Two words: buttermilk biscuits. Absolutely yum. Always good service, never bad good. Leaves you feeling full but not uncomfortable. I love the white corn and havarti scramble. It's kind of a drive to Columbia City, but when I go, it's definitely worth it. read more

I love the food here it is fantastic. I have only had breakfast and have never been unsatisfied. The worst part of the meal is when your plate is empty. I gave this place $$ but it really fits under the $ I just add so many sides and extras because its all so good that it gets more expensive. I highly recommend the corned beef hash. read more

My aunt told me about Geraldine's Counter when I first moved back to Seattle in February. In all the chaos I'd forgotten but then stumbled in one Sunday for breakfast and realized it was the place she'd recommended. This place is great! Seriously, you can bring anyone here and they will find something that will jump off the menu and be thoroughly enjoyed. My husband and I have introduced many friends and family to GC all with 100% approval - even our picky paletted friends. We are early risers even on the weekends so its not usually hard to get a seat but keep in mind the wait can be long if you show up after 8am. I like to describe the food as HOME MADE! It's the kind of stuff you'd make at home - chicken fried steak, pancakes, chili, BLT - you know - comfort food! I only wish they'd get a full liquor license so I could have a bloody mary on the weekend with my awesome breakfast. I love the interior lighting, the clean lines and simplistic decor of the place. It has that local neighborhood feel when you walk in and there's almost always a seat at the counter if the tables and booths are full. They always have fresh flowers from across the street and the rotating art on the walls is always fun to look at in between bites. The raspberry freezer jam (on every table) atop a warm biscuit is TO DIE FOR! read more

I love their oatmeal with fresh fruit. It was so good and well worth the 15 minute wait. My friend had the pancakes and said that they didn't even need syrup. The staff are very friendly and attentive. If I am ever in the Seattle area I will definitely go back. read more

If this could only be in a different neighborhood... If the service could only be a bit more thoughtful...it would be a 5 for me. I went here as a guy from the rural South in search of good biscuits and gravy, and they didn't disappoint (many Seattle restaurants that try this fail). (To be clear, I'm not saying this is how it would come out in, say, Alabama, but I liked their execution.) read more

I'm not sure why some folks are less than happy with dinner at G's for two reasons: First, everything on the breakfast and lunch menus is available at dinner. Second, I like the dinners I've had there. We went recently and had a yummy meatloaf special (Wednesdays) with some nicely sauted veggies and mashed potatoes and the ravioli special which again came with very fresh and tasty ingredients. The service is always friendly and attentive. read more

Our visit was 11:20am on a Thursday. We opted to wait for a window seat - took all of 6 minutes to clear the table, so no big deal. Was greeted by our waitress immediately & order taken. "Two Chicken Fried Steaks, please. One with eggs soft & one with tomatoes because of egg allergy. Just water, thanks." Was a moderate wait considering the amount of people being served int he restaurant. It was hopping! The waitress set down 2 HUGE chicken fried steaks with tasty hash browns and eggs! (Well, mine was tomatoes & they were HEAPING!) Taste? Oh man... a scrumptious hint of rosemary in the gravy & the steak was cooked to perfection. Bravo! Hash-browns were browned nicely & accompanied the dish quite nicely. Am still at awe as to how many tomatoes I was given -- a whole one sliced! Other places have given me 2 to 3 slices. No skimping here. Despite the crowds, our waitress did a good job. She was filling coffee cups up in a timely manner for other tables, but we never got a water refill. I admit it. I went to the counter & asked for more water... Oh well. Super friendly staff, tho! Food: 5 Stars Service: 3.8 Stars Definitely going back ;-) read more

My favorite breakfast place, anywhere (except Hash House in San Diego). Unbelievable bacon from Bob's Meats, the best French toast made with bread from Columbia City Bakery and Cafe Vita coffee. Real maple syrup and fresh fruit too. Also really good lunch and dinner...great burger, great specials. The service is excellent: friendly, fast, helpful...Gary and his crew keep a great flow. On the weekend expect a wait for a table. Try it..its awesome. read more

Hands down, they have the best FRENCH TOAST in town. It tastes like it has been DEEP FRIED! (SCREAM!) So good!!! Be prepared to wait for a long time or you get your ass up early and get there when they open. I will next time. I will TRY... read more

I have visited Geraldine's for years and have enjoyed both breakfast and lunch. The ingredients are always fresh and full of flavor. My favorite breakfast dish are the pancakes and for lunch you can't go wrong with the salads, soups, or grilled cheese sandwich. The service is always courteous but can be a bit on the slow side. Have not visited since they started serving adult drinks but reckon I'll be back soon. read more

Best french toast ever! I loved their french toast and fresh squeezed orange juice that I went there two Saturdays in a row. I would go every Saturday if I could. The french toast is nice and crispy and never soggy. Their seasonal fruit toppings add a nice bit of change. read more

I'll need to make another trip out to Seattle to try out more items on the menu. The place itself serves Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Simple decor with a few art work on the walls. My brother order the corn beef hash with a biscuit. It isn't your typically corn beef hash as the meet is cut into cubes with the vegetables. It also comes with two over-easy eggs on top of the corn beef. My sister and I shared the Counter Special which was two eggs (any style you choose), hashbrowns, and choice of toast. It also came with two slices of oranges and pineapple. I had the eggs scrambled. It was SO good! We both got a glass of fresh OJ and apple juice. Eggs were NOT oily and the hashbrowns were just right, not too crispy or undercooked. The jam that I put on my toast was delish! What I really enjoy about Geraldine's is that their portions are just right, not too big or not too small. They definitely don't skimp on the quality of their food. Their eggs are cage-free and they also have substitutes (at an additional cost) to their menu to make the meal healthier. I wish there was more of these back in NorCal. Service was great! Like I said, I gotta come back again! read more

Cute neighborhood diner, It gets busy on the weekends but put your name down on the list, grab a paper, and wait it out. Really standard breakfast selection, nothing stood out. I had the biscuits and gravy...meh.. That's all I've got. read more

This is a quaint neighborhood diner type place with great food. With that being said they are also not real customer centric. The only have one type of pancake a day. If it is orange pancakes that is ALL you can have that day. No regular pancakes, period. For a kid that is a hard pill to swallow. They DO NOT allow you to do separate checks. If you are going to dine with a large group you all had better have cash because they will not split your check NO MATTER WHAT. The upside of paying with cash is they give you Geraldine bucks that you can use in the future like money. If you do want to use a debit card they will pass that transaction fee right on to you. Like I said not very customer friendly. On the plus side...their french toast is probably the best thing I have ever had. Add some of their amazing strawberry jam to it and that is worth the hassle. The food was all outstanding which is a good thing because their customer service is not! read more

I had the chicken sandwich and a cup of chili. Everything had a wonderful flavor. The corn beef and hash was also good from what I was told. Only downfall there was no dessert. I'll be back read more

Met a great friend and her baby daughter here for lunch. Menu was impressive, lots of yummy choices. She asked if i had ever been there before...uh. No. She said it was mandatory that i ordered bacon. Twist my arm. So I ordered scramby eggs, biscuits, gravy, and a side of bacon. Artery clogger breakfast. Holy schnikes! Everything was AMAZING. Go Eat there. Eat all of the things. You will be a better person afterwards. read more

One of my favorite neighborhood spots, and it has quickly become everyone else's too. The food and staff are top notch which probably why this place is so popular. Portions on the kid's menu are ample and even an "eater" will be satisfied. I haven't yet had a breakfast or lunch here that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. The setting is bright and bustling, and the aromas delicious. Their bloody marys and brewed coffee are damn good too. My only issue is that most weekends there's quite a wait... my tips are: 1. Try a weekday visit... it'll be less crowded. 2. Weekend visit? Be prepared to wait, especially if you are particular about seating. Bring a toy, book, and/or snack plus sippy cup if you bring your kiddo. 3. Don't feel like circling for free street parking? There's a $2 pay lot down the street. Can't beat that price, and a ton of spots! Great location and place. Don't be put off by the crowds... It's well worth the wait. read more

The food was ok. The Caeser salad has a very weak dressing is was weird. My rueben sandwich was greasy.... Asked for a not breakfast dish and waiter recommended the BLT. My kid said it is good. I will have to try it again when I feel like breakfast most of the great recommendation have breakfast food in them. I did get hash browns on the side of my rueben and they were fantastic. The owner was nice... The server wasn't as nice. read more

Perfect chicken fried steak. The sausage gravy is so delicious. This place is the bomb. read more

Geraldine's Counter - Chicken fried steak with sausage gravy!!!! - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Service was alright! Food was even better. I got the BLT with fries and my bf got the apple cinnamon on top of French toast with scrambled eggs. Everything tasted great. My new breakfast spot! read more

Geraldine's Counter - Bodacious BLT - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Not as good as I was hoping for, a little overrated. Not sure why yelp says that vegetarians love this place. They didn't have any veg gravy for biscuits & gravy nor any meat substitutes. They couldn't make the casserole w/out sausage either. There are no special veg options but you can ask for some things w/out the meat. The French toast was pretty tasty, I'd eat it again. The menu didn't WOW me, pretty standard bfast options in my opinion. The service was mediocre, no one was particularly friendly but they weren't rude either. I was kind of annoyed that I had to wait 15-20mins even though I was dining alone & I was ok with eating at the counter. I saw several empty spots at the counter but it still took them awhile to seat me. Just not super impressed but the place is cute & prices are decent. read more

I only wanted to go here bc my friends were all raving about it. I had to wait for about half an hour until I could get a seat, it was soo crowed, but it was honestly worth the wait. The service was great, the employees were so friendly and patient bc I wasn't sure what to get lol they recommended some really good food! This place is great if you're wanting to just hangout with your friends and enjoy a nice bruch together (: read more

Geraldine's Counter - Yuuuuummy! - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Here is a short list of what we ate. Bacon - thick and crispy Biscuits and gravy - plenty of sausage bits in every bite. The biscuits fluffy and not stone hard. French toast - they use sour dough and its crispy on the outside and soft inside. My friend also emphasized the coffee was smooth and delicious. read more

My friend and I went here for the first time today. She had the Geraldines casserole which was really good, just don't ask for sour cream because they'll charge you another $0.75 without telling you. I had the slammin breakfast which was scrambled eggs bacon or sausage and I added French toast instead of the pancakes. The eggs were a little hard for my taste but the sausage was good. If you're really looking for French toast don't order it here. While very, very, very good it is not what I would call french toast. It is crunchy and made on some kind of a hard bread. All in all service was very good and very quick. Will definitely go back. read more

Geraldine's Counter - Slammin plate with French Toast substitution and the Geraldines' Casserole. - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have been a usual customer of Geraldine's since 2012 and I have nothing but high recommendations for this spot. It's super cute, staff is highly skilled and helpful, and the food is delicious! I've never been dissatisfied! My usual is the French toast and it's superb. My daughter and I come here at least once a month. Anytime I have out of town guests, I bring them here. read more

Geraldine's for brunch! This Columbia City gem is not to be missed! Popular spot on the weekends so allow time for the line. Worth the wait! read more

GET THE FRENCH TOAST!!! The man on the phone was quite rude one time I ordered togo, but at the restaurant they are extremely friendly read more

Geraldine's Counter - French Toast - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We have been here many times over the years. I paid as usual with my debit card. The waiter took the card, then returned 10 minutes later and asked me to take out my driver's license. I asked why and he said it was because my card had no chip. Weirdly oppressive and awkward. I went back again ten days later, paid with the same card. Different waiter did not ask for my i.d. No problem. read more

Great location, great food great ambience all I could ask for a small little restaurant and always is busy for good

I will admit I had only one thing on the menu; however, that one thing certainly warrants the five stars: the French toast. I have never before had, nor have I ever had since, a better piece of French toast. Made with a fresh peach compote and a side of syrup, it was fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and I could've eaten a loaf of it because it tasted so good (though a half order of two pieces filled me up perfectly well). Highly recommend for anyone in the area - and definitely worth a trek if not in the area. However, it does get busy quickly, so go early if you have a group or want a table as opposed to sitting at the bar area. read more

This place is a brunch staple for us--their biscuits are as big as your head, and just as delicious. We've only done dinner once, and I had the meatloaf. It was ok, but gave me the worst heartburn I've ever had. I don't know...maybe we'll give it another chance for dinner, but for now I am happy with keeping this as a breakfast place only. It's a good place to bring visitors and guests, although if you're with anyone from the Senior set, they will complain that it's too noisy. It is a family joint, after all. I recommend the biscuits n' gravy (awesome gravy with just the right creaminess and pepper) and the arugula egg sandwich. The breakfast casserole is good too--the fresh salsa served with it makes the dish. read more

Excellent food, wonderful service, and the customers were even great! The special ravioli, which was lobster today, was wonderful! It was a tad saltier than it probably needed to be - but was still an A+ as evidenced by the fact that I finished my meal - a rarity for little tiny tummy me. I would have given this place a 5 star if the ravioli was a hair less salty. The brownie a la mode, which sounds simple and fairly boring, was anything but. I hate nuts in brownies, yet, there were nuts in this brownie and I loved it! The ice cream was excellent, and there was some kind of fruit sauce as well as the chocolate sauce, and it was heavenly. The waitress (was that Geraldine herself?) was wonderful - friendly, prompt, and funny too. My only regret is Seattle isn't going to be a regular place I'll visit - so I won't get to enjoy more of the food here :( read more

Ok, so the first time we went to Geraldine's for breakfast I made the mistake of getting the French Toast. It's not that the french toast was bad, it just didn't blow me away like the other reviews had specified. But luckily my girlfriend ordered an omelette and I was blown away! Every time back has been a complete joy! They have amazing hash-browns, ridiculously good biscuits, and the homemade coffee cake is "to die for". Have to go back every weekend...if only we were trust-fund babies. read more

2 Stars dinner, 5 Stars breakfast/lunch. First, I have to say I really enjoy breakfast and lunch here. When i decided to try it for dinner I on Thursday for the buttermilk chicken special, I was expecting something better. It wasn't Swanson chicken bad, it just wasn't good. The chicken was unremarkable and the mash potatoes rather bland. I even wondered if they were from a mix. The broccoli and cauliflower medley was quite good. Service is always terrific. I will be back for breakfast and lunch but will probably skip the dinner menu in the future. read more

We came here for dinner using our Groupon. I can't speculate on any other meals but dinner. I give GC four stars because the service was excellent. Everyone working was really nice, and that means a lot to me. The food was so-so. I suspect breakfast is the sweet spot at GC. I had the turkey meatballs and spaghetti and it was just OK. I felt like the meatballs could have used some zip and they were a little dry. My girlfriend had the lobster ravioli and it was OK. I think we both thought the ravioli was a little more than al dente, almost crunchy still. It was also way too air conditioned in the restaurant. I tend to run on the hot side in general so it must have been really chilly for everyone else. The highlights were definitely the service, the strawberry lemonade (yum!) and the bigger than life banana split that we shared (but shouldn't have because we about exploded). I think we'll be back for breakfast. read more

I am from San Diego and there is a breakfast place called The Cottage that is my absolute favorite... So in visiting Seattle, I can definitely say that Geraldine's definitely meets my standards for breakfast foods! LOVE this place! And if I ever come back to visit, I am coming here again! I wasn't too thrilled with my own dish-- Geraldine's casserole. I just read the ingredients and my mouth watered, and I wanted to try something specific to the restaurant, so that's why I got it. It wasn't bad, it just tasted like any other omelette with a ton of cheese and some cream. I ate most of it, but it was definitely heavy. I was torn with what to get since I didn't see any reviews on this casserole. Still enjoyable, just not my fave. What I did keep seeing was reviews on the FRENCH TOAST...and now I know why. AAAHHHHHH-MMMAAAAZZZZZIIINNNNG! It tasted like a fancy donut, still like french toast, but I love donuts--therefore, I loved this french toast :) Everyone decided to order their own dish and then split a dish of the french toast. Good idea. I was a little disappointed that the "full size" was only 3 slices though. Really? We even clarified with the waiter. So, what the heck is the 1/2 size? It was a good thing we got the full order then to split between 4 people. Either way, everyone else cleaned off their plates of burgers, ha. Minus 1/2 star because I can't rate it higher than my fave in SD :) [they're french toast is still my #1 AND the full plate is like 6 huge slices!] Minus the other 1/2 star because paying can be difficult with groups since they only accept 1 credit card :/ read more

The one major detraction from this restaurant is the wait. I know that's not really a fault of the restaurant for being so popular, but it is something that needs to be taken into account when writing a review. Anyhow, we waited for quite a while, shuffling around in the foyer trying to keep warm. It was well worth it though. The food was excellent and as close to home cooking as you're going to get. Our waitress was very friendly and always ready with the refills. This is the perfect place for a large family get together on a weekend morning. It just has that family atmosphere to it. If you're less than 4 people though, I would recommend going somewhere else just to avoid the wait. But if you're a lot of people who will likely wait elsewhere anyhow, this is most definitely a place you should stop in at! read more

GREAT brunch, homey atmosphere. The avocado omelet was to die for and my boyfriend's order of corned beef hash looked pretty tasty too. Prepare to wait for a table on a weekend morning. We met THE Geraldine and even she had to wait about 45 minutes for a table! Very kid friendly. read more

I live in West Seattle and I consider Geraldine's the "Greek diner" plus plus you have down the street if you have lived in Manhattan. On second thought, the food is far superior - it is actually wonderful. The diner piece is the comfort of Geraldine's. It is a blast for breakfast, a wait even if you come right when it opens. But the staff is professional and fast and one always feels welcome. It is a great fallback for good food at reasonable prices for dinner when I don't want to cook and I just want a really super pleasant experience. I love this place Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. The french toast, the coffee cake, the bacon, the BLT...almost everything is extraordinary. As you can see, most of these reviews are 4 or 5 stars. I don't get the 3 star posts. I eat out almost every night and lots of lunches and breakfasts. They know who they are and they deliver consistently, day in and day out! Oh, and the kid watching is an added bonus. Lots of adorable babies and parents who are super respectful of their childless dining compadres! read more

We've always been curious about this neighborhood diner, so we decided to poke in a few evenings ago (for our weekly "breakfast for dinner" night). It's definitely a step up from a "greasy spoon"- type place, but not worth the (very) high prices. We wound up splitting a bloody mary, which was awesome. Our meals were just okay. I wasn't floored, and, frankly, I'm confused how they are always busy. There are better deals and service to be had. I think we saw our waiter a total of 3 times and had to get our own napkins and silverware from the bar. If you're in the area, swing by to splurge on a bloody mary (and sit at the bar / avoid the long wait). Otherwise, there are much better brunch options around. read more