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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Greek, Desserts [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Southeast Portland, BelmontMon-Thu. 4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri. 4:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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We traipsed the few blocks from our hostel to the Pied Cow and were immediately happy. The dim-lit atmosphere, the good ambient music, and the immense beer menu had us grinning.
I got the Bernadette Brownie Boat with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and raspberry and was amazed at the serving. It bested me in the end, but I was satisfied.
Shane got 3 beers: Sea Dog Raspberry Wheat (amazingly fruity, but not overwhelming. Tasted a bit like a jelly doughnut), somebody's Organic Cider (not as sweet after a brownie, but still refreshing), and, of course, Stella. Which came in its own sexy Stella glass.
I wanna go back for the Mediterranean food plates they have.
Good place for a first date. Everyone looks sexier in the dark.
The Pied Cow used to be a real treasure, but it's gone down hill in recent years. I've been there a handful of times and each experience has had something outstandingly terrible about it.
First off, the food isn't mind blowing. It's good, but it doesn't make up for everything else. If you're looking for something with similar indoor ambiance I suggest The Rimsky Korsakoffee House. At least they have live music.
So, what's wrong with the place? Well the service is simply terrible. I know it's hard to be a server. You bust your ass and deal with anything from assholes to idiots to parties of 10. I get that. That's what tips are for.
But these servers are the worst I've ever encountered. For example, I was outside with a party of 4 or 5 one night, smoking a hookah. We ordered efficiently and politely. We never were loud or anything. At one point our hookah broke. It straight up fell apart. We waited for 10 minutes for our server. Eventually I went over to let her know that it was busted. She took a further 10 minutes without coming over to the table. When I flagged her again she said she was busy.
They proceeded to charge us for a new coal when they brought out the replacement hookah. Classy.
That's a pretty typical experience for me and my friends at this place.
Well I used to like this place.
Until we got the ultra rude staff on a Thursday night.
Went to get a table and I said "party of six", turned to my friend to ask her something and then the hostess rudely said "HELLO?!" to get my attention.
Later when we tried to get the attention of our other rude server after five minutes of sitting down with no help, my friend raised his hand and tried to summon a server when he came by and said "I think Excuse Me or Sir is the proper way to summon a server"
Hey maybe my friend was being rude by raiding his hand but I thought i was paying for friendliness as well?
Also you have to be 21+ to smoke Hookah which is bizzaro considering 18 is the legal age to smoke.
Rude staff. Expensive Hookah. Good bagels.
This is tough because I LOVE the atmosphere, the drinks, the food basically everything except the inconsistency of the staff.
I came here with a group of about 6 peeps and would not recommend doing this. It was a huge hassle-waiting forever for anything and everything, rude waiter, and after the meal was over and it was time to pay, he told us their debit machine hasn't been working so we'd have to pay in cash. This would have been fine had we been told BEFOREhand. We had to split up and venture off in the pouring rain to get cash back from the grocery store up the street. The waiter was extremely apathetic. To top it off they added 18% gratuity. It was lamzor.
If you're not in a group this place is the bees knees. I like the vibe.
3 stars only because the staff sux.
Hookah, hummus, and a man-o-rexic waiter in a wife beater and suspenders.. Doesn't get any better.
So I lived in Portland for years and I am just now writing about it. I was there this last weekend to watch the UFC fight at the rose garden and the guys I was with said they wanted to try something different, this is easy to do in Portland.
So I took them here. Not that great of a food selection but they have hookah and we all like that. We were all pretty happy with what we got. The portions were huge and the prices were decent except the hookah, man what a rip off, now I own one so I know the costs and every thing that goes along with it. I believe it was almost 20 bucks for the hookah, but it was a good time and we aren't cheap so it wasnt that big of a deal.
I had the Meza platter which has tzatziki, hummus, veggies, and pita bread, it was pretty good. The service can be pretty lacking but than again it is Portland and they go at their own pace.
We showed up around 8pm on a Friday and there was no wait and plenty of outdoor tables available, but when we left an hour or so later there was a wait.
We just stopped by dessert but I would love to come back for hookah. Their outdoor yard is such a hidden gem, it feels so secluded even though Belmont is just on the other side of the brush.
Service was good. Actually I thought service was crappy for the last half hour we were there since nobody would come to our table so we could ask for a check. Then someone came by and we asked for the check and they picked it up off our table where it had been sitting for who knows how long. Someone very stealthily set it down without us noticing and the dusky light did not help its visibility.
So 4 stars it is for a yummy rootbeer float. I definitely want to come back to try one of their other desserts or some food... everything I saw others around us getting looked great.
I love this place! It's in a cute little part of Belmont with in walking distance of some other great places, but this place has the best coffee. Try the Chi Tea outside on a chilly night.
The chocolate peanut butter in a teacup dessert is ridiculously good and the ambiance, sitting under clear lights and green leafy trees in the garden, can't be beat. One of my favorite dessert spots in town.
I've been to this Portland institution only twice in my nearly 5 year tenure in this lovely city.
The first was nearly three years ago; a coffee date with a music lover who offered me a ticket to Sasquatch festival if we clicked. We geeked out over indie rock while sipping on some mocha's and a cheese plate. Yes, we wound up going to Sasquatch together and getting wonderfully sunburnt.
My second visit was just a week ago with friends for a birthday celebration of dessert and hookah. We'd just experienced the monumentally slow service of Hoda's and definitely needed some coffee to perk up. Even though the outside seating was pretty busy, as our group had shrank from 7 to 4, we managed to snag a table just as another party left. Otherwise we probably would have had to sit out in the cold next to some inadequate tiki torches. Two Mexican mocha's, one "gringo" mocha, and a hazelnut latte were to be required!
Mango hookah was shared all around. Yay that they had reasonable prices; $16 didn't seem too high to me at least, and split between 4 people was not bad at all. I know of at least one hookah bar in Portland that has a two-person limit per pipe, and luckily this is not the case here. Now, someone just should've told the birthday boy that you don't inhale the special flavored tobacco you smoke from a hookah sooner, I'm sure it would have saved him an inevitable sore throat (one that I sadly got too. Eh, I'm not a smoker, what can I say?).
For a coffee and dessert house, I don't know, I think the dessert menu was underwhelming. Or maybe I just wasn't pleased with the item my boyfriend and I shared; a banana and nuetella crepe served ~flambe~ with rum. I was not expecting the fire, and I think I literally uttered, "Oh shit, our dessert is on fire!" when the waitress brought it out. I guess we didn't let the alcohol burn out long enough because all we could taste of the crepe was the rum, and it was not good rum. My friend's chocolate ganache peanut butter teacup concoction was pretty decadent and delicious. I helped him out with a few bites because, you know, we were all still pretty full from dinner...or something.
Out of the two places we dined at this night, Pied Cow wins for service and ambiance, but only slightly. We had a server slow to bring the check here as well. At this point in time it was 11:30, and we were all dead tired despite the coffee, I was about to fall asleep right there on the patio. So another member of our party went to seek out the check, and found the server coming out with it. It shouldn't be this much work to pay a bill at a restaurant people!
This isn't a place to go because of the food or hookah or service. It's one of those places to go because of the wonderful atmosphere, from the cozy and whimsically & wonderfully decorated inside to the comfortable and secluded feeling outside area. The service is always horrible everytime I've ever been and half the waiters act like you're an imposition. The menu is pretty weak as well, I always get the brownie boat as it's the only good thing I've had there. The tea is also amazing. The biggest draw for my friends and I is mostly that it's open late. It feels Portland.
When a girl asks before even sitting down if you serve chocolate cake, and if it's rich and chocolatey, the correct answer is not "yes" if what you really have is dried out, stale, crumbly, chocolate cake. True, it may have been rich and chocolatey on Monday night. But this was Friday. And on Friday the frosting cracked off and the cake crumbled. You do not fuck with a girl requesting chocolate cake. I was in an emergency situation and Pied Cow failed me big time.
They also don't serve boozey coffee. WTF, they're a coffee/dessert place and they don't even have a little kahlua to put in my latte? Lame.
This place is super-cool. I don't think there's any more enjoyable experience in Portland than sitting outside at the Pied Cow in summer time. This place is always lively and has a very authentic character going for it.
I'm not a huge dessert person, but I love their peanut butter and chocolate cup. It's so rich that I feel sick after getting halfway through it, but man is it good.
I can't comment on the food because I've never tried it here. Coffee seems mediocre, but acceptable.
This place is all about the atmosphere and outdoor seating.
During my last night in Portland my friends and I came here because a friend noticed the hookah sign outside the previous day while we were waiting to grab a table at Cricket across the street. What a great find!
The wait was quite a while, but worth it in the end. We sat outside and had the coconut and pear hookah. To drink I ordered the sangria which was ok...not too much a fan of (I'm used to lemon/lime soda in my sangria, not coke, but to each their own).
To eat we had the baked brie which was delicious and included apples and hazelnuts on the side. Overall it was a very relaxed atmosphere with good service. I definitely felt it was the perfect place to spend my last hours in the city.
Gather 'round boys and girls! It's time for another rousing tale of how Michelle doesn't understand the hype! This is happening more often than I'd care to admit. Maybe I am culturally challenged like the famous PDX eatery employee's email said. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. That's all quite possible. I'm not going to rule it out.
Regardless, maybe I missed the boat by not going here in high school. See? I'm trying to find fault in me.
Then again, I'm almost certain my high school self wouldn't have really cared for it either. While I am a huge fan of Victorian houses, I'm not a huge fan of dessert or hookah. Creepy dolls on the staircases? Not so much. I do know JW's bean dip he ordered sucked. Yes, I still ate it anyway, but it was more mindless munching than actual desire to ingest it. I also know the alcohol selection wasn't anything to go out of my way for. The shot of espresso and beer were decent, but the highlight was taking the time to make a volcano out of it when I poured the espresso in. I had a lake to clean up, but it was worth it for entertainment value.
I'm not going to die if the invitation arises to head out there again, but I'd rather just chill out in my own dining room [or yours] with the booze of my choosing. Hell, I'll even bake you a cake.
This is one of my favorite places in Portland. The building is amazing - beautiful colors, tacky but fun decor and feels like you are stepping in to a Victorian themed fantasy novel by Mercedes Lackey.
I have always had friendly encounters with the wait staff, as well as prompt service.
Their spicy bean dip is yummy and a friend got a salad that looked divine. (next time I'll try it!) I am also a fan of the iced coffee and the icecream espresso drinks.
Most of all I enjoy the Pied Cow Coffeehouse because of the atmosphere. The building is beautiful, the outside seating area is comfy and quiet and it is a nice place to visit with friends and enjoy the city of Portland.
After a hearty meal and a few games of feisty scrabble my friend suggests the Pied Cow for desserts. He exclaims eagerly that he's always wondered about this place, has heard great things, and is tortured when he passes by it on the bus. Sounds convincing to me.
It's around 10 o'clock when we arrive. We're promptly seated. A moment of silence ensues as all three of just take in our surroundings. Wow, creepy! I actually got out of my seat to peer around the corner where an ominous red glow has caught my attention. I am delighted and horrified to see a stairwell filled with an odd collection of items and statues. I wonder what they're hiding? Hmmm?
What we ordered: My friend orders the Marionberry pie w/ a mexican chocolate mocha. My bf and I decide to share the chocolate cake that's served with vanilla ice cream and a shot of espresso you pour over and house coffee.
Very tasty and satisfying desserts. Our dessert was delightful, perfectly decadent and enjoyably tantalizing as your mouth is greeted with a mixture of cold meets hot. The coffees were enjoyable too. My friend seemed to really enjoy the musical selection and I'm a big fan of old creepy stuff. I'm waiting until summer to head back, this time to enjoy their patio seating.
Here's a naughty little not-so-secret for Sunday: Once upon a time, I had a big thing for crunchy hippie boys. I went to school in Santa Cruz. It was bound to happen. So when I reach the vicinity of a large flock of grizzly-bearded, hacky-sacking, political freedom-studying, funk music-dancing, gee-I-don't-know-how-we'll-kill-the-half-hour-befo re-the-movie-ing men-folk, I sit up a little straighter. It's a trip down memory lane as much as anything hormonal.
That's what Pied Cow reminded me of. The stage was already set for this kind of an association because the big objection to coming here was that it was full of teenagers. But we made it here anyway and managed to snag a table at the coveted heated patio. As the group deliberated over hookah flavors, I noticed that a certain kind of man kept appearing in search of a table. My kind of guy, back in what used to be very much my kind of place with wines a-plenty (OK, that still holds) and ashtrays liberally added at every table. I was somewhat concerned that I would need to send a text to a lifeline pleading, "Help, stuck in my sophomore year. Please send incense."
The snap back to reality? A quick read of the menu, and the realization that I was never able to afford this kind of an evening when I was in college. At least my house wine, at $3.50, was very reasonable. Also, the single server who manned the outdoor seats was kinda nice but kinda harried. For what reason, I couldn't tell. At some point, I determined that I didn't want to waste very much time reading the boys, you know? Plus, his penmanship on the bill was like reading Aramaic.
Maybe more stars will pop up once I try the fabled desserts. Or if I wake up to find myself 19 again.
Yay Pied Cow! Always a great hangout in SE. There are more cool coffee places in Portland than you can throw a stick at, but everyone knows Pied Cow. I only wish the rest of the world would take it as an example, and stop opening glossy, sterile, coffee shops that resemble dentist offices. Furniture does not have to match, people! It's better if it doesn't! Sorry, I digress.
Pied Cow,
You took my heart away
From the first bite of that delicious Marionberry Pie
With Vanilla ice cream on top...
You blew my mind away...
With the Lavender Honey Steamer...
Lightly sweet, fluffy, delicious to the very last drop...
I love your outdoor heated patio...
I love your hummus plate...
Your cutie waiter is very friendly...
and he looked like Orlando Bloom...
Pied Cow you are my new L O V E R.
"Sure, he sounds funny. But I donno."
"Haven't you bagged every tall welder on the planet yet?"
"Fine. I'll meet him."
I pick him up. He doesn't believe in cars. I bring my dogs, for conversation fodder. Angelina Jolie, the Shi-Tzu, pulls off her collar and runs towards Belmont on the way in. He plucks her up, holds her awkwardly, like a child clutching a baby, kind of stiff and proud, wearing a baseball cap that looks like a beanie with a brim. Grinning in victory and grimacing with minimal remaining small dog tolerance in the same expression.
We sit on the picnic benches in the garden and talk, share a glass mixing bowl of kava tea, a mezzo platter and apricot hooka. There's something kind of sexy about sharing a hooka on a first date. At one point, he gets relaxed, puts his sandaled feet on my knee. I take it as a sign that he likes me - a brazen move, our first PDA.
I wait inside for the bathroom, and I pay, since we've seen a server for only a few fleeting moments, which was fine. From the stained glass window, I see him pick up Angelina and dangle her in front of him like a pizza dough. It appears they are having a serious discussion about their future together, and how this is going to work out. One has the distinct feeling that he outwits her.
We haven't been back, but it's a good memory for sure.
I JUST got back from taking my friend who is visiting to The Pied Cow. I went for the 16 dollar hookah (YEESH!) and she was hungry so she ordered "The Salmon Plate". We had this tall and unhappy waiter w/ a sunken face and slicked back black hair who was extremely unpleasant from the start. Anyways, her salmon plate was (not joking) a relatively small portion of cold salmon w/ mounds and mounds of cream cheese, slices of cucumber and a HUGE amount of those white saltine crackers that they sell at Safeway. Do you know which crackers I'm talking about? Okay, so, my friend tells the waiter that what she ordered isn't exactly what she was expecting. Which can happen, it's not entirely her fault. Who will honestly eat that many saltine crackers and cream cheese for 10 dollars anyways? He looks at her blankly and says in the most rude and obnoxious way that he has no idea what she was expecting b/c that IS the salmon plate. Well, duh, mister. Anyways, she tells our waiter that she was expecting something a little different; something possibly hot. Then he said to her in this horribly rude and unattractive way that "IT'S THE SMOKED SALMON!" After he said that I was like "You don't need to be rude to her" and then he looked at me in a horrible way and said to me loudly that he's "JUST STATING THE FACTS!" I told him that that doesn't mean he's not being rude to her and that her plate is just a plate of saltine crackers. Which, if he's stating the facts, the menu would've said "Salmon plate w/ saltine crackers for 10 dollars!". He took her plate and literally smashed her silverware into the wash-bin that was outside. He then came back and told me in front of everyone that I "shouldn't be complaining for food I'm not paying for!" and I said "Hey! Honestly? Honestly? Chill out!" and he said "No, nope! Don't talk to me." My waiter told me to not talk to him?
He then preceded to hang out in front of the window that was nearest to where we were sitting outside and stare at me. He also purposefully talked about us in front of us to his coworkers. I'm not kidding! I'm not a crazy lady, and I'm a pretty nice girl. This guy is insane! He refused to help us as customers, smashes silverware in front of us AND other people sitting outside and he tells me that I shouldn't be complaining? I feel that if we didn't have this horrible confrontation w/ him my friend never would've been able to order anything else.
Okay, so if you don't want to be overcharged for food/hookah and have undefinable service from an ugly waiter, don't go to The Pied Cow.
Ah Pied Cow, you're so cute with your name and your hookahs and your patio. Unfortunately you can't live on those alone!
This place tries a little too hard to be bohemian and hip but comes across as pretentious and quasi-touristy. The patio and interior are nice, but the the food is a bit forgettable. Some of the staff are a little snobby in a, 'hey man I'm an artist, I can't be helpful' kind of way. That said, though I definitely wouldn't make it a regular jaunt, I feel like the Cow is one of those must-visit Portland places. See for yourself.
The Pied Cow is a cafe in the Belmont neighborhood housed in a lovely victorian. They have coffee, tea, nibbles, wine, beer and appetizers. It's not a place to have a full-on meal, but a great place if you're a little bit hungry and want a comfortable place to hang.
While the inside area is cozy, I highly recommed spending your afternoon on the patio of Pied Cow. I went here this evening, and although it was pretty warm today (by Portland standards), it felt super comfortable, even chilly at times, because the whole patio is shaded by trees. It's super laid back, and even though you're right on Belmont, it's quiet and relaxing. Highly recommended are the hummus, mezza and cheese plates. They all go well with a pint of beer - the beer on tap rotates, so just ask. Tonight it was Laurelwood's Organic Red, which is always delish and local.
The staff is beyond hipster, but always very, very nice. My only gripe with this place, is actually kind of stupid. As a single girl, sometimes I just wanna go out by myself and not be surrounded by couples. This 'aint the place. Not only was I surrounded by couples, people were cuddling. Ick. So, yeah, great date spot, but maybe not so much for the single folk. Whatever. I'll still go there for a beer, hummus and some shade. Oh, and they have hookas if you're down with that.
Oh, and if you go here, please stop by Noun next door!
The hummus is amazing. Really good. Worth dealing with the High Schoolers. But thats it. The service is better at Mcmenamins, if that means anything.
Sometimes they have special beer, sometimes.
I've wanted to check out this place since moving here a few years ago and finally got around to it yesterday afternoon (a Saturday) - and I'm so glad I did. The inside of this lovely old house is just so pretty and sweetly decorated... reminded me of one of the "weed cafes" in Amsterdam. We decided to sit out on the huge cute back/side patio and play some cards while waiting for our food. The atmosphere is all-around really relaxing, and there's table service (!) - something I wasn't sure about 'til we got there. Our server was SO NICE and friendly, it added to the chill feel of the place for sure - thanks nice server guy!
My partner had the rose lemonade and it was, in a word - AMAZING! I had a simple iced Americano but it was really good, nice and strong. We shared the hummus/tzatziki and pita plate which was nice & big, lots of pita, carrot sticks and cucumber - definitely a decent portion for the price ($7), and the hummus was deeeeelicious!
There were a few people trying out the hookahs - they looked kinda cool, and easy enough to figure out for folks that might feel kinda intimidated - it looked like the server just brought it out to them, showed them how to use it and that was that. They have tons of stuff I really want to go back and try - mainly the DELISH-sounding desserts and $3 pint-glasses of Sangria... mmmm, looked seriously yum. Yup, I'll definitely go back, and soon.
The staff here is a bit off, to say the least.
Our server was heavily sedated. And not, "Hey man, I'm stoned," sedated.
I'm pretty sure the Pied Cow provides occupational training to recently released mental patients. Serious.
Is it just me, or do all of the employees at Pied Cow look like 1930's carnies? I kept expecting one to swallow a sword or grab me on my way to the bathroom and tell me a fortune that later turns out to be eerily true. I want to run away and join their carnival!
Also, the Cardamon and Honey Steamer is to die for.
Katrina W nailed this review - so much so that I'm finding it difficult to evoke emotions that she herself didn't already say so eloquently. Read it. In the meantime, I'll give it a go...
Have you stayed at the Flying Pig in Amsterdam? Many of us have...some of us remember...which is just incredible. We've sat in the pillow lounge area, entranced by a kaleidoscope of red curtains, foreign accents, stained glass, backpacks, and body odor. We were strangely comfortable and terrified at the same time, but embraced it openly knowing it was a temporary indulgence.
The Pied Cow holds this same mystique - a compelling window into La Vie Boheme, yet in a way that has become so commodified that it is now la vie-mainstream. A paradox indeed. Enchanting the first time...but after each return visit it becomes less and less attractive.
My most recent visit was certainly not my first, but it had been a few years. I found the menu ample, but uninspired...and I was disappointed to see that due to only serving beer and wine, all of the alcohol options (save the spiced wine) were cold. Given the space and vibe of the venue, a Spanish Coffee or a Hot Buttered Rum would have been divine.
Two students were doing homework at a table next to us, and we felt like we needed to keep our voices to a whisper. 4 people whispering over beer and cheesecake...Uncomfortable at best.
Clientele walking in would awkwardly drop their voices upon entering, realizing this was a "quite time" atmosphere. And brrrrrrrrrrr! It was Frrrrreezing inside!
What I did not encounter was the poor service I've read about. In fact, our service was probably the highlight of the evening - both people who helped us were exceptionally friendly, quick, and helpful. Definitely a 5-star service experience.
If you haven't been - GO. It's a must. Tasty treats and eclectic atmosphere abound.
However, Pied Cow will never be one of my timeless favorites, in the same way that the next time I visit Amsterdam, I will not be staying at the Flying Pig.
I Loved this place! Dark & yummy. Staff very sweet. Two thumbs up for seating us next to the Nick Cave altar for our 1st visit! :)
I really enjoy this spot! The service can be very hit or miss, but the desserts are to-die-for. Most especially anything warm, like the warm ginger cake or the warmed brownie with ice cream. Dang, my mouth is watering already...oh yum. There is a fine selection of snacks, but mostly I'd come here for the tea, coffee and desserts. I believe there is a small listing of wines and beers as well.
I love that Pied Cow is open so late; it's a great alternative to the bar for night owls who don't drink or drink lightly. It's also a fun relaxed date spot. The outdoor seating in the summertime is heavenly and the hookah smells so tasty it almost makes me rethink my non-smoking ways. In the winter it can be drafty. The house is so small that one bad customer can make the experience less than pleasant. I would recommend coming with a friend; it's not the place to come and pound out your novel alone.
Hookah, desserts, cheese plates, the place is near perfect. The vibe is super laid back, a quintessential Portland destination. The hookah was nice and thick (we ordered watermelon), the desserts were sweet and primed to perfection, and the outdoor patio is unmatched. The only reason I gave it four stars is because our server pressured us to go while immersed in a game of Settlers of Catan. I see it from his perspective and I don't blame him, but if a place is so crowded that they have to pressure their customers then it's not perfect.
Ah, yes. High school chats over a chai milkshake and a pack of menthols. We've all been there. There's places like this in every city. I wanted to like this place because it's close and somewhat cozy, but it was too "Hey man, we're funky and chill and don't really believe in good service."
Also overpriced. Also the servers were extremely...drowsy. So I guess if you're seventeen and want to quote Nietzsche all night, you should be fine. The hookahs smelled nice though.
Great place. Situated in a good neighborhood, great for mixed-age people (i.e. when one person's under 21 and the other people want to enjoy a beer). They also have hookahs and a heated patio. I love the kava preparation!
The only problems with this place is that the service is so unobtrusive to be non-existent if you don't want to poke your head into the kitchen to order. But if you're down with that, then it's a great venue for a long sit!
I like this place. It's so cute. They have outdoor seating and also heated tent seating. They allow dogs outside and even have a menu for dogs including non-alcoholic beer in a bowl. They have food, but mostly just appetizer type stuff. Good beer selection. Great staff. Hookahs.
Inside an old Victorian house, Pied Cow is the penultimate of hip and awesomeness that embodies Portland. It quickly became one of my regular hangouts toward the end of high school when my friends discovered hookah, and the fact that Pied Cow definitely offered superior shisha and ambiance.
Speaking of the atmosphere, sit indoors and look at eclectic decorations of bright paintings and a Hindi-inspired shrine, or outside with a whimsical and romantic/bohemian lantern-laden courtyard with Persian rugs on the ground.
Recently, they've put in a covered porch with heat lamps, so you can sit outside without having to brave the weather.
This awesome place also boasts some pretty good nibbles: The hummus plate is good, and Bernadette's Brownie Boat gives Baskin & Robbin's a run for their money. Try the Mexican Mocha, with hand-ground Mexican chocolate for a rich treat, or the hot mulled wine for something a little more European.
One time my friends tried the Kava...not recommended...it tastes like dirt.
But in all honesty, I highly recommend this late-night awesome Belmont mainstay!
In my opinion, there are few things more peaceful than going to the Pied Cow with a friend on a rainy day and sharing a hookah and tea in the heated patio.
The inside is nice and cozy too.
No wifi though. Otherwise I'd move in.
I would have gone for 3 stars, but the memory of many a night in highschool that ended up here pushed it up a level. I mean - nowadays I really only like it on sunny afternoons and off-nights. Weekends fill the place up with youngsters. And I've never liked it for the food, obviously, but more for the way the place is put together. The back patio is shady and easy to chat in.
Really though, as much as I want to be annoyed...places like this DO have to exist for the younger version of me. So I'm glad that it does, and that they're very good at what they do. Nothing wrong with that.
If I were to review this place after my first experience there, I probably would have given it a 3.5. After heading there again yesterday, I would give this place a 2.5 - so I figure that I take the average and there you have it. We didn't do much here - just smoked a little hooka, and had a round of beers... but the service was terrible - we were ignored completely. We headed outside (one waitress knowing full-well that we were out there) and we waited, and waited, and waited... and then we actually decided that if she didn't come out there in 2 minutes that we were going to take off. She had 15 seconds left on that 2 minutes, but I was starting to feel like I didn't even want to be there anymore because I was so annoyed.
We had the blackberry hooka, and it was quite tasty and the heaters were keeping us warm enough, but I didn't get that cute-funky vibe during round 2 that I had the first time that I was there... and I'd say that I had about the same level of drunkeness both times. I'd say that this place has it's moments... but there are places that are much friendlier and cuter in Portland, so adios vaca... until I need my hooka again.
The Pied Cow is a long-standing southeast favorite. Occupying the downstairs of an old dimly-lit Victorian building, the Pied Cow offers dessert fare that includes pie a la mode and home made peanut butter cup truffle. You can also get a selection of savory nibbles, too.
The biggest draw is the sizable patio. Smoke your hookah here and eat a sweet treat with it. The Pied Cow also wins by staying open late.
Kind over overpriced for mediocre food.
The best features of this place are the distinctive decour and patrons. The experience was very enjoyable, however that was primarily due to the company I kept for this meal as well as enjoying the art and scenerey. The meal was nothing to write home about, and was pretty much completely unmemorable.
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Alberta Arts District
Category: Coffee & Tea
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