Compote

I wanted to like this place more, but it’s really pretty meh. The service has never been friendly, but I found it to be simply unhelpful today, which is pretty much a deal breaker. For the prices they charge and the amount of time it takes for you to actually get your food, it’s simply not worth it. Eggs, a biscuit and coffee shouldn’t cost $ 18…
If everything there is made from scratch and it takes this long and costs this much, maybe they should find someone more efficient to make it?

I love this spot. It’s a nice casual café located on Clinton, so it’s a great bike ride with low traffic and plenty of trees. The strip it resides on has a little bit of everything and bustles on the weekend but remains very subdued and tranquil. Every neighborhood deserves a café on a corner like this.
They serve Ristretto coffee and have a rotating speciality espresso drink; one time it was an orange zest latte and the barista nailed it, another time a different counter person and not *as* good. Like any café that doesn’t focus on espresso you have to modulate your expectations accordingly, I’ve never had a bad drink but certain staff are just handier with the tamper.
Their kitchen and menu is consistently good too. You can get some nice, lighter fair or go more homestyle comfort food. My girlfriend, who’s a little more discerning, hasn’t enjoyed everything we’ve had, but we both agree it’s a great place to drop into for a snack. I like to get lunch here solo and all of their sammys have been delicious. They always have mouth watering baked goods hanging out at the counter.
A huge feature of this place is the layout, architecture, and décor. Since you order at the counter and seat yourself there is a casualness that lends to the clean, modern, farmhouse style and generous back patio accessible via a large garage-​style door that is usually open. Everything is very open, warm and approachable.
For an order at the counter café with fresh made to order food Compote is one of the best experiences you can hope for. It’s laidback, cozy and a great place to drop in and hang out.

Bright spacious indoors, a tranquil outdoor patio, never crowded and always delicious. I’m not sure what’s up with this place– why there’s never a line like the insanity you see at nearby Broder. On a recent Sunday, we were able to seat a party of 8 for Sunday brunch no problem.
The baked pastries are delicious, albeit a tad pricey. Their prepared plates are where its at, however. The kitchen can be inexplicably slow, but the wait is mostly worth it. They have a couple of weekend-​only plates– the sweet potato pancakes being the best if you have a hankering for sweets. Weekdays, their menu is more limited, but still a number of good brunch/​lunch options.
Notwithstanding its shortcomings, I love this place.

I’m surprised by the poor reviews of this place. I used to live in the neighborhood and have been here several times and have only received delightful service. I don’t recall it ever being overwhelmingly busy, but I have always found the staff to be very welcoming and friendly… almost like you are over at a friend’s house for breakfast.
The food was surprisingly delicious. Not that I expected it to be bad… I walked by this place several times with curiosity, because it is so darn cute. But I was surprised and HOW delicious they make simple things taste.
The oatmeal inspired me to change my oatmeal at home, making it more velvet-​y and rich. I actually only ordered the oatmeal for my son, but ended up ordering it for myself on subsequent visits because I couldn’t stop thinking about it!
I would recommend this place to any friend in town!

Too bad I’ll never know what the food is like. I never even got to the ordering phase. I see now this is a shared common experience here. I should have checked Unilocal first.
I met some friends here for lunch. It was a first time for all of us. I have driven by Compote very frequently and often been curious to try it.
I waited at the counter to order. And waited. And waited. And waited. Employees were serving a few tables tables and wandering around behind the counter. It wasn’t busy. Most of the tables were empty. After about 7 minutes of being ignored, when it became abundantly clear that helping me wasn’t going to be a priority, I then asked them to tell me when they were ready to take my order. and sat down to join my friends. There were several people visible working behind the counter, in addition to the cook who was standing right in front of me, and another person who appeared to be an employee sitting at a nearby table. One of the employees behind the counter clearly heard what i said to them because they responded to me, but never followed through.
I sat a my table with my group of friends for another 15 minutes until their food arrived (they ordered about 2 minutes before me). During this time another group of people entered and began waiting at the counter. They proceeded to wait for several minutes at the counter. Eventually someone wandered over to take their order. At that point i decided that it would take too long to get my food, and I no longer wanted to spend money at a business that is this determined to not take my money. Besides, I’d only allowed an hour for lunch.
When a customer seems dissatisfied in any way (even though I was hardly acting angry), it is the job of the server to help the customer resolve their problem. In this case it was simply a matter of communicating when they were ready to take my order and money. I don’t really care what they were thinking (negligence? bad attitude? poor training? all of the above?) this was a major fail across the board. And it went on and on. They had a very long time in which to correct the situation. Nobody at Compote cares about their customers. After I left they continued to have an opportunity to find out what was wrong by asking my friends who were stuck eating their mediocre food. Maybe I needed to be more visibly irritated, but I really don’t think I should have to throw a fit in order to get service.
I went across the street to St Jacks and had a fantastic lunch as always. It doesn’t always pay off to try new things. My friends stopped by after finishing their food, and based on what I was eating wished they’d just gone to St Jacks. My lunch was delicious, and though they were busy, I got great service.
Too bad Compote– maybe your staff will care when you go out of business.

One of the things that I love in life is a good breakfast sandwich.
The breakfast sandwich at Compote is great. It’s $ 8. The sandwich is composed of their house-​made chicken sausage patty with organic cheddar cheese, egg and a buttery, flakey, whole wheat biscuit. It was ridiculously tasty but slightly greasy.
They have a great selection of teas too. I liked their Jasmine Tea the best.
One thing that I loved about this place is that they have gluten free treats. I had one of their chocolate cookies and it was dense and delicious.

Compote is housed in a space that I’d gladly convert into my home — high ceilings, plenty of windows and natural light, and lovely white backdrop. It’s simple, clean and I love that you can see the cooking taking place if you so desire. There is an outdoor space, which was closed due to rain when I went. The bathroom has a translucent window around the top, letting in natural light from outside — nice touch.
My experience here is limited to one visit, but a good one — I had a delicious herbal iced tea and a chicken sausage breakfast sandwich with a whole wheat biscuit. YUMMY! My only qualm was the bread — perhaps because it was wheat — was a bit crumbly and somewhat fell apart. Nothing a fork can’t fix.
When I’m back in this neighborhood, I’ll gladly return to this spot.

I honestly haven’t tried anything I haven’t loved here. You can tell they put real effort into making every item as delicious as your grandma cooked for you as a kid. So far my favorite lunch item is the Turkey Rueben. It’s addictive. I’ve also had the tuna melt and the Gravlax sandwiches. For breakfast I’ve had the savory hand pie, which is my second favorite menu item. I also love the whole wheat biscuits. They are yummy and I don’t feel so guilty eating it because it has whole wheat and comes with fruit compote (: I’ve also had the oatmeal and what I love about it is all the things that come with it you can add. I have yet to eat here on a weekend, but the next thing I want to try is their pancakes.
I can’t wait to take me Mom here.

Compote has worked out a lot since they’ve opened. I’ve eaten here several times since my first review.
The whole experience is great. Their portions are perfect, the décor is cute, the staff are quite friendly and the food quality is beyond compare.
Thanks!

When I think of Compote I think: bright, cute, progressive, and tasty. The real highlight of this place to me is the homey yet clean atmosphere, with lots of windows letting in light, and a row of tables lining the back of the restaurant that are perfect to curl up at with a book. The counter service is friendly and efficient, and there is little wait time to get ones food. As a coffee/​study/​snack place, this place is a-​ok.
As for the food itself — still waiting to be blown away, but I’m happy to continuously try the menu until something does. I’ve had the yogurt with housemade granola and compote a few times, and it is fresh and delicious — and a huge portion. The real treasure of this simple breakfast is the, surprise, compote, which seems to always be available in two interesting flavors. Today I tried the oatmeal, which was good but a little uninspired. I’ve been told to try the poached egg stack on greens, which is what I will order next time.
All in all, a great place to hang out with some nibbles and some high quality coffee. If you are looking to get your culinary fix, maybe look elsewhere.

Meh.
We wound up at Compote unintentionally on a Saturday morning; we’d tried to go to another restaurant in the neighborhood but it was not open. I looked on Unilocal and Compote seemed to be our best fallback.
I had the biscuits with cream and compote. The compote was fantastic and the biscuits were much flakier than I’d expect from whole wheat, but there was a slightly bitter, rancid flavor to them, as if they were heated on a pan covered with day-​old, much-​used oil. As a result, I stopped after one biscuit. My side of shredded hash browns suffered from the same rancid-​oil flavor; after a few bites I left them behind.
My partner got the breakfast sandwich on English muffin. We don’t know where the photo on Unilocal of the English muffin with all the nooks and crannies came from, because his was utterly cranny-​less and lacking in flavor. The sausage made up for it, however.
If I had it all to do over again, I would have picked another place on the block for brunch.

Stumbled in here during a walk on a cold day. Needed to warm up. Location is nice because Clinton doesn’t have much traffic.
I had the poached eggs with spinach and english muffin. IIRC the english muffin is made on premises? It was absolutely splended. The eggs were poached to perfection, the portion size was perfect for an inexpensive smaller meal ($ 7 for two eggs poached perfectly). Next time I’d add some potatoes and bacon for an all-​out brunching. Note you can also get house-​cured lox for $ 3 more.
Lunchmate had the butternut squash soup. Apparently the definition of «bowl of soup» means «enough soup for two meals». Not only was the soup fresh and delicious, it became my dinner that evening. And for $ 5? DANG.
Dreading the wind chill, we hung out and talked for quite awhile, even past the 3 PM closing time, and never once felt rushed to leave.
There is a patio out back, which I imagine is quite nice during the summer.
I can’t think of a reason not to give Compote 5 stars based on this experience. Will return when I am next in PDX.

We came here this weekend for brunch after learning of an hour + wait at another establishment, and we were very happy with our experience. We ordered right away and immediately found a table for 4. They have a very interesting menu so the decision was tough, but my wife and I both ordered the breakfast sandwich with coffees and a strawberry scone. The coffees were a bit expensive ($ 3 each) considering there are no refills, but the presentation was very cute with the cream in little milk jugs and the coffee in a larger glass pot. The strawberry scone was also really tasty.
Our food was ready in a short amount of time, but it took a long time for our two friends to get their food. While I don’t expect all meals to arrive at the exact same time, they should certainly be brought out within a couple minutes of each other.
All of us really enjoyed our meals, however, and enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant. We will definitely return in the future.

Heaven.
Honestly.
As someone who has been in the service industry for years, and a self-​proclaimed foodie, I am a connoisseur of good things… especially breakfast.
This little charmer really has it all. Great coffee, food, and atmosphere.
It’s warm and inviting. It’s light and friendly.
The food is homemade and local. Absolutely delicious.
I have had to wait some times.
I could give a rat’s a**.
If you can’t take a moment to breathe, enjoy the company around you, or quiet your busy mind… then go to Starbucks. There is a drive-​thru about 1.2 miles away from here.
Yes, don’t come here if you’re in a rush. Unless of course you would like to grab a yummy pastry and head out the door.
Leave the rest of us to enjoy our time and our meals.
Three cheers for MMMmmm tasty!

Delicious home made, local, organic, beautiful, details to die for, latkes that really are like what I would make at home, side banana or side salad makes me full for just a buck or so more…
Happy happy happy.
And a fine place to study, keeps me off the internet.

I chanced upon this establishment; my partner was at blink, a nearby eye place. It only took a glance at their wares to see that I was probably in a very right place. They didn’t look like any scones I’d ever had, but scones are a litmus test for many pastry lovers. They used fresh oranges in their orange anise scones, she said. And it was Major, I must say.
The cappuccino was also superior. Loved the vibe. I have always enjoyed a breakfast joint or bakery that was run completely by women; it’s just a special thing. They have a way of getting something magical going on. I found this place to be all that, and I will be back.

We like! We walked over here for Sunday brunch after calling first and finding out that there was not a wait for a table. The clean-​lined industrial interior with a high ceiling is very appealing. All tables are two-​seaters. A tyke play area is set up in the back where there are two additional tables (more on that later).
You order at the front then find your table. Kudos for the pint glasses available up at the front for water (available as either chilled or room temperature).
When we arrived, we snagged the last open table, which was by a window in the back. The window overlooks a bamboo tree and mondo grass-​lined courtyard. The courtyard will be nice to dine in once the warmer months arrive.
Our meals did not come out quickly, but food quality and presentation were well worth the wait. Service was friendly, though it seems today the restaurant’s dishwashing function was falling a bit behind. Clean knives were not available and the self-​service bus tubs were overflowing.
JP went with poached eggs over toasted polenta. I requested oatmeal and a side biscuit. We split an order of latkes (potato pancakes). Everything was delicious! I really liked my hearty biscuit that was served with butter and plum compote on the side. The latkes, served with sour cream and compote on the side, were excellent. The poached eggs were great, especially the vinaigrette on the greens. And so was the pickled onion!
As a footnote: the table we got was in the kiddo play area, which consumes about a quarter of the restaurant’s space. Obviously, this means Compote wants their eatery to be family friendly. And they have succeeded. But pity the poor souls without children having to sit in that area if at that moment there happens to be a self-​absorbed mom, with her head down pecking away at her phone, ignoring her precious Medusa-​haired little girl that is either throwing pieces of chalk across the floor or loudly and repeatedly scraping a chair in circles against the concrete floor.
But that part of our experience certainly won’t deter us from coming back.

WOW.
I haven’t had a breakfast this simple and tasty in as long as I can remember. This place was fantastic, and I’m surprised it took me this long to find this place.
Compote is what an outsider would imagine of every restaurant in Portland if he or she watches Portlandia.
Very high ceilings, lots of natural light, lots of effort to make this place plastic free, environmentally friendly, and local (they have a photo book of the chickens that lay the eggs that we are eating). Come on.
Besides being the quintessential café, Compote is serving up some new takes at breakfast foods. Plus they do perfect poached eggs — they’re beautiful pearls that have sunshine oozing out once you dig your fork into it. My friend and I shared two dishes — poached eggs on top of kale and hash browns (instead of an english muffin! i liked the substitution) and some vegan/​gluten free sweet potato pancakes with the pear ginger and cranberry apple (i think) compotes. They also gave us some organic maple syrup, which I ended up drinking at the end of the meal because I didn’t want it to go waste.
The coffee was only served as pour over or espresso based, and I thought it was delicious. I don’t have any complaints about the wait because I sat there having a conversation with a friend and the food magically appeared in front of us at some point and we ate it.
Please try this place!

I love what another reviewer said about «slow food». Yes, Compote almost seems like it was from another time. There was time and love put into every little aesthetic detail: vintage kitchenwares and the design, plus even the girls there wear cute 50’s frocks. The more modern aspects are that the menu is superb — high quality, local ingredients and everything is made *on site*. Friendly to gluten-​free and vegan diets.
I’ve already purchased the gluten-​free banana muffin 4 times, and i’ve only been in there 5.
I was momentarily disappointed in the lack of wi-​fi, but I now see it adds to Compote’s charm. Plus, we ALL could use a break from the electronics for at least a few hours.
The back patio is sweet! I bet this place will have lines out the door if/​when they do the Sunday brunch thing.

This café, with adult and kid friendly areas, mixes vintage and modern design elements, hey we are back in the 1940’s!
Their single brew glass drip funnels make a nice strong cup from Ristreto. The simple breakfast– lunch menu is supplemented by their own baked goods, including hand formed pies. Those are pies with a top and bottom baked on the flat, not in a pan — like a square turnover or giant sweet ravioli. They definitely have cookies covered, and they are kid size not plate size. The focus is on local, sustainably sourced ingredients. There is a good argument for feeding small ones unadulterated foodstuffs, while they are growing quickly. They will learn on their own later, as adults, to eat all the bad stuff Unilocalers love.
One side is a courtyard that will be a mecca on sunny days. Next door is a kid shop. Stop there first and then you can bring them over for a dose of sugar while you brace yourself with strong caffeine. These two shops, along with Eco Baby, are trying to make the ‘hood into Park Slope or Noe, which is not a bad strategy, given legendary hipster fertility.
Clean, yummy, kid friendly. 20-​something staff with with old school flower pattern aprons — just like (great-​great?) grandma, a play area, and formidable baked on site baked goods.