Cafe Rowan

Cafe Rowan was the highlight of my recent trip to Portland, especially since I was able to snag a coveted counter seat at one of their incredible collaborative dinners—part of a limited series of dinners featuring award-winning guest chefs from around the country. It’s amazing and inspiring to see all of this happening in Portland. I was so blown away by Cafe Rowan’s chef/owner (Spencer), the friendly and knowledgeable staff, and exceptional service that I decided to come back the next day for brunch. I’m so happy I did! Cafe Rowan’s lobster roll is one of the best I’ve ever had, with ample pieces of lobster balanced perfectly on a buttery, garlicky, toasted brioche bun. Everyone go to Cafe Rowan asap, and check out their dinner series too, before it’s too late!

Oh this is absolutely the new go to brunch spot!!! When I first walked in one of the staff joked with me as he witnessed something that took place outside and again, always a sucker for a fun environment. The place was kinda packed but we were able to find seating and don't have to wait which was nice. I got the crab Benedict and WOW!!!! I have had no luck honestly with a good crab benny and this is the first place that they finally make it right! First off it wasn't cold which was a plus lol but all the flavors just worked so well and I was a bit annoyed when my girlfriend wanted some because I never wanted to stop eating it haha. Overall I cannot recommend this place enough.

Cafe Rowan is one of my favorite places to eat in a city full of great restaurants. Spencer, the chef and owner, is one of the most talented chefs I’ve ever met. He cooks with all his heart. It’s the finest breakfast and lunch spot in Portland. I’m looking forward to trying their dinner series, where they bring in some of the most talented chefs in the country to cook with Spencer and his crew. Standouts are the lobster roll, the eggs Benedicts and bananas foster French toast.

This is your sign to rent out this space for a special occasion and allow Chef Spencer to amaze you!!! Decedent menu, exceptional service, intimate feel. I feel like I was on the food network. Top notch experience! 12/10!

This is the best brunch restaurant in portland!! I come here for every special & none special occasion! Every single thing Ive tried here seems like it should be priced way higher. Its affordable 5 star experience every time. My favorite is the green bowl & the banana foster french toast 🙌🏽 Thank you Cafe Rowan

If I could rate this place 100 times with 5 stars from the service to the ambience to the food that tasted like it was straight from the garden of Eden, I would. The gentlemen to seat us was so kind and welcoming. We came on a Sunday morning on our way back to seattle after kind of a couple rough experiences in other parts of portland and this was light at the end of the tunnel/healing experience. Totally negated all the bad parts of our trip and sent us on a high note. I loved the playlist of tunes being played. It just seemed like every part of this restaurant was so very carefully thought out. The place and people were gleaming positive energy. While waiting we met the owner who told us the restaurant was named after his beloved dog, so sweet. Now to the food… JESUS! Every bite was an absolute experience and it was hard not to make noises of jaw dropping satisfaction. We ordered the avocado toast (never tasted anything like this before, it was insane), the burrito that had squash in it (you could I taste every single ingredient and it tasted like it was all grown, harvested and cooked that morning), and the lobster grits (I harvest and cook a lot of seafood myself and it was the same level of freshness and moist, highly highly recommend). We met the mother of the owner who was a precious angel and obviously very rightfully so proud of her son. The cherry on top was Keaton, who is worth his weight in gold. We originally ordered from him and he later on came over to our table a couple times for fun banter and to check in on us. This place is quality to the max and perhaps my new most favorite restaurant even tho I live in Seattle (sorry La Carta de Oxaca who will forever hold a special place in my heart). Oh yea I forgot the mama bear mentioned special events they hold there which feature fly in Michelin star chefs, I love that the mindset of this restaurant to share the knowledge of food and support other chefs. I definitely will come back to Portland just for one of these events!

This was my first time at cafe Rowan, and I heard how great of a breakfast spot it was. CORRECT!! The crab eggs Benedict was the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve grown up in a fishing town where many places served them. The bacon was perfect and crispy, the iced mocha was sweet and delicious. At first I was skeptical about the bread the Benedict was served on, but how wrong I was. Super fluffy and absorbent , did perfectly to soak in the rich eggs. All the vegetables and avocado added made a perfect accompaniment and made the whole dish feel very complete and tasty. I will be going back !