The desk clerk at a nearby hotel recommended Columbia Portage Cafe. As we walked through the front door we were met by a diva with lots of negative things to say about the cafe. Our experience contradicted everything she said. We were greeted as we entered and shown to a table with an excellent view of the river. Wish that I had caught the name of our waitress because she was very good. Ordered an appetizer to share. While enjoying our meal the waitress delivered a brownie sundae to the next table. We ordered one too. Maybe we can get back to Columbia Portage Cafe and actually try the food on the menu. read more

First review, but second meal! Both times we've been greeted by very friendly staff & were seated right away- usually by one of the ginormous picture windows overlooking the Columbia River! For an appetizer, we ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites. These very well could be a meal in & of themselves! They were amazing, little, round balls of heaven! Translated- this means perfectly crunchy-coated, tender chicken, ham, & melty cheese balls that we dipped in a luscious honey mustard sauce! Our entrees were the Mac & Cheese & Cajun Fried Chicken, both served with side salads & fresh, warm bread. The Mac & Cheese had just the perfect amount of jalapeño spice & smoky bacon bits with perfectly-cooked pasta, and a rich, velvety cheese sauce! The Cajun Chicken also had the right amount of heat, delicious cream sauce, and perfectly tender chicken with the most amazing crunchy coating! And, the sausage dressing gave the dish a fantastic comfort-food feel! We will return! read more

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Scenery was great. Restaurant was clean. Food was good. So nice to have a restaurant to come to where staff are personable and food was comfort read more

Food is always amazing However, the waitstaff is hit and miss. Tonight seemed like they were more interested in flirting with the bar patrons. Had to walk up to order a second round of beers for our two top table. Food finally came and was awesome. Waitstaff never came to check on us or ask if we needed anything else. Sub-par. read more

Atmosphere was okay, the only saving grace... I ordered the Jambalaya with crayfish and sausage, which was supposed to be one of their specialties. Very underwhelming, the Jambalaya at Popeyes is a step up from this stuff. The side salad was very limp and about to turn brown... won't be coming back. read more

Food was great speed was good wait time 20 to 30 minutes for food and 5 to 10 minutes for drinks read more

Columbia Portage Grill - Seafood fettuccine - Barbeque Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

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Staff was great have a few things to say , Staff should not touch ice with their hands and put in glass (old fashion ). Also get proper cherries , also saw a staff put her shoe up on bar to tie it. Not okay!!! Over all was great just a couple Quirks read more

Overpriced and lousy food. The worst Margarita ever! The huge spider on the ceiling kept us entertained however.

Prime rib special was fantastic! Hit the spot. Ate every last bite of it. Place is super cute and while they were understaffed they hustled to get us sat and our food came out super fast. Highly recommend if you're in the Dalles read more

Columbia Portage Grill - Prime rib special and strawberry salad - Barbeque Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

Pretty good. Always hate being served during a shift change, but we didn't get forgotten. Waitresses were super nice even thought we had a baby who was making a mess (which we cleaned before leaving) they were nice! Food was alright, not the best but still good. Cajun options were delicious though! read more

Fantastic food and the view is spectacular, only reason for a 4 star is the wait on a Tuesday was long and the staff was obviously overwhelmed but I would come back!!! read more

Not sure the cook knows how to cook. steaks were not the right cut and over cooked. sent back and second round was worse than the first. salad was dry and wilted, vegetables half cooked and over cooked? maybe done in a microwave with the steaks??? go anywhere else! McDonald's across the street would be better read more

Great view and comfortable seating. Waitress was super friendly and insightful. We ordered chicken po boy with homemade potato salad. My husband and mother said it was very delicious. I ordered a Cobb salad and it had a generous portion and homemade honey mustard salad. My son ordered a kids spaghetti and meatballs. Everyone was happy with their meals. read more

Walked in remodel looked like a cross between a nightclub and a hospital cafeteria. Place was about 1/2 full and went to sit at a table that had some sort of bacon fat or old mayonnaise all over the edge. noticed two other tables full of dirty dishes and liquid all over the floor under both of them. Server came over analogized for the dirty table and immediately wiped it down for us then told us "just so you know it is at least a 40 min wait for food." so we thanked him and said we would go some where else! He responded see you next time lol. Uh yea no next time. Unfortunately \we went to Zims and had a sub par expensive meal there read more

Not at all impressed. It is a long drive home so we stopped in here for a small break and a bite to eat. We both had the Salmon burger. Out bottom buns were so soggy it was like a bun soaked in water. I removed the soggy bun and the top bun (which was a non-soggy bun) and just ate the salmon burger and cream cheese/green onions. We had ours with potato salad. Another yuck, No taste/flavor and the potatoes were a bit under cooked. The server was working both the dining room and the lounge. When we arrived and stood at the door for a while as we were not sure we were to seat ourselves, she was outside smoking. She finally peeked through the window and saw us and had us seat ourselves. She was friendly but not real attentive to us or our meal. Very disappointed in our meal and not worth the money as I felt like their items were overpriced, especially when looking at the quality. read more

This place has changed for the better! I haven't been here in a year or more and tonight is was exceptional! I love what they have done by moving the bar and making the bar bigger! The decor was awesome with new furniture and lots of tvs! AND OUR FOOD WAS EXCEPTIONAL! Nice work its about time! read more

Columbia Portage Grill - Bigger bar - Barbeque Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

Have been going in for a couple months for Friday night. Prime rib has been amazing. Friday nights with my honey. We've also made it for a couple of lunch times, and the foods always been good there too. The food is always been perfect and the service over the top. James, Shandale and Sam are a few if the crew that work there. Vicki is the owner and we've known her for a very long time. Thank you guys you rock.They are amazing and we've have always been given the very best service. The artichoke dip is my favorite because it has really yummy bread and it's just super delicious and my husband's favorite of course is the prime rib. The clam chowder on Fridays is the best!!!! i'll see you guys on Friday night.!!! read more

Not good food yuck! Understaffed. The waitress bartender was doing double duty she was nice. The sandwiches ok nothing great and salads yuck

I haven't read anything on the oysters yet however I did read some low ratings on the place overall. Let me tell you after a long day of working on the road the oyster plate, and whiskey hit the spot. read more

Columbia Portage Grill - Oyster dish. $20 I think.... - Barbeque Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

After a bit of a wait finally got seated. Took a while to get waters and then it was if we were invisible. Waiters seemed to be arguing over who's table we were at. After a long wait without service, and it seemed we weren't going to have our orders taken, we got up and walked out. Too bad, we liked this place. Oh by the way, this was our second trip there on Thursday. We had lunch earlier. Not sure why were not served. Someone needs to have a talk with the wait staff. Manager? Not sure if we'll be back. read more

Ah, the Portage Grill. I remember you when you were the Portage Inn some 20 years ago. The bar is still the same the bartender said that the carved wood in the bar dated back to the 1800's. I didn't know that but I knew it had been there as long as I could remember. This small restaurant and bar is just off of the front desk of the Shilo Inn and while the saloon had decidedly dated carpeting and decor the food was quite good and very welcome after about 5 hours on the road returning from a Boise trip. Definitely an A-OK stop and I wouldn't hesitate to return again. read more

Best southern food I've had since I was in the south! A definite must. Waitstaff very friendly. Outdoor seating but no heat or cover but we had our outdoor gear on and were fine. read more

Nina was such a great bartender/server ! My son and I day was so amazing Because of her ! She went above and beyond a person in the Industry ever would do. I appreciate her very much for making this such an amazing experience for my son & I ! Mariah was also a great ! It was her day off & she was keeping my son entertained while I was able to eat I loved it. I felt so at home & welcomed ! Columbia portage Grill so be grateful to have such great employee.. read more

Dinner and service was great. Servers really gave us good service Motel entrance carpet is 30 years old and carpet seams are worn thru Restaurant side air conditioning needs serviced , I was told it hasn't worked well for quite awhile New owners need to invest in carpet , air conditioning and windows in the Restaraunt read more

This is a low and hotel with very limited amenities. They need a drastic upgrade in everything from the bathrooms to the carpet in the dining hall. This is a great place to stay for somebody who is in desperate need of a hotel and there is nothing left. I highly recommend to stay at another place and The Dalles preferably the Comfort Suites and over by cousins. You really get what you pay for it at The Shilo Inn. And actually as a little overpriced in my opinion. The food is something to be desired. But since it is free with a coupon that was given there's nothing to complain about Beggars can't be choosers. However there is a McDonald's across the street. Enjoy your experience if you dare. read more

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We stayed at the hotel so this was the place to eat. It was good and the prices were ok. Nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about either. I would eat here while staying at the hotel. I probably wouldn't come here if I was driving by on the freeway. Plenty of food for dinner but breakfast was super sparse. My wife and I both had the scrambled eggs for breakfast and I swear they scrabbled one egg and split it between both our plates. I was still hungry when we left. read more

Columbia Portage Grill - Barbeque Near Me - The Dalles, Oregon

This place has excellent food and their service is top notch. It's not cheap, but you get a lot of food for your money (I ordered crawfish étouffée and had leftovers for two days) and the food is outstanding. Most of the tables have a nice view of the river and the atmosphere is cool and relaxing. We stopped in The Dalles for a dinner break on the long Boise-Portland drive, and it was just what the doctor ordered. I left full, happy, and recharged for the rest of the drive. read more

I thought I'd leave a better review since so many say the food is gross. Well, I have ate here the past two nights. Yesterday I got a club and salad. Tonight, a French dip and salad. It was good!! Homemade croutons for the salad. The beef is good ( and I'm picky about meat). Extra cheese, no charge. Oh, and German chocolate cake for $6 and it's huge! I'm bringing my kiddos to eat here soon read more

Sunday night dinner the seafood fettuccini was recommended by the server. The Alfredo sauce was FUNKY tasting. It had a very "off" flavor. The shrimp was not cooked making it squishy and unfavorable, and the fish in was mushy. I was starving but couldn't even eat it, it was in-edible. My boyfriend had the Cajun seafood platter and he sent it back as well. The food was SO gross it turned us off of dinner entirely. Don't eat dinner here, just don't. read more

Excellent Cajun in Oregon! This is attached to the Shilo Inn and we ate here while at hotel. We were shocked how good it was. You dont associate Oregon with cajun but the owner is a Big Easy transplant. Great spicing, huge portions, decent prices ($15-20). My boss had what he said was the best catfish he had eaten. I had Cajun chicken breasts in an egg batter with nice sauce ( more creole). Another had excellent jambalaya. Their ettouffe was perfect. The kid's ordered spagetti that had orange-sized meatballs. We'd eat here regularly if we were within 100 miles of it. We were expecting a formula, by the numbers, gimicky restaurant and found the real deal! read more

We loved the Cajun menu. We had delicious poppers for an appetizer then Cajun combo for dinner jambalaya, sautéed oysters and scampers. A good value for great food made our 15th anniversary an enjoyable experience. read more

I've eaten at a few gross places, but this was by far the grossest! Everything about this place was dirty and outdated. The carpet was filthy, and the servers didn't use trays to deliver food. One server was sloshing beer all over as she tried to deliver several glasses at once. The food was just OK, part of my husbands meal was missing. I am glad I can mark this restaurant off my list, I'll never go back. read more

The food is much better than the restaurant looks! The Server, Bobbie Joanna, made the experience very enjoyable. They really need a decor update! read more

They claim they make Cajun food. Hello can't fool a Texan learn how to cook before you can claim you know how to make something. Sorry but it takes a lot more than a claim to fame to be famous. If you're looking for bastardized Cajun food with no heat come here. read more

Server did not know the menu.. Service slow...we were the only ones in the restaurant. Now we know why. Food was yuck. Place was dingy, dirty, and needs a major upgrade read more

This rating is for the Cajun food at this deceiving outdated restaurant in the Shiloh Inn. Judging by the decor, I was expecting nothing much better than diner food, but we were very pleasantly surprised. We had the blackened catfish, gumbo, catfish beignets, and red beans and rice. All were perfectly seasoned and well cooked. Apparently they ship in the harder-to-find ingredients from New Orleans. The waitress was very nice and helpful, and gave us a free cup of soup for a very minor mix up in the order. They also have some good craft beers, but not much of a wine list. Please come and try this Cajun food! You won't regret it. read more

We knew this place was very dated so went with lower expectations, mostly for the view. There aren't many places in The Dalles to eat where you can see the river and over to the hills on the Washington side. It was a hot sunny day so the blinds were halfway down, blocking most of the pretty view. We tried to sit in a booth next to the long bay of windows but it was way too hot to sit there because the place is not air conditioned! Our waitress was very sweet and apologetic, but seemed red faced and miserably hot herself. She said the kitchen was awful. The ceiling fans are apparently just there to taunt it's sweating patrons, they don't actually work. We changed tables but it was still 82 degrees or more. The food: Awesome! They have an extensive cajun menu with lots of seafood and tempting dishes I've never tried before. I had a cup of chicken and sausage gumbo with a chicken Caesar salad, comes with a roll and butter. Very good! My husband had a good sized 10 oz steak with plank fries and green beans, covered with Bearnaise sauce and shrimp, it was very good, done just right. The Caesar was a little different because they use leaf lettuce instead of romaine, but it was okay, not as crunchy. I was happy though because it didn't come from a bag of pre-soaked salad mix that includes all the cores, it appeared to be hand sliced from fresh green leaves. Servings are pretty generous. There are some very old structures outside, and the waitress explained some historical facts about the area, she was very sweet and friendly and made the whole experience great, aside from the good food. Overlooking how freaking hot we were and couldn't wait to get out of there, everything else was good. The hotel management is seriously remiss in neglecting this restaurant and needs to ante up for some functional AC and update the decor, it's a little like a time capsule of the 80's in there. (NOT in a nostalgic way) The chef and restaurant staff can't help that part and make up for it. The bar is next to the restaurant separated by one thin wall, so if you sit on that side you'll hear the loud cheesy country music and a lot of noise and wall banging from chairs? When the weather is no longer hot I will be back for the view and to try some Cajun dishes like etouffee, jambalaya, and beignets. There is a back patio with flower pots that would be a nice place to catch the breeze on a warm day. Note: This is a Shilo Inn so prices are spendy. read more

Jim and Vickie and the cooks did a wonderful job hosting our family group of 27. The price was very reasonable and the food delicious. The service was amazing. James especially made the children feel special. read more

Based on previous reviews, I thought I'd try this place. Once seeing the menu, the promise of Cajun food looked good; being from Louisiana, I could only hope (heard that promise more than once). Bartender swore it was the best ever, stating the owners were fm New Orleans and had trained all their "Chefs" on the proper way.... Not so much! Jambalya was just ok, with 18 stalks of celery, fried crawfish was fine, but fried oysters were under cooked, smelly, and unappealing in every way. Made me lose my appetite for the remaining! Bartender, agreed on the oysters and gave me a discount. Otherwise, friendly enough. Willing to ask and try to make right. Disappointed it wasn't all it seemed to be! read more

Expensive and the food was not great. Service is very slow and the decor needs updating. We especially enjoyed the ant trap in the window next to our table. Should have hit McDonald's instead. read more