Mae's Phinney Ridge Cafe - (206) 782-1222

This is my family's favorite place to go for breakfast. I don't know what some of the other reviewers have been smoking, but this place is very family friendly. It's has a relaxed atmosphere, so if your kids make some noise it's no big deal. Also if your kids make a a mess, the staff takes care of it without giving you the evil eye. It has a very funky and eclectic decor which is also fun for the kiddies. But there are also many other reaons to "graze" at Mae's. The breakfast menu has a great selection of omletes. I my favorite is the Smoking Joes with mushrooms. The plates are big, so you might want to consider a "baby" sized omlete, which is a little bit cheaper. Also, the Cinnamon Rolls are delicious. I am always tempted. The staff is very friendly, many of them have been there for years and know their jobs. I see that someone complained about nose rings on the waitstaff. ??? I think they need to get out a bit more and try and break out of the 1950's bubble they seem to be living in. I don't know what that has to do with the food or the service. My one complaint would be the espresso drinks. At this place I stick to the drip. On a nice week-end morning the wait can get a little long, especially if you don't arrive until 10am. If this is a problem for you there is a place down the street which always has plenty of open tables. But I would rather wait for a table at Mae's that get a seat at a half empty place.

I've been a few times. The food is passable, but no great shakes. I give it one star because I brought my toddler last time, and I have NEVER been treated so poorly at a restaurant, and clearly because of having a child with us. Now, I waited tables for 10 years. I am keenly aware of things that customers can do to irritate staff. My son was NOT misbehaving. We actually never even got seated (despite the nearly empty restaurant early on a weekday morning). The waitstaff was incredibly rude, audibly made snide remarks into the kitchen, and we never could find out if a hostess was even on duty. We left after milling around for about 5 minutes waiting for someone to seat us. I would not call this a family friendly place, and we will not be going back. Boo to the Moo!

I went here for the first time after hearing great things. I was impressed with the grtis and the friendly service. Great place for my kid, who loved looking at all the cows on the wall.