The Totem
4410 Rucker Ave
Everett, WA
(425) 252-3277

The Totem Family Diner has been serving the residents of Everett, Washington since 1953 and I was there with my friends, enjoying some time with them before returning to Seattle again for yet another event. This time, I’ve gone down to checking out BrickCon to get my LEGO on.

I enjoyed relaxing in this diner’s quiet and casual ambience. It had the homey feeling of people coming here to share stories, relax and chill in after a stressful day at the office. One can have soda and coffee refills as often as they like, but when I had an orange juice it was sadly limited to one. Thankfully I was replenished with water to wash the huge Tucson Omelet I ate down. I only needed half of it to keep me going for the rest of the day, and just how I managed two-thirds is a miracle in itself.

I was told by my friends most people are not able to finish their dishes and take the rest home.

Four eggs made up the eye budging meal. A sweetly seasoned and smoked pulled pork lined the inside. The pepper jack cheese oozed with delight and the green peppers crackled as I chewed. I didn’t find the onions special only because I favour the sweeter red variety’s more flavour enhancing, especially raw, over the traditional yellow. This half cake was very filling and I wondered how I was going to wolf down the biscuit that came with it.

I maybe ate the equivalent of one sliced bread to go with the avocado salsa that topped my meal. This topping made this meal king. I had little crouton sized bits of starch to fit into my mouth along with some egg. But I don’t know how anyone can consider this as a small breakfast, let alone a lunch. I’d be afraid. I’m not against large meals but I’m thinking I understand why the obesity rate is high in the United States because some restaurant’s idea of a portion is the size of a dinner plate instead of half.

I even wondered how anyone could handle this diner’s triple meat attack called Bacon Explosion, a meat roll using locally sourced bacon with pork and Andouille sausage all rolled into one! Bacon crumble finishes the surface and I wanted to poke at it with my knife to see if it was alive. My friend ordered it and I hesitated in asking to sample a small bite. But I was in the midst of attempting to lose weight instead of gain. I also prefer to eat healthier when travelling just so my energy levels are balanced so I can enjoy the delights in a city I’ve called my home away from home.

All I can say is that at the Totem, they’ll treat you well and feed you a plenty like a grandma does when you visit her. It’s not too far from the I5, so it’s easy to spot if a break is needed.

This diner is certainly a fixture in the local scene, and when I’ve brought my weight down enough, I’ll let it blow up again by trying that explosion of delight. I could not resist but preserve the sight that which makes up this other dish.

I was tempted to play with fate when I visited my friends on this trip, but alas I wanted to emerge from this sojourn unscathed.

3½ Blokes out of 5