Beth’s Cafe

Delicious food! My boyfriend and I came in, were seated, given menus. We ordered, food was ready in a timely manner. Absolutely scrumptious. I love trying biscuits and gravy whenever I try a [different] breakfast spot. I think this has been THE BEST so far. Seriously. I gave 4 stars because the outside of the restaurant is not appealing to the eye and if I hadn’t heard this place was pretty good, I wouldn’t have stopped and come in by the looks of the place.

The hostess told us the wait wouldn’t be long and said 15 minutes at most. We waited for 30 minutes outside before we left. Terrible service.

Heard about this place from a friend who saw it on Man v. Food. If you are planning on going be prepared to wait a but for a table as the popularity is clear by its amount of reviews and consistent flow of customers. The food was good. Not great but good.
It is classic diner style food with omelets being their speciality. These are not ordinary omelets however as they come in two sizes, six eggs or twelve. This makes for a ridiculously huge omelet, even the six, so be sure you bring your appetite when visiting. There are other options on the menu such as pancakes, biscuits, etc. but the omelets is where it’s at.
I personally ordered the cream cheese and smoked salmon omelet, otherwise known as the Northwestern. I have to say the smoked salmon inside the omelet was delicious but it was a bit over powering by the excessive amount of cream cheese. Me being a cream cheese lover I still thought it took over the dish. Despite my minor critiques I must say I finished the whole thing.
The staff was busy but managed and the ambiance complemented the café style atmosphere. Overall I would recommend Beth’s to anyone who has an endless appetite and is in the Greenlake Area. Worth a stop in.

I came here last night with 2 of my girlfriends.
Clean table and seats, table was stocked with the usual ketchup, sugar, salt n pepper and Tabasco.
The French toast was amazingly good I could taste cinnamon and vanilla in it and the sausage was cooked well!
But i received the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I have ever had in my whole life. The gal with black hair and a long braid would not speak to us. I’ve never been to a place where I spoke to a waitress and they just looked at me and would not speak back. I was polite, said please if I asked for anything and thanked her when she came to the table and she would just stare at me. Not a peep. It was very strange. Made me feel very unwelcome.
I brought it up to another guy who was working there and asked if maybe that was just her character and she was always stand offish? They said they had noticed her behavior change over the last few weeks.
I bought my concern up with the manager on duty and he apologized and told us to come back on a weds/​thurs and he would take care of us. I’m not the type to try and get free food, I will gladly pay good money for good food and to be treated well. I personally told the chefs that their French toast was excellent, they were cool dudes. I still tipped generously and asked that she not receive it, but the other people had still earned it.
I honestly would not come back here for the sole reason of the mean waitress. You guys are a cool ass establishment but if you keep people like her around, that negative energy she has will scare off good customers.

Wanted to visit Beths for quite some time and they didnt dissapoint. Food was amazing (you have to try theAmish Ftiendship Bread), portions were gigantic and the staff was friendly and accomodating.
Expect a wait for a table and dress accordingly for weather, but once seated inhale the wonderful smells of some of the best food around!

If you like breakfast at night, this is the place to be. I love eggs and omelette and with is on «Man vs Food». You bet your money on this place. It far out of the normal place a tourist would go and there is nothing else near here but it a place I would definitely go to.
Open 24 hours 7 days a week. Two thumbs up!

Food is good, Services quick, a lot to look at while you wait. This place is an icon in the community and people come here to visit one another everyday of the week! the staff seem a bit hands off with the conversation, but overall the hash browns were delightful!

I’ve always received excellent service here everytime, even if it is busy… I would recommend all my family and friends to come and eat here, for a great breakfast lunch or dinner… The staff here goes above and beyond, just to please you…

A Seattle institution. As seen on Man v Food. I’ve been coming here since… Well maybe 30 years? I’m sitting here now with my kids, listening to loud rap music, sitting in a cracked booth looking at all the customer art. So happy right now. Also — I may have never been here sober. lol! I was going to give it four stars because it is pretty expensive for a greasy spoon — about 20.00 a plate including beverages and tip. But then I recognized that each plate was at least two meals.

Solid three stars ;)
Went there cause several friends have recommended repeatedly. Saturday around lunch time 12 – 1, waited about 20 – 25 minutes.
Service was fast, decent coffee.
Triple bypass — good, liked it.
Pancakes — just ok
Vanilla milkshake — good
Would recommend and I will go back :)

If you have an appetite for a good old fashioned breakfast this is the place! The food is always consistent, big portions and friendly staff. Before a forget… The hash browns are bottomless!
Open virtually all the time. I drive across town for this place.
If you come late at night the customer-​base is quite diverse and entertaining!

I can definitely see why Beth’s has become so popular in Seattle. Went on a busy Friday night (slash Saturday morning since it was after midnight), but we only had to wait about 20 minutes to get a table.
I just got the plain old pancake and eggs, so it is a little difficult to rate this place just based on the food — which was good, but I would have been just as happy as Denny’s. I’d have to try something else more unique or Beth’s-exclusive to give the place a higher rating.
Nonetheless, I had a fun time here, the service was great, prices not too crazy, and the food hit the stop after a night of bar-​hopping. Also didn’t have to make the long voyage downtown or to Lynwood to get Denny’s.

A Seattle institution, Beth’s Café is an amalgamation of Seattle chic, diner food, and dive status to achieve the single greatest 24 HR restaurant in the city. Regardless of the time of day, we find Beth’s to suit our hunger needs. Don’t forget about parking in the back! Street parking can be problematic at times, but there is a small lot in the back accessed by an alley.
Today, we picked out Omelettes and enjoyed reading the new drawings on the walls. The food is tasty and easily customized, and the atmosphere is quintessential Seattle. The kind of place where you can talk shop, complain about work and life, and continue the party with late night food runs. Beth’s is the best.

Beth’s is more of hangout for average food in large portions, after the bar food, late night food, and a place to hang out with friends. Oh, I forgot it’s a good reason to hang out with other adults and color. Yeah, COLOR! While waiting for your food, you get a plain white sheet of paper and crayons so you can color any picture you want. Before you leave, they put anyone’s drawings on the wall, and they pile up all over the walls and ceiling all year long. On the first day of the year, they take them all down and start over. Believe it or not, these drunks are really good artists.
This trendy hangout spot is more than just a place to chill with friends, they serve large portions of food too. Omelettes so big, they can only be served on pizza cooking sheets, but my favorite is the biscuits and gravy platter. They go through a lot of eggs, toast, and coffee, and were even featured on Man Vs. Food. The food is average, but the people and place are the real star.

ALL YOU CAN EAT HASHBROWNS?!
Need I say more?! Unilocal stalk me a little and you can easily see that I have some serious love for those delicious delicious hashbrowns… Yes, I’m obsessed. Yes it’s probably an issue. No, I don’t want help. (Shhhhhhhh…go awayyyyyy…)
Anyhoo! Came one a weekend and the wait was pretty long. Watched a kid shoot a bunch of (arcade game) deer he wasn’t supposed to shoot while his dad tried to coach him (all in vain) for about 2 minutes before he ran out of shots in the game and his dad refused to give him another dollar. The arcade area is a little dingy, a little close, and more than a little awkward. 4 chairs and lots of people waiting. I entertained myself by reading the drawings on the wall (some are hilariously obscene).
But I digress. THE FOOD?! was edible. Not the best I’ve had, but definitely not the worst. HUGE portion of hashbrowns, so I was extra happy. Minus one star for the need to flag someone down for my coffee refill (but I’ll admit they were pretty busy) and for the greasy feeling I had when I was done (almost expected it though).
Next time, I’m tackling a 6 egg omelet!!! …with a side of hashbrowns, of course.

Every time I drive by, there’s always people waiting outside. While the wait seems daunting, it wasn’t too bad. Our table of four waited about 10 – 15 minutes at about 1PM on a Sunday.
The atmosphere is a diner, with hand colored drawings all over the wall. Some of them are offensive (I’m lookin’ at you, R. Kelly pancakes!), so don’t let your kids stare for more than a few seconds. In fact, just have them color and look at their own paper. Seeing as how every customer in the joint was at least 18, and at minimum 50% either hungover or stoned, the restaurant isn’t really meant for kids anyway.
The food is perfect for some hang over grubbin. Greasy, large portions of typical diner food get dropped off in front of you, and your food coma begins. Don’t expect the same server– mine switched three times. I quickly learned to just grab the next server I saw if I needed coffee.
We ordered three omelets (6 egg each, since we all couldn’t agree on fillings to split a 12-​egger), the country fried steak and eggs, and the waffle with blueberries and strawberries.
Omelets– my plain cheese one was awesome– plenty of cheese and well throughout. The other two omelet eaters complained it was so much egg vs. filling, and all the filling was just in the middle, so by the time they got to an edge, it was just egg. Good fillings though; bacon was good and cheddar was good.
Chicken fried steak was the hidden gem. At only $ 10 (cheaper than our omelets), this puppy came crispy and delicious. The sourdough toast was also great, and fluffier than normal bread that you’re used to being served at breakfast joints.
I do not recommend the waffle for a meal, but rather for dessert. They SMOTHER that thing in toppings, so it’s not really a crispy waffle, but a gooey cheap version of a bread pudding.
I’d give this place 3 stars if I was expecting something grandiose, but I wasn’t, because I was walking into a DINER. Due to ratings and their TV exposure, some people may think they deserve Ritz-​Carlton service with a Holiday Inn price tag.
It’s greasy, good food. That’s it.

Convenience, speediness, and quantity are what you get here. It’s open 24 hours and the whole experience is seen through rose-​colored lenses as most of the people are half drunk when they make it here. But during the day, it’s a divey, simple spot to get basic breakfast food. We got the Southwestern exposure (chili, salsa, sour cream, cheddar cheese) with 6 eggs for 12.95 $. It sure is MASSIVE and will overwhelm most stomachs around. Flavor wise, it’s truly plain and without the special touch offered by some other family-​style diners around. Definitely can get better elsewhere. The walls here are thoroughly plastered with artwork of the under-something’s influence variety, which made for a filling meal with a side of confusing comedy.

In my mind’s eye, I picture Beth as a broad-​shouldered bull-​browed woman with respectable scars and blurring tattoos on her popeye-​like forearms, croaking out affectionate abuse to the regulars while easily managing a flat top covered with eggs, bacon, hash browns, and pancakes. In her youth she was a groupie, and there is a rumor, which she won’t confirm or deny, that Peter Criss was singing that ballad to her, tears streaking his cat facepaint.
Only a Beth like that could possibly helm a café like this, where the small omelets are six eggers served on pizza plates, and the homemade hashbrowns are all-​you-​can-​eat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from bar crowd to family breakfasts.
Beth’s manages to cover off two Fieri categories — it is both an excellent diner and a brilliant dive.
It’s worth repeating my criteria for great dives:
1. Outsde — Organic architecture. You can’t fake the funk. If you started with a modern steel box, you aren’t going to get there. The building should look ramshackle, old, lived-​in, maybe on the verge of falling over.
Check — Beth’s building went up in the 30s and the café opened in 1954 on Aurora, which was basically Seattle’s red light gaming district and remains just a little seedy.
2. Inside — Funky, eclectic décor. Something you weren’t expecting on the walls or ceiling, like, say, a vintage ice racing sailboat, a collection of Ernest Borgnine portraits, live turtles.
Check — everyone gets crayons and paper and notable opuses (opii?) paper the walls and menus (menuii?).
3. Staff — friendly, but in the words of Johnny Rotten pretty… vacant.
Check — We’ve had great luck with servers, but if the 8am-​4pm shift is late, you can bet the 12−8am staff is going to be cranky. At our 7:30 breakfast one server barreled out of the back room shouting «don’t trust any of them, none of them are drinking coffee.»
4. Welcome — Your first impression should be «What in the world am I walking into? Am I welcome here? Is this place a front? Which of these people work here?» That should quickly be followed by a hearty and genuine welcome from whoever actually does work there, or their friend who is just «hanging out».
Check — the entrance is nearly on top of the cashier station and faces the chaotic open kitchen and counter filled with locals trying to time their next cigarette break with their coffee refills.
5. Food — surprisingly fresh and good.
Check — everything is house made — including the biscuits. The place goes through nearly half a million eggs a year, nothing sits around here.
There may be better breakfast spots in Seattle, but I’ll never know about them, because Beth’s is so reliable. It really deserves 3.5 stars.

The service here was not good when I came here. My friend and I were trying to get the server’s attention because we were ready to order and she responded with something along the lines of «can’t you see I’m with someone right now.» We just wanted to make sure she didn’t walk away right after she finished with the other table since we waited awhile already. It would have be nice responded more kindly and let us know she would be right with us instead.
When we were ordering, they were out of a couple of things we wanted. It’s a disappointment when you’re really excited about trying a certain dish but then find out they are out so you have to find something else. I thought the food was okay, nothing special about it. I got sausage in the 6 egg omelette and the sausages were cut into very tiny pieces they kept falling out of the omelette whenever I tried to cut a piece to eat. I didn’t think the sausages tasted that great either. The hash browns were really good though, and you get an unlimited amount. The portions are also very large.

Without a doubt, I believe I had one of the best breakfast experiences of my life at Beth’s.
I’ve had this rustic community dive bookmarked for years, and as soon as we got off the plane and rolled into town, we immediately took an Über to Beth’s. We arrived around 1pm on a Friday and had no problems securing a table for a very late breakfast-​lunch. The walls are completely adorned with crayon-​based artwork that customers seemingly create during their visit. If you ask for a crayon and paper, they’ll give it to you and may post your work if there’s any available wall space. We had a good time looking at all the pieces that were created. The space is very old school, so if you’re the snooty type I would suggest that you go elsewhere. For us, we were in heaven and loved every part of the café.
Beth’s has the reputation for its amazing omelettes, all of which are constructed with a minimum of 6 eggs. Indeed, they are huge. All of their omelettes also come with all you can eat hash browns. That combination is just a dream come true for me. If, however, plowing through a 6– egg omelette is child’s play for you, you can also opt for their infamous 12-​egg omelette. I opted for the FULL HOUSE OMELETTE (6-​egg). It’s composed of ham, mushrooms, and American cheese, laid on top of a lovely bed of crispy hash browns. When there are typically large portion sizes, quality and taste suffers. Not the case here. Easily the BEST omelette I’ve ever had in my life. The eggs were perfect cooked, and folded over like a giant pillow. I ate every damned bite. While I would have liked to have taken advantage of that AYCE hash brown offer, the omelette annihilated my hunger pangs.
My friend ordered the NORTHWESTERN EXPOSURE (6-​egg), which is composed of smoked salmon, green onions and cream cheese. Wow! I’m not typically a smoked salmon fan, but this was delicious and RICH. This is a definite gut buster and I tip my hat at anyone that can finish that one.
We all thoroughly enjoyed everything about Beth’s, including the staff. Our waitress was very sweet, and servers were also comical and playful throughout our visit. Great neighborhood institution whose praises I will be singing for a very long time.

If you’re in the area, live in Washington or just visiting. I’d definitely recommend this place. It has a lay back vibe and have fun art taped onto the walls (drawn by customers). It’s open ²⁴⁄₇ and you can park in the back lot or on the street. Sometimes parking can be a pain.
The service can be inconsistent varying on the server and time of day. When I went on a weekday around 6/​7pm, it wasn’t too busy. We were seated right away. The server checked up on us a couple times and even offered us another plate of hashbrowns.
The food is always fresh, you get it pretty quick and its comparable to the little diners up east says my friend. I love the bottomless hashbrowns and shakes. The sandwiches are tasty as well. Usually everything varying from the eggs to the toasts are cooked perfectly. Just once my tator tots came out hard and overcooked.
Overall I’d come back here any day. I get cravings for Beth’s and the drive from Seattle is totally worth it. If you’re in the mood, I’d go for the 12 egg omelette! They’re known for it.

Beth’s Café ist ein Unikat und würde man es nicht kennen, würde man mit Sicherheit vorbeifahren.
Der erste Eindruck von außen hält sich in Grenzen: Das Gebäude hat schon bessere Zeiten gesehen und der Laden sieht ein bißchen runtergekommen aus. Tritt man ein, erschlagen einen die Eindrücke: An allen Wänden hängen Zettel, etwa DIN-​A-​4-​Format mit Buntstiftzeichnungen von Gästen. Erwachsenen Gästen in der Überzahl, wohlgemerkt. Aus dem Hintergrund hört man das Geräsuch von Flippern bzw. Arkadenspielen und im Vordergrund an den Tischen sitzen ganz normale, einfache Menschen und essen riesige Essensportionen. Die Lautsprecher lassen erahnen, dass die Musik, die morgens in gut angepasster Lautstärke läuft (Stilrichtung: Bunt gemischt zwischen Rock, Funk, 70s, und Hardrock), abends vielleicht auch mal etwas lauter sein dürfte.
Aber zurück zum Thema: Kaum sitzt man am Tisch, bringt die Bedienung die Speisekarten und den Kaffee. Nein, es gibt keinen fancy Espresso /​Cappucino /​Latte Macchiato — es gibt original amerikanischen Kaffee und zwar mit konstantem Refill! Ach ja, die Bedienung — die Bedienung erkennt man daran, dass sie die Speisekarten bringt — optisch ist sonst kein Unterschied zu den Gästen zu erkennen. Klar ist auch, dass hier nicht alles komplett steif abläuft und man auch mal den ein oder anderen launisch-​sarkastischen Spruch gedrückt bekommen kann. Aber keine Sorge: Es ist alles freundlich, nur vielleicht manchmal etwas derber.
Tja derb ist ein gute Stichwort, denn derb sind auch die Portionen. Ich weiß nicht, wie die Speisekarte entstanden ist, aber verrmutlich sind genau hier morgens hungrige Arbeiter eingefallen, die seit drei Tagen im Steinbruch geschafft und nix gegessen haben. Das Omelett gibt es zumindest in zwei Größen: Aus 6 oder aus 12 Eiern hergestellt! Was soll ich sagen: Schon bei der 6-​Eier-​Version braucht man einen seeehr gesunden Appetit um den Teller nur halbwegs zu bewältigen — mir ist es zumindest nicht gelungen. Sollte es dennoch nicht reichen, kann man immer noch auf die all-​you-​can-​eat Hashbrowns als Beilage zurückgreifen…
Neben den Omletts gibt es natürlich auch noch Eier in anderen Formen und Farben, French Toasts, Pancakes, Breakfast Burritos und was das Herz so begehrt. Zu den Portionen muss ich nix mehr sagen, im Zweifelsfall immer die kleinere nehmen.
Alles in allem für mich der Frühstücksladen im Großraum Seattle, wenn ich mal wieder richtig deftig amerikanisch frühstücken möchte!