Chez Machin

07/21/2008 Posted by Joshbignose

This tiny place has a one-burner kitchen, French bistro style tablecloth and an Edith Piaf CD from the 60's. What could be a charming, centrally located little neighborhood place misses the mark completely for the food was not tasty, certainly not French, and reminds one of a roadside Diner fare - minus the fast service. I am from France, and, in past centuries, you could be behaded for serving such mediocre and greasy food. Try other alternatives on that strip, such as the "Bread and Ink" Cafe across the street.

Pros: Edith Piaf songs, reasonable service.

Cons: Bad food.

06/22/2008 Posted by saracara22

I loved this place! I came here with my boyfriend for dinner last weekend and not only was the food exceptional and perfect for a summer meal, but the tiny restaurant had great ambience with a live musician and cheeful service. I had one of their dinner salades with fried chevre and apples, and my boyfriend tried the chicken cordon bleu. They were both amazing! I plan to return often. Thank you chez Machin!

Pros: great food, great service, great ambience, great patio

Cons: not a good choice if you want a fast meal

05/14/2008 Posted by summersnama

I recently stayed one night in Porland on my way back from the coast to head back to my home in Spokane. We were sitting in a little bar downtown talking to some people that we met and after some conversation and talk about where would should go for dinner they suggested a place called Chez Machin. After having had a long day of shopping we almost talked are selfs out of going opting for a place that was closer. The people we had been talking too had so raved about the place that we rallied and went that direction. Am I ever so glad we did. What a wonderful little resturant. The place it's self is just charming, the food is too die for and the staff was amazingly attentive and warm. After having been to the coast and all the fabulous places we tried I didn't think we could add to the list of wonderful places we dined. I was wrong... Chez Machin is well worth the visit and place I highly recommend people try. We will ourselves will go again the next time we are in Portland.

04/05/2008 Posted by karakerpan

I had some good and some bad experiences at Chez Machin over the years but the one I had recently sealed the deal and I will never again go into that establishment. I was eating a light lunch with a friend and ordered a salad. Much to my dismay, after eating a few bites- I saw a brown thing in the bottom of my bowl. I picked it up and I was like one of those clowns pulling an endless supply of scarves out of their sleeve. The brown towel was dripping and when I unfolded it- I finally realized what it was. My friend and I were disgusted and wondered how it could end up in a salad! I gave it to the waitress and they promptly made me a new one however, my friend was done eating by that point and needed to go. I had to hurry through and finish my salad so we could leave. They did us the favor of not charging for the salad but felt compelled to charge us for the rest of the awkward meal. I wrote a letter to the owner to let them know that I was concerned about the food safety in a place that serves towels with their salads. The cook's response when I had showed him the salad was "again!?" so it became obvious that this was not a unique incident. The restaurant owner sent me a return letter letting me know that the towel in my salad was clean and that I could call him with further questions. Wow, thanks for the free (clean?) towel. Don't waste your money here.

02/25/2008 Posted by doglady8

I have been to this restaurant many times and I have never been disappointed. The wait staff is very friendly and the food is always delicious. The crepes are fabulous and the bistro menu is exceptional. If things are sometimes slow, who cares. I enjoy having a relaxed dining experience and I always have that at Chez Machin. The back patio is great.

Pros: Great atmosphere

Cons: Small main dining area but cozy

10/08/2007 Posted by tabitha6

The food is fantastic and it is romantic but the service is slow slow slow. They have a very small 2 person open kitchen with only 2 crepe stones and when they get busy you can see the poor Chef working his butt off as the orders pile up. As long as you either go very early as not to be part of the rush or go with the knowledge that you are going to enjoy a bottle of wine or two while you wait for your food then you will have a wonderful meal. If you bring your children make sure to have lots of coloring projects and to give them a snack firstin case you hae to wait. BUT the food is worth it. Very wonderful french inspired soups and specials and the most wonderful and imaginitive crepe creations. ENJOY!!

Pros: Wonderful food

Cons: Slow slow slow service

10/06/2007 Posted by home8165

Not to familiar with the area, we walked into the restaurant and we were greeted with someone immediately. We were seated in a yes, a very small space but that was part of the whole experience. The service was great and the food was beyond words. We are going back and will recommend this place to our friends. Oh, and by the way the choices on the menu are endless. Make sure you look at their specials on the wall!

09/03/2007 Posted by the_bicicleta

The food was great but after a moderate wait, three of the five meals brought to our table were completely wrong and it wasn't just our table. Every table got at least one "oh, I'm sorry" in the 45 minutes we were there. Maybe it was an off day, but we probably won't try it again.

Pros: food, atmosphere

Cons: service

05/07/2007 Posted by babooq

I've been going here regularly since 2005 and it's never let me down. I like the casual atmosphere, the small size, the charm of the interior, and the hearty crepes. Contrary to some of the other reviews, the dessert crepes are marvelous, worth going for in their own right. Romantic dates YES, also good for popping in for lunch while in the Hawthorne area with friends. The service has always been attentive and very hospitable. The one exception would be during peak times, like weekend brunch, when it can be regrettably slow. Also not recommended for big eaters. The portions are fine but the food is generally light. Don't come here expecting to be pampered or to get some pretentious French experience. Just come in because it's a friendly little cafe that happens to serve really good French food, and that also happens to come at an amazing value.

Pros: ambience, friendly, hearty food, good value

Cons: slow on weekends

04/07/2007 Posted by bigpattycake

Chez Machin is a small restuarant, with an authentic French atmosphere. The menu possibilities are endless, and contrary to all of the bad reviews I have read, the crepes were perfect. The portions are just right, and the service is rather friendly. Their dessert crepes are amazing, especially the Crepe Suzette. They have a variety of mouthwatering smoothies and they fill you up for a great breakfast. This is my new favorite spot!

Pros: Great food, nice ambience, good locaction.

Cons: servers can be a bit forgetful