When they were traveling across the nation as a military family, Kristy Cross, her husband and her four kids always found themselves at cozy, homey, eclectic diners. Inspired and imaginative, they would sketch on paper napkins what their own cafe could look like. Seventeen short years ago, when Cross’s husband began building homes in Redmond and found an old dental lab perfect for a new small business, their dream became a reality: One Street Down Cafe.
Just north of downtown, the charming red house sits mid-block. The smell of freshly roasted coffee invites visitors inside, where friendly faces greet and seat eager-to-fill bellies with pancakes made from their family recipe.
“The breads, biscuits and pancakes all came from my grandma,” Cross beamed. She says One Street Down is best known for their benedicts, which the cooks create special versions of daily. “Our t-shirts say, ‘friends with benedicts’ on the back.” Guests with a sweet tooth order cinnamon rolls bigger than their faces, stuffed french toast and homemade chai crafted with the help of Thump. For lunch, the cafe serves sandwiches, soups and salads.
One Street Down is made possible by local farmers. “I have a front-of-house manager that will go out and shop, and I go shop, and we find local people that help. From there, we fill in,” Cross shared. “We try to get as fresh of produce as we can get.”
Besides the freshest foods and tastiest treats, One Street Down may be more known for their ability to foster tradition, heart and community. Regulars line the front counter, a cheery bunch known as the “Counter Intelligence Group.”
“They never miss a day. We’ve been here long enough that we’ve walked through births and weddings and deaths,” Cross remarked, “It’s a home for many. I have girls that were with me when we opened who are still servers here.” Today, Cross’s mom sits at the counter, quietly reading with a cup of tea as the cafe bustles with energy.
Cross hopes one day, when she is gone, One Street Down continues to thrive as a welcoming “hangout place.” With her kids busy raising kids of their own, Cross sees her staff as family who could keep grandma’s recipes alive for generations to come.
Runner up: Brand 44°N
One Street Down Cafe
Daily 7am-2pm
124 SW 7th St., Redmond
onestreetdowncafe.com/
This article appears in Best of Central Oregon 2025 and the Source August 21, 2025.
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