(503) 227-8794
319 SW Broadway
Portland,
OR
97205
45.5219
-122.6784
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Neighbors West - Northwest
What People Are Saying About El Gaucho
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short – The upscale dim dining room features dark wood fittings, huge, comfy chairs and a dramatic open kitchen, providing diners with old-guard steakhouse fare. Classic starters include oysters Rockefeller and crab cakes. But the dry-aged grain-fed beef is the star of the menu. The signature Gaucho steak-an 8-ounce sirloin with lobster tail and bearnaise sauce-is the dish of choice. Save room for the complimentary Roquefort cheese and fruit platter, or try the bananas Foster prepared tableside.--
10/25/09
Great Food and Good Service
by markobear1
I have been here a few times and the food is absolutely good and has always been good!. Everything we had a few days ago was well prepared and of superb quality from the garlic bread to the sauteed spinach to everyones steaks! Nothing frou-frou, and certainly nothing super creative but just good food! The Bananas Foster were a great
way to end a very satisfying meal.
The service was attentive without being overbearing.
The only negative was the faint smell of cigar/cigarette?? smoke which everyone at our table commented on that evening.
I will go back in a heartbeat for one of the best steaks in Portland.
- Pros: Food
- Cons: Smell of smoke!
10/21/09
Not recommended
by Morchella
I was pretty disappointed with El Gaucho. The service was slow and awkward and our waiter and bus boy reeked of cigarettes. It was so dark you could not see what you were eating and it was a relief when the amplified musical group took a break so that our party could hear one another. The food came extremely slowly. We were there on a slow Sunday night and dinner took 3.5 hours. The shrimp and roqufort salad was blah and my dinner, diver scallop brochette, was cold, bland, and oversalted. The steak was not as good as it should been for the reputation. The menu is unispired and required no thought on the chefs part as you get slab of meat on a white plate and it is up to you to pick your pairings (which of the five we chose were unispired, salty, and bland). With all the good food in Portland why do people still eat here? Save your pallete and nose and go somewhere else.
- Pros: Steak house nostalgia
- Cons: Salty uninspired food, waiter smells of cigarettes
10/15/09
You've Got To Be Kidding!
by jlaw75
Our Porterhouse steak was $65 ala carte. We split it. The steak was good but I think the price made it taste worse than it was. My wife and I split a ceaser salad and twice baked potato and they charged us extra for both. Hey, we needed to pay next months rent. Perhaps good for the business traveler on expense accounts, but for us regular "Joe's", it's way too much money for the food.
- Pros: Friendly Service
- Cons: Cost
The Details on El Gaucho
Where to Sit:
El Gaucho offers three options for private parties: the Vintage Room, a working wine cellar for up to 16 people; the Gold Room for parties of 25 to 40; and the Fireplace Lounge for up to 20.
Save Money:
Indulge in the luxe flavors with the bar menu, offered 5pm-7pm and 10pm-1am for $10 to $15.
Know Before You Go:
Be very specific about how you'd like your meat cooked; medium-rare arrives closer to rare, as a rule.
Smoking Permitted:
At the bar
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