Locally owned Kitchen Table Cafe has three restaurants in Vancouver. We decided to visit the Salmon Creek cafe for breakfast because it’s near where we shop for groceries, and every time we go by in the morning the parking lot is filled.
Kitchen Table Cafe may be open for lunch, but the restaurant’s biggest seller is breakfast.
Egg dishes can include corned beef hash, breakfast steak, smoked kielbasa, apple sausage, chicken-fried chicken or steak, turkey, ham or salsa; they are priced between $10.99 and $14.59. Joe’s Scramble has four eggs, spinach, onions, tomatoes, bacon, potatoes, all topped with Parmesan cheese, and a choice of biscuits, toast or pancakes for $15.58.
If you like a mix of elements on your plate, the Biscuits & Gravy Combos come with two eggs, ham, bacon or sausage. The one-biscuit combo rings in at $9.99.
Kitchen Table Café — Salmon Creek
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 1319 N.E. 134th St., Vancouver.
Contact: 360-852-8756; kitchentable-cafe.com
Health score: Kitchen Table Café received a score of 10 on Oct. 3. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
Waffles come with two eggs and are served plain or with a choice of strawberries or a five-berry mix. French toast can be served with cinnamon apple and cream cheese, blueberries, almond crust, or the strawberry and berry options. Or you can go full monty and order the large cinnamon roll French toast. Need I explain?
There also daily specials, one of which caught my guest’s eye. The Lemon Raspberry French Toast stopped all conversation for the next 20 minutes as she thoroughly enjoyed what she termed a “perfect breakfast,” including two very tasty thick sausages, which resulted in a paltry half-inch leftover piece for our car-sitting pooch.
I eyed the pancake section of the menu. I passed on the sweet potato and chocolate chip varieties, and instead opted for the blueberry pancake combo. Two eggs (over easy, if you please), a generous slice of grilled ham, and three 8-inch-diameter and half-inch-thick pancakes that were packed with large blueberries. Great pancakes — that I had trouble finishing. And yes, I saved a generous ham tidbit for my best friend in the car.
But before I forget, I’ve got to tell you about the orange juice. Yes, the OJ was wonderful. Both of us thought it was freshly squeezed until our delightful server told us it was organic juice with some cane sugar added. We both still think it was as good as any non-fresh-squeezed OJ we’ve had. Try it and let us know what you think. Plus it’s a very large glass (about 10 ounces) for only $3.99. I’ve paid the same for a 4-ounce portion.
For the eggs Benedict lovers among you, Kitchen Table Cafe has both English muffin and buttermilk biscuit versions, and a Florentine one with fresh spinach and tomatoes, all with the obligatory eggs and hollandaise sauce. Or you can get a more traditional one with grilled ham, or another meatless Benedict with avocado. Prices range from $10.69 to $11.29.
Breakfast sides include hash browns, red potatoes or tater tots, and you can go wild with a bowl of oatmeal or a warmed cinnamon roll.
You can experience waits of up to 20 minutes at this very popular place, but the warm service, large servings and nice homey atmosphere make eating here well worth the wait.
But don’t forget your canine friends patiently waiting in the car, they deserve a breakfast treat too.
