Trebol
(503) 517-9347
4835 N Albina Ave
(at N Humbolt Street)
Portland,
OR
97217
45.5578
-122.675
Neighborhoods: Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Humboldt
Hours:
Sun-Thu 5pm-10pm
Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm
Price:
$
Last updated 6.24.09
What People Are Saying About Trebol
The Owner
Trebol
Owner
During frequent trips to Mexico City to visit his grandparents, Kenny Hill would seek quietude in a metropolis of 20 million under a shade of Trebol trees. "To me, trebol means tranquility", Hill says. "That's the feeling I want to create at my restaurant." Hill, the former sous chef from Higgins restaurant, opened Trebol to pursue his dream. Based on lessons from his grandmother's kitchen and his travels across Oaxaca and the Porto Escondido coast, he fashions a menu of traditional Mexican dishes made with wild Northwest ingredients. His tenure at Higgins, under the tutelage of founding chef-Greg Higgins-a pioneer of seasonal, sustainable cooking-proves as influential as the time Hill spent cooking with grandma. Trebol adheres to the seasonal availability rule-no midwinter tomatoes or poblano chiles-and uses sustainable items such as organic produce, grass-fed beef, and wild fish.
The Editor
Ashley Gartland
Citysearch
In Short
A glam bar, pendant lighting, and wooden wagon wheel chandelier make this open space appear at once comfortable and sophisticated, while the heated outdoor patio makes outdoor dining and imbibing a year-round option for fans of up-and-coming Chef Kenny Hill's flavorful Mexican cuisine. Dishes play up the local bounty, like traditional enchiladas enanced by wilted chard, wild mushrooms and zucchini and manila clams spiked with Serrano chilis and housemade chorizo.
User Reviews
rosegrrl
May 06, 2009
My husband and I ate here last night (Cinco de Mayo). We had a gift certificate, but were a little leery of the place, having read so many poor reviews here on Citysearch. May 5th is our anniversary, so we wanted to celebrate with a special dinner, but were a little worried that the place would be crazed with 'Cinco de Drinko' goers.. It was wonderful! We had booked a table and were seated immediately, the food was flavorful, fresh and beautiful, and the portions not at all as small as I had feared, after reading other reviews here. We ordered one appetizer to share and one entree each and were perfectly full by the time we were done. The ambiance also was great - they had a DJ and the decor was warm and comfortable. I can only imagine that other reviewers were hoping for a more mainstream version of a Mexican restaurant: huge portions you have to take home, endless chips etc. It's not that. It's not cheap either, but the food is well worth the price - some of the best Mexican food either of us have found anywhere - and we'll go again, for sure - if only to take one of their cooking classes, or to taste one of their many, many tequilas!
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hdigs
May 02, 2009
My boyfriend and I tried Trebol for the first and last time last night. The restaurant does have a nice ambience. We waited at the hostess desk for someone to put us down on the list, however, there was no hostess. Several servers walked by, but we were not greeted by one of them and our presence was not acknowledged. We stood there for at least 8 minutes. Finally, a man from the party waiting behind us got fed up and went to the bar to ask if someone could help us. He was informed that 'the hostess will take care of you'. Hmmmm. A bartender did come over eventually and he wondered aloud where the hostess was. Lo and behold, she appeared after around 10 minutes and told us we would be waiting 20 minutes. I asked her what about the three available tables we could see. After another few minutes she said that it would actually be only a 5 minute wait. We were seated. I would not discount a restaurant just for this initial horrible first impression and was looking forward to the food. They serve water from glass wine bottles - the water tasted extremely stale. I ordered a margarita, which was ok, but not extraordinary and took 10 minutes to get to the table. Our server brought us a complimentary plate of 2 tortillas which couldn't have been more than 4 inches across. So, yay! we each got one mini tortilla to dip in salsa. It made us laugh, it was so ridiculous. They were out of the turnovers, which is what we wanted to order for an appetizer. Instead, we ordered the halibut ceviche. It arrived with 4 tortilla chips. Wow, 2 for each of us. Of course, when we had eaten them, we still had a huge plate of ceviche left to eat. We asked for more chips to eat it with. The ceviche itself was bland, not enough lime, not enough salt, not enough cilantro. We also felt that, though the meat in our tacos was well done, and the presentation was nice, they relied too heavily on spiciness over real flavor. The crowning moment of the night was when we got the tab and found out that they charged us $2 for the extra plate of chips that made it possible for us to finish our ceviche. We felt extremely nickel and dimed for food that was just ok. If you want amazing tacos for a great price in NoPo, go to Por Que No!
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gurrli5
March 24, 2009
I go back regularly for the great tamarind margaritas.fabulous! They also have tables outside for when the weather is nice. Its also kid friendly.
read full reviewThe Details on Trebol
What to Drink:
The cocktails and tequila list here draw crowds -- just don't forget to try Trebol's bright, fruity Agua Frescas as well.
What to Eat:
For indecisive eaters, the taco sampler offers the chance to try multiple items with three distinct, juicy fillings -- wild boar, fish, and braised beef.
When to Go:
Come Tuesdays to sample a new flight of three tequilas from Trebol's selection of more than 70 tequilas.
Category:
Payment Methods:
Restaurant Special Features:
Late Night Dining, Brunch, Outdoor Dining, Notable Chef, People Watching, Group Dining, Happy Hour, Cheap Eats, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene
General Info:
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
Message from Trebol
- Daily Happy Hour 5-6:30
- Organic Cuisine
- Extensive Cocktail List
During frequent trips to Mexico City to visit his grandparents, Kenny Hill would seek quietude in a metropolis of 20 million under a shade of Trebol trees. "To me, trebol means tranquility", Hill says. "That's the feeling I want to create at my restaurant." Hill, the former sous chef from Higgins restaurant, opened Trebol to pursue his dream. Based on lessons from his grandmother's kitchen and his travels across Oaxaca and the Porto Escondido coast, he fashions a menu of traditional Mexican dishes made with wild Northwest ingredients. His tenure at Higgins, under the tutelage of founding chef-Greg Higgins-a pioneer of seasonal, sustainable cooking-proves as influential as the time Hill spent cooking with grandma. Trebol adheres to the seasonal availability rule-no midwinter tomatoes or poblano chiles-and uses sustainable items such as organic produce, grass-fed beef, and wild fish.
