City State Diner
| Address: | 128 NE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97232, USA |
| Phone: | +1 503-517-0347 |
| Site: | citystatediner.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–4PM 8AM–4PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
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Eileen Monroe
Eggs Benedict is my favorite breakfast, so Ive had it many places and many ways. This might be one of the best Ive ever had. I ordered the standard ham Benny and added avocado. Not sure about weekends or brunch, but I was here on a Monday morning, and the service was very fast. When my food arrived, it was beautifully plated, with two slices of their signature Seared Grits. Unique and very good, but very filling! As for the Benny... I dont think its possible to poach eggs more perfectly. That moment when you cut into the egg and the yolk runs down over everything and mixes with the hollandaise... its a thing of beauty. Everything else in it was cooked to perfection as well. No sawing through over cooked ham or muffin, it all sliced easily. Nothing weird or pretentious, just ordinary Eggs Benedict made extraordinarily well. I sat outside at one of their very nice little tables, but the inside looked very inviting as well. Much larger inside than it looks from the outside. As usual in Portland, parking was a non issue. I literally parked right in front of the place. Overall, I was very impressed, and I highly recommend eating here.
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Jacy Church
nice people work here but the food is nothing special. dishes are quite bland in comparison to other popular breakfast restaurants around town. for a diner their menu is all over the place. my friend ordered a croque madame and it was a pile of mush. i mean this in the least pretentious a-hole way but that dish was not even close to what a croque madame should taste (and look) like. i got arguably the simplest breakfast ever of poached eggs, potatoes and toast and it fell flat. the egg whites must not have cooperated so i got two egg yolks in a little bit of water, the potatoes didnt have any flavor and the toast was, well, it was toast. the kitchen should be able to discern whether or not eggs are properly poached and if a slice of soft bread doused in melted cheese is a croque madame. basically, it took a long time to get mediocre food. i think an increased awareness of food quality would make this place better. i have no issue waiting for delicious food, even if its breakfast and im starving!
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Abraham Han
I came here with three other friends in mid-December. The original plan was to grab brunch at Screen Door, but it was closed due to snowy/icy conditions. The food here is generally pretty good. The Crab Cake Eggs Benedict was quite good. I was a little underwhelmed by a dish named "Best of Both Worlds." It wasnt bad, but I couldnt point my finger at why it didnt quite hit the spot. The portions are fairly generous, though. Service is friendly, and I liked the warm ambiance of the place. I would certainly consider eating here again if I make it to Portland anytime soon. For parking, we parked in a residential area maybe about a block away from the diner.
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Nevenka Anastas
Wow. Another hipster brunch spot in Portland. Cliche unless your looking for a great breakfast. The wait was 20 minutes in the front room with several other people. But we were not in the rain and there was coffee. Staff and guests were mellow, which I require on a Sunday. More importantly EVERYONE liked their food. On a family outing of seven people (!) that is saying something. If you are into the low salt thing, its the place. I had to salt my mushroom scramble, which was very delicious, mushroomy and large. Egg sandwiches are runny! You can ask them to be cooked through.
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Robert Reid
I have a theory that the band Tool is responsible for places that name themselves things like City State Diner. You know beer places called Beer, food places called Grub or Food. I dont know. City State is very good though. It gets busy, particularly on weekends. (Though less busy than Screen Door, a few blocks away.) People like brunch in American cities. In Portland, people like breakfast, so it gets busier earlier than youd expect for brunch times. I am disappointed with their grits -- served in cake form -- but otherwise am happy with any egg or biscuit dish Ive gotten.
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A Private User
I try to stop myself from telling people about this place, but I cant. This is the east sides best brunch secret. I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes and am often seated right away. The menu is full of delicious breakfast options, both traditional and with a twist. The ingredients always seem fresh and the prices are reasonable. I am a big fan of The Count. The Chicken Fried Steak was probably one of their weaker options. All their egg dishes have been excellent including the Pork Belly and Prosciutto Eggs Benedict especially.
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Lori Donovan
We visited this gem while visiting Portland for a few days while on vacation. We stopped in for breakfast and loved it so much we went back the next day for lunch! For lunch, the meatloaf sandwich was my husbands favorite, while I loved the Cuban along with a delicious Bloody Mary. Breakfast was just as great. One of our group got Best of Both Worlds, a combination of Eggs Benedict and biscuits & gravy. It was a HUGE portion, but he managed to eat every bite. Nothing negative to say! Be sure and sample the house-made pickles!
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Nathan Brauner
Every time I go, the food is delicious! There is always plenty to choose from and its always made with quality ingredients. The fare is breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, salads and the like. I highly recommend the Bacon Scramble and getting their potatoes for the side. The bacon mixed with eggs and brie is soooooo good! The decor is nothing to rave about, its a diner like they say and the service has always been good. I definitely suggest going here for brunch and if its summer time then its a great place to sit outside too!
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Dylan Cascio
The food is reliably delicious, and the service is fast and friendly. City state has been a go to of mine for years and every time Ive had a wonderful time. The interior is bright and open. The music selection is typically Portland, but often enjoyable and never too loud or annoying. Great for singles at their bar locations, couples in their smaller two tops, and you can comfortably for up to six or eight at the tables in the middle of the dining area. The outdoor seating in also a wonderful option in the right weather.
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Sorcha Holmes
The food is very good but the service is slow. As a result theres always a super long wait. Also you can get similar if not better food at a number of other establishments for $2-3 less per plate near by and have a much shorter overall wait. They really need to work on the speed of their turnover and allocation of their workforce tasks. There were way too many staff there for tables to wait 5-7 mins to get their tickets and be bussed. Overall yes Id recommend but its nothing to write home about.
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A Private User
I almost dont want to write this review, because as previous reviewers have said, City State is one of Portlands secret brunch spots where you can still get great food without waiting an hour. Diverse menu selection, and I love the ability to customize your plate like a traditional diner, but with plenty of veggie options. Friendly servers and always a good experience. Another plus is that theyre open later than other brunch spots, which is nice if you tend to sleep in on weekends.
