Slap Happy at Portland's Slappy Cakes

I'd heard about Slappy Cakes. My friend went there every time his brother visited Portland. I guess it was the pancakes that drew them there. So when I received an invitation to breakfast at Slappy Cakes, I was interested in checking the place out.

It was one of our few sunny spring days and parking in the Belmont neighborhood was a joy. I parked a couple of blocks away so I could walk down the streets lined with quaint vintage homes with overgrown and blooming gardens. A man washing his car on the street greeted me with a warm "good morning." And it was.

I found Slappy Cakes, a bright modern cheery building, just down the street from where they were building yet another apartment house. Portland has a housing shortage so these multi-story squares pop up in even the quaintest neighborhoods.

Entering Slappy Cakes you'll immediately notice that people are happy... children are animated, adults are focused on the middle of their tables. I enjoyed the bright decor and the pancake art on the walls.

It was then that I noticed that there was a griddle in the middle of each table. We would be cooking our own pancakes.

After our group gathered and were seated we perused the menu. The majority were insecure about their pancake cooking skills so ordered things like Huevos Rancheros and Eggs Benedict. Slappy Cakes has it all... including cocktails. Something for everyone.

But it was the containers of pancake batter and ingredients that took center stage. We had buttermilk pancake batter and blueberries... pretty simple fare for our first Slappy Cakes experience. My friend showed us how it was done.

You could squirt the pancake batter on the griddle and make designs. Then we all got into the act designing pancakes and loosing our inhibitions as we went. It wasn't like cooking pancakes at home with the edges turning dark brown before the middles cooked. Pancakes were thinner and, certainly, more fun.

Now I know the routine and know that Slappy Cakes is fun for children and children at heart. I know the batter is made just right and that the buttermilk batter is "to die for" (a direct quote from the next table).

Eggs Benedict

Portland is not the only place where you can get slap happy at breakfast, but I enjoyed the Belmont neighborhood so can recommend you give them a try. 

4246 SE Belmont St
Portland, OR 97215
(503) 477-4805

Hours

Mon-Fri 8am-2pm
Sat-Sun 8am-3pm