2nd visit: Gnocchi were delectable, generous size, lots of delicious mushrooms, and outstanding broccolini. The Beet and Farro dish was absolutely delicious, but didn't come with any greens. The salad was pretty boring but good. I wish they had more interesting salads. The oysters encrusted with polenta were OK. The salmon dish with farro was good. No outdoor seating, but they did have the side doors open with tables right on the sidewalk that were very pleasant. read more

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I had the place all to myself. Not just Celilo, but the entire Columbia Gorge. It was a cold and blustery day. The last of the yellow leaves were clinging to the trees and a winter storm warning was in effect. Perhaps not the best day for a Sunday drive to Hood River, but sometimes experiencing such a grand place in solitude can be refreshing. I visit Hood River several times a year, but usually my kids are in tow. This means that I spend more time at Double Mountain, Mike's Ice Cream and G. Willikers and less time at all the wonderful boutiques, wineries and finer restaurants. This visit was all about grown-up pleasures. There are several fine dining choices in Hood River, but Celilo captured my interest and it was a very good choice for lunch. You walk in and it feels like you could be in the Pearl District. Modern Industrial style with lovely artwork and light fixtures in deep blue hues. They strive to use locally grown food and even convert their used vegetable oil to bio-diesel for the company car. So a lovely blend of style and environmentally friendly substance. Lunch was reasonably priced and I couldn't pass up the white bean with garlic spread for an appetizer. Served with your choice of crisp wafers or house-made baguette. After being impressed with that dish at 3 Doors Down in Portland, I have to say that no other version has lived up to that standard. At this point, I need to stop ordering it elsewhere. My sandwich was the Marinated Tomato and Mozzarella. Light, flavorful and served on a delicious roll, it was just right. Service was wonderful and European. Both lunch and dinner are comprised of small menus (8 - 12 items). Not a place I would bring the kids. There are plenty of other really kid friendly places in town. I'll keep this one to myself. read more

Celilo Restaurant & Bar - White bean and garlic spread - New American Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

Nice spot to have a drink and grab a bite to eat. We had the burgers. The burger had good flavor. The Frys were very good as well. The thing I was not impressed with was the 7 dollar salad I ordered it was only lettuces and radishes tossed in a very delicious vinaigrette. Over priced the salad looked like something you would expect to get on a airplane flying coach. It was very small portion if your going to charge so much but enough lettuce and radishes in there to at least fill the bowl. I will be back but definitely not getting the salad. They should be ashamed of them selfs for charging people so much. Maybe 3 bucks. read more

Celilo Restaurant & Bar - New American Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

Very nicely decorated and the staff was very good. They were very attentive and knew the food well. Seating was a little complicated but that's to be expected with Covid. Our meals were delicious and the drinks were great. Only issue was with the mashed potatoes, they were cold ‍ read more

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Happy hour food menu was amazing, beautiful, and really affordable. The seasonal pickles were delicious. The leek spread was the star of the show. read more

This is my type of place: great wine, slightly fancy but not too fancy, delicious food, bar to sit at, and overall nice vibe. I love getting cheese/meat boards and dessert with good wine, and this place delivered. The only real complaint I had was our service. We sat at the bar and our bartender was too busy cleaning to bother to refill our glasses. Because of the level of quality and prices here, I would have expected better. She was very pleasant, but otherwise ignored us repeatedly. :( Would certainly return - and hope not to get the same bartender. :) read more

My daughter made reservations here for my birthday and it was wonderful. The staff was incredibly attentive and our drinks were always full! We had the salmon, chanterelle mushroom pasta, and sirloin. Everything was delicious and the sirloin was cooked to perfection. read more

A must try for people in town or from out of town. Food maybe smaller in portions, and great date atmosphere with cool drinks and low noise.

Pros: Great cocktail and alcohol options! Cons: - Food was pretty bland. I got the pork chops and my wife got the gnocchi. Both were pretty boring, not much flavor, because the food description on the menu seemed great! - Service seemed a little off. Sous-chef visited the "high end" tables, skipped a few others. Our severs weren't the most polite. For the "fancy restaurant" of hood river, I don't thin this one hits. Great spot for cocktails and apps, but dinner? Not the spot read more

My wife and I received assorted rolls and butter that were largely ignored. We decided to share an arugula salad topped with smoked salmon belly that was delicious. My wife's entree was also very good - wild salmon with greens with a vinaigrette and romesco sauce. I was not so fortunate, the paella proved to be mediocre - not a hint of saffron, little in the way of seafood other than several small clams, a solitary piece of chicken confit and no chorizo. I was surprised, read disappointed, that we were assessed a fee for splitting the salad though we had specifically requested it be served on a single plate in order to avoid such a silly charge. Our server's gratuity was adjusted downward to offset the charge. read more

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I can't believe it that there is such a great restaurant here at Hood River. You have to come to this place! I ordered a draft IPA beer, their special tomato and cottage cheese salad, and lamb. They were simply PERFECT! read more

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Our waitstaff was friendly and attentive and the ambiance inside the restaurant was great. The way the food was presented was also lovely, unfortunately few of the dishes I ordered tasted particularly good. :/ read more

Came here this past weekend based on all the positive yelp reviews and left hungry and disappointed. ARGULA SALAD with smoked salmon, strawberries, and pickled red onions- This was mediocre and very disjointed, especially given how few ingredients were in it. It took 40 minutes for our entrees to arrive. FLAT IRON STEAK with potatoes, collard greens, and lentils- Pretty good. The steak was well-seasoned and the apricot chutney provided a nice sweetness to counterbalance the savoriness of the steak and bitterness of the collard greens. SEAFOOD PASTA- avoid at all costs. Aside from the overpowering taste of parsley, this dish was extremely bland. The clams were small and the shrimp were the tiniest shrimp I've ever seen in my life (I literally had to forage through the pile of pasta to find the shrimp-- see accompanying picture). I only ended up eating 1/4 of it. We didn't even order dessert because I didn't want to be disappointed by yet another item. read more

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Celilo is casual first class dining with original, delicious and artistic food. Felt very safe with an outside table. Wait staff was gracious, attentive and professional. read more

Celilo Restaurant & Bar - Salmon of the evening - there are ripe cherries in the greens and crab in the topping. - New American Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

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Great little spot with amazing food and great service. I had the clams and a caprese salad. Outstanding. especially the caprese. Who would have put peaches in caprese --but it worked amazingly read more

If you want a finer dining experience, Celilo is your best option. The farm-to-table offerings are always fresh and local, and are the closest you'll come to a gourmet culinary adventure in the gorge. Cocktails are some of the best in town. The whole staff is delightful, but special shoutouts to John and Rachel for always treating us like royalty. read more

This was one of the best dining out experiences we've had in years. We started with the bread//crackers and the olives/nuts plate. The crackers are house made, calling them a cracker seems almost insulting to them. The bread was good, the nuts were good, and the olives were perfection. Next was the cheese plate and the salad special. The cheese plate was good (not my favorite but solid) and the salad was bright and delicious. Finally the main entrees were the mushroom pasta and the pork dish. The pasta was perfectly sauced to enhance the flavor of the mushrooms and pasta rather than overwhelming it. The pork... it was nothing short of beautiful. The meat was tender and juicy, the mole is not traditional but was the perfect accompaniment to the meat and vegetables. This is one of those dishes I'll be thinking about and judging other pork dishes against for years to come. The food was so exceptional that it would have made the of worst service tolerable but we received service that was commensurate with the food . Rachel S. flawlessly managed that balance between helpful and attentive without being intrusive. The rest of the team was also quite pleasant to deal with and after watching their process for cleaning and resetting a table you can be reassured that they are taking the health and safety of their customers very seriously. This exceeds my expectations in the best of circumstances. Their ability to do this in a pandemic is incredible read more

We were visiting the gorges and were on our way to checkout some wineries when our group had lunch at Celilo. It was great. Fresh and simple, yet tasty and delicious! Our group was given a soup and a salad. The soup was asparagus and the salad had some blue cheese on it. Both were so tasty!! Seasonal food is just the best!! Hubby and I ordered 2 sandwiches to share. I had half of a prawn sandwich and half of the BBQ beef sandwich. I loved the crispy baguette it came on. The shrimp one reminded me of a banh mi sandwich. I loved the spicy sauce that was on the inside. Both were delicious. My favorite was the beef one, sweet and saucy and quite meaty. The side French fried were cooked to perfection! The staff was very kind and welcoming. The space is open and agreeable. Definitely a great bite! read more

Celilo Restaurant & Bar - Asparagus soup and seasonal salad - New American Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

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Wasn't sure what to expect since Hood River is a tourist town. This restaurant exceeded all of our expectations! Food was excellent, wine was priced fairly and service was excellent. read more

Won a gift card nearly 2 years ago and decided to finally put it to use! Service was great, facilities was hip and nicely laid out, decent beer choices on tap. The menu was limited (perhaps it's a rotating menu?). We chose the fettuccini meatballs and the duck (most expensive item on the menu!). Meatballs lacked flavor and not very warm (temperature). The duck - completely unimpressive. Menu was not descriptive enough to understand it was in a "soup form". It was a nice night out but not all it was hyped up to be. I MAY check it out again if the menu changes frequently. But for those prices perhaps only for happy hour. read more

Celilo Restaurant & Bar - Fettuccini meatballs and the duck dish. - New American Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

I'm not one to leave negative reviews but this I had to. We put in our name at 7:00 p.m. and got a call at 7:30 saying our table is ready. As we were walking there 2 blocks away they called saying somehow they gave our table away. I'm like no worries because I understand there's a staffing issue. He said he would call me back when the next table is ready. After an hour we decided to go back there and as we were waiting at the door they seated someone else with no reservations. When asking about the situation they said that they marked us off as seating us at 7:30, as Wilson is such a popular name. Really made the trip here to Hood River terrible as now we have no dining options. Hopefully McDonald's is open after waiting over 1 and 1/2 hours or perhaps cup-o-noodle at the hotel? Cheers... read more

The restaurant is well located and there is plenty of parking as walking around Hood River is pretty easy during the week and the location was easy to find. We visited the restaurant on a Tuesday around 5:45 pm. As we came in we were greeted very nicely and more importantly and expectedly there was no wait to be seated. The place looked very nice and it had a romantic vibe with a modern feel. The restaurant was not full, but people were starting to come in. After being seated by our hostess and getting a complimentary plate with decent bread, a delicious cracker with butter on the side. We were promptly greeted by our waiter who immediately asked what we wanted to drink but forgot to introduce herself. After a quick intro from my side, Amanda our waiter explained the menu and offered very good suggestions for appetizer from which we chose to share with my wife the Celery Root Soup and later the Skillet Roasted Mussels. For the wine we went with a half bottle of Elk Cove 2016 Pinot Noir, which ended up being a fantastic choice. The soup was a delicacy and the mussel were perfectly cooked with a broth that was deliciously balanced. For dinner we shared the chicken which was perfectly cooked and accompanied by braised farro with beet, carrot and celery root slaw and these perfectly chosen by the chef to go in unison. The food was plentiful, delicious and perfect for sharing. For desert we had a chocolate desert with cream and a side of a chocolate cookie. Overall the food was great, the service was good and the place was romantic and more importantly, never felt rushed. read more

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A five star experience for sure. We started with roasted clams, which were delicious. I appreciated that our waiter had multiple wines to suggest to pair with my entree. The roasted chicken was out of this world. It was served on some beans, which were tasty, but a bit on the crunchy side. My husband loved the mushroom ravioli as well. This is a very special place and a must visit in Hood River. read more

We are locals and have been to Celilo many times. The previous meals were either good or very good, but came with a steep price tag. Fine. Quality is very important and good ingredients cost more. Supporting local farmers is huge. It is difficult to find incredible food in Hood River, so we were thrilled to find what we thought was a gem. The farm-to-table concept and use of local ingredients is awesome...but if any mgmt from Celilo actually reads these reviews, I would hope they actually care about what people say, versus thinking that most of the reviews are good so who cares about this one. After the previous good experiences here, it is worth noting when one is really off because what started out as one of our favorite places has consistently diminished over the last four or five visits. We went to Celilo last night after leaving pFriem again because of the wait time (open tables, wasn't prime hour and the wait was ridiculously long...over it and not going back.) Having worked in the restaurant industry for most of my life, I understand food, waiting, reservation staggering, seating (why someone coming later may be seated before you, for instance, etc.) But sometimes, it just isn't worth it. We were initially told that we could sit at the front lounge tables because everything else was spoken for. Perhaps reservations for later times were in the books. After a moment, the Host came back and had put two 2-tops together and we had a lovely table. Thank you! What is difficult is seeing throughout a 1.5-hour meal, most the tables remained open. Our server was kind and knowledgeable, but seemed to be in slow motion. We waited for dishes to be cleared while she passed the table and then waited 10-15 min. to ask her for the check. The menu was recently changed and that comes with the territory. Ingredient availability changes and variety is important. Given we enjoy quite a bit of salmon, I was saddened to not see the sea bass or halibut. Nothing really stood out. What we ordered: Tomato salad Mixed greens salad Paella Chickpea Spaetzle Cheeseburger IPA Local Pinot Gris No dessert ------------------------- The drinks were good as always and we normally do and would have ordered more, had the meal been more enjoyable. The mixed greens salad was refreshing. Tomato salad was beautiful, small, and uneventful. Two slices of a delicious tomato like Purple Cherokee (with the core, so could only eat 1/2 that slice, a small pile of cherry tomatoes, sprinkle of chevre, Evoo and perhaps vinegar. Expensive at $12 and had no zest. Fresh lemon or something would have added some needed acidity. I guess it was disappointing because I felt like it was something I could make at home. For the record, I don't think quality is in a deluge of salad dressing. Letting the natural flavors of the ingredients speak for themselves when paired well, is the true art. That burst of flavor and color is magical. I had the Chickpea Spaetzle while my husband had the Paella. Kiddo had the burger. The presentation was lovely, but a bit paltry on portion size. The highlight of the spaetzle was the vegetables/legumes. The green beans, microgreens and zucchini were incredible and perfectly cooked. The addition of mint with the sauce created a unique freshness to the flavor. The spaetzle itself leaves much to be desired. Far too salty and dry. Chickpeas have a tendency to be on the dry side but it wasn't good. The very small smear of goat cheese left me wanting more. I ate nearly every bite of the spaetzle because I was hungry, but my stomach was growling an hour later. The vegetables with something like seared halibut would be incredible. The Paella was seriously disappointing. And expensive, which is fine if it's done right. The portion is small, there was no squid to be found (was listed on the menu), hardly any chicken, no clams, which weren't listed but are our favorites and a scant portion of paella rice. The mussels were plentiful and delicious. The chorizo added nice texture and spice. However, Paella is supposed to be hearty, brothy and flavorful. This was bland, too dry and devoid of that satisfying richness. My husband could have eaten two portions to be full. Instead, the one dish that he has ordered many times and loved, was a complete letdown. Our son's burger was good. It came with a beautiful side salad, tomatoes, pickled onions (?) and greens. Nothing unique but he enjoyed it. So, $115 later, not including tip, we walked back to the car to head home, wondering what had happened and being completely underwhelmed. I want an experience. To leave happily content with that delightful buzz of having loved your meal, instead of feeling like it wasn't worth it and that was supposed to be our dependable, delicious dinner. It is special to go out and this simply wasn't. For what Celilo has been, it's frustrating to feel that it is now over-rated. If we go back, I truly hope it is more like the gem we believed we had found. read more

Celilo is an amazing gem in Hood River. We stop in nearly every time we are visiting. The food is imaginative and delicious, from the cheese plate to the clams to the salads and entrées, you can't go wrong. The wait staff is fun and informed, always ask about the specials. There desserts are also not to be missed. The rotating fruit tart is amazing! The pastry melts in your mouth and they always have it with fresh fruit. Cheers! read more

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We were so excited to come to this restaurant after a chef friend highly recommended it. At first it was great - beautiful restaurant and very attentive staff , sat right on time with reservation, all good. When we reserved we did put note in it was for a birthday... We were greeted nicely with waitstaff and new one shadowing, and placed opening drink order& appetizer, ok waiter came back to get dinner order and we asked for wines, with that. Kept trying to have a conversation to say things like " we're ready for the wine anytime! But somehow he had just deducted that since we didn't order 2nd cocktail we must not want anything for 20 minutes later until entree ...received salad and then another staff member brought one of the wines, and we finally asked another about other wine and finally received entrees. Food was great but server had just kind of either got busy somewhere else or idk but eventually came back and asked us if we needed anything adjusted ... let's see, my husband was completely finished and I was pecking away ... ordered another glass.... Finally, we asked about desert since it was a Birthday celebration... received and done and paid... so, we Love eating out at restaurants, tip very well, are basically happy but when a waiter is just difficult to connect with or is so much in his own head he forgets to be sincere and genuine with service and conversation, and is obviously not not interested in customers it makes what could have been epic just meh read more

Although my husband said the salmon dish was good, I felt like I could have ordered the New York steak dish from Denny's. Neither of us like our wine. read more

I cannot recommend Celilo enough! It is absolutely delicious and the staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. All of the food is locally sourced and seasonally influenced. The menu changes often and I have never seen the same exact menu twice. I live locally and Celilo is my favorite restaurant. Every dish at Celilo has absolutely blown me away. read more

I died.. Went to heaven... Then god sent me to Celilo's for my first meal... No really, it was that good... We had (way too much food but shhh) Baby back ribs (special) with some amazing sesame oil glaze... Blue cheese, hazelnut salad .... Which was perfect and topped only by the pan seared scallops with crispy pancetta which melted in my mouth We then had (yes more...) The salmon which was so fresh and perfectly cooked, with the skin crispy... The hanger steak... Which was also pretty amazing... Putting feta on it is SMART! We some how managed dessert also... I had the volcano chocolate cake... Which ooooozed chocolate, and my friend had creme brûlée which she liked, "standard but with a great crust" All in all I wish I could take this place back to manhattan with me... read more

Celilo Restaurant & Bar - Blood orange drops - New American Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

As I said in my previous review Sue and I were in Hood River after an attempted hike. We found a parking space right in the heart of downtown with hamburgers on our minds. It is amazing that once you get something in your mind (or at least in our case) you can't get it out. Burgers were what we wanted and finding a good one at Celilo was a pleasant surprise. We walked in and were immediately seated. A nice two top right at a window. Menus and waters were handed out. Sue ordered a hot tea (there was a nice chill in the air) and we both ordered a Sirloin Burger ($9.75) with Yukon Gold potato fries. You also have salad as a choice. Here are the specs on the burger: Hand packed patty of all natural beef, served on a Flour Garden roll with aioli and Tillamook aged cheddar cheese. Anyone who knows me already knows I ordered it sans aioli. Keep that stuff away from me. The burger came out medium rare like I like it. The fries were really good. The bun held up to the juices that were coming out of the meat. A very good burger experience. Service was good. Place was very nice. Company was good. A very nice experience in Hood River. read more

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Every time I come to Portland, I almost expect good food. Happy to report - that even venturing an hour and a half outside of Portland that you can still find a great meal. The staff was warm and inviting as well - without being too stuffy as the ambiance/decor might suggest. I ordered the Paella as my main course which was served on a mini cast iron skillet, had a nice spice kick to it, along with a nice arrangement of shrimp, chorizo, and clams in it. It wasn't too big of a portion either. The pork cheek sliders were amazing too! read more

We wandered into this place based on you fellow yelpers and its ratings. Certainly a gem in downtown Hood River. One thing to know, its best to have a reservation! We got there and it was an apparent 45-1 hour wait for two. We ended up sitting at the Bar tables near the entrance. The full menu was still available and the service was still stellar. I started the night with a Bull Ryde since it featured Bulleit rye whiskey. Delicious! Stiff but very smooth and not super sweet. Perfect contrasts to your savory meal. We loved the choices for the small plates so we ended up getting the mushroom pasta and split that as an appetizer. The mushrooms were decadently juicy and with the Parmesan, gives it a nice salt. I think the sauce had some wine to it? Not sure, but it was good, not too creamy and not too oily - the pasta was also well seasoned with herbs. I could have probably eaten the whole plate myself, but I played nice. For the main course, we both had the roasted chicken with kale and pork lardons. Very generous with the pork lardons. Like croutons but 50x better. The chicken was well done too, crispy but still tender. All plated above grits which added to the complexities of the dish. I'm not a fan of grits but this was ground enough to were it wasn't so gritty in texture. We didn't end up getting desert since we wanted to go to Mikes Ice Cream. Likelihood of returning - HELL YES. read more

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Hands down the best chicken I've had in my entire life. The steak is great. Fries are delicious. Everything was delicious actually. I didn't know it was an upscale restaurant so I walked in wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt but the service was still top notch. :D I loooove this place. I want to move to Hoodriver just to be closer to this place. Lol. For real! read more

Celilo is almost a contradiction...a high-caliber restaurant set in a laid back, casual town. Our experience there was inconsistent, but the overall experience was good enough to warrant a 4-star review. My wife and I arrived around 6pm on a weeknight and found the restaurant fairly empty, so we sat near the open store front to enjoy the beautiful day. We ordered the cheese plate appetizer along with a glass of Ken Wright Pinot Noir (for her) and a glass of Amnesia IPA (for me). The cheese plate was a tad small for the price, but tasty - the highlight actually being the wafer thin sesame seed crackers. The bread was excellent too, as were the drinks (we highly recommend the Ken Wright Pinot). My wife ordered the Hanger Steak - a consistent item on the menu - and I decided to try the on-special Ribeye since the pork was not on the menu during our visit. I regretted my choice, as the Hanger Steak was well seasoned and quite good, despite being inconsistently cooked...some parts medium well, some medium and some medium rare. The potatoes on her plate were some of the best I have ever tried, being crispy and decadent, but somehow not greasy. My ribeye, on the other hand, was overdone and tough. The wilted greens had a nice vinaigrette flavor and the mashed potatoes were average. I must say, though, the breaded onion ring garnish was possibly the BEST onion ring I have ever had. Seriously. The service was very good and, though I am a little concerned about the inconsistency of the meat preparation, I do feel Celilo is worth a visit and you will likely walk away happy. read more

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We were just one night in Hood River, we are new to YELP, so decided on Celilo Restaurant based on recommendation. This place is most EXCELLENT! The atmosphere was perfect , dim lights comfortable seating. The food was magnificent! And the service was over the top. If I lived in Hood River this would be my go to when I wanted a nice dinner out. Next time I pass through I will be staying a night just so I can go to the Celilo . read more

Atmosphere was nice. Food was ok. Small portions. Staff excellent. I had the paella which was decent. The Niçoise salad was small made with smoked salmon was very French and authentic. I probably wouldn't return though. I can get better food for less elsewhere. read more

This is a terrific spot for lunch. 1. Service is outstanding. These folks are either naturally good or really well trained. A+ 2. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. A 3. Food is excellent. A 4. Beer selection is small but sound. A- 5. Price is a bit high but steep by Hood River standards. By East Coast or San Francisco standards; prices are a bargain. A- read more

This is the only place in Hood River you will get professional service from wait staff that actually know about the wine and food the restaurant serves. The food is delicious and the service top notch. We were there for our 28th anniversary and enjoyed our night immensely. We had a burgundy pinot noir, a cheese plate and 2 divine plates of delectable pasta followed by tiramisu. Yum! read more

Celilo Restaurant & Bar - New American Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

We were looking for dessert after our visit to Ferment and came across this place close to our hotel. Though they close @8:30, they welcomed us in at 8 pm. We had the crème brûlée and the almond cake. Both were outstanding. The after dinner wine and drink selections were huge. The service was excellent and it was a great way to end a great day in Hood River. read more

We had a very solid dinner here. The asparagus soup was the best part of the meal, but the salmon and the risotto were both very good as well. We also enjoyed the wine (cab franc) from Idiot's Grace. read more