Jo-Bar and Restaurant

01/16/2008 Posted by lili39

I am so sad! Like the reviewer right before me, I have been to Jo Bar many times over the years. We always loved the atmosphere and the food, particularly the beef tenderloin. The last two times we have been there it has been less than average, and at $32 ($34?) a pop, that is unacceptable. The first time it was bad, last July or so, we thought it was a one time thing. Apparently not so. We were there last Thursday 1/10 and the tenderloins arrived looking "baked". There was no grilling or seasoning or sauce or anything appetizing about them. They used to have the most wonderful smoky grilled taste. The vegetables were brussel sprouts, which normally I love, but they were bland and undercooked. Also like the reviewer before me, our appetizer of clams in white wine sauce was tiny and the clams were tiny and of poor quality. We sent our food back to have something done with it to make it acceptable - something I have done maybe one other time in my life. It took a very long time to come back and was only marginally better. No one offered us a thing or an apology in exchange. Good thing there are plenty of great restaurants in Portland because we will not be going back.

Pros: Great atmosphere

Cons: Price for quality, service

11/08/2007 Posted by johnnynwport

I have been to JO Bar on serveral occassions and noticed that the quality of the food and service is on a steady decline. Last night will be the last time I dine there. My friend and I ordered the Mussle appertizer ($13). The dish contained only 12 mussles and they were tiny. They were also ice cold (this was suppossed to be a warm dish). We requested the server warm them up. When she brought them back they were at best luke warm. To top it all off, they were of poor quality and had little taste. For the main course I ordered the lamb ($26). Once again ta tiny portion (2 small pieces )The lamb was not cooked to specification, was luke warm, and was so chewy I thought I was eating play-doh. My friend order the pork shoulder and it was also barely warm and was chewy with a bad aftertaste. The only good part of the meal was the beats that came with the lamb. All our mixed drinks were overly sweat, tasted like syrup. My friend then switched to wine. She ordered a second glass before finishing the first (trying to get rid of the taste of her dinner). When the watress brought the second glass of wine, she picked up the first glass and proceeded to poor the remaining wine into the second glass. I have never seen this done in a resturant, very poor manners to say the least. With so many good resturants in Portland, I recommend you give your business to somone else.

Pros: location

Cons: food, drinks, service

05/17/2007 Posted by anniepdx

I met a client for lunch at Jo Bar because it was recommended to me by an acquaintance. Our server ordered the wrong kind of ravioli, so it took extra time for us to get our food. Since our lunch was running long, I gave our server my credit card. He ran my card and brought me the bill - I realized that he forgot to remove the wrong ravioli from the bill but still charged us for the right ravioli. It took a long time for me to get his attention. I finally got up and handed the bill to a different staff member who didn't quite understand what was wrong and told me that he would send my server over. So, instead of my server being sent over - another server came by and totally talked to the "man" at the table and not me - trying to address the issue with him. WHAT??? It's not like it would have taken an extra 2 seconds to look at the credit card and find out who was paying! My name is an obvious female name. Seemed a little chauvinistic, if you ask me. Not recommended for service. The food was ok, but not exceptional for the price.

Pros: Convenient location

Cons: Service & Value

09/13/2006 Posted by nwgirl11

I would really like to give this place a chance to change my overall impression since the cuisine and drinks are so wonderful...but I have been there three times in the past few months and the service has been downright lousy every time. Waitstaff never cracked a smile or acknowledged any "thank you" that was given by myself or dining company. I even got an eye-roll by asking one server what entree they recommended off the menu. On a different occasion, we sere seated at a table that wasn't cleaned or cleared from the last customer and I finally had to ask for the dirty dishes and check to be cleared after waiting for 20 minutes...all to the very obvious discontempt of the waitress. Although the food is excellent, there are many other comparable establishements within walking distance of the Jo-Bar that are also willing to treat their customers with respect. This is what makes it hard to go back...

Pros: outdoor seating, great food, intimate atmosphere

Cons: customer service

10/11/2005 Posted by trenton1971

The tenderloin is great; get it rare. Also great is the Jo Burger: get this ground tenderloin burger rare with brie. The chocolate lava cake is scrumptious. The bread at the beginning of the meal (ask for the wheat bread) is served with whipped garlic butter and several Greek & green olives on the side.

Pros: great people watching

Cons: bit noisy

02/10/2005 Posted by lisaliu

JoBar has the best wild mushroom risotto that I've ever eaten. It's only available seasonally, so don't miss it if you spot it on the menu. I love their funky colored and creatively shaped plates. Servers are really nice and willing to tell you which entrees are worth it.

Pros: People-Watching, Hot girls/guys

Cons: Parking

02/08/2005 Posted by thatheather

I live in the Knob Hill area and love JoBar... the staff has always been friendly and seem to know the menu really well. I usually sit at the bar to watch basketball games- they have a good happy hour these days. It's one of the few bars in this area where a woman can do that and not be disturbed. Also good first date place- all the people walking by on 23rd are a constant topic for conversation. Try the fondue- delish.

Pros: service, cocktails

08/25/2002 Posted by memphismafia

My girlfriend and I went in on a Sunday evening for a "late" lunch. The initial cocktails were excellent, but it was downhill after that. The salads were BELOW par.(not like the description at all.)The halibut cheeks were to be served with pea shoots (among other vegetables) on the plate, but there was not ONE pea shoot on the plate, nor was there the citrus brown butter present for it was NOT brown nor did it taste like CITRUS. The server, God help him, was completely oblivious to our discontent even though he discounted our check. I work in the restaurant biz, and from what I have read of previous reviews, I must have been on an off day (Sunday). However, when you own a restaurant, THERE IS NEVER AN OFF DAY.

Cons: Service, Food

07/07/2002 Posted by Tahnil

Bistro fare at its best. Even the starter of an assortment of bread, flavored butter, and olives is different and delicious. Everything is great, but try the daily specials. They are always great. The different martinis are fun and delicious. I look forward to many more visits to Jo-Bar.

Pros: Great food, Creative menu

Cons: A little crowded, Difficult parking