Fuller's Coffee Shop - Portland

Super cute classic diner with simple good food and amazing people. We came in on a Friday morning for brunch and were greeted and seated right away. The restaurant is set up such that everyone is facing inward toward where servers can walk around, so it feels very communal. The menu is pretty simple, I ordered a Denver omelette which comes with toast and hash browns. The omelette was really good, fluffy eggs, and a good amount of toppings. Hash browns were perfectly crispy too. The service was what really set the vibe of this place though. It just feels so homey and everyone is so nice. Such a bright warm place to spend your morning.

This place has been a hit or miss place for me. Today, I ended up waiting about 40 minutes to get in. I ended up ordering an omelet, which comes with a side of hash and my choice of toast. I chose rye, but they said they didn't have any rye left, just white. I opted to substitute my toast for a biscuit (added cost). The biscuit was super dry and was not good. They skipped on the amount of hash and the omelet was overly cooked. I've been here before, and it has been much better, and it has been much worse, so it's always a gamble, I guess.

Final curtain call. No longer the solid go to place. Two little bacon strips (not the wide thick style) subpar hashbrowns. VIC we miss you! I will head over to John's Cafe a few blocks away. The End

The highlights: As I mentioned, this diner has a wonderfully nostalgic vibe. The entire restaurant features a long countertop with vinyl swivel stools, and the walls are adorned with vintage photos of Portland. Nearby, chubby coffee pots sit steaming, waiting to be served. You can visualize it, right? While I'm not a huge fan of eating shoulder-to-shoulder with my neighbors, I figured I could overlook it for the sake of the atmosphere. That’s just part of the experience here. I had the blueberry pancake, which was reasonably fluffy and had plenty of berries in it, but that's about the highest praise I can give for the food. The negatives: Critiquing diner food may seem unfair since it doesn’t aim for fine dining standards, and we typically know what to expect from diners. However, my partner and I had heard repeatedly that this place stood out when it came to its food. Sadly, my veggie omelet was bland and forgettable. It ended up drenched in hot sauce. As for my partner, he ordered George’s Potato Deluxe, a name I remember because he was just lamenting about it recently. What was meant to be hash browns loaded with veggies turned out to be a soggy mess. We joked that it looked like someone found an old can of tomatoes and dumped it over a few sad mushrooms and eggs. The most frustrating moment came when our server acknowledged my partner's disappointment, correctly guessing that the dish was too soggy. Yet, there was no attempt to rectify the issue or offer an alternative, despite recognizing the problem with the meal. Overall, the servers seemed well-intentioned and friendly, but that’s about all I can say. Additionally, be prepared to wait a long time to be seated, as the lines can be extensive. Unfortunately, the food isn't worth such a long wait. If I had adjusted my expectations to match a typical breakfast diner, I might have rated it four stars. If charm is what you're after, you’ll find it here. If you're looking for average, reasonably priced diner food, you’ll also find that. But if you're hoping for an extraordinary, five-star diner experience, you should look elsewhere. It’s not worth the hype, but it certainly isn’t the worst spot around. Trust me.

One of the best dining experiences I've had. The service was excellent, and it's a charming little spot. The prices are reasonable for the area.