Maltby Cafe: There’s a reason it’s busy every day

  • By Meredith Munk Special to The Herald
  • Wednesday, October 23, 2013 7:09pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

One of my favorite places to take out-of-town guests for breakfast is Maltby Cafe.

The drive to the restaurant through the countryside makes the destination a surprise for those not familiar with the cafe. Then the crowded parking lot betrays the expectation of a quiet, rural dining spot.

My husband and I took a houseguest there recently late on a weekday morning. Inside, business was bustling, the room was noisy with diners and few tables were available.

On a weekend morning at this time, you can expect to wait for a table. You might find seating at the counter if you are interested.

For those not familiar, the portions are large and the food hearty. The award-winning Maltby Cafe classic offering is its housemade cinnamon roll, which fills an entire meal-sized takeout container.

Omelets are made with three large eggs and come with country fried red potatoes and a choice of Maltby toast (housemade light wheat bread thickly cut) or a buttermilk biscuit.

The omelet names aptly describe their contents: the Whole Hog (sausage, bacon, ham and Tillamook cheddar cheese, $11.95), Manhattan mushroom (sauteed mushroom and onions with Jarlsberg Swiss cheese $11.95), not to mention the Greek, the Godfather, the Russian and the Belltown ($10.95 to $12.95).

My longtime friend from out of state is a corned beef hash aficionado, which I did not know. She ordered the country breakfast with the option of corned beef hash, served with those country fried potatoes and toast or biscuit ($12.95).

She said she was impressed with the visible chunks of pink corned beef. She didn’t say it was good; she just nodded her head and kept eating. Finally, she reported that it was delicious.

Our server, when asked about the ingredients, besides corned beef, potatoes and carrots, said she wasn’t sure what all was in it, but that it was an old family recipe from Butte, Montana, where the family of one of the owner is from.

My friend also ordered hot tea, which was served on a small tray with cup and saucer, teapot, tea bag and what looked like a yellow hard candy. The lemon flavored gumdrop was provided to place in the cup to infuse the tea with a bit of lemon and sweetness when the hot water hits it. That was just plain fun and clever.

Instead of ordering my favorite eggs Benedict, I picked a lighter choice, the two-egg breakfast ($6.25) which came with the thick, toasted Maltby bread, and asked for a small side of hollandaise ($1.25; a large is available for $3.25).

My eggs were poached exactly as I’d hoped: When I cut into them, the warm gooey yolk spread over the crunchy toast.

A few spoonfuls of the lemony Hollendaise over the top of my eggs and bread made my day, although I did reserve one piece of toast so I could enjoy the delicious berry jam.

My husband ordered a country breakfast (two eggs with country fried red potatoes and choice of biscuit or toast), plus bacon ($10.95). The thickly sliced bacon was served crisp and the eggs softly poached, just how he wanted them.

Diners with larger appetites can order one of the scrambles, smaller appetites from the light country breakfasts or the many side order options. Potato and egg fans as well as pancake and French toast lovers can find something to enjoy.

Breakfast is served from 7 to 11:15 a.m. Monday through Friday and all day on weekends. Lunch service starts at 11:30 a.m. and offers more than a dozen burgers, cold and hot sandwiches and salads.

To get into the cafe, which is in the basetment of an old school house, you walk down a flight of steep steps. On this trip, I noticed a diner in a wheelchair and discovered that they have added a gently sloping ramp to the back entrance to accommodate all customers. It was nice to see that addition.

The Maltby is still reliable and steady, and has a few new things to discover, much like an old friend.

Maltby Cafe

  • 8809 Maltby Road, Snohomish; 425-483-3123; www.maltbycafe.com.
  • Specialty: Breakfast.
  • Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
  • Vegetarian options: Yes.
  • Wheelchair accessible: Yes.
Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.