Old Milwaukie Cafe (276 Good Days in Tacoma)
Submitted by admin on
Yesterday, we finally made it back for a second visit to the Old Milwaukie, a little breakfast and lunch spot on 6th Ave.
On our first visit, we showed up at their most crowded time, around 10 am on a weekend. We had difficulty getting a seat, and with such a tiny space there's nothing to do but stand around until you get yourself a spot or go away.
This time, I took the kids for lunch on a weekday and we had a much more pleasant experience. The girls had fun looking through the provided "Where's Waldo?" books and coloring while they waited, and there weren't so many people sitting close by that we felt like we were bothering anyone.
Everyone chose to eat breakfast for lunch, the girls shared a two egg breakfast and I had the "Cafe Scramble" which contained actual vegetables, something not often seen on Tacoma's breakfast menus. The girls loved the toast and the hash browns, but I did wish for a kid's menu. It's odd for an establishment that doles out coloring books to not have any small, low-cost children's items on the menu. Their two egg breakfast weighed in at over $7, a trend I have noticed in South Sound restaurants.
All things considered, I would rate the Old Milwaukee as the best breakfast spot in the 6th Ave neighborhood, but I do wish for more options and more space. For a single person or a couple, it seems like a great place to enjoy a BLT or a late breakfast in a cute, retro (but not in a Johnny Rockets fake sort of way) setting. For a family, it's a little cramped and pricey, (for eggs, toast, and potatoes) but it's a nice option a weekday.
Edited to add: On a third visit we found this place to be too stressful for children on a weekend. Odd service issues, including getting there first and being denied a table for four or more with our family of four. Lack of affordable options for the kids hits the wallet too hard.
Old Milwaukie Cafe
3102 6th Ave
Tacoma, WA 98406
(253) 761-2602
4 Comments
Sounds like you're looking
Submitted by dawfun (not verified) on
Sounds like you're looking for Mc Donald's, and not a family owned/run breakfast restaurant. The closest Mc Donald's is on S 9th St (1.8 miles away). Have fun with the dollar menu and playroom while you're there.
If one were to evaluate OMC for what it is, while avoiding a comparison to what it is not, this would be a more interesting review. The observant among us will note that there *are* several kid-appropriate options on the OMC menu; no dinosaur-shaped chicken McGristlets or Mickey Mouse pancakes, though. Kids and families I see there really love it, and come back regularly. For me, the waiting-list for a table on weekends (and some weekdays) is a hallmark of a very popular restaurant, not some overpriced poorly-serviced dive: people don't typically volunteer to wait in line for 40 minutes for breakfast unless it's going to be really good.
To summarize: OMC is a terrible choice if you're too impatient to wait for a table, too cheap to pay for a good breakfast, too lazy to ask for help with the kids' food options, and too narcissistic to consider that there might be someone in line ahead of you for that next open table.
Taking a step back because
Submitted by Jennifer Boutell on
Taking a step back because I'm afraid my original comment wasn't very nice.
First, Hi Dawfun. Maybe you are new to the area or new Tacomamama. Welcome.
Secondly, if you take a minute to peruse the food reviews on this site, you'll notice that with a few very minor exceptions, we only cover locally owned restaurants.
Third, some children really don't need kid friendly restaurants. I don't mean kid friendly in terms of the menu so much as the layout and general scheme of the place. These kids will do just fine anywhere, and usually their parents know this. For other kids things are.... different. I have one of those kids. Or I did in 2007 when this review was written. For those who need to know about these things, I hope it's helpful. For others, there's plenty in this review that was positive. Also, I am not cheap, I am poor. Welcome to Tacoma, where 50% of kids get free and reduced priced lunch.
I hope you stick around and read some more.
Me thinks dawfun may be one
Submitted by ntflinn on
Me thinks dawfun may be one of the owners of OMC? Just a guess though. And Jennyum, I thought your review was perfect - it gave you a better idea of what your struggles may be if you bring small kids to OMC. Which happens to be the very reason I read your stuff!
Oh yes, I'm poor as well. And I've found that breakfast is a meal that we can still enjoy out at times without breaking the bank. There doesn't have to be a kid's meal, but several small sides or such certainly make a parent's life easier.It's just wasteful to order an adult-size breakfast for a toddler. Face it, families are in and out faster (so the table turns for the next customers) and can still spend a good amount. The difference is parents usually don't have the luxury of lingering over the free coffee refills!
I too love to eat at
Submitted by TracyMar on
I too love to eat at independent restaurants, especially for breakfast. I used to wait outside for an hour to eat breakfast at the Sunriser. Children do not wait well. 10 minutes can seem like an eternity to them, especially if they have to stand. Mine tend to start running around in circles, around me or other people. They are simply trying to amuse themselves.
I too am poor, not cheap. We love to eat breakfast at Puget Sound Pizza, but they to do not have a kid's menu and are a little more expensive then we can usually afford.
Marcia's Silver Spoon is more reasonably priced, and has a small kids menu, as well as lower priced sides. The adult potions are huge, and plenty of leftovers remain for another breakfast later in the week.
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