Olea Restaurant
Category: Greek and Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: Pearl District1338 NW Hoyt St
Portland, OR 97255 (503) 274-0800
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
18 Reviews for Olea Restaurant
Review updated on 6/7/08. I have to drop Olea down to 4 stars after my most recent experience. My New York Strip was uninspiring - maybe 3 stars. One person in our party got a pizza that was not as described on the menu (gobs of cheese) and sent it back with pretty specific instructions only to have it replaced by one with gobs of tomato sauce. Didn't eat it (or pay for it). The rest of the food was stellar. Service was slow - would probably blame that on the kitchen.
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Original review: Went for happy hour, stayed for dinner.
The (HH) dates wrapped in Parma ham were delightful. The bartender was oh so friendly and accommodating - we sampled 6 red wines in choosing one by the glass.
Our dinners were all great. I had the venison - melt in your mouth tender. My wife had the cassolet and our niece had cauliflower soup and grilled rapini - all were judged first rate. Service was perfect and atmosphere pleasing. Our first visit, but we plan to return.
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It would be hard to imagine that I would ever return to Olea.
Here's the summary:
Olea has five star food - everything I've had is supremely tasty and prepared with pride.
Olea has five star cocktails ($9 each) and my particular favorites include the Rubytini and the Italian Sidecar.
Olea has five star ambiance - the physical space is out of a magazine photo with amazing ceilings, natural light, and warm and interesting decor. Olea has always been busy and filled with a chic urban crowd.
Olea has Horrible & Horrendous service. Did I mention the atrocious service??
My first visit to Olea went un-reviewed since I had a mixed-bag experience on Valentine's day. It seemed unfair to judge a place based on a crazy busy night with a fixed menu and an overwhelming number of gooey-eyed couples gazed wistfully at each other (which in fairness, might have inspired me to render less than stellar service had I been on the other side of the dining experience). My second, and likely last visit, was in the bar for food & drinks (not Happy Hour though).
Both times we walked in, the host was either inattentive or completely absent. Both times, we waited more than 15 minutes to even be given drink menus, let alone to be acknowledged in any way. When dining in the dinning room we were seated 30 min late and the server took forever to come talk to us, when in the bar, there was no server and the bartender meandered over and feigned mild surprise that no one had helped us.
Service during our meal in the bar was pitiful, aside from the nice man who kept refilling my water, there was no service to speak of. I almost didn't order another cocktail since it took so long for someone to even check on us (but nothing so petty would keep me from a damn fine drink). Then, having waited more than an hour for our mac & cheese (having received two of our three food orders) we ordered the bill and informed the bartender that our mac & cheese never came. He didn't really apologize.
For as much money as it costs to dine at the chic and lovely Olea, I rather spend it elsewhere...you know, someplace where the staff wants me there, where they remember I'm in the restaurant, where I am treated politely and somewhat promptly. The air of indifference and the consistent management decision to under-staff the restaurant does not make me want to return. Ever. Okay, I'd probably go back, but only for expensive but unwholesomely delicious drinks.
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I think this is only my second 5 star review in Portland, and it is certainly well deserved. My girlfriend and I decided to get dressed up and go out to celebrate the paying off of her student loan. We arrived early and were the first customers in the dinning room since happy hour was still going on.
As an aside the interior design and natural light really work for this converted warehouse and the decorations are done just right.
The menu seems to change seasonally and making a decision on which dishes to try was very difficult so we went with plan B - lots of appetizers! We tried the following:
Spicy Chorizo Saucisson
Mediterranean Mussels
Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Dates
House Marinated Olives served Warm
Algerian Braised Lamb Shoulder
The absolute winner was the Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Dates. Second place for me would be the Mediterranean Mussels while my friend really enjoyed the Algerian Braised Lamb Shoulder.
This is defiantly a restaurant at the top of my list for 'special' occasions.
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I'm pissed!
It was date night, and we decided to go out for an early bite/happy hour. I found rave reviews of Olea on Yelp!, and after carefully reading through them, had decided that this was the place to be and go.
Thinking that this was going to be "the" place for the after work crowd, and since their website states happy hour is from 4-6:30, I wanted to get there early so we could get a seat. Arriving at 4:25, the place was a ghost town. We were greeted at the door by, who I can only assume since she just stood around in a corner, the hostess who gave us a look like, "What are you doing here?". With the place empty, we went next door to a retail shop to browse before they closed. Returned 15 minutes later to a bar full of two people.
Handed menus by a bartender that could care less. Drink specials include one cocktail (that you have to ask what it is) and a red/white wine. The food mentioned in all the other reviews is NOT on this happy hour menu. Settled with burger/fries and a $9 cocktail (the one on the list was some fruity thing). There is nothing Mediterranean about this place, or the menu either.
Burgers were flash cooked, rare in the middle, burnt on the outside. Fries were good, but very salty. Cocktail wasn't anything special.
The return fan over the service area was so loud, they finally turned up the music to drown it out. The inside looked nice, but there was a fowl smell in the air that happened when the fan kicked on.
When we left, I noticed across the street that Paragon was packed... mental note. We won't be back.
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WHO are the people writing Five Star reviews of this place; investors?
A recent trip to Olea - inspired by all the ravenous reviews - led me to be so overwrought with the resulting bad experience with food and atmosphere I found myself at Vault licking my wounds over a French 75.
So I guess on that point I can thank Olea, because without the experience of the charred-on-the-outside-raw-on-the-inside hamburger along with the mysterious bad smell that seemed to emanate from the heating vent we sat under, and the tacky bad Pottery Barn meets Wal-mart (I knew I saw that mural somewhere!) decor, I never would have ended up at Vault with its reasonable happy hour menu and friendly staff.
Which leads me to my final point - how can a place with such rave reviews be virtually empty? On the walk to Vault other restaurants had busy bars and people enjoying dinner. And at Vault there was a lively atmosphere as well; kind of like you expect at Happy Hour.
But Olea sat there like an empty shell of a restaurant sure that one day it might be again worthy of its former Five Star glory.
Check it out if you want an evening wondering where everyone is; or how you could get sucked into the five star reviews about a restaurant that so clearly isn't.
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UPDATE (from 3 stars to 1):
I did two things I almost never do: I changed my review to 1 star and I didn't tip at least 15%.
Decided to give them another try on (April 14, 2008) in their bar area and I will not be back. Twice now I have experienced poor service here. Instead of just a long wait, the bar tender who took orders at the tables just didn't seem to care at all about prompt or friendly service. One food item was never delivered and I might have said something had he ever checked up on us. When he brought the bill he didn't seem to care that an item went missing and didn't offer to comp anything or even give a half-hearted apology.
This is such a shame because the two food items we did receive were really good (friend calamari and steamed mussels). Olea needs to seriously think about how it staffs its bar area.
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Had dinner here on Valentine's Day. Set menu, $45 a person, and long waits.
This place was absolutely packed and the staff was scrambling to make things happen.
Upon arrival at 9pm, it took over 25 minutes past my reservation time to get seated. While waiting at the bar it took 10 minutes for the bar tender, who was obviously quite busy, to even talk to us. Why they didn't have another person on duty is beyond me, especially on a holiday. Upon being seated at a table it was about 10-15 minutes before a waiter even came by.
When I actually did see the server, she was extremely nice and took good care of us. The menu was quite small and set with choice of 3 starters, 4 mains, and 2 desserts. All of the food I had was excellent...great salad, fabulous pasta, and an awesome chocolate bomb. The Italian sidecar at the bar was one of the better sidecars I have had.
Overall, for the high price and long waits it just wasn't as good of an experience as it could have been. Maybe I will give it another try on a regular night sometime.
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Olea is one of my favorite restaurants in Portland. The food is fantastic but not over-the-top, the staff is friendly, and the ambiance is classy but laid back enough to feel comfortable in jeans. We are addicted to the grilled dates wrapped in parma ham, and if you crave comfort food be sure to order the huge steaming dish of lasagna or one of their yummy pizzas.
For a more decadent experience we order the steak frites or lobster pot pie. And Olea claims my favorite dessert of all time award, the Nougatine. I don't know why I love it so much, I just do. If you want a happy hour with substance, come here! The timing is prime for 9 to 5ers (5 to 7 pm) and the food is perfect. The drinks are great too! The strawberry-lime mojito is delicious, if a tad on the sweet side.
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Very mediocre restaurant for dinner. I had high expectations based on Olea's reviews but found the food to be bland and unremarkable. Good service and nice atmosphere, but I will not be going back.
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I gotta agree, their happy hour is the best. The service was top-notch, and the food rocked. We split the Tavern Burger, meat pizza, and the grilled dates, and loved them all. We also got their happy-hour cocktail (some sort of rum thing) that was quite tasty. I'm definitely going back.
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Courtney D's review pretty much sums this place up-read it! I came for the 9pm happy hour with my co-worker and we both LOVED it.
We had the infused drinks with some yummy food. You must try the prickly pear margarita!!
The burger was a little underdone for my taste. We tried the duck fat fries but I didn't really taste a difference in flavor. We also had the calamari which was VERY yummy.
The bartender was a sweet heart and took good care of us. The drinks were the highlight of the night! $34 total for food and 4 drinks is such a steal. You can't get that type of deal anywhere in the Bay Area!
We are going back for more tonight!! I am going to review the crab risotto!
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Ahhhh...Olea!!! You are a blissful retreat with a Mediterranean-inspired menu that makes me feel like I am on a glorious European holiday.
I have such a food crush on you...I crave your heavenly soups you make from scratch each day, I can't stop thinking about your risotto with english peas, and that luscious lounge of yours that serves splendid happy hour eats...I-heart-you!
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Possibly the most under-rated restaurant in PDX. Happy hour before and after dinner. Ask them to make you a cheese plate and let them pick the cheeses. A really pleasant experience and really nice atmosphere. I don't know why this place isn't jammed packed all them time. Lucky for me, it's one of my favorite places to go have a drink and appetizer with a friend.
Had dinner there once and it was amazing. Great service.
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Best time to hit Olea
I've found possibly the best happy hour drink in Portland and definitely one of the best cheap eats menus at Olea.
WOW when it comes to the Olea Daiquiri, which is a blend of five rums, pineapple, coconut water, mango, vanilla beans, citrus and brown sugar. Yes, it's that good and tastes like you're sitting on an island somewhere. If that sounds a bit over the top, try their infused vodka drinks, such as pomegranate over ice.
But the real deal here is their incredibly cheap and delicious food. This will give you a chance to try some of their gourmet nibbles for a few bucks or less. Grilled dates and chickpea fried shrimp are just a couple of their gourmet appetizers to pick from. Forget about going fancy, though, and just order their two little burgers with a mound of fries for $6. Even those are gourmet --- one sauted onion and other blue cheese. Yummy stuff here, guys, in a hip, calming place that will definitely make you want to go back.
Tip: Happy hours goes from 5 to 7 p.m. on weeknights but stay until 8 p.m. for cheap desserts.
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BEST HAPPY HOUR! If you get the opportunity, try the Lobster Corndogs with Tarragon Mustard. It's like a piece of heaven in your mouth! I've also never been disappointed by their charcuterie platter or the Sliders. Their sliders are served to you in a paper bag (like a picnic!) and your waiter has a little tool he'll open it up with, and then SURPRISE . . . . it's your own little treasure of yummy mini-burgers and delicious fries. (Also, it's more than enough for 2 people!)
I love their bar; round, dark-wood bistro tables with dimmed lightening and little cup votives. It's so cozy and inviting. Or you can saddle up to the bar and find a Pearl-ite to converse with while people-watching. Also, I like their bathrooms--- they're in back, around the corner, but very modern and mosaic.
A little pricey, but the wine selection is wonderful. The roasted chick peas (served like edamame) are unique, and delicious. The menu is a bit of a complicated setup, but not a thing on it has been disappointing so far.
The setting is phenomenal for a business dinner, a date, or a moderately sized group.
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Update: Went back for happy hour...Holy cheap deals batman! 6 bucks will get you two sliders (one onion, one bleu cheese) and a whole lotta french fries, 2 bucks will get you a whole lot of salami/salumi, and 3 bucks gets you three of those amazing dates
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beautiful atmosphere and superlative food.
grilled dates with ham are sinful Delicious. flatbreads are inexpensive and surprisingly substantive. lobster pot pie is seriously over-the-top decadent.
try to find something less than phenomenal on their menu, i dare you.
5 stars is for their Happy Hour! And the food. We did a meat, cheese, olives & bread selection in the bar and it was dirt cheap and that is all we needed for dinner. Very cool vibe too. Would go back here for dinner and pay full price
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as much as the quality of food is important, as is the environment in which you are to consume it. i have denoted olea to achieve this coincidence. upon entering, i experienced a warm calmness which transcended throughout the courses. soft colors and fabrics adorn the interior, as well as the cast of characters who proficiently tour you along your sapid journey. something that will fuse into your taste buds:
grilled dates wrapped in parma ham, drizzled with vanilla black pepper oil. unforgettable...
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