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–Cocina Poblana in Jack London Sq. showed me once and for all that I don’t like moles.
–Messob, an Ethiopian restaurant on Piedmont Ave. was OK, not worth a second visit.
– Misty’s Grille / Character’s Lounge: The restaurant at the Red Lion hotel in Medford, Oregon. We went there because we were staying at the hotel (the cheapest place to stay in Medford, bid $50 in priceline) and we were too tired to go anywhere else. It sucked.
–Applebees in Salmon Creek, Washington, is among the worst restaurants I’ve ever been in my life. It was definitely the worst burger I’ve eaten in many years.
–Black Angus in San Lorenzo provided me with a decent steak and a disappointing dessert – and a long wait for the kids’ mac&cheese.
More soon.

I first went to Elmer’s in 2007 when we went to visit my in-laws in Washington state. We liked it, so we stopped there last November when we went to visit them again. What follows are my updated reviews. You can find the original review here.

Elmer’s has become our favorite family restaurant chain while in the Pacific Northwest and we went there twice during our latest trip to visit my in-laws (November 2009). Here are my reviews:
Elmer’s – Springfield – 11/09
The kids had their usual chocolate-chip pancakes ($4 for 4 small
pancakes). This time we had them share one portion and they barely
finished even that. We also knew better than to order two full
breakfast entrees (they are quite big) so instead we ordered the
Hazelnut pancake combo ($9.50, comes with your choice of meat and eggs)
and a side of potato pancake ($3.30), this was enough for Mike and I to
be satisfied but not stuffed. The potato pancake was once again good,
though it needed a bit more seasoning. The bacon was great but I was
somewhat disappointed with the pancakes. I was hoping that they were
stuffed with ricotta, but either the cheese was completely absorbed into
the batter or the batter was made with it, as there was no ricotta to
taste. Without the cheese, the pancakes were rather dry; they were
nice in those bites that had hazelnuts in it, but too plain in the
others. I would not order them again.
Service was good, the restaurant was nice and clean and I’d stop there
again ­ just order something different.
Elmer’s Restaurant
3350 Gateway St
Springfield, OR
(541) 726-1261
Elmer’s Grant Pass – 11/09
We stopped here for lunch and, once again, we had a pleasant experience. I was unhappy to find out that in Oregon it’s against the law to serve burgers cooked less than well-done. Well done burgers are dry and tasteless, so I opted not to have one that day. Instead I went for the NW Cheese Steak Sandwich ($10), which I had with the optional onion rings ($1 extra). It was a good choice. The pot-roast sandwich was very good, the pot roast actually had a grilled flavor to it (probably the peppers) and the cheese was neither skimpy nor overwhelming. I was very happy. The portion, in particularly when coupled with the onion rings, was also large enough that I could save half for later. The onion rings, on the other hand, were somewhat of a disappointment. They were cut very, very thick and the gritty batter needed more flavor. They were also too oily. On the plus side, there were plenty of them.
Mike had the BBQ chicken sandwich ($10). He was happy that the chicken breast was an actual breast, not some reconstituted heresy. He liked the BBQ sauce and was all in all pleased. He also had the onion rings and was not impressed.
Camila had a cheese sandwich ($4) which she liked. I tasted it and it was plain (and therefore dry) but tasty enough. Mika had the cheeseburger ($4) and she was very pleased with it, she thought it tasted great (but she’s no gourmet, she likes the ones at her school cafeteria quite a bit). The burger was served plain (as it should be, kids are picky!) and it was large enough that she could not finish it by herself.
For dessert we had the sundaes and we were disappointed in them. Mika’s sundae had the triple berry topping and she found it quite sour. Camila’s had plain chocolate syrup (rather than fudge) and it was just OK. I wouldn’t order them again.
Elmer’s
175 Agness
Grants Pass, OR
(541) 474-0740

Elmer’s Medford – 11/08
Our one dinner at Elmer’s was perfectly fine. I had the flat iron
steak, which I think came with a perfectly acceptable clam chowder.
It was perfectly cooked medium rare (which means towards the rare side
of medium rare), and quite tasty. It wasn’t particularly large (for
once!), but still a good deal at $14. My only complaint is that it
did not have the consistency of a flat iron steak, it was more like a
sirloin (but a well cooked sirloin).
Mike had the small chicken salad ($10) and was happy with it. The
veggies were fresh and he liked the dressing. The kids shared a mac &
cheese ($4), which was definitely large enough for both of them.
Our two breakfasts at Elmer’s were just as good. The kids loved the
chocolate chip pancakes, which they’d had the previous year. Each
portion includes 4 medium-size pancakes, so be smart and order one for
two kids. I liked the pancakes quite a bit as well. My first time I
had the caramel banana french toast, which was delicious. There is
just so much sugar I can take, however, so I wasn’t close to finishing
it, even with some help from Mike and Mika. My second time I went for
the potato pancakes with bacon & scallions. I can’t say these are
delicious, but they are satisfying. I’d definitely order them again,
and I wish it wasn’t such a pain for me to peel and shred potatoes,
otherwise I’d make them myself. My only complaint here is that there
wasn’t enough sour cream. I had the pancakes with a side of bacon,
and the bacon was very nice and meaty. Once again, however, I
couldn’t finish the whole plate. Both times Mike had some sort of
skillet, which he declared to be fine. He’s never very excited about
these breakfast dishes, however.
So I suspect that we’ll be going back to Elmer’s on our next drive
through Oregon.
Elmer’s
2000 Biddle Rd.
Medford, OR
(541) 772-2000
Original Review
Road Restaurant Reviews
Chain Restaurant Reviews
Restaurants Beyond the Bay Area