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Name: Sanborn’s
Address: 3200 SE Milwaukie Ave, Portland, OR, 97202
Telephone: (503) 963-8000
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 4.17

Sanborn’s

3200 SE Milwaukie Ave, Portland, OR, 97202

(503) 963-8000
Store is closed

Sanborn’s Menu

Pancakes

Buttermilk

Buckwheat

Sourdough

Blueberry

Potato

Buttermilk

Buckwheat

Sourdough

Blueberry

Potato
French Toast

Three Slices Sourdough Bread

Three Slices Sourdough Bread
Specialties

Corned Beef Hash

Huevos Rancheros

Eggs Benedict

Biscuits and Gravy

Corned Beef Hash

Huevos Rancheros

Eggs Benedict

Biscuits and Gravy
Waffles

Belgian Style

Belgian Style

Blueberry Belgian Style

Belgian Style

Belgian Style

Blueberry Belgian Style
Me Bee's

Mickey Mouse Waffle

Mickey Mouse Waffle

Bee’s Special

Bee’s Special

Mickey Mouse Waffle

Mickey Mouse Waffle

Bee’s Special

Bee’s Special
Omelets or Scrambles

Three Eggs Whipped

Three Eggs Scrambled

Three Eggs Whipped

Three Eggs Scrambled
Specialties

German Pancake

Apple Pancake

Mango Pancake

Kelly Street Special

Breakfast Burrito

Breakfast Burrito

German Pancake

Apple Pancake

Mango Pancake

Kelly Street Special

Breakfast Burrito

Breakfast Burrito
Meat and Eggs

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Chorizo & Eggs

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Chorizo & Eggs
Sides

Two Slices of Toast

Bacon

Chorizo

Ham

Link or Patty Sausage

Canadian Bacon

One Egg, Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Two Eggs, Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Santa Fe Potatoes

Fresh Seasonal Fruit

Oatmeal, served with Cream

Cream of Wheat, served with Cream

Substitute Fresh Fruit for Any Item

Two Slices of Toast

Bacon

Chorizo

Ham

Link or Patty Sausage

Canadian Bacon

One Egg, Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Two Eggs, Poached, Scrambled, or Fried

Santa Fe Potatoes

Fresh Seasonal Fruit

Oatmeal, served with Cream

Cream of Wheat, served with Cream

Substitute Fresh Fruit for Any Item
Hot Drinks

House Coffee

French Press Featured Specialty Coffee

French Press Mocha

Selection of Loose Leaf Teas

Selection of Herbal and Fruit Teas

Hot Chocolate

Hot Cider

House Coffee

French Press Featured Specialty Coffee

French Press Mocha

Selection of Loose Leaf Teas

Selection of Herbal and Fruit Teas

Hot Chocolate

Hot Cider
Juices

Orange

Grapefruit

Grape

Cranberry

Tomato

Apple

Moo

Orange

Grapefruit

Grape

Cranberry

Tomato

Apple

Moo
Cold Drinks $1.95

Coca Cola

Diet Coke

Sprite

Orange

Cherry Coke

Iced Tea

Coca Cola

Diet Coke

Sprite

Orange

Cherry Coke

Iced Tea

Healthy Meal suggestions for Sanborn’s

Pancakes

Buttermilk [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Buckwheat [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sourdough [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Blueberry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Potato [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Buttermilk [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Buckwheat [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sourdough [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Blueberry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Potato [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
French Toast

Three Slices Sourdough Bread [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Three Slices Sourdough Bread [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Specialties

Corned Beef Hash [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Huevos Rancheros [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Eggs Benedict [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Biscuits and Gravy [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Corned Beef Hash [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Huevos Rancheros [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Eggs Benedict [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Biscuits and Gravy [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Waffles

Belgian Style [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Belgian Style [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Blueberry Belgian Style [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Belgian Style [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Belgian Style [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Blueberry Belgian Style [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Me Bee's

Mickey Mouse Waffle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mickey Mouse Waffle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bee’s Special [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bee’s Special [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mickey Mouse Waffle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mickey Mouse Waffle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bee’s Special [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bee’s Special [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Omelets or Scrambles

Three Eggs Whipped [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Three Eggs Scrambled [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Three Eggs Whipped [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Three Eggs Scrambled [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Specialties

German Pancake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Apple Pancake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mango Pancake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kelly Street Special [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Breakfast Burrito [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Breakfast Burrito [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

German Pancake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Apple Pancake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mango Pancake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kelly Street Special [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Breakfast Burrito [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Breakfast Burrito [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Meat and Eggs

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chorizo & Eggs [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Two Eggs Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chorizo & Eggs [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sides

Two Slices of Toast [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bacon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chorizo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ham [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Link or Patty Sausage [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Canadian Bacon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

One Egg, Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Two Eggs, Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Santa Fe Potatoes [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fresh Seasonal Fruit [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Oatmeal, served with Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cream of Wheat, served with Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Substitute Fresh Fruit for Any Item [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Two Slices of Toast [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bacon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chorizo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ham [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Link or Patty Sausage [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Canadian Bacon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

One Egg, Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Two Eggs, Poached, Scrambled, or Fried [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Santa Fe Potatoes [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fresh Seasonal Fruit [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Oatmeal, served with Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cream of Wheat, served with Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Substitute Fresh Fruit for Any Item [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Hot Drinks

House Coffee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

French Press Featured Specialty Coffee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

French Press Mocha [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Selection of Loose Leaf Teas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Selection of Herbal and Fruit Teas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hot Chocolate [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hot Cider [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

House Coffee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

French Press Featured Specialty Coffee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

French Press Mocha [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Selection of Loose Leaf Teas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Selection of Herbal and Fruit Teas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hot Chocolate [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hot Cider [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Juices

Orange [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grapefruit [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grape [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cranberry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tomato [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Apple [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Moo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Orange [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grapefruit [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grape [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cranberry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tomato [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Apple [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Moo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Cold Drinks $1.95

Coca Cola [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Diet Coke [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sprite [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Orange [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cherry Coke [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Iced Tea [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Coca Cola [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Diet Coke [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sprite [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Orange [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cherry Coke [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Iced Tea [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.

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Write An Anonymous Review

Andrea S.

This was honestly, the best friggen breakfast I have had since moving to Portland. I had a special sourdough pancake with a lemon curd and fresh raspberries. YUUUMMMY. My man went for the corn beef hash (I am not much of a meat eater, but I could not stop sneaking bites of his). They actually know how to cook a proper "over-medium" egg. Servers were upbeat and friendly, the place was busy and they have coffee while you wait. Admittedly, not the best coffee in Portland...that honor goes to Cellar Door ;) I could get very fat here. I will try not to. I will not try too hard because I am going again this weekend! Gimme your pancake!
(5)
E G.

Delicious. I'd give it a 5 if it were bigger- there is almost always a wait. I haven't had their famous German pancakes, but the scrambles, waffles, omelets and biscuits are great. The homemade jam is fantastic.
(4)
Stella S.

I used to love this place. It's right in the neighborhood, the foods pretty good (4stars) the servers are nice. However on one if the first beautiful sunny weekends this summer, we asked to be seated outside. They know us. Were regulars. The place was quite empty and there were at least 2-3 servers on. And they told us that the tables outside were dusty from the traffic so they couldn't seat us there. One reason we didn't wanna sit inside was because there were toxic cleaning fumes in the air. But anyway... Cleaning off the TWO 2 sweater tables outside should really be part of opening duties. Secondly, it takes 2 seconds to wipe down the table. Thirdly, I would've done it myself if they would've let me. That RRALLY pissed me off. I was hangry and hungover as shit and just wanted one if their amazon pancakes and to enjoy it outside. Why put tables on your patio if you're gonna be too lazy to clean them off and let people sit there? That was 3 months ago and as much as I like their food, we haven't been back since, on principal. Thankfully we've found some much better and more accommodating brunch spots in the area thanks to their laziness anyway. Get it together guys... Seriously.
(2)
Erroll M.

Every time I come here for breakfast it gets better and better! German pancakes are wonderful. And the baked eggs are wonderful.
(5)
Janet M.

I remember when Sanborn's opened. We were living in Sellwood at the time, and so excited for a new breakfast place not too far away. Now we live quite a ways away, but we've been back on occasion. It's good. The German Apple pancake... that's the one. MMMMMMM. Hubby likes that he can pick and choose his omelet filling. Makes him happy. Daughter liked eggs and bacon, or cream of wheat, although lately she's a pancake eater too. This place is not bad.
(3)
Allison C.

Outstanding waitstaff, delicious, plentiful food. What more need I say?
(5)
Amy M.

Oh my goodness, I'm finding my mouth watering as I write this, Thinking of the amazing pear pancake. Not any pancake, a german pancake. With this crust, and this gooeyness, and cinnamon and pears, and some whip cream on the side. I was so in love with it from the first bite, I contemplated ordering a second to take home, but refrained somehow. The decor is spot on, warm, friendly, nicely done. It's small, but not too bad. It's a touch on the noisy side, but you won't mind when you are in German Pancake bliss, with a swish of cool whip cream, fresh made, well breakfast that good is hard to beat, and hard to forget. No, I won't go back to Sanborn's no, I will not, no, no no, at least not today.
(4)
Courtney C.

This is my now my favorite breakfast joint in Portland. Service is attentive and cheerful, and since we went mid-morning on a Wednesday we had no problem with seating or parking. I got the Bacon, Apple, and Maple German pancake. The apples were tart, the bacon thick, and the pancake had this caramelized, sweet, buttery crisp edge that I will be fantasizing about until we can go back. My husband got chorizo and eggs with blue corn pancakes. The blue corn pancakes are a hybrid between a corn muffin and a traditional pancake; try 'em with butter and honey. Salty, sweet, savory, moist... definitely a winner. We will be back.
(5)
Rustie D.

I've been here several times and every time I come, it's a treat! For those who like hot chocolate, you have to get it with the works! If you like omelettes, then you'll find a wide variety here. My favorite is the biscuits and gravy with two over easy eggs. I'm not a pancake person, so I can't speak to those, but the other stuff on the menu is very good, tasty, and hot when it comes to you. One trick I found though is to come about 12:30-1:00; when the crowds have thinned. The service is a little more relaxed and you don't have to hurry. The last time we were here, the owner's daughter served us and she was an awesome waitress.
(5)
Jeff W.

Can't say enough about this place. Definitely one my favorite breakfast spots around town. Love it because it's just far enough on the outskirts of Portland, that there's never much of a wait. And, always plenty of parking around the restaurant. I really do believe it's a hidden gem as far as breakfast around town goes. IMO, their BAMcake is easily one of the best breakfast items in Portland. Baked pancake stuffed with bits of bacon, steaming hot apple slices, maple, and caramelized sugar. So good. You can also try this with other fruit choices, such as pear! A must order. I can't speak to a huge diversity of their menu as I typically go with the BAMcake, but everything else I've had has been solid. I'm not sure if I'd say amazingly-incredible, but really good. Service has always been pretty good as well. So, combine the little wait time, easy parking, good service, and the BAMcake - you've got yourself a winner.
(5)
David I.

The food here is ok but the wait management is ridiculous. We were a party of 6 and did not get seated even though we were higher on the list than the 4 parties of two that were seated before us. Obviously the staff can't do simple math. And yes the table set ups were conducive to seating 6. Won't be back. I can get just as good food or better elsewhere and not have to wait. Perhaps you should give your staff some math tables to practice with during slow times.
(1)
Aaron W.

I was stoked to try one of the German pancakes, and the server recommended the German Apple Pancake ($8.79). A German pancake is baked, filled with sliced apples (using Braeburn this time) caramelized in sugar and a boatload of cinnamon. My pancake came fresh from the oven, piping hot. This was basically like eating an apple pie on steroids -- both in size and flavor. I tasted some slight charred spots that formed on the edges, but that's minor. I could tell just from looking at the apples...perfectly cooked (enough structure to hold its shape, but soft when eating it). I consider myself a "cinnaholic," so anything with cinnamon is really a win here. The sugar, on the other hand, really got to me as I noshed on this mammoth pancake. The pancake was virtually flawless in execution. I felt it also gave me enough sugar for the rest of the week. Now I know how Furious Pete felt after eating just a few scoops of Nutella. Sanborn's is a great place for breakfast. I'll try something more savory next time. Maybe a Kelly Street Special or the Eggs Benedict, I guess.
(4)
Colin S.

This is another one of my favorite places to eat breakfast. They're known for their German pancakes, but I rarely order them. Instead, I usually go with ham, 2 eggs served over easy, and a blue corn pancake. Can't be beat!
(5)
Lizzy J.

We were looking for a new breakfast place to try and came across Sanborn's. What a fun find! The menu was great, so much variety with unique options. The pancake selection was awesome! Beside eating a break breakfast, the service was friendly and quick. The location was great, street parking was pretty easy to find. We are a fan!
(4)
Denea Y.

While exploring the Brooklyn neighborhood for the first time, we stumbled upon Sanborn's and a trickle of happy patrons just leaving. A quick Yelp check deemed it worthy of a pit stop. The BAM German pancakes were 5-star, out-of-your-mind good. Carmelized bits of bacon swirled with maple and big slices of fresh apple cooked into layers of deliciousness. The biscuits and gravy were good, but lacked plate appeal and don't beat out Pine State's biscuit with sausage gravy. The hot chocolate with the works was rich and tasty, but slightly on the small side (although I wonder if I could finish anything much bigger it was so sweet). Definitely worth a 2nd visit for more German pancakes and exploring the rest of the menu.
(4)
Summer AnnaMarie R.

I went here for an after Valentines Day Breakfast. It was very yumm, I got the Bacon, Apple and Maple German Pancake. It was huge and delicious. My boyfriend got the Banana and Praline German Pancake and it was basically a pie. Also they have mimosas that are delicious. Only 4 stars because it was a lil pricey. $2.25 for a small cup of coffee $3.00 for two side eggs.. Other than that the waitstaff was awesome.
(4)
Evelyn S.

I enjoyed my Huevos Rancheros immensely, served with a choice of colorado (red), verde (green) or "Christmas style", half and half. I went for the Xmas style so I could do a taste test. Both sauces were amazing but next time I will order it Green! My lunch companion opted for the Eggs Benedict, the server let us know in advance that their Hollandaise sauce is zesty with an extra lemony flavor. It was much enjoyed! The staff is friendly, helpful and provides excellent service, I look forward to a return visit soon, I must try a Bamcake!
(4)
Bridget S.

Great place to have breakfast! Cute, friendly and tasty!!!! The German pancakes are amazing....same with their drinks...we will be going back for sure!
(5)
Doug W.

amazing, go there. you found a badass breakfast spot. there's a wait on the weekends, write your name on the notepad up front they call you in. weekdays none at all small place, tiny kitchen, amazing food, great people pear mimosa with blue pear german pancake. solid. if your not for a little bubbly in the morning.. well what's wrong with you??? but in response i have only three words: french press mocha. yum
(5)
Sara M.

So I would give this place 4 stars but I am not feeling that generous right now. I have a few hesitations stopping me from saying this deserves 4 stars. First, there were way too many kids there. I am not a kid person and it seemed like every table had loud kids and crying babies. Even while waiting for my table, there were like 6 kids out front zooming around me and others, yelling. Come on, I have not had any food or coffee, please go away kids. My next point is about the wait staff. They are friendly, funny and kind, but kind of slow. At one point while waiting, there were 4 open tables. I could see the open tables as I shivered outside with many other hungry breakfast enthusiasts. The 4 open tables were left in that open state for at least ten min before slowly the staff started to fill them(slowly). When you want breakfast and you see open tables and a wait list and nothing being done about it... you kinda freak out inside. The coffee, it seemed so mediocre, maybe worse. When you have a breakfast place in PDX, get better coffee. I loved the food. I had the smoked German apple pancake. I came here for a German apple pancake. I was told by a very creditable source that this was the place to go. I felt the need to follow through with this. The pancake was probably one of the most amazing breakfast foods I have ever had.
(3)
John S.

I ordered the Bam pancake, no doubt an homage to that one television chef. It's a baked German pancake, filled with apples, cinnamon and bacon. It was excellent, with the caramelized cinnamon-sugar mixture adding a decadent touch. The waitress was friendly and efficient. I'm surprised there wasn't a bigger breakfast crowd, but this restaurant seems a bit off the beaten path. Definitely worth seeking out.
(4)
Justin G.

I have been on a breakfast kick lately and this spot was recommended by a friend so off I went. The variety of pancakes was definitely a plus, so I tried the buckwheat and sourdough, both of which were very good. The half-portions came out as 3 stacks, so I was quite stuffed by the end of the meal. There seemed to be two levels of seating within the building as well, which was interesting.
(4)
Ophelia Y.

Needing some time to relax before the Thanksgiving holiday, I wandered into Sanborn's with a Groupon Now deal, figuring it would be a good time to check the place out. There were 4 other tables around 1:15pm, so it was encouraging. I gave the eggs benedict a shot, with the Hollandaise Sauce made to order. The server told me that it's a bit heavy on the lemon flavor, which it was, but I'm more than happy he prepared my taste buds for the delight. I hope to come back and try the German pancake or some of the other unique items on their menu.
(4)
Bob R.

This is a review by a vegetarian Real deal breakfast. German pancake is similar to a dutch baby but the sides are much taller and lighter. Coffee includes refills. The Dining Companions (DCs) all enjoyed their fruit filled pancakes. Potatoes looked good. Veggie sausage is a side option. Will be back. If only Tastebud next store would sell their bagels to the public in the morning then this would be a tremendous AM carb hub.
(5)
Maggi G.

Awesome breakfast & service! Best German pancake I've had. Quirky ambiance. Very Portland. Love this place.
(5)
Michelle Q.

This place seems like a forgotten gem. People seem to prefer hour plus waits at Jam, Screen door, or Pine State (all delicious establishments) but right down the road is this little spot. Its homey and friendly. We ate on the front porch which was so peaceful. I had the Belgian Waffle. So good and their house made syrup to awesome, my boyfriend had the build your own burrito with chorizo, also delicious. Mimosas are great too!
(4)
Zach C.

Definitely a fan of this place. Out here visiting friends and after a long night of drinking the two of us needed something in our bellies to cure the rattling and gargling! He had suggested Sanborn's, his local breakfast place. No objections here We made our way to Sanborn's a little way's outside downtown portland, bout 10 min drive. Parking - easy, plenty of street parking. Waited about 5 mins for a table (11:30ish), free coffee at the front to sip on while waiting. No complaints. Good fresh hot coffee, and this coming from a tea lover! Sat down, friendly staff/waiter. We even struck up a conversation about I don't know. Very personable. My friend suggested I try the BAM - the Bacon/Apple/Maple pancake, or, well...some sort of pancake concoction. When I arrived, it looks like a fluffy pancake that had risen with some sort of sourdough/yeast mixture. Hot and warm, crispy sugar/maple coated crust, apples dispersed throughout, topped with bacon crisps. Bacon crisps were not too hard as to break a tooth, but just soft enough to melt in your mouth. Boy do I love bacon! My friend ordered the Build Your Own Burrito. Diced Ham and Onions with Jack cheese. Topped with black beans, sour cream, guac, and pico de gallo. Side of potatos. Very good, not the best breakfast burrito I have had in my life, but pretty good for Portland standards. I recommend everyone, especially out-of-towners to try this place before leaving. Great food! Big Fan!
(5)
Rikki W.

I was really excited to find a breakfast place close to where I lived. I love going out for brunch, so having a place that is less than a 5 minute walk from my house seemed too good to be true. Turns out it was. The place wasn't full, there were maybe 4 or 5 tables with people at them and most of them were already eating. The place was understaffed, with only one waiter working, but it seemed to be slowing down. I went with my sister, her boyfriend and one of my housemates, when the waiter came to take our order we wanted to make sure to tell him at the beginning of the meal that we needed separate checks. He looked at us and said "really? You're going to do that to me? On a day like this?" We all felt so guilty, and it kind of ruined the rest of the meal. Food was okay, but no reason to go back. This place might be just around the corner from my house, but I think I'm willing to walk across the train tracks to Genies for better food and service.
(2)
Christy H.

This is an amazing little breakfast joint in the Brooklyn district of Portland. It is two stories converted from an old house into a restaurant. The service is friendly and food comes promptly. I ordered the eggs Benedict. It was delicious. The potatoes on the side were cooked to perfection. I also had a half order of biscuits and gravy cuz I have been into trying this special breakfast treat and places lately. This was really good gravy. Just the right thickness and not too chunky. The biscuit was light and fluffy. My boyfriend got the huevos rancheros because the waiter recommended it. I tried a bite. Very tasty. The iced coffee kept coming and our glasses were always full. We left with full bellies and a smile on our faces. This may be my new breakfast spot. Oh....and if u like pancakes....the options here are endless.
(5)
Jeff R.

We love Sanborn's, and we make a point of going there for breakfast either Saturday or Sunday. We go with our friends and neighbors, so there are usually four or six of us. It's faster and easier to get a table for four, but the food is so good that waiting for a larger table is worth it. I live on the build-your-own scrambles. Spinach, goat cheese, and bacon, baby! And when they ask what kind of toast you like, ask for biscuits. Buttermilk biscuits from scratch, they come out warm, just waiting for the butter to melt into them. Add a little blackberry jam, and you'll be hooked. Another reviewer mentioned that there are often a lot of kids. That's true, but this is Portland, where children have a license to run around and be annoying in restaurants. It's no worse here than any other restaurant. (But it would be nice if parents were a little more considerate!)
(5)
Vic V.

Definitely order one of their German Pancakes and/or Sourdoughs. We've been to Sanborns three times. Our first was a couple of years ago I think. For some reason it wasn't very memorable. I must have ordered the wrong things. Because... our second visit was WONDERFUL! That's when we discovered the incredible German Pancakes-- I had the "BAMcake"... all I could say is WOW. It was awesome. Their coffee can be great or good depending on the day-- don't know why 'cuz they use a Custom roast made for Sandborn's from Bridgetown Roasters. (I still prefer Stumptown). My wife Kathy has this childhood warm-fuzzie thing about sourdough pancakes. She orders them every time here just so she can experience that orgasmic food coma smile. They are tangy and good! The Corned Beef Hash gets a LOT of press here on Yelp, so if you're a fan, your expectations will build. You might be disappointed because when you see them, rather than big chunks of corned beef, you get the food-processed looking version that appears similar to what you might see out of a can. Having said that, THESE are NOT canned. They are tasty, however I think at a place as good as Sanborn's I'd rather have the chunky style. THIRD VISIT-- We settled into to our "Usual" which is the Bamcake and Sourdough Pancakes. The Sourdoughs were excellent. My Bamcake unfortunately had "fallen". I noticed about half of them in the dining room had also fallen and I was jealous of customers whose cakes were high on the plate :-(. Still it was oh so tasty, so I got over it. Today's service less friendly than last time and we waited a little longer for coffee fill-ups. Maybe too much partying the Friday night before?? Sanborn's is still our favorite Portland Breakfast to date though.
(4)
Connie C.

I was led here by reviews and it's been on my To Eat list for a while now. (Yes, there is a physical To Eat list and in Excel, of course.) I know I know. I was supposed to get the sourdough pancakes or at least the german pancake, but that just seem too normal for me. I was going to go for the corned beef hash as my ordering history would suggest, but last minute I saw a special on the board and there was no turning back. I wanted the Relleno. Roasted poblano stuffed with cheeses, pine nuts, and cranberries served with fresh fruit and blue corn pancakes. The bf got a breakfast burrito with chorizo, jalapenos, and jack cheese. We chose to get a mickey mouse pancake with fresh fruit for "dessert." See all the pics! There were a bunch of seasonal german pancakes. Rhubarb, blue cheese and pear, something with kiwi, etc. There was also a lemon souffle waffle with fresh raspberries and homemade raspberry compote. Of course, there was a corned beef hash that came with toast or biscuits, a bunch of other pancake types like potato and blueberry, a 2 bacon or sausage breakfast with 3 buttermilk pancakes for "smaller appetites," etc. The relleno was amazing. A great blend of melty cheese, crunch pine nuts, and a tart sweetness from the cranberries. The blue corn pancakes were like melt in your mouth creamy cornbread slices made even more divine with a schmear of whipped butter. There was also peach salsa on the side to tie it all together. A few slices of orange and cluster of grapes to make the plate. Bf's breakfast burrito may have been too overly hot cuz of the filling choices, but he still loved it and we were both full until dinner. The mickey mouse waffle was awesome (not necessarily tasting but just cuz it exists on the menu). It had an entire carton of chopped fresh strawberries and 3 huge dollops of fresh whipped cream, which made the whole dessert. See all the pics. Wasn't crowded when we went, but it got crowded fast despite their large amount of tables. Love this place and will visit again soon.
(4)
john A.

I haven't been disappointed yet! I've been here bout 5 or 6 times, and some of my favorites are the huevos rancharos, eggs benni, pancakes, and their fruit plate is awesome! Sometimes there is a wait, but that's pretty standard for good Portland spots.
(5)
Claudia G.

We were looking for breakfast on a Sunday before 9am and found this place. The good parts: + No waiting in line at all (at least before 9am) + Place is sparkly clean + Coffee is fresh; cream too + Every waiter (and even the chef) is amiable and nice, and service is prompt + Husband seemed entirely satisfied with the side of smoked bacon. The huevos rancheros looked awesome. Beware: - German pancake needs to be baked so it will take longer than almost anything else in the menu - When they say that the pancakes is hot, they mean it! Don't burn your tongue. - Mango german pancake tasted overwhelmingly of lemon and orange - If mango is not in season it will be quite tart I give this place four stars because even if I didn't love the pancake, it's my own fault for ordering something with lemon/orange zest, which I already know I dislike. :P
(4)
Clare M.

Yelp sure didn't steer me wrong this time! My family, a few of whom have never been to Portland, just arrived last week and I was planning out a food tour of the city. I figured we'd stop here on their first day, as it was on my short list of breakfast places I needed to try. The place was nearly empty on a weekday morning so we had fast friendly service, and the food was great. My sister and daughter split the blueberry pancakes, and there was more than enough there for both of them to share. I had the huevos rancheros, Christmas style, and let me just say I think I'm addicted! These were probably the best huevos I've had yet in Portland. My only disappointment was that they no longer have the Mickey mouse pancakes! My daughter really wanted them when I was flipping through the yelp photos! Maybe they will return....regardless, Sanborn's was totally worth the drive from Vancouver and the money!
(4)
Xander P.

**Since I'm back in action, might as well post a few reviews that were in the pipeline.** Ever had a mango German Pancake? It'll change your whole perspective on hot breaded fruit.
(5)
Bryan W.

Bacon Pear Maple Panckakes. Nuff said. Pears were in season so the waiter suggested I up the beat by turning my BAM pancakes into BPM pancakes. Will eat breakfast here anytime I'min Portland.
(4)
Stephanie G.

You may notice- this is the only restaurant, so far, that I have given a full 5 stars to. (this is only because there aren't 10). This place has everything for us. Great Atmosphere. Great food. Great servers. And even a cute married couple (as it seemed to us) who own and operate the place. This is the best breakfast we have EVER had in Portland. My favorite meal for breakfast, (or at least what I always seem to order) is Corn Beef Hash, I simply can't resist it if it's on the menu. I usually regret it because of the mounds of grease,... but because of my "addiction" I ordered it any way. BEST- HASH- EVER! Not greasy, not dry. Perfect. I almost even felt like I was eating "healthy food." Hands down, best I've ever had. Second--- Mocha french press! That's right, I said Mocha--- French---Press. Serves 2 and absolutely awesome. My BF got a scramble and some sourdough pancakes--- also, the best he said he's ever had. The owner (a nice 30 something Portlander) spent some time at our table joking and making us feel welcome, even though you could tell he hadn't slept in days. Very pleasant. Really, we haven't found a better place. We enjoyed the whole experience so much, we are taking my BF parents this weekend. 10 stars. I really don't have a single complaint. (rare, I know.)
(5)
phil m.

This place is good only for pancakes. The rest, including the coffee is not worth it!! Don't get the baked omelette baked in a pool of greasy oily stuff. Nasty!
(1)
Jenna V.

I wanted to edit this review to include the following statement: I have started ordering the Smoked Apple German Pancake as my new regular must-have here... it's apples, smoked gouda, smoked almonds. Simple. And hands-down the finest breakfast item in all of Portland, and I tell them this every time I eat it. It's perfect - it's slightly sweet - the maple syrup sort of caramelizes and sticks to your teeth a little - the nuts add a good crunch, the apples are tart and sweet at the same time, and the cheese adds this smoky, earthy, savory quality. If you don't think it's the BEST single breakfast item in Portland, you have to at least admit it might be one of the most GRATIFYING items in our city! The handful of things I order here are OUTFREAKINGSTANDING, seriously A+, but I find some of the items at Sanborn's to be hit or miss, so no fifth star despite confidently recommending this joint to others. You CANNOT go wrong with the BAMcake - bacon, apples, and maple syrup in a giant German pancake - especially if you get the cheese on top and a defibrillator as well. The blueberry pancakes and compote are the best in the city. Their biscuits are tender and tasty - and their house jam is quite excellent. The blue cheese and pear German Pancake is also amazing - in general, you cannot go wrong with one of their big ass pancakes! I find other items to be ok, not outstanding. Their waffles are "meh" at best. Their service is always great!
(4)
Ben F.

Had the German apple pancake for my birthday and it was fabulous.
(5)
Orkun S.

Sanborn's is one of my favorite places. The food and the service are always wonderful. Great place for breakfast.
(4)
Daniel W.

I've been to Sanborn's a number of times and it's a funny thing, I really want to explore Chef Russ's menu. And I mean to, I really do, but I have so much trouble once there ordering anything other than his ethereal sourdough hotcakes. The starter's from a 1847 Oregon Trail wagon trip according to the well written menu and the utter simplicity of this plate of delight is making my mouth water even as I write. Fortunately I do get to try my companion's dishes. Last trip included an Apple-Bacon-Bourbon Fritter, I'm not kidding here, with whipped butter and maple syrup. I don't know if it's the Stumptown coffee, the French bistro ambience, the hustling if somewhat stoic service (which I like) or the just the food, but I never fail to leave satisfied. And the smile on my face right now tells me I'll be back again and again. And while we were there mid-day on a Saturday and literally were seated at the last table for two there was no dropoff in service. I like that a lot. I had the sourdoughs with eggs and patty sausage and just to make it even better Sanborn's serves Zenner's products, a local institution since 1927. That sausage is the best (try their Double Smoked Bacon with Cheddar), hands down. Sanborn's is only open Wednesday through Sunday, just eith to two, so plan your jaunt for a little breakfast from heaven accordingly. Oh, and Sunday's are slammed, jsyk.
(5)
amii c.

As sourdough bread lovers, the bf and I got pretty excited to see sourdough pancakes on Sanborn's menu. We didn't know what to expect, having never tried or even heard of sourdough pancakes before, but they were perfect. Soft, chewy, hot, sour, slightly sweet goodness. Kelly Street Special (Lean ground beef sautÃ©ed with onions, mushrooms, and spinach and eggs, Santa Fe potatoes and toast or biscuits) was not as impressive. Biscuits were cold. Too much beef and said beef was too salty. The dish would benefit from tomatoes to add a little juicy sweetness. Definitely edible, but not terribly impressive. A very nice thing about this place is that they didn't charge me to substitute egg whites for the Kelly Street Special. I have no problem paying a premium for egg whites because I know egg yolk, and therefore money, is being wasted when I ask for egg whites. It was thus a pleasant surprise not to get charged for them. The ladies at the table next to us ordered German pancakes which looked and smelled awesome. That's at the top of my list of breakfasts to eat on our next visit to Portland.
(4)
T V.

One of the best eggs benedicts I've ever had! Beware though, their hollandaise sauce is not standard. It's a lot more citrusy and sour than most places because the chef uses fresh lemons. Pretty much everything on the brunch menu is good. AND they have aarvark hotsauce. Woohoo!! The service is good and the wait staff is prompt, friendly and very knowledgeable about the food. Also, I dare you to order the BAM-CAKE. It's SO good. It's a ginormous (seriously didn't expect it to be that big, we split it and still felt like gluttons) pancake-ish thing stuff with spiced apples and bacon, and it comes with some special maple syrups...ooooooooooooomg. I think it was only $6. We ordered it in addition to our respective entrees (each under $10) and realised what a mistake that was because a bam-cake can serve two grown folks if you also order a side or two. Daaaang.
(4)
Ali S.

What a beacon of relief in the Saturday morning breakfast cafe joints in Pdx. Quaint yet no hour-long waits, amazing menu filled with delicious traditional breakfasts with that foodie twist without the big bills. Wonderfully relaxed, family owned restaurant worthy of your next Saturday outing! P.S- the biscuits with 4 homemade jams are stellar.
(4)
Aaron P.

Had a late breakfast here so it wasn't packed but I could tell it was probably a busy spot during peak times. Had a smoked apple German pancake, baked with smoked gouda and almonds--hell yeah. My wife had a more traditional breakfast. We split that and the pancake between us and it was more than enough food. Good coffee, great service, fairly priced. Ambience was a little plain/boring. This place is all about the German pancakes.
(4)
Good N.

I'd go back. We hit it on a whim on a hungover Sunday morning and it turned out to be a huge win. Would totally go back. Might order something else, but the portions were gigantic. We lucked out and beat the line that formed right after we got there.
(4)
Lana S.

Huge fan of breakfast food. And this place made me happy! So much to choose from. My food was soo good! Customer service was superior! Good thing this place is close to my work cause I will return - soon! :)
(5)
Steve O.

Wow. Really know breakfast. We had the corned beef hash and the blueberry pancakes. Both were wonderful. Homemade and perfect. Hash had great vegetables and eggs were perfect (they ask if you want "runny whites" with over easy fried eggs to help zero in on doneness). Our tea came loose leaf with steeping baskets and the seemingly simple fresh fruit was a perfectly ripe peach cut up in a bowl - small fork fight over that. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Travis S.

Amazing food. Neighborhood joint. BEST eggs Benedict - somehow they're Lemony. Excellent Huevos Rancheros. Their specialty is the BAM cakes. German pancakes that are best when they're shared. Today's seasonal flavors are based around golden berries, figs and goat cheese, and pears and walnuts with brown sugar. These are in addition to more typical, year round offerings. Family run. Only knocks - they are popular (can wait awhile), and can be on the noisy side. It's a happy and boisterous noise...
(5)
Chels J.

German pancakes, where have you been all my life?! My friend and I have come twice so far and each time split a German pancake (they are huge) and an egg dish. First visit was a pancake on the specials board... I forget the name but it was a nutty one with almond, hazelnut, cream cheese, maybe some apple? Savory and sweet all in one delicious pancake. We got the Brie and pear pancake on the regular menu the second time but it wasn't as mind blowing as the first. Their huevo rancheros was great too. Didn't like our scramble filling selection - and they are chincy with the avocado you pay $2 extra for and don't give you a fourth filling if you pay an increase for avocado. However... You can get a pancake as the side with your scramble m, which we of course did! I'm already dreaming of my next German pancake. Tip: they will not seat you until your entire party arrives... So it's not like you can order mimosas and wait for your hungover friends to get there. That was a bummer.
(4)
Lisa H.

German pancakes! We had 4 different types. I got The Count. Ah! Ah! Ah! 1. The Count (Sausage, paprika, green onion), 2. Fig & Goat (chÃ¨vre) 3. Brie & pear 4. Hot Date (bacon, date, chÃ¨vre) They were all quite tasty. My fave was definitely The Count! Ah! Ah! Ah! Since Portland brunch places are always packed on weekends we went at opening Saturday 8am so we didn't have to wait. Phew. It was a good plan because by 8:30 it was busy. For those that aren't familiar with German pancakes, they take longer because they are baked so plan on 20 minutes or more after you order.
(4)
Jeremy B.

I was very hungry. The waitress kept bringing me food. The food that I asked for! She asked me if I wanted more food. I did! She brought me more food! This place is an exact replica of a functioning restaurant, something that's hard to find in this town. I ate a lot of pancakes and biscuits.
(5)
John R.

If you're in the area, this is a great breakfast option. This place is very small though, so not only can there be a wait, but the feel is very cozy and packed-in. It's clean and everyone was very friendly, in my experience. It wasn't long before we were seated and offered drinks. The coffee was just okay but I appreciated the refills. The server wasn't quick or immediately available at all times, but it was a packed house (which I'm sure is common here) so I can totally understand this. I can't speak for the majority of options are the expansive menu, but the "Bo-Bam" German pancake I ordered was as delicious as you'd imagine. It was a large portion, as you'd imagine, and it was rich. Pliable dough with hot apples and bacon inside, all steamy, caramelized and sweet. It was almost too much but the temptation never tired. The syrup option wasn't the rich maple I wanted, but I was too intoxicated on the pancake to request the maple or what options they had. The german pancakes are one draw here, and price-wise they are on-par with national chains for big pancake options. One can easily come to Sanborn's and get a small, simple breakfast too. The menu really offered a lot, and at various price points. I could easily see coming here at an odd time for a simple "Grand Slam"-type breakfast plate (~$5).
(4)
Marsha B.

German pancakes! Some sweet, some savory--all huge and delicious. The wait on a Sat am was about 1/2 hr, but free coffee while waiting. We actually walked across the street to WTF bikes while we waited ( that's another 5 star review). Had a custom burrito and the hubster had a scramble- huge portions to last all day. We'll be back in the Spring, Sanborn's!
(5)
Amy W.

The breakfast burritos were delicious. The biscuits were dense and hearty. The pancakes were thin. The waitstaff was very kind and professional. The setting is charming.
(5)
C L.

Excellent service. We went on a Saturday at about 10 am and had a short wait, but we were a large party of 6. Compared to some of the other brunch places in Portland, a 15 minute wait is nothing! And it was worth it -- we ordered pancakes, German pancake, huevos rancheros, and eggs n sausage. The biscuits were excellent as were the homemade jams to go with them. Just a really pleasant place for a no-rush great brunch.
(5)
Liz D.

A friend and I had breakfast here this morning at 9:00 AM. The food was good, the service was really good, but the time from sitting down, to receiving food, then paying was quite long (1.5 hours). I would recommend this place if you're not on a time crunch. I had the huevos rancheros. The table next to me had one of their German pancakes - which is one of their specialties - and it looked quite good. The little girl ordered hot chocolate and it came with a literal mound of mini-marshmallows. For a kid, that's heaven!
(3)
Heather S.

Sanborn's offers an incredible brunch. From made-to-order Hollandaise sauce to the most incredible fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth blueberry pancakes with real Oregon blueberries, to a make-it-yourself breakfast burrito served with sour cream and fresh avocado (at no extra charge) , mango salsa (don't forget the Aardvark sauce!), Sanborn's food is delicious in every way! They also have specialties like German pancake, with or without cinnamon-sugar apples, or traditional fare like waffles or eggs and toast, as well as drink specials like Bellinis and Mimosas. Everything is fresh and delicious. I say all this with hesitation because I don't want it to become so busy, that there will be a wait. But, I also can't agree more with other Yelpers about the quality of this gem. Being hidden from other more populated streets like Hawthorne, it's also easy to get a table. Don't be dismayed by the plastic tablecloths on the table -- especially if you have a kid in tow -- because the food, the service and the moderate prices more than make up for that. The environment is lovely, though, with black and white checkered floors and Big Band music, which adds a homey, comfortable feeling to an already delightful affair.
(5)
Tom D.

Massively disappointing! I ordered Eggs Benedict. Yes, the Hollandaise sauce is made-to-order, but it was overly lemony, overly salty, and there was far too much of it. The eggs were cooked very nicely, but the Hollandaise completely overwhelmed them. There were four thick slices of ham (not sure it was really Canadian bacon) and it was awfully salty as well. On the other hand the potatoes had absolutely no seasoning (!), were barely cooked through with minimal browning, and, frankly, looked like they came out of a freezer bag. My wife ordered the lemon souffle waffle with fresh raspberries and raspberry syrup. The waffle was anti-souffle, being quite chewy and flat. The syrup was cloyingly sweet. The best part of the dish were the fresh raspberries, but the presentation was borderline ridiculous, with the waffle being dotted with whole fresh raspberries. For $9.00, that waffle should have been fantastic and should have included a side of bacon or ham. The service was good and the coffee too, but that could hardly make up for the disappointing food. All of our friends' recommendations made it clear that we should have had the German pancakes, but I don't know that I will go back because the food was not at all good.
(2)
Kristine P.

Here's the skinny... I LOVE Eggs Benedict. When I visit a breakfast joint for the first time I always order the eggs bene (if I know the hollandaise sauce won't be from a packet). My favorite part of eating this dish is breaking the egg yolks and watching it ooze over the ham and english muffin. Well, today i got use to disappointment. The eggs weren't runny AT ALL. I kept digging to find some runny-ness but I couldn't find any. Um, hey Sanborn's! Poached eggs are suppose to be runny in the middle! Duh. Also, the ham was tough and my english muffin was slightly burnt on one side. Over all this was a total fail. If our waitress had actually asked me how my meal was I would have told her the truth and possibly asked for something else. My brunch date ordered the huevos rancheros and loved it. She said her tortilla had the perfect crispiness to it, the red and green sauce were not spicy at all and was full of flavor. But, get this.. HER eggs were runny! *sigh* So, if you decide to try out this little breakfast spot be prepared for slow service and overcooked poached eggs on your bene. P.S. We were never asked how our food was.. never asked if we needed anything else.. and we waited for at least 15 minutes before our check was brought to us.. and then nobody came to our table to run a card or ask if we needed change. Luckily, I had stopped at the ATM and didn't need change or else I'd probably still be sitting there! Will I return? Probably not.
(2)
Jenna F.

Sanborn's is good because I rarely have to wait for very long. Their best dish in my opinion is the blue corn pancakes (use honey not syrup on top) with homemade chorizo patty sausage and two eggs. They also have decent huevos and a variety of dutch babys to choose from, including one with bacon bits.
(3)
Timothy L.

Out of their special sourdough Pretty lame Its the middle of the week Who's to blame Went German pancake Wish there was more to claim Just because it is complicated Doesnt make it any less tame Just more of the same
(3)
Michael P.

What is not to like about a brunch restaurant that serves house-made syrup and made-to-order hollandaise? The worst part about Sanborn's is having to choode between all of the amazing sounding food! I had one of the board specials, a mango filled chile relleno and blue corn pancakes. Amazing, 5 stars all the way. My wife had the eggs benedict, and as many people have mentioned, the hollandaise sauce is not standard. It was definitely fresh, but not to my liking. Her breakfast potatoes also seemed plain compared to everything else. My true rating is a 4.5, but leaning toward 5. We will be back!
(5)
Ursula M.

OMG, fellow Yelpers! YOU helped us find Sanborn's, and I'm reeling in joy from the experience! REAL CLOTH NAPKINS! Nice upbeat surroundings and staff! And, OH, those German pancakes! Rachelle B. called it a piece of heaven. I don't think it's just a "piece", I think it's just plain heaven, period. Not only that, but it's close to Edelweiss sausage-makers, so we can combine the trips. So what if we drive all the way there from Vancouver! It's worth it!
(5)
Esther Y.

Portland and its brunches! For the first time, my friends and I didn't have to wait for a table, not even 5 minutes, and definitely not an hour. As soon as we walked in, we were immediately seated. We had a hard time deciding what to order because everything on the menu looked ohhh so good, but we were all very pleased with our choices. We had 2 breakfast burritos, a mango German pancake, and chorizo sausage with blue corn pancakes. Everything was delicious and fresh. Highly recommended!
(5)
Denise d.

Meh.... From food to service, our experience was strictly, mediocre. I'd only go back if the line at the hotcake house was too long.
(2)
Sam M.

Eggs Benedict is absolutely delicious!
(5)
Billie S.

I am so excited to get back into this place and try so much more. Next time I will get the German pancakes, no doubt. Had the huevos rancheros, and was so happy with that decision. Even the coffee as you wait is worth going back. LOVE this place.
(4)
Steven P.

The amount of time I spend on yelp is almost embarrassing, yet it is rare that I actually take the time to review any of the hundreds of places I've found through yelp ( probably because there isn't enough time to review all of them ). Having said that, I left Sanborns knowing I wanted to do everything I could to promote such a great place. I had the Bleu Pear Pancake, which was absolutely delicious. Each bite was packed full of a rich cinnamon pear flavor inside a brilliant pancake crust and topped beautifully with bleu cheese crumbles. It was the service however that blew me away and that rockets this establishment into the 5 star domain. The couple that run the establishment were beyond friendly and genuine. Being new to the city, I welcomed the neighborhood chat and advice on places that I might enjoy. They even took a real interest in my passions that I came to Portland to pursue and made me feel very welcome. Great food served by great people at great prices in a great atmosphere. Oh yes, I will be back.
(5)
Cassandra C.

Wow! My first Mimosa. Attentive staff. Delicious blueberry waffle. This might just be my favorite breakfast spot in Portland. The decor is simple, clean. The seating ample, varied. I will definitely return. Really, what's not to like? Edit: I'm not sure about the bar, but they have saki-tini type drinks and Mimosa/Bellinis. I think they have a few types of beer. But I don't think you could order a Jack n Coke here.
(5)
RIbbon M.

Yum! Breakfast at its finest! Blueberry pancakes with blueberry compote for me, a Belgian waffle with fruit for my dining companion. Sides of bacon and sausage. It's pretty basic stuff, but really good. The fruit was fresh, the compote was wonderful, and their coffee is really good. The pancakes and waffles were delicious and there were leftovers - good portions. Friendly service, all the waitstaffers gave attention to our 10 month old baby as they buzzed by us. I love when you get treated sweetly when you have a baby in a restaurant - you'd be surprised at how surly some waiters and waitresses can be with a baby at their table. That never happened to us in Portland. Sanborn's is a big YES!
(5)
Elizabeth E.

Bright yellow walls make the restaurant as warm and inviting as their food. There are no shortage of breakfast options to dazzle the breakfast-lover - so you might need to come a few times to try all the offerings. They have excellent (though lemon-y) eggs benedict. German Pancakes also appear to be a specialty - I admit I haven't tried them, but my dinning companions raved. The had a chalkboard with daily additional specials and the pear, blue cheese pancake would have gotten me...if I wasn't such a sucker for eggs. Which brings me to the delicious and slightly unusual baked omelet. This is a light airy concoction with your ingredients (self-selected) baked within. It is delicious and comes with a side of potatoes and bread. If you like biscuits, I'd select the biscuits for your bread because they are just plain heavenly. The service is spot on - lots of attention to keeping coffee cups filled, water flowing, and all other needs met. I particularly like the friendly and bright atmosphere. Best of all, I like that even if there is a wait, it usually isn't very long.
(4)
Jacob G.

BAMCake? Yes, please. This thing is a German pancake with apples, bacon bits, and maple syrup. It truly is a thing of beauty. Sure, they have a bunch of other German pancakes available (flavors are put on the specials board up front), but I can never pass this one up. Also, the biscuits on the menu are really good, plus they have homemade jelly for them. I imagine that this place can get busy during brunch hours, but we've gone in the afternoon and had no problems. BAMcake!
(5)
erin m.

Food was good but a little bland. Plenty of seating, decent service, some veggie options. I did love the jams, though.
(3)
Josh M.

Holy crap! Fresh fig and goat cheese German pancake. Uhmazing! Service is great. It's not a get in, and get out, type of place. Relax and enjoy.
(5)
Ben C.

My family and I will give this place 4 out of 5 star's. My wife had the Belgian waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. She really enjoyed it. I had the eggs benedict and I thought it was good but not unique, a good traditional benedict. My daughter (who is 2 1/2) celebrated finishing her bowl of strawberries by shouting YEAH! at the top of her lungs so everyone in the place could hear. A very enjoyable family breakfast. Reasonably priced.
(4)
Paul S.

Cons: no mustard at all in restaurant. Slow to deliver menu. Pros: minimal wait on weekend. Great food, especially biscuits, and baked omelets are something different. French toast didn't look interesting. Service frequent, not warm or bubbly. Parking easy behind the restaurant. Diverse menu. Will go back definitely, but owner should get some mustard! I was underdressed in sweats and tshirt.
(4)
Chris C.

My wife and I had an wonderful brunch here. The smoked Salmon omelet with Havarti and dill was incredible. My wife had on of the German pancakes with fruit and she couldnt stop raving about it. Definitely recommend wholeheartedly.
(5)
Michael C.

Great location, great breakfast menu, delicious food, really nice people working the business and terrific decor. Had a fantastic time.
(5)
Jens J.

Eclectic. That one word just about sums up Sanborn, from the modern birch chairs paired with the ancient maplewood piano in the corner, to the opera, Gregorian chants and Christmas choir selections played on the sound system, to the Klimt-like prints on the wall and finally to the hipster/punk waitress. And then too, the scent of the restaurant. It strongly reminded me of the smell inside the Terry travel trailer our family had when I was growing up. Arriving at noon today, only one other table was occupied, by three college students. It was "seat yourself", so I did. I was promptly greeted and had my order taken by a smiling waitress. I ordered the potato pancakes, chorizo sausage and a glass of cranberry juice. While waiting, I peeked at the table underneath the utilitarian sturdy plastic tablecloth. The table was painted in mint with a distressed look. The mint matched the mint in the chairs and the benches along the wall. Did they cover the tables because that would have been too much mint? First, the waitress brought me the chorizo. She brought it with thimble-sized stainless steel cups on a separate plate. One of the thimbles was filled with sour cream, the other held what appeared to be applesauce. These were actually for the upcoming pancakes, not the sausage. At first looking at the chorizo, I didn't recognize what it was, because it looked kind of like a pork chop. Biting into it, I first thought it was Italian sausage but shortly, the expected chorizo flavor emerged (though subdued). A pretty good sausage. My potato pancakes soon appeared, with seven or eight of them heaped on the plate. On first bite into one of the pancakes, I detected nutmeg, along with the flavor of green onion. After several more bites, I could no longer taste the nutmeg. Still, the cakes lacked flavor and possessed a rather dry ho-hum texture. Maybe I was expecting cheese to be in the potato pancakes, as I've seen elsewhere. Cheese would have given the pancakes a better flavor and a more appealing texture. Overall, the potato pancakes ranked low on the thrill meter. I laughed at the cranberry juice I was served. While it was delicious, the glass was so small (4 oz). It looked like something tiny Tom Thumb would drink from. While in hindsight, I realized I should have ordered something other than the potato pancakes - like the BAM pancake (bacon, apple and maple) for example, the friendly waitress and the inviting interior compels me to give Sanborn's four stars. Because, I would come back.
(4)
Bob L.

been here several times. went today to try the French toast; very, very boring ! Ordinary. Coffee was tasteless and weak.
(2)
Edub n.

Long wait, tiny restaurant, really loud, slow for food to arrive. Out of these things and still a 5 star! Food, once it arrived, was amazing! Had the Chapple German Pancake and I think I dreamt about it this week. Side of bacon for $4.50?! Ouch! But worth the 4 meaty pieces of deliciousness. This place is legit. Just get there early!
(5)
Andrew H.

BAM! Voodoo Doughnut has the bacon maple bar (or cock n' balls...depending on how blush-proof the person is) Pinestate Biscuits as the "Reggie" And Sanborn's has the BAM(!)*cake. Went here with my pops we've been casing all the major SE breakfast joints over the past few days.(NOTE: Sanborn's is NOT OPEN on Monday or Tuesday) Upon seeing the BAM(!)cake described on the marker board at the front (it wasn't on the menu) we both immediately knew what we'd be feasting on. This thing is...more or less, an apple pie created out of eggy German pancake and blasted with bacon. And I think we all know, if there's anything Portland likes more than vegan/free-range/organic/sustainable/non-GMO/craft beer...it's bacon. * emphasis added please do not eat these treats on a regular basis for the sake of our country's obesity epidemic and to keep them "special", thanks.
(4)
Ashlee H.

I love Sanborn's! My often hard-to-please mom found this to be her favorite meal in town while visiting. That says a lot. There are a couple of great reasons to visit this place: - They're exceptional at both sweet and savory breakfasts. Try one of the German pancake specials or the Eggs Benedict with made-to-order hollandaise sauce. You won't go wrong. - Little to no line! In Portland! With such good food! This always shocks and pleases me. Not only are they great at what they prepare, the service is always excellent, too -- friendly and prompt. It took me far too long to try this place, but now that I have, it's quickly becoming one of my favorite breakfast joints in town.
(5)
Heather C.

German pancakes in all varieties. The cinnamon glaze is practically caramel. Can't really go wrong there unless carbs aren't your style. So delicious. If you're aiming for a charming brunch event on a weekend, you better bring snacks to hold you over because the wait can be long. The space isn't what I'd call cozy, but it's a warm, sunny little spot and perfect for brunch with the girls!
(4)
Melissa L.

I recently had an early breakfast (9AM on Saturday) at Sanborn's with the husband based on a recommendation from a friend, and it completely lived up to the hype. Short wait, pleasant staff, good coffee, easy parking, and easily the BEST ham I have ever had the pleasure of eating for breakfast in a restaurant in my life. My old standby breakfast, if I'm trying to eat healthy and/or am in the mood for something simple, is ham & scrambled eggs, w/ wheat toast, so that's what I got. (I know, I could have had a BAMcake, and I pondered that, but then I came to my senses when I roughly counted the insane number of calories that would entail.) And even with a plate this basic, everything was top-notch: the scrambled eggs were light as a feather, yet somehow still buttery. Ham, well, see the above. This was thick cut, cured, not too salty, with the BONE STILL IN IT. How often do you see that on your breakfast plate? Husband was very happy with his chilequiles or huevos rancheros (don't recall which it was, but those are his standbys, so it's a fair guess) and was stoked to discover the Secret Aardvark Sauce. This sauce is freaking crazy good. We were in town for the weekend to scope out possible new neighborhoods, and we will definitely be returning to Sanborn's, and definitely buying the Secret Aardvark on our first grocery trip post-move.
(5)
Anna B.

Sanborn's is a true neighborhood spot. A solid treat in Brooklyn, a funny little neighborhood oft overlooked. Once you can figure out which entrance to use (there are three), expect some great service, employees who are amped about the food, and local ingredients whenever possible. We were personally greeted by every person working, I think. And not in an annoying way, in a very friendly and welcoming way. Our server made sure to tell us that the berries and rhubarb were fresh from the farmer's market that morning, and that the colorado and verde chiles were his wife's secret recipe from her time spent in the southwest, to be executed expertly by her father, running the kitchen. We had the huevos rancheros and a classic benedict. At least three people talked up the benedict beforehand, which sealed Roomie's decision to go with that as opposed to the corned beef hash. The hollandaise is made to order and we were warned that it is not for everyone. Imagine putting a spoonful of hollandaise in your mouth and then biting into a freshly-cut lemon. It was citrus to the extreme. Both dishes came accompanied by the house potatoes, which were a bit on the overcooked side and in need of salt, but otherwise a solid accompaniment. I got my heuvos rancheros Christmas-style, a mix of the red and green chile (both vegetarian). They were equally excellent, and sopping up the remnants with my corn tortillas, I remarked that it was the perfect amount. Sour cream and guac (premade, sadly) came on the side. Mimosas are made with Oregon bubbly. The patios are awesome (coupla tables out front of the main "house" and a few in front of Tastebud Farms next door). Again, the service was excellent. Nothing was more than ten bucks, and considering the local ingredients, I consider that a great deal. We will definitely be back to Sanborn's for brunch, and hopefully snag a patio seat again, because the packed main dining area was a bit too full of ankle-biters for my comfort level.
(4)
Randy H.

Great place for Breakfast. I brought my parents here on a recent visit to Portland. Our family has always enjoyed breakfast and we all agreed that this was one of the best we had. My father and I both had the German pancakes (mine with apples, his with rhubarb). They were unlike anything we had had before. Awesome is all I can say. My mother really enjoyed her corned beef hash. We left happily full. This place is a little out of the way but well worth it.
(5)
Merle E.

Great service. The huevos rancheros were excellent. Very impressed with this place. Thank you.
(4)
Jen A.

Was craving pancakes and found this place on yelp. To say I left satisfied is an understatement. Two of us split two german pancakes because we couldn't decide- the bleu pear (bleu cheese, pears, walnuts) and the smoked apple (apple, smoked gouda, almonds)- man were these things tasty! The actual pancake part was covered in cinnamon and powdered sugar and was really light compared to other pancakes I've had. Also- the server gave us free coffee because it was our first time!!
(5)
Austin S.

Without even having to ask, my brother and sister in law said we were going to have breakfast my first full day in Portland. I LOOOVE breakfast, especially when it means going out, so I wasn't going to argue. This is located in SE Portland in a neighborhood known as Brooklyn, which is ironic because there seems to be a heightened German population in that particular neighborhood, or at least that's what my brother and sister in law told me. static.px.yelp.com/bphotâ€¦ From the outside, this seems like your typical smalltown type of breakfast joint. The inside is adorned with simple furniture and minimal wall decorations. The worn down, beat up right up piano was a nice quaint touch. Our wait was about 15 minutes, which on a Sunday at about 10 AM is a good sign for a place known for their breakfast. We sat down and looking over the menu, they had the typical breakfast offerings such as eggs, pancakes, eggs benedict, and omelettes. Their pancakes were German pancakes, which are baked like the Dutch Baby at Original Pancake House, but probably better. I was thinking about getting the eggs benedict because I love eggs benedict, but my sis in law said she was going to get it and give me a bite. The great thing about their eggs benedict is that the hollandaise is made with lemon zest, making it quite tart but in a good way, but they make the hollandaise TO ORDER. If you've ever have made hollandaise sauce, it can be a little temperamental, so making it to order is, in my opinion, a little ballsy, but even more props to them. I opted for the Chorizo and Eggs, which came with 3 bluecorn pancakes. I got my eggs over medium. static.px.yelp.com/bphotâ€¦ My brother got the special, which was braised oxtail and eggs, the oxtail served with an adobo sauce. He really liked the oxtail and he said his scrambled eggs were fluffy. I tried my sis in law's eggs benedict and the hollandaise sauce is really what makes the eggs benedict. It was really good. My handformed chorizo sausage patty was really good and had a lot of good flavor and wasn't too spicy. My eggs were just perfect and the runny yolk was the perfect sauce to sop up with the yummy chorizo. My bluecorn pancakes were really good too. I didn't need any syrup and I used only butter. I also tried some of the homefries my sister in law had with her eggs benedict and they were good. We also got an order of the HOMEMADE biscuits and they were brought out with a quartet of HOMEMADE jams, coming in flavors blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry. I liked the blackberry the best. static.px.yelp.com/bphotâ€¦ The service was very good and prompt. Our waters were never empty for longer than a few seconds. Overall a very good breakfast leaving me very full. Everything was in the $8-11, and looking at other tables, the portions are very good for the price. I was able to pick up WIFI, but wasn't sure if it was theirs or somewhere else. Probably theirs. There is a parking lot around back. I would definitely come back here if I'm ever in Portland again.
(5)
Francis Y.

This restaurant known for their breakfast is conveniently located near I-26 on the way out to Mt. Hood. Whenever I'm in town, I try to grab a breakfast here. The pancakes are AMAZING here. They are melt in your mouth pancakes. Having their blueberry pancakes is like asking if I want free money. I cannot say no. And they are so light and fluffy you don't realize you swallowed an entire stack of them. Like cotton candy on the tongue, they dissolve away leaving behind blueberry essence to savor. Have them with the pepper bacon and the french press coffee. Staff is very cool too.
(4)
Sandra W.

It's like this every Sundy in my house: I want to go to breakfast; Hubs wants to sleep all day. Usually, this means I scarf whatever's in the fridge, or starve. Well, today's Father's Day, so at 11:30 a.m. I banged on the wall, and he actually got out of bed, had a cuppa Joe, and off we went to add to the local economy. Brekky! We were seated after a very short wait. I got a French press, but I was forced to drink the whole thing alone, as Hubs wanted just regular coffee. He placed an order for the BAMCake, which is shorthand for Bacon, Apple and Maple, and I selected the Eggs Benny. Just so we're clear, if you do decide to have the French Press, make sure you have a high caffeine tolerance. I thought I did, so while we waited and waited for our food, I sucked down about half of French Press. My heart started racing and I started sweating profusely, so I took off my jacket. Didn't help. Was gonna maybe have to lose my shirt next. Then I was twitching. Come on FOOD, hurry up, dang-it-all! Some food appeared on the stairwell from the kitchen, but it was destined for a table of 5 that was seated after us. And so I soldiered on, through a pot of French Press meant for two. Self-Talk: "A German pancake has to be baked. It takes time. Be patient. Drink your French Press and bepatientbepatientbepatient BEPATIENT!" I was seriously considering just getting up and running out the door, and seeing how fast I could run down Milwaukie Ave. when, finally, someone materialized with two plates. He announced, "Well, here it is guys, finally. Boy, I was getting worried about your food." Really? I hadn't noticed -- given that my French Compressed Brain had shot out of the top of my head about 30 minutes earlier, taking my entire esophagus with it. Hubs tucked a gold cloth napkin into his red shirt (French Pressed Braintalk: "WHAT THE EFF? REALLY?? ARE YOU LIKE 5 YEARS OLD??") and we tucked in to our plates. I have to tell you, his German BAMcake was nothing short of spectacular. And buttery! But the Benny was disappointing to me. Maybe the French Press brain-plosion took all my taste buds with it, but all I could taste was a lot of lemon. The Santa Fe potatoes were good and crispy, seasoned and cooked well, just the way I like them. We'll probably be back. When Hubs pronounces a dish "exotic,' that pretty much seals it. But I know what NOT to order next time. It's been 3 hours and my pulse is still racing. Gotta run.
(4)
Eric M.

We go here often enough for the staff to recognize us, and while we often go in the afternoon, it is worth the wait in the morning too. The coffee is great and available as you wait for a table. The food here is among the best breakfasts in Portland, and there really is nothing in the menu that they don't do well. On the rare occasion they make a mistake, they are very quick to correct it. I highly recommend this place for breakfast.
(5)
Richard A.

I had a corned beef hash breakfast that was, to be generous, unexceptional. It was crispy corned beef thrown on top of crispy potatoes, the two did not meld at all. I was pretty disappointed. Service was OK and it was a friendly crowd, but I was disappointed with the food and probably won't go back. In looking at the other reviews, maybe I made a bad choice on my order, but it was what I wanted.
(3)
Lindsay L.

It's one of those places where you don't want to write the review because you're afraid the next time you go it will be too busy. We had to try one of their German pancakes and I'm glad I did! It was much more manageable in size than the ones I've had in the past and it would be a great breakfast appetizer split between 2-4 people. That day we had the fig and goat cheese pancake and it was delicious. I ordered the eggs bene and actually found the hollandaise to be TOO lemony. Which if you know me is weird because I LOVE lemon. It had a really nice lemony flavor but I found it to overpower the delicate taste of the benedict. My friend ordered the breakfast burrito and it was huge. Our waiter was helpful and gave us plenty of time to order plus several sage suggestions. I'll be back! ...hopefully soon.
(4)
Emily S.

Small, crowded space. Mostly neglectful service. Coffee smelled and tasted of old pot. The corned beef hash was absolutely awful. The 'poached' eggs were near hard boiled. I fully expected better, especially for the price. There are way too many other great places.
(2)
Amanda W.

I have to confess, I have lived a mere 5 minutes away from Sanborn's for the past 3 years and had no idea this little breakfast gem existed! Today? Today I found you, Sanborn's and I'm pretty stoked that I did! This place is cute. This place is friendly. And, most importantly, this place is delicious. I heart breakfast at any time of day. I heart that I rolled in at 1:00pm on a Thursday and had the same breakfast options available to me that I would have had at 8:00am. Score! German pancakes appear to be the specialty here. I went with the BAMcake because who doesn't want a little BAM in their breakfast? Bacon crumbles and apples in a delightful, fluffy pancake baked to perfection. Add some maple syrup to this ginormous, decadent, tummy filler and... BAM! A breakfast sure to please. I look forward to satisfying more of my future breakfast needs here, and so should you!
(4)
Cesar P.

I just suffered an overpriced, mediocre breakfast. The mangos are clearly out of season, the tortillas for the huevos rancheros are dry. Even the coffee is bitter. The service is really good, though. Still, not even with that service would I want to go back.
(2)
Rachel R.

We went back a few weekends ago and was just as pleased as the first time! Definitely a new favorite of ours!
(5)
Brittany H.

Sanborn's is my favorite restaurant OF ALL TIME. Ok, so maybe that's a little dramatic, but I just love it. Everyone here is so ridiculously nice, it makes you want to be a better person (more dramatic statements). Ok, the food! There is a baked German pancake that is typically always featured that includes apples, real maple syrup and smoked Gouda. Order this, add bacon, allow for your life to be (dramatically!) changed for the better. Everything else is excellent as well. I particularly like the eggs benedict, chorizo and eggs, and the homemade biscuits combined with the homemade jams are LIKE WHOA. All right, I'm done. Go there.
(5)
Rachelle B.

Two weeks in DC and Europe on business, long flights back and all my husband wants is breakfast at Sanborn's (well, nearly all...). He gets his usual - eggs benedict, poached soft, crispy potatoes - while I get mine - baked omelette with a side of buckwheat pancakes. We are grateful. We live in a beautiful place and get to eat amazing food. We've been regulars at this piece of heaven for about 3 years now with every other breakfast out rated against the gold standard we call Sanborn's. Most are lacking. At this family-owned spot, multiple members of the family cook and wait tables; all the staff are friendly and just the right level of attentive. Every single item on the menu is prepared well, and the numerous friends and family we've brought over the years have heartily agreed with this assessment. Go to Sanborn's. You won't be disappointed.
(5)
Paige Z.

delicious sweet breakfast. I like the interior too, it's casual and elegant.
(4)
kelly s.

Sanborn's is just cute as a button. For some reason I was craving breakfast around lunch time, and wanted to discover a new little breakfast place (or at least new to me). The interior is clean, fresh, and has a little bit of arts and crafts era character, nothing over the top, but nice and sensible. Breakfast was quick, tasty and cost effective. I will say I wasn't left feeling the "oh my god I can't wait to tell so and so about this" kind of feelings you get when you've found a total diamond in the rough, but Sanborn's is a mighty fine place to just get a good egg and a cup of coffee.
(4)
Pam L.

My favorite breakfast treat are German Pancakes. My brother and sister-in-law were coming into town so I hopped onto Yelp to see where I could find these scrumptious creations. Sanborns had amazing reviews so we tried it out. Food: OUTSTANDING food, multiple different kinds of German pancakes, homemade hollandaise sauce (made to order!)....this girl was in heaven! Service: Great! Ambiance: Cute Quaint place. Street parking but not a problem on weekend mornings. FYI's: At one point people were lined up outside waiting to get in this place. I will be back to visit you Sanborns and I'm spreading the word about your greatness!
(5)
Taylor B.

Solid food and great breakfast/brunch stop in SE, just not too keen about the sparkly clean white linen feel. Love the huevos rancheros and you can't go wrong with their heavenly german pancakes! Food is always good, a par under Mother's Bistro if you ask me, but good for the price! Modest selection, but you feel a disconnect between the amazing chef and your food. Service on any day I've been has been prompt and friendly, but not that welcoming. No friendly chit chat, its straight and to the point, sit, menus, place order, and done. It's not a major hangup, but its apparent as always that food can be exceptional, but service can stick out like a sore thumb.
(4)
Michelle H.

I knew those five stars I so excitedly bestowed would be shattered if I went back. It's almost impossible to maintain a five star status. Before I lay out the little nagging things that made me take a star away, let's see what else Sanborn's awesome staff continues to offer: --While they don't take reservations, I called ahead to let them know a party of eight would be gracing their presence around 10am. We didn't even have to wait when we showed up. That's gracious. --If we had said yes to every offer, I think we collectively would have consumed about ten gallons of coffee. We were offered it every few minutes at least. --They continue to not only split a check without batting an eyelash, they even suggest it. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love that. Unfortunately, there were a few minor issues, most of which were probably just the result of an off day: --Can we please get some butter/egg yolk in our lemony hollandaise sauce? I'm pretty sure all we needed was some ice cubes and a glass [colorful umbrella and alcohol optional], and we would have had a fine lemonade for that soon to be hot afternoon. --I can't understand why potatoes are so hard to cook. It's a potato. It's a miracle when you stumble across a restaurant that can produce them with such awe-inspiring perfection each and every time. --Finally, for all of the awesome attention we were showered with before and during our meal, we were almost ignored for a painstakingly long time. They were kind of busy, and all of the servers were running around trying to keep everyone else well stocked. It wasn't personal, I'm sure. I still love you Sanborn's, honest.
(4)
Kiley W.

I love this place. The have really good food, great service, and amazing specials. If you ever get the chance, try the fig German pancake. It was one of the best things that I have ever eaten!
(5)
JW R.

Is it wrong to downgrade a place because breeders bring their spawn in? Probably. And I DID go to Sellwood. My bennies were WAY sour. Far too much lemon juice in the Hollandaise. The potatoes (people, just serve hashbrowns! WTF) were undercooked. They didn't have any problem splitting the check, but made us wait forever after they dropped the check. Do we seem not very bright? And they dropped the toast and stuff well before they brought the food. Really weird. Servers were friendly and otherwise attentive. They seemed to have a dedicated coffee pourer, too. Smart move.
(3)
Mark P.

We go here a lot as it's the closest great breakfast spot and the food and the service have always been outstanding. The staff is terrific, friendly and efficient, quick with discrete refills of coffee, and great with kids. While they are known for their baked pancakes, they also do eggs incredibly well and their breakfast burrito is one of my favorites. This is a place where you want to pay attention to seasonal fruits because when they get going with the peaches, nectarines and pears in the late summer or early fall, they hit a new stride altogether. But my last visit knocked my socks off. They had a special that was incredible: A baked apple, stuffed with bacon chunks (not bits) and cheddar cheese, glazed with brown sugar and maple syrup, nested on a puff pastry. Served with two eggs and potatoes. Incredible.
(5)
Martha R.

It was my birthday yesterday, and I wanted the corn beef hash from Sanborns. I tried to order something different, I really did. But in the end it was a choice well made because I was just as happy the second time around as the first. The place was MUCH more busy this time around than the last... but we still didn't have to wait on a Sunday morning at 9am. The food + no wait is what makes this one of my favorite breakfast spots in Portland. I WAS a little bummed out that they ran out of the Domaine Meriwhether Discovery Cuvee for the mimosas though. I mean, that was calling to me - but it was not to happen. I was also excited to find out that the orange juice was fresh-squeezed. Oh why no Disco?? My favorite $15 sparkling wine period. Oh it's good. Check it out. Sanborns is a really nice breakfast spot tucked in an unassuming location. There was parking available both times I have been there, and the service was good - but not great. The last time I went the service was better, but we did get the owner's daughter. So perhaps that had something to do with it. I know that if I were in the same position that I would work harder if a family member were the owner. Overall great experience and definitely a place to check out if you have not been!
(4)
Alicia F.

I heart Sanborn's! This place has it all- cute atmosphere, attentive staff, and amazing food. The hubby had the eggs benedict with made-to-order hollandaise sauce and quickly declared it one of the best bennys in town. I had the huevos rancheros and fell in love. I highly recommend getting this dish Christmas-style- one egg verde and one egg colorado. Now, how do I know I truly heart Sanborn's? Because we're already planning a return visit to try other dishes. German pancakes? Yes please. German pancakes with blue cheese, pear, and walnuts? Hell yes! With this kind of menu and the quality to back it up you'll wish you had a couple of stomachs to sample everything coming out of the kitchen.
(4)
Erika D.

We were just passing through and stopped here at a friend's recommendation on a weekday morning and the place was practically empty. Good for us because we ate great food without having to wait. Mango pancake was the bomb. Veggie sausage as well as the animal bacon were both delicious. Service was excellent. Portland is lucky.
(5)
Mary Hartman M.

It's a great little place with a few caveats to keep in mind before you go. It's a good place for pancake lovers and non-vegetarians. The crowd was mostly older people, but I could see it being a good restaurant for children. If they made a vegetarian benedict or a potato scramble without eggs, it would be even better, but not every restaurant needs to cater to my dietary needs. The pancakes were really good, and so was the service. As a PS for the "separate check person." Don't ask for separate checks in a breakfast restaurant. Totally tacky. Do the math.
(5)
Patrick W.

There are two things that Sanborn's does amazingly well. The first are their German pancakes. Larger, sweeter, and tastier than regular pancakes. Take the mango cake for instance. Large chunks of carmelized mango are lovingly pressed into this pastry together with ginger, lemon, and orange peel. Then, it's baked to perfection. The other item Sanborn's does better than anyone else in the city are blueberry pancakes. Blueberries are subtle. Therefore they ought to be large in size and number. Sanborn's delivers on both accounts. These pancakes are heavily weighted on the blueberry side of the blueberry-to-pancake mix ratio, as they should be. Then, they're dusted with powdered sugar! But they don't stop there. They then give you a container of some of the best blueberry compote in the city to spill at will over pancakes already bursting at the seams with blueberries! One of the few instances were too much of a good thing is an even better thing. The service is very friendly, the atmosphere feels casual, yet classy, and there's either no wait for a table, or well below 10 minutes, which is rare for a great breakfast joint in Portland.
(4)
Brandi B.

I have never waited more than fifteen minutes to be seated at Sanborn's for brunch. That in itself gives this place an extra star, here in Portland. I've been here four or five times, and it's always the same: pretty good. No hard booze, so if you're looking for a bloody mary this ain't your place, but I've had the bellinis and mister has had the sake breakfast cocktails and they're fine. In fact, everything here is fine. The music is (usually) older jazz, the coffee is fine, the cocktails are good, the food is fine, but not something you'd write home about. The biscuits, sadly, are a real disappointment. Beautiful, but not very good. But it's a brunch spot in Portland that you can get into really fast. Some Sundays, that's enough.
(4)
Kathleen M.

Most amazing breakfast with very attentive service. A house transformed into a modern breakfast only hot spot. No lunch, dinner or happy hour, which makes Sanborn's the breakfast Gods of Portland. Eggs Benedict with made to order Hollandaise sauce. Bleu Pear German pancake special piled high with pears and walnuts, baked in the oven then topped with bleu cheese. Had half for breakfast and the second half for lunch back in Seattle. Sake based breakfast cocktails complete the morning. Picture perfect.
(5)
Connie C.

Brunch at Sanborn's is a must. Their corned beef hash is one of the best I've ever had. They don't have a very big menu but everything I've tried so far has been delicious. Friendly staff and a nice, bright environment makes for a great experience.
(5)
Tani S.

I love the art deco tile floor and sunny, warm yellowish beige walls. We came here in search of German pancakes. The German pancake didn't disappoint but next time we're going to get it without butter (it was swimming in melted butter :(). The eggs were light and airy, the freshly squeezed orange juice naturally sweet. The buttermilk biscuits were delicious (and too big of a portion, I can't believe they gave 2!) The service was friendly, this is definitely going to become one of our regular breakfast places. We fortunately arrived just before a wait started
(5)
Marion O.

Okay, I'll admit we love our breakfast outings. We try to go out to breakfast at least once per week. I'll also admit I'm a little afraid to tell people about this place. It's sometimes hard to get a seat but if that's not a good sign of a nice find in a restaurant, then I don't know what is. It's worth waiting for. Their prices are lower than they should be (ssshhh don't tell them) considering the quality of the food and the service is equally as good even on a busy morning. I LOVE that they give kids their own package of wiki sticks to make their own creations and entertain themselves while at the table. As far as the food goes, my husband is VERY picky about his Eggs Benedict and he loves theirs. My two favorite dishes are their blueberry pancakes (to die for!!) and their huevos rancheros (I haven't found anyone else's that compare!).
(5)
Jeff W.

I had mixed feelings about dragging myself out of the hotel early this morning. I was debating staying in and just eating breakfast at the place downstairs. I talked myself out of it seen as this is gonna be my last day to really get out and bounce around the city. Holy shit! am I glad I did. This was the best breakfast I've had on this trip so far, and it's one of the better breakfast's i've ever had. No joke. I had an omelette with homies and wheat toast. But unlike most omelettes, this fucker was baked. The potatoes were cooked to perfection and the bread was baked in house. Everything about it was awesome. Friendly service, fair prices. Cheap even considering the quality of the food and the size of the portion. This place is a total breakfast win. I would eat here at least once a week if I were local.
(5)
Ronna N.

I went to Sanborns with a daily deal groupon for basically half off. I ordered the eggs benedict which was highly recommended. I have to say that the sauce was so lemony it was closer to a lemon curd. And the funny thing is that I love lemon curd - just not on my eggs! The potatoes are actually a little closer to deep fried potato squares than resembling any type of hashbrown and lost their flavor in how they prepared them. I wanted to like this place, and I wanted to like my lunch - but I just didn't. It might have been a bad day for them or actually a bad day for the sauce. I might go back - next time for their dutch babies.
(3)
Susan H.

I was visiting the Portland area and looking for someplace new to try for breakfast. My husband suggested Sanborn's. He said it was rated the #2 breakfast stop by Yelp. I must have gone on an "OFF" day. The service was adequate. However, I believe there was only one employee working. He did everything from order taking to cooking and clean up. There were 3 in our party. We each ordered something different so we could share. We had eggs benedict, corn beef hash and a Belgium waffle. The best thing was probably the Hollandaise sauce on the eggs benedict. It had a nice lemony flavor, but was not overpowering. However, the english muffin was dry and chewey and the canadian bacon was dried out from overcooking. The description of the corn beef hash said it was chunks of corn beef cooked with potatoes, onions, etc. The corn beef I had was minced and seemed like it had been processed through a meat grinder. The Belgium waffle was overcooked and dry. My dad ate half and did not finish the rest. He said it wasn't good. This says a lot to me since my dad rarely complains about hs food. Overall, I was very disappointed given the 4 1/2 star rating.
(2)
John T.

Stopped in yesterday morning just for a place to cool my heels and wait and get something to eat, but was pleasantly surprised. Orange juice: excellent and apparently fresh-squeezed, though in the typical smaller-than-the-water-glass "large" size. Look, I'll pay for more - don't scrimp on the OJ in the morning in the shot glass, huh? But this is typical of all breakfast places. I ordered the eggs benedict, which was REALLY good. Some sort of light lemony sauce, and the potatoes were good, as well. I should have ordered some toast to go along with the meal, since there was enough of the Hollandaise sauce to make a few pieces of bread happy. Bill came to $13 for the breakfast entree and OJ - an acceptable figure for the quality of the meal. This was not the usual hash-slinging kind of breakfast place - much better food, at least in my small sample size. JT
(4)
Edgar L.

Great service and very clean.Their coffee is awesome. I was very disappointed with their Eggs Benedict as the sauce was very thick almost like a pudding and strongly citrusy, they should rename this dish to "Eggs Benedict Key Lime Style".
(2)
Andrea V.

Solid 4 stars, even 4.5. My only beef here is the lack of more benedict options. I had the biscuits and gravy and my dining partner, the Kelly St. special. Where I'm from, the Kelly St. special would be called Joe's Special - spinach, ground beef, mushrooms and scrambled eggs. At Sanborn's, who cares what its called, its great, and it could feed you for about 2 days. For that matter, so could the biscuits and gravy - an order is 4 halves and enough gravy to drown any woes you may be suffering from your indiscretions the evening before. Fresh squeezed OJ was exceptional. Coffee, as well. And as other reviewers, I really hate to say it, but (shhhh): no wait. And for that, Sanborn's gets their 5th star. Serious yum. Next time I'm trying the pancake options.
(5)
judd g.

First of all, the service is six stars typically and if you have a wait either on the sidewalk or while your order comes out, it is worth it so don't fret... Last time I went I had the B.acon A.pple M.aple german pancake, and it was savory, add the pecans and you will be delighted. Hollandaise made to order made me happy as well. Right now, this is easily in my top five breakfast places in town. The wait staff truly tends to hustle and takes pride in that. I honor them with my first yelp post because I do think the service is something extraordinary.
(4)
Kelleh H.

I absolutely love this place! Everything I have ever ordered here has been fantastic. I am not the breakfast connoissuer, but I am always looking for a reason to go here. The waitstaff is small, but they are always friendly and efficient. Bring a big appetite because you get a lot of food!!!
(5)
Yvette H.

Very good food! Biscuits are perfect. Service was friendly. I'll definitely be back!
(5)
ToniAnn M.

This review has been way overdue! Sanborn's is a unique & wonderful neighborhood place. I can see the Hubs & I becoming a regular fixture there on weekends, & it's not even in our neighborhood! The staff is so friendly, knowledgeable about the menu & the ingredients, helpful with recommendations, & spot on with service. Rebbecca is absolutely fantastic! I ordered the Eggs Benedict after much debate, since I didn't think I could eat everything on the menu, even though I really wanted to try! A-MAZ-ING!!!!! Yes, the Hollandaise Sauce is on the more "lemony" side, but not without disclaimer. It clearly states that in the description, as well as another heads-up given by Rebbecca when I placed my order. I've never been one to fear or turn away from the lemon, so I was full ahead on. I mean, a made to order Hollandaise Sauce? I was not about to walk away from that! The Eggs Bene were a hit! Due to my indecisiveness, & my eyes being bigger than my stomach, I also ordered a side of the Corned Beef Hash to share with the Hubs. Again, a hit! My better half decided to go with the Buttermilk Pancakes. Light, fluffy, pillowy discs of golden goodness!! (Say that 3 times fast!) Everything was so delicious. The food, the French Press Coffee, the great service.......Sanborn's, you had so many hits, you sank my battleship!
(4)
Erika B.

Score! Yay, I finally decided to take the plunge and pull myself away (briefly) from my all time favorite breakfast spot (shout out to Jam on Hawthorne!) and try another of my long standing bookmarks, Sanborn's. There were 4 of us, we are arrived early on a Sunday and were able to seat ourselves right away. We were greeted with some hot coffee --good coffee at that, and some loose leaf tea that we requested. Oh, and let me also make mention of the fresh squeezed OJ which was oh so delicious. Breakfast at our table consisted of the BAM cake (bacon, apple, maple german pancake) which was divine, perfect in every way. I will order it again and again, I am certain. Another standout was the Mango German pancake which was also wonderful. It had large chunks of fresh mango, ginger, orange zest...yummm. The Waffle, which I am told was also really good.....two eggs cooked over easy as ordered, Buttermilk pancakes and side orders of meaty Peppered Bacon which were cooked just the way I like it, chewy. So glad I finally had a chance to check this place out and recommend to others.
(4)
Kristin H.

Sanborn's sits about a block away from busy Powell Boulevard, but once inside the street sounds fade away. The decor is bright and simple; jazz music poured from the kitchen. The place was busy but not so much that we had to wait. The drip coffee was delicious, the orange juice fresh-squeezed. I ordered poached eggs and a chorizo sausage patty, mango salsa and blue corn pancakes. It was delectable, everything cooked to perfection. I loved the crunchy, earthy taste if the pancakes, and the egg yolks were just the right amount of runny. The service was great. So far, this is my favorite breakfast place in Portland.
(5)
Elspeth T.

After a long trip to the doctor's office this morning, I wanted to take my mother and children to Sanborn's for some of their renowned German pancakes. So, we walk in with one guy waiting in the corner, and a couple of guys standing. Lots of tables open, though no one has come around to clear them. The couple of gents waiting ask the frantic waiter how long it will be to be seated, and he whisks by with 'just give me a couple of minutes.' They leave. I think: 'poor waiter; must be alone; those guys must have had a time crunch; now we're next in line.' No problem. Yet. Another group comes in. Waiting, waiting. Chef comes to clear tables. Waiting, waiting. Another group tries to come in, but can't because it's too crowded (because the waiter still has not seated any of us). A woman from the group just after us goes to ask the waiter (who is hiding at the drink station) if we could sit down at some of the now cleared but still dirty and unset tables, just to clear the entry. He rudely tells her: 'I just need you to be patient. I need to seat everyone in order.' He wipes down the tables. Waiting, waiting. Then she goes back to him again while he is fetching tableware and napkins to set the empty tables. But it is obvious to all that if we could sit down, we'd all be more comfortable, and it would perhaps remove the pressure he obviously was feeling from having a mob of unhappy customers waiting for attention. He sets down tableware at a booth next to where we're standing, and I tell him that none of us requires that the tables be set before we sit down. He turns to me, visibly shaking, and says: 'I really need you to be patient. I am a little overwhelmed right now. No one is sitting down until I get the tables set. And I'm seating everyone in order of when they came in.' So I respond: 'Don't you understand that we're just trying to help you?' And, besides, we're the next group to be seated at a full table,' glancing down at the booth behind him. Then he says something like, 'no, that man is first to be seated,' as if it would be impossible, in that little dining room with all those empty tables, for all the groups simply to grab their seats and sit down simultaneously. That's when I said, in a fairly loud voice, 'Forget it! We don't need to eat here! You don't want us to eat here! Fine! There's plenty of food over at the Hotcake House across the street!' And we left. And maybe another group left behind us (at least, according to my child, they left). If this man wants to be so rigid and controlling about how people are seated, to detriment of servicing his clients, he can do so without our business. If he is waitstaff, he should be reprimanded, placed on probation, and fired if he doesn't improve. If he's the owner, he needs to stop biting the hands that feed him if he wants to stay in business for the long run. I will be reposting this review elsewhere, because I want people to know what they can expect when they come here. The service is non-existent. I would have loved to offset this negative review with a glowing food review, but I didn't get to eat here, so I can't.
(1)
Robin H.

Sanborn's is consistently in my top 3 Portland breakfast places and I do love my breakfast places! I love the Mango pancake, with a side of bacon, some of the seasonal fruit pancakes are good too. If I am wanting a savory instead of sweet the corned beef hash is also really good. My husband usually gets the bennie. And if they have a chile relleno special DO NOT MISS THAT! They are ALWAYS GOOD! I never see the bottom of my coffee cup because it is always being topped off, don't know whose coffee they use but it too is consistently good! Rebecca is sweetheart (actually, everyone who works there is a sweetheart but she is our fave)! We usually get there in the first hour they are open and never wait for a table.
(5)
Eggland B.

Wonderful! Delicious food, some standards and some not-so-usual. Reasonable prices, great service, and even on a Saturday around 10 am we were seated with no wait. Can't recommend highly enough!!
(5)
Ben S.

I've been here twice now - first because I heard such great things, then once again because I wanted to confirm that the transcendent experience I had the first time was not merely a fluke. It wasn't. If you come to Sanborn's, you definitely want to get several types of German pancake to split with several people, "family style." In the past, I have been privileged to try their apricot, apple, rhubarb, and pear with bleu cheese. All of them were outstanding - fresh, filling, and with a perfect contrast of crispy and soft textures. Service is outstanding, as well. If you don't have a car, it's right off the bus from downtown. What more could I have asked for?
(5)
Evvy E.

TRAVELERS PERSPECTIVE: I went here on my trip to Portland and was thoroughly impressed. After a 2.5 mile walk to the locale, my mom and I were starving, and hoping to god that the place was worth the walk. We ordered an eggs meal and the apple german pancake. Both were fantastic, the service was great, but other than that it was pretty much typical of a breakfast restaurant. The coffee wasn't fantastic, and the service was slow (in comparison to Berkeley/Bay Area service, which I find to be speedy and helpful). But hey, that's breakfast, so we reconciled with the slow service and enjoyed our meal and took the 2.5 mile treck back to our hotel and made it a day. If you're down to travel to the boonies for a great place to eat, don't hesitate to go here!
(4)
Shirley C.

We decided to try Sanborns one morning a couple of weeks ago for breakfast because all of the views look really good. My baked omelet was good but my potatoes were burnt on the outside but raw on the inside, not really sure how they did that but needless to say it was not very appetizing . The biscuits were only so, so. The menu had some items that I would not mind trying but I am not sure the food was good enough to try coming here again.
(3)
Nick R.

Good food. Two of us had breakfast burritos and two had the huevos. Everything tasted really good. Didn't have to wait to be seated, but the food was a little slow to get to the table. Service wasn't great, but they were down one server, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and try them again another weekend.
(3)
Danizilla S.

I just love Sanborn's. The boy and I live nearby and head here fairly often for brunch. We know we won't wait forever for a table (compared to other popular brunch spots in town), the service will be great and the quality of food consistent. We realized we hadn't been in a couple months and decided to go last weekend. So glad we did. We are always greeted warmly by the folks working there and I love that we can grab coffee ourselves while we wait. Not that this is original only to Sanborn's but I don't think I've ever found the coffee to be empty or lacking clean mugs like I've experienced at some other places more often than not. I've had many items on the menu and a lot of specials. I've enjoyed all of it, some more than others, but everything has definitely been edible! There have been a couple instances of something ending up on our bill that we didn't order, but has been corrected without issue when we ask about it. Mistakes happen. I think the mango German pancake is my favorite, but have branched out and tried the bleu pear and apple gouda varieties as well, they are interesting combinations!
(5)
Joseph L.

Absolutely amazing breakfast place! First time in Portland and upon arriving in the morning, we went straight here for breakfast. Perfect way to begin our rainy day with a unique breakfast menu. Really loved my mango pancakes and wish I could find a place back home that could duplicate it. Nice place and friendly service. Definitely worth checking out!!
(5)
J S.

Between the eclectic decor, a sort of pastiche of diner and seaside bed-and-breakfast, to the menu options: German pancakes, biscuits with gravy, huevos rancheros, I wasn't quite sure what to make of sanborns at first. To the sounds of postwar soft jazz music we made our menu selections. When we were served a German pancake, and cornbeef hash with poached eggs, biscuits and house made jam, and tried our first bites, a clear point emerged-- Sanborn's breakfasts are the real deal. The biscuits were some of the best I've ever had. The corned beef hash was really good with the addition of the aardvark sauce and I liked that it had diced green and red peppers in it. The german pancake did a good job with that balance of egginess to sweetness that is sometimes a miss elsewhere. The food is simple fresh and unique. We also had the mocha press which was good but a little bit too sweet for my taste, I prefer mochas that have more of a bittersweet chocolate thing. Bottom line: More classic northwest than it is hip, its worth going back for the food for sure.
(4)
Scott L.

First time here I ordered the potato pancakes and was surprised at the large portion. Very yummy, but I made the mistake of sampling my friend's baked rhubarb German pancake. Delish! I tried mentally sending her a message to offer me more, to suddenly feel full and give me the leftovers, to suddenly pine for my potatoes, but nope. She finished every last bite. I had to wait until my next visit with my 12 year old son when I ordered the baked fig German pancake, assured that he would not ask to sample anything with figs in it. All mine. Soooo good. Great coffee. Friendly service. My third visit did not live up to the first two, but I'll let them have a Mulligan and try a fourth time.
(5)
Kristina W.

My friends and I do a monthly brunch and always try to find new places. This place is amazing! Great food, great service and great pancakes! Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Coral C.

(What?? No reviews? Yelp has a lot of catching up to do with citysearch in PDX) I had read a lot of good reviews about this place and thought I'd check it out for lunch. I guess I got it mixed up with somewhere else, because when we went in, their entire menu was all breakfast. I asked the server about it, and they DO serve 3 hot sandwiches and a daily soup. (none sounded very appetizing) This place seems as if it's trying to be an upscale type breakfast place, complete with a piano and 1930's style decor. We went in around 12:30 in the afternoon, and there were only a couple tables dining. The menu had a lot of good stuff, ranging from Huevos Rancheros to omlettes/scambles to a few types of savory pancakes. I had a 3 egg omlette and it came with 2 fillings, but you can add on as much as you want for only .75 extra. I loaded it with bacon, cheese, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. Comes with potatoes and either biscuits or toast. My dining partner opted for the potato pancakes. Mine was pretty good, they actually bake the eggs, so it has an interesting consistency. Kind of like a personal fritatta. Nice and fluffy and they didn't skimp on the fillings. The "Santa Fe" potatoes were just red potatoes sauteed in some onions. Pretty good. The biscuits had potential, but I don't think they were completely cooked. The insides were a little doughy, but not inedible. I polished both of them off with the yummy jams they brought out tableside. The potato pancakes came with sour cream and applesauce with fresh green onion and a really nice, smooth consistency. Could have used a little "something", but couldn't quite put a finger on it. Enough to fill the whole plate. The service was a little weird, when we arrived, she was helpful and attentive, but as a couple more tables came in, it seemed like she was a little bit in the weeds. Can't blame them for that, just luck of the draw. All in all, just okay...it's not really in my neighborhood, so I don't know that I'll be back until I tire of my local breakfast joints. Both of us ate for under $25, with two sodas, can't beat the price. Parking is a little iffy too. There was a bank next door with a lot, but I was a little nervous to park there.
(3)
Racheal K.

Everything we tried was amazing! Awesome staff!!!
(5)
Ken N.

Get the huevos rancheros with verde sauce.
(4)
Alanna S.

I'd heard great things about Sanborn's... that it could possibly be the best breakfast in Portland. It was very good, we'll be back, but there were small details that robbed this place of 5 stars. If they had half stars, I would have given this a 4.5 stars. First the good: The eggs were cooked perfectly, almost too perfectly. The bacon was absolutely 5 stars out of 5. The service was another 5 stars, absolutely great. The 4 homemade jams they served to us were out of this world. Coffee, very good. My husband got the biscuits, which were very good, maybe a little on the dense side, but good none-the-less. His corned beef hash and poached eggs, most excellent. My only complaints were the starches. The potatoes were a little soggy and greasy and the toast was stale. All in all, a great place for breakfast.
(4)
Kim L.

Just had my first Sanborns experience. The service was really friendly, attentive, and fast. I really appreciated that the decaf coffee was really hot and seemed fresh. As a decaf drinker (yes, groan) it's often old and lukewarm most places. I had the huevos rancheros Christmas-style: one egg sauced with colorado, the other with verde sauce. I thought they were really good and the black beans were a little on the side so I was happy. I don't know what the PDX thing is about black beans with rancheros anyway but where I come from beans don't usually figure in this dish - maybe as a side but not on the tortilla itself. The potatoes were a little underwhelming: not very hot, some a little soft-looking and others looked a little overbrowned. I didn't really care that much but had I been in a potato mood that would have been a bummer. The guacamole looked like it was squeezed from a tube so just skip that and use the sour cream. They had a variety of hot sauces available and I love a place that appreciates the different characteristics hot sauces can bring! I finished my meal with one blue cornmeal pancake to check out their pancake skills. I love cornmeal pancakes of any type although I do think the blue ones tend to come out kind of flat and less fluffy. The pancake itself was quite nice and came with whipped salty butter. It had good cornmeal flavors. I found the syrup to be strange. It was hot which at first seemed a nice touch but tasted more of molasses than maple syrup to me. I didn't get it. I don't know if there is other syrup available; I should have asked. They had some specials that sounded amazing: german pancake with pear, candied walnuts and crumbled blue cheese. Braised oxtail in adobo sauce with two eggs on top, potatoes, etc. I will go back! The service was great, it was not that busy and clean. There are a lot of options that sound really good. Just wondering about the whole syrup thing though and whether to bring my own in the future.
(4)
m K.

The food is pretty good. The pancakes were very good! I must say that the staff there were all very nice and accommodating. We had a large group, and though they don't take reservation, they accommodated us by holding the table until all parties arrived. Very clean and comfortable!
(4)
Bill B.

Although we had to drive from Gresham to eat here, we definitely will be back. We arrived just before 9:00 and found plenty of seating. I had the Bamcake, a german pancake with Bacon pieces, Apples and real Maple syrup. It was about 8-1/2 inches across and over 1 inch thick. Very rich, very filling, and very delicious. My wife had the Lemon souffle waffle with fresh raspberries and raspberry syrup. It was very light with a light but noticeable lemon taste. The raspberries not poured over the top but were individually placed ornately in the waffle holes. Again delicious. The coffee was excellent and was refilled often.
(5)
Mike K.

Sanborn's was the best restaurant I dined at during a recent trip to Oregon. The food was delicious, and I was so impressed with my entree that I ordered a second. I started with their Heuvos Rancheros, and then ordered a stack of potato pancackes. The only unfortunate attribute of Sanborn's is that they do not serve hard alcohol, but it was well worth foregoing a bloody mary to enjoy their carefully crafted menu items. The prices are very reasonable, and the wait staff is very accomodating. I highly recommend Sanborn's to anyone looking for a breakfast location in Portland or the vicinity.
(5)
Hardyboy L.

We went here for first time, the service was Great, but the food take a little while to come, (around 40 min) but our server was very gently and bring us somefree apettizers because the wait and for the wait, the food was Amazing, I really love pan cakes, and I asked for a german pan cake, and wasn't what I expected when I see it, but after eat it.... OMG..that pancake was Incredible, also our omelett and burrito, we ill be back for sure!!!
(5)
Lauren M.

5 Stars for Best Pancakes in Portland! We've eaten a lot of breakfasts in Portland, at a lot of nice & popular places. But we're rarely impressed by anyone's pancakes. Either they're clearly from a box (and we've spied Krusteaz in the open kitchens of many favored breakfast spots), overly dense, or overly huge. The sourdough pancakes at Sanborn's are A-mazing. Unique tangy flavor, perfect size, springy texture, perfectly cooked. A half size was 3 decent sized cakes. Our other entree was the Smoked Apple German Pancake, with smoked gouda, smoked almonds and some kind of delicious caramelized brown sugar glaze. I had the option of subbing in double-cream smoked white cheddar, which I'm sure would also be great. I was skeptical at the $10+ price tag for this special, but it was worth far more than that. Quality ingredients, expert preparation, interesting combination = extremely satisfying meal. And extremely filling, which is not always the case for me. Other items were poached eggs (great) and biscuits that our 3 year old loved (good, but of the cake-y variety, we prefer flaky). Speaking of the 3 year old, the staff was welcoming and friendly to our infant & preschooler, and immediately provided a cool take-home toy for her to play with. They were friendly to all of us, prompt and responsive, and knew many of the regulars there by name. I liked that the regulars ranged from young neighborhood families to older couples. Sometimes I feel like my breakfast server has just gotten home from the bar and is resentful of working the morning shift; understandable, but not the most positive vibe to start the day with. Not at all like that at Sanborn's, even though from the conversation I came to know that some servers have serious music careers as well. They seemed genuinely enthusiastic about making it a good experience for diners, even at 8am. We'll be back to try the egg dishes!
(5)
Nadeem a.

great food and amazing service - Chile Relleno was fantastic. i was disappointed to know that it was only a special and not a regular item. i hope they add this to their menu as well
(5)
Mohammed S.

Sanborn's is just fresh- the ambiance, the service, the food. It accomplishes the comfort level of an old school breakfast place with a twist. The twist is the refinement of cusiine and environs. The omelets are delicate and cooked perfectly. Breakfast does leave you feeling greasy and heavy. Everything tastes like it was cooked from scratch with the freshest ingredients. Unlike an old school breakfast place, Sanborn's is clean, upbeat, and colorful. And the wait staff makes everyone feel like a VIP. My wife and I love going to Sanborn's.
(5)
Ian M.

Located in the Brooklyn Neighborhood of Portland, Sanborns offers a unique array of breakfast options. You have sweet and savory German pancakes, a scrumptious Huevos Rancheros, and one of if not the best Eggs Benedict in Portland. I would highly recommend the Eggs Benedict. It has unbelievable flavor with subtle hints of lemon in its hollandaise sauce. I not only recommend the Eggs Benedict, but I also recommend the Huevos Rancheros. Between these two dishes you cannot go wrong at Sanborns. It is typically busy on weekends so expect a small wait time. During the weekdays it is a bit more quiet, but the quality of the food does not change. With a friendly wait staff Sanborns is a must visit for breakfast lovers.
(5)
James K.

We went to Sanborn's on a Sunday and were lucky to get seated immediately. At 8:30 or so, there were open seats, but they disappeared fairly quickly after that. There were several factors that brought my opinion of the restaurant down. The servers were a little harried and so our coffee sat unfilled for long periods. Taking away dirty dishes also seemed to take a while. Generally the service seemed lackluster even though they should have been ready for a normal breakfast rush. The food itself was fine if not amazing. I had a scramble which had a little too much cheese. My son had the Mickey waffle, which for $5 seemed like a rip. He could have gottena kid's plate with cakes and a meat for the same cost. I guess they have to pay licensing on each mouse waffle they make? My son's bacon was large and meaty, but seemed as though it had been baked off the night before and slightly reheated. This is the last time we'll be going to Sanborns. The food was fine, but nothing too special and the cost and service make it hard to want to go back.
(3)
Stephanie W.

Specializing in German pancakes (Dutch babies), this place does not disappoint. Select from sweet or savory. All delicious! Great service. Friendly place.
(5)
Alex M.

We arrived for lunch and was able to get a table right away. It was unfortunate that it takes about 20 minutes to make the German pancakes because our one was somewhat limited. I will definitely go back to try the Bacon Apple Maple, Blue Pear, or Fig and Goat German Pancakes. I ended up getting the biscuits and gravy. The sausage gravy was thick and filled with tons of bits of sausage. There was plenty of gravy to go with the biscuits unlike other places I have eaten at. The restaurant is very family friendly. The waitress is extremely personable and talked to us like we were old friends. The service was prompt.
(4)
Annalisa S.

French Press coffee and a wonderful selection of breakfast yum yums. A must in Portland!!
(5)
Mark H.

Since we arrived just an hour before closing on a Saturday, we found the big corner booth empty and in full sun - perfect! Cherry mimosas were perfect, as we're the pear, and apricot. The Ruby French toast (rhubarb & marscarpone stuffed) was enough to split as a dessert after the corned beef hash, vegetarian sausage and scrambled eggs. Oh, and the biscuits were really good, too. It's typically a huge wait during peak hours but if you wait til off hours, you'll really be in for a treat. We've never had a bad experience here.
(5)
Wes G.

I am so glad this place has a clean interior, friendly staff, and some of the best breakfast food in Portland. I hope they never start playing hipster music or put crappy art on the walls while also being rude to their customers. If they did they would have lines out the door and I would never be able to enjoy the best eggs Benedict or German pancakes in town. Don't go here! I want it all to myself!
(5)
Lindsey H.

The menu here is very extensive! It gives each person something to try or regular breakfast favorites. I love the German pancakes! They have an amazing texture and flavor that keeps me coming back! They also make wonderful mimosas! I recommend trying the pomegranate one! It is a beautiful balance of tart and sweet! The staff here has always been wonderful. They seat you with a smile and are always friendly. They are willing to give you great advice on what to order with what your personal tastes re!
(5)
Laura C.

I've been driving past here daily for the last year and had always wanted to check it out, but they only serve breakfast, wand I am not a morning person. Yesterday however, I finally got my chance because an old friend was in town and could only do breakfast; forcing me to get out of bed and start my day when most others do. They do not take reservations, but the 20 minute wait wasn't bad. We ended up getting a 2-top upstairs, near a cute bar facing the kitchen. The only thing that could have been better would have been to get a window seat, but we were hungry and didn't want to wait for one. I very badly wanted to order their biscuits and gravy, but since I make an even worse German pancake, I decided to go for that. I also got a side of fried diced potatoes. My friend got the Eggs Benedict. Both of us enjoyed what we got. My pancake was yummy and could only have been aesthetically better had it's sides raised more than 2 inches. Regardless, they taste the same no matter the height and I ate all of mine. The potatoes were alright. They were good, but reminded me of the store bought Ore-Ida mini cubed hash browns you get at the grocery store. The Eggs Benedict looked divine and my friend said as much. The service was very good! Every few minutes, our waters and coffees were being refilled. They were also very nice about taking a photo with our food and more than one server offered to do that for us. The establishment itself is adorable. There is street parking and the facilities were very clean. This is definitely a neighborhood gem!
(4)
Bob K.

I almost gave it a 3 and it could have been a 5 but for the syrup. We went here for breakfast on Sunday @ 9:30am. It was packed but there were a few tables open and we were seated in a few minutes. The have free coffee in the waiting area and they are constantly asking if you want more coffee at the table. Very nice! The place is loud. The tables are crammed together and when one table raises there voices everyone does the same so that they can be heard. My throat got a little raw from having to talk loud enough so that my wife could hear me. Its funny, the loudest table got served and the noise dropped to about half the decibles. When that table left the ambience returned to an acceptable level. Our order was taken quickly but there was a longer than normal wait for the food to come. Also here is my pet peeve about this place. I ordered sourdough pancakes. We just finished reading "Alaska" and a recurring story is about the sourdough pancakes. We had never had them before and Sandborn's claim that their starter goes back to 1847. BUT!!! The server should have asked "which syrup would you like.... The molasses based maple syrup that is sour or the organic maple syrup that cost a $1 more. Well... They default to the molasses based. I get my sourdough pancakes and pour the syrup over them. Yes... i should have tasted it first. Took a bite. Wow.... SOUR. I thought these pancakes are REALLY sour. Luckily I left one of the pancakes without the syrup. Tasted it. A wonderful slight sour taste that is totally masked by the sour syrup. I ate two of the 3 pancakes but did not really enjoy any of the bites. So note to servers there.... Tell your customers about the syrup options. I also had a side of corned beef hash. It was good not great. A bit on the dry side. My wife had the nectarine pancakes. They were EXCELLENT. So... I will come back but I will never have that syrup again. BTW I love molasses but it has to be used in the right circumstances and this was not one of them.
(4)
Christine S.

Sanborn's has become a regular for us, but only if we get ready early enough to go before a long line forms. We have ordered several of the German pancakes, all of which have been awesome. Their flavor combinations are creative but not overly ambitious. The simple eggs and potatoes and toast breakfast is also a winner, and I highly recommend the honey molasses bread. Definitely give this place a try. Be prepared to wait a little while for the food (we have watched a couple walk out while waiting for their food....) but know that it will be worth it.
(4)
Shelley B.

Had to try this local icon. Delicious breakfast for us all. Great ambiance will definitely come here again.
(5)
Israel D.

Really good quality food and ingredients! Unique take on brunch with a broad menu. Service and seating is extremely slow (we went on a Sunday). Expect to wait 45-60 minutes to get seated and get your food. It's good but not sure it's worth the wait if you're hungry at all.
(4)
Benjamin W.

This is the best neighborhood breakfast place!!!!!! I come here way to often, the food has ALWAYS been PERFECT!!!! The staff is always nice and very helpful! Best item on the menu is the eggs Benedict!!! The resin I love it so much is because it's not a normal Benedict, it has not a hit but. Blast of lemon flavor in the sauce. If you live in or find yourself in the area plz support this great restaurant!!!! I love coming here and will continue to do so!!!
(5)
Dave S.

The moment I saw the pictures of this place on Yelp, I knew I was going. The decision was made. It was just a matter of finding my keys...and my pants. I arrived at noon and was worried it would be too packed for me to get a seat before they closed at two, but we were only three people deep in line and the turn-over appeared to be brisk. While waiting, I had a chance the help myself to a mug of coffee at the door and read the specials from the chalkboard. German pancakes: Bo Bam, filled with apples, bacon and bourbon. Yes, please. On my way to the second floor for my seat by the kitchen, I was able to take in the cozy feeling of this place. It's a house. There's no doubt about that. But it'[s been converted into a restaurant that still feels like a house without being cramped and awkward. First up, a hibiscus mimosa. Glacially cold with a crisp flavor and, sure enough, a hibiscus finish. Very nice. Next, French Press Mocha? Nice! I was warned: Are you sure you? It's like 6 cups. Bring it on! Then came all the food. In addition to the Bo Bam--like I was going to pass that up--came a half order of biscuits and brown gravy, with a poached egg, and the corned beef hash with a side of drop biscuits. The apples inside the Bo Bam were apparently hot like the lava inside a volcano. Normally, this wouldn't stop me from charing the inside of my mouth from my inability to wait for it to cool down, but the other items looked so good, I was able to muster a modicum of self-control. The hash was familiar but with the addition of chopped bell peppers, giving it just a hint of sweetness. The biscuits and gravy though...wow. So good. They also have Secret Aardvark habanero hot sauce on the tables here. This stuff is awesome. Yes, it says habanero, but the people at this Portland based hot sauce maker want you to enjoy this stuff and not just keep it on the shelf for party tricks and bar bets. It's one of the best tasting hot sauces I've ever had and it was a fantastic dabbing sauce for the biscuits. And to the waitress who politely and, as quietly as a magic elf, tried to take the plate after I finished the biscuit: I'm sorry I jumped after the plate like Gollum going after the One Ring. There was still some of the brown gravy and...well... "my precious!" I'm slightly ashamed...and yet not...because I almost literally licked that plate clean by the time I was done. Oh yeah, and after all that, the Bo Bam was still waiting for me. Calling to me. Eat me......... Yeah, like you had to tell me twice. Like an 8 year old in an apple bobbing contest, I dove in. Actually, I have a much more vulgar -- and accurate -- simile for how I dove into my Bo Bam, but I'll leave that to your imagination. Let's just say that by the time I was done, it was all over my face. And so, very, very worth it. Get your own.
(5)
Diane M.

In reading the description about this restaurant, I noticed that it says "Good for groups." With that, I have to disagree. We were planning to have breakfast there one recent Sunday and our foursome turned into a sixsome plus a baby. We were told we could not sit together because that would be "unfair to the other customers," as if we were not paying customers. I agree that the food is awesome and the German pancakes are exceptional, but was not at all impressed with the level of customer service. I know this place touts itself as a hole-in-the-wall, but honestly, to not be able to accommodate us was ridiculous, especially since there were tables available. We left and went to another hole-in-the wall that was able to seat us. Together.
(2)
Catherine B.

I've been eating at Sanborn's for years and always enjoy it. However the service and food were below par on 12/17/14 at 10:15am. There were only four tables - it took the waitress about 10 minutes to acknowledge me and bring a menu, then another 10 to bring my tea and take my order. Remember - only 4 parties with staggered timing. We did not all sit down at once. I ordered the Eggs Benedict with firm eggs. My order arrived with runny eggs. I'm gonna guess the waitress did not pass the info on to Russ. I sent it back for the firm eggs. Disappointingly, the same eggs were cooked further and popped back onto the plate. The muffins were soggy, the eggs & dish looked sloppy. The waitress apologized and gave me my mediocre meal on the house. I normally would have left a tip if it were a kitchen mishap - but the service was terrible. Not sure I'll be going back anytime soon.
(2)
Lindsay A.

We are breakfast crazy, and when I ran across reviews for this place I was pretty excited. It was pretty good, I would go back, but it's not on my top 10 list. I had a savory German pancake with Hungarian sausage, mozzarella, mushrooms and paprika. Hubby got biscuits and gravy. Both were good, substantial, tasty meals. Not particularly memorable, but a good way to start the day. The coffee was good. Not too strong and very hot. I also got a French 75. A great alternative to the standard mimosa. Service was good, not exceptional. At times they seemed a little confused during the seating process. To be fair they had somebody on their first day. Wait time for 2: 15 minutes...there was coffee while we waited Food: pretty good...would be great hangover food. Substantial and tasty Drinks: coffee was good and hot, cocktail was bright and nice Overall: glad to have a new option, we'll be back
(4)
Dianne W.

Oh we really enjoyed breakfast at Sanborn's. We came here during the week so it was nice and quiet. Our waiter was very attentive and personable. It's a family run place. Father in law was in the back cooking. German style pancakes are so good!!
(4)
Matt L.

This place focuses on German style breakfast plates and they are very good. I had the Hamsterdam German pancake. Filled with all the good stuff. Bacon was a little over cooked was the only minor draw back. Over all a very well run place.
(4)
T L.

Our first visit to Sanborn's was probably about two years ago. I really needed to find a good breakfast place and the reviews here made it seem worth trying. We had the usual weekend morning wait. Nice that they have free coffee while you wait for those who want it, especially on chilly mornings. I ordered the eggs Benedict the first time and was told that the hollandaise is house made, and a tad lemon-ier than most people are expecting. It was lemony but delicious! Since then we have been back often. Omelets, rhubarb pancakes, French toast, great biscuits and gravy are some of the other menu items we have enjoyed. This has become our favorite go to breakfast spot. Sometime the wait is short, other times not (never terrible), but the service is good and the food is delicious.
(5)
Megan S.

I was highly anticipating coming here because of the recommendation of a friend, but after two tries I can honestly say, I am not sure what the hype is/was about. The food looks beautiful, and the homemade biscuits are divine, but the corned beef hash was very bland, as were the potato pancakes. My mom had a German Pancake and it was "meh". The atmosphere was lovely and the servers are fantastic and attentive, but I just wasn't THAT enamored with the food.
(3)
Sarah K.

I've been here a couple times and this is the first review I've written on yelp. this restaurant is not at all worth or representative of the portland brunch experience. extremely slow service to get food, boring and not seasoned, incredibly overpriced. there are amazing places to eat brunch and this is not one of them.
(1)
Molly M.

Very delicious! Great fun and friendly staff. Defiantly a good place to get some great brunch. I ordered the Belgium waffle; light, fluffy and enough to fill me up perfectly. The homemade syrup was amazing, and a side of strawberries to top it off! My b&g loving boyfriend got to have some fresh biscuits and a outstanding homemade gravy. Must stop by again!
(4)
Kerri L.

I just ran across this while searching for pancake house options and forgot I'd eaten here about three years ago. I went with several friends for a friend's birthday party breakfast. The birthday girl got to name the place and this is where she chose for all of us to gather. The interior as I remember is quite charming and comfortable (but I was glad to refresh my memory with the photos other Yelpers have added). The staff there is great, friendly, and right on top of things. I remember having a Bloody Mary and corn beef hash with eggs. My own dad used to make corned beef hash for breakfast many a Sunday morning, so his version is what I measure all others against, and this was really very good with nice chunks of red potatoes in their jackets and excellent corned beef. I remember this was a neighborhood gathering place and also a spot for family "breakfasting." My friends and I had a nice time, and I think Sanborn's is a fun place with tasty breakfast options worth the trip,
(3)
Emily J.

Dropped in on a Saturday but didn't have to wait very long. I'm not sure if they forgot about our order but several people who came in after us got their food before we did and the wait for our food was unusually long. My Bee's Special was delicious however my husband's sourdough pancakes were burnt. Aside from the food taking a long time, the service was adequate but given the amount of staff to patrons and size of the restaurant I would have expected better service. We might give them another shot to wow us but still looking for a favorite brunch spot- this was not it.
(3)
Thee I.

Lets get down to it. Great breakfast. Not very greasy, which I liked. Everything was excellent. Look at the pictures!
(5)
Allison M.

So good. Get any German pancake. Unbeatable. Last I was in there I had the rhubarb German pancake with whipped cream. Yumm. Still think about it. I didn't give the place five stars because they never seem to have enough staff when I go in there and it takes a while to get seated, order and get the food.
(4)
Guinevere B.

I've eaten here twice in the past month and both times were excellent. We've been fortunate and come at lulls in the crowd both times, so we have not ever had to wait for a table. The staff is friendly and attentive, and I really like that they take a service approach where all of the servers keep an eye on all of the tables, and if a server who maybe isn't "your" server notices your coffee is low, they go ahead and fill it for you. The first time I ate here I had one of their holiday specials, a pumpkin waffle, that they made with fresh pumpkin grown in one of the server's garden. It was served with a spiced syrup that was amazing! I'm not a fan of pumpkin spice lattes, but the pumpkin spice waffle is the stuff that dreams are made of. This most recent visit, I got the biscuits and gravy. They were good - nice fluffy biscuits and meat gravy. I just wish the gravy were a little spicier. They do provide Secret Aardvark sauce on the table, though, so all was good. The husband got The Count, a savory German pancake with some Hungarian sausage and some other things on it. It was also really delicious. One thing I will say about Sanborn's is that the service does tend to be leisurely paced. It's not what I would call slow. If you are out for brunch with friends and are enjoying chatting, I think you'll find the pace pleasant. Your coffee or tea will never be empty and you'll have plenty of time to enjoy your food and the company. However, if you are in a hurry and looking for a place where you can get in and out quickly, this might not be the place for you.
(4)
J R.

Oh my gosh this place! I was surprised when my friend and I arrived at 11 on a Friday that there was barely anyone there. It looks a lot smaller on the outside! The waiter was gracious enough to talk us out of OJ and champy mimosas. Thank goodness because what we had was far greater than any I have ever had! Our small party only ordered a benedict and a german pancake but both were great! I am honestly surprised I haven't been back already but we like to have a breakfast fry at home quite often. Was way more affordable than I imagined and was lead to believe. Definitely a lil gem in Brooklyn!
(5)
Xristo A.

Awesome breakfast joint. I'd never had a German pancake before Sanborn's but now I can't stop thinking about them. I see them in my sleep. I see them on the bus. I even see them when I look in the mirror. But enough about me! I highly recommend trying this place out. I was also able to try the eggs Benedict and thought it was really really good. The excellent use of lemon in both dishes took me by surprise. On top of the food the staff here was really on top of their game. A big factor for me at judging the attentiveness of the staff is based on how frequently I'm without water. And I must say, I never ran dry! The one downside to Sanborn's is that's it's not open enough.
(4)
Glenn P.

I guess the wait for this place can be excessive - so we just went for a late lunch and still got breakfast! I wasn't that hungry, so tried the biscuit and gravy. I wasn't convinced it was gravy from scratch... A little on the spendy side for breakfast items - add booze to your german pancake for $1!
(3)
Jeff M.

Food has always been consistently great. I really love their eggs Benedict with the fresh lemon. We've had so many great experiences here -- both in service and in food quality. It's also nice to know that we are supporting a local, family run establishment. A nice little gem in Brooklyn!
(5)
Nicole B.

This review is for the eggs bene! I make a mean eggs bene from scratch, and it's pretty labor intensive! It's nice to sit back, relax and have someone else make it for us. Well, I love lemon. Love. All my favorite desserts have lemon in them. This eggs bene was beyond lemony. More lemon, than one could handle. But, hey! Different strokes for different folks! I could barely finish my breaky! But, the place is cozy. The servers are friendly. I would come back to try other things on the menu. If you love your hollandaise sauce on the super sour side. To where your lips pucker. Then this is your place! Did I mention this place is cozy?
(3)
Amanda L.

Oh my, I really dislike writing unsavory reviews, but my experience here was just not great at all. I'll spare you the details and just say that all was subpar about my visit. I liked the homey feel of the place and maybe folks were just having a bad day but I probably won't be back anytime soon. I'd be happy to support a local and long-running breakfast spot if food and service aren't lacking.
(2)
Amy H.

Sanborn's is a great little brunch place with great servers! Their German pancakes are fantastic! I had the cinnamon Apple German pancake and it was delicious! My husband had the goat cheese and fig German pancake with the figs picked fresh! Our waitress was fun and quirky and made our experience that much better. I would recommend Sanborn's to anyone looking for a good brunch place. You won't be disappointed. We will definitely be going back! :)
(5)
Allison B.

My favorite breakfast of our Portland trip. We were lucky to be brunching on weekdays, when there's never a line and the service is usually more attentive. Zack and I shared the huevos rancheros (get the verde sauce!) and a German peach pancake. German peach pancake, how do I describe thee? Caramelized, brown sugared, cinnamony peaches baked into a thick yet light and eggy pancake batter. It's not quite a waffle, and not quite a crepe. It was quite unique and extremely delicious. They have a variety of fresh fruits to choose from. I would definitely recommend the peach. A+
(5)
Rachael J.

One of my fave spots for a good hearty Portland breakfast. Like every good breakfast place in P-town, if you don't go early there will be a wait. This place does have a fair amount of seating. Tends to attract family and they do have several high chairs available. There are often a few large parties--so if you are looking for a place to seat 8 you might be able to do it here. The baked eggs are amazing. You can pick your toppings/fillings and they are served with a side order of yummy potatoes and really thick toast. Sanborn's is known for their German pancakes--you will not be disappointed. My personal fave is the Kelly Street Special. It is a hash with sautÃ©ed ground beef, onions, mushrooms, spinach and eggs with a side of potatoes and toast. Pretty good sized portion of food and I ate it all.
(4)
Kara B.

The food was not good and bad service: for example; wasn't greeted when we came in the door an old man who doesn't work there had to tell us what to do, wanted to order a drink but didn't get checked in on by our waiter, after we got our food we wanted some sauce cuz the food was so bland ( not saying all there food is bland but the German waffles that I ordered were) but never got checked in on until we got our check which was way expensive for the food we were served ($32 for 2 meals no drink) so we didn't leave a tip cuz we felt like the server didn't do much and the food we didnt eat cuz we didn't like it and had nothing at our table to church it up. SO, as we were leaving the server lady came running out after us yelling like a crazy person "we gave you excellent service if you arnt going to tip us never come back here again", have never experienced that before in my life. Just except the fact that you didn't do a very good job lady and the food you served us was uneatable, Kind of a crazy place. Bad vibes
(1)
Erika N.

Overall the food here is pretty yummy, but every time I have come there has been 'issues.' From running out of potatoes well before they close, to turning away service well before they close. I have given this place three chances and they have just simply can not get it together.
(1)
Kimber B.

I heard about Sanford's from a friend who said it was the best place for brunch. I am not a big breakfast person, but for Mother's day, my friend, her husband, and his mom and I wanted a good brunch restaurant to celebrate the day. I live in Sellwood, mom-in-law lives in Oak Grove, and my friends live in Vancouver. I told them what I had heard about Sanborn's, and we decided to go there. My friend called to make reservations, but they don't take them, so we were a little worried that we might not get in. We got there at about noon on Mother's day, and we were seated right away. The menu was amazing, it was hard to choose, everything sounded so good... We all ended up getting something different, and of course, had to sample everyone else's dish! I got the German pancake with apples, smoked Gouda, and almonds. OMG. Absolutely divine. Friends got the baked omelet with cheddar cheese and ham, egg white scramble, and pepper bacon and biscuits. There was NOTHING that wasn't amazingly delicious. The waitstaff was great, our waters and coffees were never empty, and everyone was very pleasant. Definitely a restaurant I will recommend to everyone. We of course celebrated the day with Mimosa's, and they have about 8 different varieties; with fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice. This is our new go-to brunch restaurant!
(5)
Amy B.

I thought this place was just ok. I know many people won't agree with me, but that's ok, because this place is the home to many regulars and I'm sure they won't mind me not liking it. Service was good, loved the coffee and tea, but the food was just ok. The corned beef hash was so heavily loaded with peppers that you couldn't even taste the corned beef. The benedicts, although lemony, we not spectacular. But don't take my word for it. This place has a wait and like I said we observed many regulars coming through the door.
(3)
Kristen M.

Sanborn's motto: "Breakfast at it's finest" and I couldn't agree more! Are you looking for a place to have brunch? Are you looking for a place that doesn't have an hour plus wait? Are you looking for a place that serves pancakes and German pancakes? Are you looking for a place that has excellent service from start to finish? Enter Sanborn's! I came to visit Sanborn's one lovely Saturday morning for brunch with a foodie friend. The restaurant is located near the SE Milwaukee Ave. intersects with the 26, which is relatively close to the Ross Island Bridge. Once you enter the restaurant, you sign in with your name and the number of your party. You'll be seated within a jiffy (depending on how busy they are). I came in around 10 AM and was seated within 10 minutes. BACON, APPLE, MAPLE (BAM) GERMAN PANCAKE! is one of their popular items on the menu and I can totally see why! You've got chopped up bits of bacon with sliced pieces of apple, and ooey gooey maple within the pancake! For those who love their salty and sweet combo - this would be a great fix for your morning meal! I would highly recommend the BAM if you're visiting this place! Note: for an extra $1 you can have your BAM made with either brandy or bourbon! I didn't try that during this visit, but when I'm here again, I would definitely add the alcohol yelp.com/biz_photos/sanbâ€¦ CORN BEEF HASH (with eggs over easy) You can have your eggs any way you want it, but opted to have them cooked over easy. They typically do a poached egg and top it off with hollandaise sauce. What I liked about this dish was that it wasn't too salty. Cooked with diced red and green bell peppers, it gave the dish a bit of color. You have an option of toast or biscuits, but felt like biscuits that morning, which were decently cooked. Corn Beef Hash yelp.com/biz_photos/sanbâ€¦ Biscuit yelp.com/biz_photos/sanbâ€¦ Nice, funny employees! I couldn't have had a more wonderful experience at this quaint, cozy restaurant! They refilled our coffees and water immediately! One of the many things that I love about Portland is their brunches! I would agree that Sanborn's exemplifies that! SOooooOOoo, if you love German Pancakes, this is definitely a spot to check out. If you didn't learn anything from reading my review, just remember - BAM!!!!! Yelp 2013 100 for 100 Challenge - Review #16
(4)
Robert P.

NOT good for kids. The cafe is small and crowded, and one fussy or loud kid will disrupt the entire cafe. We took our daughter there a couple times for family outings and we were kicked out every time, forcing me to play outside with my daughter while the rest of the family finished without us. That said, the breakfast is amazing, and it's wonderfully different from the typical french toast-and-omelets fare.
(4)
J K.

We generally go on weekends and the breakfasts are awesome! This little place is highly recommended!
(5)
Valerie G.

Worst breakfast I paid $35 bucks for 2 in a long time. Avoid eggs Benedict and corned beef hash.
(1)
Benjamin E.

Favorite. Breakfast place. Ever. Ask the kids too, they'll agree. The pancakes are other worldly. Even the link sausage is super nom. The wait staff are awesome and never miss a beat, and the price is right. Will return forever n ever!
(5)
Anthony B.

I work up the road and have seen this place but never tried it out because I eat breakfast at home and I don't really like breakfast food for lunch. Tried it out the other week and it was great I had the Bo-Bam. They have some new specials that they brought back from their trip to Europe that all looked really good. I'm planning on bringing my wife back so that she can enjoy my favorite new breakfast place.
(5)
Karl V.

Visit: Wednesday, June 4, 2014 Finally! A breakfast place in Portland that is worth returning to. In my experience so far, and as a stellar breakfast cook myself, most places are mediocre and worse than ordinary. Breakfasts seem to be grudgingly prepared, overcooked, unimaginative, or swimming in grease. Happily, none of these things are true at Sanborn's. The place was nearly empty at 8:30 on a Wednesday, but the server said that's normal for a weekday. We started out with a French press mocha, which was excellent. After some hemming and hawing over an extensive menu, the wife settled on a German pancake with bleu cheese, walnuts and pears, and I decided on the bacon, apple and maple syrup pancake. We also had a side of bacon and I ordered a half-order of biscuits with chorizo gravy, because, you know, gravy. They had sold out of the regular gravy the previous weekend. The wife had a glass of fresh-squeezed OJ. My friends, this is a huge amount of food. The portions are more than generous, with the pancake filling up the plate and looking like a giant galette. They came still sizzling from the oven, crispy and delicious. The biscuits were obviously fresh and the gravy was tasty. Keep in mind that I make my own savory gravy which is coma-inducing, but this passed muster as a nicely spiced counterpoint to the sweetness of the pancake. The bacon was the weakest part of the meal, but the serving was four large, thick slices of what appeared to be a local product. Total bill with 20% tip: $52. The menu is full of wonderful-sounding dishes that include pancakes (stack of six), baked omelets, hash, huevos rancheros, etc. The decor is very cheerful and the seating is comfortable. We even liked the music choice which seemed to lean heavily to early swing. Considering that the dishes are prepared fresh, there wasn't a long wait for it; of course, the place was nearly empty, as mentioned. We were told that the owner's parents ran a pancake house on Barbur for many years and growing up in that environment inspired this restaurant. Good job!
(5)
Liz A.

Nice breakfast! I enjoyed the chance (as an out-of-towner) to sample sourdough pancakes, which I hadn't even HEARD of or CONCEIVED of before -- and they were super-tangy and delicious. I got a half-order of those with the fresh seasonal fruit of the day, which was Hood River strawberries -- they were really delicious. The sausage patty was good -- not sure if it was $4.50 good, though. My tangy pancakes were the highlight of my meal, and I'm glad I had the chance to sample them.
(3)
Haroun K.

Sanborn's has to be one of the better breakfast/brunch joints around town. They specialize in German pancakes, which are dessert-esque wonders. The apple and gouda pancake was super tasty. The omelets are baked, kind of like you see at the original pancake house. If you want a really good omelet, I think you have to load it up with a lot of toppings - otherwise it is kind of plain and dry - and this really adds up in cost (2 toppings are including, and then $1 per additional topping). The biscuits that come with the omelets are pretty decent. But everything here pales in comparison to the German pancakes. Service was very enthusiastic, quick, and helpful.
(4)
Amber L.

This is my very favorite place for breakfast. I almost always get the huevos rancheros and while my eggs are usually underdone (no matter what I ask the server for) they are still awesome. A lime wedge, a side of fresh guac and sour cream make this perfect. Also, best bacon, EVER. EVER, EVER! Ive had a few of the pancakes and they are all amazing. The interior is perfect, not too busy, not too boring. There are three servers who I usually see and I think its a really good sign of a place that they are all still there, years later. Like I said, favorite. And yeah, if you want a mimosa/belinni/whatever, get there before 1, they run out.
(4)
Dana G.

This is my dad's favorite restaurant and he doesn't even live in Portland. As resentful as I am about him finding a cool place, I really like it. Today I even went by myself. And they have groupons right now! Go get a groupon and try out Sanborn's. I had a really lovely late breakfast here this morning of potato pancakes (enormous portion!), and a half fruit plate (half of which is in my car- who needs a fridge when it's 40 degrees out). Served by a super on-the-ball- waiter in shorts (makes me think its not 40 degrees out) in an immaculately clean sunny looking dining room. Ok Dad. I'll admit it: You do have good taste sometimes.
(4)
Bell K.

My breakfast was good, I would go back for the food. The feeling of the place is quite sterile, different colored walls would make it cozier. Our table was a little dirty and sticky, which turned me off a bit. And what is up with the majorly watered down Aardvark hot sauce on all the tables? Another turn off.
(3)
Samantha J.

When I want a German pancake and a french press mocha, I head to Sanborn's. The place is small and sounds echo off the vintage tile floor making it sound like a cafeteria. Don't bring kids here because their voices are amplified by 20 and people are there to enjoy breakfast, not listen to your "adorable" kid screeching. The German pancakes come in a wonderful array of flavors including apple/bacon/maple and mango/ginger/lemon. They also have french toast and other typical breakfast menu items....but I haven't tried all of the German pancake flavors yet so it will be a while before I try anything else. Don't expect the staff to be shiney and happy. They are nice, but busy and if you're an asshole, they will probably tell you so. The coffee is great and I drive about 25 miles to have it! I have never seen a french press mocha anywhere else. The orange juice is freaking fantastic and tastes like an actual orange.....so good. The place gets crowded on the weekends like every other breakfast place in Portland. Just drag yourself out of bed before 10 am and solve that problem. Trust me, it's worth it.
(5)
Matt C.

What a good experience! We followed the advice of fellow Yelpers and were not let down. My wife and I had their smoked bacon, eggs, and pancakes. We also shared a side of their potatoes between us and a friend who accompanied us. The smoked bacon was delicious! Thick bacon strips with a touch of smoke flavoring were the perfect accompaniment to the soft, fluffy eggs. The pancakes were thin, but incredibly delicious - went well with their homemade maple syrup. The whipped butter added an incredible balance to the whole meal. The potatoes were diced and mixed with rosemary. My wife had them with their habanero sauce, which she said was both "hot and yummy." I had the Dutch coffee with raspberry chocolate liqueur - like Bailey's, but incredibly different. Wife had the pomegranate mimosa. Both were a great "kick start" to the day. Wait service was excellent. We were helped by four different people. Our coffees were kept fresh, water refilled, and we ended our trip there with a very friendly waitress who saw me eying a movie poster in the restaurant. She thought I was looking at these bendable stick toys for kids (which are free and which she brought out for us to take with us). I laughed and told her that I was actually looking at the poster, which apparently was the movie a co-worker's brother worked on. This is an incredible breakfast restaurant. We will definitely be revisiting.
(5)
Cabbage J.

The split-level architecture is very homey. The service is personal. They treat new customers like regulars and the food tastes like it comes from a real kitchen. The biscuits were fresh out of the oven. The bacon was REAL MAN BACON. Its modern, romantic and jazzy... but still very traditional. It's a great "neighborhood place"... and it looks like the neighborhood loves it too.
(5)
Wendy B.

This was a nice find, dear loyal yelpers. We enjoyed the sourdough pancakes, huevos rancheros, and Kelly's Special - eggs scrambled with ground beef, mushrooms, spinach, and onions. The hot biscuits were homemade, and partnered well with their homemade blackberry and raspberry jams that were sitting in covered containers on each table. While "homemade" is not always good, these were exceptional, tasting of berries freshly picked off the vine and not too sugary. Ahhhh. Sweet memories of times past. The verde sauce on the huevos was disappointing, too mild for this So. California girl, since I am spoiled by a strong Mexican presence in our hometown. But overall, this was a good breakfast. Of significance, the blackboard at the entry shows a large variety of interesting, creative pancakes. And observing them as they were being delivered, they looked extraordinary too. A lot of happy locals!
(4)
Julie C.

By far one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. The German pancakes with bacon bourbon and apples were amazing. Also loved the eggs Benedict! Yummy. Service was fantastic, location was awesome, we absolutely loved it. Also... Free coffee for mentioning YELP. We may have to come back tomorrow!
(5)
Mal C.

Good service considering the server had to manage so many tables on her own. Coffee was never empty. Ordered a scramble, which was pretty good. Loved the biscuits and fresh made jams. A little pricey for the amount/quality of food you get, but it's okay.
(3)
Erin M.

They should rename Sanborn's "gram's place", because it will remind you of a nice brunch you'd have while visiting your classy (classic?) grandmother. Not many restaurants use nice china, and something about the charm of Sanborn's really wins me over. I peeked the menu beforehand, so I knew I'd have the "make your own" breakfast burrito. I lovvvve breakfast burritos and Sanborn's version did not disappoint. Boyfriend had eggs, potatoes bacon & toast. He couldn't stop raving about the bacon- texture, flavor, and lack of grease. We both enjoyed the biscuits with the variety of jams. And as previously mentioned, the #1 reason to return to Sanborn's (aside from the great food): no wait!!!
(4)
Inga B.

Although the wait was very long and the service was a bit slow the food was by no means a disappointment. I ordered the original german pancake, side of two eggs scrambled and a side of bacon w/fresh squeezed orange juice. One word, YUM!!!!! My friend ordered the german pancake with apples and bacon baked into it and WOW! It was delicious as well, I am coming back!
(4)
Katey H.

Finally got to try Sanborn's and I couldn't have been more pleased! I wanted to surprise a friend for her birthday and heard how great this place was from other Yelp reviewers. We had a large party (10 people) and got there about 9am, no problem getting seated. The wait staff (our waiter and the other people working) were all great. The food was amazing, all made from scratch, and you can tell the difference! We did have to wait a little bit to get our orange juice, but it was because they freshly squeeze oranges as they go, so it was worth the wait! Our group had everything from the egg scramble to apple pancake to the BAM cake and even a mickey mouse waffle! Everything came out as ordered and was still hot. I can't wait to go back again soon!
(5)
Lisa A.

A favorite breakfast spot for delicious interesting food, pretty good service and real cloth napkins. Too bad it is so popular. The only downside, I hate waiting for a table and the noise level is a bit high.
(4)
Hossam T.

The corn beef hash was delicious and will definitely go again to try the other stuff they have on the menu. The place was nice, cozy, and the staff were very pleasant and friendly. My wife got the German pancake ... I stole couple bites and it was very good. I went there on Sunday around 10:30AM and had to wait outside for about 30 minute but its no big deal ... the food was well worth it.
(4)
Erin E.

Sourdough Pancakes are the reason I came here. Sourdough Pancakes are most likely the reason I won't go back. Attractive yet alien feeling interior, friendly if not slightly overbearing service.
(3)
Brianna H.

Great service and easy to get a table. Order the German Pancakes, so many choices that I will have to go back, and the side of hash was so amazing. I thought the hollandaise was too sour and maybe a bit too thin texture wise. Overall I loved it though!
(5)
Samantha O.

Finding a place to get bunch in SE is not hard. Throw a rock in any direction and you'll hit a place that serves an average pancake, egg, or waffle concoction. But Sanborn's is something else. Sanborn's is the BOMB. They've got a multitude of pancakes for you to choose from including the German pancake! Topped with tons and tons of fruit. Don't see something you want on the regular menu? Ask for the specials. One of which is the BAMcake. I do not eat bacon, but my boyfriend does and I don't think he could imagine a better way to eat a pancake than with bacon incorporated into a big fluffy pancake along warm apples and real maple syrup. I've enjoyed the breakfast burrito myself! I like that you get to choose your own fillings. Served with zesty black beans, it is a hearty way to start the day. On another visit I enjoyed a lemon waffle with fresh raspberries (that were in season! and so juicy and sweet) with a raspberry syrup. It was gone nearly as soon as it was set in front of me though; that's how good it was. If I could change one thing about Sanborn's though, it would be that those fresh and deliciously addictive buttermilk biscuits came complimentary, like the buttermilk scones at Zell's. This is my only gripe. Because they're outstanding and I can think of very few things I like better than one of those biscuits slathered up with some of their fresh homemade strawberry jam. The boyfriend and I have never encountered a wait for seating, nor have we ever suffered from an under-filled coffee cup. The people here are just the icing on the brunch-y cake. On top of being affordable (check is usually never more than $25 for two people), this place is a gem!
(5)
Scott S.

Excellent breakfast. Friendly service.
(5)
Cody W.

Fantastic short-menu neighborhood specialty breakfast boutique. The German pancakes are the rival of any in town. I've always had good luck ordering off the daily specials, which are prepared with love & pride. Anything pumpkin is an all-bets-off must-have. The service is extraordinarily friendly, and their Groupon-welcoming attitude is refreshing.
(4)
dr t.

Great breakfasts. Everything on the menu is well-prepared and tasty. The blackboard specials, such as my favorite (nectarine german pancake), keep me returning. One of the occasional specials is a baked poblano pepper, stuffed with eggs, cheese, mango and secret seasonings. If they have it when you go, don't pass on the chance . . . order it immediately!
(5)
Lucas W.

I almost don't want to write a review, because I want it to my self. When I walked in I was greeted promptly and with a smile. My server was warm and friendly, which is what you want in a server. Now I can't speak for the savory, but the sweet was amazing. I had a blueberry waffle sprinkled with powder sugar and homeaid blueberry compote. Awesome! I will Put this in my top rotation for breakfast joints in Portland.
(4)
Amado L.

There are combinations that are just destined to exist. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Baileys and Coffee. Sonny and Cher. Bacon and, well, just about anything these days really. And there's no better apotheosis of this marriage of tastes than Sanborn's "Bamcake"-- a fluffy apple German pancake with bacon pieces mixed in the batter. This tasty treat was among today's specials, and, boy, was I right in choosing it! Once again, I had my eye on the Corned Beef Hash, but I swear I heard angels singing immediately after my server described the "Bamcake" to me. I was hesitant to dig in when my order arrived (fairly quickly, I must add) because it just looked so darn delicious on the plate. Although it was served with real maple syrup, I decided to have my first few bites sans the sweetener. By itself, the "Bamcake" was exceptionally flavorful-- the apple slices crispy and toothsome, and the bacon bits offered unexpected but welcomed saltiness to each bite. When I finally added the maple syrup and happened upon a significant piece of cured pork deliciousness-- sweet bald Christ!-- it was heavenly! If I hadn't gotten so full so quickly, I would've licked the plate clean. As it were, the "Bamcake" special was just too big a treat to fully consume. Perhaps I should've gone easy on the endless Bridgetown coffee I'd literally been slurping from my mug. Maybe then I would've had ample stomach space to polish off such a magnificent dish. But I have no regrets. Sanborn's offered such a fantastic inaugural experience-- from the atmosphere to the food to the excellent service-- that I'm sure to come back again and again. And again.
(5)
Deb P.

I think this may be my new fave breakfast spot. My husband loves German pancakes, so we were searching for a place to get them other than Elmer's. Great selection: traditional, apple, mango, etc on the regular menu. Special German pancakes today were Banana Praline, Kiwi and Lime, Pear with Blue Cheese and Candied Walnuts (can hardly wait to try this one!) and the list goes on... This is not the traditional puffy German pancake that can take up two plates. It is much more compact, about an inch thick, and loaded with flavor. I had Eggs Benedict with potatoes on the side and while it was quite good, I thought the hollandaise was too lemony, "made to the chef's taste." Everything is made from scratch, TO ORDER, including the sauce. Nice touch! It's a cherry spot, bright even on this rainy Saturday. Service was excellent, they kept the coffee coming. I liked the fact that the wait staff was dressed up a little, including black aprons and that there were cloth napkins on the tables. Total for two = $22, a screaming deal for the quality.
(4)
Martin C.

Fantastic. Benedict was perfect. Freshly made hollandaise was excellent, eggs poached just right nice thick Canadian bacon. A perfect breakfast. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the food in this charming cafe.
(5)
A. K.

Great little spot for breakfast. Sometimes you need to wait a minute for a table, but that has never been a problem. Friendly service, and the "build your own" breakfast burrito is fantastic.
(5)
Ara R.

Sanborn's has a positively epic breakfast. But be that as it may, it's not the main reason my boyfriend and I insist on eating there every single weekend when we aren't out of town or otherwise unavailable. The service is 100% awesome. If there are two in your party, sit upstairs and enjoy the mayhem. Everyone is super-friendly, remembers your name after you've gone there for awhile, and treats you like royalty. They get busy at peak times, but seldom are you ignored. You have as much coffee as you can possibly stuff into your face--and this is THE ONLY coffee in Portland which I consider to be absolutely fabulous (it's a custom brew just for them). Sorry Stumptown. The food? German Pancakes are always on the top of my list--where else are you going to get a beautiful pie-shaped pancake the size of your head covered in cinnamon, sugar and mango? Or the banana praline pancake? Or the one with blue cheese and walnuts? Seriously: YUM. Then there's the corned beef hash. Absolutely perfect. The biscuits are to DIE for (soft, squishy, buttery), and are served with some of the best home-made jam ever. Hungry yet? They know what to do with eggs, bacon, pancakes (blueberry with blueberry compote and powdered sugar!), and just about everything else on the menu. In the mood for the epic breakfast? Give this place a shot. They don't waste your time and you walk out seriously happy (and in need of a nap).
(5)
Linda B.

Nice atmosphere, friendly staff and a tolerable wait period make this place a fine stop for brunch. The coffes is good, the biscuits are outstanding and they make a mean hot chocolate. The eggs Benedict were not a standout, the hollandaise sauce tasted more like lemon juice and the ham was tough. The egg scramble was flavorless.
(3)
Peter G.

I have to say this is one of the best breakfast spots in town. It's good quality food but not so different and precious as some of the the popular breakfast joints around town are. The german pancakes are particularly amazing as well. Give these guys a shot if you are looking for a normal breakfast in Portland.
(5)
Opie C.

Nice decor, good food & service. The servings are big, so it may make sense to split an entree. I like how they had coffee & chairs by the door for incoming customers.
(4)
Melissa P.

Chunks of piping hot mango, mixed with some candied ginger on a honkin thick luxiourous pancake? Oh, and Bellini's and coffee, and perfectly rendered bacon? Yes and Please. Damn. I coulda and woulda stayed allllll day. I shoulda.. instead I had to go buy a wedding dress, bah. Damn wedding. The staff were courteous and friendly, we got prompt seating. Fortunate, because it's usually doing some brisk business. I never felt rushed, and everything was clean n' neat. I want to come back every weekend. And I want to be served a Bellini every morning. I read that this happens once I'm married, right?
(5)
Alias M.

Like Maximillion below, this was my first stop on my first visit to Portland...and Sanborn's did not disappoint! First we started off with bellinis that were made with fresh peach juice- no sweet, fake syrupy here. Intrigued by the daily special - BAMcake, described as a baked german pancake stuffed with apples, CHOPPED BACON and covered in maple syrup (Bacon, Apple, Maple syrup) - we ordered one for the table in addition to our own plates. DAMN. I swear, I can't make this up (yes, a picture will follow) - I mean the way the maple syrup formed sticky, caramelized chunks on the bottom of the BAMcake so that when you got a good piece it would be this sweet and savory, soft and crunchy party in your mouth. DROOL. The made-to-order Eggs Benedict you ask? Perfectly poached eggs topped with a zesty hollaindaise that was made just for you!! (As opposed to sitting around in a virtual petri dish of bacteria). And yes, we ordered the biscuits, and while they were light I hate to say they were also a bit dry - but do not fear that soft whipped butter they serve can be easily slapped on to make those biscuits (and you) smile. The baked omelets are a sight to behold - and with chorizo and cheese? Well, I can only show you the way...now you'll need to go to Sanborn's and experience breakfast bliss for yourself. Thank you Portland yelpers for the heads up on this one!
(5)
Jenny C.

Sanborn Maps show that Sanborn's has been around for a heck of a long time. These historic fire insurance maps show the changing building and street locations of Portland all the way back to 1889. Since the inclusion of Southeast in 1901, there has always been a little structure at the intersection of SE Milwaukie and SE Kelly. Of course it's probably not Sanborn's as we know it it today, but the Art Deco remnants of this tiny breakfast spot suggest an obviously strong connection to the neighborhood in which it's located. We showed up at 10 am on a Saturday and sat down to a big table without a wait. With a piping hot cup of coffee in hand I settled on potato pancakes, and chatted with... Oh... more coffee? Yes! Great! Right, anyway, chatted with friends about plans for the day, adventures of school and other topics generally appropriate for a morning meal out in the company of small children and elderly. Before long our meals were up, and we... Coffee? No... no thanks I'm fine. We dug into our hearty meals. My pancakes were good, traditional, no frills... just as they should be. I happily made what was probably too large of a dent in my plate and... No... no coffee refill thanks, I'm ok... ...smiled when the friendly and really attentive staff came back to check on everything. We got our bill, which they graciously split between our multitude of debit cards and cash and then waited, and waited, and waited for everyone to get their change. As we made our way out the door, I wondered if I was the only one who was a little tired. The combination of a full stomach, warm restaurant, and sunny Saturday did not bode well for lots of activity. I yawned as I got into the car... Maybe I really did need another cup o' joe.
(4)
Kimberly V.

The power of three compels me! Three words that will always cement Sanborn's as a lovely spot for brunch: Comped German pancakes. Because, as the server casually explained, everyone at our table seemed pretty cool. And wouldn't you know, we are! At least our moms think so. Another collection of words: Really nice servers. We were seated promptly, checked on just the right number of times (because one time too many and then I'd feel the inkling of tag-along puppy longings and end up with servers cruising around town on the passenger seat of the car, and my car is too small), and treated like old friends from elementary school. One server even offered to introduce us to the chef responsible for the pancakes. We deferred the invitation because we couldn't move without assistance. More descriptive three words: Small appetite options. For when you really just want to break the fast, not pick up the fast, spin it around, and perform a digestive power drive through the center of your fast. Of course, these smaller portions offer less variety, and if you happened to sit at the aforementioned cool table, made not a lick of difference. See phrase: Comped German pancakes. In case your mind isn't made up: Blue corn pancakes. Corn beef hash (according to Sylvia C, the best she's ever eaten). Aardvark hot sauce. So very stuffed. Another three words: Five dollar breakfast drinks. All right, that was four. Did I mention the alcoholic whistle-wetters are five dollars?
(4)
Danielle K.

Erm...I should have known simply by looking at the menu that the specialty at Sanborn's is their pancakes. They have them all--blue corn cakes, latkes, buckwheat, German, and a multitude of fruit pancakes. These said cakes comprised most (we're talking about 75 percent) of the menu. But then stubborn me says to self, "Noooooo, Danielle, you don't feel like pancakes today. Try something else." So, against my better judgment, I talked myself into getting the eggs benedict. Now, part of this is my fault, because I am not a ham person. It totally freaks me out, despite the fact that I am otherwise a pork/bacon fiend. But the menu says Canadian Bacon, so I'm thinking it'll be okay. After a nice, healthy wait, No. 4's toast comes out. Errr?? And after another healthy wait, the rest of the food comes, too. First of all, the Canadian Bacon is not Canadian Bacon. It's actual slabs of ham. Now, for most people, this would be an amazing thing, but for me...not so much. Not to mention the fact that the muffins and eggs were literally soaked in Hollandaise sauce that was far too tart (too much lemon and sour cream, methinks). That. combined with undercooked and not-so-crispy potatoes made my meal very hard to eat. The service was nice, although they kept trying to push ridiculously overpriced seasonal items. And speaking of overpriced, check out their sides menu; for a side of "Canadian Bacon," be prepared to shell out five smackers. The coffee pourer was attentive, if not insistent, but our server (once we got her attention) was able to split the check without hassle. And the interior is very...clean. It's not really homey, and it doesn't have a distinct restaurant-y/cafe-y vibe to it. So I won't be rushing back to this place, unless I seriously can't live without pancakes. Because those actually looked quite delish.
(3)
Mandy L.

Sanborn's is a great family owned and run place. I've never had a dish that I did not enjoy. Their German pancakes are amazing and unique. The service is great.
(5)
Nadeem a.

great food and amazing service - Chile Relleno was fantastic. i was disappointed to know that it was only a special and not a regular item. i hope they add this to their menu as well
(5)
Mohammed S.

Sanborn's is just fresh- the ambiance, the service, the food. It accomplishes the comfort level of an old school breakfast place with a twist. The twist is the refinement of cusiine and environs. The omelets are delicate and cooked perfectly. Breakfast does leave you feeling greasy and heavy. Everything tastes like it was cooked from scratch with the freshest ingredients. Unlike an old school breakfast place, Sanborn's is clean, upbeat, and colorful. And the wait staff makes everyone feel like a VIP. My wife and I love going to Sanborn's.
(5)
Allison M.

So good. Get any German pancake. Unbeatable. Last I was in there I had the rhubarb German pancake with whipped cream. Yumm. Still think about it. I didn't give the place five stars because they never seem to have enough staff when I go in there and it takes a while to get seated, order and get the food.
(4)
Jeff M.

Food has always been consistently great. I really love their eggs Benedict with the fresh lemon. We've had so many great experiences here -- both in service and in food quality. It's also nice to know that we are supporting a local, family run establishment. A nice little gem in Brooklyn!
(5)
Kara B.

The food was not good and bad service: for example; wasn't greeted when we came in the door an old man who doesn't work there had to tell us what to do, wanted to order a drink but didn't get checked in on by our waiter, after we got our food we wanted some sauce cuz the food was so bland ( not saying all there food is bland but the German waffles that I ordered were) but never got checked in on until we got our check which was way expensive for the food we were served ($32 for 2 meals no drink) so we didn't leave a tip cuz we felt like the server didn't do much and the food we didnt eat cuz we didn't like it and had nothing at our table to church it up. SO, as we were leaving the server lady came running out after us yelling like a crazy person "we gave you excellent service if you arnt going to tip us never come back here again", have never experienced that before in my life. Just except the fact that you didn't do a very good job lady and the food you served us was uneatable, Kind of a crazy place. Bad vibes
(1)
Erika N.

Overall the food here is pretty yummy, but every time I have come there has been 'issues.' From running out of potatoes well before they close, to turning away service well before they close. I have given this place three chances and they have just simply can not get it together.
(1)
Kimber B.

I heard about Sanford's from a friend who said it was the best place for brunch. I am not a big breakfast person, but for Mother's day, my friend, her husband, and his mom and I wanted a good brunch restaurant to celebrate the day. I live in Sellwood, mom-in-law lives in Oak Grove, and my friends live in Vancouver. I told them what I had heard about Sanborn's, and we decided to go there. My friend called to make reservations, but they don't take them, so we were a little worried that we might not get in. We got there at about noon on Mother's day, and we were seated right away. The menu was amazing, it was hard to choose, everything sounded so good... We all ended up getting something different, and of course, had to sample everyone else's dish! I got the German pancake with apples, smoked Gouda, and almonds. OMG. Absolutely divine. Friends got the baked omelet with cheddar cheese and ham, egg white scramble, and pepper bacon and biscuits. There was NOTHING that wasn't amazingly delicious. The waitstaff was great, our waters and coffees were never empty, and everyone was very pleasant. Definitely a restaurant I will recommend to everyone. We of course celebrated the day with Mimosa's, and they have about 8 different varieties; with fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice. This is our new go-to brunch restaurant!
(5)
Amy B.

I thought this place was just ok. I know many people won't agree with me, but that's ok, because this place is the home to many regulars and I'm sure they won't mind me not liking it. Service was good, loved the coffee and tea, but the food was just ok. The corned beef hash was so heavily loaded with peppers that you couldn't even taste the corned beef. The benedicts, although lemony, we not spectacular. But don't take my word for it. This place has a wait and like I said we observed many regulars coming through the door.
(3)
Kristen M.

Sanborn's motto: "Breakfast at it's finest" and I couldn't agree more! Are you looking for a place to have brunch? Are you looking for a place that doesn't have an hour plus wait? Are you looking for a place that serves pancakes and German pancakes? Are you looking for a place that has excellent service from start to finish? Enter Sanborn's! I came to visit Sanborn's one lovely Saturday morning for brunch with a foodie friend. The restaurant is located near the SE Milwaukee Ave. intersects with the 26, which is relatively close to the Ross Island Bridge. Once you enter the restaurant, you sign in with your name and the number of your party. You'll be seated within a jiffy (depending on how busy they are). I came in around 10 AM and was seated within 10 minutes. BACON, APPLE, MAPLE (BAM) GERMAN PANCAKE! is one of their popular items on the menu and I can totally see why! You've got chopped up bits of bacon with sliced pieces of apple, and ooey gooey maple within the pancake! For those who love their salty and sweet combo - this would be a great fix for your morning meal! I would highly recommend the BAM if you're visiting this place! Note: for an extra $1 you can have your BAM made with either brandy or bourbon! I didn't try that during this visit, but when I'm here again, I would definitely add the alcohol yelp.com/biz_photos/sanbâ€¦ CORN BEEF HASH (with eggs over easy) You can have your eggs any way you want it, but opted to have them cooked over easy. They typically do a poached egg and top it off with hollandaise sauce. What I liked about this dish was that it wasn't too salty. Cooked with diced red and green bell peppers, it gave the dish a bit of color. You have an option of toast or biscuits, but felt like biscuits that morning, which were decently cooked. Corn Beef Hash yelp.com/biz_photos/sanbâ€¦ Biscuit yelp.com/biz_photos/sanbâ€¦ Nice, funny employees! I couldn't have had a more wonderful experience at this quaint, cozy restaurant! They refilled our coffees and water immediately! One of the many things that I love about Portland is their brunches! I would agree that Sanborn's exemplifies that! SOooooOOoo, if you love German Pancakes, this is definitely a spot to check out. If you didn't learn anything from reading my review, just remember - BAM!!!!! Yelp 2013 100 for 100 Challenge - Review #16
(4)
Robert P.

NOT good for kids. The cafe is small and crowded, and one fussy or loud kid will disrupt the entire cafe. We took our daughter there a couple times for family outings and we were kicked out every time, forcing me to play outside with my daughter while the rest of the family finished without us. That said, the breakfast is amazing, and it's wonderfully different from the typical french toast-and-omelets fare.
(4)
J K.

We generally go on weekends and the breakfasts are awesome! This little place is highly recommended!
(5)
Valerie G.

Worst breakfast I paid $35 bucks for 2 in a long time. Avoid eggs Benedict and corned beef hash.
(1)
Benjamin E.

Favorite. Breakfast place. Ever. Ask the kids too, they'll agree. The pancakes are other worldly. Even the link sausage is super nom. The wait staff are awesome and never miss a beat, and the price is right. Will return forever n ever!
(5)
Karl V.

Visit: Wednesday, June 4, 2014 Finally! A breakfast place in Portland that is worth returning to. In my experience so far, and as a stellar breakfast cook myself, most places are mediocre and worse than ordinary. Breakfasts seem to be grudgingly prepared, overcooked, unimaginative, or swimming in grease. Happily, none of these things are true at Sanborn's. The place was nearly empty at 8:30 on a Wednesday, but the server said that's normal for a weekday. We started out with a French press mocha, which was excellent. After some hemming and hawing over an extensive menu, the wife settled on a German pancake with bleu cheese, walnuts and pears, and I decided on the bacon, apple and maple syrup pancake. We also had a side of bacon and I ordered a half-order of biscuits with chorizo gravy, because, you know, gravy. They had sold out of the regular gravy the previous weekend. The wife had a glass of fresh-squeezed OJ. My friends, this is a huge amount of food. The portions are more than generous, with the pancake filling up the plate and looking like a giant galette. They came still sizzling from the oven, crispy and delicious. The biscuits were obviously fresh and the gravy was tasty. Keep in mind that I make my own savory gravy which is coma-inducing, but this passed muster as a nicely spiced counterpoint to the sweetness of the pancake. The bacon was the weakest part of the meal, but the serving was four large, thick slices of what appeared to be a local product. Total bill with 20% tip: $52. The menu is full of wonderful-sounding dishes that include pancakes (stack of six), baked omelets, hash, huevos rancheros, etc. The decor is very cheerful and the seating is comfortable. We even liked the music choice which seemed to lean heavily to early swing. Considering that the dishes are prepared fresh, there wasn't a long wait for it; of course, the place was nearly empty, as mentioned. We were told that the owner's parents ran a pancake house on Barbur for many years and growing up in that environment inspired this restaurant. Good job!
(5)
Liz A.

Nice breakfast! I enjoyed the chance (as an out-of-towner) to sample sourdough pancakes, which I hadn't even HEARD of or CONCEIVED of before -- and they were super-tangy and delicious. I got a half-order of those with the fresh seasonal fruit of the day, which was Hood River strawberries -- they were really delicious. The sausage patty was good -- not sure if it was $4.50 good, though. My tangy pancakes were the highlight of my meal, and I'm glad I had the chance to sample them.
(3)
Haroun K.

Sanborn's has to be one of the better breakfast/brunch joints around town. They specialize in German pancakes, which are dessert-esque wonders. The apple and gouda pancake was super tasty. The omelets are baked, kind of like you see at the original pancake house. If you want a really good omelet, I think you have to load it up with a lot of toppings - otherwise it is kind of plain and dry - and this really adds up in cost (2 toppings are including, and then $1 per additional topping). The biscuits that come with the omelets are pretty decent. But everything here pales in comparison to the German pancakes. Service was very enthusiastic, quick, and helpful.
(4)
Dana G.

This is my dad's favorite restaurant and he doesn't even live in Portland. As resentful as I am about him finding a cool place, I really like it. Today I even went by myself. And they have groupons right now! Go get a groupon and try out Sanborn's. I had a really lovely late breakfast here this morning of potato pancakes (enormous portion!), and a half fruit plate (half of which is in my car- who needs a fridge when it's 40 degrees out). Served by a super on-the-ball- waiter in shorts (makes me think its not 40 degrees out) in an immaculately clean sunny looking dining room. Ok Dad. I'll admit it: You do have good taste sometimes.
(4)
Bell K.

My breakfast was good, I would go back for the food. The feeling of the place is quite sterile, different colored walls would make it cozier. Our table was a little dirty and sticky, which turned me off a bit. And what is up with the majorly watered down Aardvark hot sauce on all the tables? Another turn off.
(3)
Samantha J.

When I want a German pancake and a french press mocha, I head to Sanborn's. The place is small and sounds echo off the vintage tile floor making it sound like a cafeteria. Don't bring kids here because their voices are amplified by 20 and people are there to enjoy breakfast, not listen to your "adorable" kid screeching. The German pancakes come in a wonderful array of flavors including apple/bacon/maple and mango/ginger/lemon. They also have french toast and other typical breakfast menu items....but I haven't tried all of the German pancake flavors yet so it will be a while before I try anything else. Don't expect the staff to be shiney and happy. They are nice, but busy and if you're an asshole, they will probably tell you so. The coffee is great and I drive about 25 miles to have it! I have never seen a french press mocha anywhere else. The orange juice is freaking fantastic and tastes like an actual orange.....so good. The place gets crowded on the weekends like every other breakfast place in Portland. Just drag yourself out of bed before 10 am and solve that problem. Trust me, it's worth it.
(5)
Matt C.

What a good experience! We followed the advice of fellow Yelpers and were not let down. My wife and I had their smoked bacon, eggs, and pancakes. We also shared a side of their potatoes between us and a friend who accompanied us. The smoked bacon was delicious! Thick bacon strips with a touch of smoke flavoring were the perfect accompaniment to the soft, fluffy eggs. The pancakes were thin, but incredibly delicious - went well with their homemade maple syrup. The whipped butter added an incredible balance to the whole meal. The potatoes were diced and mixed with rosemary. My wife had them with their habanero sauce, which she said was both "hot and yummy." I had the Dutch coffee with raspberry chocolate liqueur - like Bailey's, but incredibly different. Wife had the pomegranate mimosa. Both were a great "kick start" to the day. Wait service was excellent. We were helped by four different people. Our coffees were kept fresh, water refilled, and we ended our trip there with a very friendly waitress who saw me eying a movie poster in the restaurant. She thought I was looking at these bendable stick toys for kids (which are free and which she brought out for us to take with us). I laughed and told her that I was actually looking at the poster, which apparently was the movie a co-worker's brother worked on. This is an incredible breakfast restaurant. We will definitely be revisiting.
(5)
Cabbage J.

The split-level architecture is very homey. The service is personal. They treat new customers like regulars and the food tastes like it comes from a real kitchen. The biscuits were fresh out of the oven. The bacon was REAL MAN BACON. Its modern, romantic and jazzy... but still very traditional. It's a great "neighborhood place"... and it looks like the neighborhood loves it too.
(5)
Wendy B.

This was a nice find, dear loyal yelpers. We enjoyed the sourdough pancakes, huevos rancheros, and Kelly's Special - eggs scrambled with ground beef, mushrooms, spinach, and onions. The hot biscuits were homemade, and partnered well with their homemade blackberry and raspberry jams that were sitting in covered containers on each table. While "homemade" is not always good, these were exceptional, tasting of berries freshly picked off the vine and not too sugary. Ahhhh. Sweet memories of times past. The verde sauce on the huevos was disappointing, too mild for this So. California girl, since I am spoiled by a strong Mexican presence in our hometown. But overall, this was a good breakfast. Of significance, the blackboard at the entry shows a large variety of interesting, creative pancakes. And observing them as they were being delivered, they looked extraordinary too. A lot of happy locals!
(4)
Julie C.

By far one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. The German pancakes with bacon bourbon and apples were amazing. Also loved the eggs Benedict! Yummy. Service was fantastic, location was awesome, we absolutely loved it. Also... Free coffee for mentioning YELP. We may have to come back tomorrow!
(5)
Andrea S.

This was honestly, the best friggen breakfast I have had since moving to Portland. I had a special sourdough pancake with a lemon curd and fresh raspberries. YUUUMMMY. My man went for the corn beef hash (I am not much of a meat eater, but I could not stop sneaking bites of his). They actually know how to cook a proper "over-medium" egg. Servers were upbeat and friendly, the place was busy and they have coffee while you wait. Admittedly, not the best coffee in Portland...that honor goes to Cellar Door ;) I could get very fat here. I will try not to. I will not try too hard because I am going again this weekend! Gimme your pancake!
(5)
E G.

Delicious. I'd give it a 5 if it were bigger- there is almost always a wait. I haven't had their famous German pancakes, but the scrambles, waffles, omelets and biscuits are great. The homemade jam is fantastic.
(4)
Rustie D.

I've been here several times and every time I come, it's a treat! For those who like hot chocolate, you have to get it with the works! If you like omelettes, then you'll find a wide variety here. My favorite is the biscuits and gravy with two over easy eggs. I'm not a pancake person, so I can't speak to those, but the other stuff on the menu is very good, tasty, and hot when it comes to you. One trick I found though is to come about 12:30-1:00; when the crowds have thinned. The service is a little more relaxed and you don't have to hurry. The last time we were here, the owner's daughter served us and she was an awesome waitress.
(5)
Stella S.

I used to love this place. It's right in the neighborhood, the foods pretty good (4stars) the servers are nice. However on one if the first beautiful sunny weekends this summer, we asked to be seated outside. They know us. Were regulars. The place was quite empty and there were at least 2-3 servers on. And they told us that the tables outside were dusty from the traffic so they couldn't seat us there. One reason we didn't wanna sit inside was because there were toxic cleaning fumes in the air. But anyway... Cleaning off the TWO 2 sweater tables outside should really be part of opening duties. Secondly, it takes 2 seconds to wipe down the table. Thirdly, I would've done it myself if they would've let me. That RRALLY pissed me off. I was hangry and hungover as shit and just wanted one if their amazon pancakes and to enjoy it outside. Why put tables on your patio if you're gonna be too lazy to clean them off and let people sit there? That was 3 months ago and as much as I like their food, we haven't been back since, on principal. Thankfully we've found some much better and more accommodating brunch spots in the area thanks to their laziness anyway. Get it together guys... Seriously.
(2)
Erroll M.

Every time I come here for breakfast it gets better and better! German pancakes are wonderful. And the baked eggs are wonderful.
(5)
Janet M.

I remember when Sanborn's opened. We were living in Sellwood at the time, and so excited for a new breakfast place not too far away. Now we live quite a ways away, but we've been back on occasion. It's good. The German Apple pancake... that's the one. MMMMMMM. Hubby likes that he can pick and choose his omelet filling. Makes him happy. Daughter liked eggs and bacon, or cream of wheat, although lately she's a pancake eater too. This place is not bad.
(3)
Allison C.

Outstanding waitstaff, delicious, plentiful food. What more need I say?
(5)
Amy M.

Oh my goodness, I'm finding my mouth watering as I write this, Thinking of the amazing pear pancake. Not any pancake, a german pancake. With this crust, and this gooeyness, and cinnamon and pears, and some whip cream on the side. I was so in love with it from the first bite, I contemplated ordering a second to take home, but refrained somehow. The decor is spot on, warm, friendly, nicely done. It's small, but not too bad. It's a touch on the noisy side, but you won't mind when you are in German Pancake bliss, with a swish of cool whip cream, fresh made, well breakfast that good is hard to beat, and hard to forget. No, I won't go back to Sanborn's no, I will not, no, no no, at least not today.
(4)
Courtney C.

This is my now my favorite breakfast joint in Portland. Service is attentive and cheerful, and since we went mid-morning on a Wednesday we had no problem with seating or parking. I got the Bacon, Apple, and Maple German pancake. The apples were tart, the bacon thick, and the pancake had this caramelized, sweet, buttery crisp edge that I will be fantasizing about until we can go back. My husband got chorizo and eggs with blue corn pancakes. The blue corn pancakes are a hybrid between a corn muffin and a traditional pancake; try 'em with butter and honey. Salty, sweet, savory, moist... definitely a winner. We will be back.
(5)
Jeff W.

Can't say enough about this place. Definitely one my favorite breakfast spots around town. Love it because it's just far enough on the outskirts of Portland, that there's never much of a wait. And, always plenty of parking around the restaurant. I really do believe it's a hidden gem as far as breakfast around town goes. IMO, their BAMcake is easily one of the best breakfast items in Portland. Baked pancake stuffed with bits of bacon, steaming hot apple slices, maple, and caramelized sugar. So good. You can also try this with other fruit choices, such as pear! A must order. I can't speak to a huge diversity of their menu as I typically go with the BAMcake, but everything else I've had has been solid. I'm not sure if I'd say amazingly-incredible, but really good. Service has always been pretty good as well. So, combine the little wait time, easy parking, good service, and the BAMcake - you've got yourself a winner.
(5)
David I.

The food here is ok but the wait management is ridiculous. We were a party of 6 and did not get seated even though we were higher on the list than the 4 parties of two that were seated before us. Obviously the staff can't do simple math. And yes the table set ups were conducive to seating 6. Won't be back. I can get just as good food or better elsewhere and not have to wait. Perhaps you should give your staff some math tables to practice with during slow times.
(1)
Aaron W.

I was stoked to try one of the German pancakes, and the server recommended the German Apple Pancake ($8.79). A German pancake is baked, filled with sliced apples (using Braeburn this time) caramelized in sugar and a boatload of cinnamon. My pancake came fresh from the oven, piping hot. This was basically like eating an apple pie on steroids -- both in size and flavor. I tasted some slight charred spots that formed on the edges, but that's minor. I could tell just from looking at the apples...perfectly cooked (enough structure to hold its shape, but soft when eating it). I consider myself a "cinnaholic," so anything with cinnamon is really a win here. The sugar, on the other hand, really got to me as I noshed on this mammoth pancake. The pancake was virtually flawless in execution. I felt it also gave me enough sugar for the rest of the week. Now I know how Furious Pete felt after eating just a few scoops of Nutella. Sanborn's is a great place for breakfast. I'll try something more savory next time. Maybe a Kelly Street Special or the Eggs Benedict, I guess.
(4)
Colin S.

This is another one of my favorite places to eat breakfast. They're known for their German pancakes, but I rarely order them. Instead, I usually go with ham, 2 eggs served over easy, and a blue corn pancake. Can't be beat!
(5)
Lizzy J.

We were looking for a new breakfast place to try and came across Sanborn's. What a fun find! The menu was great, so much variety with unique options. The pancake selection was awesome! Beside eating a break breakfast, the service was friendly and quick. The location was great, street parking was pretty easy to find. We are a fan!
(4)
Denea Y.

While exploring the Brooklyn neighborhood for the first time, we stumbled upon Sanborn's and a trickle of happy patrons just leaving. A quick Yelp check deemed it worthy of a pit stop. The BAM German pancakes were 5-star, out-of-your-mind good. Carmelized bits of bacon swirled with maple and big slices of fresh apple cooked into layers of deliciousness. The biscuits and gravy were good, but lacked plate appeal and don't beat out Pine State's biscuit with sausage gravy. The hot chocolate with the works was rich and tasty, but slightly on the small side (although I wonder if I could finish anything much bigger it was so sweet). Definitely worth a 2nd visit for more German pancakes and exploring the rest of the menu.
(4)
Summer AnnaMarie R.

I went here for an after Valentines Day Breakfast. It was very yumm, I got the Bacon, Apple and Maple German Pancake. It was huge and delicious. My boyfriend got the Banana and Praline German Pancake and it was basically a pie. Also they have mimosas that are delicious. Only 4 stars because it was a lil pricey. $2.25 for a small cup of coffee $3.00 for two side eggs.. Other than that the waitstaff was awesome.
(4)
Evelyn S.

I enjoyed my Huevos Rancheros immensely, served with a choice of colorado (red), verde (green) or "Christmas style", half and half. I went for the Xmas style so I could do a taste test. Both sauces were amazing but next time I will order it Green! My lunch companion opted for the Eggs Benedict, the server let us know in advance that their Hollandaise sauce is zesty with an extra lemony flavor. It was much enjoyed! The staff is friendly, helpful and provides excellent service, I look forward to a return visit soon, I must try a Bamcake!
(4)
Bridget S.

Great place to have breakfast! Cute, friendly and tasty!!!! The German pancakes are amazing....same with their drinks...we will be going back for sure!
(5)
Doug W.

amazing, go there. you found a badass breakfast spot. there's a wait on the weekends, write your name on the notepad up front they call you in. weekdays none at all small place, tiny kitchen, amazing food, great people pear mimosa with blue pear german pancake. solid. if your not for a little bubbly in the morning.. well what's wrong with you??? but in response i have only three words: french press mocha. yum
(5)
Sara M.

So I would give this place 4 stars but I am not feeling that generous right now. I have a few hesitations stopping me from saying this deserves 4 stars. First, there were way too many kids there. I am not a kid person and it seemed like every table had loud kids and crying babies. Even while waiting for my table, there were like 6 kids out front zooming around me and others, yelling. Come on, I have not had any food or coffee, please go away kids. My next point is about the wait staff. They are friendly, funny and kind, but kind of slow. At one point while waiting, there were 4 open tables. I could see the open tables as I shivered outside with many other hungry breakfast enthusiasts. The 4 open tables were left in that open state for at least ten min before slowly the staff started to fill them(slowly). When you want breakfast and you see open tables and a wait list and nothing being done about it... you kinda freak out inside. The coffee, it seemed so mediocre, maybe worse. When you have a breakfast place in PDX, get better coffee. I loved the food. I had the smoked German apple pancake. I came here for a German apple pancake. I was told by a very creditable source that this was the place to go. I felt the need to follow through with this. The pancake was probably one of the most amazing breakfast foods I have ever had.
(3)

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Address : 3200 SE Milwaukie Ave
Portland, OR, 97202
Phone (503) 963-8000
Website https://www.sanbornsbreakfast.com/
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Tue
Mon :Closed

Specialities

Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Breakfast
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No

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Sanborn’s

3200 SE Milwaukie Ave, Portland, OR, 97202

Sanborn’s Menu

Pancakes

French Toast

Specialties

Waffles

Me Bee's

Omelets or Scrambles

Specialties

Meat and Eggs

Sides

Hot Drinks

Juices

Cold Drinks $1.95

Healthy Meal suggestions for Sanborn’s

Pancakes

French Toast

Specialties

Waffles

Me Bee's

Omelets or Scrambles

Specialties

Meat and Eggs

Sides

Hot Drinks

Juices

Cold Drinks $1.95

Andrea S.

E G.

Stella S.

Erroll M.

Janet M.

Allison C.

Amy M.

Courtney C.

Rustie D.

Jeff W.

David I.

Aaron W.

Colin S.

Lizzy J.

Denea Y.

Summer AnnaMarie R.

Evelyn S.

Bridget S.

Doug W.

Sara M.

John S.

Justin G.

Ophelia Y.

Bob R.

Maggi G.

Michelle Q.

Zach C.

Rikki W.

Christy H.

Jeff R.

Vic V.

Connie C.

john A.

Claudia G.

Clare M.

Xander P.

Bryan W.

Stephanie G.

phil m.

Jenna V.

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