Chelan Cafe
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: West Seattle3527 Chelan Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98106 (206) 932-7383
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
14 Reviews for Chelan Cafe
Since moving to West Seattle this has become my favorite place. Filled with blue-collar regulars and the occasional family, this restaurant oozes typical diner fare and typical diner service. I'm a chicken fried steak addict, and although I think they undersalt their gravy, the rest of the dish is excellent. The service is typically prompt and nice, but can be a little slow if they are packed. If you are patient it should be fine, grab a paper out front if there are lots of people ahead of you.
On busy Saturday and Sunday mornings, you will get faster service if you head straight for the bar instead of waiting for dining room service. It's a bit louder, but is certainly more homey and fun. You can hear the drunken conversations of sailors and longshoremen as they enjoy their drinks.
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This place quickly became me favorite early morning breakfast place!
I like to grab a 7am breakfast with my mom on Sundays when she gets off of work at the hospital - we meet here and love it!
We tried IHOP - nope. We tried Denny's - yuck. Then I saw Chelan was open at 6am so we tried it and have kept going back!!
The place is a bit of a laid back almost "dive" place with a bar with sailors and the like - the people are simple and relaxed and there have been a few police eating there every time I go...
The food is great. The Hashbrowns done JUST like I like em! and the staff are ALWAYS sweet and friendly for so early in the morning!
The price is inexpensive and the food is worth it - much better than plenty of alternatives we tried!
My absolute favorite West Seattle breakfast place; well, I think all of Seattle as well! Portions are great, price is good, never had a bad meal and the service is well... unique. The folks that work there have been doing their jobs for years and know their stuff. They aren't afraid to chat it up with customers, don't come in there being a snooty bastard; they aren't afraid to flip shit to people should the situation warrant it.
I do prefer homestyle browns over the bagged stuff as well, but they cook them up great here. As oppose to Beth's; which come out burnt on the top and greasy and warm in the middle, the Chelan browns do not disappoint.
My eggs are always cooked how I like it, the meat always tasty and the toast with preserves is great. Coffee is damn fine and they are quick to refill an empty glass. I've always walked out of there with a full belly and a smile on my face.
If you're in the area and want a good bit of breakfast, skip the Luna Park; that place has gone downhill in recent years. Their food is slow to arrive, and when it finally does it tastes like it was parked under a heat lamp; at least Burger King is not only made fresh but tastes it as well.
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Just went with my coworkers because it's near work. One side is a diner and the other seating area was nice (I liked the maritime-theme). I got myself the french dip with the fries and it was really good. I would love to come back for brunch since it seems like most of the reviews are for that. Service was a little on the slower side. Nothing stood out as extremely good or bad - just a good meal to me.
A diner that serves both eggs benedict with tart lemony hollandaise sauce, and homestyle stick to your ribs country sausage gravy with buttery yet crisped shredded hashbrowns deserves five stars! Loved our waitress too, she had personality and sass!
However what does not serve five stars is the schmucks that brought out their mothers, and baby mommas to a greasy spoon to celebrate Mothers Day! Seriously ppl the woman had to go through labor, carry a child for nine months, have swollen ankles and get fat to bear you or that bundle of joy you call your offspring and she deserves better then a $7 breakfast to celebrate this sacrifice!!!!!
We decided being it Mothers Day a greasy spoon diner would not be over run with children and mothers..... I was wrong to my dismay!
I'd say they're pretty good. Not excellent, but decent. Food nothing amazing. I'm a person who actually LIKES gourmet breakfasts but I also like the greasy spoon kind. I prefer home fries to packaged hash browns but other than that, I've never had a bad breakfast there.
I first had breakfast at this joint some 6 years ago with all the technicians I used to work with. There were 7 of us and we were hungry, while a few of us were even a tad cranky. Ok, I was the one that was cranky... and by cranky I really mean I was kind of pissy. It was way too early in the morning, I was hungry, hungover and needed a smoke in a bad way.
Well, we pulled into this place on an early Thursday morning and we were seated in a matter of minutes. They pulled a couple of four tops side by side so they could accommodate a group of our size. After we sat down the table was tag teamed by two of their finest waitresses... one pouring the coffee's while the other one took our orders. Me being the pissy one I guess you could say I was giving a little lip to the waitress... who promptly gave me back everything I was dishing out and then some. But, at no point in time was it ever more than just that friendly ribbing you get from someone that you've known for years. As a matter of fact... they all gave as good as they got. You have to love a place where the staff has moxy!
Anyhow, I was hooked from that moment on and have been having breakfast there with my friends for years. The breakfast is great and served all day... the service is fast, but may not always be friendly... and remember to check the white board for the days breakfast specials.
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I love this joint.
I live right down the street so we are quite the regulars.
The waitresses are wonderful, they knew us by the second time we went in.
Which means she always puts a cup of coffee on the table for me :)
My boyfriend like to say its like having your mom cooking breakfast for you.
The foods not bad either, exactly what you expect for a diner...greasy and filling.
I suggest the BBIT (best breakfast in town) It consists of all the best things about breakfast all fried up together and served with very buttered toast!
And for lunch i suggest the Ruben, Its great and even served with real horseradish none of that fake mayo horseradish!
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If you are into the greasy spoon diner thing this is your place. I've never had a bad meal at the Chelan Cafe the service can be hit or miss but it's because the waitress are talking with customers about how they've been.
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Ok, so it's probably too pedestrian for you, but they are nice folks and their breakfast business is brisk for good reason - great food and coffee. This is a working person's value stop for a solid meal, served by a friendly and talkative staff (once they figure out you are not an arrogant snob).
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They serve a mean breakfast and the best french dip I've had to date - the waitstaff is generally worthy of a 20% tip - they're great with kids, friendly and upbeat AND they know their regulars.
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THis place has great food and great service. The breakfast menu is plain, but everything is good every time. There is never a crowd of hipsters, and the coffe is good. This is one of my favorite breakfast spots. Oh, and dont forget about the bar.
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Under the bridge, classic greasy diner with greasy coffee. Breakfast is not so bad, if diner food is your thang.
A must for fans of the classic, big hearty breakfast. Busy on the weekends but table turnovers are about as fast as the slopping of the coffee refills. Friendly, fast service, great place to take the kids and a must-go for those fuzzy-tongued, hangover mornings. Cheap, good food that always delivers. But then breakfast isn't rocket science.
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