Start Your Day at Crescent Cafe

Crescent Cafe has been a beloved breakfast spot for years with its freshly baked goods and inventive dishes made with local ingredients, but now there is even more of this small cafe to love. 

Nora Lamb, Owner and Operator of Crescent Cafe, purchased the established restaurant in 2015. Lamb kept much of the original cafe’s charm but has recently added several much-needed updates. “In April 2023, we expanded the restaurant dining space. We now occupy the space where the well-known RibSlayer BBQ once was. The expansion has not only allowed us more dining space (which we have greatly needed for years) but it also gave us the space to create a dedicated bakery,” said Lamb.

Lamb has “worked in restaurants for 25 years and I can truly say, I love this industry. At just 15 years old, I started working … as a server at a breakfast chain [and] a night line cook in a Mexican restaurant in Casper, Wyoming.” Lamb earned a degree in Social Science, but decided the corporate world wasn’t right for her. “After my daughter was born in 2013 I knew it was time for me to permanently commit to restaurant life … My daughter inspired me to take the next step into ownership,” said Lamb.

Ideally situated on Third Street, Crescent Cafe was a dream come true for Lamb. The cafe is “a full from-scratch kitchen and bakery. Our 40-year-old sourdough starter is the star of our house-made breads. Much of our produce is either locally sourced or grown on our private farm” said Lamb. 

The menu features classic comfort food made with high-quality and homemade ingredients, like bourbon vanilla French toast, caramelized banana pancakes, veggie crepes, pork biscuits and gravy, and pear bacon blue cheese sandwich, among others. “My team truly takes pride in cooking and serving beautiful creative dishes. Every weekend you will be dazzled with exciting specials in addition to our regular menu, so even the daily regular has something new to try,”  said Lamb. 

Diners can also drop by for a variety of baked goods to go, including cinnamon rolls, muffins, danishes, turnovers, and coffee cake. Lamb is also looking forward to expanding their bakery program. “We are working on new recipes and are excited to share a wider selection of baked goods to both our daily guests and wholesale customers,” said Lamb.

Locals are excited about the new space–and the shorter waiting times–and Lamb “is eternally grateful for all the love and support I’ve received from this community. This is a tumultuous industry. Feeling like we are a part of your family is the most beautiful thing about it.” 

Crescent Cafe
526 Northeast 3rd Street
Open: Wednesday-Monday 
7:00AM to 2:00PM

Kate H. Knapp (she/her) works as a writer, recipe tester, and editor in McMinnville. She loves nothing more than sharing the beauty of food with her little one and has been cooking since she herself was stove-high and whisk-strong.

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