Chopsticks Express

09/10/09

HORRIBLE

by qtpietracy

What a DUMP! The karaoke was AWEFUL, I knew better than to eat the food (thanks to these reviews), drinks were pulled early, the KJ sucked, the outside of the restaurant smelled like nasty old bum socks. I thought I was going to up-chuck (they wont let me use any other word) before I even stepped inside. Fortunately I parked WAYYY down on Burnside and walked up, so I didn't have to deal with parking. Not that it seemed like it would be a problem cause the place was dead. It is like a remodeled Wendy's. I wouldn't go again even if I had a DD and they were paying for all of my drinks. NOTHING could get me back in there. I read these reviews before I went, took them with a grain of salt, and dove right in. AND WHAT A DIVE IT WAS!!! Stay away, walk 4-6 blocks down, cross the street and go the The East Burn instead.

• Pros: Cheap PABST- $2.50 16oz (for a bar, that is cheap)
• Cons: EVERYTHING other than PABST

03/30/09

HIDEOUS! Smells bad inside...

by jellybean201

I should have known not to eat here from the horrible smell the place has but did because I was with friends - got sick...beware!

• Pros: none
• Cons: got sick here

04/29/08

STAY AWAY!!!!

by Acidophilus

DON'T COME HERE!!! The owners/staff could care less about their customers or the community. The tow away sign placement at Chopsticks is very deceiving. The brick wall in the parking lot has a series of spaces with signs in front of them and a series of spaces without signs in front of them. It appears as if only half the spaces are tow away spaces. I think this establishment should be ashamed of the way they are taking advantage of the law abiding citizens of Portland. The guy at the tow truck place even admitted to me that he thought it was misleading. He told me that there are angry people reclaiming their cars on a weekly basis. That seems like a major problem to me a horrible way to treat potential customers. I went as far as to file a complaint with the city and when the woman asked me where I had parked I replied, "East Burnside" and she said, "Oh, Chopsticks" before I even told her the name of the place!!! They are notorious for towing anyone and everyone. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!!!!!! The greasy food and bad karaoke isn't worth the $235 dollars it will take to get your car back.

04/08/08

Read the signs

by critic777

I think towing is evil. I do, however, have to defend Chopsticks when it comes to this matter. There are signs EVERYWHERE stating if you are not a customer and you park in that parking lot, you will be towed. There are spotters watching you leave your car and they cannot predict the future regarding your intentions on becoming a customer later in the evening. The towing company is contracted out (as is the case with many other businesses with large parking lots) because it helps keep the parking lot clear for Chopsticks many nightly customers instead of those who want to see a movie, or frequent the many other bars in that area. It's horrible to get towed, but you can hardly condemn a business who is policing their private parking lot for it's customers' benefit. Here's an inside scoop: If you walk into Chopsticks right after parking, you are considered a customer and then can go wherever the hell you want.

• Pros: Great karoake, great staff.
• Cons: Towing companies in general

03/29/08

HEADED TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT

by AJMJ

This place had two different patrons cars towed on the same evening and yet was not willing to reimburse them for the entire amount it cost to get their cars. It is one thing to make a mistake and then make up for it by taking care of the cost, it is another thing to put the blame on the patrons for not letting the owner know they were there and make them pay for it! The patrons also had to pay for the beverages orderded at the bar without being able to enjoy them. Terrible management! Stay away unless you want to pay. We will see them in small claims court to recover the towing costs and the lawyer fees.

• Cons: Terrible management!

03/28/08

Boycott this place!

by J22

This was my favorite karaoke place in Portland . . . until the night I parked in the parking lot, then walked across the street to grab dinner, and when I returned an hour later (planning to stay there to drink and sing all night), I noticed after I had ordered a beer that my car had been towed. My friend's car was towed the same night. The manager generously offered to knock $50 off the $235 towing price, but was unwilling to help any more, despite the fact that he could see I was a paying Chopsticks customer. There are plenty of other karaoke spots in Portland, and from now on I will frequent one of them.

11/21/07

Best service... ever!

by scottbaioslover

When my wife and cat died a few weeks ago I was so down and out. I went by myself to Chopsticks to sing some songs and what not. Well I stumbled in on a saturday night and saw how busy it was! Oh well. I need some interaction with people. The bartender, she wore a dress and had short blonde hair, was so nice! She didn't get mad when I asked her what kind of beer, or hard liquor they had. So helpful. Lovely lady. Ask her anything, no matter if it's busy. She loves it! Then I sat where the party was at, in the lounge. Then the most amazing, beautiful, big breasted ;) woman helped me. She serverd food, I got the General Shrimp. SO SO GOOD!!! So I sang some songs, the KJ was great. Food was great. Friendly staff. I love it a lot.

• Pros: Hot staff!
• Cons: Not open 24 hrs!

09/14/07

PDX's ONLY 5 Star Karaoke Dive

by vespahipstress

Don't know what the one guy was smoking with his negative review. Chopstix owner never treats anyone badly unless they are REALLY total losers with bad attitudes.

Some days the food is really great here, compared with all but the best asian places - other times it is simply a bit better than adequate - never lousy though! Specially not for a dive bar.Try the broccoli beef!

Drinks are usually strong enough, and they have added more beers to their list {YAY!} Chops' Karaoke is second to none!! Oh sure, there are always the drunk fools who think they sound as good as their best friends tell them - or even better when they are totally wasted {HAH!NOT EVEN!!} then it's "earplug time" - just be nice and clap anyway, cuz everyone does.

But some "regulars" can just wail...there's one gal - 'Dre {she is a cutie-, guys!} - who sings U2 songs - you go, girl! Sometimes the girls from Sleater-Kinney drop in, too...Rrriot Grrrl power!Yeh!

And then there is this tall dark-haired guy {ohhhh myyy gawwwd! he's so hot!} late 20's/early 30's - goes by "Andrew" {his real name?? don't know, cuz people at Chops use stage names a lot} and he just KILLS on anything he does!

Roy Orbason, Jackie Wilson, Aerosmith, Journey, George Michael, Elton John...some local band ought to hear him, and hire him! DUDE - you rock!

So, go there, drink a Mirror Pond or a mixed drink, eat some broccoli beef or some fries, listen to 'Dre, the Sleater-Kinney grrlz, and "Andrew" {if you're lucky} - maybe even get your own self up and sing!

• Pros: A real slice of Portland, fantastic singers, unique atmosphere
• Cons: Hot spot - gets crowded after 10pm on weekdays or weekends

08/16/07

fun place

by eddiecoyote

I didn't eat the food and I only drank some tequila and some beer. So no reviews there. A friend had taken me out and said we were going to Chopsticks. What? She said it is where the Vespa crowd hangs out. I didn't know there was a vespa crowd and when we pulled in I didn't see any vespas. However, the crowd was a mix of hipster and prior college and other things. It was a fun crowd to say the least. The bartender was okay, the cocktail waitress that I watched handled her job well. I am not too picky when it comes to service in a bar like this at this time of night as I work bars myself and know how it gets. The KJ was okay, there was a sign posted to put in only one song request at a time. We got our song in and sang before too long. Some girls danced on the table I was sitting in (I have no idea who they were). The sound was grewat. It wasn't so smoky that I noticed at all. I didn't know it was smoking until I read the restaurant's profile.

All in all I really dug the place. Take "The Ambassador" Karaoke and multiply it by five and you get Chopsticks.

• Pros: sound, people, drinks,
• Cons: smoking... I can't take most of my friends there because they don't smoke

Editorial Review by Christy Buena

by Contributor

Locals enjoy karaoke nights and daily specials including chicken, beef, pork, seafood and vegetable dishes.