I was thoroughly impressed with the chicken-fried steak at Brick & Mortar Cafe in Albany. The portion was generous, the gravy was a highlight, and the friendly service and good energy made the whole meal feel easy to recommend. If you are putting together a list of places to try in your search for Oregon’s best chicken-fried steak, I would make room for this one. Come hungry, and give yourself enough time to enjoy downtown afterward.
You will find Brick & Mortar at 222 First Avenue West, Suite 4, in Albany’s historic downtown. It serves breakfast and lunch in the Flinn Block complex, where the story stretches back to nineteenth-century banking and retail. That setting gives you something to appreciate before the food arrives, especially once you have seen an old photograph of the building. The elaborate facade in that picture belongs to the same downtown where you can now sit down to a plate covered in sausage gravy.
For anyone passing through the Willamette Valley, this is a reason to spend a little time in Albany. Breakfast here can be the beginning of a visit to the old commercial district, with its closely spaced storefronts and surviving architectural details. I would start with the chicken-fried steak, but a look through the menu gives everyone else at the table plenty to consider. A sweet breakfast person and a gravy person should both be able to find a plan.
The Portion and Gravy Sold Me
The chicken-fried steak made the strongest impression on me for two straightforward reasons: the amount of food and the gravy. A generous plate is welcome, but the part I especially appreciated was having a gravy worth looking forward to with it. Those are the details I would mention first if a friend asked whether to order it. Along with the friendly service, they are why this meal stood out to me…