The Picnic House

Oh sweet deliciousness! I have been wanting to try this pot out for so long BUT a few things are not in my favor. Mostly, I am down here often for the symphony or different events at one of the nearby venues. This spot fills so make reservations because you will need that - and it is very much worth it.

I made the reservation through open table and I did have an event across town which I was attending earlier and it went on far longer than anticipated. I called and the gent who answered mentioned that they were closing - I was only going to be about five minutes late but I was so worried that the app was trying to seat me when the restaurant was actually closed - it happens every once in awhile and I was mortified but he assured me everything was fine.

I was all by myself and it was lovely - everyone was so sweet and the food was amazing! I got their hanger steak with fingerling potatoes and broccoli rabe. For dessert I gave the tiramisu a go and whoa - so amazing! Just everything from start to finish was perfection. I cannot wait to go back but I will say that I felt pretty spoiled getting to have the restaurant all to myself!

Perfect lunch spot and great area for a casual business meeting! Definitely seems like a popular area for lunch downtown. I went here for a business meeting. We had placed a reservation because of how busy it would be.
It is a very unique and authentic spot. It used to be a hotel back in the day and they have kept a lot of the old architecture which was cool.
The menu provided a wonderful selection and options of soups, salads and sandwiches. They have a lunch special where you can do half & half of each. I had the Italian and the soup of the day. Delicious.
In my opinion it is an better version and an official restaurant compared to something like Panera Bread.
Good environment for casual meetings or just a nice lunch out during the work day.

I was totally in love with the 3 combination plate option offered here.

For lunch, I went for the Vegan Basil Tomato Soup, Shrimp Sandwich, and Berry Salad. All three "dishes" were delectable. You can taste the fresh ingredients and well-balanced flavors.

The Vegan soup was comparable to the "Non-vegan" kind. It was creamy and full of flavors. Dunking the sandwich in the soup and taking a mouthful of the slightly toasty bread covered in tomato soup is highly recommended.

The Shrimp Sandwich was fresh with lime and light mayo. The shrimp pieces were also very well-cooked.

Meanwhile, the Berry Salad rounded the combo plate off perfectly with fresh berries, candied almonds and crumbles of feta cheese.

Loved, loved this place!

I LOVED this place so much. This reminds me of the best part of Providence, and gave me that "I'm so excited to be here and have this dining experience" feeling as soon as I walked in, and the food lived up to the expectation (not to mention the staff were phenomenal).

So, I found this place via Forktown food tour's website, and since it was last minute, my friend and I didn't make reservations. The restaurant was technically booked for the night, but the host did some sort of magic and was able to seat us within 20 minutes (we arrived at 6:40 and we were seated before 7). I didn't catch the host's name, but our evening got off to a great start because of them, so hugs and high fives to you!

A note about interior design: this place resonated with my artistic sensibilities. It was elegant but fun, colorful yet subtle. I loved everything about it--it reminded me a bit of a fairytale, but not in a cheesy way. Even the doorways were beautiful.

Drinks: good luck. I wanted all of the cocktails--they have a full page of old fashioneds! The Out To Sea sounded especially good, sort of like a mule, but with blueberry and thyme as a garnish - my friend got it and it was delicious. I'd probably get that next time. I ordered the Cavalcade and didn't realize until the end that the garnish was dried strawberries (they looked like flowers!) This drink was also really good, the pepper giving it a noticeable but not overwhelming spice, and I had to slow myself down from chugging it. Both are great options.

Food: my friend and I shared a "picnic basket" (choice of 3 out of 4- soup, sandwich, share, salad), choosing tomato basil soup, grilled cheese, strata. We also got a side of fried Brussels sprouts and broccoli. For dessert we got the coconut tres leches and s'mores cake.

I'll save some time and just say it was all a 10. Portions, taste, texture, presentation. Even something "simple" like tomato basil soup was excellent. It's clear they don't just throw cheap ingredients together. And the price point is super reasonable, especially for downtown PDX.

Our waitress, who likely thought I was insane, put on a good show and humored all of my questions with kindness. I would definitely come back. If I lived here, this would be my go-to spot.

I enjoyed this place! It got a bit crowded during the weekday lunch break but everything came on time and perfect. I'm not a big fan of sandwiches but this one had the perfect amount of meat and bread ratio. I ordered the combo which includes their soup of the day, which luckily for me was clam chowder. The clam chowder had perfect chunks of ingredients in there that wasn't too overwhelming. I wish I had a bit more time to enjoy my food but my team was waiting on me.

The atmosphere is nice! Like a divey bar, restaurant type. I would definitely come here again.

I recently came here for a friend's birthday dinner as I've also enjoyed the lunches here. They also have a special for dinner where you can pick 3 dishes for a set price. I had the chopped gorgonzola salad, Argentine steak, and ricotta gnocchi. The salad was great, but the steak was a bit dry and chewier than I would expect it to be. The ricotta gnocchi was tasty and not too cheesy. The highlight of the meal would be their meat plate. I liked that the duck fat came in a candle like shape, slowly burning and melting the fat.

The hostess was very friendly and accommodating to our party. Our server was nice and also helpful. The one thing that could be improved on was to work on not over pouring wine for us, as some felt that they got way too much (a problem that I don't mind having), since we ordered a couple bottles for the group.

Otherwise, we had a good time as a group and enjoyed the experience.

Unique menu and cool use of old building. Fantastic service. Share portions are generous.

The decor is perfection and food is delicious. If you are looking for a relaxed dinner, nothing too loud, in a cool space- then this is your jam.

Place is huge and if I remember correctly, it used to be a hotel at one point(?) and was reborn into what it is today. The space itself is as unique as the concept. Entrance has this Natural escape, draws you in further with high tables on the right, dinner tables in the middle and then what looked like a private events room (just double-check).

For a Friday night, Picnic House was pleasantly calm. Music was a unique mix of Soul, Reggae and European soft pop. Our cocktails were divine and powerful. Cheese platter of Pistachio-topped Triple Crème Brie with Apricots- was certainly unique. And 'Deconstructed Bruschetta'- was phenomenal!

Our server Carrie(y?) was friendly and tried to keep it together as we struggled on what to order. Crusty on top- Mac & Cheese (sans bacon) was excellent. Daughter enjoyed her Roasted Veggie Shish Kabobs while hubby kinda-sorta liked his spare ribs. I hate to sound so gluttonous- but we feasted on heaping plates of excellent food and substantial portions- for an awesome price.

My only complaint is when not even closed to finishing our Appetizers, Entrees were brought out. We were kind of bumping plates back and forth- trying to make room for them. I mean granted, we made reservations for almost 8:30- we sat, ordered cocktails and appetizers...so I understand the time went by rather quickly. But still- didn't realize when their closing hours say 10pm- they take it seriously.

But on the plus side, Picnic House's vibe is rustic meets swanky. These folks know how to give you a good experience and we enjoyed it! Maybe it's too much to say because we dined here once- but I just got addicted.

Upon entering, I realized this was the second time I've been here. The first time was too long ago to remember. Seatings by the entrance were deserted so I had to asked if they were open. There were maybe 2 tables with patrons further inside on a Thursday evening at 6 pm.

Just like the name implies, the menu was geared towards picnic type food - sandwiches and salads. You have 5 entrees to choose from which was very limited for dinner. I ordered the Wild Mushroom soup and the Mixed Greens with Berries salad adding poached chicken. The soup arrived lukewarm but had good flavor. The salad came in a slanted bowl. The entire thing almost fell on my lap when I tried to mix it. The poached chicken was on the dry side and the salad itself was meh.

Given the many dining options in downtown Portland, I don't think I will be returning.

I work for a non-profit that understandably assigns some strict rules to meal cost when dining out. This was a bit of a struggle in downtown Portland, however, the Picnic House offered a nice variety of food, wasn't a chain and had a great price point.
It was easy to get a reservation for a party of 7 and when we entered on a Tuesday night the place was pretty empty.
Everyone seemed happy with their meal and the waitress was helpful in separating our food and alcohol bills.
The environment was casual and great for a nice meal in the area.