Fat City, the popular quirky diner, has received yet another kudo. It has recently been named in the Best of Portland 2008 list from the Willamette Week as the Best Place for a Hangover Brunch.
The old fashioned diner has been a cornerstone for comfort food in SW Portland since it opened in 1974. Located in the heart of Multnomah Village, the café is where roadside diner meets greasy spoon, meets soda fountain. Decorated with license plates and memorabilia on the walls, the diner is a hit.
Fat’s City’s menu is matched with friendly service. But you won’t want to miss the Cinnamon Rolls that are still made with the same recipe used by the original owner when she opened the café 35 years ago. A customer wrote, “Awe was ours when a pair of Goliath-sized pastries hit the table. Warm to the touch, soft from the oven, and perfectly sweetened, each was slightly larger than a slow-pitch softball.”
Cinnamon rolls are as popular as the Fat City biscuits, which have been honored in a 2008 article in The Oregonian. Hamburgers, chocolate malts and other comforts top the menu. The café also features Spam!
Helen and her Cinnamon Rolls
Fat City Café’s history is filled with intrigue. In 1973, a man named Bob suffered from Vivian’s unrequited love and shot her for it. There are bullet holes in the basement to prove it!
In 1987, Portland’s Mayor, Bud Clark, met his Police Chief, Jim Davis, at the restaurant. Over coffee, the mayor fired the police chief, saying, “Read my lips. You’re fired.” Today’s customers can sit in the same booth with the article and a sign over their table reading, “The police chief was fired here.”
The café is owned by Helen and Mark
Johnson who bought the restaurant in 2001. Helen was a punk singer for
The Wrecks in the 80’s and toured with Black Flag before she managed
Hard Rock Cafes in Chicago, San Francisco and New Orleans.
It’s the food, the service and the overall ambience that makes a meal at Fat City into an event. The place has a “soul that's rustic, humble, and benevolent,” says customer, Mike W. Customers keep coming back for more!
Fat City is a well-loved restaurant that has been pulling in the crowds and a steady stream of regulars for 34 years!
Fat City Joins the SW HOPE: Feed the Hungry Campaign February 14 - March 28, 2010. Bring this coupon to Fat City Cafe and they will donate 25% of the check to Neighborhood House and help feed those in need.