Riley's Cafe

Was disappointed in the place. Read good reviews so thought we would give it a try. Music too loud, service so-so. People came in after us, we're waited on before us. Husband ordered an omelet almost could see it on the plate. I ordered the Boston Fish sandwich, was more bread and condiments than fish, again very disappointed. 15 bucks for bread, lettuce, tomatoes and a thin piece of white fish(I think).I ordered the potato soup and will have to admit it was good. Over priced for the quality and quantity of food. Won't be going back!

Really understated restaurant. Small and family run. Great breakfast menu, they serve lunch as well. Try the Rileys Benedict and add a side of taters, you won't leave hungry.

1st off- bonus points for the wonderful hint of rosemary & butter with the fried potatoes in my breakfast. I had the Cedar Rapids shipwreck/scramble. Eggs perfectly done & really good rye toast. Combine that with the screen porch seating & it was an excellent breakfast. The cocktail menu looked tempting. Someone near me ordered a blueberry mimosa- & was raving about it. Easy parking- I’ll be back!

I stopped into Riley’s Cafe during their soft opening and asked the staff what the most challenging breakfast dish was. They told me the Benedicts—so I ordered the Salmon Benedict, and it was absolutely spot on. The eggs were perfectly cooked, the toppings paired really well with the salmon, and the portion was super filling. For the price, especially for a salmon dish, it was a great value. I chose the American Fries as my side—they were fresh, lightly crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. Exactly how they should be. Service was excellent, and I’ve got to give the kitchen staff credit for pulling off such a well-executed meal while still training. Definitely recommend checking it out!

Many will remember the iconic neighborhood diner that kept its doors open during storms, holidays, and pretty every other day for decades. I speak of Riley's (previously Tommy's) on First Avenue. I hope to know more about the history of this wonderful restaurant from the Cedar Rapids foodie community. My own patronage began in the late 80s and was really the start of my love affair with that beloved American institution, the diner. I spent countless mornings ensconced in a cozy booth, talking of the momentous and the trivial and developing my taste for shipwrecks, omelets, Benedicts, and the chicken fried steak. I felt a genuine sense of loss when it closed its doors, which had welcomed me for so long. The Riley's name was applied to other restaurants at other locations, but none of them resonated with me like the original. Imagine my delight when I walked into a brand new (since Labor Day '24) iteration of the Riley's diner and felt instantly at home. Riley's Cafe on 5th echoes the vibe of the original to a T. One of the owners, Darci, took the time to chat with me for a few moments and I could really sense how much she cared about the name, the history, and the patrons of the original restaurant. The setting is full-on cozy diner, with musical memorabilia adorning the walls, comfortable seating, a relaxed atmosphere, and plenty of light courtesy of the unique porthole windows retained from the buildings previous life as Boston Fish. My partner and I settled into our seats and perused the menu. The menu will be completely familiar to diners at the previous location, containing many of the same dishes, such as the eponymous Cedar Rapids shipwreck. But, quite wisely, the new owners have streamlined the menu to be more manageable both for the keeping of perishable inventory and (I would imagine) the efficiency of the kitchen. I ordered a build-your-own shipwreck (which to my regular readers will come as no surprise), consisting of two scrambled eggs, home fries (skillet fried potatoes), pepperjack cheese, onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, and an unusual breakfast meat (for me) polska kielbasa. The eggs were light and delicious, the potatoes were also delish, well-cooked, but still retaining all their flavor. The vegetables were diced to a medium-fine and fully cooked on the flattop. Also joining the party on the griddle was the kielbasa, which had been cut into thin coins, which were in turn cut in half. This rendered this particularly dense sausage into almost delicate bites, most welcome. I want to point out here that many kitchens do not spend this amount of time cutting the sausage, quite often simply cutting it into largish sections on the bias and leaving it at that. I eat a lot of shipwrecks, but this one stood out, although not for long as my plate was clean in what seemed like only a few minutes! My partner made an excellent choice with the breakfast quesadilla, choosing ham as the meat. The tortilla was crisped just so, and the fillings were in perfect proportion. Out of proportion dishes are somewhat of a pet peeve of mine. In the case of the breakfast quesadilla, there are often too many eggs, so the flavor of the griddled tortilla is lost. Not so with this example. Every bite had just the right texture and blend of flavors, and I was hard pressed to not eat two breakfasts! It was also served with generous helpings of salsa (mild), guacamole, and sour cream. All of which complimented the dish very well. To say that I am thrilled to have this diner back in my life would be an understatement, I will definitely be going back again... and again. Riley's is back, and thank goodness for that. @RickiGoesOut