Marco’s Cafe & Espresso Bar

This is a great place to eat. Family atmosphere, great food, friendly fast service. I ordered a cheese omelet which was very tasty and cooked just like I like it. The potatoes (crispy stye) were great. Our waitress did not keep us waiting and was genuinely friendly. Overall a great breakfast place (I haven’t tried lunch or dinner yet so can’t report on those).

Sadly, after a great lunch earlier this year, a less than exciting return when we had breakfast at Marco’s this morning. Their service is always consistently friendly, but after having memories of great breakfasts past? Maybe my memory is clouded as it was nothing that I could imagine traveling from NE Portland for, sadly. I ordered the bacon/​brie/​mushroom scramble, and there was absolutely no seasoning. You hoped for a piece of bacon to get a bit of flavor as the eggs were basically filler, and not until the last quarter of the scramble did I finally taste the brie. It came with a croissant which was OK but would have been so nice if they didn’t serve cheap diner packets of jelly and actually had real jam there since they talk about this being «homestyle» and such. But sadly the even worse part was the coffee! I ordered a cappuccino and I got what basically tasted like a house coffee with foam on top — and about a teaspoon of cinnamon. Yes, cinnamon. It was, as my husband put it, indigestible. Normally I’d give this type of experience 1 or 2 stars but my husband liked his chicken fried steak with potatoes and eggs so this averages out to a 3 stars because of that, but we both agreed that we don’t need to make this a destination anymore :(

One of my Facebook friends is a regular at Marco’s and she posts photo after photo of these delicious looking Belgian waffles. I finally couldn’t take it anymore and had to venture out to Multnomah Village! Unfortunately, these waffles (triple berry, strawberry and banana) are specials and not featured on the regular menu. I happened to come on a day that they were not featured and was very disappointed. I elected to try the homemade cinnamon roll and brioche french toast instead. My family and I agreed that the cinnamon roll had WAY too much cinnamon. I was choking on loose cinnamon which is quite unenjoyable. The brioche french toast was not too much better. It was very very dry and could have really benefitted from a sauce or compote of some sort. It came with a side of fresh fruit which was amazing! Some of the biggest, juiciest blackberries I’ve had all summer! I also enjoyed the uniqueness of umbrellas on the ceiling, very Portland! Unfortunately, I will not be back to Marco’s unless I know for sure I can get a Belgian waffle. Nothing memorable.

A great little restaurant in Multnomah Village. I went here for breakfast with a friend and tables were filling up. I ordered their corned beef hash which was nicely seasoned with an over easy egg on top and a slice of toast. This was one of the cheaper things on the menu, so if you are willing to pay a little bit more, you can enjoy some great omelettes and scrambles with top quality ingredients and flavor combinations. I will return to this place for sure to explore more tastes and creations.

Excellent choice in Multnomah Village for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
It’s my «go to» breakfast place as I love their bottomless «fair trade» coffee.
It’s easier to get a table during the week, so if you go for breakfast on the weekend be prepared to write your name on the clipboard and wait. Trust me… you’ll be glad you waited!

I would really like to like this place. They try hard. Their menu always looks appealing. I will say that the service has always been good and pleasant, but their food just lacks. And after a recent dinner there my stomach was pretty upset. Sadly, they just fall short. And no Gluten Free options, which is personally a negative. Just not a go-​to place for us.

This is one of my favorite places to have brunch. The food is always excellent. They have great fancy coffee drinks. The service is generally outstanding. There is usually about a 20 – 30 minute wait on weekend mornings, because this place is popular, but patience is rewarded with great food, at Marco’s.

This is one of my favorite places to take family and friends from out of town. It’s classy but fun and the food is terrific but not over-​done. The Grilled Cheese for Grown-​Ups is a favorite.
It’s reat for any meal, any age group, and it gets busy but never feels hectic or too crowded. Kid friendly.

My sweetie and I both had the egg sandwich, hers on an English muffin, mine on gluten free. Her egg came out hard – their standard. Mine was over easy, as requested. The bread was soggy, the cheese a basic production slice. Cute visuals with umbrellas on the ceiling to provide food for the homeless.
Service was fairly attentive, coffee was excellent. A solid establishment doing good work.

One of my «all timers» when in the Portland area. Have been coming here for 15+ years. Variety, quality, and service. One of the best breakfasts you can get. I’m particularly fond of their bacon, avocado benedict. Pancakes are light, huge, filling. Waffles with the fresh fruit is also great. I like a place where it’s hard to choose a dish. One choice excludes soooo many other excellent options. GREAT problem to have.
Note: If you like them HOT, ask for your speciality coffee drinks extra hot.

This place is a hidden gem in Multnomah Village. Their service is great, coffee is great and I had the brie scramble and it was AWESOME! It had delicious chunks of brie floating around in it and it was such a treat! Rye bread was good, too.
Also the atmosphere was really cool. It felt very new englandy in there to me in a way that I really liked.
Awesome experience and I can’t wait to go back.

Marcos is really cute and I’m not just saying that. They have umbrellas hanging from the ceiling, they donate 10 meals to a shelter for every umbrella. The restaurant is big and there’s a lot of street parking. Portions are massive, you’re definitely getting your money’s worth.
I’m giving 2 stars strictly because of the food. I ordered the french toast and although it was a lot of food, it wasn’t something I would necessarily come back for. It was really dry and didn’t taste like much. Having the stewed apples on the side was nice and when you ate a bite of it with the toast (dredged in syrup) it was better. But I can’t get over how dry the toast was. I wasn’t impressed and I think the fact that they have such positive reviews was what set the bar so high. Everyone else in my group ordered savory things and had nothing but great things to say.

My boss had taken a couple of us here for lunch on two different occasions. The first time we went I had the Southwestern Salad, holy moly what a big order of food. Definitely something I will have to share next time. I started to get full and I’m looking at the plate wondering how it didn’t look like I had put a dent in it! I might be picky the next time I’m there and to say to hold back on the smoked chili a bit, because there was a lot! Which is obviously why I was so full. It was great though. 11 bucks for a good salad is a deal. The next time we came I ordered the Club Sandwich. Again, 11 bucks for a big sandwich and a huge side of fries. It was a nice lunch.
We had two different servers during our lunch, seemed like a bit of a miscommunication of who had what table. We had asked a couple of times for another fork and knife at the table, to fill our waters and to bring ketchup (sometimes it never came), it’s never enjoyable trying to flag down your waiter mid meal. But the food will bring me back.
Then one Sunday I decided to take my boyfriend for breakfast. We waited a good 30 mins to be seated, but we knew that going in– it was a Sunday at 10 am– what do you expect, everyones out for breakfast at that time haha.
I ordered the breakfast burrito. It was smothered in a salsa of some sorts– which looked super watered down, but otherwise the flavor was there and I again could not finish my meal, I took half home. The boyfriend had pancakes and a side of eggs.
It’s definitely a family type of place, each time I’ve been there there have been several table with their babies and toddlers.
The burgers look delicious and I’ve read that they have a special on I think Mondays (not completely positive), where they do burgers and a pint for a discounted price.
I’ll be back for breakfast and definitely for lunch!

Wow, I loved this place. Had brunch with my girlfriend on Sunday and I was totally impressed.
We started with mimosas and bloody mary’s. Very good! I ordered the Bacon Avocado Benedict and she had the Huevos Chilaquilles. Honestly, my Bennie was amazingly delicious. The hollandaise was perfect. I am already jonesin for our next trip.
She loved her order too. It was huge and had the perfect seasoning.
The red potatoes that they have are sliced thinly, just the way I like them.
Great service, cute décor, fairly easy parking, good pricing = I’ll be back!

The Good: The food is good. Staff is friendly. Ambiance is light and airy, with colorful, decorative umbrellas lining the ceiling. They have a full bar AND a coffee bar.
Gluten Free/​Substitutions: They have Gluten Free options listed on the menu, including gluten free breads and hamburger buns for sandwiches, and some items can be made gluten free upon request. Staff is helpful in accommodating gluten free/​customized meal requests. Be aware, there are up-​charges for Gluten Free bread, substituting a salad in place of fries, adding avocado, etc.
Favorite Dishes: Bistro Burger with Avocado & Cheese (Paleo folks — ask for it on lettuce), Chicken Cobb Salad, Betty’s BLT (Gluten Free bread available)
The Bad: They recently changed the menu and prices went up significantly. The happy hour menu and appetizer choices in general are minimal, with few gluten free choices. The restaurant gets packed and sometimes you have to wait a while for a table. The parking lot is small, so sometimes you must find street parking in already busy/​crowded Multnomah Village.

I realize Marco’s is a local favorite, they seem to rest on laurels of yesteryear. An uninspired menu matched with high prices: $ 7 for a small slice of meh dessert, $ 11 veggie burger, $ 16 plain Jane Fish & Chips, etc.
Nothing has been bad, nothing stellar, it’s just the place to go when you’re nearby. Service is consistently good after 10+ visits.

Fits the bill for a good breakfast joint in the Village!
I’ve been here a few times for work breakfasts, and everyone likes it well enough to add it to our usual roster. It’s usually pretty hopping during the week, so I can imagine it gets even busier during weekends.
The breakfast menu is extensive as heck, from scrambles and omlettes to different kind of benedicts. Since we’re on the topic of benedicts, that’s what I’ve gotten every time we come here. For some reason I’m not the biggest fan of the normal bene (which is rare) but LOVE their bacon avocadao version. It’s on top of como bread instead of the typical English muffin and the hollandaise sauce is great. Oh, I believe I didn’t like the normal version because the Canadian bacon was just too thick. FWP, I know.
Since I’m normally in a big group, there’s a lot of variety of what’s ordered and everyone is always happy. Service is always on point and our coffee cups are never empty. Prices are reasonable as well. Oh! Don’t miss all the umbrellas hanging over your heard.

MARCOS IS BACK!
Marcos responded to my last posting of 11÷29÷14. We were sad that a wonderful chef had retired, and that the restaurant menu, prices, and apparent goals had restructured.UP. We missed the former family restaurant atmosphere, and didn’t imagine how families could afford the upgraded prices.
Then I got a personal response through Unilocal from Dean, owner. He reported that prices were reduced back to the previous range (al a carte up to $ 19), the menu expanded to include the large list of regular standard items, and the wait-​staff retained. He offered me a gift card to return and try it out.
As I walked in, it felt like the Marcos of before. We were greeted by a familiar head server and recognized several staff. There was no waiting, we were seated immediately. Service was as before: friendly, personal, attentive, with recognition. There is the full menu, the specials with all major categories (meat, fish, chicken, veggie, pasta), and weekday specials. Look at the wine deals!
I ordered the pork chop ($ 19), my wife the fish (17 $). Both were good-​sized portions, perfectly done, great flavor and texture, and not over-​stated. No fancy sauce, no tiny portions or rare esoteric food items, just nice presentation. And superb. period.
So, I am happy to be a Marcos regular again. And I strongly recommend to all the long-​term patrons to return, and newcomers to try it out. Thanx to Dean for listening to your customers! Welcome back, Marcos!
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Marcos never does disappoint! It’s great great great for breakfast. The service is always quite friendly and make you feel at home. The neighborhood is a dream, although parking is not ideal.
The cocktails and lattes are well made. I have a strong love for eggs Benedict, this is my most favorite dish here! It’s worth a stop and the wait!

Heavenly! That’s really the best way to describe my brunch here. Let me just say that if brunch is a religion here in Portland, eggs benedict is the alter I pray at. The eggs benedict here? Well, I actually dreamt of them after dining here. I feel like I am born again!
A friend suggested this place and somehow I had never heard of it (I don’t really spend any time in Multnomah Village). I am so glad he did! When I finally figured out where it was and made my way to the only spot available in their teeny, tiny parking lot it was all smooth sailing from there. I left with a smile on my face and a full and happy tummy!
I had to take off one star because of a couple little issues, but I those were due to our server being brand new. These were minor things like making a bad latte, not knowing the menu or options well, really just first day kind of stuff. She was very nice though so I’m sure she’s learned all that with time.
I will definitely be brunching here again. It’s a great place to go with friends, parents, or out of town guests.