marcy's diner

dining date: 03.05.07
eatery: marcy's diner on oak and free
pricing category: diner cheap. NOTE: this eating establishment does NOT have a credit card machine -- cash only.
guest critic: none. just the dream team. the core TBC.
overall grade: A/A-

the lowdown:
- we received a VERY friendly welcome upon entering. almost a little too friendly for a diner. in fact, we thought for a second that they might have even recognized us as TBC and were just trying to butter us up. uh, no pun intended. but it turned out that they were just genuinely nice. what a concept.
- the WBLM playing on the radio was a very nice touch and fit the mood of the restaurant.
- marcy's somehow has figured out a way to pull off the "biker chic" ambiance successfully.
- marcy's clearly has the safety of their customers as a top priority. the front window had a very large crack in it, and they had taped up about 11 hand-written flourescent signs on the crack that said "please do not lean on the glass."

the food
the benny girl
- 2 over-easy eggs, homies, english muffin, bacon, one piece of cinnamon-sugar french toast, and tea
- grade: B+
"i've only been to marcy's once, a long time ago, so i was excited for breakfast this morning. the service was great! we got a very friendly welcome, and with the "tag-team waitressing" it was almost like being at a 4-star fine dining dinner...uh, almost. the eggs were good, but a little runny. the english muffin was great! it's definitely my very favorite yolk-dipping vehicle. the bacon was good, but about the size of a popsicle stick. the three strips together made the equivalent of one normal piece. but the homefries were actually the breakfast item that i had the biggest problem with. they were cut like chips, instead of cubes...and i don't really like potato chips unless they're crispy and have salt & vinegar on them. and they sort of reminded me of scalloped potatoes, which is definitely my least favorite form of the potato. their flavor was pretty good though. now the french toast was the highlight -- a nice way to top off the meal. it actually tasted like a maple sugar donut...a definite plus. the tea was good, and instead of just refilling my hot water they gave me an all new tea bag -- big points for the server there! i know i may sound a little overly critical in this review, but i don't mean to. overall, it was a really good breakfast experience -- probably one of the best diners i've been to in awhile. and honestly, the main reason that i gave it a B+ instead of an A is because they had nothing on the menu that remotely resembled a benedict. and we all know how much i love the hollandaise."

the usual
- 2 eggs, homefries, toast, and coffee...plus one slice of cinnamon-sugar french toast
- grade: A
"marcy's is the shit. i already kinda knew that because i've eaten there before (are we allowed to say that?) but marcy's is steady, cheap, and delectable. my eggs were perfect -- over-hard and greasy. the toast delicious and predictable -- cheap, squishy wheat bread with plenty of butter to smear on it. the homefries at marcy's are "different" -- sliced instead of chunked, and then tossed around on the grill with plenty of grease for a minute. there were crunchy little niblets mixed with larger slices of less cooked potato. they're pretty delicious, but not my favorite at all. almost forgot to mention my unusual addition to "the usual" -- french toast. it was a wonderful change of pace. our server recommended that we add the cinnamon-sugar, which was a winning combination. we had two servers who were both extremely attentive and lovely. the coffee was promptly refilled, and everything worked like a well-oiled machine...or should i say "greased machine?" overall, marcy's is the best diner in portland. it just is."

wild toast
- bacon, eggs, toast, homefries, and coffee
-grade: A
"overall, excellent meal. tag-team service with frequent coffee refills. new menus were noted, as were the slightly elevated prices -- not too bad though. my meal arrived very quickly. a pile of assorted potato slivers sided my meal. the marble rye, which is always appreciated, was crispy and the eggs were soft. this is good. offered two kinds of hot sauces, i accepted both choices. very friendly service and reliable food choices make this stop a cheap and delightful choice."