January 18, 2008
by Karen Persson of The Columbian

Carol's Corner Cafe in Vancouver offers hearty breakfast dishes. Shown here are a full order of french toast and a six-egg veggie omlette with a biscuit. (ZACHARY KAUFMAN/The Columbian)

Why: Carol's Corner Café shares the intersection at 78th Street and St. Johns Road in Vancouver with three gas station mini marts - hardly a favorable location compared to restaurants that are positioned near strip malls and office buildings. Yet this diner boasts a stand-alone reputation.

Atmosphere: It's bustling with activity on Sunday morning. A large wait staff handles the constant flow of customers seeking to satisfy their appetites. The building is well-maintained and the dining is comfortable. Seating options include booths, tables and bar stools at the counter. The full house was loud, but I found it was pleasantly lively.

The menu: Breakfast, lunch and dinner offer a diner-style assortment of dishes.

Lunch favorites are the sandwiches and homemade soups. A popular dinner choice is the prime rib, which comes with potatoes (baked, mashed or french fries) or rice, vegetables, a dinner roll and your choice of soup or salad.

Glancing around at the breakfast crowd, I noticed the hash browns are a breakfast favorite.

Omelettes come in full-size orders, which are made with six eggs. A half order is made with three eggs. A full order of french toast is four slices and a half order is two.

What I tried: I decided on the french toast with bacon and a side of hash browns. The french toast is made with bread bathed in a generous dose of egg. It came with hot syrup and plenty of butter to top each piece.

The hash browns arrive in huge portions and are twice the thickness of the standard-size shred. If you prefer mostly browned hash browns, don't shy away from these just yet. With the larger-sized shred, the hash browns have a stronger potato flavor. They are slightly firm with a zing of buttery goodness. Adding salt and pepper is up to you. Bacon at Carol's is thick, meaty and more chewy than crunchy. A side of bacon is $4.95 and worth every penny.

Biscuits are huge with a moist cake-like consistency. Gravy has a classic sausage flavor. Scrambled eggs are completely cooked without a trace of sliminess and curiously thin. They appear more folded than scrambled; I imagined an enormous spatula for turning them. These, too, are left for you to season as you please.

Quick take: Don't let a full parking lot scare you away. Service at Carol's is fast. Don't expect to be pampered. Although the wait staff is highly efficient, small talk isn't on the menu. Do expect to satisfy your hunger. The food is good and the portions are big.

Cost: Breakfasts cost $2.95 for a half order of oats and toast, up to $12.50 for a full C.C. country omelette (ham, bacon, onion, cheese and six eggs). Lunch sandwiches and burgers are served with your choice of fries, salad or cup of soup and cost $5.95 to $10.95. The prime rib dinner is $13.95 (8 ounces) or $16.95 (12 ounces). Carol's Kids Corner Menu (for children younger than 12 and people 65 and older) offers breakfast for $3.25 to $4.75 and lunch for $4.25 to $5.95.

Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Where: 7800 N.E. St. Johns Road, Vancouver.

Telephone: 360-573-6357.