Genies Cafe
| Address: | 1101 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202, USA |
| Phone: | +1 503-445-9777 |
| Site: | geniesdivision.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 12
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Charles Bosse
I have been to Genies several times now as I live in the area, and while I always assume the service will be a bit slow (they arent slapping waffles out, so expect to wait for a cooked meal) I have always had very good food and pleasant servers. Genies makes an effort to use local ingredients, which is a plus in my book. Genies has a few specific perks that other breakfast places often dont have: a large bar and waiting area (if the line is long enough that you are waiting in the rain for more than a few minutes, you should expect a LONG wait) that you can wait at and get coffee , virgin bloody marry etc., consistently clean facilities, local fruit, rotating specials that are often veg/vegan friendly and a very high quality selection of teas. There are a few good reasons to skip Genies: If you are in a hurry, or hate hipsters (I am by no means a hipster, but if tatoos and tight shirts turn you off, go somewhere else), or want an IHOP style breakfast. Otherwise, this is one of the better breakfast joints in town.
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A Private User
Food was good, but the service was terrible. We were a group of 8, I called ahead the day before and made sure that was OK. When we were arriving first thing at 8 they made us wait until we were all there, no biggie but a little strange considering there wasnt ANYBODY else in the restaurant. After we were all there at 8:05 they got our table "ready." The server stood with arms folded at one end of the table and announced what do you want to no one in particular, took our coffee oreder and filled our cups all at one end so we could pass them all down...never refilled them until we asked at the end of the meal (same for water). She seemed annoyed we were there the whole time. I never tip lower than 20% ( i was a server once know how it is) but i was tempted. We will never go back, the food was good but not good enough to trump the crappy service.
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A Private User
Went for the first time to Genies and it moved to the top of my list of favorite Portland breakfast spots. Everyone at my table was really happy with the meal. Good portions, good prices, delicious food, great service. They really know how to prepare a good scramble--perfectly cooked eggs (not too dry) combined with delicious ingredients. Good french toast. And the most important feature in a breakfast for me, the potatoes, were good as well. I went with the Potatoes OBrien (similar to roasted potatoes, they are diced into small cubes, seasoned) and they were quite tasty. Noticed a few bad reviews when it came to service, but we actually had a really good experience. Even on a busy Sunday morning, our waiter was friendly, attentive as well as knowledgeable about the menu and had good suggestions. Guess it just depends on the server.
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A Private User
Ive been to Genies three times now, all at different times and days and it was always hopping in there. I had eggs bene once, a reuben with bacon and a scramble and all of them were great. Good portions, you could tell they make most of their ingredients themselves and there is care put into the matchups of their flavors. I really like it there and wish I didnt live on the other side of town! The only downside is that it is very busy, so a little loud and sometimes it can be difficult to get your servers attention, but they still do a friendly and fantastic job, considering how busy it was. I suggest you go and bring a friend!
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Korin Whitmarsh
Neat, clean restaurant with really delicious and unique bloody marys. We went on a Sunday and (of course) had to wait. While waiting for a table I sipped on the dill bloody mary and it was amazing! I got an omelet on the special menu with black forest ham and other tasty morsels in it. Definitely healthy portions here, but my seemingly delish sounding omelet was awkwardly bland as well as not attractive on the plate once it got to our table. In fact, not one of the dishes I saw that morning looked enticing. Service was good, but overall I wouldnt go back here again. Too pricey for what it was - bland, and unappealing...
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Michelle Garcia
Not so impressed. Came for Sunday brunch, waited less than 20 mins to be seated. Poached eggs were overcooked (yolk was not runny). Burger was also overcooked. White chocolate chip and hazelnut pancakes were a bit tough. Maybe they were having a rough morning, just not up to par for some relatively none challenging entrees. The drinks were enjoyable: Bloody Mary was spicy! That being said, we enjoyed the service and when your with friends, its never a bad time.
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A Private User
Great breakfast food and amazing Bloody Marys. Try the cucumber infused vodka (refreshing) or the habanero infused vodka (spicy goodness). I havent had the bacon bloody Mary but it looks fantastic... if you love bacon. There is generally a wait on the weekends, but its totally worth it. I recall that the biscuits and gravy here is vegetarian (I had to ask since I found out that mushroom gravy doesnt mean that it wasnt made with chicken stock; Lilis Cafe)
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A Private User
Genies has the benefit of being the first brunch I ate when coming to Portland, but I still go back regularly. The Benedicts are always a safe bet, but their menu is also full of other breakfast classics done right. The Bloody Mary is one of my favorites in town, especially the habanero. The waits are not usually too bad and the prices are right. They dont always get the eggs and potatoes right, but the cute staff seems to make up for that some how.
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Scott Hendison
Wow. I could not ask for more fantastic breakfast. a spicy apricot chicken hash w/ poached eggs and hollandaise sauce was amazing. I had some time to kill waiting for my sons baseball practice to get over, so I searched for best breakfast in portland and I see now why this place came up. my only complaint is that their service was too fast, and I still have time to kill. I will likely be back every saturday during winter baseball workouts!
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Jerry Hilts
Good food. Great service. Their standard menu items are great, but dont overlook the specials. Theyre off the hook. Check out this recent breakfast special: > Breakfast Bruschetta Omelet- Fresh basil, avocado, grape tomatoes & leeks with pecorino cheese. Topped with arugula & a drizzle of balsamic reduction served with choice of toast & potatoes All for about $10. Like most good breakfast places in town, expect a wait on the weekends.
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Jack Wolf
The wait was long. But the food was worth it and the service was spot on. I will be going back to try something different. This time around I had a cheeseburger, it was good, Ive had better at a place in my local town but it was by such a small margin that it doesnt effect the rating. I may change this to five stars at a later date upon a second or third visit. If consistency holds it will go up. Thank you for the service and the food.
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James Cantrell
The brown mushroom and rosemary gravy was a work of art, as though Thomas Keller decided to take a humble dish on any truckstop menu and elevate it to his greatness. This is the best country fried steak I have ever put into my mouth... Service was keen on being there when needed and ghosted when unnecessary, and the Bloody Mary formula was unique but not overly trying to stand out in a crowd. Spend your money here... All of it.
