Tin Shed

1438 NE Alberta St, Portland, 97211

I brunched here for the first time on Sunday. When I arrived a little before 10am there was already a crowd of people huddled on the sidewalk, drinking coffee out of cups that could've come from my dead grandmother's cupboard and waiting for their names to be called. Good thing that I wasn't starving when I got there, 'cause it took a little more than the standard 30 minutes to be seated.

When it was finally our turn, we got a table on the patio, which at this time of year is enclosed in green plastic and heated. That's cool.

My brunch companion and I didn't see much of our server during the meal, but she was there for the important bits (ordering the food, paying the bill) and her timing was awesome.

Part of what made her job easier was that the coffee is self-serve, even after you get a table. I did not particularly like having to wade through the waiting crowds to refill my own coffee, but I suppose I am just spoiled. I will say that the coffee was decent and the staff did a pretty good job of keeping the pots full despite the fact that it was being drunk at a rapid rate.

What stood out most to me about the Tin Shed was the fact that the menu was loaded with interesting (read "creative and somewhat suspect in my book") items. A good example of this is what I had, which was a twist on the breakfast sandwich: deli ham and swiss between pieces of French bread and served with syrup. It was better than I expected, but didn't blow me away.

My companion had smoked salmon eggs benedict. The taste I got was pretty good, and I was especially excited about the fact that the accompanying potato pancakes were served with sour cream and chives.

Why Tin Shed is popular: the creative menu, the heated patio, the competent wait staff, the funky vibe (helped on as much by the patrons as by the building's unique design).

What I'm no so keen on: no hashbrowns or home fries (only potato pancakes), self-serve coffee, long wait, no booths (at least outside), average food at slightly higher than average prices, and the noise level (too loud for comfortable conversation).

If you're in the neighborhood and looking for something a little different, Tin Shed has its appeal. For me, though, it wasn't worth the wait.