• CLOSED: The Columbian Cafe

  • (4)
    3

    Closed

  • White Veg-options
Lacto
American
Beer/Wine
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. The chef at this cafe likes to cook with lots of chili and spicy flavors. Menu changes and is primarily meats but do call ahead to see what the day's vegetarian offering is (uses dairy, egg). Reported closed October 2022.


Venue map for The Columbian Cafe
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4 Reviews

First Review by marla5575

cnclewis

Points +78

Vegan
31 Jan 2017

Veg*n? No problem!

Wonderful spot for vegans in Astoria, but it'd be easy to pass over if you didn't;t know. The vibe is throwback breakfast diner, with lots of interesting knick-knacks, posters and photos for decoration, swivel stools at the bar and an open flat-top kitchen. The first thing we noticed was how clean everything was.
The menu features vegan items that are not just an afterthought. We chose decaf coffees, and our server told us how much she appreciated the fact that we drank almost the whole fresh pot. We were served fresh, hot, housee-made bread and house-made savory toppings (garlic jelly, red pepper jelly, etc.), and our server made a point of telling us the bread was seasoned with olive oil, not butter. We had a regular vegan menu item and the Chef's Mercy (vegan, choice of heat level) and were very pleased with each.
Really a great vegan-friendly find in a small coastal town. The weekday breakfast crowd was a mix of regulars and newbies, and ages ranged from 20's to 50's.
**Important: CASH ONLY

Pros: Vegan menu items, Clean kitchen and dining area, Friendly, accommodating waitstaff

Cons: Cash only

devinw

Points +95

Vegan
24 Aug 2015

cool little place!

We were able to sit outside (thank goodness because it was about 100 degrees inside the place!!) and ordered a vegan chefs mercy for 2. The chef made us some nice brocolli and cauliflower tacos with black beans and rice. The food was pretty darn good and was quite spivey. Kind of a crazy little spot, but I'd go back for sure because a decent vegan meal is kind of a rarity in coast towns.
Astoria is coming up in the vegan world, but it's got a long way to go. For now, Columbian cafe is a solid option! Just be sure to go when you aren't in a rush.. They can be slow.

Ladah

Points +386

Herbivore
28 Apr 2014

Vegan Chef's Mercy

The vegan chefs mercy is usually just an uninteresting veggie stir fry. It's ok. But not really worth the wait or the price.

Pros: good food, fresh, quality

Cons: small, uninteresting vegan options, slow

marla5575

Points +107

Vegan
12 Sep 2007

Great atmosphere

This is the only truly veg-friendly eatery in town. Uriah (owner and chef) is bursting at the seams with personality. He is so much fun to watch and listen to. He is the only chef so the food takes a good 45 minutes when he's busy, but the entertainment of listening to Uriah talk to everyone else around makes the time fly. During the wait we were fed beer bread with olive oil to dip in (YUM!) and then came out the garlic bread with Uriah's famous St. Diablo jellies - garlic, jalapeno and cayenne. Delicious!!! We bought 2 jars to take home. Most of the dishes are made with homemade fetuccini which is cut and cooked to order. The main courses we had were disappointing (and expensive). I had the vegetarian Chef's Mercy - I was at the chef's mercy for whatever he was in the mood to make. This night it was ratatouille which I found bland and odd. My husband had the pasta with some kind of gorgonzola cream sauce. It was pretty good, but again I found it lacked flavor. By the reputation The Columbian has around town, I expected the main courses to be memorably good. But all in all it was a great time and I will definitely return when in town. I also recommend T. Paul Urban cafe for lunch (sandwiches, quesadillas).

Pros: Uriah's personality, jellies & breads

Cons: bland entrees




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