Bijou Cafe
(503) 222-3187
132 SW Third Ave
Portland,
OR
97204
45.522
-122.6733
Neighborhoods: Old Town - Chinatown, Neighbors West - Northwest
What People Are Saying About Bijou Cafe
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short
Butter-yellow walls and heavy-handed, Spanish-inspired nude paintings mesh with green-and-blue checked tablecloths and a post-soccer game crowd. A whitewashed industrial ceiling and partially exposed kitchen frame a healthy gourmet menu in an unpretentious setting. Bijou offers traditional breakfast and lunch staples, but also features a daily changing menu with seasonal dishes and chef's specialties. Menu items include brioche French toast and the Bijou Burger, a 1/3-pound Painted Hills beef patty dressed up with spicy, sweet house-made jalapeno chutney.
User Reviews
lululuttmer
June 01, 2009
I went to the Bijou recently, unfortunately at my own suggestion, with family who were visiting from out of town. I hadn't been there for many years. I have never felt so instanly unwelcome in a restaurant in my experience, which has been extensive. I am in sales and my territory is quite large so I've entertained clients in many restaurants. I glanced at the sign which I thought read, "Please be seated." It actually read, "Please wait to be seated." It was an honest mistake, I believe. There were several empty tables so I was making my way to one when I was stopped quite abruptly by the maitre d', a quite tall, slim, gray haired, middle aged man, with upheld hand, as if to say "stop where you are." He addressed me very curtly with, " The sign says wait to be seated". He was obviously displeasedand gave me a stern, and unwelcome look. I apologized and told him I misread the sign. I believe it would have been much more honest of him to just say, "Can't you read?" He then asked how many were in our party and I replied, "There will be seven", and the rest of our party would be arriving shortly. He then ushered the two of us back to the front door and said to sign in on the list even though there was no one else waiting. If I hadn't needed to wait for the rest of our party to arrive I would have simply left at that point. It took longer than expected for the rest of our party to arrive. It was during Rose Festival and parking was difficult to find. After we were seated the two of us went ahead and ordered. Our waitress asked if the maitre d' told us if the rest of our party didn't arrive before two o'clock that they wouldn't be able to order at all. I called them on their cell phone to let them know. I ended up reading the menu to them and ordering their choices for them. Two of them arrived with plenty of time to have ordered without the phone call. I have to admit that the rest of our party didn't make it in time so we asked to have their orders boxed, which our waitress gladly did, and took them with us. The Bijou still received payment for seven orders. I felt more stressed having patronized the Bijou than I have been at my work for a very long time. Upon arriving home, I got online to register my opinion and found four of the first five reviews on City Search for the Bijou were negative. I will definitely make it a habit in the future to read the reviews on the City Search website before I go out to eat. I certainly wish I had before our meal at the Bijou. Even though a restaurant has been in business for as long as the Bijou has doesn't neccessarily mean it will continue to be. in this economic climate it's still very possible that the number of negative reviews that the Bijou has received on City Search could adversely affect their bottom line. There are many restaurants that have gone out of business recently and I don't believe the Bijou is immune. i have been in sales management for many years and I can honestly say that if the Bijou's maitre d' had been in my employ and I witnessed the way he treated me, he would no longer be working. Who wants to go to a restaurant expecting to have a relaxing meal only to be made to feel unwelcome and uncomfortable when there are 100's of others that are welcoming and have just as good if not better food? I will never patronize or recommend the Bijou to anyone in the future.
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pdxrick
May 10, 2009
Really pleasant resataurna t for fresh food, friendly people, and first rate french omelets, they're Always perfect - Well Done. Love the Baguettes and the Home Fries are always both soft & crispy. Keep keepin' it simple!
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austinblue
March 04, 2009
today was my third and final visit to bijou. i'd heard great things so tried it for the first time about 2 years ago. it was okay food okay service. a year or so later i tried again. my waitress was a gray haired angry looking woman. she was VERY friendly to the two tables of obvious regular customers i was situated between. apparently if you're not a regular of her's you don't receive friendly service or a refill of coffee or water. food, check that's it. she did however constantly refill the tables surrounding me. after waiting 10 minutes or so to pay i put on my coat and stood by my table waiting to pay while she sat at the table next to mine finishing her conversation. today i tried again. i stood at the door and made eye contact with 2 of the wait staff. they were talking to customers and looked away. finally i was motioned to a table. my order was taken promptly, drinks delivered quickly then my food came out. first thing i noticed was they only serve one piece of toast which was cold as was the butter which i had to butter my toast with. (i hate that) and the potato portion was about half the size it use to be. i asked for another piece of toast. i know were in a recession but i'd rather be charged more than nickled and dimed on the portions. 10 or so minutes passed during which time my server refilled coffee to the surrounding tables and when back to his conversation. i was almost finished when he returned and i asked for more coffee and a piece of toast. at that point my egg was cold and i was irritated. the toast came out cold as well. so if your looking for a place with great service and hot & delicious food to spend your hard earned $$ during this difficult time this isn't the place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
read full reviewThe Details on Bijou Cafe
Know Before You Go:
On weekends, waits can be in excess of 30 minutes, so bring the paper and grab a spot in line.
What to Drink:
Finish off your meal with the legendary $5 milk shake--a smooth, frothy treat.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
