. The egg sandwich was OK, on a fresh ciabatta. Just didn’t hit the spot for me.
My mom ordered the Messenger and only picked at half of it. She actually wanted to go to Waffle Windows but I dragged her here because I heard good things about it and wanted to try it. Maybe her mind was set on waffles and the fact that LRBC didn’t have any pancake/​waffle/​french toast on a Saturday was enough to kill her appetite.
So we left feeling slightly dissatisfied. One of these days I will go back on a Sunday though, since the menu is totally different then.

While I was visiting a friend we stopped in here for lunch. It was the *second* time that day he’d be in there but he was all about it. I had a breakfast sandwich lined up next to a peanut butter malt shake.
For me, most breakfast sandwiches are usually alright but the bread is almost always the weak link. That was certainly not the case here. Everything from the bread to the sauce was perfect.
Now, I like peanut butter. I like it a lot. But this malt shake was AMAZING. It was just the right thickness, had all the flavor you could pack into it, and it was a generous portion served up in a mason jar with a straw.