Totem Family Dining

READ the reviews –LOTS RECOMMEND SKIP THIS PLACE!!! WORST MANNERS IN AN OWNER EVER!!! He doesn’t want your business and is happy to let you know! He was RUDE, VERY DISRESPECTFUL, OBNOXIOUS AND I COULD GO ON!!! My senior citizen father was going to breakfast (no family was available to meet him, so he ended up with the booth — alone). The Staff, and then owner DEMANDED that he get up from a booth (in a half empty restaurant — off peak times) and move to the counter to eat his breakfast and drink his coffee!!! We had eaten there many times when his father owned/​ran the place with such great customer service — This son is a punk and was WAY OUT OF LINE. Our family will NEVER eat there again!!! Also, the prices have gone above market, the restrooms are poorly stocked and awkwardly designed, the parking is DANGEROUS along Evergreen. So save your time, money and frustration — there are many better local choices!!! RUN AWAY!!!

Oh my goodness. I came here for the first time today. This is the best place I’ve ever had breakfast at. The food was fabulous! The staff is so attentive and make you feel like family. Portion sizes are generous. Ill be back!

What a breakfast! The bacon is thick, waffles have great flavor, the syrup is hot.
The service is quick and sassy :)
Absolute gem of a place. Easily the best breakfast in all of Everett!

This place is awesome! Just a small home cooked style restaurant serving outstanding food! Went there today around 1:30 in the afternoon and had the chicken fried steak with 2 eggs over easy and o’brian potatoes. The plate was huge! I felt like I was on an episode of man versus food! And the fresh homemade biscuits were also giant! Very good flavor and I will definitely be back!

A buddy and I stopped in for a weekend breakfast. The breakfasts were good, lots of coffee, and fast service. The diner was bright and clean.

Coming from PA to CA one of the things I truly miss is a good diner. So when I was up in WA on a work trip and saw Totem Family Diner, I couldn’t say no. Totem exceeds expectations and has food that you won’t forget. We had the breakfast and let me tell you, best bacon I ever had. The fried potatoes are excellent and flavorful. They also serve biscuits the size of a soft ball. Huge portions if you are into that. Someone next to us ordered the fried steak and it looked like something out of a food magazine– perfect. Awesome Place!

Amazing service at this family-​run restaurant. We were treated like VIP!
The food was very hearty and delicious. Great menu options. Come here hungry – you will be quite satisfied afterwards.

Went here for breakfast. 9am on a Tuesday, tons of tables and booths open. The hostess was cleaning the tables and greeted us with a bad attitude and tried to sit us at a tiny table in the back that had a chair from the 1950s. Looked super uncomfortable. So my fiancé asked if we could sit at a booth. The hostess looked at us like we were from Mars and immediately got clearly frustrated.
We were sat at a booth near the front, given menus, and then ignored. Never asked if we wanted water, even though three other people that entered were served coffee and water. We closed our menus and waited. All the waiters and waitresses walked passed and ignored us.
The hostess tried to sit a man who entered the restaurant at the tiny table in the back, he sat in a booth instead, and was served coffee before we were even looked at.
We left after about ten minutes and won’t be going back.

Everyone was extremely friendly. This is a tiny place when compared to some family restaurants, but that just makes you feel more like family. I had the garlic french dip and my husband had pancakes hash browns, ham, and eggs (sorry I can’t remember the meal number.)
The food was wonderful! My husband’s pancakes were thick and fluffy, the tri tip on my sandwich was not overdone, the au jus was flavorful, and the seasoned fries tasted devine… so not from a freezer bag! We were disappointed that they were out of cinnamon rolls when we got there, but we got there at12:30 pm after a lazy Saturday morning. Will come again!

Huge portions! We had a bit of a wait for a table because it was busy, but our service was great. The food was good and I would go back!

Totem is one of the breakfast eatery recommendations by certain members on SCCC facebook discussion group.
The Totem menu offers good variety and seemingly accurate descriptions. I ordered the European French Toast and a side of strawberries. The French toast, five thick french bread pieces, were served with almonds, a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, and syrup on the side. Definitely a large portion. In fact I would rather receive less french toast and an accompaniment of bacon or fruit. The strawberries were obviously frozen, mostly dethawed. Fruit side selection was limited to applesauce or strawberries for $ 2.80. The seasonings could have been blended more throughly, as there were a few strong cinnamon areas. The overall taste prior to adding butter and syrup was disappointing.
My spouse had a biscuits, sausage, gravey, potato selection. He stated that the gravey was flavorful, seemed fresh prepared, but greasy. The biscuits were good and he was pleased the potatoes were cube-​like with onions and green peppers.
The dining area, rectangular shaped, is crowded or perhaps snug is more appropriate description. Wait staff are very attentive, friendly and although Totem is very busy you are not rushed.
Overall Totem is average, wouldn’t be our first choice.

Always hot & fresh. Pretty busy at times. Friendly staff. Price a little higher. But you always have left overs. Went today at 11am

You must be staving or renovating your kitchen to be desperate enough to eat here. Why dear Lord have they been able to sustain any living with this joint?
There’s no reason to ever go here ever again! I had early morning dentist appointment my amazing hubby drives me into town and we arrive with 45 minutes to spare. Should have gone to McD’s (would have been safer) anyway we order #14 (1 egg, hash browns and 1 slice sourdough toast) and 2 cakes, sausage and scrambled eggs! One bite and hubby spits out the nasty sausage the skin was sloughing off and they appeared as if they had been boiled and then rolled on grill, butter the cakes and the raw wet cake tastes like a really bad leftover batter that is heavy not light and fluffy! And those greasy scrambled egg products! What the hell? Why in gods name would you ask for people to vote you best breakfast? Are you kidding me for this crap food, hell no! The hash browns are over cooked crispy greasy and not edible the egg was greasy and tasteless, Now to be far the toast was ok. When waitress was told that was the worst sausage hubby had ever had her statement was «I love the sausage here» wtf? Not asking you honey I’m telling you this is crap sausage and you want to debate this. Twinkles then brings hubby a slice of ham which was just a bit better. After she handed me the bill for my hard earned $ 20.00 plus bucks I asked for a to go box, which all three dogs gave us the you really can’t possibly expect us to actually eat any of this slop can you look! Yeh we get that too kids. My hubbies guts are screwed up and he never has THAT issue ! Drive on bye and do not stop! Funny the waitress seemed absolutely oblivious too our displayed displeasure. Make it right make it fresh, you’ll only con me into this joint once!

Get ready to eat A LOT!!! Huge portions of good food. I had the chicken fried steak, and it was good but I’ve had better. My fiancé had the waffles and they were scrumptious– soft and fluffy just the way you would want a waffle to be! The hash browns were delish and crispy. To top it off the service was great! They were all really attentive.

We were very impressed by the service and the food! The host was friendly and sat our party of 7 quickly. The busboy brought us drinks in like 30 seconds, and our server was very sweet and helpful.
We really loved the huge cinnamon rolls and the biscuits — all fresh, big and delicious!
We hope to come back next time we are in the area!

My teammates and I came here for pre-​race carbo-​loading! One of the teammates had to coordinate and get headcounts to make reservation.
From outside, this place looks just ok! From inside, it still looks ok! And, bathroom is just ok too! But, look around! This place is packed!!! It’s not because of me and my teammates. Totem Family Dining really has kick-​a$$ breakfast/​lunch! Even with the busy day and short staff, they accommodated us very well. Great service!
Ok… speaking of the food, it was one of the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time. Why? They actually made me hash“brown” And, yes, the omelette I had was also delish! Sun-​dry tomato, basil, cheese, sausage… one of the best I’ve had!!!
Seriously, I would totally come back again!

Came in for a late lunch on a Saturday… got the chicken fried steak with hash and eggs and homemade biscuit. Portions were huge that I could only eat barely half of it. The homemade biscuit was good… Soft and tasty. Other than that, everything else just tasted okay to me (why I gave this place three stars). Employees were very welcoming and friendly. Casual family diner environment.

We’ve tried a few popular breakfast joints in the area, but when we want to treat ourselves to a restaurant breakfast, we always hit up Totem. Sure, the weekends are busy and you have to wait — but it’s worth it at Totem, and you’ll likely find a wait no matter where you go in town for breakfast on the weekend.
Their service has always been fast and friendly — they’ve got a system, and it seems to work. I usually get the classic Totem breakfast, and I have to go for their bacon. It’s REAL thick cut bacon and their secret to perfectly cooked bacon? They bake it in the oven (I asked)! It’s the best bacon I’ve ever had, in a restaurant at least. Their shredded hashbrowns are always cooked and crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. I think you can also get potatoes O’Brien here too, if you want.
Their prices are reasonable, and we don’t mind supporting a local family owned joint. There aren’t many left like Totem!

Upon arrival from Bellingham, I was told that the Totem Family restaurant was the popular breakfast hub in town by the locals waiting for a spot along with the rest of us.
Good thing for me, since I was just looking on Unilocal trying to pick the best one. Glad I did though. 3 friends of mine and I arrived here on a brisk rainy April Saturday morning after meeting up at Starbucks, arriving here around 10:30am. It was popular enough to where there was a notable wait for a table. Glad that it was just 15 – 20 minutes, so it wasn’t bad. Totem family restaurant is similar to IHOP or any diner type restaurant. The food here was pretty glorious, since it was the rage with the locals. The service here was good, although slower, since it was slower than hell, but I guess it’s popular anyway. The server was happy and almost hyper. It seemed like she loves her job and that was great. The overall experience was fun and good. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting Everett or passing through to Seattle or Vancouver, or wherever your travels takes you.
Totem family dining restaurant is located at 4410 Rucker Avenue in Everett. It was pretty cool to drive about an hour after an early morning arrival from Honolulu on Alaska Airlines. There is limited parking here, but thank goodness I found a spot on the upper side of the lot, fronting the restaurant. They accept the major credit cards here, but I was graciously helped out that day by my friend who got my check. The prices here were pretty good, although similar to what I would have expected anywhere for breakfast across the USA. I ended up ordering the ribeye steak with scrambled eggs and a biscuit. I had no idea that the biscuit was going to be ginormous. Thought it would have been like an English muffin sized or something, but nothing like being on steroids! Best thing about the biscuit was that it was soft and amazing in the middle. So good and delicious!
The ribeye steak was ordered medium rare and the eggs scrambled to perfection. I opted for A1 steak sauce and it was the spot that kept on hitting, especially after that long drive from Bellingham to Everett. The ribeye steak was cooked perfectly and the eggs did its thing to satisfy me to the bone. The restaurant was clean and organized. They even have a restroom next to the kitchen, so I went in while waiting for my food to arrive. Always nice to have that amenity while supporting local businesses or shopping. I definitely would recommend this restaurant, since it’s one of the best joints in Everett. Prices are good and the service is quite good, just try to get in earlier, so you can beat the rush. I had a fun time with my friends that day and you will too with yours here at Totem family restaurant.
4.0 solid stars. It was fun.
Support local!
B+

My wife and I have literally driven past this restaurant for years without ever having stopped in to dine. We finally decided to give it a shot.
Free parking can be found in the private parking lot. Discover is an accepted form of payment.
Upon entering this restaurant, one feels transported back in time. Reminded me of a Shari’s/Denny’s but much more out-​dated.
The bathroom is totally awkward. My wife used the bathroom first and both toilet paper rolls were empty and she needed to request additional toilet paper. When it was my turn to use the bathroom, you would think that the toilet paper would’ve been properly re-​stocked. Negative. I had to walk through the kitchen area to access the single restroom. The bathroom is super small and not clean at all. While washing my hands my legs were just about touching the side of the toilet while my nose was just about pressed into the towel dispenser. Most awkward bathroom I’ve ever been in.
My wife was pleased to see that breakfast is served all day. For her meal she ordered the Junior Breakfast for $ 6.55: One egg (she chose scrambled w/​cheese — for an additional $ 1.00), two bacon strips and one small pancake. She enjoyed her egg and pancake; however the bacon was wasted due a funny taste.
I ordered the Clubhouse Sandwich for $ 10.75: Triple decker of bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and turkey on wheat toast. Per the servers suggestion, I ordered the house made french fries as my side. The fries were greasy and limp and were also wasted. I ate about half of my sandwich and agree that the bacon did indeed taste different.
There is an additional charge of $ 1.00 to split plates and an additional charge of $ 1.50 for take-​out orders. There is no alcohol offered.
Overall, I’m glad that we finally stopped here after all these years. I can honestly say that we’ll never dine here again though. It’s just not the type of restaurant that we enjoy.