My favorite part about Brief Encounter is the atmosphere. Its always pretty busy but the feeling inside is so comfortable almost as if you're eating at a large family gathering. There's always lots of laughter at the bar and the waitresses are all happy and casual. Food is great, nothing mind blowing but no complaints at all. Portions are large and prices are not bad at all. I'm someone that eats ALOT and the Joe's Special was enough to stop me from helping my friend finish her food so that's a big check in my book! read more

See all

We are from Europe so when we go for breakfast in the USA, sometimes we want the old fashioned diner experience and that is exactly what we got. And then in a very positive way. An extensive breakfast menu with all the old favourites, served at high quality by friendly staff. Well worth going to. If you are into trendy eateries, stay away, if you want a good old fashioned breakfast, queue up. read more

Affordable, good-sized portions, homey, comfort food. It shares space/management with a take-out charcuterie business.

I took my little sister here for brunch on Saturday morning and the place was steady. There were a couple groups already there, but we were able to be seated immediately. As soon as we sat our server asked us what we wanted to drink. When I asked her what the drip was she mentioned it's Caffe D'arte. The menu had a good amount of different items for breakfast and lunch (which is served after 11AM). After asking if the server recommended the Carnitas Scramble or Jake's Burrito, she mentioned that the Carnitas Scramble was her favorite. My little sister ended up getting the Tilly Philly Breakfast Wrap. It didn't take long for us to get our food. While my little sister enjoyed hers I wasn't much of a fan of mine. Though the portion is a lot it was lackluster. The pork carnitas meat was dry and the eggs seemed to be lukewarm. To top it was pico de gallo, but wished there had been more shredded cheese on it, since it was so bland. I asked for Tabasco sauce, which helped. My entree also came with a tortilla, which I didn't eat at all, as it was hard to chew, like a rubber-y texture that won't break off when you bite or tear a piece. Our server never checked in with us, but luckily someone else saw my empty coffee cup and refilled it. We had to ask for waters and had to flag someone down to get the check. All in all, it was a meh experience with food that I wished tasted much, much better. read more

Brief Encounter - Carnitas Scramble - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Worst service experience ever at any restaurant. Would never go back. They must have changed ownership. Waitress ignored us for 10 minutes after we let her know we were ready to order. The place was 20% full, just a few tables. Waitress went to table next to us, still ignored us and started sorting silverware and napkins. We left money for the cup of coffee and went to one of Bellevue's best breakfast venues a few miles south. Really bad service. read more

Want a breakfast that is home cooked goodness. Brief Encounter serves deliciousness with great service. Their coffee is nice and hot and eliminates my trip to Starbucks. Crepes and cinnamon rolls are sooo tasty. And Egg dishes are great too. Here's a pic of our breakfasts we ate outside this morning. Warm heater by our feet-oh my goodness, what a treat!!! read more

Brief Encounter - Corn beef hash. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Good portions, decent prices, but pretty average food. We had French Toast which had big pieces, but was pretty mundane. Also, had Joe's Special which was good with hash browns and biscuit, but had a bit too many onions. It's a crowded place and staff were friendly, but it took forever to get the check. read more

Love this little dive. Service was great and the coffee cup was kept full. I always loved the veggie scramble, but this time I decided to change it up and got the Texas style breakfast sandwich with veggies. This has become my new favorite! I always ask for the hashbrowns crispy and they never disappoint. I'll be back soon! read more

On Sunday, through Doordash, I ordered delivery from this restaurant for the first time. My order consisted of a Patty Melt w/potato chips and a breakfast (bacon, eggs, hash browns, toast). The food arrived in Styrofoam containers, which in itself isn't great. The recycling for these is doable but a pain. I opened the first container and I see a bag of Kettle Chips on top of the patty melt. My first thought was gross, is the bag of chips even clean to be sitting on top of my food? Plus, the patty melt is greasy which made the bag greasy. The patty melt itself was fine, nothing I'd order again. The second container was the breakfast. The toast on top was limp, I'm guessing from sitting with the warm food in the container. I put everything on a plate and noticed that the bottom of the Styrofoam container had melted from the hash browns and even created a hole. This cannot be healthy for the food being consumed. I submitted feedback on Sunday to this restaurant on their website. No response. Because of the handling of the food in these containers and the lack of response, I am giving them a 2 rating. read more

Brief Encounter - Styrofoam container after food taken out (melted/hole) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Brief encounter is an amazing in the wall diner visited by locals on a regular basis. The portions are massive. The waitresses will always make sure you have enough coffee. We ordered the Texas style breakfast sandwich and early bird special. When the food arrived, there was more than enough for the two of us (and even a friend who dropped by). If you're looking for a nice, casual breakfast, this is the place! read more

Brief Encounter - Sister time at Brief Encounter! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

See all

By far the best local breakfast place in Bellevue. And it's not even close. Best pancakes I've ever had and service is like family. Not a fancy place but it's clean and damn good! read more

Best brunch in Bellevue! Incredible service, extremely friendly staff, and DELICIOUS food. Best pancakes I've ever had.

What a great breakfast place. They have plenty of delicious options and several of these are for vegetarians. They know how to do the eggs right and one of the things that pleased me the most is that they have soy milk because I try to avoid dairy as much as I can and typically, breakfast places do not have non dairy options. It was nice to finally visit a breakfast place and be able to enjoy nice soy milk latte along my tasty breakfast. The only thing I would say could use some more work, would be their sweet crepes. It had a bit odd, oily taste. Next time I give this place a try, I will go for waffles or pancakes as my sweet option. Overall, the place is cozy and the service was excellent. Our waitress - Tana (first time in the U.S. when I ran into someone with the same name) was very attentive and sweet. I will definitely come back when I am back in the area. read more

Brief Encounter - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Friendly service, good breakfast, reasonably priced, not pretentious, just a nice neighborhood diner. If I want to have an eggy breakfast, this is at the top of my list. Not a posh establishment, so if you are looking for brunch with mimosa, this may not be what you are looking for. read more

So I DoorDash this place. I love breakfast foods. I ordered the strawberry crepes and a cup of fresh fruit with apple juice. This is the first time I ever had crepes ice cold. It's suppose to be topped with whip cream, mine was missing. The fresh fruit, not so fresh, well the strawberries were fresh. The cantaloupe and pineapple not so fresh. I've had better, but I have to try them out in person. So I am giving them 3 stars for now. read more

Brief Encounter - Strawberry crepes, fresh fruit & apple juice - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

It's been quite awhile since I've visited a Brief Encounter. Now I'm asking why I waited so long to return. My dad passed away on Sept. 7 so in honor of him I ordered his favorite dish: Joe's Special. A Brief Encounter did not disappoint. I practically licked my plate clean! The accompanying pancakes (hot!) and extra crispy bacon were perfect side dishes. I highly recommend a visit.... and plan on returning sooner than two years later! read more

Brief Encounter - Joe's Special shared with mom! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I like avocado toast and grain bowls as much as the next person, but come on. Sometimes you need a big omelette or scramble full of meat, vegetables and cheese with a pile of hash browns on the side to fuel your day. This is the place for the coffee shop-style breakfast of your dreams. Every element is delicious, including the coffee. It's small and gets crowded on the weekends and there's really no place to wait inside, but service is brisk and food is put together quickly so you'll be seated in no time. read more

Many open tables, yet we have to wait? This confusion allowed us to instantly bond with the other patrons also -- we shared a look of confusion as to why we're waiting. Eventually after a 5-10 minute wait, we were seated in a corner booth. After perusing the menu, I ordered the Potato Pancakes because I like potatoes. I like pancakes. But together, it was disappointing because it was hash browns topped with apple sauce. Not what I was expecting. However, I also ordered their take on the breakfast burrito, Jack's Burrito which was quite tasty -- chili, loads of cheese, and avocado! Overall, this restaurant is not like the best ever, but does the job of feeding you. read more

Brief Encounter - Potato Pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

See all

I think Brief Encounter gets some mixed reviews because (a) service is friendly but not uniform and (b) what you get for your money in Bellevue is just not that much. The good: I often look for speediness of the food, readiness of the coffee refills, and a reasonable amount of options in my breakfast venue. Brief Encounter is just that -- not all that memorable, except practical enough to bring me back every time. Specifically, I have never had a breakfast there that I did not thoroughly enjoy. My favorites are the corned beef hash and veggie omelet. I don't recommend the juices. Stick with coffee. read more

Brief Encounter - No fuss atmosphere - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

See all

This place had the most amazing breakfast! Very home like feel! If you go and don't get the corn beef hash you're not living your best self! The breakfast I had here was one of the best I've ever had! read more

I definitely recommend this place for breakfast on the "Eastside." Very anti-Bellevue, so the address is for show only. It's very homey and comforting, with a very good breakfast. They had a lunch menu too, but it was early. The dining room was small and it gets busy, but plenty of staff to go around once you're at your table. If you're waiting, you can kill time getting gas at the Chevron or getting your grocery shopping done at the QFC. Coffee was good, though a little dark for my tastes. The homemade corned beef hash wasn't your typical pork mush with little potato cubes... it was shredded hash brown potatoes mixed with shredded corned beef. Tasty, not fatty, and not salty.... some of the best I've had. The pancake was nice and fluffy, the sausage was bland (I thought it was turkey sausage, but I guess not?), and the ham was much better. The side additions seemed to be overpriced, but it wasn't unreasonable. I would come back again, especially if I stayed in Bellevue again. Why eat at the hotel? read more

See all

I will say this place does great on Uber Eats delivery. Food is always hot & well seasoned when I order for lunch. I recently ordered breakfast & my breakfast was delicious. I would add a little more seasonings but it was pretty good. They provider a generous bag of all the extra condiments & it always arrived as if I was sitting in the restaurant in person. I like how fast they are & that it is never soggy. I work in Bellevue, so it arrived in a timely manner. read more

I go to Bellevue often and decided to visit due to some interesting reviews. Found that service was just OK and there seems to be some kind of attitude by the waitress. Maybe she is having a bad day? The corn beef hash was good but the price to palette ratio is low. It was about 10 bucks or so for one plate that was just barely enough to fill me. Flavors are there but again the service should be a lil better and portions more appropriate for the price. Gotta love the name. read more

I got a GroupOn deal to this place and decided to check it out (I'd never heard of this place nor have I even seen it before) ~ we came for brunch during a weekday so it wasn't too busy. There were still some diners so that we didn't feel weird about going in but not too much where there would be a wait. We got the Jake's breakfast burrito (chili, scrambled egg, salsa, sour cream, avocado - all wrapped loosely in a tortilla shell) and the corned beef hash. The menu itself wasn't too exciting - there was your standard breakfast fare, nothing fancy. The breakfast burrito was surprisingly good - better than I had expected actually. Must be the chili or that I was hungry . . . but the avocado was a little brownish looking (not to the point where it was obviously overripe, but it just didn't look perfect). My husband LOVED his corned beef hash and said that it was the best one that he's had in a loooong time. He almost ALWAYS gets corned beef hash at most brekkie places we go to, so he knows his hash! Their corned beef hash isn't chunky like I'm used it . . . it's actually shredded and mixed in with the hash brown so that it's all one congruous crispy breakfast! Yum yum . . . we'll probably be back for the corned beef hash. Nothing else on the menu looked too exciting for me though - but it is a solid breakfast place! read more

This is the real deal! It's a locals diner from the 50s (but updated), and just like the good old days, everything is fresh, made to order, and darn good. The food is excellent, portions large, and the service is fast and friendly. It's a great brunch spot, and has a good lunch menu as well. Closes at 2pm, so don't be late! read more

Fantastic service, good food, and easy to get to! The staff were incredibly friendly and their service really stood out. It made for an enjoyable way to start the weekend. read more

This place is amazing little spot that is hidden in off Bellevue Way NE. Staff is super polite and the owner, Melanie is great! Melanie comes out and talks to everyone and is always willing to go that extra mile to make sure you are happy. The food here is super and they have breakfast all day long. I would highly suggest this place. The only down fall is sometimes the wait and that's because this is amazing over all! read more

Prompt, friendly service. This is a neighborhood diner. Nothing fancy. It's a big menu & everything is tasty. Think Seinfeld's diner! It's always pretty busy, but tables open up quickly. The wait is never more than 5-7 min to sit down. The parking can be a challenge, but that's because Brief Encounter is a beloved spot with neighborhood charm. read more

I love the heart unhealthy food, and the staff is always great. But on December 10th, 2021, they did not check customers for vaccinations and allowed customers to enter who were not wearing masks. For me, "dying ain't much of a living." read more

the place is in a nice, cute location and has wonderful staff. we had to wait about 5 mintues for a seat, which wasn't long at all. we ordered a joe's special, homemade cinnamon roll and the brief burger. the joe's special and the homemade cinnamon roll were both amazing and definetely worth it, and the brief burger was also pretty good. read more

This was the perfect place to eat after my New Year Eve celebration. YUM-O. I was attending a NYE wedding in Bellvue and after ringing in 2011 and barely sleeping I woke up with hunger pains! We found this spot on Yelp. The restaurant is in a small little shopping plaza. It's a small cozy place with booths, tables and a sit down counter. The menu has your typical breakfast/diner food. Eggs, sandwiches, burgers, fries. We shared the Carnitas Scramble, a side of potatoes and a cinnamon roll. The roll needed more icing! I was expecting gooey, soft and warm. I was a little disappointed. For $3.50 I thought we'd be getting more for our money. Maybe I'm spoiled with Cinnabon. The carnitas had good seasoning. The eggs were fluffy. The food was not greasy which was a pleasant surprise! They were nice enough to split the order for us. Portion size is sufficient for a hungry hunter. Overall, I'm glad to have had a Brief Encounter with this cafe! ;) read more

This place is A-OK. A bit of a greasy spoon, so we don't eat here too often. But the service is great and the food is tasty. Stick to the egg and hashbrown dishes for breakfast. The B&G is just meh, and the pancakes are really heavy. read more

Brief Encounter - Now that's a plate full of B&G! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

See all

I've been back a few times, always with one or two of my young children, who enjoy sitting up at the counter. The good part about the counter is that there's rarely a wait even when they're busy. We've found that splitting items ends up being economical in terms of cost and waste. The corned beef hash is consistently good and is refreshingly home made and the espresso drinks are good. read more

Brief Encounter - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I made an doordash delivery order for a breakfast burrito with sausage, bowl of chili and their philly cheese french dip. Chili was watered down. No flavors. Breakfast burrito was the size frozen burrito at the grocery store. Super bland. The French dip sandwich was just soaked in butter. It was appalling. Now I'm pissing water out the rear. Never again read more

Interesting name: Brief Enoucnter (I wonder is it good or bad...) This is a cozy family operated restaurant. I saw a lot of local resident dine here. Service: Friendly Food: Ok Environment: Family oriented Location: Between QFC and behind Chevron (you really have to look for it) read more

See all

Typical but good diner food with good prices - really hard to find around here! Super attentive staff added to comfort vibe

Monique was our server & she was outstanding!! She was also very personal!!! The food was also very delicious!! We will need bringing our friends back here to enjoy another great meal!! Thank you for a great experience!! read more

I've been coming here for years, and it is the best breakfast in the area. The food is hot and delicious, and the service friendly and efficient. The staff have worked here for years, have worked really hard during covid, and I will continue to support this wonderful neighborhood business. The pancakes with REAL maple syrup are not to be missed! Great job. read more

This place is great! They had a specific item which made us drive from Duvall to order but we arrived 5 minutes after they closed. It didn't stop them from firing up their grill again and preparing our order. It would have been easy to just say no but they instead they jumped at the chance to go out of the way for us demonstrating they truly valued our business. I will go back. Find a reason to order from this place! Food quality was great too! I'd give them more than 5 stars if I could. read more

Overall a good breakfast. I got the scrambled veggie with an English muffin. My daughter had the sweet cream pancakes with bananas. She was surprised when they were baked inside vice on the outside. I thought that was lovely but for a kid she just wasn't expecting it. The taste was different for the pancakes due to the cream. I really loved the flavor but just something to be aware of if you have kiddos. read more