Tin Shed Garden Cafe

Name: Tin Shed Garden Cafe
Location: 1438 NE Alberta Street Portland, OR 97211
Contact information: 503.288.6966
Web address: >None
Hours: Monday-Tuesday 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
Cost: Around $6-8 for breakfast, $8-12 for lunch and dinner
Reservation recommended: Not possible – put name on list when you arrive
Good for: Breakfast
Insider tip: Go early. And by early I mean earlier than you ever thought you’d be getting up on a weekend.

Review: Although the Tin Shed serves three meals a day, the restaurant is best known for its signature breakfast menu. Don’t worry if you show up at lunch – they serve eggs, pancakes and other morning foods all day.

Prices are excellent for a terrific amount of food – a $7 plate will get you specialty eggs, a large buttermilk biscuit and either grits or shed cakes – two disks of hash browns with sour cream and green onions. The egg dishes include my favorite the Goat Boy (marinated mushrooms, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and – what else – goat cheese). There is always a daily special as well, so make sure to ask.

Dishes focus on seasonal, local and when possible, organic ingredients. Most of the time, they’re excellent, but the restaurant can be pretty inconsistent – especially when it comes to portion sizes and temperature of your dish.

This tiny cafe doubles in size when the weather is nice – if you want to cut your wait time, ask for a table outside. There’s also a happy hour menu for those who want a quick bite after work.

If you plan on going for breakfast, make sure it’s early or you’ll be in for a long wait. Large groups will have a problem here. Expect a wait any time after 8 a.m. on the weekends, and for less-than-attentive or speedy service.