Salty's On The Columbia River
Portland, OR 97211
Phone: (503) 288-4444
10/08/2007 Posted by pdxcat22
I was recently treated to dinner for my birthday but was very disappointed with the quality of the food. I was looking forward to eating here as I have heard how Salty's is one of the 'must try' places in Portland; and, at $30 a plate, I expect a minimum standard of quality. There is a view of the Columbia yes. But not spectatcular. White table clothes and a big wine list yes. The menus were wrinkled and has orange swirls and looked like it was something I would expect to see at Joe's Crab Shack (nothing against Joe's, I just don't think Salty's and Joe's are (supposed to be) targeting the same audience), not at a upscale restaurant. Or maybe Salty's is trying for the 'casual' look? Anyhow, it was not working if they were. On to the food. I order something simple - steamed dungeous crab. The asparagus on the side was delicous and seasoned just right. the crab, on the other hand, was VERY dry and has absolutely no taste. I decided to give the crab a try because it said steamed. Not much you can do to mess that up. I was wrong. Steaming should have kept the meat moist and original favor of the crab. This crab was dry like it was bake. I tried to dip the meat in butter to see if that would help, but tasteless meat was still cardboard like. If it wasn't for the fact that someone else was treating me to dinner and I didn't want them to feel bad, I would have returned the plate (not something I usually do but it was that bad). My girlfreind ordered their halibut special and the meat was dry as well. So, perhaps we just had a bad experience. But at $80+ for dinner, it's not something we would want to chance. Jake's, McCormick, or even McGrath Fish House has better food in my opinion.
Pros: A view
Cons: Food quality not worth $15, not to mention $35
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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