Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
American
Organic
Delivery
Casual, diner like space. Offering many vegetarian and vegan dishes and options. Has vegan french toast and vegan pancakes. Everything on the menu served all day. Reported to be fully vegetarian March 2022. Open Mon-Fri 9:00am-3:00pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am-3:00pm.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
3439 SE Belmont St (at SE 34th Ave, Belmont District), Portland, Oregon, USA, 97214
-
Loading...
-
- Accepts credit cards
-
-
Last update on 06 Mar 2022 by GrayHorwitz
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business
-
-
46 Reviews
First Review by michal
Parker14
Points +2887
Vegan Options! - Edit
It'd been years since I'd had food from Paradox Cafe until yesterday. My visiting parents (omnivores) & I (vegan) stopped by for brunch & were treated to exceptionally portioned, flavorful food for a cost point ($11-16) rare to find in Portland these days. I'm pleased to see that Paradox Cafe defaults to vegan (they do, however, offer eggs & dairy but no meat products) & the service was kind as well. My mother enjoyed her vegan French toast & I enjoyed my V-Bowl with their housemade habanero hot sauce & ketchup. I look forward to more meals from Paradox Cafe!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-05-30
Guest
DianeH
Points +1045
What a gem! - Edit
I loved this café. I had the chickn sandwich with a side of fries, and my friend had a wrap. Both were quite generous portions! The service was very friendly, and the atmosphere was lovely. I hope to come back again soon to try one of the breakfast dishes. 
Read moreGuest
SiddharthMahendran
Points +82
Best find for breakfast - Edit
I loved their breakfast options. So delicious
Read moreGuest
BettyLou1
Points +16
cozy diner breakfast - Edit
Paradox has been a favorite of my partner and I since moving to portland in 2018. Their food has always been well priced and tasty with a cozy atmosphere. Servers are friendly and accommodating. I've tried a lot of the menu--I think the only one I'd skip would be their chicken and waffles. The avocado benedict, belmont bundle, and solstice corn cake are probably my favorites from the menu.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-05-05
Guest
kashicreature
Points +79
Stealthy vegan diner - Edit
Loved this gem for vegan breakfast in Portland! Fantastic biscuits and gravy, bacon, chicken and waffles. As of 4/2024 everything on the menu defaults to vegan (you can sub eggs if desired).
Read morePros: Quirky vibe, Great and timely service, Good gravy!
Guest
PNWBriar
Points +161
Great brunch spot - Edit
Very good vegan Benedicts, the hollandaise sauce was very flavorful.
Read morePros: Good prices, Good food and drink selection
Guest
ginaterrito
Points +417
Loved it - Edit
Loved the French toast and Country Comfort. The tofu and potatoes were well seasoned. They have fairly priced food with servers that actually give you service which I find is harder and harder to find these days.
Read morePros: Not overly expensive , Everything is vegan by default , Fast and friendly service
Cons: Offers dairy/eggs
Guest
bEzz
Points +1439
The Original! - Edit
Paradox has been serving up greasy spoon vegan fare for literally decades and they do it right.
Read moreGuest
Ems921
Points +198
Nice Diner Style Brunch - Edit
Went in for brunch and had the very nice french toast and half portion biscuits and gravy. The waitress said that everything on the menu, including the drinks, was vegan. You could add vegetarian options (such as eggs) if you wanted. The portion sizes were larger than I expected for the price and the food was good.
Read morePros: Decent prices , Entire menu was vegan , Larger than expected portions
Guest
Bellholdings
Points +13
Delicious Hidden local Gem - Edit
Excellent tasting Vegan comfort food. Everything is made healthy with love and care. Relaxing casual atmosphere. Reasonably priced and great service .
Read moreGuest
jennydant
Points +22
Delicious vegan breakfast - Edit
So many options in Portland, we picked paradox cafe and it was fantastic! Haven’t had eggs Benedict in years and the Avo Benny at paradox was amazing. We tried the house bacon as well just to try it. Crazy the texture they get, it was so good! Keep up the good work paradox!
Read morePros: House made bacon, Tea options
Guest
hannah_piranha
Points +32
Cozy, cute, casual diner breakfast - Edit
My boyfriend and I frequent Paradox often! Compared to most breakfast/brunch spots, there's usually available seating, the food isn't overpriced or in huge amounts, and they serve a variety of dishes.
Read moreGuest
Atp146
Points +262
Yummmmm - Edit
We have been trying more vegetarian places lately as vegans. We typically try to stick to strictly vegan places but this place was great. It’s super cheap for how much food you get and it’s really good. The tofu is seasoned really well. The service is friendly. We got the country comfort with tofu and sausage and the espresso cakes, both were great. Will be coming back!
Read moreCons: Kinda weird area
Guest
OperationChowhound
Points +6059
Country Comfort in the City - Edit
I ordered the Country Comfort. Contrary to some restaurants serving bland tofu, this was very seasoned--almost too much. Same with the potatoes. The biscuit was fluffy and smothered in gravy. The Thrilling Foods bakon was crisp and flavorful. Unfortunately, my partner's Chicken & Waffle was disappointing, but at least there are several other items to try.
Read morePros: open earlier than most cafés in Portland
Guest
AmberPollard
Points +553
Casual and Tasty - Edit
My partner and I split the Country Comfort breakfast. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, the tofu was seasoned very well, the biscuits and gravy tasted like I was home in Alabama; even the steamed vegetables were delicious. We also had grapefruit mimosas and that juice was fresh af.
Read moreGuest
GrayHorwitz
Points +1737
Good diner brunch spot with some rough edges - Edit
Nice brunch place, bottomless coffee and good service. good sauces and flavor, but “eggs” are just tofu slabs, some parts of hot dishes weren’t too hot, and veggies weren’t the freshest; avocados didn’t look too nice :(
Read moreAlso All vegetarian now. Orders are Vegan by default.
Updated from previous review on 2022-03-06
Guest
Bionicrocky
Points +13
Should be 5 star - Edit
I've been ordering the same breakfast here for over 25 years. Biscuits and almond gravy, side of tofu, and breakfast potatoes.
Read moreEven my carnivore friends have fallen in love with the biscuits and gravy! They are far and away my favorite food on the planet. They can be a little inconsistent, but always unbelievably good. With restaurants in trouble these days I'm incredibly worried about them making. I've tried over the years to replicate the gravy, but can't get it right.
So many good options, but you MUST get the b&g with whatever you get!
Pros: Biscuits and gravy are amazing, Quick service, Larger meni
Cons: Busy on weekends
Guest
notameat
Points +1046
Great! - Edit
Every time we come hear we go home raving about this place. Their cranberry hazelnut pancake is outstanding. This place is 95% vegan with a few other items like eggs and dairy.
Read morePros: Lots on vegan options , Pleasant staff, Outstanding food
Guest
Hatsie71
Points +42
Not fancy but very good homey food - Edit
I’ve been going to Paradox for eight years now, and it’s the restaurant we visit the most often. Some people appear disappointed by it, but just go in expecting a homey place with tasty and inexpensive food. It’s no “Blossoming Lotus” or “Farm Spirit” but it excels at what it does.
Read moreI always used to get the Scram-Bowl but my new favorite is the Ital Bowl - a Rasta-inspired GF bowl of cornbread, roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, greens and seasoned tofu with avocado. It is so good and now I got my husband hooked on it too. I also loved their cheeseburger burrito that has French fries inside (before I went gluten-free). [By the way I am not celiac so I don’t know about cross-contamination here; they don’t claim to be contamination-free. It’s GF enough for someone who is just gluten-sensitive, but you’d have to ask if this is important to you.]
Pros: Delicious and hearty food, Good prices
Cons: Queues on weekends sometimes
Guest
PyumDjourabchi
Points +16
Horrible service/bland food - Edit
We have comenhere twice. First experience, the service was mediocre and the food was bland. Resembled vegan food I would get from a nonvegan restaurant. Second experience, called ahead and they said seating is first come first serve. Got there and the only open tables were reserved. We watched them sit what we assume is their friends while we waited who came in after us. Then the server took half of our drink orser and walked away. When she finally walked by 10 minutes later and we flagged her down to take the other drink order she said, " I'm busy, what do you want" in a rude tone witha look on her face as though we were bothering her. When i told her what i wanted she cut me off halfway amd said ya ya i got it and walked off. Seriously the worst experience I've had in years! We left and will never return!
Read morePros: Haven't found one
Cons: Bland food, Rude service
Guest
KaitlinM
Points +688
so. good!! - Edit
Vegan French toast... enough said right??! So many options on the menu for vegans, I was in heaven. Will definitely recommend to all!
Read morePros: prices, serve size, Vegan waffles & vegan French toast
Guest
JustinCory
Points +798
Classic diner - Edit
Always loved Paradox. I miss the booths and tiny set up of the early days but the food is always good. MT Tabor taters and Belmont Benedict are the jam. My old band used to come here like everyday after band practice for breakfast. Classic punk rock diner from the days of old Portland.
Read moreGuest
schumacher62
Points +446
always delicious! - Edit
plenty of yummy freshly made vegan choices, clearly marked on the menu and lovingly made.
Read morePros: vegan food!
Cons: parking. maybe. walk there!
Guest
Realfoodvegan
Points +145
Okay food or bad food - Edit
I got the country comfort and was really disappointed. The biscuits were chewy and had a strange flavor. I chose veggies, tofu, and veggie sausage as my sides. The "veggie sausage" was just one of the field roast hand formed burgers that you buy at the store and it was completely burnt on one side! The best things about the plate were the tofu and breakfast potatoes but they tasted like something you make at home. I ate here years ago and remembered the food being just okay. I didn't go back anytime soon. I decided to try it again to see if the food changed for the better but it didn't. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be going here again. It just isn't worth it to end up getting mediocre or sometimes bad food.
Read morePros: Many vegan options, price
Cons: poor food quality
Guest
houndmom
Points +232
you will not leave hungry - Edit
generous portions, reasonable prices, friendly staff in a retro diner atmosphere. a favorite stop in PDX.
Read morePros: Vegan options are plentiful and staff very accommo
Cons: none
Guest
lorip
Points +70
Best Breakfast - Edit
My husband and I go to Paradox at least once a week. We have loved everything we've had there and it doesn't bust your budget. They have the best breakfast in Portland.
Read morePros: budget friendly, great food , whole family can eat here
Cons: service can be slow
Guest
cottrellbentley
Points +223
Best Vegan Breakfast in Portland (maybe anywhere)! - Edit
My daughter and I stumbled upon this place by sheer accident. That was unfortunate, because it was literally the best vegan breakfast we've ever had at a restaurant, and certainly the best in Portland. We had one day left to explore, and went there again.
Read moreWe loved everything about this place. The food is stellar and hearty. The location and ambiance are perfect for a diner. This is a DINER, not a upscale eatery. The waitress treated EVERYONE like they were special. Seriously, no matter what she currently makes, she needs a raise. She's fast, efficient, knowledgeable, and KIND. Even the bathrooms are painted in an awesome fashion.
The only downside is that they aren't 100% vegan, but I'm okay with that since the vegan items are absolutely without a doubt vegan. Eat here and give a big tip.
Pros: Best breakfast in Portland, LARGE portions, Amazing service
Cons: Not 100% vegan, Gets crowded on weekend mornings, Not advertised enough
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 9231 times.