On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: American (Traditional), Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Diners [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, DowntownMon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
"My absolute favorite place to eat! Every month has a different themed special from another country. Check the website for the current…" read more »
Loading...
There are enough reviews here to convince you it's worth your while.
I would go just for the REAL mashed potatoes. Yum Yum! Strips of potato skin, little bits of potato left in there, but still creamy. Uh Huh. Then there's the fact you can accompany that with a delish slider or grilled cheese, then wash it back with a shake or float or soda or a float-shake-soda? Why not all three?
Yeah, you get it. Go here already. Just make sure it's between 11am and 5pm Monday through Friday.
Blueplate Lunch Counter & Soda Fountain is the kind of place that makes you go 'ooh' before you walk in (if you can find it), but then 'ehh' once you walk out. While primarily a soda counter, Blueplate also offers a very limited lunch menu. There are about five items available daily, and one special of the day. (Beware if you're a finicky eater).
I met a client here for a 1 p.m. luncheon, and it was packed. But since it was lunch on a weekday, things moved along quickly. We were sat a nice large table (relatively speaking), which was perfect as I needed to use their Wi Fi for business. I ordered the Northwest sliders, which were not bad, but pretty uninspiring. The mashed potatoes with which they came were pretty good, also uninspiring. The portions are on the smaller side (but pretty rich/filling), so if you're a hefty eater, I'd recommend eating this as a precursory lunch, maybe an elevensies option.
Service was okay, friendly enough the few times we saw her, but nothing spectacular. All in all, it was all right for what I needed it for, (air conditioning and to conduct my meeting), but I probably won't go out of my way to revisit, sadly. Brilliant idea, unmemorable execution.
I'm A-OK with this place. I like restaurants that feel like old diners, very refreshing to experience when the rest of Portland is turning so super-modern that they'll be out of style very quickly.
Anyway, Blueplate goes the other direction and revisits the soda fountain shop idea. I think it's cute and love it for that alone, but there's only so much you can do with soda fountain drinks. The food isn't that bad, but nothing to rave about at the same time. I had the French Dip and it was very good, but I couldn't elaborate on it if I tried. The Hawaiian soda was good, too.
I'd be back, though.
I have been ordering lunch from Blueplate since it first opened and was perplexed by all the reviews about the rudeness of the staff, until now.
I called yesterday to order lunch, which I have done numerous times in the past with no issue, and was told to hold on. Apparently the server went and asked the chef if he could make the order because she came back on the phone and told me that they wouldn't take my order because they were too busy. Thinking that maybe she thought I was ordering lunch for a large group I asked if they were too busy to make lunch for one. She copped a big attitude and said "yes, we are too busy, ok?!" I said ok and hung up.
I understand that restaurants get busy around the lunch hour and would have been willing to call back at a later time or waited longer for lunch, but was never given the option, just a healthy dose of rudeness.
I will not be inconveniencing them with my orders in the future. Such a shame, the sliders were wonderful.
Had lunch there 2 times this weekend. Small menu with wonderful dishes and excellent milkshakes. 2 daily specials every day along with a small selection of regular items. Very reasonable, quick service, and a cool old fashioned atmosphere make this a place you want to go over and over again. Great mashed potatoes, tomato soup, grilled cheese, meatloaf sandwich, and chicken taquitos. Just missed the meatball sandwich on our return visit which is supposed to be excellent. If you want a cheap, simple, delicious, home-made style lunch this is the place to go.
First a warning- This place is small, turns into a waiting list really fast. We were there at 11 am, at opening, both times and there was a line out the door by 11:30. They deliver to businesses right around them as well as take out delivery. So you are competing with a small cooking area for your food to be done rather quickly.
We went here for lunch TWO days in a row! We saw the special for today and had to be back. Every day- Monday through Friday they have two items that are specials.
There was a Yelp event here last year and ever since then, we couldn't go, we have been wanting to try it.
Yesterday-
I had the grilled cheese $7.00 (adding bacon)with tomato soup. The sandwich was amazing. Crispy bacon and cheese are always a winner in my book! Using the Texas toast was brilliant. All the grease from the bacon and cheddar cheese soaked into half the bread making it extra comfort foody goodness. The tomato soup though tasted like marinara sauce with heavy creme added to it. I didn't bother finishing it. Hubby had the slider burgers $8.00 (added bacon) with basil mayo and cheddar cheese. So good! The burgers were moist and perfectly seasoned. The buns were soft and sweet being paired with the burgers, what a combo! They served mashed potatoes with the burgers and they were pretty dry. They would probably be great with some gravy.
Today- I had to have the sliders all to myself so I ordered those without the mashed potatoes. Why waste food right? Hubby had the item that we saw was on special today from yesterday. Mac and Cheese with mushrooms and bacon $8.00 We also ordered the Caesar salad $7.00 and shared that. The Caesar was really creamy and not overpowering on the garlic or too salty. It was a huge bed of crisp well chilled Romaine lettuce. YUM!
The sliders today weren't as good as yesterday. The burgers were thinner and kinda burned. Still tasty but not the same as the day before. The mac and cheese was baked and had some croutons on top along with some herbed bread crumbs. The pasta wasn't over cooked at all and the creamy cheese mixture was really balanced and tasty.
All told I would go back to try the sliders again, would for sure get the grilled cheese and Caesar salad and still want to try the BLT salad.
Go have some yummy comfort food and get there early!
When my husband and I found out this place was only blocks from our hotel, we had to go. I'd seen this on Food Network's Diners Drive Ins and Dives and while I know Guy gives good TV, I had to see if what he said held true...and in this case it did.
It opens at 11:00 or there abouts (when we went it was more like 11:15 but hey, it's a one man show). We went for the "served everyday" menu, I had the grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup and it was good, the sandwich toasted just like Mom used to do, with a flavorful chunky tomato soup. My Man had the sliders with cheese and bacon and the mashers and it was all good...and he does it all on hot plates...come on, how cool is that? The chocolate malt that my husband had took him back to his childhood days and the Hibiscus slush I had was delish.
Now, he may be a little overwhelmed by his newfound success and notoriety brought on by Food Network fame...but talk to the guy and he is a passionate cook and has a really really good thing that I really hope isn't screwed up by people expecting something that it's not.
LindySez - It's a lunch counter...enjoy!
Why haven't I been back here?
I don't know the answer to this. I suppose I've spent less time downtown than I used to. And now that I live on NW 21st, I never feel the need to walk far to find the perfect place for lunch. But this is the perfect place for lunch. I've been twice, and both times the atmosphere and food were excellent. This place belongs in New York. I can see this place in the East Village being exactly as it is and being a hit. That's the mark of a truly good place, to me. Why not five stars? Well, the place is always busy it's not open late enough for me. It should be open 7am-9pm, not 11am-5pm. Really, this place deserves 4.5 stars, but I like to hold back my 5-star reviews for true gushing.
I was stumbling around downtown Portland looking for someplace to have lunch when I walked by the Blueplate. Looking in the window I thought to myself "this could go either way"- but then I thought "what the fuck". I'm so glad I stopped in, the service was great and my food really good. I had the "Sandwich Special" which today was a super good American in Paris- roasted chicken,bacon, cheese with a dijon mustard sauce and mash potatoes. The mash potatoes were as good as everyone else has mentioned . Next time I'm in Portland I heading back!
Ok sure they have super limited menu, you don't get refills on your "sodas", my living room has more seating than this place and thy are open fewer hours than my local historic Post Office but you have to come here.
From the moment I walked in for a late lunch I was treated very well, I was greeted with a smile and when I ordered my made to order soda it was whipped up right in front of me. The soda is unique, sure its all made with sugar and I usually never do soda but it was different for sure. I had the sliders with "the works", tomatoes and bacon. The way the cheese and the bacon was perfectly burned/melted ... amazing taste and trust me I have had way more than my share of bacon cheeseburgers (and it shows). The mashed potato side is a little different but it was just really soft and super buttery, overall great experience and I recommend this joint to all of my foodie friends.
Tiny place, cute decor, semi friendly staff.
Today's choices were meatloaf and chicken with biscuits. Neither of those moved me nor did anything else on the menu so I got a shake figuring how bad could that be right? I ordered the 44 shake. A pistachio-almond crunch with fresh whipped cream. Standing the shake by itself, it was good. Not fantastic, not mind-blowing. It was just good, although by the time I got it, it was melting down the side of the glass and a giant mess.
I was disappointed in so many things there. Now I am a big girl, I have no problem admitting this, oh and I am short too. So sitting on the raised bar stools at the counter is a problem for me. I asked for a table and was put on the wait list. A short time later (5-7 mins) I was directed to a table directly across from the bathroom. Loss of one star. The waitress came over took my order and was gone. Saw her again when she brought the shake and then again when she brought my check. She never came back to check on me. Loss of another star.
I was made to feel that I wasn't important or mattered. More like get in, order, eat and be gone.Loss of the third star. Now I tip well no matter where I am as I know most of these people are trying to make a living; so it was $5.00 out the door. $4.00 for the shake and a buck for tip. I won't be going back.
After a day of walking tours and shopping in downtown Portland, my husband and I wanted to satisfy our sweet tooth (tooths? teeth?) before making the long drive back to Seattle. First, we stopped in a pastry shop that had nothing but biscotti left in the display case. On our dash to find another bakery, the Blueplate's sandwich board on the sidewalk caught my eye -- soda fountain, you say? Nevermind the pastries, let's get milkshakes!
At 4:15 p.m. on a Monday, we were the only people in the shop and the two employees were prepping to close. Yet our milkshakes were not made in a rush -- though we were in one as the timer on our parking spot was ticking down. What's she doing now? Adding whipped cream to the top? And now? Sprinkles? No, c'mon, gimme already! After the first spoonful (don't even think about using a straw, these shakes are way too thick) we slowed down to enjoy. Thanks for quenching our sugar jones, Blueplate. You're one of the reasons we enjoyed our trip to Portland so much.
I'm really happy for all of you who went to Blueplate and actually got to place your order, I truly am. I can only glance at all of these glowing reviews like an orphan in a Dickens novel staring at a robust banquet; you see, I went in to the Blueplate with a friend of mine some time ago, was seated by a waitress and...
...well, that was pretty much it. We sat there forever, simply waiting for someone to acknowledge that we were living human beings, let alone VERY hungry paying customers! We had showed up at around 1:15, and I kid you not, an hour passed (my friend says 20 minutes, though I think that starvation was warping her perception of the space-time continuum...) before a waitress ever noticed us again. We watched in growing irritation as table after table were seated, received their drinks, their meals...all before we were ever even asked if we would like a packet of Saltines, let alone place an order.
So, anyway, here's the kicker (and I swear to you, I couldn't make something like this up) we FINALLY get a waitress to come over to our table, and she looks at us and asks: "Are you guys wanting to order food?"
I was absolutely dumbstruck. Could she really have asked me such an incredibly stupid question? I wanted to shout at her "No! We're here for Dr. Hawking's lecture on the theory of closed universes! Would you please tell him that we've arrived?" I had to let my friend speak the words that I wanted to say but could not manage.
"Um...yeah?"
"Oh," she said, "well we stop serving lunch at 2 (it may have been 2:30, I was so hungry and bewildered that memory shreds detail...) so the grill is closed."
"We're leaving" I said, or something to that effect...we walked out, and I have never gone back since.
I have never, EVER been angry at a restaurant before. Disappointed? Sure, who hasn't been? Our treatment at this place was so rotten, however, that it still makes me mad to this day. I wish I had never heard of the Blueplate Lunch Counter.
The food was scrumptious.
The service, meh.
I sat at the counter and was asked to give up my cup of water, which was replaced with a smaller glass so no biggie. But then we waited and waited and finally had to ask for the bill. Which came and was the wrong card for both me and my lunch date. After the waitress figured everything out, she brought me my card and receipt, which someone else had already signed and filled out for tip. She had crossed it all out and asked me to re-do it. WTF? Why she couldn't cancel the transaction and print me a new receipt was beyond me. I don't know how you mix up 3 lunch guest's cards and receipts but it made me think i should check my bank statement later just to be sure it was all sorted.
With arctic conditions & threatened icy rains predicted, sometimes you just have to seek comfort wherever you may find it. Today, after being more-or-less housebound with kids who seemingly have enjoyed endless 'Snow Days', we hitched a ride over to the West Side with Daddy-O who apparently has left all his Christmas shopping to the last minute. I'm not going to write or say a word about this... someday he'll learn. In the meantime, the boys & I found ourselves chilly & a tad peckish. If a cold walk home is looming (and frankly, the buses are doing their best, but who knows when the next one will show up?), it seemed smart to grab some comforting food at Blueplate.
The boys loved their grilled cheese/tomato soup combos. I am loathe to order this sort of thing...it's not like we don't make this at home pretty consistently, but hey! It's what they like, it gives them energy to hang in there, and I'm on my last frayed nerve with cabin-fever induced bickering. Give 'em the cheese, bread, & soup, and perhaps peace will reign for a few moments. It's $6.00 each for this combo. Not bad...
I ordered the Cesar Salad which was $7.00. There was a large amount, the croutons were tasty, and the dressing was good. No complaints from this portion of the peanut gallery.
I wouldn't make a special trip across town to come here, but if in the area, I would stop in again. They are open Mon-Fri, no weekends, tho' ARE open on some of those weird holidays kids are out of school...good to know for future reference. I like this place.
After a full year of "research," endless referrals, rave reviews, and the extra poundage to prove it, I can confidently dub Blueplate *the* lunch spot in Portland. Or perhaps the ultimate mid-afternoon hookie hangout. Or even a delicious den of innocent indulgence. Or maybe just the most delicious spot on the planet -- I don't know...I'm no lunch scientist.
The point is: Stop. Just stop reading this review and go. Dip your oozing grilled cheese into your mug of creamy tomato soup, struggle to suck your thick chunky milkshake from the straw, and thank me later. (Just don't tell your running partner.)
These guys shake it like a Polaroid Picture, and now I finally understand exactly what Outkast meant… Read more »
FINALLY! Finally, I get to go to Blueplate!!
What's that?
You're stuffed like a turkey from that Indian food lunch?
Noooooo problem, right?
Ha! Yeah....
I'm going to have to come back and try what sounds like and smelled like freaking STELLAR food. But in the mean time, I give stars for a deliciously adorable country soda-fountain set-up complete with antiqued tables and chairs and jars upon jars of old-fashioned candies. They're definitely catering to the the sugar-loving kid in me.
The service was totally nice, and I ended up with an ooey gooey all-over-the-place Cowboy Coffee milkshake. It was epic. My friend got a root beer float, which was pretty out of control also. Our orders were SO out of control, they came out on plates to avoid major spillages.
Our other friend was bitter that they didn't serve Shirley Temples. She instead ordered an orange soda expecting Fanta or Slice. Instead, they gave her a soda...wait for it...wait for it...flavored as mandarin oranges. It was really, really good, but she refused to drink it.
Later that night, I bought her a 20-ounce bottle of frickin' Sunkist soda. Shiiiiit.
Definitely. Hands-down. Coming back here when I'm not quite so full.
When I was little I would have given anything to have been Nancy Drew.
I wanted her wardrobe of sophisticated dresses worn with strands of pearls... I pined to have the wild adventures with her best friends George and Bess... and I dreamed that my first car would be a shiny blue convertible. Armed with a wild imagination and a basic understanding of all 56 books I hoped that one day I too would solve a mystery and save the day.
While that time has yet to come, I have managed to do a bit of sleuthing in Portland when it comes to spots worth checking out.
Blueplate is one of those places. On a tip that it was *the* spot for lunch downtown I thought "Well that's a pretty lofty statement." I wondered if it could be true, or if it was a decoy of some sort away from the real top place. It required investigation, and I was hungry... so away I zipped on a shiny blue max train (not quite the same as a mustang, but hey...)
Arriving around 11.30 the place was empty but quickly filled up for the lunch hour rush. I grabbed a small table in the back, ordered the sliders and soda and took the place in.
It's cute, a call back to the days of no nonsense meals and friendly service. The one waitress and one cook kept the place running like clockwork. In - out - in - out.... there's a rhythm here that you just don't see in other establishments.
I enjoyed my lunch. But then again, show me mashed potatoes at noon and I'm pretty much sold. Really, it's the exact kind of food that I expected Nancy's motherly housekeeper Hannah Gruen would have dished up daily.
It was a perfect size, nice and warm, and fattening as heck. I wondered just how many calories I was consuming, were all meals circa 1940 - 1950 just like this? Yeesh.
But that might shed some light on the reasoning why Bess was always described as "slightly plump".
Best roast beef french dip EVER!!
Yes, those do sound like bold words, but I can tell you, coming from a girl who's been around the sammich block with an ass and a waistline to prove it, this is THE BEST!
The secret is most definitely the bun. It's buttered and garlicky toasted so it was just crispy enough to give it a little pop, but the rest of the bun was soft enough to fuse seamlessly with the roast beef! Just fantastic. Then add the perfectly salty and yummy dipping au jus and holy moly is that a sammich!!
We also tried the bacon mac n cheese and while normally the BMAC would win out over anything, it almost fell victim to the way side because the sammich was THAT good. With that said though, it was a deelish batch of cheesy and bacon love, but that sammich, oh that sammich. Crazy!
The decor of this place is also perfect. It's got the charm of an old time soda shop and while I hear the line gets out of control and wrapped around the block during rush hours, if you go mid afternoon like we did, you will be golden.
Wow, definitely one of the best meals I had on this past trip!
I can scratch Blueplate from one of places that I need to go to before I die. Since usually I worked across downtown, it's hard for me to visit Blueplate. They are open only on M-F from 11am-5pm. I really want to slobber all over those yummy milkshakes.
I found out that I got a new job, after two weeks being unemployed. My new job is not in downtown, so I thought it's now or never to visit Blueplate. So my DL and I came there for lunch. We split a plate of the sliders with extra bacon and a large size of Peanut Butter Chocolate milkshake.
Ladies and gents, those sliders are too die for. The pesto sauce was so good and the mashed potato on the side was so good. The milkshake was sweet and rich. It's a good portion to split between two people if you weren't that hungry.
I love you, Blueplate. I don't know when I can visit you again, but I'm sure next time we'll meet, our love will be stronger than ever before.
Oh, and I slobbered all over my milkshake...yummmm...
Came here over the weekend for lunch. Ordered the sliders, which came with a side of mashed potatoes. I thought this was weird but apparently they ran out of mac. Thought the spuds were an interesting sub, because they A) didn't pair all that well with the sliders and B) weren't good at all. Sliders were also mediocre. Ordered a coffee ice cream shake (as it was described to be) which turned out to be a chocolate shake with some coffee grounds in it. Being that I dislike chocolate, I was not thrilled with their interpretation of "coffee ice cream shake." To top it all off, the staff looked very stressed and unhappy and their service came across exasperated.
The food was tasty and yummy... just wish they would have had more to choose from on their menu. I realize they are only open a few hours in the day... maybe we should have gotten a shake instead? We ordered the special of the day which was the bacon mushroom mac and cheese (YumMY) a BLT salad (big and yummy) and the Northwest sliders (the basil spread made this better but otherwise it's like any other mini burger).
This is hopefully a temporary rating!
I want to like Blueplate, I really do. But I haven't been able to eat there yet. We went around 11:30 to try to avoid the lunch rush. There was a group of six of us. We had the option of sqeezing around a table meant for four people, or dividing up over two tables. We opted for the latter, however the owner got really confrontational when we tried to sit at two particular tables, insisting that we sit at two different tables. All things appeared equal to us (both tables had four seats) and we tried to clarify, as the two we tried to occupy were much closer together, but he wouldn't have it. My coworkers were very turned off by the strong attitude and we opted to go somewhere else.
I don't want to discourage people from going there; two stars instead of one because I like the menu and I REALLY wanted one of the Mary Jane's (candies....) from the counter after my meal. My review is a warning: this is NOT a good place for groups unless they are divisible by the number four! (or there is a counter with stools, too) We were reminded several times that there are only 28 seats in the restaurant and all of them will be full for lunch. I will be back again soon with 3 or 7 of my coworkers instead of 5.
I didn't try the milkshake.
The menu is limited. Three or four regular items and a different blue plate every day. I got the sliders (two), they were good, but for $7 I wanted at least one more. I don't recall all the daily blue plate specials, but at $10 I thought they were a little overpriced. But maybe those portions are bigger.
The service was friendly and it dragged a little bit, but I came in just after the lunch rush, so I'm sure they had their guard down a tad. I'm willing to believe they're on it when it's busy.
Place is small, I'm not sure why they have 5 good for groups votes.
And they sell candy. Weee!
Perhaps this is the place to go for grilled cheese and tomato soup but I wasn't feeling that. Actually, I never feel that so I ordered something else.
I got the American in Paris sandwich which was a chicken and bacon sandwich on Texas toast. It also has Swiss cheese and honey mustard. I also got a side salad. Altogether that was $11.
I thought the sandwich was good with lots of chicken and bacon. But it wasn't anything special and perhaps $8 is a little steep for it. When I picked it up, it was dripping oil. By the second half, I had abandoned the toast.
I loved my $3 salad though which was a big portion with half a tomato, celery and plenty of lettuce.
I was tempted to get a shake or specialty drink but it was so cold, I just stuck to water. It's nice they serve water in the shake glasses though.
Oh, the outside is painted red so don't look for a blue-painted building or anything!
Mmmm...the milkshakes are fantastic here. I had a chocolate milkshake which was absolutely divine. The beef sliders were also quite good, although I was not a fan of the mashed potatoes on the side.
The menu is not all that large and several of the specials are only served on particular days of the week. The grilled cheese and tomato soup was a big hit with those that ordered it.
I'm not sure why I'm not feeling the love everyone else does about Blueplate. I just can't get into it. The owners are friendly and I really like milkshakes but there's something about the bundle of it all that doesn't quite lure me back the way it should.
Not a knock on the shakes though - they're tasty.
What a fantastic find in Portland - a wonderful, hot lunch and delicious shakes from the soda fountain. I love the classic, simple look of this place. The folks working here are very nice and welcoming to a stranger like me.
The menu changes daily, I believe, though folks seem to be crazy for the slider burgers. I went with the day's hot meal, pot roast. It was deliciously juicy with potatoes and carrots mixed in a wonderful juice. A biscuit-ish bread gave me a tool to sop of the juice.
I'll surely be back to try other things at Blueplate in the future ... great stuff!
So, you can ask the gang....I brought my friends here before anybody read the WWeek writeup! Really, I had been eyeing it for months, and had it in my pocket when another alternative sounded hideous. What a pleasant choice it turned out to be.
This is a quality, inexpensive place that keeps the choices simple but the quality high. Daily specials are supported by sliders (mini cheeseburgers), BLTs, salads, and grilled cheese tomato soup combos. Also, there are fancy sodas galore!
Most lunch items are $11 and under, with many choices under $9. Service was pleasant and professional. Nice atmosphere. Hard to beat for a downtown lunch.
Good thing I have a knack for getting to places stupidly early, else I may have wandered along Washington looking for a soda fountain glittering at me from the corner. Fortch, I had on my spy goggles and found this wee storefront and popped in. My YelpFolks were an added delight, as I probably would not have hauled buns from Gresham without good incentive.
Lo and Behold my cheeseburger sliders with mashed potatoes and chocolate malted made any and all wait worth it. Holy creamy devil, I'll sell my soul to you.
It's ok that the shakes come out 2 at a time. It's ok that the seating is limited. I thought the portions were just right. And the comfort food options (grilled cheese, tomato soup, meatloaf, simple salads), make me feel smart as in I know all the ingredients.
The 4 stars is for their shakes. Good old fashion shakes, with the stainless steel shake cup to go with your fountain cut. Oh yes, and the food does come on a blue plate. Note that the prices don't really reflect "blue plate" special prices though.
Otherwise, the food is ok. Its a little hard to find because its so inconspicuously located.
Blueplate is a really cool place for lunch! My husband and I had a lot of fun there. FYI, it is quite small in there, you may want to plan your first for either the beginning or end of the lunch crowd. We went around 1:30pm and still had to wait a couple minutes for seats.
The menu is quite limited especially for a vegetarian but I jumped all over the grilled cheese and tomato sandwich along with a cup of tomato soup. I was very pleased with my lunch, especially since the bread was not heavily buttered. The sandwich wasn't greasy at all, very cool. Plus, I was happy about the cheese to tomato ratio. So delicious.
Paul got one of the specials of the day, the pulled pork sandwich with a side of mashed potatoes. He commented several times how much he liked his meal. What he really loved was the soda fountain menu, he is all about the shakes, floats, and sodas. He was funny, he kept that soda fountain menu right next to him and studied it throughout our entire meal. First he got a ginger vanilla soda which he liked but didn't love. Then he got the cowboy coffee milkshake to go. After reading the yelp reviews I mentioned that folks suggested he go with the small, which he did. Good idea, it was super filling. He really loved the milkshake.
I can't wait to go back, we really had fun there and the food was great. The only reason I am not giving it five stars is because there was only one vegetarian option for me. Granted, it was a delicious one but having something else to choose from would have been nice. I also highly recommend this as a place to bring your parents/inlaws. My husband and I both mentioned that when our folks are in town we will bring them there. Oh, and btw...they sell retro candy there too....FUN!
I think this place is home to one of the best milkshakes I have yet to experience in my life; Cowboy Coffee shakes. Absolutely heavenly.
And don't forget the deliciously thick tomato soup!
However, they are only open for a few hours a day which is definitely a drag and the food variety is pretty low, but hey, they've got milkshakes worth traveling all the way to Portland for. And that's just fine with me!
I spent a long, boring day in jury duty- and they actually let us out early! I decided to get some food downtown somewhere and ended up at Blueplate (yeah, a bit of a walk, but I love to walk around Portland). I had the sliders and an orange soda. The sliders were really good (love the sauce), the mashed potatoes were awesome, and the soda was nice and homemade.
I'll have to get the grilled cheese when it's cold and rainy this winter. However, I have a feeling that I'll be back there way sooner!
When you want the best milkshake money can buy, go to Blueplate. I'm a sucker for their caramel and cowboy coffee versions. Get the small -- I can only imagine the agony a large milkshake consumed by one person would cause.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese -- better than mom's (sorry, mom!)
BLT Salad -- very unhealthy, and tasty as all get-out. Order it.
Or, be adventurous, get one of the ever-changing daily specials. My husband had the Wednesday French Dip and enjoyed it.
I disagree with the "slow" comments I've seen from other Yelp folk. We had our food in under 10 minutes today, and a good shake takes time, you know?
FYI, they no longer serve dinner on a regular basis.
This tiny establishment gets 5 stars for their secret sauce and old-skool sodas! I had lunch there about 8 hours ago and I'm still satisfied! I recommend the Sliders or the Roast Beef sammy (Wednesday daily special, at the moment).
Service is a bit slow, but I'd wait a long time to devour another yummy slider!
I stopped by the Blueplate as a pick-me-up for a dear friend. The atmosphere was solid, we both dug it. The service was kind and the receipts were improvised (written in sharpie on a slip of paper). It's a bit tiny for larger groups of people, but it delivered exactly what we were looking for - a good meal at a fair price.
I had the grilled cheese and tomato soup: $6 (my personal favorite for pick-me-ups), and I don't normally rave about tomato soups that are full of assorted lumps and chunks, but this soup definitely won me over. It was almost as good as the tomato soup from Noodles & Company, but in much smaller proportions.
We later returned for the milkshakes we had been eyeballing all through our lunchtime, and I've had better, but chocolate malts: approx. $4, are always satisfactory when the mood strikes. We felt a bit guilty, though, because we showed up 30 minutes before close, so that itself may have tainted our taste buds. We left a generous tip.
Overall, I would not find it devastating if they had to suddenly close shop, but I would definitely return for more luncheons or a soda while out on the town. I would not recommend sitting next to the bathrooms, but the bar is much more retro, if you're looking for that kind of vibe.
+1 for good service
+1 for delicious food
+1 for low prices
+1 for wicked retro vibe!
Wowee! They just don't have places like this in San Jose, CA. Such a charming little place this is....and when I mean little, I mean tiny. Yes, when my hubby and I got here we had a bit of a wait for a table. There was not much of a designated waiting area, so we ended up just standing around, watching all the diners before us consume their tasty lunches...
Finally we got situated, and right away we knew what to order. I had their "Portland standard lunch", which consists of a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Mmm...the food of my childhood! Their grilled cheese was scrumptious, and their tomato soup definitely made my tummy happy on such a cold day. The hubs went for their Tillamook Sliders...adorable little burgers packed with tons of flavor with the addition of creamy garlic smashed potatoes. To slide that down we ordered some Hibiscus Ice Tea and Sparkling Limeade...Yummy-yum-yum!
Their vast array of soda fountain concoctions...from soda blends, floats, and shakes looked quite tempting. However being that I am terribly lactose intolerant, I didn't want to spoil my first day in Portland with tummy aches.
Good thing Portland has a huge variety of bakeries, chocolate cafes, and cupcakeries conveniently located all over this great city. My kind of town! So many to try and so little time...: (
Old school style American lunches with some trendy updates.
And get a hand-made soda while you are there, definitely won't regret it.
Cheap!
For the price, best place for lunch downtown.
I like things that are bad for me. Blueplate has got 'em in spades. I had the distinct pleasure of eating here with some Yeeps who without whom, the wait for said "bad things" woulda been almost intolerable.
Mind you...this is a big *context* type thing...it's slow here. But it's not supposed to wow you with quickness. It's a place to hang out one afternoon, do some reading, talk to friends...don't show up waiting for the 30 minute lunch. So I'm not knocking points for that, just givin' you the 411...the point here isn't to get you fed quickly...but they do feed you WELL. Very well.
I had a strawberry shake...a delicacy I seldom indulge in because, well, I really shouldn't drink milk technically...let alone a milkshake. But I had heard they are legendary and I wasn't disappointed. Believe the hype ladies and gents. I downed that thing in 5 minutes...it was incredible...glad I got the small, which is more than able, BTW.
Food? Had the Friday special, meatloaf sammich with smashed potatoes. The taters tasted, JUST like taters...it was pretty cool actually. They didn't need butter or gravy...which to me, is just heresy to NOT put on smashed taters...but I was cool with it this time. I don't know what they do differently with meatloaf, but whatever the hell it is, I hope they never stop. I was just in awe of how good it was.
I really only have one minor gripe that prevents this place from being total perfection. I just don't feel like the portions justify the price. My sammich was 10 bones...but it wasn't huge by any means. Points for quality, but a bit lacking in quantity. If you spend 15 bucks for lunch, you should have something to take with you. Still...I'll be back. I'm not that hung up on the portions thingy...and besides, I could afford to drop some poundage anyways. Thanks for looking out for me Blueplate.
"Social Hour" Tues.-Sat.…
Neighborhood: Old Town
It's raining sandwiches!
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Restaurants
My favorite dessert places I have been to in the…
Where my happy heart visited in the City of…
Places suitable for suits, or not, but to plan…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
These are places I went with The Yeeps. The Yeeps…
I'm a lunch fiend..aren't you? In fact, I'm hungry…
the spots in pdx that i tend to gravitate towards…
My coworkers and I are searching for the best…
