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.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

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

Photo courtesy of Kristi Nebel
Folk duo Steve and Kristi Nebel will be among the musical acts performing at the Edmonds Arts Festival, which takes place Friday through Sunday.
Photo courtesy of Kristi Nebel
Folk duo Steve and Kristi Nebel will be among the musical acts performing at the Edmonds Arts Festival, which takes place Friday through Sunday.
Coming events in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

Audi SQ8 Wows In Motion Or At Rest. Photo provided by Audi America MediaCenter.
2025 Audi SQ8 Is A Luxury, Hot Rod, SUV

500 Horsepower and 4.0-Second, 0-To-60 MPH Speed

The Mukilteo Boulevard Homer on Monday, May 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Homer Hedge’: A Simpsons meme takes root in Everett — D’oh!

Homer has been lurking in the bushes on West Mukilteo Boulevard since 2023. Stop by for a selfie.

Sarah and Cole Rinehardt, owners of In The Shadow Brewing, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In The Shadow Brewing: From backyard brews to downtown cheers

Everything seems to have fallen into place at the new taproom location in downtown Arlington

Bar manager Faith Britton pours a beer for a customer at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burgers, brews and blues: Madison Avenue Pub has it all

Enjoy half-price burgers on Tuesday, prime rib specials and live music at the Everett mainstay.

Ellis Johnson, 16, left, and brother Garrett Johnson, 13, take a breather after trying to find enough water to skim board on without sinking into the sand during opening day of Jetty Island on Friday, July 5, 2019 in Everett, Wash. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Epic ways to spice up your summer

Your ultimate guide to adventure, fun and reader-approved favorites!

Everett High School graduate Gwen Bundy high fives students at her former grade school Whittier Elementary during their grad walk on Thursday, June 12, 2018 in Everett, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Literally the best’: Grads celebrated at Everett elementary school

Children at Whittier Elementary cheered on local high school graduates as part of an annual tradition.

A bear rests in a tree in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. (U.S. Forest Service)
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest transitioning to cashless collections on June 21

The Forest Service urges visitors to download the app and set up payments before venturing out to trailheads and recreation sites.

The 2025 Jeep Gladiator pickup, in one of its more outrageous colors (Provided by Jeep).
2025 Jeep Gladiator is a true truck

The only 4x4 pickup with open-air abilities, Gladiator is more than a Wrangler with a bed.

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.