Milo's City Cafe

Don't sit by the windows and look at the gap between the floor and the window. You can find food there from 1940. Gross. I ordered the waffle and got a soggy toaster waffle with sour whipped cream. They did take it away, but I declined a replacement. For obvious reasons. And after looking at the floor . . . .

Pros: Nice waitstaff (when they get to you)

Cons: Used to have good food

Posted 10/15/09

Had the eggs benedict which were overcooked and the ham tasted like cheap lunch meat. My wife had the french toast which were made of two thin pieces of sourdough.

Service was good. Place was clean. Prices were reasonable. Just average to below average food.

Pros: Good Service

Cons: Bland Food, Small Portions

Posted 09/19/09

We've eaten at Milo's several times over the last 14 months and the consistency of the food is all over the place. We've had some truly delicious meals here and on other occasions it's been awful. Most recently two of us had lunch here and ordered completely different things (a hamburger, a vegetarian sandwich) and neither of them tasted of anything, completely blah. We've also had several dinners here where the meat will be barely warmed through yet the vegetables burnt to a crisp. I hope they get their act together because when the food is on it is so good.

Posted 05/31/09

This place is awesome! I had seen it on one of the city search emails before, and had saved it in my favorites. We decided to do take out for an office lunch, and it was so great. Mouth watering great! We got the seafood linguini, seafood de jour and the mediterraean pasta. All were fantastic. The only con is the restaurant is REALLY busy, but when it's this good what do you expect?

Pros: Big portions, small prices

Cons: Restaurant is slammed

Posted 04/30/09

Great food - we had the crab cakes egg benedict and our kiddos split the chocolate/peanut butter waffles... both were great.

Pros: Food was great, service quick and courteous

Cons: seating open to door/distracting.

Posted 03/27/09

Best Pan-fried razor clam I have ever had in my life! Great food, good service makes this one of the best places on the east side of Portland

Pros: Food

Cons: To crowded

Posted 02/22/09

I love this place. Feels like going home for dinner to the home you wish you had. We eat there 3 times a month and I've probably eaten 60 meals there. Everything on the menu is cooked to perfection and served at the right time. The various waiters we've had, except for one, have been just perfect additions to the place and our meals.

I'd recommend everything on the menu. The hamburger is divine, the seafood salad is generous and tasty, all the specials are special.

The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is the waitress we've had the last two times. Friendly but so friendly that she spent more time schmoozing with her dining buddies than attention to taking our order, serving our order and getting us the check. Plus, her size is such that if she's schmoozing near you you feel cramped.

Pros: Anything you order

Cons: Servers are so friendly with certain diners that you may get lost in the shuffle

Posted 01/12/09

I live a few blocks from Milos but had been putting off going even after the commercial on heavy rotation made me want to try the eggs benedict. My husband and I shared a Monte Cristo and crab cake benedict. The Monte Cristo was decent but on the small side. Overall it was the highlight. The crab cake benedict was a huge disapointment. The egg was way over cooked. The yolk was dry and hard. The english muffin was burnt and hard too. The temperature of the potatoes and the benedict was warm at best. I order a peach mimosa and it came out with a tacky umbrella and a plastic mermaid on the side of my glass. Why waste food cost on something useless and tacky, invest that money into a heat lamp instead. The service was ok, not outstanding and not horrible. The waiter had good intentions but was too busy and just "going through the motions." I suggest he keep his tips somewhere other than his front pocket so the whole place is reminded to tip. His shirt was thin material and the money incredibly visable.

Next time I want a crab cake benedict I will go to Jake's Gill. They do it a 100 times better. For a nice local breakfast with in my neighborhood I will go to the Cadillac Cafe instead. This was a true disapointment as I would have loved to find a new it spot for breakfast in my neighborhood.

Posted 12/24/08

Milo's has great breakfast food. The Eggs Benedict are wonderful as are the pancakes and omelets. It can be busy, but it you are going solo you can sit at the bar by the kitchen. Fresh ingredients and lots of options make this our first choice for an affordable breakfast.

Pros: Breakfast

Cons: Can be crowded

Posted 09/13/08

great breakfast food! Everything on the menu is amazing, and they had a lot of vegetarian options! great location. great prices. my only gripe is that i feel they are short staffed waited a long time to get my coffee...and they need to invest in an air conditioner. Felt like we had to rush because it was soooo hot in there.

Pros: the AMAZING food.

Cons: short staffed, hot as hell in there.

Posted 08/21/08

We always feel like the crew at Milo's cares about us. Breakfast, lunch & dinner are consistently good, no real suprises but good food with a creative spark. With all of the expensive restaurants in town, it's nice to have a place that you can get a good meal for a reasonable price. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

Pros: Good creative food, friendly service

Cons: None

Posted 07/23/08

Great eggs benedict. Best in town in my opinion as it is served in several creative styles. I particularly enjoy the blackstone as well as the crab cake eggs benedict. Cool Portland feel to this spot. Come early (before 10:00) if you don't want to wait for breakfast/brunch seating. The service here can be a little rushed as they get very busy during breakfast service. Food is superbly prepared and seasoned to perfection. I have also enjoyed the quiche lorraine here when it is available.

Pros: easy parking, great food

Cons: wait time for brunch

Posted 07/07/08

What's the food like? I don't remember! I had the worst service EVER in a restaurant in Milo's a few years ago and will never ever go back. I thought the waitress was going to strike me -- because I (politely) sent back a dish that was full of bell pepper -- which I'm allergic to and was not listed on the menu.
I had tried to eat there one previous time, but my partner and I were seated in a place at the bar where the wait staff kept getting in between us. We left before ordering. What? Never again!

Pros: None

Cons: Service

Posted 07/04/08

Very nice. It was easy to park on Broadway and walk over to this restaurant. Food was great. I had the salmon omelet. Great taste, and very nicely done. The only negative thing I can think of is that there is no menu for kids. There is plenty to order from their normal menu, but you pay normal prices. Either way, I think it is worth it.

Pros: Taste, service

Cons: No kids menu

Posted 05/16/08

I ate here a few weeks ago and loved it. The chicken ravioli is to die for, a tad spicy with loads of garlic. But the second time I went my friend and I sat for twenty minutes without having even our drink order taken. Our servier told us she would be right with us and then went past us several times without even looking at us. I realize it was busy lunchtime, but 20 minutes of waiting at a table to even order a coke is just wrong.

Pros: Fabulous food, varied menu

Cons: Noisy, Super slow service

Posted 04/21/08

Absoutely love this restaurant. The food is always consistent and the wait staff is the best! It's a popular place so expect some wait time. Those waiting for a table are invited to help themselves to a cup of coffee. The coffee is always delicious and strong, unlike other restaurants where the cofee is weak and diluted. I've taken many out of town guests to this restaurant and no one has ever left disappointed.

Pros: Great food, great value

Cons: Street parking.

Posted 04/19/08

I have recommended Milo's to friends on several ocassions, each time I accompanied them and each time the food was delicious. As a vegetarian I order the squash and hazelnut stuffed pasta. Delicious! I brought in a group of 12 people, and four of them ordered this dish and LOVED it! I live in the neighborhood and so it is convenient. The only negative is the noise level, which is definately too loud, difficult to have a conversation on a "date" situation. Other then that, the wait staff are always friendly, efficient and informative. The seating is comfortable and I like the sparse and unpretentious interior. If the accoustics were fixed it would definately be a 5 star rating!

Pros: Quick and delicious

Cons: Noisy

Posted 09/15/07

I must have walked by Milo's a dozen times or more and never noticed it was sitting there. I live only a few blocks away and prefer to walk when the destination is close. When I decided to try something new, I pulled up CitySearch and found that Milo's was close.

After reading the previous reviewer's comments, I was a little hesitant, but decided to give it a shot anyway because it earned the third place for the year. That reviewer is flat out wrong! Perhaps the restaurant was having a bad day on 08/03/07, however today (09/03/07, Labor Day) the restaurant was fantastic. I ordered the french toast with a side of bacon and a large OJ. For $10.50 I enjoyed a wonderful, well cooked meal that was served by a friendly waitress and I was in and out within 45 minutes (by my own choice).

So I implore you to try out Milo's if you are looking for a great breakfast at very reasonable prices.

Pros: Food, service, atmosphere, prices

Cons: Parking can be tough I imagine, although I walked

Posted 09/02/07

I used to love this place, so when a colleague came from out of town who was staying near the convention center I recommended Milo's and picked him up for breakfast. Terrible. First, there were about 3 people in the restaurant, but our wait person--a woman with long red hair--took a really long time to take our order, didn't check back with in us after serving our food, and in the end, I had to give the check to someone else so I could pay. BUT...more importantly, the food was NOT GOOD. I ordered the salmon omelet, and requested that it be a "wet" omelet, because I don't like overcooked eggs. The eggs were dry as a bone. The salmon was dry as a bone. It was like eating chalk. My colleague had the vegetarian omelet, which was extremely overcooked. He just scraped out the inside and ate that, leaving the three-egg brown husk on his plate. He ordered tea, and she didn't offer him more hot water. I won't be going back.

Pros: good location for convention center

Cons: everything else

Posted 08/02/07

Great service, food and prices. We'll definitely be going back to sample other items on the menu. It can get busy on the weekends, but we showed up before 9 and were seated within 5 minutes. My husband loved their hash and eggs, and I'm a big fan of their French toast. Definitely worth a try.

Pros: Good prices, great service

Cons: Average Coffee

Posted 06/09/07

...wether you come for breakfast, lunch, or dinner you will not be disappointed with the food at Milos! Breakfast is highly recomended for benedict or anything that comes with toast as they have homemade jam that is to die for. The Hungarian Mushroom Soup can easily be added to any lunch or dinner which is an absolute favorite with the people I know. Crabcakes are also a must, crabcake benedict is awesome! I have NEVER had anything at ANY meal that I was disappointed with, in the 20+ times I have been there that is definitely rare for any restaurant. If you do go for breakfast please try the peach mimosas if you like champagne on a weekend morning....or any morning for that matter :) Sometimes you do have to wait for a table but it is worth every moment especially since you can grab coffee and wait outside.

Pros: So many...mushroom soup, bread/toast with homade jam, PEACH Mimosas

Cons: Parking?, also the wait but mainly on the weekends-it is worth it though so try it!

Posted 01/11/07

If you're looking for a breakfast place with a great selection and a friendly staff, check this place out. We arrived on New Years Day around 10AM. The place was full, but the hostess told us to help ourselves to the coffee station. The table came up fairly quickly and we never had an empty coffee cup. The menu had a great selection (an important thing to us since my fiance hates eggs) and all of the food was great.

It's a pretty small place and it's very popular, so if you are there on the weekends, expect to wait. I went there with friends once and we waited for a good half hour. However, we were encouraged to take all the coffee we want and, especially during the summer, its great to wait outside.

If you're looking for a good breakfast, this is the place to go...but try to avoid the rush times.

Pros: great food, good price, service is great

Cons: small cafe style, so be prepared to wait, especially during rush times

Posted 01/05/07

Heeding the fantastic reviews from Cheap Eats, we came here for the eggs benedict and was not disappointed, despite the 30mins wait for a table for two (it was a weekend). Expect long wait, expect great food, expect large portions, and expect to be satisfied. Benedict breakfast came w/ side of fruit, roasted potatoes, a meat (you choose)-- lots to eat! Staff was efficient and attentive. Will come back soon.

Pros: good food, large portions, good prices

Cons: Parking, waiting

Posted 06/10/06

I went to Milo's one evening after my friends just got into town from out of state. It was 9:00 pm when we finally arrived, and we were starving. We were unaware that they close at 9:30, and if we hadn't read the sign on the door, we wouldn't have known! The wait staff was so friendly, they didn't seem to mind that our party of 9 was going to close them down. Being a past food worker myself, I really appreciated the fact that they weren't annoyed with us for staying past our welcome. The food was delicious and VERY resonably priced for all that you get. I was impressed at their full bar, an unexpected surprise for a small cafe. I have been to Milo's several times since then, with the same results: great staff, great food, great value. Definitely recommended.

Pros: Friendly staff, Great food, Warm atmosphere

Cons: parking

Posted 01/25/06

you can NOT find a more friendly, efficient and fun restaurant crew in portland that even comes close to milo's. and they've got fabulous food at reasonable prices.

Pros: hostess on weekends, great breakfast price, PB & J french toast!

Cons: waits on weekends

Posted 11/15/05

18 months of being a customer & counting. Milo's gets busy but we ALWAYS have a great time. Their staff are ALWAYS pleasant and fun. Especially the weekend crew. If those prior reviewers go more often, they will find more positive things to mention besides the OJ or mimosas. Milo's is alive with great personality, charm, very good food...and children's art on the walls!

Pros: Friendly, Quick, Great Prices

Cons: Marmalade Jam, Crowded (weekends), Not a full bar

Posted 10/09/05

It's hard to screw up breakfast, so picking out a place isn't that hard. Milo's definitely raises the bar on breakfast. We ordered the waffle, french toast and the eggs benedict. All very good choices. The atmosphere was very lively and a good place for kids. The staff was very friendly and attentive. There was a small wait, but not bad.

Pros: food, friendly staff, atmosphere

Posted 08/07/05

Good food, service & value.

Noisy between music, conversation and the kitchen (just behind the bar).

The waiting line is outside

Pros: Good Food, value

Cons: Noisy, Wait outside

Posted 08/06/05

Eggs Benedict was great. We had a good experience. The wait is a bit long.

Pros: Food, Service

Cons: Wait

Posted 05/13/05

This place was packed at 2pm in the afternoon on a Sunday when we ate there, and we had to wait 10 minutes. No biggie. What was surprising, though, was that the food was really just average. We both ordered omelettes, and they were good, but nothing special. Nice size portions, not greasy = plusses.

Posted 03/25/05

My boyfriend and I went there last Sunday morning and the place was packed. They gave us coffee while we waited. We split the crab cake eggs benedict and a wonderful bowl of oatmeal with granola and fresh fruit. Hearty, tasty, good service.

Pros: food, price, service

Cons: noisy, wait, crowded

Posted 03/02/05

Wow..what a busy place on a Monday mid-morning day! My companions and I enjoyed a most excellent breakfast...however its too bad the service wasn't as good.

Be prepared to wait , be prepared to ask for water & coffee...etc..........

This is a great place if you're not in a hurry and dont' care about being serviced!!

Pros: Food, Blackstone Benedict, Breakfast Burrito

Cons: , Service, Service

Posted 07/20/04

the food isn't super cheap but its a great value for what you get, very decently priced
everything looks good
lots of good omlettes and interesting french toast options
every waiter and waitress is very friendly.
i would not recommend it on a sunday morning. the crowd of people outside waiting for a table will out number the people seated inside. but that just shows how good the food is i guess.
its a cute place. the childrens drawings are fun.
i would definitely recommend milo's

Pros: value, friendly staff

Posted 06/13/04

After a short wait both visits, we were very happy with the food. Even the sourdough toast & O.J. is outstanding. The first visit we were waited on by a waitress who was less than friendly (maybe hungover?). The second visit our waitress was not only quick and extremely nice, but hilareous to boot. So far the best breakfast we've had here in the last 9 months.

Pros: excellent food

Cons: , short wait

Posted 03/09/04

After waiting 20 minutes of a 40 minute wait we got seated at the bar. Good start and a happy hostess.
Our waitress came right over and unfortunately that was one the only time she actually remembered us.
Food came quick, was fine. Think we'll have to try it again to judge it. Initially we aren't so impressed with the food. And definitely not with our waitress this past Saturday.
OJ was great, I can say that.

Posted 02/22/04

We went to Milo's one weekend and the Eggs Benedict was perfection. The high point was watching the chef (sitting at the counter) and seeing him work his magic, kind of a manic dance. The next time we went, the eggs part of the 'benedict' were runny, and alerting the waitperson was no help, there was no fix and we still had to pay for them... We will go back again because everyone has a bad day. The mimosa was light and lovely, and the atmosphere was loud and interesting. A fun brunch spot

Pros: Interesting Menu, Mimosa mmmmmm, Watching the Chef

Cons: , Off and on service

Posted 02/03/04

I get so bored with the same ol' breakfast places, and wanted something with variety, so I decided to try Milo's. I was very pleased! The menu is inventive and offers many choices, all incredibly priced! I had the eggs scrabled with feta, tomatoes, and spinach ($4.95 with potatoes too!), with a side half-order of the french toast, while my hubby had the special that day, crab cakes benedict. Both entrees were incredibly tasty and filling, and I was wowed by the flavor of the fresh blueberry jam.
If you're looking for menu variety and creative breakfast dishes at an inexpensive price, this is the place for you.

Though we didn't have to wait for a table on a Saturday at around 1:30, others who came in after us did have a short wait. It was VERY busy and noisy, but if you can get past that, it was great!

Pros: creative breakfasts, cheap

Cons: noisy, crowded

Posted 07/10/03

Went on th e 4th of July. It was packed! Server was wonderful food was excellent they have the best tasting Orange Juice and Unfiltered Apple juice I have ever tasted. Chocolate Chip Waffles with Peanut Butter was THE BEST! Scrambled Eggs were to watery for me but the the Crabcakes were fresh and Yummy!! although for the price you get 2 patties about as large as the top of a detergent container. It is located across the Willamette so you'll either have to take a car or take the bus to get there.

Pros: price, good portions, great tasting food, Apple & Orange Juices

Cons: Long wait, no outdoor seating, Across the River

Posted 07/07/03

Milo's is the best breakfast joint in Portland! Great food at easy on the pocketbook prices. Excellent specials. The place is packed on weekends!

Posted 05/07/03

We moved to Portland 6 months ago and stumbled onto Milo's within the first month. We have been going back every week for breakfast since. It is definitely worth the wait. They turn teh tables very quickly and the service is excellent!

Pros: great food, great service, good price

Cons: wait

Posted 01/31/03

When Milo's opened for breakfast only, we were regulars. (Then Eggcetra opened and we never looked back, but that's a different review.) But our dinner experience was much less than hoped for. We had rack of lamb and a pesto-crusted salmon entrees that were simply lackluster.

Posted 01/23/03

We love this place! After a chance breakfast there 3 months ago, I've been there at least once a week since. I bring everyone I know who hasn't been, and often plan our weekend around being able to have a meal at Milo's . Counter life is great - cook has a fab sense of humor, wait staff is so, way, very cool.

Tell everyone! This is the place to be for ANY meal!

Pros: Inexpensive, Fantastic Food, Great Staff

Cons: Wait time

Posted 11/28/02

The Eggs Benedict is quite good here. If that is what you desire then this is the spot! A true hollandaise but sometimes a little rich on the butter. A very pleasing atmosphere and friendly staff. The wait can be 30 to 45 minutes for weekend breakfasts but is worth the wait.

Pros: Eggs Benedict, Nice atmosphere

Cons: Oily Potatoes

Posted 11/23/02

This is by far the best breakfast in town. I know the breakfast chef, so maybe I'm a little biased, but I've never seen eggs as pretty as the eggs whipped up by one Mr. Lance Freeman. He's not too shabby to look at either!

Posted 11/21/02

Good food, reasonable prices. However, noise level too high even though place only half full. Booths need cushions. Wooden seats very uncomfortable.

Posted 11/18/02