Saturday Brunch at Tasty n Alder

Brunch at Tasty n Alder

Remember when I grabbed brunch with the gals last month? Well, I’m happy to report we’ve turned it into a monthly tradition! This time, we chose Tasty n Alder for brunch.

Tasty n Alder is a staple in Portland and everybody knows it. Truth be told, it tops my list of favorite brunch places around here, and I always take out of town guests when I’m trying to impress.

Knowing how popular (and busy) Tasty n Alder is during the brunch hour, we decided to arrive as soon as they opened at 9am. But before you start applauding my valiant efforts, I’d like to come clean — brunch is the only thing that can wake me up at a reasonable hour during the weekends.

Even though we arrived at 9am, I was surprised to see 30 people already waiting in line!

We were seated shortly after the doors opened and found ourselves overwhelmed by the large (and delicious-sounding!) menu.

Tasty n Alder Brunch

Brunch is served daily from 9am to 2pm.
Address: 580 SW 12th Ave. Portland, Oregon 97205
Arrive as early as possible. It’s not uncommon for people to wait in line for 2 hours to get in. If nothing else, you can put your name down and wander around while you wait to be called on your cell. I suggest visiting Powell’s Books!

Ambiance | Casual and rustic vibe
Dress code | Casual
Kid friendly | Yes
Noise level | Moderate to loud
Vegetarian options | Yes

Dishes at Tasty n Alder are meant to be shared and the menu breaks down dishes by size: smaller, boards, bigger, steaks, sweeter and sides.

Standout dishes at Tasty n Alder

My all time favorite dish at Tasty n Alder is the Tasty Steak & Cheddar Eggs – the skillet corn cake lingers on my mind for months after. With that said, I decided to forgo the dish this time because I wanted to try new plates.

We ordered ricotta pancakes, biscuits and gravy, Raddichio salad, Polenta n Sagu, Smoked Trout Hash and Korean Fried Chicken. Next time around, I’d pass on the biscuits & gravy and ricotta pancakes.

Our favorite dishes:

Polenta n Sagu ($15) | Italian braised pork shoulder & belly, chicken, mozzarella, over easy egg
Raddicio Salad ($13) | Bacon lardons, manchego cheese, six minute egg
Smoked Trout Hash ($16) | Pickled beets, horseradish cream, over-easy egg
Korean Fried Chicken ($18) | Short grain rice, house kimchee, eggs two ways

Tasty n Alder Happy Hour

Happy hour is served in the (small) bar and runs daily between 2pm – 5:30pm.

If you can’t make it for brunch, I recommend visiting during happy hour. I’ve been turned down for brunch before because I arrived at 12, and they had stopped seating newcomers due to the long waitlist.

If you find yourself in the same boat, fear not. The happy hour is worth checking out.

Make sure to order fries to start and I suggest getting the Alder Bowl or Steakhouse Sandwich.