Good service and the food is better than a Sherri's or Denny's but nothing special. A little overpriced for the atmosphere and quality of food. read more

A great restaurant for breakfast, brunch, and/or lunch, All your favorite items cooked to your 'preferred' doneness and served by their friendly staff. Your coffee and water are refilled readily plus the servings are generous; often some to take home. One of my favorite "go to" restaurants but beware, they close at 2 pm and you should call ahead on the weekends to put your name on their list! read more

So good and I Clearly am not the only person who thinks so! Chorizo Omelet is fantastic. It was such a large portion, it turned out to be 3 meals. Was able to call in the order and pick up. Easy leash! read more

The staff were polite, but we were underwhelmed by the food. The pancake was enormous, but the little egg and sausage link spilt in half weren't worth the price. The chicken club was okay. read more

We decided to try this place out with the all the good reviews, we were underwhelmed with the food, and sticker shocked with the prices, 16.99 for chicken fry with 2 eggs and pancake, and some freezer bag square cut potato's . 11.99 for 2 piece of French toast 1 egg and 2 bacon 3+ for watered down coffee, I understand this is the new normal with prices skyrocketing everywhere, but the food was mediocre at best. read more

This is a staple in the area for a traditional American breakfast.The portions are healthy and the food is good! Just know you might be waiting a bit unless you sit at the counter, so allow yourself some time. The crowd ebbs and flows, but from time to time, you might find yourself waiting for a table, hence the tip to give yourself an extra 20 minutes if you need to be somewhere. read more

Been living in Idaho for five years. Drive by this place all the time. Always looks busy so we decided to stop by. Becky our waitress was very attentive and had good information about the menu. I would highly recommend this place because the portions are good the food is very good and the price is reasonable. Thank you Becky for great service. read more

Breakfast on Saturday means you better be willing to wait. The food is served hot and is large portions. It's not cheap but where is breakfast cheap anymore. No blaring musIc, not a greasy spoon. The staff is professional and thEy even have uniforms. A+ read more

Went here for breakfast as we have been here a couple times before. We waited more than 20 minutes for someone to come take our order. This after watching several waitress walk right passed us at least 5-6 times, each time looking at us but walking right by. We finally got our order placed, waited for over an hour and still our food never came out. There were other people that arrived at least 20 minutes after us that received their food and was almost done eating. Our waitress never once came back to check on us. Finally I stopped another waitress and asked where our order was and was told they were backed up in the kitchen due to online orders and drive thru orders, yet people that arrived and ordered after us got their food. I found the manager to tell her what was happening and I was asked if it was my order that got lost. How was I suppose to know that? She didn't offer to give me a discount to rush the order absolutely nothing. She apologized and told me that something like this usually doesnt happen, at this point we walked out. Never again will I be back! read more

I have been coming to Express Cafe for over a year now. Although it is expensive, it is great to have a locally owned breakfast place and the service is great...well, until today (7/19/22 at 8:30 am). I sat at the counter as I usually do. The young waitress who waited on me was surly and indifferent. She seemed disinterested. The food was once again fast and great. Normally I never have to ask for more coffee as the waitresses make sure I have enough. But not this young somewhat curly-headed waitress. So I had to ask for more coffee in a not quiet voice. And she ignored me (she later claimed she had not heard me which is plausible). So then I had to raise my voice to ask for more coffee. This apparently offended her. She gave me more coffee but did so in an angry way, almost spilling it as she pulled the pot away. Then she came back and sort of threw the ticket on the counter next to me. Fortunately, after I started writing this review, she came and filled my coffee cup without me asking. Maybe she had started to realize how rude she had been or maybe she saw me typing and was worried I was writing a Yelp review, who knows. I realize people can have a bad day. But rudeness is just never acceptable. Because of this one experience, I have no desire to come back to Express...and that is sad because I have met some nice people there and most of the employees are great and hard working. I am sorry for this young girl that her life is such that she feels she has to take it out on customers. I hope she finds a way to change her mood when she goes to work so that she can provide excellent service, because, having worked in the service industry myself, I know the feeling of accomplishment I would get when people were appreciative of my efforts. I hope the owners meet with this young lady and talk to her about the art of service and the importance of friendliness and professionalism, no matter how you feel. She is young and deserves the chance to improve. Note: she disappeared when it was time to take my payment. Another young waitress with her hair in a bun came over and took my card and then brought it back...and she was also indifferent with a blank expression on her face. I am not sure what is happening with this place. Everyone seemed to be bubbly a few minutes earlier but I think the owner had walked in and then left. Fortunately the waitress with the somewhat curly hair was much friendlier to the next guest. This is actually my first ever review of a restaurant on Yelp. I hope other customers have had a different experience with these young servers and I hope future experiences with them will be better than mine. I do not wish them ill will but we all have to be responsible for our actions. I am always kind and friendly, no matter what the circumstance. Maybe she had had a bad customer before me but I doubt it as I have never seen anyone in there that was not friendly. Most people I see in there are elderly and very polite. Whatever the reason, let's hope they get better, for the sake of the success of a locally owned business. read more

Love this place!! Great, upbeat and welcoming attitude from the staff. The food is absolutely delicious, top to bottom off the menus. All my family requests on Sunday is here! Mom loves biscuits & gravy! I'm a vegetarian that doesn't like egg so they make me an omelette off hash browns with cheese and a bunch of veggies I can never finish even though it's a half portion. The waffles are my fav when I have space or a sweet tooth. My love can't keep from special ordering a burger because they're too good! Then my dad usually sticks to the chorizo entrees because he loves that they offer it! Really can't go wrong on anything. Tip: skip the wait call ahead to go on a Sunday! They're so good it's busy the whole time they're open. I wasn't able to find any menus online so I decided to post them myself, hope it's useful! read more

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My husband and I have been going to Express for 25 years, never have been disappointed, they serve comfort food I have never sent anything back what I have done is take leftovers home for the next day, because the meals are that big. Servers are always happy, some have been there since we started going there. read more

Great breakfast place! Food was good; big servings. Great customer service. We went on a Monday morning and it wasn't busy at all, but I'm sure it would be on the weekend. Glad we finally tried this place. We'll be going back! Typical diner setting, but very clean and seems to be well run. read more

Such a cozy beautiful place All the staff were more than nice !!! Had breakfast so good and filling Will be going back !! read more

For such a long wait my expectations were pretty high. Service was great and so were the omelettes. Pancakes were huge but were unfortunately rubbery on our visit. Glad we got to try it out though! read more

Express Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Meridian, Idaho

Usually when I go out for breakfast I use chicken fried steak and eggs as a benchmark for how good the place is. You can tell in one bite if the chicken fried steak or gravy is pre-packaged junk. Not here. Also in my eyes a skilled line cook should be able to make sunny-side up eggs with all the yolk runny and none of the whites. I very...very rarely find this but they hit my second mark here. I love nothing better than sopping up a mix of gravy, yolk, and tabasco on toast at the end of my meal. Coffee was never more than half empty. But that's just the food. This place has been here for over 20 years and you can tell. Not because it's worn down and dirty (which it isn't) but because you can see a steady stream of regulars in and out of the door. You can tell they've been coming here for over 20 years with their families and friends. Great small town feeling in this place and the staff is warm and welcoming. Quite possibly the best meal I've had in Boise. read more

Express Cafe - Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Meridian, Idaho

Prompt friendly service, great classic diner food prepared with excellence. Small, but efficient and they survived COVID!! Love the Veggie or Meat Lovers omelette, salsa and guacamole are flavorful without being too spicy. Coming back with family and friends!! Want to try the Cinnamon Roll French toast. read more

My wife and I went in to get a table. The host was not welcoming. She could have asked nicely for us to wait outside, because they have a small space. There were multiple tables open, so they told us it would be a ten to fifteen minute wait. We decided to go elsewhere, and when we were going to the next destination. They sent us about six text about our table being ready. We had removed ourselves from the wait list. My family has been going there for a long time, but I feel I will not go again. I know that is probably not a big deal to them because they are always busy. I was just disappointed. read more

Love the food. Very good place, staff are amazing and are very good. Most of the i wish to meet the chef and give them a gold star because of how good they cook. Definitely go there if your here on vacation or just go there if you live here and want a good breakfast. read more

Our favorite breakfast place! Must start with a cinnamon roll to share amongst the group. The daily specials are always a great deal. The wait staff have all been there for a decade or more it seems! They are super accommodating if two people want to share one order. Coffee is always kept topped off. Service is absolutely five star plus. Worth the wait if you go and there's a line out the door! We went on Valentine's Day for breakfast, and there were heart sprinkles on top of the hot chocolate. Nice touch Express Cafe. You all are like family. read more

Express Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Meridian, Idaho

Great breakfast! Service was top notch! The portions were HUGE! if you want a great breakfast stop in... good coffee too read more

Came here on the recommendation of a friend. The facility was impeccable, the service fast and very friendly, the food good (they nailed my hash browns *crisp* order), but the prices a little high for what was essentially standard diner fare. read more

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We stopped by for a first visit today based on a full parking lot daily and strong Yelp reviews. Breakfast is their focus with a lunch offering as well. We opted for eggs and all the extras .. A clean place with helpful staff, good marks here. Where the slope begins to get slippery is with both the price per person and the food quality. Volume is their gift but if you are looking for a taste delight you may want to pass. The country potatoes are deep fried and missing any loving care. Eggs average and the toast/jam was ordinary (vs extraordinary). When we looked at the $30 tap for two breakfast plates (without tip) the product just didn't measure up. A one and done for us - onto the next hot spot please. read more

Great food and Service and One of the best chicken fried steaks I've ever had, the pancakes look like they need to be flipped over with a snow shovel. read more

The people are amazing and the food is so delicious with huge portions! They close by 2pm so if you plan it right, you can make it a weekday brunch! read more

My favorite breakfast spot! Try the cinnamon roll French toast, it's the best! Express cafe has become my family's favorite place to go for breakfast when we go out. The service has always been amazing and the donuts are really good too, they make them fresh every day. read more

Looking back at my posts I see that I've written a string of sour, negative reviews. Well, that can't be good for a person's mental health. Thankfully I just now remembered that I've not reviewed one's of my favorite breakfast cafes! The food and staff are Five Star all the way. Many of the staff proudly wear T-shirts that show how many years they've worked at Express Cafe: 5 years, 10 years, 15 and more! That says a whole lot more about the quality and atmosphere of this establishment than my puny words can convey. We've eaten at Express Cafe several times, always a satisfying experience. We've consistently been greeted at the door by a cheerful host, wait times have been minimal, servers friendly and prompt, and food delicious and copious. Saturday mornings are very busy for them, so expect to be given a pager and wait for 10 minutes or so. But the wait is SO worth it. It's all good, but my favorite is biscuits and gravy, eggs over easy, hash browns and sausage, and great coffee. read more

Arrived in a Sunday for brunch & for two people, we waited less than five minutes. We could have coffee or water while we waited. We were given a buzzer that went outside & into the parking lot. It was our first time here & we were thoroughly impressed with the quality of the food, selection & service. Ordered the veggie burrito on a whole wheat wrap, subbed hash browns for home fries, served with guacamole & salsa on the side. No wonder these guys have been in business so long, they do everything right! read more

If you look up 'Greasy Spoon' in the dictionary, chances are, you'll find a picture of Express Cafe right alongside the definition. Nothing flashy at all, just a room filled with bright florescent lights, cheap silverware, friendly servers who've likely worked there for 20+ years, and not a single item of fruit to be found anywhere on the menu. If you're trying to eat healthy, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a meal that's bound to slay even the mightiest of hangovers, pay 'em a visit. With breakfast items like biscuits and gravy, country omelettes, waffles, pancakes, hash browns and the like... it's the kind of wake-me-up that's sure to make you want to take a nap about 45 minutes later. Great if you're planning on watching the entire Star Wars trilogy with the remainder of your day, but if you have any important business to attend to, stick to the home pantry for brain food like oatmeal or blueberry yogurt. read more

Denizens of the Treasure Valley, I must have driven past this place literally a hundred times. Each time I did, I told myself that at some point I would have to stop in and give it a try. Well last week, I finally stopped driving past it and actually STOPPED. My son and I popped in for breakfast and I am happy to report that if you are looking for a quick, homemade breakfast served by friendly people, Express Cafe nails it. We were seated immediately, but I would note that it was a weekday. On the weekends, I have seen people sitting outside waiting during prime breakfast hours, so do keep that in mind if you plan on visiting during the weekend. I got a cup of coffee right away and my son asked for a hot chocolate, which he managed to finish before our food even arrived. Our order was taken quickly and the food was delivered quickly. Everything about the service was spot on, quick, and attentive. My coffee was topped off regularly and we were checked on enough to be convenient, but not so much as it felt bothersome. The food itself was excellent. I opted for Eggs Benedict, as it is one of the few breakfast dishes I cannot make on my own. I got home fries instead of hash browns and this worked out well to sop up the extra sauce and yolks from my main dish. The eggs were perfectly poached and the sauce had great texture and flavor. Very well done for a "short order" type of restaurant. My son got a half waffle with sausage and ate the whole thing, which is probably the highest "praise" a young child can give. Although I think he was more impressed with his hot chocolate than any of the food he ate. Bottom line folks, if you're in Meridian and in need of some eggs and a good cup of coffee, don't drive past the Express Cafe. Stop in and give them a try. :) read more

Nice place, friendly morning staff and fresh coffee. Lots of choices on the menu. French toast with 1 egg and ham was good. Other plates looked good too. No crowd, food came out quickly, waiter kept my cup of coffee full. Also provided a glass of water. read more

Express Cafe - French Toast special of the day - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Meridian, Idaho

Nearly 4 years later and the Express Cafe has maintained it's food quality and locals ambience. The food is still good and well cooked and the quantities are huge. Certainly share-able for normal eaters. You can't find larger orders of hash browns or country potatoes than here. The fact that they have shredded hash browns is a plus in my book. And their Belgian Waffle are CRISP, not soggy like some places, is also a home run. Jammed at weekends, so we go on weekdays when the crowds taper down. Why not 5 stars? As before, they serve (UGH) Farmer Bros. coffee. Weak, Weak, and no body, need I say more. I still haven't tried bringing in an outside coffee to drink with breakfast. Will they throw me out? We'll see. read more

This just might be my new favorite breakfast spot! I absolutely loved the vibe and the food. Everyone was so nice and friendly. Today was my first time there but they treated my wife and I like were were regulars lol! And again, the food was fantastic!! I highly recommend eating here and I'll definitely be coming back read more

Here's another place I've driven past 100 times. It looks like some old diner & ain't much to look at from the outside. I was doing a couple of business meals with a client and she recommended meeting here instead of a little better known joint in town. I wasn't sure about this place, but it exceeded my expectations. I had the chicken fried steak & eggs. You can choose between a pancake or hash browns & toast. I choose the hash browns & toast. It was a very full mean and I was already planning on skipping lunch & only having an grapefruit. I probably got my full day allotment of calories for breakfast, so you have to sacrifice to get what you want, right? It was worth it & I enjoyed every bite. I held off licking the plate and just used my bread to clean the plate as best as possible. We had one more follow-up meeting for the business at hand & when she asked if we could meet there again, I didn't hesitate to agree. read more

Great food and excellent service. This is our go to place for breakfast or lunch. The staff is friendly and goes out of their way to make your order exactly as you want it. The entire team makes sure you have everything you need. The Express Cafe team serves large portions and there is something for everyone's taste. Best staff in town!!!!! read more

A typical diner, but lacking compared to other Boise counter-parts. I went here do to the high star rating, but found the food to be above average, but the prices and decor were just average. Nothing too special, WYSIWYG Service was above par and deserves 4 stars, but the overall experience left me wanting more. Maybe it was the school cafeteria florescent light feel or just the customers there on the day we went. read more

Truly one of the best breakfast joints in the Treasure Valley! Generous portions and super friendly and efficient staff. May have to wait a bit on the weekends, but it's worth it! read more

What a great place! I have been meaning to write a review since our first visit about four months ago. Since then we have been back 7-8 times, for breakfast and for lunch, weekday and weekends, with the kids and without. We've gotten a pretty good idea of the overall business! The people here are fantastic. Always so pleasant, very helpful, patient when we have the two kids with us, willing to work with us on orders if needed (we have a couple allergies and they never even bat an eye, just offer helpful options). They remember our drink preferences and move quickly without ever hurrying us. They wear shirts that show length of service for each employee and it is so lively to see the long term of the staff, and the awesome mix of people! Truly one of the best mixes of staff that are ALL sweet and helpful and GOOD at what they are doing. Food... the only thing I have not been a fan of is the omelets. We don't do pork or beef, so the omelets are a bit more limited to the veggie omelet for us (they don't have a chicken or turkey sausage or bacon option sadly!) and each time it has been a bit different and a bit disappointing. With spinach it was super watery, without it the veggies were just raw tossed on top, one time the veggies were all soft except for the onions which were totally raw. I finally had to give up and just order eggs. All the rest of the breakfast items are delicious (I adore the basic awesome hash browns! The country potatoes are basically just short fries but they are good too lol, just need some more seasoning!). The sandwiches we've gotten have all been great and the steak fries our the family choice although the seasoned fries are delicious. Don't come here for a "health" meal, although you can order decently healthy options. This is a small, local diner (gets packed for breakfast, much slower for lunch and they close early so check the time!) and the food fits the atmosphere: smart, simple, well done and welcoming! read more

One of life's most under-appreciated pleasures is a good, local breakfast spot. Express Cafe has become our go-to, especially if we don't want to schlep down to Big City or Goldy's. I go into chicken-fried steak & eggs withdrawal if it's too long between visits. My wife says the other menu items are very good -- I wouldn't know. If you're looking for innovative artisanal cuisine or ambience , this isn't your place. It's straightforward, unfancy breakfast fare, consistently well-prepared and served up by some of the most pleasant wait-staff you can imagine. Be prepared to wait during weekend prime-time. Weekdays are also busy, but there's always room after the morning rush or at the counter. read more

I'm a die hard chicken fried steak fan and....they did a GREAT job! Their gravy is home-made which always makes a difference. I was good and shared a bite with my husband but just one. The nice thing it seems that they always have a different special listed on their sign everyday. The customers did seem to be an older crowd but that could have been due to the fact that we went on a weekday morning. It was still a good group of people and everyone seemed to be glad that they were there. It's good to find a comfortable restaurant to eat at. read more