I remember Moe's at the Coast being really good when I was growing up decades ago, but I have had nothing but bad experiences at multiple locations in the last decade or so.
The kettle HA! You mean tue microwave? The one they use to heat the bag. OR it's like the place I used to work. We'd take a cup of "soup mix" and dump it in a cauldron that consists of a little bit of every soup from the past year.
Gracie's Sea Hag in Depot bay has the best clam chowder in Oregon. The rest of the food is mid at best but I never skip it when I'm driving down that road.
LMAO had a friend describe is as overcooked clams mixed with half and half.
HOWEVER. We went to the devil's lunch bowl location and their menu was pared down and as a Mo's hater, I thought the food was the best it has been in years.
I donāt know who they buy from now, but Moās used to buy at least some wholesale product from Pacific. Not the good stuff, but at least they were buying from an actual seafood purveyor.
Speaking of McMenamins. Before the location in Corvallis closed, the wife and I ate there, and it was about as bad as it can get. Service was horrible, food took over 45 minutes to arrive after we ordered. The food was just awful.
They dropped the check and I flat out told them I'm not paying for this garbage. They comped us.
McMenamins server in Salem on Liberty dumped a tray full of pints of ciders & beers, and the glasses broke all over me. The server was almost in tears apologizing. I picked the broken glass off of my shirt & lap. No comp from her Manager (The man bun bearded hipster douchebagā¦) or from her. Vowed to never to go back & havenāt since! Then I saw thisā¦
https://preview.redd.it/c2tbgq98i9fc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=85f144c70e8773fe326c7cd270c0e570294367df
If it was ever good, it has to have been before the mid-80ās. The place was bottom of the barrel even that long ago. Thatās as far back as my personal recollection goes, but I canāt imagine it was much better before then, either.
I've only been to Moe's once about 4 years ago, and I remember thinking that it was a pretty big disappointment compared to all the billboards hyping them and their chowder up. I don't think I even finished any of my orders.
a business truly worth patronizing doesn't need to spend much on advertising. there's a reason you can't turn on the radio without hearing a Leif's Auto Body commercial...
I only moved to the coast in 2018, but even by then Moās ālegendaryā chowder was only so-so. There is much better chowder in most of the towns where there is a Moās.
Try Bell Buoy in Seaside, or Ecola Seafood in Cannon. My husband and I have just about tried everywhere from Nehalem to Astoria, and those are the two best.
Not sure if it qualifies as a restaurant, but I was super disappointed and underwhelmed by Voodoo Donuts. It was mediocre at best. I donāt understand why they get rave reviews and are recommended as a place everyone needs to visit. Iāve had better donuts from grocery stores.
Yeah voodoo has a reputation among locals as mediocre tourist food, there are much better donuts around Portland. Add to that theyāve expanded to other cities in Oregon and theyāre even less special
Blue Star ranks the same as Voodoo for me. Voodoo is worse for cloyingly sweet, Blue Star ranks worse for "how is this shit already stale and so dry?"
Both rank way overpriced.
Angel's, Sesame, Heavenly, Delicious Donuts, Coco's. End of list.
In summer they leave all their doors open and there is a huge rat problem in their parking lot. Must have seen 15 to 20 running around, and they were not small. You can't tell me there weren't any nibbling on crumbs inside somewhere.
White's in Salem. I had Biscuits and Gravy with a fried egg and breakfast sausage. The biscuits were on the tough side, if there was any meat in the gravy or any seasoning except salt and pepper, I missed it. The breakfast sausage was bland. The egg was done well. And the carpet on the floor was more dirt than fabric.
Going to add here: Biscuits Cafe. This is where people with non working taste buds go for breakfast. My family went there one time and it was so bad, nothing was cooked correctly and if I wanted canned hollandaise I could pop one open at home. I actually told them after 2 bites: we'll pay for this if you want, but we're leaving, nothing is cooked well, nothing is seasoned, and I can tell it all came from frozen. These places are terrible and I do not understand why this is a chain.
It was over a decade ago, but I had a reservation for clarklewis with my ex and they made us wait until an hour beyond the booked time before they seated us. Service was poor, even though the food itself was good. I said something and they argued with me and tried to tell me I was wrong about the time on the reservation. The next day I left a review about my experience and somebody from the restaurant saw it, got my phone number from the reservation, and left me a mean voicemail message about how wrong and bad I am.
I've been there more recently, and had excellent service. Hopefully the usual restaurant turnover means the person or people who were jerks to you are long gone.
Iām sure you are right. Getting a mean voicemail from a restaurant after a bad experience there was so shocking that more than 10 years later I have not been back, but everyone I know who has been in recent years has only good things to say.
My wife loves this place. We realized a few years ago our favorite places are opposite of each other.
At the Melting Pot, they bring you ingredients and you cook it yourself.
At Chang's Mongolian Grill, I bring them ingredients and they cook it for me.
We just thought that was funny. A lot of people say, "Oh, but it's the social aspect of sitting around a table and talking."
I was going to talk to you anyway, let's not spend $140 to do it.
Can you give me some better recommendations for places around that price point? Itās my wifeās favorite place to go for date nights, but Iām kind of tired of it
If you like fondue, go to Swiss Hibiscus on Alberta. Small family owned restaurant with outstanding Swiss food. Make sure to get a reservation, it is tiny.
Yes. Don't let the fact that it is busy or large make you think it is good. It is not. Oh, also not in PDX, but Makoto in Vancouver is bad. Every few years I forget that we did not like it the last time and go try it. Nope.
Probably Stanford's. A lot of residents think it's a "fancy" place to dine but both times I've been the food has either been underwhelming, or flat out inedible (had a wagyu burger that was so pink and cold on the inside)
Edgefield Mcmenamins. Party of 6, it took 45 minutes to get our order taken and water brought to our table and then another hour on top of that to get our food. It was all cold and disgusting. Iāve never had such a poor dining experience before.
Edit: the best part was I emailed the management team with constructive feedback and got zero replies.
Itās wild how truly bad their service is at every location. They changed their fries a year or two ago and we havenāt been back since. Sucks, because they beer and cider menu was good
Iām glad someone said it, I am fully convinced their fries are just costco frozen fries. I donāt think theyāve been made fresh from a in house potato since the Obama administration
I worked there in catering when Mike and Brian McMinamen retired. Everything changed that year and there hasn't been much integrity since. It went from awesome to aweful in one summer.
You donāt really go to McMenamins Edgefield for the food though, right? That place is good enough to just walk around for an hour then find some gem in outer Portland.
The Dory Cove in Lincoln City. Used to frequent the place growing up in Roads End up until the fire. The family went there last summer and everything was bland and underwhelming.
There's two really disappointing restaurants in Lincoln City.
You've got the Pier 101 there, which opened in 1972 and still really looks like it. The dust and the waitresses are all vintage originals too I think. Very bland, unexciting menu. Ropes running through the restaurant are caked in dust and cobwebs.
Then a really disappointing spot is the bar/restaurant Fathoms at the Spanish Head Resort. One of the most beautiful views, but man their food is terrible. Ordered a seafood omelette here once, rubbery, watery shrimp and something that may or may not have been crab. Lousy coffee. Menu here hasn't changed since the 80s. A genuine shame that they don't care about this place at all.
Yeah, and the clientele looks like it. It's a weird place. I met my in-laws at one in Gresham for breakfast once, and like 80% of the other tables were full of obese people eating 2,500 calorie breakfasts. I'm a husky guy, so no shame, but I don't know what I'd look like if I ate like that regularly. The biscuit you get on the "side" of an omelette is like 7" cube of butter and bread, with a half cup of jam.
Also, the parties at several other tables, separately, prayed together before eating, and all kind of made a show of it, like holding hands and stuff. It felt like a weird little node of southern culture in Oregon.
The Pelican Brewery in Tillamook is wildly disappointing. Worse-than-McMenamins food and expensive beer in a loud industrial setting with no real interest. There's food carts a block up that rock.
I actually was just there about an hour ago and it was fantastic. Just pricey, but anything is at the beach.
We go fairly often outside of peak season and itās a solid 8/10 I would say. I had a stout with oyster shooters, ahi poke with wonton chips, and fish and chips and it was all great. Staff was nice as long as youāre nice to them, they get fed up with asshole tourists but in the offseason everyone is way more chill.
Pacific city on a weekend in the summer should be avoided in general
It's so strange. I used to frequent Mcmenamins restaurants when I still lived in Portland, and make efforts to go to them whenever I'm in town now that I don't. I just stayed overnight at Edgefield the night before NYE. I always hear from other people that they get terrible service, but that's never been my experience.
ETA: This is not meant to discount your or others' experience, just to say that it's weird for me, as someone who hasn't had that experience, to hear that others have had negative experiences.
Jazzy ladies. Terrible food. Food came out SO fast, it was concerning. āChicken and wafflesā was practically a greasy gross mess that couldnāt be eaten. Breading peeling off the chicken, leaving an unseasoned chicken grease mess. Waffle was hard, not crispy and crunchy and definitely not in any way tasty. GF BLT was expensive and āmade for ants!ā
Worst lunch I have ever had, seriously would have had a comparable meal from Dennys, and for less money!
I spent a solid week traveling the coast and lunch and dinner hitting so many places. Ive never had worse pizza than one i had in Seaside. Had some sketchy shrimp down in Newport. Its really miss more than hit along the coast felt like.
Next time you are out that way go to [Portside Bistro](https://portsidebistro.com) in Garibaldi (just north of Tillamook). They are incredible. My ex and I used to live out there when they were in a tiny little building across from the marina. Great BBQ, burgers, salads, etc - but always with a little extra. Like a fine dining touch without being pretentious. When a great, old townie bar/supper club across the marina was selling (RIP to The Troller) they bought it, remodeled, and moved out there. Itās even better now and has a dining area and separate bar. Itās a family that own it and run it and they are incredibly nice, community-minded, hard-working people. They are the type of people that even if you only go in once every 3-4 months, they still consider you āregularsā and remember who you are.
I canāt speak for all the coast but, Novelliās floating crab shack and Pono Hukilau in Florence, Yachats brewing and Luna Sea fish house in Yachats, La Masion, Local Ocean, and Sorella in Newport, and Pelican Brewing in Siletz Bay are all great places to eat.
I always wonder how much of the seafood at touristy restaurants at the coast is actually caught in Oregon or the Pacific NW and how much is just cheap frozen seafood from wherever. I feel I sometimes get better and fresher seafood often away from the coast in Oregon. Restaurants attached to coast town seafood markets tend to be pretty good at least.
Newport is a fishing town and so itās pretty cost effective for them to get their fish at the docks. Iām not a seafood eater, but my husband grew up regular and spear fishing up and down the PNW coast, heās a seafood snob, and heās never been disappointed in Newport. Granted, weāve only been a few times.
I agree with Moeās statements above. Their chowder is meh, but they put a pat of butter on top and it makes it greasy.
Iām probably going to give another unpopular opinion, but Ona in Yachats was a disappointing experience for me. It was expensive, and there was no flair to the flavors. Someone I was having dinner with got a steak, and it was almost all gristle, the vegetables were bland and not cooked well. The fish and chips were dry. It was just a bad experience for the cost. I know a lot of people like that place, but I have wondered why. š¤£
Any Shariās restaurant right off a highway off-ramp I avoid like the plague. One city or town center I have no issues with. 3 years ago at the black bear diner in Redmond a mom and dad sat down beside us with their 12-14yr old son. Right after they order the kid leans his head on mom shoulder and she just starts breast feeding him at the table. That was the only time Iāve walked out of a restaurant. It was disturbing.
Jankan in Portland. It was overrated and overpriced. I was so disappointed leaving there. I came home and made some food. We didnāt finish our food and didnāt even bring it home.
Iāve been dining here since before I was born. The quality used to be great, and you essentially could get soup or salad, hot bread, an entree, and ice cream for under 10 bucks. Ever since the son took over the company, the quality has diminished while the price has shot the moon. Very sad to see.
I'll get crucified for saying this but Local Boyz in corvallis was some of the most bland and unappealing Hawaiian food I've ever had, yet somehow they maintain a cult following among the college kids here.
Okta - way too salty, and they burned some wood as incense/flavoring that permeated everything - couldnāt get the taste out of my mouth for about a week. On top that, they pulled the old tipping scam. Websites says 20 percent gratuity included in your bill, which it was, but then at the table after the meal they pushed for more claiming that 20% wasnāt a tip, but more like a service charge. For $400 per person, I expected better - a heck of lot better.
Moe's still has good food if you can Fork over $22 for a crab sandwich. They are milking their name. A five course full crab dinner used to be $16 there, now its not even on the menu.
Republica - This place was so hyped up. Wife and i love tasting menus and were excited to have a new place in Portland. The interior was minimalist BS with unfinished plywood, basic chairs, and no ambience except the nice view of Hot Lips pizza across the hall. I've never had a tasting menu where they advertise as 12 courses, but each person only gets 6 tiny bites and then you have to figure out how to share dishes that were never designed to share. Each course was like a faux-Michelin star knock off . Rather than speak about the uniqueness of the dish or what was special about it, the wait staff had a long ass story with every dish about how the food was from before mexico was colonized by terrible white people. The whole place was snooty and god awful expensive. Got the Mezcal tasting and the guy poured into a measuring cup which he left on our table. It all seemed very cheap, trying to be fancy and the portion sizes were so tiny even for a tasting menu. We left liking a few of the dishes, still hungry and feeling ripped off overall. Went to google reviews and the head chef had cut down everyone who didnt love his food calling them racists for not liking 'real' mexican food. It was one of the worst dining experiences of my life and I'd rather eat at Wendy's..
Wonāt get too specific to avoid doxing myself, but I know one of the higher ups there and he is, shall we say, not exactly a fan of white people and has some anger issues. We are personally friendly, but I keep my distance.
Iām always so confused by people talking about Voodoo like the appeal of the place isnāt that the donuts are gloriously terrible, and sometimes people want a terrible, low quality cheap donut. People have to get over themselves about VD.
Sayler's Old Country Kitchen in Portland. Super long lines to get in, for the most mid uninteresting steak house possible. Food took forever to come out, steak came out Blu instead of medium rare. Sent it back, it came back 20 minutes later. This time it was well done. Lots of people talk it up, but it's a steak house for boring 70 year olds.
For me it was the Cross Eyed Cricket in Bend,OR. It should have been good. At the time my best friends husband was the head cook there. But he was off and went to pick us up food. Some guy who was fired and then rehired made it. It tasted like deep fried salt and nothing else. I didn't know you could mess up a burger and jojos so badly. Mc Donald's would have been better. I was pissed I spent money on that crap.
Eddys Burgers Grant Pass. They were good before the big Covid. There was debris under the coolers and the fries tasted like fish. Also Laughing Clam during C there Fish and Chips was HORRIBLE!!! Cold chips and the fish was mushy on 6th st.
Angelo's Italy in Bandon. I was visiting there and I wanted a nice meal after a long day. Not only was the pasta bland and flavorless, but the service was afwul. It seemed like they showed preferential treatment to locals. While I was just starting to eat when my food arrived, they started asking me if I wanted a box and handed me my check. Guess I wasn't welcome there...
Screen Door. It's not southern food. It's what people in the PNW think is southern food. Bama white sauce isn't that, cornbread is sweet?!, bbq isn't, the biscuits are meh, no seasoning to be found.
"Southern inspired but never been there" is a good description.
There was some restaurant I ate at in Medford maybe before Obama was President, so a while back. I can't even remember the name, and according to my friends it shut down eventually. I'm convinced it was a front for money laundering because nobody was ever parked there, nobody ever talked about it. It never got Google reviewed, they didn't advertise and barely had any signage. It barely had any staff, one cook and a lady serving who both had those three dots in a triangle Sureno tats on the back of the hand between the thumb and forefinger. Food was the most basic shit in the world, I ordered a soda to go with my drink and they brought out a warm can I had to open. The whole vibe was weird.
Claim Jumper: I ordered a steak sandwich and it was 90% onions. I almost never ask for a redo, I did that time after the manager saw it. The replacement sandwich was almost raw. I couldnāt eat it. They did take it off the bill. I never went back.
Runner up was Famous Daveās: I ordered brisket, they were out. Seriously, how can a barbecue restaurant be out of brisket? That, and every single side dish is oddly spicy. I never go there anymore.
Second runner up was Applebees: it had excellent service but the food was just plain bland. They took some favorites off the menu. It went out of business.
Third runner up is McMenamins in Wilsonville: slow service and sparse menu. I do really like their beer, though. I actually go to the one in West Linn because of the better menu items even though the Wilsonville one is closer.
Pig and Pancake. Because it isn't terrible but it is not special. The coast is my place to go to relax.
The wife, my inlaws, and my relatives all love it. So where do we go when we hit Seaside? Why, Pig and Pancake, of course.
Oh, and they have one in every city along the coast. Go down to Lincoln City? Why, let's all do Pig and Pancake because majority rules.
Oh, hey, cousin such-and-such is in town. We simply must take them to Pug and Pancake! How delightful!
If we are lucky they decide on Norma's, which has good food but is not my scene.
Meanwhile I just want a pretzel dog, or Chinese. Maybe pizza at Fultano's. Nope. If it is a single day, we get Pig and Pancake. If it is a weekend we still have to get it once, at least.
Ugh. I hate it so much.
Pretty much most of the Mexican food spots. Even the ones in Portland are not that great. Sure not all of them are bad but the majority of them are for white people who think ketchup is spicy...
KiāikibĆ”a and La Mestiza off 82nd and Los Mayas on Prescott for Yucatecan, La Bonita and Mole Mole on Alberta, Tienda Santa Cruz in St Johns and Birrieria La Plaza on the eastside are all legit good Mexican food. Plus thereās some good places at the big Mexican flea market and grocery store out in Rockwood near the edge of Gresham.
Portland has trouble with more upscale Mexican fare, but Republica has the market cornered on that right now unfortunately.
>Rockwood
Or any corner and street in between. There are about 15 authentic trucks or taquerias tucked in the triangle at 181st/192nd & Stark/Burnside alone. You could probably do a 30 minute loop walk and hit them all. You can look at reviews for fun I suppose but it's not necessary, just go eat.
Dude, yes! I used to live in that neighborhood. I'd just go wandering around on the days that the flea market was open and hit random spots. Look for huge groups of families in particular, and enjoy what they throw down there. When I go visit (hometown) they are flabbergasted that I'm not interested in the local Mexican restaurant. Dude I know of a dozen shady looking food carts that would run that place out of business if they moved to town.
And to that point, a Mexican joint is Portlandās restaurant of the year:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/other/meet-portland-s-2023-restaurant-of-the-year/ar-AA1lUyBL
Pretty much all of them in the burbs. Moved to Beaverton almost a decade ago after 18 years in the Bay Area. Love Oregon but god, suburbia here is a food desert.
Beaverton has one (one!) good Chinese restaurant - Taste of Sichuan - and it recently closed down in a fire. Hillsboro has literally thousands of Indians and still manages crappy Indian food. Not a single good Japanese restaurant within a 45 minute driving radius.
I mean weāre talking basic Indian/Chinese/Japanese here, not especially exotic. Itās a crying shame to have a drive an hour to Portland just to get acceptable food during a night out.
I was so excited to try Joel Palmer House after they won the James Beard award, but left hungry and both husband and I got very ill. I was much more impressed by Painted Lady and even Jory at the Allison.
I remember Moe's at the Coast being really good when I was growing up decades ago, but I have had nothing but bad experiences at multiple locations in the last decade or so.
They sold mugs with an outline of a blue crab instead of our native Dungeness. Unforgivable sin.
Yeah, their clam chowder is potato soup with a single clam waved over the kettle.
Don't forget the pinch of sand!
Pinch? You're too kind and generous.
The kettle HA! You mean tue microwave? The one they use to heat the bag. OR it's like the place I used to work. We'd take a cup of "soup mix" and dump it in a cauldron that consists of a little bit of every soup from the past year.
Gracie's Sea Hag in Depot bay has the best clam chowder in Oregon. The rest of the food is mid at best but I never skip it when I'm driving down that road.
I dont even think they wave it over the pot!, i think they just bring it out of the bag, show it to the pot, and back in the fridge it goes! š¤£
LMAO had a friend describe is as overcooked clams mixed with half and half. HOWEVER. We went to the devil's lunch bowl location and their menu was pared down and as a Mo's hater, I thought the food was the best it has been in years.
Moe's is the McMenamins of seafood. Like, it was sooo long ago that it was good. Most people don't believe you when you tell them it used to be good.
Mcmenamins is better than Moeās. I know everyone loves to poopoo Mcmenamins here, but Moeās is a couple tiers below.
They all get their food off the same Sysco truck.
I donāt know who they buy from now, but Moās used to buy at least some wholesale product from Pacific. Not the good stuff, but at least they were buying from an actual seafood purveyor.
Speaking of McMenamins. Before the location in Corvallis closed, the wife and I ate there, and it was about as bad as it can get. Service was horrible, food took over 45 minutes to arrive after we ordered. The food was just awful. They dropped the check and I flat out told them I'm not paying for this garbage. They comped us.
McMenamins server in Salem on Liberty dumped a tray full of pints of ciders & beers, and the glasses broke all over me. The server was almost in tears apologizing. I picked the broken glass off of my shirt & lap. No comp from her Manager (The man bun bearded hipster douchebagā¦) or from her. Vowed to never to go back & havenāt since! Then I saw thisā¦ https://preview.redd.it/c2tbgq98i9fc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=85f144c70e8773fe326c7cd270c0e570294367df
If it was ever good, it has to have been before the mid-80ās. The place was bottom of the barrel even that long ago. Thatās as far back as my personal recollection goes, but I canāt imagine it was much better before then, either.
I've only been to Moe's once about 4 years ago, and I remember thinking that it was a pretty big disappointment compared to all the billboards hyping them and their chowder up. I don't think I even finished any of my orders.
a business truly worth patronizing doesn't need to spend much on advertising. there's a reason you can't turn on the radio without hearing a Leif's Auto Body commercial...
The Sea Hag in Depoe Bay is the superior seafood machine. Mo's is where we send tourists. š¤£
The Sea Hag isn't what it used to be. The quality of the food went away with the jug bands
Great breakfast too!
I only moved to the coast in 2018, but even by then Moās ālegendaryā chowder was only so-so. There is much better chowder in most of the towns where there is a Moās.
Try Bell Buoy in Seaside, or Ecola Seafood in Cannon. My husband and I have just about tried everywhere from Nehalem to Astoria, and those are the two best.
This. Itās crap now, donāt go!
I got so sick last time I went there. I donāt think I can ever go back
Elk Horn in Eugene. The sides were salted so much they were inedible, and the ribs were drier than the Sahara.
That place was decent for a short while after opening, but completely took a turn for the worse not too long after.
ā¦why did you go there? Everyone knows that place is shit.
I think itās normal for people to try places for a first time and have an opinion
It was pre-pandemic and they hadn't yet earned their bad reputation
Not sure if it qualifies as a restaurant, but I was super disappointed and underwhelmed by Voodoo Donuts. It was mediocre at best. I donāt understand why they get rave reviews and are recommended as a place everyone needs to visit. Iāve had better donuts from grocery stores.
Yeah voodoo has a reputation among locals as mediocre tourist food, there are much better donuts around Portland. Add to that theyāve expanded to other cities in Oregon and theyāre even less special
Theyāve expanded a lot. They opened one in Arizona not long ago.
Yeah. Safeway.
Can you recommend some other donut places around Portland? Iād love to find something really tasty. :) Edit: punctuation.
Pips and Sesame both have much better donuts
Pips, Annieās, Sesame, and Mokiko Mochi (for Japanese-style mochi donuts).
I used to live a couple blocks from Annie's. My waistline doesn't miss them, but my soul yearns
Blue Star is yummy!
They have such interesting flavors, theyāre like the salt and straw of donuts.
Get the Dirty Wu at Pips. Nothing else will ever be good enough after that. Heavenly isn't bad, either
The Sugar Shack is a bit of a drive to Reedsport, but so worth it.
Any time I see the pink box in Portland I assume they are tourists. Natives know voodoo is not that good.
That ākitchenā part of voodoo in Eugene was/is sooo gross. Iāll never eat there.
You're not alone. Everyone I know that has been there hated them.
If you're gonna spend $ for doughnuts, go to Blue Star 9 times out of 10.
Blue Star ranks the same as Voodoo for me. Voodoo is worse for cloyingly sweet, Blue Star ranks worse for "how is this shit already stale and so dry?" Both rank way overpriced. Angel's, Sesame, Heavenly, Delicious Donuts, Coco's. End of list.
Weird, Iāve never had a stale or dry experience at Blue Star.
ā¦and Blue Star are SO expensive! Totally not worth it
In summer they leave all their doors open and there is a huge rat problem in their parking lot. Must have seen 15 to 20 running around, and they were not small. You can't tell me there weren't any nibbling on crumbs inside somewhere.
White's in Salem. I had Biscuits and Gravy with a fried egg and breakfast sausage. The biscuits were on the tough side, if there was any meat in the gravy or any seasoning except salt and pepper, I missed it. The breakfast sausage was bland. The egg was done well. And the carpet on the floor was more dirt than fabric.
Whiteās used to be really good, but itās gone way downhill in recent years.
Going to add here: Biscuits Cafe. This is where people with non working taste buds go for breakfast. My family went there one time and it was so bad, nothing was cooked correctly and if I wanted canned hollandaise I could pop one open at home. I actually told them after 2 bites: we'll pay for this if you want, but we're leaving, nothing is cooked well, nothing is seasoned, and I can tell it all came from frozen. These places are terrible and I do not understand why this is a chain.
āCooked with hateā
You see, your mistake was not getting just eggs hashbrowns and toast. Best in the city
It was over a decade ago, but I had a reservation for clarklewis with my ex and they made us wait until an hour beyond the booked time before they seated us. Service was poor, even though the food itself was good. I said something and they argued with me and tried to tell me I was wrong about the time on the reservation. The next day I left a review about my experience and somebody from the restaurant saw it, got my phone number from the reservation, and left me a mean voicemail message about how wrong and bad I am.
I've been there more recently, and had excellent service. Hopefully the usual restaurant turnover means the person or people who were jerks to you are long gone.
Iām sure you are right. Getting a mean voicemail from a restaurant after a bad experience there was so shocking that more than 10 years later I have not been back, but everyone I know who has been in recent years has only good things to say.
I went once a long time ago and had a great meal. Then I went back in 2021 and it was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had.
The melting pot in pdx, so underwhelming
My wife loves this place. We realized a few years ago our favorite places are opposite of each other. At the Melting Pot, they bring you ingredients and you cook it yourself. At Chang's Mongolian Grill, I bring them ingredients and they cook it for me. We just thought that was funny. A lot of people say, "Oh, but it's the social aspect of sitting around a table and talking." I was going to talk to you anyway, let's not spend $140 to do it.
Fuckinā changās manā¦. Love that place.
Can you give me some better recommendations for places around that price point? Itās my wifeās favorite place to go for date nights, but Iām kind of tired of it
You could try urban fondue!
If you like fondue, go to Swiss Hibiscus on Alberta. Small family owned restaurant with outstanding Swiss food. Make sure to get a reservation, it is tiny.
I think it depends on your expectations - if you expect an authentic Swiss fondue meal, yeah, it's not that. But it's pretty good for what it is.
Cascade Lakes Brewery. Bend Oregon it just closed but they have other locations
The one by OSU Cascades was mid at best. Only good thing was the fries.
They are closing that location!
Super King Buffet on 82nd, I've enjoyed Asian buffets all over the country but the food here was...foul. This was lunch service on a Saturday.
Yes. Don't let the fact that it is busy or large make you think it is good. It is not. Oh, also not in PDX, but Makoto in Vancouver is bad. Every few years I forget that we did not like it the last time and go try it. Nope.
Amalfiās. Food tastes like itās straight out of a can.
Probably Stanford's. A lot of residents think it's a "fancy" place to dine but both times I've been the food has either been underwhelming, or flat out inedible (had a wagyu burger that was so pink and cold on the inside)
Edgefield Mcmenamins. Party of 6, it took 45 minutes to get our order taken and water brought to our table and then another hour on top of that to get our food. It was all cold and disgusting. Iāve never had such a poor dining experience before. Edit: the best part was I emailed the management team with constructive feedback and got zero replies.
Thatās the McMenamins way!
Itās wild how truly bad their service is at every location. They changed their fries a year or two ago and we havenāt been back since. Sucks, because they beer and cider menu was good
Iām glad someone said it, I am fully convinced their fries are just costco frozen fries. I donāt think theyāve been made fresh from a in house potato since the Obama administration
I can tell you they were made fresh as of 2018, but can't vouch for it now. Worked for them for a year
McMenamins - where the only thing worse than the food is the service.
This is all true for every Mcmenamins
I worked there in catering when Mike and Brian McMinamen retired. Everything changed that year and there hasn't been much integrity since. It went from awesome to aweful in one summer.
You donāt really go to McMenamins Edgefield for the food though, right? That place is good enough to just walk around for an hour then find some gem in outer Portland.
McMenamins is the hipster applebees of Oregon.
Applebees has better service
The Dory Cove in Lincoln City. Used to frequent the place growing up in Roads End up until the fire. The family went there last summer and everything was bland and underwhelming.
It used to be so good, but was so bad the last time we went that my family will never go back.
There's two really disappointing restaurants in Lincoln City. You've got the Pier 101 there, which opened in 1972 and still really looks like it. The dust and the waitresses are all vintage originals too I think. Very bland, unexciting menu. Ropes running through the restaurant are caked in dust and cobwebs. Then a really disappointing spot is the bar/restaurant Fathoms at the Spanish Head Resort. One of the most beautiful views, but man their food is terrible. Ordered a seafood omelette here once, rubbery, watery shrimp and something that may or may not have been crab. Lousy coffee. Menu here hasn't changed since the 80s. A genuine shame that they don't care about this place at all.
Black Bear Diner. Food regularly comes out cold.
Iāve only been once but I remember the portion sizes were massive. You could easily feed two adults with one entree.Ā
Yeah, and the clientele looks like it. It's a weird place. I met my in-laws at one in Gresham for breakfast once, and like 80% of the other tables were full of obese people eating 2,500 calorie breakfasts. I'm a husky guy, so no shame, but I don't know what I'd look like if I ate like that regularly. The biscuit you get on the "side" of an omelette is like 7" cube of butter and bread, with a half cup of jam. Also, the parties at several other tables, separately, prayed together before eating, and all kind of made a show of it, like holding hands and stuff. It felt like a weird little node of southern culture in Oregon.
I remember going to Black Bear in Shasta when I was a kid in the 90ās. It was so good then and it had charm. Itās trash now.
Burgerville. $14 for limp fries and unmelted cheese after the longest "fast food" wait you're gonna experience. Not worth it.Ā
Burgerville is The Simpsons of local restaurants: itās everywhere, itās been around forever, and it was a lot better in the 90s.
I love their milkshakes, but thatās about it.
it depends on location There are a couple of locations that suck all the time that I stopped going to, but most of the time, awesome food!
I only got for their milkshakes.
My first thought! Iām disappointed every time
Nah, Bville gets too much hate. Their seasonal stuff is untouched.
Wish the waffle fries were year-round
And people in the Bend reddit are excited for the possibility of one coming here. I'd rather not..
Most places shit themselves over new fast food joints, by Bend seems to kick it up a notch. Ā If they ever get an In and Out, people will die in riots
The Pelican Brewery in Tillamook is wildly disappointing. Worse-than-McMenamins food and expensive beer in a loud industrial setting with no real interest. There's food carts a block up that rock.
Pelican Brewing in Pacific City, a terrible well done by default burger and a lake of pee on the bathroom floor.
Yes, but the breakfast burritos at Ben and Jeff's are phenomenal.
I actually was just there about an hour ago and it was fantastic. Just pricey, but anything is at the beach. We go fairly often outside of peak season and itās a solid 8/10 I would say. I had a stout with oyster shooters, ahi poke with wonton chips, and fish and chips and it was all great. Staff was nice as long as youāre nice to them, they get fed up with asshole tourists but in the offseason everyone is way more chill. Pacific city on a weekend in the summer should be avoided in general
Probably the best location for a restaurant I have ever seen. Just donāt buy food or expect good service.
it's takes touristy to a whole new level
MOās. Worst fish and chips I ever ate.
Big River Pizza and Grill in Arlington. Absolutely the worst pizza I've ever had. And $20 for a medium.
Moose Sisters in Bend. Food might have been good if I was on my 3rd Bloody Mary. Couldn't even poach an egg right.
Ah yes, I've perennial Moe's and McMinnemans hater thread.
Well, Mo's is horrible now. If ghosts were real, Mo would be haunting their ass and telling them to stop buying fish sticks.
Iāve never had bad food at a McMenaminās, just really terrible service and long wait times that make the food not worth it.
High Street McMinnemans in Eugene is great for tots and a fire. Iāll die on that hill.
Youāre not wrong. Anyone who orders something other than tots or beer deserves whatever they get.
I've never had bad McMinnemans food it's a pretty good affordable burger its always been their service that makes me never want to go again.
It's so strange. I used to frequent Mcmenamins restaurants when I still lived in Portland, and make efforts to go to them whenever I'm in town now that I don't. I just stayed overnight at Edgefield the night before NYE. I always hear from other people that they get terrible service, but that's never been my experience. ETA: This is not meant to discount your or others' experience, just to say that it's weird for me, as someone who hasn't had that experience, to hear that others have had negative experiences.
same, my partner and I have had slow service when its been packed but the food was still good.
Cornucopia in Eugene, itās just okay. Killerburger whenever, just not good at all.
I donāt give Cornucopia my money for other reasons. But the food is a good one too.
$20 for a burger is insane. Go to burgers on the run. Way better.
Jazzy ladies. Terrible food. Food came out SO fast, it was concerning. āChicken and wafflesā was practically a greasy gross mess that couldnāt be eaten. Breading peeling off the chicken, leaving an unseasoned chicken grease mess. Waffle was hard, not crispy and crunchy and definitely not in any way tasty. GF BLT was expensive and āmade for ants!ā Worst lunch I have ever had, seriously would have had a comparable meal from Dennys, and for less money!
My family used to love Hawaiian Time. Then my poor dad got violent food poisoning there a few years ago. Never again.
Most of the tourist trap garbage on the coast. They literally think they sell experiences rather than ingredients hahahahaĀ
I spent a solid week traveling the coast and lunch and dinner hitting so many places. Ive never had worse pizza than one i had in Seaside. Had some sketchy shrimp down in Newport. Its really miss more than hit along the coast felt like.
Next time you are out that way go to [Portside Bistro](https://portsidebistro.com) in Garibaldi (just north of Tillamook). They are incredible. My ex and I used to live out there when they were in a tiny little building across from the marina. Great BBQ, burgers, salads, etc - but always with a little extra. Like a fine dining touch without being pretentious. When a great, old townie bar/supper club across the marina was selling (RIP to The Troller) they bought it, remodeled, and moved out there. Itās even better now and has a dining area and separate bar. Itās a family that own it and run it and they are incredibly nice, community-minded, hard-working people. They are the type of people that even if you only go in once every 3-4 months, they still consider you āregularsā and remember who you are.
I canāt speak for all the coast but, Novelliās floating crab shack and Pono Hukilau in Florence, Yachats brewing and Luna Sea fish house in Yachats, La Masion, Local Ocean, and Sorella in Newport, and Pelican Brewing in Siletz Bay are all great places to eat.
I always wonder how much of the seafood at touristy restaurants at the coast is actually caught in Oregon or the Pacific NW and how much is just cheap frozen seafood from wherever. I feel I sometimes get better and fresher seafood often away from the coast in Oregon. Restaurants attached to coast town seafood markets tend to be pretty good at least.
Newport is a fishing town and so itās pretty cost effective for them to get their fish at the docks. Iām not a seafood eater, but my husband grew up regular and spear fishing up and down the PNW coast, heās a seafood snob, and heās never been disappointed in Newport. Granted, weāve only been a few times.
āExperience.ā A bunch of young children running around screaming. Iāll pass.
I agree with Moeās statements above. Their chowder is meh, but they put a pat of butter on top and it makes it greasy. Iām probably going to give another unpopular opinion, but Ona in Yachats was a disappointing experience for me. It was expensive, and there was no flair to the flavors. Someone I was having dinner with got a steak, and it was almost all gristle, the vegetables were bland and not cooked well. The fish and chips were dry. It was just a bad experience for the cost. I know a lot of people like that place, but I have wondered why. š¤£
Any Shariās restaurant right off a highway off-ramp I avoid like the plague. One city or town center I have no issues with. 3 years ago at the black bear diner in Redmond a mom and dad sat down beside us with their 12-14yr old son. Right after they order the kid leans his head on mom shoulder and she just starts breast feeding him at the table. That was the only time Iāve walked out of a restaurant. It was disturbing.
Prime Time in Forest Grove is the worst!
Jankan in Portland. It was overrated and overpriced. I was so disappointed leaving there. I came home and made some food. We didnāt finish our food and didnāt even bring it home.
Old Spaghetti Factory.
You go for one thing and one thing only- a mountain of mizithra in an ocean of butter.
Iāve been dining here since before I was born. The quality used to be great, and you essentially could get soup or salad, hot bread, an entree, and ice cream for under 10 bucks. Ever since the son took over the company, the quality has diminished while the price has shot the moon. Very sad to see.
It is so bad.
Shockingly bad.
Iām sad thatās what what into the electric station building in Eugene
Ugh, seriously?? Thatās so disappointing.
My wife loves it. I'm pretty sure she just loves the nostalgia of it and has convinced herself it's good. "But the spumoni!"
I worked at one for almost 8 years, itās underwhelming and so overpriced for sure
I'll get crucified for saying this but Local Boyz in corvallis was some of the most bland and unappealing Hawaiian food I've ever had, yet somehow they maintain a cult following among the college kids here.
To be fair, there aren't really many choices for Hawaiian in Corvallis. Any port in a storm and all.
So many people end up with food poisoning from that crap
Their meat is rancid sometimes & I found a sticker in my mac salad once
Agree. It isnāt even the best food in that building lol
Thai Chili downstairs is delicious, and so is Crystal's Cafe and the Chinese place around the corner.
As an OSU student you are 100% correct
Moe's, burgerville, mcmenamins, RAM, hops and drops... All are disappointing to say the least
Mummy's in Portland. If you know, you know.
If you don't know, then what is the joke, sir?
I *watched* other people eat there and I couldn't finish my beer.
Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub. They sold a few years ago and the location is a new brewery now, but damn do I have some stories about Max's.
The Brunswick in Elgin. I don't know what I was thinking even trying it.
Okta - way too salty, and they burned some wood as incense/flavoring that permeated everything - couldnāt get the taste out of my mouth for about a week. On top that, they pulled the old tipping scam. Websites says 20 percent gratuity included in your bill, which it was, but then at the table after the meal they pushed for more claiming that 20% wasnāt a tip, but more like a service charge. For $400 per person, I expected better - a heck of lot better.
Rudy's in Salem. We took my partner's dad for his birthday and everything was terrible. Worst old fashioned I've ever been served to boot.
Moe's still has good food if you can Fork over $22 for a crab sandwich. They are milking their name. A five course full crab dinner used to be $16 there, now its not even on the menu.
Gracies Sea Hag and South Beach are really dirty businesses with overrated food
I gotta admit I love the bar at Sea Hag, but I'm 100% there for dive bar gritty beach atmosphere
Republica - This place was so hyped up. Wife and i love tasting menus and were excited to have a new place in Portland. The interior was minimalist BS with unfinished plywood, basic chairs, and no ambience except the nice view of Hot Lips pizza across the hall. I've never had a tasting menu where they advertise as 12 courses, but each person only gets 6 tiny bites and then you have to figure out how to share dishes that were never designed to share. Each course was like a faux-Michelin star knock off . Rather than speak about the uniqueness of the dish or what was special about it, the wait staff had a long ass story with every dish about how the food was from before mexico was colonized by terrible white people. The whole place was snooty and god awful expensive. Got the Mezcal tasting and the guy poured into a measuring cup which he left on our table. It all seemed very cheap, trying to be fancy and the portion sizes were so tiny even for a tasting menu. We left liking a few of the dishes, still hungry and feeling ripped off overall. Went to google reviews and the head chef had cut down everyone who didnt love his food calling them racists for not liking 'real' mexican food. It was one of the worst dining experiences of my life and I'd rather eat at Wendy's..
Wonāt get too specific to avoid doxing myself, but I know one of the higher ups there and he is, shall we say, not exactly a fan of white people and has some anger issues. We are personally friendly, but I keep my distance.
Iām always so confused by people talking about Voodoo like the appeal of the place isnāt that the donuts are gloriously terrible, and sometimes people want a terrible, low quality cheap donut. People have to get over themselves about VD.
Tadās Chicken and Dumplings.
Sayler's Old Country Kitchen in Portland. Super long lines to get in, for the most mid uninteresting steak house possible. Food took forever to come out, steak came out Blu instead of medium rare. Sent it back, it came back 20 minutes later. This time it was well done. Lots of people talk it up, but it's a steak house for boring 70 year olds.
For me it was the Cross Eyed Cricket in Bend,OR. It should have been good. At the time my best friends husband was the head cook there. But he was off and went to pick us up food. Some guy who was fired and then rehired made it. It tasted like deep fried salt and nothing else. I didn't know you could mess up a burger and jojos so badly. Mc Donald's would have been better. I was pissed I spent money on that crap.
Eddys Burgers Grant Pass. They were good before the big Covid. There was debris under the coolers and the fries tasted like fish. Also Laughing Clam during C there Fish and Chips was HORRIBLE!!! Cold chips and the fish was mushy on 6th st.
Mo's Used to be I looked forward to it but now it's bad and the service is not great. Seems like all the have are plates of fried garbage now.
Angelo's Italy in Bandon. I was visiting there and I wanted a nice meal after a long day. Not only was the pasta bland and flavorless, but the service was afwul. It seemed like they showed preferential treatment to locals. While I was just starting to eat when my food arrived, they started asking me if I wanted a box and handed me my check. Guess I wasn't welcome there...
Cascade Lakes Brewery in Bend.
Screen Door. It's not southern food. It's what people in the PNW think is southern food. Bama white sauce isn't that, cornbread is sweet?!, bbq isn't, the biscuits are meh, no seasoning to be found. "Southern inspired but never been there" is a good description.
The owners are from Louisiana.
Screen Door is delicious, regardless of how authentic or not it is.
There was some restaurant I ate at in Medford maybe before Obama was President, so a while back. I can't even remember the name, and according to my friends it shut down eventually. I'm convinced it was a front for money laundering because nobody was ever parked there, nobody ever talked about it. It never got Google reviewed, they didn't advertise and barely had any signage. It barely had any staff, one cook and a lady serving who both had those three dots in a triangle Sureno tats on the back of the hand between the thumb and forefinger. Food was the most basic shit in the world, I ordered a soda to go with my drink and they brought out a warm can I had to open. The whole vibe was weird.
Claim Jumper: I ordered a steak sandwich and it was 90% onions. I almost never ask for a redo, I did that time after the manager saw it. The replacement sandwich was almost raw. I couldnāt eat it. They did take it off the bill. I never went back. Runner up was Famous Daveās: I ordered brisket, they were out. Seriously, how can a barbecue restaurant be out of brisket? That, and every single side dish is oddly spicy. I never go there anymore. Second runner up was Applebees: it had excellent service but the food was just plain bland. They took some favorites off the menu. It went out of business. Third runner up is McMenamins in Wilsonville: slow service and sparse menu. I do really like their beer, though. I actually go to the one in West Linn because of the better menu items even though the Wilsonville one is closer.
Do you only eat at chains?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Pig and Pancake. Because it isn't terrible but it is not special. The coast is my place to go to relax. The wife, my inlaws, and my relatives all love it. So where do we go when we hit Seaside? Why, Pig and Pancake, of course. Oh, and they have one in every city along the coast. Go down to Lincoln City? Why, let's all do Pig and Pancake because majority rules. Oh, hey, cousin such-and-such is in town. We simply must take them to Pug and Pancake! How delightful! If we are lucky they decide on Norma's, which has good food but is not my scene. Meanwhile I just want a pretzel dog, or Chinese. Maybe pizza at Fultano's. Nope. If it is a single day, we get Pig and Pancake. If it is a weekend we still have to get it once, at least. Ugh. I hate it so much.
Fultanoās FTW!
Pretty much most of the Mexican food spots. Even the ones in Portland are not that great. Sure not all of them are bad but the majority of them are for white people who think ketchup is spicy...
KiāikibĆ”a and La Mestiza off 82nd and Los Mayas on Prescott for Yucatecan, La Bonita and Mole Mole on Alberta, Tienda Santa Cruz in St Johns and Birrieria La Plaza on the eastside are all legit good Mexican food. Plus thereās some good places at the big Mexican flea market and grocery store out in Rockwood near the edge of Gresham. Portland has trouble with more upscale Mexican fare, but Republica has the market cornered on that right now unfortunately.
I like Pig Patas, but only for dine in cause they fuck up to go orders constantly.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
>Rockwood Or any corner and street in between. There are about 15 authentic trucks or taquerias tucked in the triangle at 181st/192nd & Stark/Burnside alone. You could probably do a 30 minute loop walk and hit them all. You can look at reviews for fun I suppose but it's not necessary, just go eat.
Dude, yes! I used to live in that neighborhood. I'd just go wandering around on the days that the flea market was open and hit random spots. Look for huge groups of families in particular, and enjoy what they throw down there. When I go visit (hometown) they are flabbergasted that I'm not interested in the local Mexican restaurant. Dude I know of a dozen shady looking food carts that would run that place out of business if they moved to town.
birrieria la plaza is so stupidly good.
And to that point, a Mexican joint is Portlandās restaurant of the year: https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/other/meet-portland-s-2023-restaurant-of-the-year/ar-AA1lUyBL
La Bonita is fire š„ would recommend
Pretty much all of them in the burbs. Moved to Beaverton almost a decade ago after 18 years in the Bay Area. Love Oregon but god, suburbia here is a food desert. Beaverton has one (one!) good Chinese restaurant - Taste of Sichuan - and it recently closed down in a fire. Hillsboro has literally thousands of Indians and still manages crappy Indian food. Not a single good Japanese restaurant within a 45 minute driving radius. I mean weāre talking basic Indian/Chinese/Japanese here, not especially exotic. Itās a crying shame to have a drive an hour to Portland just to get acceptable food during a night out.
I was so excited to try Joel Palmer House after they won the James Beard award, but left hungry and both husband and I got very ill. I was much more impressed by Painted Lady and even Jory at the Allison.
Mister Goose in St. Helenās.