Breken Kitchen: Casual Chic Breakfast and Lunch

1800 NW 16th & Thurman • BrekenKitchen.com • 503.841.6359

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm

Once I stopped into Breken Kitchen for the first time last year, I quickly became obsessed. I was apparently late to the scene as this place opened up in 2010 but nonetheless, now that I have been there, I rarely want to go elsewhere.

I can often be found there at some point during the week. I love stopping in on a day off to grab a light breakfast and read a book in their Adirondack chairs out front. It is the perfect rendezvous spot for a lunch date with friends or parents. And it also is an excellent locale for working (or blogging!), with plenty of outlets and reliable WiFi.

 

The space is open and airy with big windows and doors that open up to overlook the trains passing by and little munchkins running around at the nearby Montessori school’s playground. I love the eclectic furniture and design choices from cozy couches to wooden benches lining the walls to funky lighting to their chalkboard menu.

The breakfast and lunch options are both fantastic. Some days, I can’t decide on which I’d like more so I just stay a while longer and treat myself to both meals! They have a great mix of healthy meals and indulgent ones.

I pretty much love anything with their house made chimichurri sauce, an Argentinian green sauce made with herbs, garlic and olive oil. My morning favorites are the Huevos Rancheros with fried eggs, that killer chimichurri, corn, black beans and rice; and their house made granola with a generous portion of hazelnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds. I love to order it with steamed milk.

For lunchtime, I love to get their Bizbaz Vegetable Salad with greens, roasted fennel, cauliflower, green beans, grape tomatoes all tossed in a light vinagrette and topped with that chimichurri (see a trend?). I always request adding their Shiitake mushrooms. For something more homey, their Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup is delicious, with gooey Tillamook Cheddar on Grand Central Italian White Bread.

If you’re in the mood for something sweet, they serve up scones made in house along with treats from Bakeshop, one of my favorite bakeries in Portland that focuses on whole grains.

I’m typically sipping on a large glass of iced Exceptional Black Tea from neighboring Smith Teamaker (their teahouse is located across the street and is also awesome to check out!). If you aren’t like me and there working however, you can grab a cold beer or glass of wine to go along with your meal.

Insider Tip: It gets real busy during the lunch rush from 12-1pm, so be willing to wait around for a table or plan to arrive a little early or little late.