Portland, OR – Biscuits Cafe

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Figuring I had burned off 30 pounds or so at the gym this morning, I was in the mood for a burger breakfast, and popped into a local chain “Biscuits Cafe” (menu) to sample their offerings. If you are a regular reader you know I like a burger patty and eggs, and you also know I don’t succeed in finding that menu item so often these days. I was surprised and happy Biscuits offered it.

With less ambiance than a Greyhound Bus Station, or even an IHOP or Denny’s, Biscuits has a number of outlets in the Portland area, and a note on the menu says they are now franchising, with “ten locations in three states.” Whoop-de-dooh!

Painted on the wall is the inscription, “We don’t serve fast food, we serve fresh food as fast as we can.” (This doesn’t turn out to be precisely true).

With an estimated seating capacity of @135 (plus a few outside tables for the three days a year the temp in Portland is over 40, and it isn’t raining), this outlet was sucking wind for customers this morning, with 7 additional patrons in addition to yours truly. Of the 7, 3 were seniors dining alone, 2 were senior men dining together, and 2 were a man and woman discussing some business.

The multitude of customers were being served by two waitresses (a third came in as I was leaving), and two cooks of Hispanic heritage. (Did you happen to see Anthony Bourdain the other nite opine on “Mexican” cooks? He said put ten French cooks in a kitchen with one Mexican cook and the Mexican would grind out better French food.)

I ordered the burger patty and two eggs, over easy, with hash browns, and rye toast. It took a little longer to get than most casual dining restaurants, but luckily I remembered the wall inscription! “Freshness” was not to rule the day with this menu item, the potatoes and burger patty were fresh out of the institutional food service freezer. I do have to say this food service burger patty was a step up from most I have had lately.

The “hook” at Biscuits seems to be nearly a pound of hash browns on every plate, and over-sized toast (it was a marble rye). It is probably the intention of management that this will make you overlook the skimpy meat serving and a couple of pretty tiny eggs. In any case, the food was served the way I ordered it, and the waitresses were cordial and diligent with the coffee and water refills.

The breakfast was OK, really no different than any other place of this ilk, except for being considerably more spendy. Breakfast, coffee and tip came out north of $12, and one of my alternate choices of the morning could have been Shari’s, which is currently shoveling out chicken fried steak and eggs for $4.99. Oh, well, next time.

P.S. Wonder what they thought I should use that huge-ass steak knife on?


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