You Eat There Because They Let You

"You eat here because we let you." They aren't kidding. Eat at the Stepping Stone Cafe in Northwest Portland, Oregon and you may as well be eating in a New York City diner as far as the service from the waiters goes. Their waiters are hip, pierced, tattooed, long-haired kids that don't give a shit whether you eat there or not, whether you have a good experience or not. Because they know how absolutely delectable their home-style cooking is. 
When first walking into the diner, the raw, twangy voice of Bob Dylan pours out into the moist, cold air of Portland and envelops you in warmth. 
"Write your name on the list and we'll come get you when a table opens up." While that may not be the warmest of greetings, waiting outside in the misty, drizzly day is worth it because once invited inside, coffee poured into your mug, it's absolutely the best place to be.

their famous mancakes.

Chicken-fried steaks, their famous Mancakes (bigger than your face and previously featured on an episode of Man Vs. Food), patty melts, biscuits and gravy, eggs and bacon, hot coffee. This is true home-style cooking at its finest.
As much crap as this place gets for their service, there are rare exceptions. After I had discovered this teeny cafe in a residential area of NW Portland, I knew immediately I had to share this experience with my dad. We both have the same taste in music -- Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Doors, etc. -- and the same love for hole-in-the-wall hangouts with incredible food. When my dad and I visited the Stepping Stone Cafe on a cold, slushy December morning, we experienced a rare connection with one of the waiters. After choosing two swivel chairs at the bar and after ordering our breakfast, we began talking about music. We had visited San Francisco the year before and Dad remembered an album cover that pictured the corner of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco but was not able to remember to whom it belonged. To this day we have not been able to figure out the exact album that features this famous spot. If anyone out there reading this knows whose it is, please let us know!! Anyways, one of the waiters with his long hair spewing from a gray beanie overheard our conversation, was overcome with curiosity and pulled out his phone to investigate. After no success, the three of us were diving deep into conversation about Neil Young and the perfection of his music for roadtrips, Black Sabbath and which of their albums are most brilliant, the Beatles and our never-ending love for them, the Doors, Dylan, Tom Petty, so on, so on. Our passionate conversations about rock music over multiple mugs of hot coffee also lassoed the owner of the cafe and another server into the exchange. 

the cafe on a drizzly morning.

The whole scene was just perfection.
Visiting the Stepping Stone Cafe is more of an adventure than simply a meal, which is what I love most about it. The essence of this greasy spoon perfectly reflects and encapsulates the personality of the city it's located within.
2390 NW Quimby, Portland, Oregon.
steppingstonecafe.com
https://www.facebook.com/YouEatHere


*p.s. I do not own the photos.