We wanted a quick, comfort-food meal and then wanted to get  back to our beach house and Freeland Cafe delivered just that. It's classic diner food, serving breakfasts all day, and we liked everything we had for dinner that night.
Clearly a locals joint, evidenced by the coffee mug wall and the kids' Easter coloring contest results plastered all over the walls. Small place with a mixture of 2 and 4 seater tables and wood chairs. Waitresses were spot on with service, even though one of them seemed a bit cranky.
The special the night we were there was Swedish meatballs. We sampled a variety of food at our table and we liked it all: Clam chowder, sweet potato fries, pancakes, bacon, tempura shrimp and veggies, and loco moco (hamburger patty, and eggs over rice, all covered with gravy--a heart attack for sure, but damn good on a cold night).
Bottom line: It's a diner/cafe and it delivers exactly the kind of food I'd expect for that type of place.
Good breakfast food + small local cafe = good place to fuel up cheap
This was our go to breakfast place while we stayed in Freeland. Â The service was fast and the food was cheap. Â There were plenty of vegetarian options and the pancakes were awesome. Â Its a greasy spoon kind of place so don't go in expecting a tofu scramble. Â I would recommend to anyone looking for a warm breakfast before a day of hiking or biking.
We enjoy this place. Â We work nights so on the way home this is one of the few places we can stop and get both drinks and a lunch menu at eight in the morning. Â The staff is always very friendly and the food is always tasty and hot. Â We get orders togo sometimes and they always get our order correct and don't forget anything. Â There are always plenty of regulars in there, so that should tell you that this is a good place to frequent. And by drinks I mean they have a full liquor bar, which is a huge plus at eight in the morning for night workers.
Review Source:A few years ago, my boyfriend and I happened upon this place while visiting the island. To my surprise, they had a lot of local food I'd been missing from Hawaii. I got the Korean short ribs with rice (of course) and it was so good and tasty. Hit the spot! As I remember, the cafe seemed small, but didn't have to wait long for seating or our food. I can't wait to go back if I'm in the area :)
Review Source:First time to Whidbey Island after moving from the East Coast about 8 months ago and why have I waited so long? Â The island itself was excellent, peaceful, serene, and relaxing, except some radio shacks seem to be appearing.. Â oh well..
For the diner, it was great. Â I really liked the ambiance and it seemed real comfortable. Â Everyone seemed real friendly. Â I cozied on up to the counter and ordered a Teriyaki burger, which turned out very good. Â The fries were standard fare, but the water was amazing, so clear looking and very refreshing, so stuck with that and they made sure was topped off all the time.
On my next trip to the Island (unless move there) will try and make this place a stop, and try breakfast next time, even in the afternoon.
Hawaiian breakfast, anyone? Â Don't mind if I do. Â The place gets super crowded during traditional brunch hours, so it might help to know what you want to eat before you get there. Â All of the traditional breakfast/brunch items are there, plenty of sides are available, and there are daily specials, which is nice!
Review Source:This place is wayyyyy better than Gerry's. Â As far as I could tell, those are your two options in Freeland. Â We had breakfast here and it was very good. Â My husband, who lived in Hawaii as a child, loved that they had some of his favorite breakfasts, and he ordered up some sausage, eggs, and rice. Â He said it was great. Â I had a ham and cheese omelette and was quite impressed. Â
The service was fast and friendly. Â The prices were fair. Â It was clean and charming inside.
My only complaint, and the reason they lost a star, was because when I asked for a refill of our sodas, the waitress chastised me and told me they usually only give one free refill on the sodas, "just so you know." Â It would have been much more professional to either just give me the refill, or tell me there was only one free refill and she would have to charge me for another drink. Â Scolding me like I was a naughty child was totally uncalled for.
So go to The Freeland Cafe for breakfast, but be prepared to be put in time out if you ask for more than one refill on your soda!
Our two meals and two sodas came to $23.
Breakfast was okay, but the service alone is reason one I will NEVER go back. Â Asked waitress three times for a water refill (place was not busy), last time I asked I got just a nod of the head. Â Gerry's Kitchen down the street only has their breakfast on Sunday, but well worth the wait!
Review Source:You know, A-OK sums this place right up.
Today was one of those days when the condo dwelling mainlanders all invade my island and it is nearly impossible to get a bite to eat anywhere tasty/local.
A surprise visit from a delightful family member prompted the need for an adventure and of course food.
Everything was packed, packed and huge wait times at all the usual haunts. With blood sugar crashing, and my tiny breakfast of toast and nutella long long in the past, i was about to be history.
Again my partner summoned the power of her semi-smart phone and off we went to the Freeland Cafe.
It is a dive of a place with all kinds of crazy stuff on the menu. From breakfast, to burgers, to saimin (YAY!!!). There is something for everyone here.
Not sure if everything is cooked great, but two orders of saimin were made and one BLT also showed up, no complaints.
All in all it was a good deal, i will probably give this place another couple tries.
Oh, Freeland. Â Or, more specifically, Oh, South Whidbey. Â
I always enjoy an opportunity to take a ferry, and coming from "Overtown" to "The Island" is a little like stepping into an alternate reality. Â The Freeland Cafe is no exception. Â We stopped by, admittedly hungover but not at all shamefaced, and in search of coffee and grease. Â
The restaurant was smaller than I expected, so if you're going to hit peak after Church or "just woke up from a hangover" times, you might have to wait (although we snagged the last available table. Â Locals store their coffee cups in a pretty wall-mounted wooden grid which displays them nicely and reminds you just how trusting the locals are. Â I suppose it wouldn't be the end of the world if a coffee cup wandered away, but the assumption that they won't is nice to see.
As for the coffee ... well, I've only been the one time. Â But the coffee was closer to sludge than coffee, and bordered on undrinkable. Â It's possible that it just wasn't to my taste, and I'll absolutely give it a go next time I go there.
The food was a stellar example of traditional, non-pretentious, breakfast fare. Â I had blueberry pancakes which were perfectly cooked, and not ridiculously large. Â Nice and fluffy, plenty of blueberries, and not covered in that weird I-Hop style uniform brown crust. Â I also got to see a breakfast sandwich on an English muffin that looked great, and a "Loco Moco" - native to Hawaii, it's two burger patties over rice, topped with an egg, with country gravy. Â Not to my taste, but my friend was thrilled with it.
Another friend ordered a bacon veggie omelet without the eggs, and to her credit our server didn't even blink. Â More to her credit, the order came out correctly and as intended, as a breakfast "stir fry." Â It also looked great.
They had an indoor propane heater, which, while a little odd, I am seeing more and more in restaurants struggling to keep patrons near windows and constantly opening doors warm. Â It was appreciated and worked moderately well. Â It's hard to keep any place warm when it's 20 degrees outside and the clientele just keeps coming!
Overall: Â cute, local, and friendly, with average food and debatable coffee. Â Totally worth a repeat visit.
Bottom Line - Based on the reviews, this place is only okay for breakfast. Â I was underwhelmed by the meal here and annoyed that they nickel and dime you for condiments.
My friend and I visited on Saturday, 21 August 2010. Â We were very hungry and the immediate area had VERY limited restaurant options. Â We came to the Freeland Cafe because, frankly, we were unable to find anything else.
We ordered the following:
Hamburger ($5.50) - My friend ordered a hamburger. Â He wanted some mayo on the side, which was an additional $0.50. Â He also wanted lettuce, which was an additional $0.50. He also wanted a slice of tomato, which was an additional $0.50. Â WTF?!?! Â This is the first time I've heard of charging for lettuce and tomato, and mayo. Â Even in Hawaii, where it's a legitimate island that has to have everything shipped in, it's not like that. Â My friend said the hamburger patty was over-cooked and dry (see photo). He said that McDonald's does hamburgers better for cheaper (and lettuce/tomato aren't extra).
Kalbi Beef Shortribs ($10.95) - I had the kalbi beef shortribs with onion rings and a side of rice. The rice was an additional $3.00. The shortribs weren't that tender. Â They were actually a bit on the chewy side... I suspect the beef wasn't that fresh and cooked a bit too fast for too long. Â They should probably slice the beef a little thinner than how it came.
Overall, I would not come back for lunch or dinner. Â I'd only come back to try the breakfast. Â Service was quite good, but the star rating only reflects the food.
Our food total came to $20.95 + 1.82 tax + 5.00 tip = $27.77 total.
Stopped here on a business trip and was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of food and service that I ate breakfast here 3 days in a row.
This is indeed a local hangout - complete with a mug wall where you bring your own coffee mug, leave it behind and use it each time you visit the diner. It's the kind of place where the waitress knows your name, asks about the wife and kids and is quick with a coffee refill and friendly smile.
I am a big fan of diners and am often forgiving of greasy homefries, etc. in exchange for good experience. At Freeland Cafe you don't have to be forgiving. The quality of the food is great - fresh, high quality and tasty. If you want a good meal, where you might be sitting next to the town sheriff and can catch up on the comings and goings of the locals this is the place for you.
It's packed on weekends but worth the wait. Stop by during the week and stay awhile to drink up the local flavor.
Well it use to be better! Breakfast is good, their teriyaki bowls are good, drinks are well priced. Just don't order anything that resembles a hamburger (dips included) you will get a lot of bun with a sliver and I mean sliver of beef for around $8. Think McDonalds kids burger with more bread. Haven't eaten there since! Clover Patch and Mikes place..same type of atmosphere...local diner...have better food for the same $$.
Review Source:The Freeland Cafe is definitely a one-of-a-kind place, but would you expect any thing less for Whidbey?
This is a local hangout (people leave they're coffee cup there to use when they come), so this place is always full of interesting characters. I've been there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each time, I had simple food that was served quickly, and a free eye-full of people watching.
I also went for a late-night Karoke session at the bar in back with a bunch of friends. The staff was so fun, handing out tamborines, bells, and so forth and singing along. It's fun to mingle with the regulars on Karoke night, but be sure not to hog the mic! They're very serious about singing (and should be, many of them are FANTASTIC).
All and all, a great place to go if you want to understand Whidbey, and get some quick and easy food while you're doing it.
If you're looking for Breakfast ALL DAY, or a weird mix of Hawaiian/Asian Food (or as the web site says "Oriental Specialties")/American food, then you need to come to the Freeland Cafe.
Oh, sorry - that's the Freeland Cafe *AND* Lounge, as they just recently added a tiny bar onto the back of this joint that features the finest weekend karaoke Whidbey Island has to offer - if you like giant old-school equipment and lots of country, that is. And you better, because that singin' will be right in your ear. But I digress....
I'd recommend hitting this place for breakfast food only, because everything is good & cheap, and since they serve it at any time now, you don't have to wake up early if you don't wanna. Altho last visit, I ordered one of the Lounge "specials": Steak & Fries for $8, and it was actually pretty dang tasty. And again with some strong, cheap drinks - gotta love the Island for not over-charging for booze!
If you do find yourself here on a weekend eve - just be prepared for some "city folk" looks. There's a ton of regulars here, and they're not too happy about having their space invaded. ;)
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
