Zell’s Cafe

Quick bite before heading to the airport. We ordered the asparagus soup, BLT, and cheeseburger.
Food:
The soup was awesome on a cold and rainy day. Homemade and portions of asparagus… yum! The BLT was on wheat toast and the bacon was not soft and not too crisp, which, as we all know, can make or break a BLT. The cheeseburger was pretty large and my daughter said it was cooked perfectly.
Service:
I appreciated that we had service from several people. It was there way of keeping the process moving. Brilliant!
Décor:
Classic Oregon. Occupying an existing and pretty old building, you feel warm and cozy. Tables are not perfectly aligned which creates a warmth as well. Dark woods and soft, overcast light added to the ambiance.

Came into Zell’s for some breakfast and boy it did not disappoint. The service was okay, our waitress took our order, brought our food and didn’t really come back to our table to fill our waters but that was okay.
We ordered a Baked Salmon Benedict, Traditional Eggs Benedict and an Apple German Pancake. I loved the hollandaise sauce on my eggs benny and the salmon was complimented the eggs well. The German pancake was fluffy and tasted closer to a crêpe than a pancake, which was an interesting, but nice surprise. I love that you get a complimentary scone with your breakfast. The scone with raspberry jam is delish. Would highly recommend this spot.

Very mediocre breakfast food; nothing outstanding or original about the menu and the service was middling. 30 minute wait on a weekday morning, not sure why people are flocking to this place.

Great little restaurant for breakfast. Had eggs Benedict which was cooked perfectly and came with some great fried potatoes.

Do you ever have a place you go eat at, even though you know the service is dog shit, over priced, and the food is subpar– ONLY because it’s so close to your house? I suffer this frequently at Zell’s. The saving grace is there tiny free scones they offer you while you wait for your meal, if they remember. Spare yourself from the burnt coffee.

Meh. It was OK. My potatoes were undercooked and the omelette a bit runny. I wasn’t super impressed with the service, esp considering there were 3 servers and one busser on on a slow Monday morning. I’m a server and felt I could have handled the dinning room on my own and still been more attentive than the 3 servers who were on deck this morning. Not impressed and I dunno if I’d go back.

The food here is delicious. I had the huevos Rancheros with avocado and chorizo. It was heavenly. They also provide each table with delicious little scones and jam. Our waiter was also really good.
Here’s my one complaint. After we had paid our check, we were finishing up our tea and and coffee. While we were sitting there two members of the staff kept coming by and trying to rush us out. They came by and tried to take my friends coffee which she was still drinking and they came by a second time to tell us that there were «lots of people waiting». Not cool.
Besides that experience, great breakfast joint.

Adored the scones and jam they give right when you sit down!
Overall a great breakfast spot.

I used to love coming here, but the past few times the service has been poor.
Take today. I sat at the bar and ordered a mimosa. The guy who brings the muffins arrived with the little scones. I asked for the gluten free muffins, at which point he stood still and openly glared at me. Then he took the jam off the plate, slammed it on the bar top and stormed off.
Maybe I’ve misread his cues, I thought. But when he arrived he slammed the plate of muffins down, then departed.
My next thoughts were Hm, no. Fuck this shit.
I got up and left. I walked down to Pepperbox where for $ 4.50 I was served a huge taco by a cheerful, pleasant, and accommodating gentleman.
To the muffin man at Zell’s, maybe you shouldn’t be in customer service.
To Zell’s, thank you for saving me fifteen bucks, and providing a great example of poor customer service that I can use in the corporate customer service classes I teach.

I’ve been to Zell’s 3 times now and have had a great experience each time. The first two times were on a Saturday with 1 other person and there was no wait, which is impressive for any Portland brunch spot on a Sat/​Sun morning. The most recent time there were 4 of us and we only waited 15 minutes. Score!
I’ve had the avocado bacon tomato omelette every time because it is SO good, but the whole menu looks amazing and it has plenty of vegetarian/​gluten-​free options. Also, the service is incredible. Every server has been so nice, accommodating, and friendly. I love this place!

Went here for breakfast for my first time today and I was pleasantly surprised. Everything that was ordered in our group looked delicious and I really liked how they served biscuits from the get go. Definitely looking forward to eating here again.

What’s to say, the staff was great, and the food was better. If you’re in the area, or feel like a bit of a drive, you can’t go wrong. The portobello scramble was the best breakfast egg dish I’ve EVER had.

Great service, delicious food, and reasonable prices. Definitely recommend for breakfast.

Cute neighborhood brunch spot. I ordered the fried cauliflower and Gruyère fritter and my cousin had the salmon omelet, both with potatoes, and the food was flavorful and delicious. The salmon tasted fresh with a hint of natural sweetness and not over cooked. The cauliflower was perfect. I’m not much of a potato person but I can be converted with these perfectly cooked and seasoned ones. Will be happy to return.

Wonderful to start off your breakfast at Zell’s Café with yummy scones and raspberry jam. I have enjoyed breakfast here a number of times and thought I should comment on there consistent service and tasty corn beef hash and chorizo omelette. Zell’s cures there corn beef and makes a flavorful chorizo. They also have a variety of pancakes and eggs benedict. Enjoy!

Zell’s was great. Had a very homey vibe. Food was good and the service was fast and attentive.

I was not highly impressed with this breakfast/​brunch spot after such rave reviews on Unilocal.It’s convenient during the weekdays when there isn’t a line but I would say this will not be a place I ever bring company to on weekends. Very basic menu leaning a tad on the pricier side for what you get but good customer service.
I mean, they must be doing something right with a four-​star average but definitely doesn’t make my top ten.

I travel for a living. And when I’m in Portland, I try to have breakfast at Zell’s at lease once. The week, I ate here twice. I had to write this review because of the awesome breakfast I had here yesterday. I was going got have the German Apple pancake, which looks like a meal for two. But I had a craving for something sweet. A business associate who was with me said, «I’m having the corn beef hash.» Well, I love corn beef hash! But I have always had some version of the pre-​fab little cubes of meat and potato that is available in every hole in the wall diner across the country. But this corn beef hash was completely different.
Normally, when i get to liking some kind of comfort food, I prefer that folks don’t fool with it. Make it the way that I like it, and leave well enough alone. But this was a genuine treat. The meat was torn in small pieces and mixed in with the unevenly cut bits of potato and other delicious things. I had mine with two easy over eggs and some rye toast. Just an amazing treat for the taste buds!
Everything I have eaten here has been made with good quality ingredients, and made fresh when I’ve ordered them. The service is prompt and courteous; even when they’re super busy. I don’t know about lunch. But breakfast is a real treat. Bring your appetite, or plan to share with a friend. Oh… And they have good coffee too!

All brunch spots should set a plate of something freshly baked in front of you when you sit down, in my opinion. In the case of Zell’s, it’s two mini scones and a side of jam.
I was hoping to find oysters on the brunch menu, but settled on salmon benedict. It was an average benedict. The salmon was good; the eggs were perfectly cooked, but it really was a consolation pick. The boyfriend loved his omelet and the huge chunks of baked salmon.
Service was excellent. We sat at the bar and even though it was a full house, the server never let our coffee cups reach their half-​empty point.
I will definitely be back. If not for the hangtown fry, it will be for the German pancakes.

Nothing really stood out about this place. Cute interior though. Eggs, pancakes, all pretty standard stuff. Nothing innovative. Expect about a 25-​minute Saturday morning wait average.

It took about 25 minutes for my party of 5 to be seated on a Sunday morning, not too bad.
The scones and jam were waiting for us at the table, ready for us to eat. The jam was amazing but the scones were okay. They were super crumbly and a little dry so I definitely needed the jam to even it out.
I ordered the baked salmon Benedict while my friends ordered the German pancake and huevos rancheros. The salmon was a little on the dry side and my friends and I agreed that the hollandaise sauce was a little under-​seasoned. The potatoes, however, were AMAZING. A little on the crunchy side and perfectly seasoned. The German pancake was pretty good, in my opinion. The huevos rancheros were pretty good but it did need the potatoes to offset the mushiness. Overall, the food was okay and I don’t think I’ll be back.

We ordered the peach and blueberry german pancakes.
They give complimentary scones with jam which was an excellent appetizer.
The bacon was good quality and fresh.
They were amazing!!! The most filling and tasty breakfast I’ve had in ages.
Next time I come I will order the Reuben scramble.

I ate here after running a half marathon, so I was obviously a BIG fan! But regardless of how hungry I was going into Zell’s, this was a pretty legit spot.
There wasn’t a wait, unlike most PDX brunch spots on the weekend — and on a nice day they have great outdoor seating options. The staff is friendly and they bring out butter scones for the table to enjoy, which are delicious — I tried requesting a second round of scones, but the waiter said it would be extra :-(I ordered the salmon scramble and it was a solid order with the perfect amount of cheese/​salmon ratio. They also have great iced coffee, served with frozen coffee cubes.
Overall, I have been to more mind blowingly good brunch spots in Portland, but Zell’s is a solid neighborhood joint on a weekend!

We had a great experience at Zell’s! Our waitress was simply amazing! She was witty, fun, and great at her job — we tipped 30% as a thank you for the quick and friendly service. I wish I could remember her name!
The food was extra tasty, the wait wasn’t too bad, and the free scones before the meal really hit the spot. We would definitely recommend Zell’s to a friend.

I’ve been here a dozen or so times over the years and always leave satisfied and with a box of leftovers. Simple, fresh, delicious = solid meals.
Today I had the portobello scramble it was excellent. The fruit cup instead of potatoes or toast is well worth the up charge.
Great coffee, yummy bloody Mary’s. My husband always always orders the corned beef hash and eats the whole damn thing too.
I don’t wait more than 15 minutes though… just can’t do it, so I don’t go there with a large group and try to go on a weekday. Today we lucked out and walked right in and sat down. Beautiful!
Oh, and the complimentary little fluffy scones with butter and jam upon seating is a treat to look forward to and smile about :)

Great food, great service! Tasty coffee while you wait. My partner had the baked salmon benedict, which was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The hollandaise sauce was delicious, the English muffins were super fresh, and the salmon tender and delicious.
I ordered the Chorizo omelette, which featured Anaheim chilies and cheddar cheese. The flavor was superb, and the eggs fluffy and light. Of course, the complimentary mini scones with raspberry jam were light and perfect as an appetizer. Coffee and water were refilled several times, and all servers were friendly and prompt.
Overall, an amazing breakfast, reasonably priced, and service to boot. We’ll be back very soon!

Good place for breakfast! Service is quick and friendly – love the scones they give you with your water!
We had the German pancake and the Eggs Florentine – both were flavorful and light!
Will definitely be back!

Zells is one of my favorite breakfast spots. The line gets a bit long on the weekends but it seems to move pretty quickly. They also have self serve coffee outside while you wait. Their seasonal pumpkin pancakes are delicious. I recommend getting the 2+2+2 with the pumpkin pancakes. Yum!

We came here last Sunday morning at 9:30am and it was packed. We waited for about 20 minutes and then gave up and went to our favorite Breakfast place in Portland, the Utopia Café.
But since Zells was so crowded and had a Unilocal 4 star rating… We decided to try again this Sunday and arrived at 9:00 am. All the tables were occupied but there were 3 seats at the bar. We went for that.
By the time we left there were about 10 people waiting for seats.
Ok… For the good. Service was some of the best in Portland. They were very pleasant and quick to get water on table and then coffee after that. Orders were taken quickly. Food came fast. To go box and bill came as soon as we were done. The place has a nice look to it as well.
Now for the not so good. Its really noisy. I think a lot of Portlanders seek out environments like this… But I like to hear what my wife or friends are saying to me.
They do deliver free «mini scones» with butter and jelly very soon after being seated. The scone was more like a biscuit and was just ok. They were not worth the calories for us to finish them… Even though I always feel compelled to eat anything that is free…
I got my standard eggs over, potatoes, and bacon. My wife got the chorizo omlet. The omelet was just ok. The potatoes were just ok. The eggs were just a bit warmer than luke warm. And the worst sin of all… The bacon looked and tasted like it had been cooked earlier and then rewarmed. Hey… Come on guys… Bacon deserves more respect than that!
So all in all it was just an ok breakfast. I not sure why it was so crowded. Perhaps this area of town is devoid of good breakfast places? We also saw a lot of people eating pancakes and German or Dutch baby pancakes. Maybe they might be worth trying.
But since we are not fans of noisy places we probably will not come back.

A cozy neighborhood breakfast joint, worth checking out. I’ve had Zell’s on my bookmarks for awhile. I live within walking distance to Broder, but there were 6 parties already listed. Thanks to Unilocal,I had a list of breakfast joints on my phone.
We drove to Zell’s, around 10am on a weekday. We were greeted within a mere second of walking in. Given complimentary scones, as soon as we were seated. There were probably only 3 other tables when we walked in.
My mother ordered the regular eggs benedict and I ordered the salmon benedict. It’s not as great as made from scratch hollandaise, but was pretty tasty nonetheless. Might be busier during the weekend, as by the time we left, mostly all the tables were taken!