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Portland City Grill
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Steakhouses American (New), Steakhouses [Edit]
111 SW 5th AvePortland, OR 97204
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, Downtown
(503) 450-0030
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 12 am
Fri 11 am - 1 am
Sat 4 pm - 1 am
Sun 4 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Dot T. said: "What's not to love about a place that serves amazing breakfast AND has a full bar menu dedicated to morning drinking? I've been coming to Genies for years now, back when they had 1/3 the space they currently occupy. Genies has always…" read more »
552 reviews for Portland City Grill
Review Highlights
"LOVE LOVE LOVE their Happy Hour."
(in 279 reviews)
"Also, try ahi tuna, and kung pao calamari."
(in 40 reviews)
"...beautiful and definitely worth the wait for a window seat."
(in 46 reviews)
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552 reviews in English
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Review from diana r.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was visiting Portland and wanted someplace "fancy" to visit. My sister and her friends know I like fancy stuff and fancy drinks and suggested we come here.
It was packed! Almost 6pm on a Thursday night so I wasn't surprised to see a lot of ppl coming for a Happy Hour drink. Ok anyway, Happy Hour menu I had a DELICIOUS mango mojito that was pretty good but could have used a bit more alcohol.. I did like the fizzy soda and extra mint leaves. Then I got a Lavender Cosmo which was STRONG (maybe to make up for the fruity mojito??) lavendar sugar on the rim of the glass, LOTS of absolut mandarin but I couldn't shake a grapefruit tasted.. was there grapefruit? Who knows.. oh and because I had not eaten since 12 noon.. Bacon Cheeseburger. So that's not classy or fancy but it was damn good. So were the apetizer calamari and the cute little mini pork buns.
The view was great, seeing the city at night with all its lights and the bridges,buildings etc. was pretty cool. 30th floors was pretty high up but when you work in a building that is 40+ floors you're used to it.
Friendly atmosphere, not overly dressy, very casual and a pretty nice bathroom too (come on.. all women know how important it is to check those out lol) and lots of eye candy roaming around (baseball hat and jeans to euro-hipster suit. I'd love to come back next time! -
Review from susan l.
Rowland Heights, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
my friend wanted to show me a view of the city, and this was the perfect spot.
what i ate:
- mango martini: deliciously sweet, but not sickly sweet. i gulped this down fairly quickly
- ahi tuna: nicely spiced, though i wasnt a big fan of the black forest mushrooms. the crisps were okay. we had to ask for more though, cause there werent enough
pros:
- late night happy hour!
- the view! portland is a beautiful city, and being able to snag a seat near the window youre able to get a great view of the city, river, and a few bridges. definitely a charming place to bring your date to see a great view of the city
- service: our server was really nice and attentive. she wasnt overly in our face, but charming enough
cons:
- seat yourself bar. while thats typical, you have to kind of hover and wait around to get a table by the window
- closes on the early side
- paid garage parking. it wasnt expensive, especially after getting validated at the city grill, but it was surprising since it was one of the few times i had to pay for parking while in portland -
Review from Timothy L.
Beaverton, OR
2/4/2012
Inconsistent.
While the main course might be grand
Appetizers have been bland
Wait. Free dessert on my birthday?
Consider me a fan -
Review from Keoni W.
Updated - 2/2/2012
The best days of Portland City Grill has passed.
The happy hour menu of $1.95 exquisite items are long gone. As we proceeded to leave Portland I totally mentioned we needed to dine here. Just because of the fabulous happy hour and beautiful views of the city.
We run up and secure a round table as women are throwing themselves at the window booths. They pass us the menu's and I look it over. WTF where are the deals?? I ordered the Kung Pao calamari and a sushi roll. Calamari was lightly breaded with curry flavorings. No kick so the taste was bland. Sushi roll was a simple Maki roll. Total with beer was $25 w/tip.
The views are still beautiful but now you pay for it. Come for a drink not the food..1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/19/2009
My friend is the only guy in a house of 7 women. So We decide to take a road trip down to portland… Read more »
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Review from Valerie W.
Hillsboro, OR
Wanted to give an update of their latest happy hour menu. It has certainly changed since the last time I had been here. Happy Hour at Portland City Grill is one of the best!
My order during Happy Hour:
Ten Sage drink - delightfully crisp and good taste
Cosmo drinks - for $5 during HH, what a deal!
Kung Pao Calamari - $7 so flipping good had to order a second plate!
Grilled asparagus Salad- $5. Ok flavor. Wish there was more actual asparagus. Had both a citrus and spice flavor to it.
Ahi Tartare - $8 for as much as I don't normally care for Ahi, this was actually pretty good. A little spicy and fresh tasting.
Steak & Fries - $8 had asked for medium rare and got medium well. Boo. Overall was good taste and the fries with garlic were pretty good
Crab & Avacado sushi roll - not great, not bad.
Overall for HH my tab was well over $60. Not ideal but we did indeed order a ton of food. Can't beat the views on a nice day. The servers there are very high end and have never had an issue.Listed in: "Must Try" Places, Best Happy Hour
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/11/2011
One of my favorite spots hands down! Have mainly come here for happy hour and a handful of times for… Read more »
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Review from Julie B.
La Conner, WA
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Most excellent place to hang out for happy hour with the best view in town!
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Review from Mike Z.
Portland, OR
2/7/2012
Ordered the crab salad as appetizer then top sirloin with wild pacific salmon in mushroom.
Crab salad was delicious. What ruined the meal was the "grilled" salmon that was obviously packaged with "grill marks" on the salmon. The worst part was the strong taste of PLASTIC that permeated the meat. I could only reason that the fish was packed in plastic then microwaved inside the plastic. Every bite tasted like plastic. I can't believe I ate it! If I could reverse time I would have returned it because ingesting that amount of plastic cannot be good for the human body. Two hours later and the taste still lingers in my mouth.
And where were the mushrooms? None to be found.
The steak was very good, as was the salad and the view, but the "wild salmon" really ruined the meal. Come for the view, not the meal. Two stars. -
Review from Alyssa C.
1/11/2012
You know, I used to feel "meh" about this place - I thought their prices were high, their food was mediocre, and you were really just paying for the view. However, after two recent trips here, I have to say I was really impressed by everything from the view (of course) to the surprisingly good food!
Cam here for lunch on accident (had planned to go to Little Bird but they were closed for the holiday!) so came here and ordered the soup of the day (potato leed) and a beet salad and they were both so much better than expected!
Second trip: New Years Eve. I had a nice gift card (given to me by the great staff after I had planned an event here and their kitchen got backed up, causing our food to be a few minutes later than planned) - so I decided to cash in. I had the chicken stuffed with cheese and mashed potatoes and it was delicious!
Overall, great experiences here and gets my 5 star based on some surprisingly good experiences here recently! -
Review from Bibi P.
Portland, OR
1/20/2012
The quality of the food often takes a back seat at venues in which the view is the star of the show: think Departures, Salty's, etc. This is not the case at the P.C.G, but of course, your wallet will pay dearly too. Steaks are around $50 and they are big, i.e., no option for the nibbler. A recent special featured a chili rib-eye with prawns; the spices on the slab were wonderful, the prawns just average. I still prefer Morton's, but steaks here are much better than Ruth Chris and on par with Ringside. The risotto was a big miss. The heralded calamari appetizer lived up to its billing, the crab cakes better than average. A creamsicle martini concoction was very delish.
The out of the oven bread was excellent (but why serve with whipped butter?); we regret not getting the fresh-baked cookies for dessert. Speaking of which, I've never been impressed by the sweets on the menu. Wine selection was vast and pricy as expected. One of the managers came by our table so that's always a nice gesture. Happy hour fare is good, but not mind blowing and far from a value deal. Overall, I've dined here ~five times in the last five years, and if ambiance is factored-in, it's never been a disappointment. -
Review from Ronald E.
Portland, OR
1/25/2012
We've celebrated our anniversary, Christmas Eve dinners and random lunches here a few times now. Their menu always has new items on it...and to be honest sometimes as you read the menu they sound kind of funky but man I am never disappointed no matter what we order. This last Christmas eve I got the Soy glazed short ribs and that was the best dish on the table (I give it 5 stars). The wife got the sirloin, oscar style and they do not skimp on the crab for sure and the in-laws got the stuffed halibut.
They have good sushi rolls, but you have to try the Kung Pao Calamari...it sounds weird but it was delicious.
The view is stellar, they even put anniversary glitter on your table or happy birthday stuff and give you a nice card too...nice personal touches.
Great for a special night on the town or for a great view of Portland blooming in the spring.
Things to know...kind of dark at night the in-laws can't see the menu...desserts here are kind of weak...we've tried quite of few of them and there all just ehh. The creme brulee was was warm...like they had barely finished making the creme and it was a bit runny because of it and the cobblers and such are just ho hum for the price. -
Review from Christina L.
Portland, OR
2/9/2012
We went here for our 2nd anniversary, and what a treat! The service was spectacular and the food was superb. Not to mention the views! It is pricey, but the service, food and atmosphere make it worth every penny! A classic!
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Review from Morgan X.
Gresham, OR
2/8/2012
PCG was not what I expected, it didn't live up to its reputation. Yes, i am very disappointed! First of all, I didn't like the loudness and the dark ambiance. The ladies behind us were so loud and drunk we couldn't hear each other or the waiter talk. The place was too dark we couldn't even see the menu and of course each other. How can anyone find this setting romantic? However, The food were really good but a bit overpriced. The portion size was perfect. I ordered the Dungeness crab stuffed alaska halibut and my husband ordered the top sirloin steak. The sushi was just right. However The service was horrible. We waited 30 minutes to get the appetizer and 40 for our dishes while we noticed two couples who arrived way later than we did and got their food within 5-10 minutes after ordering. I think our waiter is racist. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Never going back there again!
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Review from Woo K.
Portland, OR
1/3/2012 1 photo
Portland City Grill- Awesome view, great food, even better happy hour, and a must visit place if you're planning on visiting Portland.
The lamb rack at PCG is one of the best lamb racks I have experienced. It's cooked perfectly with a crisp grilled outside, and the inside is very juicy and delicious! The flavors come seeping out of the lamb as you take a bite, and I seriously experienced a foodgasm. There is no rack in Portland that has caught my attention like that one has so far. Yes, I'm still talking about lambs here.
The bar area is also a great place to have happy hour and drinks. I find myself spending more time there than in the dining area. The view is killer, and if you've got a date then this is the place to go. Check it, you'll have a great time. -
Review from Donna B.
Vancouver, WA
1/13/2012
Celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary here last weekend. We're huge fans! We started off in the bar to wait for a window seat. The bar was packed, but we found seats quickly. We ordered drinks and sat and chatted. The bartenders were very attentive, quick, and kind of entertaining! We were facing the windows, so we had a beautiful view of the city. The ambiance was swanky and fun. It's a great place to go and get dressed up for a night out! We plan to go again just for happy hour! (Kung Pao Calamari....YUM!
We made reservations, but you can't reserve a window seat. Our reservation was at 7, so we showed up at 6, requested a window and waited in the bar. We waited about an hour and a half, which was long, but in the bar, it didn't seem that long.
When we sat down for dinner, there were rose petals and Happy Anniversary confetti scattered on the table. Nice touch!
My husband ordered the ribeye, with mashed potatoes on the side and he raved. The steak was cooked to perfection. I ordered a New York steak with a lobster tail, and a baked potato. The steak was not that great, honestly. It was overdone and tough, maybe it's just the cut. The lobster tail was awesome; and the baked potato was literally the best I'd ever had. I don't know how you can eat 'the best baked potato ever', but you'll find it there!
We didn't opt for dessert there, but I hear they have good desserts. From where we were sitting, we could see VooDoo Donuts, so that's where we ended up for dessert!
Overall, we were very happy with our experience at The Portland City Grill. Next time I'll order the Ribeye! -
Review from Huong T.
Portland, OR
1/16/2012
Portland City Grill owes me $37 for spilling food on my leather jacket and not cleaning it up.
I've been here for many occasions, and I was not disappointed until the last time I went there. Their food is good, but kind of overpriced since it's downtown and you're paying for the beautiful view of downtown Portland on the 30-something floor of the building. The friendliness of the staff varies from day to day, but most are usually nice. However, the last time I went, a waitress spilled a dish while clearing off our table and the sauce poured on my jacket and my boyfriend's jacket. He had his jacket cleaned in the back, but my wasn't cleaned and I had to go home and take it to the dry cleaner's, costing me $37. -
Review from Jasmine L.
Los Angeles, CA
12/25/2011
5 stars for the view alone - it's absolutely spectacular and gives you a birds-eye view of the entire city!!!
Though I haven't eaten here, I did enjoy a cocktail at the bar, while I stared out of the window at the city below. The service was great and the cocktail was tasty. -
Review from Lauren R.
Albany, NY
1/22/2012
Portland City Grill has been a favorite of mine for quite some time. I have to say though, after showing up to the bar at 9:30pm on a saturday night to meet a friend for a drink it was quite crowded. I was able to find a table, then someone sat down at the same time stating they had been waiting for the table for 20 minutes, I said, I didn't know you had put your name in, the same situation happened again at a table near the window, but this time the woman was more viscous. That's was it, I had no more patients for scouting out tables and fighting people for them. My girlfriend and I ended up sitting in the dining room for drinks and dessert, we had a beautiful view and much less crowded. Will never try for happy hr again unless it's on a Monday night and the bar is empty...
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Review from Eric S.
Redmond, WA
2/2/2012
great views, good service, good drinks and cheap happy hour menu. what's not to like about this place? although i live in Seattle i often come here when i am showing off Portland to friends or visitors. the PCG has one of the best views in Portland as on a clear day you can see Mt Hood in clear view. the seats are cozy, the servers are good and the happy hour menu is cheap for pretty good food.
this is a very popular happy hour place so get there early to get a table. i also have had dinner in the dining room and the food was very good. i think this place is great for happy hour, especially on a clear day when the views are primo. -
Review from Mr M.
Malibu, CA
1/6/2012
Came here with some friends for happy hour $15 for ahi tuna nothing happy hour about that and to make it worse was that the quality of tuna was pretty bad. You know when you might into ahi tuna and you have that really tough white muscley fiber that is really hard to chew...yeah that was in every bite of their seared ahi tuna.
I was just there for the drinks anyways but PCG still should have some tasty quality food for $15 to wash down with drinks....try out their dinner menu and lunch menu next time.
Can't say anything about the view because it was during the evening but I had a pretty good view back at my hotel on the 16th floor next to PCG. -
Review from Brian C.
Beaverton, OR
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been here twice--happy hour and Thanksgiving dinner.
Happy hour was great. The menu has great food for really low prices. It was nice to eat cheap delicious food and drink with friends. Didn't pay attention to the scene. I was more focused on my food. You'd understand if you ever saw me.
Oddly enough, we didn't attend their traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We opted for the regular dinner menu. While waiting for our table, I noticed this stank as soon as we walked out of the elevator. It was tough to tolerate even when standing by the wine lockers. It was fun to see what everyone had in those lockers though.
Our server was great. He was professional and friendly. Our group ordered several different dishes to try. I'll give you a quick rundown. Duck was good, lamb was better. The meat was well cooked and flavored. I ordered a rib eye topped with dungeness crab and bearnaise sauce. The bernaise was a little salty for me, but the crab was delicious. Good portions, texture, and flavor.
It was crowded that night too, but it still felt intimate because of the dim lighting. Also helped that everyone was so loud. Allowed us to be a little rowdy too.
I'm curious to check em out when they're not as busy, but not THAT interested. I'll update ya if I do. -
Review from Charisma Y.
Seattle, WA
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Do yourself a favor and try the spicy ahi tuna. Pickled daikon, shiitake tare, and crispy wontons add on to what it really is-- spectacular. If you don't want seafood, go for the flat iron steak that comes with taters. It's perfect.
Not only is the food divine, but so is the view! It's smack dab in the middle of Portland. It's the type of place that would need reservations in advance during holidays like Valentine's day or for your company's Christmas parties. Classy. Mod. Beautiful.
One thing to keep in mind: They need a better playlist or something.. they played the top 20s from four years ago. -
Review from Amiee H.
12/6/2011
If I were to just rate on view and ambiance, this place would get FIVE stars! It's on the 30th floor of a skyscrapper building and has the lights dimmed way down for that romantic, lounge type feel...seems like a good place to come after work and just kick back, relax and enjoy a few cocktails with the girls! This all SOUNDS really nice...if you factor out all the extra people walking around LURKING for your table since this place is a first come first serve self seating place so people just patrol around WAITING for you to finish eating and then snag your table before you even finish paying and try to get up and leave!
Then you have to take into account the SLOW SLOW SLOW service this place gives! I feel like this place is only SUPER crowded and people do have to lurk around because the turnover at this place is like 1 table per HOUR and it's not the customers that are dining's faults, it's the SERVICE! My friends and I seriously had to wait like 45minuets before out food came!! We just ordered the calamari, garlic fries, crab cake, and sesame chicken wings...I don't understand why that order took so long! And then we wanted to order more food but it was almost impossible to track down our waitress! The service here was kinda ridiculous! You literally have to be SUPER proactive about what you want and even then you have to wait a LONG time before you get it! When we left, we had to ask the waitress TWICE to box our food so we can pay and get out of there!
If you want a good seat, you better come BEFORE 4pm and line up at the elevators and as soon as you get there, RUN to a window seat and be aggressive! Once you've snagged a good window seat, the rest is just easy breezy. Well, that is if the people that are lurking around don't make it super awkward for you as you are trying to enjoy your food, the view and the company of your friends! -
Review from Derek N.
San Francisco, CA
Let me first start off by saying:
"36-day dry-aged rib-eye 20 oz.. cut"
The second-best cut of prepared meat I've ever consumed!
(What's first place IMHO? Wolfgang's in NYC)
The rib-eye was prepared to perfection:
-well-marbled,
-extremely flavorfull.
Views were kick-ass.
Service was attentive.
I would eat here again if I'm in Portland.
Moo! -
Review from Stephanie H.
Beaverton, OR
1/25/2012
This place has one of the best view in Portland ( probably the only reason I ever go here). The food is mediocre and priced high, service is one of the worst I have ever had, and it is very loud! With how good Portland's restaurant seen is you can do way better!
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Review from Raquel S.
Portland, OR
12/21/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Since my friends took me to Portland City Grill, I keep going back bc this is the best happy hour in town. The view of the city is amazing and if you go in a clear day or night, the view is even more spectacular. Their happy hours have five dollars appetizers, the calamari has flavor and it's a good portion for sharing or have it all to yourself. The sushi, tuna tartar, and burger are also highly recommended.
They have a piano man who plays music which turns the atmosphere into a more laid back and classy place. The crowd is a mixture of ages and it's a great place before or after any place downtown you are going to. -
Review from Mike R.
Puyallup, WA
12/22/2011
This is where I eat every single time I am in Portland (and I've even gone to Portland twice exclusively because I wanted to eat here).
The food is amazing! Interestingly enough, one of the best things I've ever tasted was a roasted red pepper soup I had here and I typically hate soups. This place knows how to prepare tuna, and I can't get enough of it. I've tasted other dishes, as well, and they're great.
When I came the first time and was waiting to be seated, the bar was absolutely packed, had a piano player, and was pretty loud. I was concerned that our meal would be that way, but it wasn't. We were wisked away from the excitement of the bar to an intimate table with an amazing view of the city and the river. Service has always been great with some very interesting, but enjoyable characters waiting on us.
I have two complaints, but they're very small in comparison to how great this place is. First, I always make reservations, but I typically end up waiting 10-20 minutes after that time for a table. There really isn't anywhere to sit while you wait, so this can be a bit uncomfortable and awkward especially if there's no room in the bar (and there usually isn't). Second, they don't have coffee beans for the Zambvca. If 20 minutes and no coffee beans are my top complaints - this is a pretty amazing place to eat! -
Review from Allen B.
Vancouver, WA
12/20/2011
I've eaten here a few times dating back to when it was Atwater's. The view can't be beat. The service is always great. The food is expensive but very good. It's a great place for a serious date or anniversary. I'll be back.
I've heard the happy hour is amazing and very reasonably priced. Looking forward to finding that out. -
Review from Kim A.
Portland, OR
12/7/2011
Most of the reviews below are pretty spot on. Beautiful view, great service, fabulous happy hour...
If you go, it's worth the extra wait to be seated by the window. It is so beautiful! -
Review from D N.
Melbourne, FL
1/18/2012
Outstanding view, excellent food great atmosphere and top notch service. If you want to make am impression this is the place.
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Review from Mark S.
11/14/2011
I've been to Portland twice, but I've been to the Portland City Grill three times because of how much my wife and I love to place. We were informed about their late night happy hour, which is a really great deal for such a nice place. The view is amazing, and the fact that you can eat this well for that price late at night without it being a burger joint or a hot dog is a great thing.
The atmosphere is definitely a little bit nicer, as people were dressed well for the most part. The first time I went there I had just gotten into town off of the plane and was taken their by my brother in law. I was in shorts, and it was no problem at all.
I can see how people might think it's pricey or stuffy or something like that if you come for dinner, but come to a place like this late at night for the happy hour, and it'll be well worth it.
The kung pao calimari is a must! -
Review from Bryan I.
10/29/2011 14 Check-ins Here
This review is for the full dinner (2 Stars), not for the view of the city (5 STARS) nor for the Happy Hour (3 STARS - worth going for the classy atmosphere and view, but the food quality/quantity is nothing special)
I usually recommend PCG for the best restaurant view in PDX (5-stars), service/presentation (4-stars), happy hour (3-stars given the less-than-spectacular food) but the 2-star rating is for a recent dinner:
Although their food is usually nicely presented and the service is excellent, the surf & turf I got was so subpar! The diced potatoes seemed only to be seasoned with salt....LOTS of salt :-( and the asparagus spears were so hard (either under-cooked or picked too early, or both)...but poor sides can be forgotten with an awesome salmon & steak. The problem is that the salmon was as moist as the salad croutons, and the steak was chewier than my Trident gum...soooo disappointing!
Pick it up PCG; you can do so much better! -
Review from Brandon C.
Portland, OR
11/12/2011
When I made my first trip out here to look for a place to live, my official introduction to the city seemed to be when I was taken to HH here. Ever since then, whenever I have visitors come in from out of town, this ends up being where I take them also.
I've mainly been here for HH and lunch a few times as well. Legend has it that I once ate dinner here at the restaurant but every other time I've been in the bar area. It's much cheaper to do that. The first time I was here was on a crowded Friday where everyone was trying to get a table, or trying to take pics of themselves (surely to post online) in front of the windows by others that actually have a table. Annoying, yes, but it's also amusing to see how badly these peeps want pics that they just interrupt and intrude on those that are trying to chill in their spot. The window view areas aren't the only tables heavily sought after though, as at this HH you'll see youngins that just finished class at PSU battling it out for a spot with geezers that just finished watching a Golden Girls marathon.
As for the menu, they have a good variety of appetizers and drinks to choose from. I've sampled many appetizers and can't remember them all, but I always get the kung pao calamari for sure. I've never had anything like it elsewhere, it's not what you think of as calamari, but if you're into anything kung pao go for this. Others always end up eating it when I get it, despite it not being something they initially cared about when looking at the menu. Even if I go here for lunch in the middle of the week on a quiet day, I still order the appetizers. Really, just order any of them. I also like the fact that they have an acai berry mojito, since I'm always drinking acai whenever I can anyway.Listed in: Places to get High (in the…
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Review from Ron O.
Los Gatos, CA
1/11/2012
Went for the view and the Happy Hour. Both were nice. I would steer away from the ahi tuna, not too fresh. If you are looking to get your sushi fix go with the cali rolls they were harmless.
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Review from Sonja M.
Battle Ground, WA
1/15/2012
Love to go to happy hour here, it starts the night off right with a beautiful view. The drinks are very good as well as just getting a bottle of wine and having appitizers if you don't want a full meal.
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Review from Sean M.
Beaverton, OR
11/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Seriously the food was as great as the view.
We had the duck and the short ribs. The short ribs and buttermilk mashed potatoes, was melt in your mouth. Simply fantastic. The duck was perfect, it was paired with pineapple chutney. Awesome. Awesome.
This is more like $$$$ and not 3. The dinner for two with 2 drinks was $100. Expensive. -
Review from C B.
Portland, OR
11/5/2011
We have heard about the Portland City Grill for 20 years. We received a $100 gift certificate from a friend and were excited to have a celebratory 24th anniversary dinner..
I was wearing a dress and my husband a suit. After all, this is the "nicest restaurant in Portland". Upon arrival, we realized that even in the most highly recommended and finest restaurant in Portland, we were overdressed. How disappointing - no dress code. Patrons were wearing everything from cutoffs to sequins.
Although we had a reservation, we had to wait 20 minutes for our table. We went to the bar for a drink. The view is fantastic and so were the drinks and bar service. Very relaxing and friendly. Unfortunately our food did not follow the same pattern.
We ordered an appetizer and entrees. Service was a hair slow but acceptable. We were granted a window seat which was lovely. Little confetti Happy Anniversary signs were on the table - great touch!
My husband ordered a sirloin steak medium rare. When the food arrived he cut into his steak, it was cooked like ahi tuna: flash seared and completely fleshy and still cold in the center. I didn't believe him so I touched the center of the steak - incredibly disappointing. Unfortunately the waiter didn't return to check on how the meal was until I had finished my plate. Of course at that time it was too late to correct the steak as my husband would be eating alone. Nothing pisses us off more than not cooking the meal correctly the first time. And why should you not expect this from one of the highest rated restaurants in Portland?
The waiter finally stopped by and saw the raw, fleshy meat. He offered to recook the steak (really???? after being off the grill for 10 minutes?) however my husband declined and left dinner-less. Anyone that cooks knows how steaks turn out that are cooked, taken off the grill, cooled completely and then cooked again. Is this what you expect from a $40 entree? Ridiculous. This was not a s
"special", but instead was a menu item. We asked for the check.
The head chef came to our to our table prior to our departure. He said that he heard our steak was unacceptable and offered his apologies. My husband asked, "Did you see the steak?" The chef said no. How can a problem be corrected if the leader doesn't care to even view the error to know what to correct????
We received the bill with the steak dinner remaining on the tab. REALLY? We will not be back to use the balance of our gift certificate, we will not return for another meal, and we will not recommend this restaurant to any of our friends or visitors.
This is one of those restaurants that rides on their prior established reputation making all believe they are eating at an iconic establishment. Don't think this place is wonderful just because it is supposed to be. Obviously they could care less whether or not you are their customer. I can recommend you a dozen restaurants in Portland who take great price in their establishment, their food and their customers. If you want to pretend you are dining at a quality eatery because you are paying $40 for your entree, eat here. I'm not impressed. -
Review from Kathleen T.
Chicago, IL
10/6/2011
Black tiger shrimp tempura, rice paper spring rolls, mushroom risotto, goat-cheese-stuffed chicken, yellowfin tuna roll, blah blah blah.
Everything was good. Nothing was bad. I wish I could remember why this place wasn't more memorable. Were the views so spectacular that nothing else mattered? Perhaps. But I think it's saying something that I really struggled to recall what we ate. I'll place the blame on the menu, which is unfocused in the way you expect from a tourist trap. This is a swanky, lovely tourist trap, but a trap nonetheless.
One thing I won't soon forget: our waiter. He seemed to tire -- quickly -- of our jocularity. Sorry we were having fun, jerkface. -
Review from jennifer w.
Troutdale, OR
10/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
We came here after our wedding (cause we were to busy to eat at the reception!) and have come every year on our anniversary since.
We spilt the crab salad, and thats a good thing because it is huge! tons of crab, big chunks of mango and avocado. perfect.
The crab cakes had no filler. They were literally crab. cakes. so good!
The salmon had some kind of balsamic reduction sauce on it and I swear was the best salmon i've had. and I live here....so I've had a LOT of salmon.
The staff is always really great. I have nothing but nice things to say about the place. -
Review from Olivia T.
Updated - 9/29/2011
I tried to make this review update as short as possible :
Kung Pao Calamari 5 stars
Blood Orange Mimosa 4 stars
Service 5 stars
Waiting for a table 1 star
View as always 5 stars.
Just go try that Calamari!Listed in: Portland "Must Go to this…, Best Happy Hour
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/28/2008
Very good happy hour prices, they have happy hour on Sunday too. A little bit problem tho, they are… Read more »
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Review from Chris L.
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here for a Happy Hour on a Sunday night HH: 4p-11p on Sundays!
-I think its a Must-See for the view and the nice HH Menu (at the bar only). Parking can be challenging on a weekend or weeknight. You may have to fight/go to war to get a nice window table, but even at the bar you can gaze out and woo your date(s).
Ordered the Kung Pao Calamari, which was around $6 (everything on the HH menu is between $5-8, with a house white/red @$5, and a bottle for $24) I've never had calamari in this presentation, which was in a rice batter and somewhat clumped together, but the sweet-spicy sauce and the calamari worked well together, its not the usual drier crispy bar-food style, and is a different style dish, and a good one to order.
The flat iron steak with pommes frites was worth it for $6, the steak was about a 4-6oz cut, but was very tender for such a basic cut of meat, the seasoning is minimal, but it has a satisfying meaty flavor without being drowned in the cream based sauce. The fries also came with a bit of minced garlic to give them some flavor.
The Crab cakes were very rich with crab and had a nice buttery flavor, and also had a high quality crab taste and were not fishy at all, nor dry. If you like crab cakes, this is a good one to try.
The basil chicken was actually surprisingly flavorful and came served on a bed of rice, not very spicy or basil-y but it did have a complex enough flavor to not taste at all like an afterthought of a dish.
Also ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna Tartare, which lacked much flavor, and really didn't seem seared at all, i was expecting whole sliced tuna, but its actually a mound of minced ahi, dressed with some mango pieces and rice crackers. I would avoid this dish, as it was the only one that was not finished.
I ate all of these dishes, and felt fat and guilty at the end of the night, but it was worth it! Definitely going to make a trip back here soon for HH.
