Visiting/tourist. Food was good, we ordered the fish and chips, turkey burger and steak frites. Steak frites was a hit for our teenager's. The service above par, even with a large group of 8 we were accommodated quickly. Ambiance was quiet. I would come back and try a burger. read more

I had the sole. For $30, it was 2 very small pieces of fish, that were browned on the underside which was laying in brine along with potato slices and a couple of artichokes heart quarters. The brine tasted like a combination of pickle juice and lemon and was so bitter that the food was nearly inedible. I didn't send it back because I was having dinner with a friend and didn't want to cause a scene. read more

What has happened to Cafe Nell? Our recent lunch was Just awful from start to finish. Tried to seat us at a tiny table next to a post even though plenty of tables. We both ordered a burger--was asked whether we wanted to add fries. We pointed out that the menu said fries were included and were told "oh that's a mistake" Burger was over cooked with a piece of iceberg slapped on top. The salad was wilted with huge chunks of too old radishes. Service was mediocre--never checked back and water went unfilled. Nell's used to be a good go-to for lunch or brunch. Don't know what has happened but we won't be back. read more

I recently returned to Café Nell to experience the $9 bartender brunch. Honestly, I have gone back and forth whether or not to post this review since... I am selfishly worried that there won't be space at the bar next time I go! TLDR; the $9 bartender brunch is perfect. Though the bar stools are not the most comfy in the world, the experience of chit-chatting with fellow diners and staff members is cozy. This restaurant section is less trafficked, so bring a book and get cozy! The bartender is very attentive, and they will keep your beverages full. As part of this price, you choose either a drip coffee or mimosa (with two fruit options), and a traditional American breakfast. You can expect two eggs any style, roasted potatoes, and either a biscuit or bread. I chose the biscuit... is there any other choice?! I also added bacon for more protein. After guzzling two drip coffees (rare for this espresso boy), I finished a book and went off into the day. I will certainly be back for brunch, and I am so glad to know that when dining alone, the $9 brunch is authentic to the quality and value of Café Nell. Is it time for Portland restaurants to battle for the best $9 brunch? I think so! read more

We were on our bikes while we got the $5 rose email so decided to stop by. The host sat us outside and I preferred rose and my husband ordered a coffee. I told the host I wanted the steak Cesar salad.... fast forward 20 mins later our server came up and asked what do you want to ordered( wait I already preferred the salad... so I thought) anyhow had to order again. For $25 dollar steak Caesar salad I had some expectations. Salad came literally another 20 mins later, the few tiny pieces of steak were not medium rare more like all the way cooked, and the salad had zero flavor. We asked the server for salt, pepper and something spicy...... never came. I looked for the server we we could settle our check and sure he took the salad back and removed the charge but frankly I would have preferred a yummy salad. Needless to say. Our experience was quite bad. And will not come back. read more

Cafe Nell - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Beautiful room great service and delicious food. Always my go to restaurant for nice dinners. Amazing for all seasons as well. Perfect for holiday meals and summer lunches! read more

We had high hopes, but our experience at Cafe Nell was frustrating and just plain bad from the start. Despite being offered and choosing outdoor seating when making the reservation, we were packed into a cramped indoor table pressed against a railing, elbow-to-elbow with other guests. There was plenty of space outside, which made the situation even more irritating--especially since my wife is pregnant and we're both larger-bodied people who need a bit of room to sit comfortably. I couldn't have a decent conversation with my wife since the large table inches from us completely drowned out our own conversation. Meanwhile they were not seating the very nice looking and spacious outdoor seating area which I had initially chosen. I suspect this was the case to account for being understaffed, but when it ruins the customer experience -- cramming people together like sardines is not a good solution. A note on ADA - the inside seating area would be virtually inaccessible for someone in a wheelchair. When we finally got our food - we had to juggle our full meal on a tiny, wobbly table that could barely hold our plates. The staff member who delivered our food seemed unsure where to place dishes, and we had to shuffle things around like a game of Tetris just to eat. He also handed my wife a very hot plate, which she burned her finger on -- rather than placing it in front of her -- to be fair -- because there was no space on the table! Another issue -- the menu uses a comically small font. The type you need a magnifying glass to read. Combined with the dim indoor lighting, it was virtually unreadable for both me and my wife and we had to use our phones to enlarge the text. Staff seemed overworked and disengaged. They seemed very understaffed. It took nearly 15 minutes for anyone to great us. The bathrooms smelled strongly of urine, which was absolutely foul and definitely did not help my appetite. Seemed like it had not been cleaned in ages. Also, who puts carpet in a restaurant bathroom? I shudder to think about the amount of bacteria that thing contains. The food itself was fine--nothing special, and a bit overpriced for the portions and presentation. I wouldn't have minded the price if the overall experience had matched it, but it absolutely did not. Disappointing and uncomfortable. Would not return. read more

Just an excellent cozy dinner at The Nell early eve last night. After a day at the Blues Fest we opted for a little fine dining instead of the food truck fare offered at The Blues. What an intimate tasty way to finish our day. We started out with some Hardy cocktails, very dry Martini, a very rusty nail and a couple of Hendricks. Being the responsible woman I stuck to a Chardonnay. Huh, wish I had any of the other options as they were exceptional. Anyways, I digress. The real star of last night was our main courses. Of course we did have a few oysters for apps first. But the mains were the highlights. Also, did I tell you how quiet it was there. Perfect for a foursome to actually get to have a fun conversation. So for the mains-all exceptionally savory, fresh and shall I say yummy? Crab salad, salmon green salad, pasta with clams, and pasta with pesto and I think sausage. ALL outstanding. Don't overlook this Oregon tradition nestled in the 23rd district. Parking was a snap and just a special place to dine with special friends. Wait staff was attentive and fast. Love this place, can you tell? read more

Cafe Nell - Bar area. - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Cafe from Smell. if you want week-old disgusting leftovers, by all means order off their Happy Hour menu. And we had at least three different servers, one of whom we were later told was sick. this was the guy that blew the dust and dirt off our water glasses with his breath. I literally felt sick to my stomach after eating here. Won't get fooled again. read more

I was so disappointed. I had brought my family and guests for Easter Sunday brunch. The restaurant itself, is lovely! We waited 2 hours for our food, they even had run out of food several times and we were told they had to go to the nearest grocery stores. The 3 little girls were so hungry and all 8 of our entrees were just "so - so"! I felt so bad, I was hoping for so much better. read more

We were seated immediately outside upon our arrival as we requested in our reservation. The space was nice and appeared clean. We ordered our food and had a long wait for it to arrive. The waiter apologized and said there was a large party in front of us. The food came but our drinks were either gone or ice melted and watered down. The omelette was the best thing we ordered. The huevos rancheros was small and was fairly plain tasting. The sausage scramble was decent sized but nothing special. The waiter did check on us as we were finishing our food. The food was not worth the cost We will continue to look for other brunch spots read more

We were fairly disappointed with our happy hour visit today. We ate inside and it is really looking rather shabby. Lots of paint chips, mars on the walls and floor. It really needs a redo/update . Happy hour menu was fine. The hamburger was good, the Dungeness crab salad was OK. Service was slow, particularly since there were only maybe three other parties of two people. read more

Stopped by on a beautiful Monday afternoon in August just after 4 pm. Ample street parking, few patrons. We literally had the entire patio area to ourselves. No wait to be seated. Reservations are recommended but they do take walk-ins. Michael the waiter was friendly, responsive, knowledgeable on the menu items, and we got our water and drink orders quick. Wife ordered a Vieux Mot (gin, lemon, st. germain) but turned out to be too bitter for her liking. Stuck with good ol' top shelf margarita. For food, there are many great options. I had not had steak in a while so I went with the $32 Steak Frites which turned out good. Steak was just the right temperature and tender, however, fries were kinda burned - they type scrapped from the bottom of the oil pan Wife had the mussels and fries. Mussels were fishy - kinda going bad type of taste- not what we are used to. However, waiter said they got them same day...something was off with the mussels though. Overall, service, ambiance, background music and staff was good. Food was lacking for the reasons given above. read more

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Food - Service - Ambiance? What's not to like! Great menu with so many wonderful choices. And the service is consistently very good as well with solid recommendations and conversation. I love the outdoor covered seating with interesting heaters when it's chilly or cold. But the menu is the number one draw. My first experience took me back again and again until I had sampled everything they had to offer. And then I had to repeat on all my favorites. A truly great experience - and a fun time was had by all! read more

Ok. Certainly not anything special, food wise. It's cute and I like the way the bar looks, but the food is so-so and expensive. Our table had 4 different entres for lunch and all four were a little blah. Nothing special. Our waiter seemed to not want to be there. read more

Food was ok. Server forgot part of our order (bacon). Server overcharged for the Mac and cheese, suppose to be an $8 add on for the crab and bacon, they charged $20. Was told the management didn't know how to refund the money but that they would refund the $20, and they never did. P.S. I've worked in restaurants for 20 years, adjusting the balance in the POS is literally not a confusing- every system makes it easy because it happens all the time. Place is sketch, I don't care how long they have been in biz. read more

We were invited to get brunch at this place. The place looks nice. But im very angry for what I paid for. They should be embarrassed..I'm embarrassed for this place. Everything is overpriced, and very small portions. (Kid portion) Every dish is $20+ 3 pancakes, didn't come with eggs or potatoes. Huevo ranchos. There were 2 tortillas with sauce, a little bit of beans with 2 eggs on top. No seasoning, no other sides to go with it. Burger didn't come with fries. SAVE YOUR MONEY! I can't believe what we paid for this horrible experience. We all left hungry and angry. Go to Biscuits Cafe. You'll leave full and happy for what you paid for. read more

So welcoming. The dining rooms warm and inviting, the back room fun and festive. I had the steak Oscar which was so good. My friends had the salmon (my favorite) which was perfectly delicious, the seafood pasta and the prime rib. Everything was well done. Definitely recommend! read more

Had not been there in five years and had remembered it (and the outdoor dining area) fondly. However, our return visit was really disappointing. Extremely slow service with a waiter who seemed befuddled each time he came to the table (which was rarely). It was hard to get water refills and he never asked if the meal was to our liking. The chicken frites was cold and bland, the Caesar overdressed, and the overall presentation of everything we ordered lacking. The Brussels sprouts were tasty as was the French dip but not enough to redeem the overall experience. read more

I always pass Cafe Nell and think it looks so cute but it surprisingly always seems empty, maybe because I go by at odd hours. I finally decided to try it for brunch with my sister. It was completely empty inside and outside, odd for a Saturday, but we were able to snag a last minute Open Table reservation just in case. We waited 5 minutes for the hostess to arrive then got seated at a heated balcony spot. The decor and location definitely feels like a European cafe. The menu is a pretty basic, classic brunch and the prices seem exorbitant even with the ongoing inflation affecting restaurants everywhere. We were disappointed. My sister asked for a side car and was charged double digits for the small shot of baileys. While the food was good, the portions were small leaving us still hungry. The service was mediocre and our wallets took a big hit. Now I know why it was empty for weekend brunch! Cafe Nell has a lot of potential with its cute corner location but needs an improvement in service, a revamped menu that's more inline price wise. For now, I won't be returning as there's so many better brunch places to explore in Portland. read more

Cafe Nell - Classic Eggs Benedict - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Cute intimate bar with a French flair. Great attentive bartender who recommended drinks and prepared delicious cocktails. We ordered food from the bar menu and found it to be well prepared (shrimp and grits, roasted Brussel sprouts, and Mac n Cheese). We plan to return to try the dinner menu. read more

Went her today for Mother's Day and would not wish that upon any mother. It was a buffet with a great menu but the food was never stocked. We were there for 2 hours and there was items that were empty when we got there and never got restocked. Our reservations were at 11 so there was no reason things should have been out when they were serving till 5. They ran out of waffle batter for over an hour! The food that was there seemed like it was just to get something out there. I mean they knew how many people would be eating as they were only serving reservations. Service had a 20% gratuity already added and service showed that they knew that. Meaning that the server never came by and seemed like we were a bother if we asked for anything. DO NOT RECOMMEND read more

"alot of Caucasian people feel like they're losing their country...it used to be if you were white you could earn a decent living." Quote I heard from a server (who resembled the owner) while waiting for my food. The food wasn't much better. Ordered dungeness crab cakes and frites. Was incredibly dissapointed after seeing the beautiful ambience. The $18 crab cakes were barely larger than a silver dollar and although had a good up front vibe, they left me tasting stale aquarium water. The fries were decent but,.... they're fries. Dissapointed beyond belief at this experience. Especially with the current issues in Portland. I'm asian american and the other customer was so uncomfortable afterwards she spent the rest of the dinner looking over, smiling and overcompensating her embarrassment by loudly proclaiming her love of asians and chopsticks. read more

Cafe Nell - Itty bitty teeny weeny crab cakes! $20 for something the size of a half dollar! - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Superb food and lovely outdoor seating. Servers were friendly and fun. Drinks were generously sized.

Average food, high prices, fancy decor. I got the blueberry french toast. The blueberry jam stuff on top was quite good. Nice pop of acidity, not too much, right amount of chunkiness. There was creamy lemon stuff on the plate too that was solid. The french toast itself though was definitely too soggy/mushy and that's the one thing you gotta get right with french toast. My girlfriend got the mac n cheese with crab. The cheese sauce was solid. The macaronis were cooked well I guess. Something about it wasn't satisfying though. Maybe the sauce wasn't thick enough. Maybe because it wasn't baked. I prefer baked mac n cheese. My girlfriend's mom got the veggie hash. It was fine, nothing notable. The decor felt very upper class and white tablecloth. To some people that's probably comforting and enjoyable but it wasn't for me. It felt stuffy. read more

super fancy food with a super cozy vibe. would probably be so fun to come here for drinks and sit in the front lounge. the salmon was YUM with this really interesting BBQ vibe happening. read more

Cafe Nell - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Firstly, this place is settled in quite nicely in the Pearl's intimate residential area located just a few blocks from its busy 21st and 23rd streets. It's themed with crimson and creme' colors and a rustic old timey architecture (not sure of actual style)setting it apart from but not isolating it from most of the neighborhoods homes, with creative use of the side streets by implementation of large canopy's to cover probably the best "patio" street seating in the city. One could go on and on about the Ron Burgundy-ish - classic but trendy interior that makes one crave a fine scotch or something along those lines. I had the French toast for a late breakfast (2:00pm) and for **** sakes it was unbelievable. Crème Brulee sauce with fresh berries (think it was red raspberries and cherries but I ate to fast to be sure).... This place is a win! Oh, and I forgot to mention the service- maybe the best restaurant service that this Atlanta native has experienced in Portland- We all know that customer service is not Portland's' forte', but my professional server Zach was exceptional - service was pure excellence as he would thrive in Atlanta's competitive foodie scene. Sorry for the novel, but I could write more so..... read more

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Used to be one of my favorite spots until valentine day. A dinner with my dinner turned into watching two wave of other diners arrive, order, eat, and leave. We asked several times about our dinners and were told it would be our right away. Waited another hour and then we're getting ready to leave when they brought out a COLD oso bucco The manager comped two items off our $200 dinner bill however not worth the 2.5 hours spent waiting and looking at everyone else. read more

In a word, Fabuleux! Cafe Nell has transformed their parking lot and sidewalks into a Parisian Bistro! White cane chairs, black & white canopies, strings of lights, and partitioned eating areas makes dining here a magical experience. Visually, the most beautiful place we have dined at during Covid-19. The food was delicious, served on proper dinnerware with silverware and real glasses. The muscles appetizer, each individually topped with cheese and breadcrumbs, was such a treat. As was the beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts. The clams and linguini entree was on the spicy side, cooked with ground sausage giving it heat and substance. My only complaint is that the linguini was not al dente, it was overcooked. The, roasted chicken was cooked perfectly and served along mashed potatoes and green beans. All were all outstanding. Desserts were a bit less than; we had the Creme brûlée which could have used more vanilla. And the berry crisp; the crisp was delicious but the berries had a burnt flavor. Even though the desserts were a miss, looking at the experience holistically, I'm giving them 5 stars all the way. read more

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Tasty food, nice place, and good service. Parking wasn't too bad for a Sunday. A little pricey, but pretty typical for a sit down brunch.

Cozy and comfortable, this place delivered delightful service, meals and ambiance! There's a large fireplace inside to keep everyone warm, tasty drinks flowing from the bar, and delicious food leaving the kitchen and onto your tables. We had 3 appetizers and 7 dinners that were polished off our plates Thank you for a wonderful experience! Will definitely return here next time I'm in town! If you happen to be here, ask for Frank - fabulous server! read more

We went here during the Christmas weekend in 2021 and loved the brunch here, especially their french toast is a must!!! read more

Cafe Nell - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Reservation was set for 2 pm, didn't get in until 2:40. Then had to wait over an hour just to get cold food. Sucks to have such a bad experience at a place that has been highly recommended. read more

What a great place to have brunch! There is outdoors heated area, bar area, and patio like area. So cute! Must visit. Our waiter was amazing and was very attentive to our needs. The food was great. I would definitely come back. The ranchero was a good hit for me that morning. My friend loved her egg Benedict. To top it off the creme brûlée was yummy! read more

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Food is awesome, service is great, ambiance is fabulous. LOVE this restaurant for any occasion or none at all

Food and ambiance were great! They were able to seat us an hour earlier than when I'd made the reservation for.

Incredibly medicore brunch. We had a late start on breakfast so we just walked to a spot on Google. Should've looked a bit further. I got the avacado shrimp and it was not memorable because it had no flavor. No spice to the shrimp so with the avacado it almost tasted like nothing. Definitely would not be high on our list to go back. read more

Cafe Nell - Grilled avacado and shrimp. - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Cafe Nell is a hidden Gem, the food is great, the cocktails are supreme, and the service is awesome! Been there a few times and they never disappoint! You have to try it. read more

We dinned here for my husband's birthday. We were blown away with their COVID setup. They turned their parking lot into an adorable outdoor dinning space. They built a huge bar in the middle, painted the aisles to look like tile, so you had no idea it ever had been a parking lot. We felt so safe as all the tables were separated with plexiglass. We were told that they are working on getting heat lamps and another tent for when the weather takes a turn. Our server was great and we all loved our food and drinks. I had the stuffed avocado and my husband the salmon benedict. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was for the value. Our bill was over $100 for brunch. That seemed a bit high for what we had. I know that so many restaurants are hurting right now, so I am willing to pay a little more if it keeps them a float. We dinned at 3pm, at this time it would have nice to have an option other than brunch. Their website was not clear as to their hours. Our server explained that they were having trouble updating their website. Overall this a great local place, and I would highly recommend it. read more

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There is outside seating along the sidewalk, as well as an outdoor patio area (with a separate entrance), and indoor dining. Inside is quite small (probably why the additional seating outside), and the decor is old'ish. Food for brunch was quite good: highly recommend the crab mac and cheese - reasonably priced. The crabcake benedict was good, but at $35 for brunch a little more than I expected (should have gotten the dang mac and cheese!) Our server was really great - left us alone, but checked in here and there. The bar looks lively, albeit small. Check it out. read more