Rusty Pelican Cafe Mill Creek — Restaurant in Mill Creek

Don’t get the crepes!! Atmosphere is great and clean. What started out as an extremely positive impression - comfortable booths, clean and friendly atmosphere, ended in a horrible experience. My wife’s Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict was the only good and fully devoured thing from all four of our plates. The crepes were absolutely awful. Go to the “Original Pancake House” down the street or even an IHOP if you want crepes. You can tell the bananas were “ripe”, (like fully brown peels, mealy and mushy) and the strawberries were frozen and then microwave-thawed, so as to be completely void of all flavor except for the freezer burn bruises. Somehow, they were sour, spoiled and spongy tasting. The crepes - even my daughters plain crepes - were oily and wet. They put whip cream on them instead of powdered sugar like the menu called for (I had to ask for the powdered sugar and removed as much of the whip cream as I could but sadly, my daughter who has an issue with texture was “done” and wouldn’t eat it. I’ve got bigger problems with that, but had to laugh when she said no amount of powdered sugar would “dry her crepes up”). All of this would have been excused if they just did the right thing, like maybe comp’ing our three plates or offering us something else after the hour went by that we hadn’t eaten, but service was super slow to check in on us and even if they did, we didn’t have any time to stay for a second round. There were 3 parties (2 of which were the same size as ours) that came, ate, paid and left while we still didn’t have any checkins (except for the abundance of coffee fillers). When our server finally did come back, I politely and discreetly told him that the crepes were wet and the fruit was spoiled, motioning to our still-full plates in an effort to try and explain why we haven’t eaten anything since we last saw him). He just retorted “oh, the crepes weren’t to your liking, sorry about that” and came back with our bill. We never saw him again. Our bill folder sat with our credit card sticking out of it for 10 minutes. I assumed it was because they were maybe trying to figure something out and make this right for us - they’ve got a decent reputation for service after all. Instead, a lady came back to us to collect the bill, completely unknowing of the situation. So I whispered to her and briefly shared our experience and my assumption - perhaps that our waiter was still talking to a manager to see if something could be done for us. She said she’d check on that and took our card ….and fully charged us in the meantime. My family had to retreat to the car at this point because my daughter was on the verge of a meltdown, starving from having not eaten her meal (the soggy plain crepes) and feeling really bad about it. So I waited. Finally, another different lady came out with a tiny bowl of fresh (yellow peel) banana slices and 2 (still clearly microwave thawed) sliced up strawberries and proceeded to DEFEND their fruit with different fruit that wasn’t on my plate instead of comp’ing those three meals. I think she she was going to offer me this tiny bowl of fruit after the fact that my whole family left, as if that would somehow make it all right?!? I couldn’t get over the fact that they tried to defend their fruit rather than take our table of uneaten food after an hour and a half as indisputable evidence that we weren’t satisfied or taken well care of.. The end result was $83 for one Eggs Benedict order, 2 orders of slop strawberry-banana crepes where one resulted in a seriously upset stomach and the other was picked at with a fork in search for a good bite and instead went straight into the trash, a completely uneaten meal, and a side bowl of uneaten sliced (sour) melons. …. What was a lovely atmosphere in the beginning is now just smoke and mirrors. We’ll never...

“Great local brunch spot with simple yet sophisticated décor. Awesome service and food quality. Highly recommend for ambiance and as a date spot. Big parties must get reservations or be prepared to wait 30+ minutes.”

Food: 10/10 Service: 9/10 Environment: 10/10

I arrived at the Rusty Pelican Cafe on a Sunday afternoon after being referred here by one of my friends. He was raving about it so I had to give it a shot. Reviews online at the time was a 4.5 stars at approximately 1,650 reviews. Quite impressive I must say. I noted there were a bunch of other reviews stating the customer service wasn’t that great due to understaffing.

Upon arriving, I noticed a bunch of vehicles out front and was generally quite busy for a strip mall, I noted there were a bunch of people waiting outside in the shade to the right of the restaurant. It’s a given since it was pretty hot that day.

Went inside and noted that there were many large parties and counted at least 7 staff in the front. “Staffing issues? This place is fully staffed” I thought to myself. I peered to the left and noticed an extension into the unit to the left. This brunch spot was bigger than I thought. Noted that most of the parties sitting down at the tables were usually 4 or more. I noted the modernized farmhouse style décor and ambient lighting. They definitely spent some money on remodeling this place. Not rundown and very well maintained. Quaint and humble, but very classy.

In the name of expedience, I chose to sit outside. Mistake on my part, because the sun gave me some pretty big sunburns that day. But I digress.

Service was attentive, but looking around and seeing how busy they are, I will definitely give them some slack. I ordered the farmhouse skillet, a glass of orange juice and some fruit.

Order arrived in approximately 15 minutes. That’s great timing considering how many people were coming in and out of the restaurant. As a sidenote, I do suggest that when you arrive to park, to not do so directly in front of the restaurant. I saw one vehicle try to get out of a parking spot and was constantly being stopped by departing customers from the Rusty Pelican Cafe. Annoying at best, but not a dealbreaker.

Food quality is superb. Only way to describe it. Taste is top-notch, food presentation was simple but classy. The silverware, plates and glassware are legitimate, they definitely didn’t go cheap on that. Even the napkins were pretty thick. (“the expensive stuff”) Orange juice was delicious, definitely freshly squeezed and the fruit bowl….. is a fruit bowl. But all ingredients were definitely fresh. Made to order. No pre-packed, pre-made stuff here. If you want great ambiance and an awesome place to take a date for brunch to impress, this is it.

I only took one star off of the service category because when I asked for the check, my original waiter was not available and it took forever for someone to ask if there was anything I needed. I presumed my waiter was busy with other tables. The manager was able to sort me out however as she was doing her table rounds.

They are a victim of their own success. Too many customers and too popular but still...

I recently had the pleasure of enjoying brunch at the Rusty Pelican in Mill Creek on a busy Sunday afternoon, and I have to say, this place exceeded my expectations. Even though it was bustling with customers, we were seated promptly, and the staff was clearly on their A-game. Everyone there, from the waitstaff to the kitchen crew, was focused, efficient, and worked together seamlessly.

My friend ordered the eggs Benedict, and I was impressed to see they used a solid piece of smoked salmon, which elevated the dish beyond the typical fare. I had the country fried steak with poached eggs, fresh strawberries, blueberries, and extra gravy, along with a side of pancakes. The fruit was incredibly fresh, with the perfect balance of sweet and sour—everything on our plates tasted like it had been bought that very morning. Every bite was delicious and packed with flavor. The pancakes were so good, they didn't even need syrup—though they were even better with it!

The kitchen staff at the Rusty Pelican really knows what they’re doing. Every element of the meal was thoughtfully prepared, and the pancakes were some of the best I’ve had in a long time. For dessert, I enjoyed a vanilla milkshake, which was equally delicious, rounding out a fantastic meal.

What really stood out to me was the service. Our server was attentive, checking in on us regularly without making us feel rushed despite how busy it was. He created such a comfortable atmosphere that it felt like we had the place to ourselves. His approach to customer service was spot on—he answered all our questions and made sure we had everything we needed, enhancing the whole dining experience.

I have to give major props to the management for running such a well-oiled machine. The staff worked together flawlessly, with no hesitation to help each other out. Watching them in action was like seeing a perfect team in motion.

After a terrible experience the previous day at B3 Breakfast and Burger Bar (where we won’t be returning), Rusty Pelican really restored my faith in brunch. The mixed reviews I read before visiting didn’t do this place justice—Rusty Pelican is leaps and bounds above B3, and with similar pricing, it’s clear B3 is overcharging for subpar service and food.

If you’re in Mill Creek and looking for a fantastic brunch spot, Rusty Pelican is where you want to go. Great food, great service, and a team that knows how to make a...