Bring The Family To Get Plum Stuffed In The Highlands

The spinning arsenal of desserts will have to wait another day. Mile high chocolate cakes and a variety of pies caught our eye as we entered, but entree portions are so large that no one in our party had room to rate them. This place is a true throwback to family dining.

Doily lampshades and garish rose wallpaper, check. Fabric hydrangeas and paint-by-number wolf portraits, check. Even the bathrooms smell like a country gift shop, heavy on the potpourri. is hardly out in the country, smack dab in the middle of retirement community heaven on Northeast Sunset Boulevard.

While known for their breakfast, we split the difference between their menus since it was noon. Peach Stuffed French Toast off the daily special menu topped the bill at $11.99. Before the Toast arrived, a sizable "side plate" of two eggs, bacon, and sausage came out making this a breakfast easily shared by two. Sadly, I watched my out of town guest scrape the sugary glue of toppings off his thick Texas toast, while he noted that the French Toast itself was pleasant and the eggs over easy were commendably just that. Whipped cream tasted like artificial whipped topping. 

My husband went for his breakfast metric, Biscuits and Gravy ($10.99) with two eggs of your choice, plus hash browns. The menu touts biscuits that are homemade — cakey and crumby, yet not fluffy. Scrambled eggs were described as "institutional," and hash browns screamed Sysco.

You may not equate Plum Delicious with great hamburgers, but the Classic Cheeseburger ($9.39) was the star of our meal. The patty is an impressive 10 ounces of beef, hand-pressed, flame-grilled, served on a kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato and pickle, plus your choice of fries, soup, salad, coleslaw, or fruit. If you like your burgers on the juicy side, make sure to tell your server as they come medium well otherwise. My co-diner remarked on enjoying the sweetness of her coleslaw, preferring that to the tart vinegary style.

Torn between a Reuben, the Club Sandwich, or a French Dip, I asked our server for a recommendation — the Club seemed too safe, the high-lighted French Dip intrigued me, but I regrettably ordered the suggested Big Reuben ($9.89). It was by no means terrible, but by no means memorable. It didn't come with pickles, but when I asked our server, she swiftly produced a plate of three on the house. Fries were tasty and generous. The Sweet Potato Fries are not worth the $5 upgrade.

Coffee ($2.30) is constantly refilled, and high quality for a diner — Boyd's coffee from Portland. The drink specials are a bargain, with $5 Bloody Marys; however, I was enticed into a Bacon Bloody Mary made with Bakon potato vodka. When the bill came it was $8.69, not worth the upgrade in my opinion as the main difference was a slightly spicier drink.

Plum Delicious has won numerous awards for their breakfast and you're likely to find a twelve-top of Rentonians, spanning four generations of family dining there. They offer loyalty points to frequent diners, and if you choose to dine at Plum twice in one day you're offered a discount off your second meal. I'll bet it's a lot better than the food served at the local rest homes. You can also enroll in their Royalty Rewards program which tracks your points and rewards you with gift certificates, and free birthday meals.

The weather didn't cooperate with us, but there is a patio with umbrella tables beckoning outside, should the sun decide to shine. Enjoy summer with a hand-pressed burger, a $5 Bloody Mary, and keep your fork handy — there's pie.

3212 Northeast Sunset Boulevard
Renton, Washington 98056

Mon through Fri: 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sat: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sun 7am-9pm

425.255.8510
425.226.3849