Maple Leaf is absolutely delicious! They have the vibe of a low key diner, but food taste that is on par with the best restaurants in Portland. The breakfast menu has definitely gotten our attention, as I keep wanting to go back every weekend morning — and we truly appreciate the effort they put in. My partner and I asked for two items to share (classic egg breakfast with a side of French toast), and with no prompting by us, they split-plated everything in a beautiful display, so we didn’t have to share over one plate or split it ourselves. Regrettably, my hunger got the best of me so the pictures don’t include the aesthetic they provided. The staff is super friendly, they have great outdoor seating both sun and shade (yes, bring your dog!), and the service is an appropriate pace for quality food. This is a favorite local spot.
I'm gonna be up front, I'm a biased reviewer. I. Love. Diners. I don't know if it's the steady diet of Gilmore Girls I watched growing up, or just that a good diner is a welcome break from some of the more uppity and pricey brunch options in Portland - but diners are amazing, and Maple Leaf is officially in my top diners of all time.
The menu is broad without being overwhelming, and features all the classics plus a great section of Chinese food brunch twists. I had a fluffy Belgian waffle, and my boyfriend had a Chinese Pork Omelette. Both were very reasonably priced - and the dinner menu looked like a steal price wise.
Breakdown:
Lots of comfortable seating
Brunch food was a good value, coffee is free before 10:30
Lots of regulars, but it was still comfortable and I still felt welcome
Family run business with friendly service
This cafe could be cleaner. Stains on booths. $0.75 charge for orders under $10.
Waitress repeated several times. No substitutions. If you're okay with a grungy diner, the French toast was good. This portion is 2 pieces even though it looks like one cut in half. Lol. It was only $2.50 though.
The thing that caught our attention was the mention of Chinese flare in an American diner so we checked it out. Being that it has been here overt 40 years and the eclectic asian influenced decor had us intriqued so we had to ask. We were fortunate to talk to Richard the son of the owner and found out that his parents (with 11 other siblings) moved to Honduras from China, then to Florida before settling in Portland. We also leaned about the allegged encounter of his mom with infamous DB Copper at the restaurant after his plane jump. Guess you just have to find out from her yourself by asking her about the $20 that the FBI asked from her to trace the stolen money that she never got back. Then there is another story of Tonya Harding's mom sowing her dress in the cafe.
Now the food. We substituted the hashbrown and toast with their egg fu yong. It was definitely a diner food. The food was a typical well cooked but the story of the place more than make up for it.
Your food will arrive slow but it’s high quality food at low price. The cinnamon buns are amazing. Also try the Chinese pork and scrambled eggs.
One of the last good deals in town for breakfast! Old school diner with typical diner breakfast food, highly recommend, about as close to a Waffle House as you're going to find out here(I LOVE the awful waffle!)
Best ever. I am so happy I found this restaurant. It has been next to my house and I've always passed by. I went in and they are so friendly and the food is absolutely amazing
Love this place. Everything is always delicious and the customer service is always stellar. Had the best chicken and broccoli over rice, so yummy and satisfying. Also, the chocolate cake is amazing. I even ate their split pea soup last time and it was delightful. I'm so impressed because I would never eat it before. Now I'll only get it from there. Please go and support your neighbors and their businesses.
We love this place. Anytime going down Foster we kind of scratch our heads and wonder if we can make a stop in. The family is delightful and the cooking is like home- generous helpings made with care and love. They are always friendly and make you feel welcome and comfortable.
I was so happy to see them back after the pandemic. They have done some improvements and I think it'll be better than ever!
I can't wait for my next trip there :)
You won't regret it
Service was really good. Sweet waitress. The food very good. It took over 30 to get two breakfast. I had hash browns ( extra crispy) bacon and eggs. My friend a pancake breakfast. I believe the bill was less than $20. Great place, just be patient!!
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