We went to Zell's at rush hour, but the wait was definitely still a little longer than other places around here. Once we were seated, the staff was super friendly and responsive. We had the Florentine Benedict with hash browns (they were out of breakfast potatoes) and a cold brew, the Portabello Scramble with hash browns, Huevos Rancheros, and the Dutch Baby pancake. The Florentine Benedict was by far the best item, the hollandaise was nice and creamy and flavorful and the eggs were perfectly poached. The portabello scramble did the job but was nothing special, as was the huevos rancheros (although the huevos rancheros sauce was sweet, which is interesting but not necessarily good). The dutch baby looked beautiful, but it was really just a flat piece of bread with some berries and was a bit underwhelming. The vibes here are cute and the location is awesome, stick to the classics and get some eggs benedict and you won't be disappointed.
Lorena S
A great place for breakfast, it was busy so we had to wait for a table and after 15mins we got a table for 9 people. They sat us down and brought us some amazingly warm scones that practically melted in our mouths. I loved my Greek omelette too. Everything was great and the service was pretty quick. The coffee had the cutest design. When we went they were out of German pancakes but I have to come back to try them. Thanks for a great time with friends from out of town
Byron S.
Yikes !! Been coming here for 30 years . Our " go to " brunch spot ".....New menu ( many old favorites missing ). No signature scones ( I was told they backed up the kitchen , yet our order took longer then usual ) , big jump in prices and food not as good ! Bye Bye Zells !
Jason B.
While visiting Portland for the first time I dropped in to see an old friend who has lived here a while and we made our way to Zell's for a catch-up brunch. Wow, what a perfect spot! Our waitress - I didn't catch her name - was as friendly as any waitress I've ever known, and funnier than all of them. But not only was the service great, the food was excellent! I had the pulled pork hash and it was just what I wanted - a good portion of meat, potatoes that weren't overdone, very flavorful. My friend's eggs Benedict looked perfect, and he said they were. Gotta get back here soon, but I am have to add a new meal - elevensies? - to my routine to fit them in. It will be worth it.
Christoforo K.
I've eaten at Zell's 3 or 4 times now, both (a year or two) before and after the change in ownership/management. If anything, the food got better since the turnover. For my recent trips there, I had specials -- a PB&J stuffed French toast, and biscuits & gravy. I don't usually do an entire sweet breakfast (I prefer savory), but the French toast was phenomenal. And the biscuits & gravy was one of the best I've had. I've seen some folks complaining in reviews about how the new owner has raised prices and eliminated some things from the menu. Guess what, folks? The disruptions in supply chains due to the pandemic have not been resolved yet. Inflation is running at levels that haven't been seen in nearly 40 years. Plus, the previous owner hadn't changed prices in several years. Keeping prices static when the cost of everything is going up is a surefire way to run your favorite little corner diner straight into the ground. Bottom line, the new owner has made changes necessary to make the business run. I don't begrudge them that. Neither should you. Give them a try. Check out their specials. And remember to tip your servers well. They deserve it.
Matthew L.
Five stars for the local chill friendly ambience and for the excellent buttermilk pancakes. The service was prompt, skillful, and observant. There's a wonderful feeling of a beloved local spot that you'd love to live near to, cozy and lived-in, not loud, hurried, or pretentious. Three stars for the mediocre diner coffee, which is not worthy of the vibe of the place, and two stars for the veggie sausage patties, which tasted fine at first bite but left a strong unpleasant aftertaste. All in all, definitely coming back!
Robert E.
An elevated breakfast spot. The diverse items on the menu hints that they have good dishes--greek omelet, huavos rancheros, eggs Benedict, quiche. The eggs Benedict we had was fantastic. The hollandaise was seasoned and a bit nutty, like the butter was browned slightly. The chorizo omelet was rich and the cilantro sour cream cut through the fattiness. The addition of anaheim pepperd instead of just green peppers elavated the mexican flavor, making this something special. What I really loved was that the potatoes had herbs and spices. There was so much flavor in this meal.
Emma R.
Last time I was at Zell's for breakfast we had a great food experience. This time was completely different. The staff was amazing as they always have been, they work hard and deserve recognition for their hospitality. The food is another matter, it was lackluster. As everyone else has mentioned the complementary scones are no longer available. Even thought they still advertise it as part of your meal on their website. The pulled pork hash, was frozen, floppy hash browns that hadn't even been browned and some pieces of pulled pork. The French toast was two pieces of standard white bread cut in half with about 1/4 a banana sliced on top. The bacon waffle had a few scraps of bacon in it, essentially it was just a waffle for the price of a gourmet waffle. Disappointed with our experience but hoping the feedback is received.
Zach Burton
Awesome breakfast and brunch spot in Portland. Great atmosphere, outdoor and indoor seating. Gets busy on the weekend but worth the wait!
Cass Wahl
Fast service, including hot yummy coffee delivered immediately to the table after sitting down. Any condiment you could need is already on the table! I was misgendered immediately too, though, with a “hey, ladies” greeting. Womp Womp. The food was subpar at best. Everything tasted like it was out of a giant can and nothing was really homemade or special. (That’s how it tasted; I don’t know how they prepare the food.) not rushing to come back anytime soon!Ordered the huevos rancheros, the mushroom Brie quiche special, and the lemon yogurt blueberry pancakes special. My partner didn’t want to eat her Huevos- the red sauce tasted like marinara with some spice thrown in it. The lemon yogurt pancakes were really wet but burned on the outside. Overpriced, don’t recommend.
What a great place for breakfast. My brother was in town from Boise and both agreed this was the best place to have breakfast. The waiter and food was excellent. Highly recommend this restaurant!
Mary Ann C.
Looks the same but is not! New owners have taken away scones and jam, no more Salmon Benedict ( the best in Portland) and no more lemon ricotta pancakes. We were amazed the new owners didn't seem to be there to introduce themselves! This is the kind of place where the owner was always present on weekend mornings! Also noticed they weren't as busy on a Sunday morning and servers were not their usual smiling selves. Empty tables due to kitchen being backed up. End of an era for this little gem! I hope the new owners find their niche here but why change the staples all at once in the very beginning?
Martin W.
I'll still wanna give Zell a five star rating since what was on my plate was delicious and the waiter she was just fun to work with as always. But we learned there is a new owner and of course new owner try to make their deal work and might cut corners. Please don't do that you should buy Zell's like it is cause that is what it makes it successful. Trust your employees! Just one example we always got a greeting from the kitchen like a pastry with seasonal dipping - like a small scone with a jam. When we came last time we didn't got them and been told the new owner only allow a small amount of them made a day and when they are gone then they are gone. But back to the food: we had the special scramble with Gouda and ham that's was so good. Simple but when you cook eggs the right way it's just heaven and the cooks at Zell's know what they are doing. Also a special was the mushroom quiche that was just fluffy and full of flavor - great job! Right now due to the owner change they still waiting for their olcc license to be reestablished, but their ice tea taste good even when not mixed like one in Long Island :) Zell is always worth the brunch time and we hope the new owner will get the messages and realize there is not much to change at this delicious spot.
Stacey Sibayan
Amazing food, location and staff! My partner and I have been looking for a solid, affordable breakfast place ever since Cup and Saucer on Hawthorne closed and Zell's made us feel right at home. We were started off with warm scones and jam, delicious coffees and a spunky pink-haired waiter. I ordered the quiche special with a side salad and bacon balsamic, my partner the corned beef hash and we split the pumpkin pecan french toast special with rhubarb compote. There wasn't a single thing on the table we didn't finish, even the waiter was surprised we weren't taking part of the french toast home! We went on a sunny Saturday morning and the vibes were unmatchable. We've already begun telling our friends about this place too :)
Brittney
I'm giving this restaurant a 2 star because it's an OKAY place to stop and grab something to eat, but not a spot I'd return to. There was no parking for starters, I had to park a few blocks away just to get here. When we arrived, we sat, and were greeted by an older man who brought us water and some biscuits with jam (they are not scones). We looked over the menu, decided what we wanted, and sat there waiting for the lady to come take our order for a good 15 minutes. Once the food arrived, it was OKAY, but extremely SMALL portions. I also asked if the bacon Waffle had the bacon cooked INSIDE or just on top, and was told they cook it inside the Waffle which was not accurate. The bacon tasted like day old packaged bacon, nothing fresh. The blueberries in my french toast tasted artificial, and not fresh, juicy berries. Needless to say, we came, we tried, and won't be back.
We went to Zell's at rush hour, but the wait was definitely still a little longer than other places around here. Once we were seated, the staff was super friendly and responsive. We had the Florentine Benedict with hash browns (they were out of breakfast potatoes) and a cold brew, the Portabello Scramble with hash browns, Huevos Rancheros, and the Dutch Baby pancake. The Florentine Benedict was by far the best item, the hollandaise was nice and creamy and flavorful and the eggs were perfectly poached. The portabello scramble did the job but was nothing special, as was the huevos rancheros (although the huevos rancheros sauce was sweet, which is interesting but not necessarily good). The dutch baby looked beautiful, but it was really just a flat piece of bread with some berries and was a bit underwhelming. The vibes here are cute and the location is awesome, stick to the classics and get some eggs benedict and you won't be disappointed.
A great place for breakfast, it was busy so we had to wait for a table and after 15mins we got a table for 9 people. They sat us down and brought us some amazingly warm scones that practically melted in our mouths. I loved my Greek omelette too. Everything was great and the service was pretty quick. The coffee had the cutest design. When we went they were out of German pancakes but I have to come back to try them. Thanks for a great time with friends from out of town
Yikes !! Been coming here for 30 years . Our " go to " brunch spot ".....New menu ( many old favorites missing ). No signature scones ( I was told they backed up the kitchen , yet our order took longer then usual ) , big jump in prices and food not as good ! Bye Bye Zells !
While visiting Portland for the first time I dropped in to see an old friend who has lived here a while and we made our way to Zell's for a catch-up brunch. Wow, what a perfect spot! Our waitress - I didn't catch her name - was as friendly as any waitress I've ever known, and funnier than all of them. But not only was the service great, the food was excellent! I had the pulled pork hash and it was just what I wanted - a good portion of meat, potatoes that weren't overdone, very flavorful. My friend's eggs Benedict looked perfect, and he said they were. Gotta get back here soon, but I am have to add a new meal - elevensies? - to my routine to fit them in. It will be worth it.
I've eaten at Zell's 3 or 4 times now, both (a year or two) before and after the change in ownership/management. If anything, the food got better since the turnover. For my recent trips there, I had specials -- a PB&J stuffed French toast, and biscuits & gravy. I don't usually do an entire sweet breakfast (I prefer savory), but the French toast was phenomenal. And the biscuits & gravy was one of the best I've had. I've seen some folks complaining in reviews about how the new owner has raised prices and eliminated some things from the menu. Guess what, folks? The disruptions in supply chains due to the pandemic have not been resolved yet. Inflation is running at levels that haven't been seen in nearly 40 years. Plus, the previous owner hadn't changed prices in several years. Keeping prices static when the cost of everything is going up is a surefire way to run your favorite little corner diner straight into the ground. Bottom line, the new owner has made changes necessary to make the business run. I don't begrudge them that. Neither should you. Give them a try. Check out their specials. And remember to tip your servers well. They deserve it.
Five stars for the local chill friendly ambience and for the excellent buttermilk pancakes. The service was prompt, skillful, and observant. There's a wonderful feeling of a beloved local spot that you'd love to live near to, cozy and lived-in, not loud, hurried, or pretentious. Three stars for the mediocre diner coffee, which is not worthy of the vibe of the place, and two stars for the veggie sausage patties, which tasted fine at first bite but left a strong unpleasant aftertaste. All in all, definitely coming back!
An elevated breakfast spot. The diverse items on the menu hints that they have good dishes--greek omelet, huavos rancheros, eggs Benedict, quiche. The eggs Benedict we had was fantastic. The hollandaise was seasoned and a bit nutty, like the butter was browned slightly. The chorizo omelet was rich and the cilantro sour cream cut through the fattiness. The addition of anaheim pepperd instead of just green peppers elavated the mexican flavor, making this something special. What I really loved was that the potatoes had herbs and spices. There was so much flavor in this meal.
Last time I was at Zell's for breakfast we had a great food experience. This time was completely different. The staff was amazing as they always have been, they work hard and deserve recognition for their hospitality. The food is another matter, it was lackluster. As everyone else has mentioned the complementary scones are no longer available. Even thought they still advertise it as part of your meal on their website. The pulled pork hash, was frozen, floppy hash browns that hadn't even been browned and some pieces of pulled pork. The French toast was two pieces of standard white bread cut in half with about 1/4 a banana sliced on top. The bacon waffle had a few scraps of bacon in it, essentially it was just a waffle for the price of a gourmet waffle. Disappointed with our experience but hoping the feedback is received.
Awesome breakfast and brunch spot in Portland. Great atmosphere, outdoor and indoor seating. Gets busy on the weekend but worth the wait!
Fast service, including hot yummy coffee delivered immediately to the table after sitting down. Any condiment you could need is already on the table! I was misgendered immediately too, though, with a “hey, ladies” greeting. Womp Womp. The food was subpar at best. Everything tasted like it was out of a giant can and nothing was really homemade or special. (That’s how it tasted; I don’t know how they prepare the food.) not rushing to come back anytime soon!Ordered the huevos rancheros, the mushroom Brie quiche special, and the lemon yogurt blueberry pancakes special. My partner didn’t want to eat her Huevos- the red sauce tasted like marinara with some spice thrown in it. The lemon yogurt pancakes were really wet but burned on the outside. Overpriced, don’t recommend.
Restaurantji Recommends
What a great place for breakfast. My brother was in town from Boise and both agreed this was the best place to have breakfast. The waiter and food was excellent. Highly recommend this restaurant!
Looks the same but is not! New owners have taken away scones and jam, no more Salmon Benedict ( the best in Portland) and no more lemon ricotta pancakes. We were amazed the new owners didn't seem to be there to introduce themselves! This is the kind of place where the owner was always present on weekend mornings! Also noticed they weren't as busy on a Sunday morning and servers were not their usual smiling selves. Empty tables due to kitchen being backed up. End of an era for this little gem! I hope the new owners find their niche here but why change the staples all at once in the very beginning?
I'll still wanna give Zell a five star rating since what was on my plate was delicious and the waiter she was just fun to work with as always. But we learned there is a new owner and of course new owner try to make their deal work and might cut corners. Please don't do that you should buy Zell's like it is cause that is what it makes it successful. Trust your employees! Just one example we always got a greeting from the kitchen like a pastry with seasonal dipping - like a small scone with a jam. When we came last time we didn't got them and been told the new owner only allow a small amount of them made a day and when they are gone then they are gone. But back to the food: we had the special scramble with Gouda and ham that's was so good. Simple but when you cook eggs the right way it's just heaven and the cooks at Zell's know what they are doing. Also a special was the mushroom quiche that was just fluffy and full of flavor - great job! Right now due to the owner change they still waiting for their olcc license to be reestablished, but their ice tea taste good even when not mixed like one in Long Island :) Zell is always worth the brunch time and we hope the new owner will get the messages and realize there is not much to change at this delicious spot.
Amazing food, location and staff! My partner and I have been looking for a solid, affordable breakfast place ever since Cup and Saucer on Hawthorne closed and Zell's made us feel right at home. We were started off with warm scones and jam, delicious coffees and a spunky pink-haired waiter. I ordered the quiche special with a side salad and bacon balsamic, my partner the corned beef hash and we split the pumpkin pecan french toast special with rhubarb compote. There wasn't a single thing on the table we didn't finish, even the waiter was surprised we weren't taking part of the french toast home! We went on a sunny Saturday morning and the vibes were unmatchable. We've already begun telling our friends about this place too :)
I'm giving this restaurant a 2 star because it's an OKAY place to stop and grab something to eat, but not a spot I'd return to. There was no parking for starters, I had to park a few blocks away just to get here. When we arrived, we sat, and were greeted by an older man who brought us water and some biscuits with jam (they are not scones). We looked over the menu, decided what we wanted, and sat there waiting for the lady to come take our order for a good 15 minutes. Once the food arrived, it was OKAY, but extremely SMALL portions. I also asked if the bacon Waffle had the bacon cooked INSIDE or just on top, and was told they cook it inside the Waffle which was not accurate. The bacon tasted like day old packaged bacon, nothing fresh. The blueberries in my french toast tasted artificial, and not fresh, juicy berries. Needless to say, we came, we tried, and won't be back.