Full City Cafe — Restaurant in Portage

I had the pleasure of dining here earlier today with a gift card I got in a raffle put on by local farmers, Jackie and Zach of Zazu Mushrooms, and greatly enjoyed the experience. The hostess seemed stressed and seated several parties who’d entered after me first, but I did arrive right at the beginning of a bit of a rush, went to the bar to order a drink, and stood over to the left of the entrance as to stay out of the way of others coming in and ended up behind a few people. No qualms, there was a steady stream of people incoming and I’d have lost track of me too if I were in her shoes. As a previous barista, I appreciated Gracie’s willingness to make me a café miel (also appreciated having oat milk as a non-dairy option) although she never had before. She balanced tending the bar and waiting tables with grace (pun intended). As a cook, the smoked salmon bowl exceeded the high expectations I had while browsing this unique menu online. I’ll be dreaming of those crispy leeks for weeks (finances allowing, less that that). My over easy eggs were done perfectly and the potatoes had a crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside that I will strive for in my own cooking eternally. The salmon had a more forward fish taste and less of a smoked flavor than anticipated in smoked salmon but it was my first time eating fish in quite some time. The music was tasteful, although I did put in headphones to tune out other patrons’ conversations while reading. Overall, a very pleasant experience and I look forward to trying more of these...

I hadn't been to Full City in a few years. They're one of the only gourmet breakfast joints in town. Even the most basic dish has a unique flair and flawless presentation. I got the New Mexico Benedict and I was blown away by the originality of it. I was also impressed by the chef's courage to forego the traditional English Muffin for black bean patties. Not something most local breakfast places would attempt but it worked beautifully. The flavors sang in perfect harmony. It was a nice surprise to see that the kitchen staff were putting their heart and soul into their work rather than just slapping some fancy, locally sourced ingredients together on a plate and calling it gourmet.

The service was impeccable. The atmosphere managed to stay down-to-earth despite the incredible execution of the food. It still has that "late morning family breakfast" vibe. Very comforting. And they offer all manner of baked good and coffee. My only issue is with the location being in deep South Portage (SoPo as I call it) while I live in the middle of Kalamazoo.

The bottom line is that Full City feels like something different from the run-of-the-mill kitschy hipster breakfast/brunch cafe that is so prevelant these days (looking at you Anna's). The menu is truly inspired. The ambience is comfortable and relaxed. The staff seem to love their jobs. They've got something special going there and it will be my joy to revisit much sooner than a few years from now. An...

I usually don't give a bad review, but this was not a good experience. First the service was fine in the beginning. Orders were taken. Coffee was filled. When the food came everything was fine except for mine. A big piece of long hair in the food when the plate was out in front of me. The waitress probably walked one step when I told her about it. I had pulled the hair out and showed her. She apologized many times. It certainly was not her fault. She did not prepare the food. Everyone else ate their food while I waited for mine to be made again. Mine was brought back out after 10 or 15 minutes. My wife had ordered a scone instead of toast. No scone but received toast. When the waitress noticed her mistake she asked my wife if she still wanted the scone she said no. Now after we are done eating the bill arrives with the scone on the bill. Really! No kind of discount for the hair in my food. I'm not one to make a fuss about things, but this time I'm going to make an exception! My wife did get the scone after she noticed it on the bill, but again I should have gotten some kind of discount on my food. The manager should have taken care of that! Will I go there again? I will have to take a long hard...