Review: Bela's Cafe

By Will Tallman

This past weekend, I woke up with a hankering for Dairy Queen. “Let’s just go to Bela’s. It’s so much cheaper there,” my (much wiser than me) girlfriend replied. Naturally, I ignored her.

Several chili cheese dogs and thirty-seven dollars later, I texted my significant other a popular GIF, which read: I will never financially recover from this. As always, she was right – we should have gone to Bela’s. It’s the best breakfast in the Oregon area, and it comes at a price that is stunningly affordable.

Bela’s, located at 317 W. Washington Street, is truly a hidden gem of local dining. They offer a surprisingly wide variety of food – traditional breakfast fare stands alongside such items as shrimp baskets, stir-fry, spaghetti, and everything in between. Whether you order the triple-decker turkey club or a nice, juicy hamburger, a to-go order is generally ready for pickup within 10-15 minutes.

Despite competition from a handful of nearby diners offering similar food selections, Bela’s maintains a loyal following due to their low prices. For example, a single order of three eggs with a side of hash browns, sausage, and pancakes (or alternatively, toast) will only set you back $5.95 before tax. Even when compared to popular fast-food restaurants, Bela’s somehow defies the trend of soaring inflation. The morning after the Dairy Queen fiasco, my partner and I were able to take home a breakfast order for two that cost just under $17. It is this quality for money factor that elevates Bela’s to the status of a local favorite – one which is sure to please diners from all around.

Though the positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to dining at Bela’s, they are somewhat curiously only open from 5am-2pm. According to Tammy, a longtime server of the restaurant, this is because a large portion of their business is from the blue-collar working-class folks that stop by for an early breakfast before they head to work [quote needed, reference recording…e.g. after 2pm their business drops off since everyone is at work and tend to eat dinner at home or go out to another restaurant in the evening hours]. This makes sense, and whatever their hours may be, Bela’s remains to many local residents “the best breakfast in Oregon.”

Bela’s is located in the heart of downtown Oregon, right at the corner of Washington Street and 4th Street. Though they don’t have an official website, a simple Facebook search will bring up their page, where readers can view their menu. If you’re looking for a quality, inexpensive meal, Bela’s is a local favorite that offers a great selection of food for a more-than-reasonable price that won’t break the bank.