I decided to check out the recently opened Tigers Cafe the other day, curious to find out what had become of the space that formerly housed Portland’s awesome-but-defunct waffle house/art gallery Jace Gace. The results are decidedly mixed. Like Jace Gace, Tigers Cafe offers a potentially interesting mix. But, unlike Jace Gace, they’ve spread themselves too thin trying to please everyone. Tigers Cafe is trying to be a coffee shop, a Lebenese restaurant, a neighborhood pub, and more (taco Mondays? come on…), while also paying homage to their waffle-making predecessors.

Here’s where their eclectic approach is dead on: the falafel waffle. Genius! Delicious!

The falafel waffle’s the show-stopper on the waffle menu, and waffle menu is what saves this young and confused establishment from a wholly unfavorable review. Tigers also offers traditional, cornmeal, or vegan waffles with a good mix of sweet or savory toppings. Check out the Three Sides (tradtional waffles, sweetened with honey and walnuts, topped with prosciutto, brie, and apples) or the Avocado Rancheros (vegan waffle with black beans, avocado, tofu sour cream, and rancheros sauce), for instance.

There’s much I would change about Tigers Cafe if I could: I’d get rid of the plasma TVs, the store-bought muffins (if I wanted spudnickers, I’d go to the Costco myself), the soft drink displays, and the mid ’90s music. On the whole, however, I think this still merits a visit, if only for the aspects left over from Jace Gace: the art (you should check out the new murals), the sunny and spacious front patio and, of course, the waffles.

Location: 2045 SE Belmont, 97214

Hours: 9 am to 7 pm Monday-Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm Sunday