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Thom G.'s Profile

Recent Reviews

25 Reviews

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Adante Hotel

Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin

9/1/2011

Loud with traffic and all nite homeless hullabaloo. Tiny, but ok rooms. But staff is horrible. Heavy hispanic guy treated every guest with utter contempt. Should be fired immediately. Total scumbag- his life must suck. Asian woman was great, however, keeps this from one star. Heavy hispanic woman couldnt be bothered with guests, chatting on phone with her friends. Bad. If you have an issue, wait for the nice Asian woman, or you will not be satisfied.

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594 NE Bellevue Dr
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 317-0727

The Phoenix

Category: American (New)

Update - 2/16/2011

Sure, I write a nice review, then go in, and they've not only changed the happy hour menu, JACKED up the prices, and REMOVED the nacho! The very reason I raved and started to go there! Fahgeddaboutit, too crowded, and the menu is now just average, at least or HH. Heading elsewhere. You have MANY better choices, demoting from 3 to 2 stars. BUMMER!

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1 Previous Review: Hide »

2/9/2011
I love nachos. There, I've said it. I know, it paints me in the light of a know-nothing Americano, eating Mexican food that is not even Mexican. So sue me. But wait, they don't sue people in Mexico (as you'll find out when you read my new novel- HOLY TEQUILA, coming soon!). I love them. They are the world's most perfect food delivery system, so sorry to Pizza. But they're better, when done right. And that's the trouble, as they are most often done completely wrong. And much of the time they are wrong in Mexican restaurants, even. But this is the best nacho I have had in Bend, bar none. They mix real cheese with a cream sauce, cover the whole thing, bury it in steak and chopped avocado, jalapenos, and the like. Man, it's good. Everything we've tried here is good, and that's a pleasant surprise, as when you go East, you generally think you are falling down the food chain a few spots, but I think this is the exception. Prices are a tad high for dinner, but they are everywhere, right? Happy Hour is fantastic, but often overcrowded- get there early. And what they also get right is the atmosphere. You know I harp on the poor design of most Bend restaurants, but they have comfortable seating, loads of flat screen tv's in the bar, a pleasant staff, friendly local clientele, a good patio, and they have turned the old low budget interior of the Roadhouse into something much more comfortable. Still, not perfect, but great for a drink and some chow if you are on the Sunrise side of town. A Happy Hour favorite, and a great regular menu as well.
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915 NW Wall
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-3244

Amalia's Mexican Restaurant

Category: Mexican

2/9/2011

Okay, I am not done with this one yet, as I love Mexican food so much that restaurants that feed my passion must get second chances. And this one will, but a bit begrudgingly. I always say you can tell how good the place is going to be by how good the salsa is, and this one is fairly average. They have a fair selection of good tequilas, but perhaps not as many as I might like- not as many as the now defunct Parilla, for instance. Still, fairly good, and they offer organic tequilas, which are the latest thing on this side of the border, where most of our tequilas are mass produced and toxically enhanced. Big fan of Casa Noble, which they have. But the food we had was very average, and Northwest style- lacking spice. The margaritas I had were absolutely nothing special. Right now it ranks right there with El Caporal in the "Yeah, it's Mexican-ish, but not super authentic, not spicy enough, not hand crafted enough. Fine if you just want something Mexican, but not if you want GREAT Mexican, if so, see Hola!, La Rosa, etc..." Sadly, a peek at the Happy Hour menu shows a serious neglect for the local crowd- below average. I will be back, and you can expect an update in a few months.

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5 NW Minnesota Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 728-0883

Bourbon Street Bend - CLOSED

Categories: Cajun/Creole, Seafood, Soul Food

2/9/2011

STACCATO HAS LEFT THE BUILDING! And I am truly sorry to see that, as it was about the third or fourth best quality restaurant in town. Of course, their prices said they were the BEST in town, or maybe the whole Northwest, and that proved their downfall. And now, for something completely different.
Bourbon Street is just that, something we actually didn't have in Bend (with the possible exception of Zydeco), which is good cajun/ creole food straight outta New Orleans. It is a breath of fresh air, has a great happy hour, and if you love spicy seafood like I do, you're gonna love it. My only beef is that their house drinks are way too sweet and sugary for the likes of me, but I suppose that is in keeping with the "jungle juice" style of Louisiana beverages. Pasta, fried seafood, pulled pork, all kinds of wonderful things (including Crawfish, which is a tiny miracle for people like my Mom who cannot eat saltwater fish), a smoking happy hour menu, a more casual dining experience than the relatively snobby Stacatto, and relatively fair prices make this one of my new favorites, and it's in one of the most interesting buildings in town- the Old Firehall.

Listed in: Best Happy Hour

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147 NW Minnesota Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-0116

The Astro Lounge - CLOSED

Category: Nightlife

7/13/2010

All right, this one gets a good rating no matter what. Why? I sat next to two of the owners in the Ten Club section at a Pearl Jam concert, and anyone who is a rabid PJ fan and dances like I do gets my vote. Besides, he's a good guy with good specials. I had ridiculously never eaten there before, though I have been connected with people who have worked there and at Marz next door over the years, so it's kind of strange. But the munchies are great (and come from Marz, I am told), the drinks are great, and the crowd is not a bunch of yuppie OC cheeseballs in designer jeans. Low key, a local restaurant workers' favorite, and those guys know where to go. Good service, too- they bust their butts. A caveat- WAY too busy on holiday weekends when the tourists are out and about. Had to bail with some clients recently as we were getting smashed in and couldn't hear each other. But, check it out.

Listed in: Best Happy Hour

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211 NW Greenwood Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 318-0588

Blacksmith

Categories: Lounges, Steakhouses

7/13/2010

The Blacksmith is a great example of a restaurant that might no have made it through the downturn, but they decided to fight back, and created a great Happy Hour menu and scene, and have perhaps shifted a little from uber-expensive restaurant mentioned in Eastern magazines, to comfortable yet slightly upscale local lounge, with the high quality food still available for those who can still afford it. I am not generally among them, so all I can speak of is the Happy Hour. It's an enjoyable place to sit, with a fairly dark interior, highlighted by a very large, wraparound bar that is lit from underneath, and gleams a white hue into the air by virtue of its marbelly surface. Happy Hour menu is varied and tasty, and lets you try a little bit of the stuff that formerly only the rich could afford. Recommended for a little more "loungey" take on evening eats in Bend, and a welcome bit of darkness and atmosphere in our brightly lit and creatively challenged culinary scene. If you like Staccato, you'll find a similar sort of upscale fare here.

Listed in: Best Happy Hour

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550 NW Franklin Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 617-8880

BO Restobar

Category: Asian Fusion

7/13/2010

What we probably did not need in Bend was another relatively average, moderately executed casual bar/ lounge. We have several, including the Astro Lounge and whatever "The Grove" is called this week. So, if you're going to do one, your standards should be pretty high to be successful. The standards here are not, and yet it is by no means bad. Just totally unremarkable. Oh, they do have a nice water feature with a Buddha head- I liked that. And the decor is okay, but kind of generic. There is another location in Portland, so I guess Bend is the next logical step for them, but we have so many great places in such a small space, that you better stand out. They don't. Food is mediocre, drinks are too, and though they are trying to look upscale, they have karaoke prominently displayed. Not my thing, but my cousin is a raving fan, so I shall not judge. But the rest of it, karaoke or no, rates very, very average.

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805 NW Wall St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 728-0303

Velvet

Category: Bars

7/13/2010

So you don't really care about all of the fancy food, and nice decor, and drinks served in cool glasses. And you're not so much for bright places, either. Perhaps it's 1 am, you've had a few, and you want a dark place to chill and have a last drink while chomping some cheap eats. Welcome to Velvet! Velvet is a low budget bar/lounge, and as such is a welcome addition to Bend. No, it's not as low budget as the D. But it's also not quite as representative of the 1980's, either. Velvet is a very small, two level lounge near the corner of Wall st and Galveston. It features inexpensive drinks, and food to match, though they do have some yummy things on the menu, including brie and other evening staples. PBR's are a buck, and the couches are cushy. Servers are very friendly. When I was there they had tv's with surfing on them, which never hurts in my book. Think of it as a less yuppie version of the Downtown Martini Bar, and it's about the same size, too. Nothing special, but sometimes you just want low key and easy. And cheap helps, too.

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900 NW Wall St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 323-6295

900 Wall

Category: American (New)

7/13/2010

Did you ever eat at Merenda? You know, before the "debacle and the turning tail and the exiting the Country" thing? Well then, no review of 900 Wall is needed for you. Because, you see, you have already eaten there. The new owners bought everything, and I mean everything, that was Merenda- tables, chairs, decor, and it's hard to tell if anything at all in there has changed. Oh sure, the menu is a bit different, but not by much. It's still fine dining with a very casual flair, still has the same bar that offered the best happy hour in town (no word yet on the new happy hour- I will report when I know), and still more expensive than I think it merits. I mean, come on, a simple plate of Risotto is $15 for lunch? What's that cost to make, about $1.50? Still, if you must be seen when you eat, this is the place for you. This is Bend's home for "just moved from California" types, no insult intended. It does tend to have one of the snobbier crowds in town, and has almost no atmosphere whatsoever, just casual. pub style seating, which is fine, but do I want to spend $100 on a meal for two and sit in pub chairs? Not exactly. I highly recommend several restaurants over this one- Zydeco, the Pine Tavern, The Jackalope, and Staccato (now gone!) all come to mind for better food and better atmosphere, and you can actually have a conversation in those restaurants as well without having to shout. It is the one place in Bend that reminds me of my old college haunts in La Jolla, California, and I don't mean in a good way. Still, if you have to be seen . . . the location could not be better, and they have sidewalk seating. Bon Appetit. GREAT for Happy hour, avoid otherwise.

Listed in: Best Happy Hour

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801 NW Wall St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 318-1333

El Jimador

Category: Mexican

7/13/2010

This is a seemingly great location at the corner of Wall and Franklin, I say seemingly because several restaurants have passes in and out of here over the past several years. This is basically Mid-priced Mexican food of average quality (remember now, I have spent a great deal of my life actually IN Mexico, and my mother is an expert Mexican cook, I feel over qualified to judge Mexican food), served in, what else, cafeteria style seating. However, to their credit, they are not pretending to be anything other than that, like some of the others here. Good points? TEQUILA- it's all I drink when out (or in, for that matter) and yes, I do consider myself a bit of an expert on the agave as well (see previous for why!). They have one of the best selections in town of craft Tequilas. My wife and I came here on our first date for that reason. And, it's one of the few places you can sit out on the sidewalk and eat downtown.

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