Besaw’s (Portland Road Trip 2016) – Croque Madame

Besaw’s, tracing their humble roots back to a beer parlor and gambling hall in 1903, has seen many iterations over the years. We headed to Besaw’s for breakfast on the last day of our Portland road trip but quickly got lost. As it turned out, Besaw’s had recently moved from their 112-year home to a new location a couple of blocks away and our GPS still had their old address.

When we finally arrived at their new location on NW 21st Avenue, we were greeted by a clean, Art Deco-inspired interior with high ceilings.

The tall, buttoned back padded booths, wood detailing, and large mural artwork above the kitchen evokes a feeling of an old school hotel. They even had Happy Days music playing in the background.

Service here was good and the food came out much quicker than our visit to Sweedeedee a few days earlier. We wound up ordering the Two Eggs Any Style ($13) with pork apple sausage, poached eggs, and seasonal fruit as well as their special of the day… Croque Madame ($13 as well I think).

The fruit bowl included marionberry, peach, pineapple, local blackberries, and strawberries.

The pork apple sausages were quite good and paired great with the Red Duck Ketchup served tableside. I’m going to have to check out where to buy this ketchup the next time I’m down in the States (I think Fred Meyer carries it).

The croque madame was outstanding! Two sunny side up eggs adorned the shaved ham, gruyere sauce, chives and pullman brioche. Each bite was nice and creamy and the brioche had a slight crispness underneath to add some texture. I was super addicted to the rosemary-garlic potatoes and used more of the Red Duck Ketchup with it.

If you’re looking for brunch in Portland, this is a good option… especially since there was no lineup when we arrived.

1545 NW 21st Avenue
Portland, OR

www.besaws.com