Eliot E-Mat Cafe

Hit or miss. The hours are not good, they are always closing early. I have gone in to do laundry several times to be told I wouldn’t have enough time before they closed. I am done trying to use this location. They are cheap and unreliable.

Been back a couple times. Came in for a quick lunch and discovered a very friendly staff serving up yummy sandwiches for a great price. Tons of beverage options and they have fresh baked goods too. I haven’t tried to laundromat or internet café service yet but I like that they have it available.

Great sandwich and soup, clean well organized. A large selection of goods, giant TV’s on both ends. Internet access with terminals available. Top it off you can wash and dry a load of clothes too.

Let’s put this into context, shall we? This neighborhood in particular is being assaulted by aggressive development. Housing is going up every other block, historic homes are not protected with the same laws that Irvington is blessed with, so Sabin and Eliot as a result are up for the chopping block. It’s been this way since Emanual Legacy was constructed decades ago and homes were razed to put in the freeway. This area has been up for grabs to the highest bidder, and as a result the history of it has been pushed out.
Why am I going into such detail about this unsuscpecting laundromat that happens to serve excellent sandwiches for under 5 bucks? Because it’s one of the last places on NE MLK close in that exists without pretension. You can do your laundry here without any gimmicks. You can order some of the best subway sandwiches this side of the Mississippi for a few bucks, and you can eat it in peace with service that was just as good. If supporting a local business that both supports the history and story of this district doesn’t sound good to you, then hobble on down to Bunk Sandiwches or Brass Tacks and drop 20 bucks for 2 sandwiches. In the meantime I’ll be enjoying this delicious Ham Eliot sandwich.

Think god I found this place!!! Great people working here, great vibe, great food. They have a laundry mat, Internet café, a deli, and a lot more. I highly suggest going here, especially if you want a sandwich beer, and need to do some laundry.

I so wish I could say this establishment was even kind of okay because I live in spitting distance but I’d rather travel to Gresham then do my laundry at the Elliot E-​Mat again. The machines are always dirty and in bad shape and there are so few machines that you’ll find yourself waiting. I was unfortunate enough to use one of their broken machines that didn’t have a spin cycle and the management wouldn’t return my money and because my load of laundry was a soggy mess it took three times the dryer time. And whatever you do don’t use the bathroom, I’ve seen gas station bathrooms more pleasant.

Very cheap and nice food and coffee. The lady here is super awesomely friendly. Will def be coming back here in the future (:

Affordable laundromat AND full size deli + great selection of beverages + bakery + Internet café + free wifi for your mobile devices while you wait = can’t beat that kind of amenities while waiting for your laundry to finish. I came to wash my heavy duty comforter that doesn’t normally fit in a regular washer, first step through the door I was greeted by the nicest lady and was very helpful throughout the whole time I was there. Will definitely come back for my next ‘heavy’ laundry needs.

The first time I’d heard of a laundromat that also served as something else, was in San Francisco. I was able to have a beer and eat some food while doing my laundry. Over all it was a good experience. After trying two run down, ghetto ass, laundromats in the Northeast and North parts of town, I couldn’t dirty my laundry fast enough to try out Eliot E-​Mat Café. Although I’m staying three blocks from this joint, I was led about two and a half miles out of the way by Google Maps. I can’t really blame that on EEMC though.
What I can blame on them is the following: I don’t know if I’ve been spoiled by living in Boulder and Portland, but when I show up at a place without any bicycle parking, I’m immediately turned off. Call me crazy, but if there’s nowhere for me to safely park my ride I won’t go back to a place. The laundry room was very crowded when I got there; there wasn’t even any room to sort my clothes. The food, although extremely cheap, was disgusting. Some reviewer before me stated that the bread was good– this I can’t argue with. However, the three «cheeses» that were put on my sandwich proceeded to fly out of my anus at a speed that good food just doesn’t. My last complaint was the bathroom. Although I did not attempt to use it, so I can’t verify the validity, a sign by the cash register stated that in order to use the bathroom, one would need to give an ID and $ 5 as a deposit. What?
I enjoyed the atmosphere in the place though. After getting over my anger and not being able to park my bike or fit in the laundry room, I was able to sit peacefully and read a book. The washers were averagely priced, if not a bit old. The dryer dried my clothes to the core in less than 40 minutes, which is pretty damn cool. Finally, the woman who was (over)working the store was extremely kind. I don’t know if she was the owner or not, but she sure seemed to be doing a lot.
Luckily tomorrow I move into a new place that has a washer and dryer. Would I go back to EEMC? I’d sooner open my own laundromat, only mine would sell beer and medical marijuana.

This place is genius! They have a small laundromat connected to a café. They have great food and meat free choices as well. There’s a tv and computers as well as an ATM. The dryers are 25 cents for 6 min and washers are 1.50 to 1.75 and the huge one is 3.75.

Eliot café is great for me because it has a (tiny) laundromat connected to it, the hot subs are cheap and good, and it’s close to my work. There is nothing fancy about it; just a decent, warm place to eat lunch and read while I wait for my laundry. They have private parking in the back (off of NE Stanton). They have a TV, but it’s not always on. They also have computers, but they charge $ 3 to use them 30 minutes, and I’m not that desperate. Their coffee isn’t special, but I don’t care because I’m just thankful for a nice place to do my laundry. The only thing I don’t like is the change machine that doesn’t always work for me, and the lack of bathrooms. Regardless, Eliot’s is by far the best laundromat I’ve been to since I moved to SE Portland, but if you’re only looking for fancy food, Bridges Café is about a block down MLK, and if that’s not good enough, Tasty n Sons is a few blocks to the NW.

Such a cool place. Small, decent laundry setup. Great café. Good variety of food & snacks at reasonable prices. Fun place to hang out while waiting on laundry.

My car was wrongfully towed by this business. I was a patron, had my clothes going in the machines AND had my laundry basket in the back of my car. I had to run across the street to tend to my child who was at camp and was not feeling well. When I returned my car had been towed, because they said they didn’t know I was a patron. Had they looked inside my car they would have seen that I was CLEARLY a patron and simply had to step away. The owner even apologized and said it was her mistake, and yet refuses to reimburse me for the $ 200 that I had to pay out of pocket to retrieve my car. The other owner finally returned my calls after weeks of trying to get in touch and tried to give me a life lesson about how sometimes these things happen. I’m 33 years old and a mother of 2. I don’t need life lessons, I need a business to own up to their error.

Since my property management company hasn’t fixed our dryer in over 3 weeks, I had to hoof it to the E-​mat to do some laundry. Place is clean and reasonably priced– though the wash facilities are tightly packed.
Had me a Spicy Eliot sandwich while the clothes went round and round and round. The sub wasn’t exactly spicy, but it was pretty tasty. Bread was top notch, all the fixins were up to par.
Other than the fact that it is a bit of a hike from my place, this is a great place to do laundry and keep yourself occupied (be it by book, television, internet or sandwich).

I echo Iain’s sentiments that this Café/​Deli has the freshest tasting subs for the right price ($ 5.50) and exceptional service. I always go for the Tunafish sandwich that has an herb added (basil?) that gives it so much more umph! …luv that. They have a nice selection of sliced desserts too (cheesecake, pecan pie, carrot cake, etc).
In this day of food carts gone crazy (crazy with prices too), E-​Mat keeps me from spending too much when i dont get a chance to make my own lunch for work. The service is exceptional. Best part about it is, it’s a block away from my job :)
I’m not a coffee/​espresso drinker, so I can’t give them a rating on that, but $ 6 WILL fill you up here… how many carts can say that?

Driving by, everything was against my stopping at the Eliot E-​Mat Café — I was going in the wrong direction, parking is on-​street — I couldn’t see inside. But the sign said «Famous Subs,» and I’m always up for that; problem is, FINDING one. Since V-Mak’s went out of business in the 70’s, great subs are few and far between.
No more! Eliot E-​Mat Café makes GREAT SUBS. Seriously fresh french baguette with all the best cold cuts, light on the garden, and all served with a smile by [Lecia] (sp?) on this particular day. I only give it four stars because I would like to have dined in but really didn’t see a place to do so, and they feature Pepsi products instead of Coke — but that’s MY problem. If a subjective recommendation means anything, then I recommend this place — regardless, I’ll be making this a regular.

I don’t really know how to review the Eliot E-​mat café. The laundry section is fantastic, fast, and relatively cheap for most laundering needs. It can get kinda funky trying to navigate the laundry room if there are more than one other person trying to do laundry, but all the machines are top notch and efficient. The food is nothing special, but when you are waiting for laundry eating is a great way to pass the time.
If I ever need a laundromat again this place will be my first choice, it just feels right.

Cheap sandwiches that are pretty tasty! Bread is fresh, and whether you choose veggie or meatball, they are loaded up and very filling. I usually only get a half sub and it is plenty.
Sorta indifferent and sometimes slow service, but I don’t let that get to me. If you have a large order, call in your sandwich order rather than sitting around for a long wait.
Laundromat and email access. Lots of bagged snacks and soda choices (yay Dr. Pepper!). All in all, a good low-​key neighborhood place.

This place is unlike any of the laundromats I’ve been to. Check out the walls covered in a rich red paint. Sample some of the homemade desserts. Use the wireless Internet. And, if you’re hamper is starting to wreak, this is the place to do your laundry. the E-​Mat is a much more comfortable place to sit around and wait for the dryer to beep.
It can be hectic if you come at the wrong time. Friday evenings and Sunday evenings tended to be slow when I went.
I agree with the previous Unilocaler, that this is a lovable neighborhood place.

Now THIS is a neighborhood place. And, as it is in my neighborhood, I am delighted to be the first reviewer. While I would normally give them 3 stars for the food, I bump them up a star for being a neighborhood staple, and for their prices.
An odd deli sandwich/​laundromat/​convenience mart combo, the Eliot eMat is known in our ‘hood for having great sub sandwiches… cheap. «Eliot’s Famous Subs», reads the sign hanging outside: the bread is fresh, and they load them up with meat and toppings. Just grab a bag of chips and bottled water or soda, and either you’re on your way… or stay for a while, get a cup of coffee, and do your laundry, or surf the net: the e-​Mat also offers public internet access, and video rentals.