Portland City Grill

12/18/08

Overpriced, Bad Service, and Bad Food

by PacificNorthWest at Citysearch

If you want the views, just to the OHSU cable car. Please dont waste your time and money at the Portland city grill. We were so disappointed. It is way overrated. Food sucked, service sucked and it's overpriced. In this economy just save your money and go see the Portland views from OHSU cable car for like $4. YA! Don't mention it....

• Pros: Views, umm NO, only if you get the seat by the window
• Cons: food, service, overpriced, snobby staff

03/17/08

If you want fresh food, go somewhere else

by hotred56 at Citysearch

This is my first time writing a review of any kind, but I thought my dining experience needed to be heard. We had reservations at 8:15 on Sunday night, to celebrate my daughters birthday (her choice). Service was perfect, our waitress was very knowledgeable about wine selections, and helpful in suggesting food items. I drink a lot of water and my glass was never empty. If the food had been half as good as the service I would have given 5 stars. I ordered the Kung Pao Calamari as an appetizer, the kung pao sauce was very strong, but it would have to of been much much stronger to over power the fishy taste of the squid, it was NASTY. Our salads were acceptable and my wife had the salmon and it was about average in taste. My daughter had sushi, and said she has had better. I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Jumbo White Prawns, it was pretty on the plate, but it was not fresh and the taste was unremarkable. The view is amazing. The worst part was not at the restaurant, it was after we returned home, where my wife and I spent half the night on the toilet. This is one place you will never see me again.

• Pros: service, view, ambience, easy parking
• Cons: food, food, food, sitting on the toilet half the night (WASH YOUR HANDS PEOPLE)

02/21/08

PAY CASH! THEY ADD MORE TO YOUR TIP WHEN YOU LEAVE!

by reuntae at Citysearch

I had a great time, do not get me wrong, great happy hour, good food, fabulous locations, but a few days later my reciept and by bank statment did not match up. The waitress add more to her tip when I even gave her over the recommended amount.

• Pros: View
• Cons: Seating, waitress

05/23/07

Not just sorta bad

by rywand at Citysearch

I was recommended this place by the concierge at my hotel specifically as it served later than other restaurants. Really, I just can't believe that this place claims itself to be a sushi restaurant. The Hamachi was obviously many days old and had become greasy and fishy-tasting, OH YUM! I expect to be overcharged at places on the very top of buildings, but just couldn't believe that people are willing to pay these prices to eat such mediocre food. They might as well have put a big sign up that said " All meals prepared by SYSCO". Our server was very scarce. Overall, I felt like I had come to a midwestern country club, Not just sorta bad, really bad.

• Pros: View is nice when clouds let up
• Cons: Food is not something you want to eat

12/13/06

not bad service, NO SERVICE! what's the point of good food when there's NO service?

by ajochen at Citysearch

we waited 15 min to get water, then begged a busboy to take our drink order b/c the waiter was ignoring us. he obliged but the drinks never came. 30 min into being seated, NO DRINK! NO SERVICE! The male waiter seemed quite attentive to the table of 7 young ladies next to us, but we were't cute enough I guess. BTW, twice I had to forage for my own chopsticks after the waiter took them & never came back. I also flagged down another server for butter. I was told 20 min AFTER ordering that the entree I chose was out. Why so long? By that point I lost my appetite. I admit, the quality of the food is outstanding, however, at their prices I expect service, some service...just enough to serve me a drink if I have a long wait for food, I am fine with a drink, but NO drink? NO anything? Oh, the bread plate was served with dinner, after the appetizers. Don't they usually serve that while you're waiting? Like when they serve water? Oh yeah, we didn't get water. There are enough other Portland restaurants that serve delicious food at a more reasonable cost and will provide service. Why pay top $$ at Portland City Grill? I won't again! Never!

• Pros: I'd say quality food, but service was so nightmarish that I lost my appetite
• Cons: SERVICE SERVICE SERVICE ... NO SERVICE!!

04/09/06

What a Joke

by skiigee at Citysearch

I have eaten at restaurants all over the world and this place was awful. The bartenders were flat out rude. Our food took forever and my steak was way over done. I alerted the server and they did nothing to fix it. I spent over $250.00 and still left hungry and disapointed. Go for the view and nothing else. There are much better dining options just a few blocks away.

• Pros: View
• Cons: Service, Steak, Bartenders

12/25/05

WORST XMAS DINNER EVER!

by julesdynan at Citysearch

We arrived 20 minutes before our 4:00 reservation. The hostess had no record of our reservation, despite the fact that we called two weeks before Christmas to book it, and had confirmed the reservation the day before. Ten minutes later, we were escorted to a small, wobbly table which was pushed against the wall.The buffet selection was pedantic. I asked for a slice of roast beef that wasn't rare and was given a hunk of grizzle instead. I asked if I could have a slice of the other side and have it cooked more. I was told that it was too busy, and that perhaps I should try the turkey. The final bill for the 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back-90.78

My Christmas started out pleasant and ended on a sour note as a result of the GRINCH, a.k.a. Portland City Grill.

• Cons: disorganized, rude staff, poor selection

08/13/05

Obnoxious & Smokey

by sforstera at Citysearch

The idea is great: extraordinary food, top quality service, best view in the city... but the reality is entirely different. The food is mass produced / commerical quality, the service is OK, and the thick cigarette smoke wallowing out of the bar is enough to kill any non-smokers appetite. A quick scan of the scantily clad singles lingering around like a bad cold; and you realize it's a meat market - not a serious restaurant. The happy hour menu looked good, so we tried that once... good luck getting a table in the fend-for-yourself, find your own table chaos. We finally found a table that was leaving, until a slimeball came up pushed my wife out of the way and offered the table $20 for their seats! Save your money and go to a real restaurant.. Portland has a lot of them, and this isn't one.

• Pros: view
• Cons: obnoxious atmosphere, no parking, mediocre food

10/14/04

Do not recomend

by rkdoo at Citysearch

Made reservations 3 wks in advance fo myself and my 87 year old mother. We arrived 15 min early and were told to wait for a window seat, about 20 min. or go to bar. Needed a table at 12:30 so took a table in the middle with a poor view. Pointed to windo table vacant but were taken to another only slightly closer but still not at the window. Watched as it was filled with 2 people 20 min later. Service slow and I've had better salads at Nordstroms Cafe. If you're 12 and don't care, by all means, but if you are taking your mother for a birthday lunch, take her to the Sky Box, they care!

• Pros: none
• Cons: , food

09/06/04

fabulous sushi

by buiswiz at Citysearch

I took some out of town relatives to the portland city grill for the view, I had reservations made a week before and we had to wait 45 minutes to get a table( on a tuesday), we started with a sushi combo plate that was so wonderful, but, the rest of our courses where not as pleasant and good, the service was average for fine dining.

• Pros: SUSHI, VIEW
• Cons: , FOOD