Mill Creek has a new breakfast & lunch spot. The Rusty Pelican Cafe is now open in the Maple Leaf shopping area @ 15704 Mill CreekBlvd Mill Creek, WA 98012
They opened on Friday-May 3rd, but we wasted no time checking it out. We went for breakfast on Sunday- May 5th, wondering if there would be any kinks.
Loved the place. First impressions: I like that they took a smaller footprint for the restaurant than previous tenants. I had alway felt that the Chef Chen & Patty’s Egg Nest were kind of cold or cafeteria-like because of their wide open space & pastel decor. Patty’s did try to make it less so with an all booth concept, but missed the mark. The decor is still light & open with a beach ( Rusty Pelican ) theme, but is much more inviting with warm browns, beige & bits of blue.
A family run business, this is the third Rusty Pelican Cafe to open, following locations in Wallingford (7 years) & Downtown Edmonds (14 months). The family is originally from Chicago; they moved to Seattle area in 2000 & have had the Rusty Pelican in Wallingford area of Seattle for 7 years.
Peter & Marilyn run the restaurants with the help of their twin daughters, who are also partners. In addition to the Rusty Pelican Cafe, the family runs the Gyro Delight in Lynnwood which serves authentic, but fast Greek food.
Back to breakfast – I had the Farmer’s Market omelet choosing fruit instead of homemade potatoes & a generous hunk of rhubarb almond coffee cake instead of toast. The omelet was excellent — a generous 3 eggs with green peppers, tomato, zucchini, mushrooms & spinach topped with Swiss Cheese & sliced avocado. a small side dish loaded with cut cantaloupe & honeydew melon. The coffee cake was fresh out of the oven with a crisp crust & light flaky body. Only complaint — I could not finish it all.
The husband had the “Original” Eggs Benedict with potatoes. I asked how the Hollandaise sauce was since this is what can make or break a Benedict & he said good; his plate was empty. The sauce had looked a bit thin to me, but I wasn’t quick enough to get a taste. Drat! Next time for sure.
Back the next day to try lunch, I selected the Pelican Burger with cheese. Hot patty on a light toasted bun piled high with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles & mayo. Dill pickle on the side. From homemade fries, salad or soup, I chose the salad. I was expecting it to come on the same plate as the burger, but it was served first as a full-on starter salad — chilled plate, crisp romaine, plenty of tomatoes, onion & crispy croutons. With the cheeseburger there was a small side of cole slaw which was good, but a surprise because the menu didn’t indicate it would be included. The salad was enough. It also had a surprising sweet flavor reminiscent to icing. It was not bad, just surprising. I usually find cole slaw to be tart and/or tangy. Do tell.
Things to know:
- Open Daily 8AM to 3PM
- Breakfast served all day.
- Orders to Go & Boxed Lunches for meetings or gatherings.
- Whole homemade pies & cakes are available for order for parties & special occasions.
- The restaurant may be reserved for private parties in the evening.
Contact: 425-585-0525
Visit their website: rustypelicancafe.com
