Beth's Cafe

Beth's Cafe is a former 24-hour restaurant in Seattle, Washington, United States. Located on Aurora Avenue North in the Green Lake neighborhood, it is known largely for its "greasy spoon" cuisine and large portions.[1][2] Beth's opened in 1954 and has remained at the same location since, under various owners. It closed in 2021 but reopened in 2023.

Beth's Cafe
The front entrance to Beth's Cafe on Aurora Avenue
Restaurant information
Established1954 (1954)
Owner(s)Chris Dalton
Food typeGreasy spoon
Street address7311 Aurora Avenue North
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Postal/ZIP Code98103
Coordinates47°40′56″N 122°20′41″W
Websitebethscafe.com

Beth's Cafe was popular among young Seattle residents during late-night hours. The walls are covered in artwork produced by patrons, along with quotes such as "I lost my virginity at Beth's" and "Pre-Game for Beth's" accompanied by a depiction of a young man smoking out of a bong. The restaurant and its "Southwestern Exposure" 12-egg omelette challenge were featured in a 2009 episode of Man v. Food. The cafe had also been noted in Seattle guidebooks by Lonely Planet and Moon Publications among others.[3][4][5][6]

History

In 1954, Beth's Cafe was opened by Beth and Harold Eisenstadt. It started out as a nickel slot gambling parlor but transformed into a restaurant to keep customers around.[7]

On June 1, 1998, the cafe had to be temporarily shut down after some cardboard in a dumpster behind the restaurant unexpectedly caught fire and caused substantial structural damage.[8]

In 2002, Chris Dalton answered a classified ad selling Beth's and became the latest owner of the breakfast eatery. After Dalton's purchase, Beth's started to add home-baked goods, many previously frozen and canned ingredients were switched over to fresh ingredients (such as meats, chili, corned beef hash, etc.), and vegetarian options became available.[7] Beth's is famous for its wide array of breakfast food, accounting for 80 percent of its business. Beth's runs through more than 450,000 eggs per year. In 2014, Beth's celebrated its sixtieth anniversary with weekly specials that included 1950s pricing and hosted a 1950s-themed party.[9][10]

Beth's was put up for sale in 2019 so that Dalton could focus on treatment for stage four pancreatic cancer, but no buyer was found.[11] Dalton died in April 2020. Beth's closed in October 2020 due to occupancy restrictions enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] The restaurant briefly re-opened on July 8, 2021, under the management of Hazel Dalton,[13] closing again two months later.[14] It re-opened on February 1, 2023, with limited hours, closing at 3 or 5 p.m.[15]

12 egg omelette

Beth's Cafe is well known for its 12-egg omelette; the restaurant and this menu item are listed in 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die and other books.[16][17][18] There are six varieties of their omelettes, with the "Triple Bypass", a mixture of bacon, sausage, ham, and two types of cheese, being the most popular. The 12-egg omelettes are served on a pizza tray with all-you-can-eat hash browns and toast and are intended for sharing. Prizes are not awarded for finishing the 12-egg omelette.[19]

In a 2009 episode of Man v. Food, host Adam Richman took part in the 12-egg omelette challenge. Richman and a previous omelette challenge winner competed to finish a Southwestern Exposure 12-egg omelette (filled with cheddar, sour cream, salsa, and brisket chili). Richman and his competitor could not finish the omelette.[20] After the Man vs. Food episode aired there was a significant rise in business that sometimes resulted in an hour and a half wait times for patrons.[21]

References
  1. Jason Robey. "World's Best Places to Pig Out". Travel Channel. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  2. "Nightlife", Not For Tourists Guide to Seattle 2017, Skyhorse, 2016, p. 11, ISBN 9781510710634
  3. Humphrey, Clark (2011), Walking Seattle: 35 Tours of the Jet City's Parks, Landmarks, Neighborhoods, and Scenic Views, Wilderness Press, p. 115, ISBN 9780899976914
  4. Chickowski, Ericka (2012), Moon Washington, Moon Publications / Avalon Travel, p. 123, ISBN 9781612382616
  5. Sainsbury, Brendan; Brash, Celeste (2014), "Green Lake", Seattle, Lonely Planet, p. 380, ISBN 9781743218273
  6. Schultz, Patricia (2011), "Seattle's Coffee Culture", 1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die, Workman, p. 900, ISBN 9780761163367
  7. Belle, Rachel (June 3, 2014). "Beth's Cafe: Seattle Favorite 24/7 Greasy Spoon Turns 60". My Northwest. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  8. Eric Feigenbaum (June 1, 1998). "Arson temporarily closes Beth's Cafe". The Daily of the University of Washington. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  9. Denn, Rebekah (May 29, 2014). "At Beths' Cafe, 60 years old, 450,000 eggs a year". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  10. Hill, Megan (May 20, 2014). "Beth's Café Turns 60, 611 Supreme Closes, and More Food News". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  11. "Green Lake staple Beth's Cafe listed for $685,000". September 27, 2019. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  12. "After 66 years, Seattle's legendary Beth's Café closes, for now". October 14, 2020. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  13. "Seattle's iconic Beth's Cafe to reopen its doors for first time in months". July 7, 2021. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  14. Guarente, Gabe (September 7, 2021). "Future of Green Lake Classic Beth's Cafe Up in the Air After Post-Labor Day Closure". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  15. Lacitis, Erik (February 1, 2023). "Beth's Cafe is back in Seattle with its 12-egg omelet". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  16. Schultz, Patricia (2011). 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die. Workman Publishing Company. p. 900. ISBN 978-0-7611-6336-7.
  17. Stern, J.; Stern, M. (2011). Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 800 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More. Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony. p. 548. ISBN 978-0-307-59125-8. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  18. Flood, Chuck (2017). Lost Restaurants of Seattle. Arcadia Publishing. p. 259. ISBN 978-1-4396-6262-5. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  19. "Beth's Cafe". Archived from the original on November 13, 2006. Retrieved November 15, 2006.
  20. "The 12-Egg Omelet Challenge". Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  21. Perry, Julien (July 19, 2013). "A Day in the Life of the Beth's Cafe General Manager". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
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