This is an absolutely perfect lunch spot if you're out and about Downtown. My partner and I stopped by on a Saturday afternoon, and had a great time. The store is very clean. The aisles are somewhat narrow, and it's hard to see the hot station from the entrance if you're short. That said, the whole store is pretty small and easy to navigate. They have pre-made sandwiches available in cold cases (along with some drinks and other snacks), and a hot station in the back. I ended up ordering the tomato orange soup +focaccia slice with a grilled cheese. The grilled cheese was good and cooked perfectly, but the soup was the star of the show by a country mile. I've heard people say that Elephant's has good soups, but I'd never tried them myself. After eating here, I can confidently join their ranks and say that you HAVE to try the soup. It is so, so good. It's creamy and flavorful and it was perfect for the cold-ish weather. I got the pint size and it was a huge portion for the price as well (I think $9 for the soup and bread slice?). My partner got the caprese sandwich and loved it as well. The entire staff was super friendly and seemed like they actually wanted to be there, which you don't always get at the deli. It was truly a perfect lunch. I look forward to going back! read more

A smaller version of Elephants Delicatessen, this is a great place to stop for a quick breakfast, lunch or snack. All of the food is fresh And delicious. Their ham and cheese with butter on a baguette is classic! Their tuna salad is so tasty. And their soups and salads really hit the spot. Pastries and cookies are decadent and taste homemade. If you're a fan of ding-dongs or Hostess Ho-Hos, you must get their gourmet version called the ding dong cake. It's a customer favorite for a reason. The dark chocolate cake is moistt but not too rich, the cream filling inside is light and adds a nice contrast, and the thin layer of dark chocolate ganache that encompasses the entire cake adds both flavor and texture. One small ding dong cake serves two, or if you are me, it's a personal dessert! For most, Flying Elephants is a grab and go. Spot. While made fresh, food items are packaged so you can select what you want and eat later. Many who work in the area grab and go for lunch or dinner. Recently a friend stopped in to grab several items for me to enjoy while recovering from yet another surgery. She wanted to make sure I had some diversity in my meals since I was basically living on fruit, yogurt, cheese, and nuts the first week. She picked up individual portions of chicken enchiladas - so good I could eat this every day - beef stroganoff and chicken teriyaki over rice. The containers can be heated in the oven or microwave, once you remove the lid, which makes it easy to both heat up and then eat right out of the container. For lunch options, she picked up kale Caesar salad, sesame noodles, and egg salad sandwiches. The surprise hit of this haul was the curried chickpeas that had diced apple giving it a wonderful contrasting sweetness and crunch to the curried chickpeas. The weekly meal haul was rounded off with individual portion sizes of fruit salad, chocolate moose, and of course, a ding dong cake! So good with a cup of hot coffee or tea. Talk about being spoiled, but I have to say, deservedly so. I'm in the middle of a very long season (4 years) of mobility and health issues, so this act of kindness really warmed my heart and made my tastebuds sing! Located on the ground floor of the Fox Tower, stop in after a shopping spree at Nordstroms or a matinee. So many delicious food options to be enjoyed on the spot or later at home. read more

I've been to at least 4 of the Elephants delicatessen and I can say each once has their own character/feel. The food quality remains the same, fresh and delicious. This one is a smaller one, very convenient for people who want to pick up a quick meal but not fast food. Most of it is premade but there's probably a dish or two you can order. I had a prepackaged turkey club and mushroom soup. It was very fresh, reasonably priced. The mushroom soup was so tasty on a cold day. The restaurant is clean and bright. The staff is wonderful and friendly. I might even say this is my favorite Elephants so far! read more

I was there at 10 AM and found the refrigerated deli/coffee house uncomfortable. Two parking spots out front, which is a bonus (one extra star for this perk). I was impressed by the food made on the premises. Everything smelled delicious. One of the specials that day was an African dish. We tried the Flying Elephant crackers which were visually similar to wheat thins and tasted like a home made version of them. Just ok. read more

I landed in Portland at 8am and had some time to kill so, I took an early morning walk downtown and stumbled upon this little gem. Thirsty, hungry & in need of caffeine the options here were like an oasis amongst big chains and other spots which weren't as complete. There's something for everyone here! I had the veggie fritatta, coffee & as many snacks & pastries that I could carry. Naturally I dropped my salsa & made a mess. Everyone was so nice about it. I noticed how the staff knew many patrons by name as I sat inside & enjoyed my tasty loot. I also grabbed my favorite Liquid Death to stay hydrated for the rest of my walk. I will definitely make this a regular stop on my Portland trips. read more

Enjoyed this place they have lots of sandwiches and soup that are unique to this location. Came here since it was close to the hotel that I was staying at and one of the only things that were open at 9 in the morning. Got some soup and a root beer which only cost about $5 which I liked since no tax here. Came by the next day around lunch time and it was super packed and lots of people inside. If I lived around here or worked around here I would see myself coming to this place since I can get a quick and cheap meal with ease and not have to wait too long. The staff was friendly answered any question me or my girlfriend had. She also let us try some of the soup which was great since it gave us an idea of what soup to choose. If I ever come back to Portland I would come again. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Root beer - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The quality of food at Elephants has been steadily declining for a few years now. I picked up a sandwich recently I had to assemble myself and it came with a single half slice of tomato that didn't cover even one half of the sandwich. I also ordered a breakfast burrito recently that only had eggs in it - no hashbrowns, beans, chilis, etc that was supposed to be in the chili con queso burrito - just scrambled eggs. The pricing is ridiculous as well. Can't see a circumstance under which I'll go back even with it being in the Fox Tower where I work. read more

This place has been in Portland forever I read. 40 years! What! They're doing something right. Great soups. Mac & cheese. Grab & Go desserts, sanwiches, salads, etc. An impressive chocolate selection. Fixings for picnics. If you work nearby, you can order in advance. The circus mural is whimsical. The view of Director's park let's you experience the outdoors while being inside the cafe. There's floor to ceiling windows. Loads of people know the goods are here! read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Soups all year round! Delicious! - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Just popped in here before going on a hike and got some snacks for my back pack. The place seems to be a smaller/faster service to this Portland chain Elephant's Delicatessen. There's a small park out front, so there were a ton of people on their lunch break outside enjoying the weather. Loved the look. There's a huge refrigerated section for premade sandwiches and salads. Don't want to go that route, there's a station for warm food in a steam table or unique soups. Also a large pastry/sweets section that are all for the quick grabbing, all just looked so enticing. What I really love above this place is the cute French motif they sport. Tiled floors, French ceiling lamps and a "Frenchy" vintage type mural. And what I think I love more than that...a large buttery cookie, a small stick of salami and a small chunk of Tilamook Cheese for $5.25. If I would of got this at the Ferry Building in SF, it would of cost $24.17?!! *grumbles* read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Buttery Oatmeal Cookie - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I always like Elephants, and their downtown location is pretty cozy. It doesn't have the sprawl of some of the other locations where I might be able to stay a while, but it's great for a quick bite and drink. The soups are always good, and the sandwiches are solidly reliable. I had the Jamaican curry special, and it was super tasty! read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Jamaican Curry special - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Stopped by for a small coffee and chillin' in a quiet corner spot. Got my $1.60 out for a second cup and guess what they gave it to me on the house! Then they told me if you bring in your own mug your can get coffee for $1.35 regardless of size. SOLD! When I am downtown for coffee again this will be my woman coffee cave. It also doesn't hurt that they have great cookies to go with my coffee. Just looking today though...must save calories for additional dining experiences later in the day. This staff is full of happy campers. That says a lot about the deli and also the food. Note to self: Always eat where people are happy. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This Flying Elephants is located on the first floor of Fox Tower. The staff is excellent and do a great job of keeping pace with the lunch demand for the building. My go to is the Mac and cheese. It is always fresh and quality. If you need a place to grab a quick soup, salad or sandwich during lunch, this is your spot. Pro tip: They are only open until 4 p.m. now and discount their hot items after 3 p.m. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower is one of seven locations of the Elephants Delicatessen chain. This location offers a huge assortment of packaged, ready to buy food including sandwiches, salads, wraps, soup, side dishes and dessert items. They offer hot entrees and soups in addition to fresh bakery items. There is just about any beverage you could want from coffee to beer and wine. I have enjoyed many delicious food items from Flying Elephants. Their selections change on a regular basis so there is always something new to try. There are plenty of choices for vegetarians as well as meat items. Today I got their tempeh and quinoa wrap which was so good that I bought another one to take home. My friend had their sweet potato and kale soup along with an egg salad sandwich. He raved about his meal. There is very limited seating inside along with a few tables outside so a lot of people get their food to go. The only minus here is the pricing which is a bit high. But since the food is so good, it's worth the splurge. Definitely recommend visiting Flying Elephants. read more

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Somehow I've lived within a quick walk of this deli for quite some time and never really considered it an option for lunch. But that's all changed. This location of the small local chain is primarily grab-and-go, with sandwiches, salads, some heat-and-serve dishes, and booze! Everything I've had has been reliably tasty, reasonably priced (compared to other places I go, at least), and so quick and easy! It's wonderful to be able to bop in and out and still enjoy a larger selection than most any other restaurant in the area. I've eaten a few different things from here by now, but the last thing I got was so damn good. It was a smoked salmon salad, on a bed of arugula with pearled couscous and a couple of other things I can't recall. It was wonderful! And on top of that, I felt relatively healthy after eating it. It seems like Elephants Deli offers healthy food at a reasonable price in a convenient manner. Maybe it's because their design and marketing are so polished, or because there are so many locations in PDX, but I've had this attitude towards Elephants that it's kinda corporate and bland. I wasn't giving them a fair shake, and I'm glad that my eyes have been opened to another solid lunch spot so close to home. read more

Love love love this place. We were walking and seeking for coffee with bites. Many coffee shops doesn't have any bites. I'm so happy we found this place. Coffee was really good. We took prosciutto sandwich to share. Waited around 10 minutes and got really tasty but bread was hard like stone. Cheese and prosciutto inside was soooo yummy. read more

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Mama Leone's soup is a must. Perfect combination of warm and soothing with a hint of spice! For .60 cents you can add on a piece of bread. They have plenty of soup, and salad options. Seating is limited and the place is very small so be prepared to wait for a seat to open up. I do have to say this location was quite dirty with customers constantly wiping down their own tables. read more

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I love this place! They have anything and everything you could be in the mood for. It is very small on the inside with only a few seating options, so it's more of a grab and go type of place. There are a few bistro tables outside...if you're lucky enough to get one. I especially like their variety of sandwiches and salads. The tuna salad and ham & swiss are my favorites. They also serve the best coffee in Portland, in my opinion, Stumptown :-D Their pastries are yummy too! I do wish they would put a cover over them though...they're right at the edge of the counter with all the foot traffic :-/ They have a fantastic variety of beverages in there refrigerator case as well. Would like to try their warm food options sometime in the future. I usually come here to grab something to smuggle into the Regal Fox Tower Cinemas...shhhhhh, don't tell anyone ;-) read more

Great little place - great soups, sandwiches, wine selection, deserts, and a nice seating area

Flying Elephants is a good place downtown to eat. It is a smaller version of the full Flying Elephants in NW Portland. They don't have all the home goods or the cold case of salads. Rather they are geared towards the lunch crowd. So they have a few ready to eat. single serving deserts. ready made salads and sandwiches and drinks. My favorite area is the hot case. It has a few warm entrees and a grill for sandwiches. I also like the tables in the front and outside. They are great if you want to eat there. This is a great option in the area. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Now that was a good Cubano sandwich. Soup rotation is interesting, above average. Beer bottles are a good deal; super selection of drinks. Me likely Flying Elephants. read more

Flying Elephants is a cheap grab and go stop in downtown Portland. There are lots of bottled beverages and pre-made sandwiches and salads. I arrived about an hour to closing and was thrilled to find that everything on the hot bar was 1/2 off for the end of the day. I enjoyed a large portion, almost one pound, of Mac and cheese (1/2 Off $4.06). I also grabbed a Peanut Butter Cookie ($2.10), and it was good as well! The conference I attended picked up all of their pastries from here, and the muffins and berry scones were yummy as well. It's nothing special but it's nice for a quick pick up dinner. read more

Like all Elephants, this place is not bad! It's not worth going out of your way for, but if you need a nosh you can always count on it to be decent enough to be worth your time. There's plenty of soups, sandwiches, salads, baked goods (with gluten free options) to takeaway or eat in their small area up front. There's also a cooler filled with beer and wine (full and demi-bottles), as well as a large variety of small-batch sodas and kombuchas. It's the perfect place to stop to sneak snacks into the movie theatre next door. I just wish the prices were better. read more

Quick, convenient hybrid version of a gourmet prepared food store + grab-and-go pantry + soup & sandwich & salad bar. Get everything from dolmas to brownies to wine and grilled cheese (with Tillamook, of course!), and then pick up a gift set of coffee & truffles or a tub of fromage blanc on your way out. The food is pretty good, and it's a nice place to sit for a short while for lunch or a mid-afternoon snack. Reminds me of a less haute version of The Goddess and Grocer in Chicago. read more

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Tomato and orange soup. Not intrigued yet? Well, you should be. Odd as the combination sounds, Flying Elephants makes it work. This is a great place to grab a quick lunch, as they have sandwiches AND desserts. They also have interesting salads to go with the soups. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Flying Elephants is the perfect place to grab a quick bite whether it's on your lunch break from work or you're having a shopping day downtown. The space is cute, and almost European in feel. Lots of items to choose from, including a hot bar and loads of cold sandwiches. I especially love their mac. Beverages range from the specialty concoctions to Coke, so there's something for everyone. The cookies are fab, but I wouldn't recommend the cupcakes. I found my chocolate one to be lacking incredibly in flavor. The staff is usually friendly with a smile. The space is usually very clean, except during the fall months when leaves blow in, since there isn't a traditional space between the door and the rest of the restaurant. Seating is limited, since I think it caters more to the office lunch crowd that may take it back with them, but during the nice sunny days, the small dining space doesn't matter since it's across the street from a park with lots of seating. Overall, one of my favorite places to grab something when out and about downtown. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Some of Portland's best Mac! June 2013 - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Yep, I love this market and have only been there a couple times. I like good coffee, good healthy food and interesting or tasty food. I wanted to pick up a quick little breakfast before we really got up for the day, so I ran over to Flying Elephants. Why? Because they have Stumptown coffee. I picked up a couple cups of Stumptown hot, then saw the cold brew. I've wanted to try it for awhile, so I grabbed that too. It was really good and needs no milk or sugar. Just cold coffee in a cold bottle, refreshing and a nice caffeine jolt. I picked up a fresh bagel, cream cheese and was about to leave when I saw the soda selection! Although I don't drink a lot of soda, I love different kinds. Foreign sodas, fancy sodas, different flavors, so I looked over and saw the case I started grabbing cans. I bought a Tab and a Diet Coke with Lime. Who even sells Tab anymore? Flying Elephants ;) read more

I ate here at around 3:45 today and was told the hot food as in mac and cheese and an assortment of soups was half off, although when i went to check out I was charged full price. Not thrilled about this place. Probably need it more than me if the business is willing to advertise 1/2 and directly tell me 1/2 and then charge me full price. read more

No, no, no! The best soup in the world is Mama Leone's Soup! Also, they have this rockin' pecan bar thingy and free samples of baked goods at the register. I don't want to know how unhealthy it is, but it sure was yummylicious. I love the location. Grab lunch, see a movie, get some art supplies. See a movie, grab some quick linner, walk around. We got the soup, went to the movie, then went back here for dessert because the soup just made us want more. Mama Leone's Soup was so good I looked for the recipe online, bought the ingredients and am now making it at home. My mom is even trying it back home because I told her it was so amazing. Perfect filling snack/meal. They give you the best spoon, but I sipped out of the cup and saved the spoon. Call me spoon saver...I don't know why this excites me. Lastly, it was super clean in here. That was the first thing I noticed, actually. read more

Loved the grilled cheese and tomato orange soup. Followed up by a delicious passion fruit mousse. Perfect. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Grilled cheese, tomato orange soup, and passion fruit mousse - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great spot for a quick bite that is really good. I arrived just after noon, waited 3-4 minutes, ordered at the grill and got some soup. They actually forgot to make my grilled cheese, and when they realized it they were SO EMBARRASSED, and gave me a card for a free meal next time..... The Tomato Orange soup was AWESOME and the grilled cheese was solid....did not like the Steel Head root beer......... Quick, good and inexpensive. A WINNER!!! 1 Tomato Orange 2.90 (-.29 soup and sand) 1 Grilled Cheese 3.75 (-.37 soup and sand) 1 kettle chip 1.50 (-.15 soup and sand) 1 Steelhead RB 2.00 (-.19 soup and sand) Total - 9.15 read more

Great tomato (citrus) soup and grilled cheese. Some other sandwiches also are good. Good breakfast pastries (marionberry scones!). But generally over-priced. And this location doesn't have great seating. Consider taking your food across to Director Park (across the street) on a nice day, which is very enjoyable. I would have gone 4 stars, but they really need to decrease the oil/grease content in most of their to-go sandwiches. They have a couple of sanwiches that are inexpensive and dry (tuna, turkey), and their others taste great (pesto, etc), but have oil dripping from them. The half-price sandwich deal after 6 is a great deal for a quick meal on the way home, but the oil content just really kind of ruins it. read more

On our way to a Yelp event in the Fox Tower and we stopped for a snack. I know this seems counter intuitive but usually I just sample an item or two and don't plan on filling up at the event. We got a snack and stopped to use the restroom. Be sure and go and ask for the key and don't stand by the door like I did thinking there was someone in there. As with most places downtown they keep it locked to keep the transients out. They have a little of everything in this place from fresh fruit and salads to Coke and desserts of all kinds. A selection of sandwiches, etc. You could easily stop off here for any meal and it's packaged so if you were staying in a hotel nearby you could take it to go or take it home it's that good. I will definitely stop back by here again to check out more items. There are several of these shops around town so check one out in your area. read more

Great little lunch shop! I was there visiting so I grabbed a little of this and that and it was all very fresh and delicious. And right in front of the park, so I enjoyed my lunch while taking in the sights and sounds of the locals as well as a little sunshine. The one thing I would warn newcomers about is the speed. This is a pretty face paced place and people zoomed in and out, passing me by, quite often. I just tried to stay out of the way as I took in all the options (and there are MANY!). IMHO, I recommend making a trip if you're in town! read more

I can understand why Portlandiers decide to frequent this joint and it's many Elephant subsidiaries. Scrumptious deli foods to go well prepared with an organic-ish flare. We hit up Elephants on a weekday around noon for a meal on the go and the place was hoppin', but lines moved quickly. I decided to go for the Chop-Chop salad, which was delicious but was only ordered so I could justify a side portion of the bacon mac and cheese with caramelized onions. The food was well prepared and flavorful. We enjoyed our meals in the outdoor community space across the street and were even able to take shelter under the large glass pavilion when we were hit with the staple Northwestern surprise shower. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - bacon mac and cheese with bread crumbs - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Pretty good food here, but has a great casual atmosphere. Perfect if you want to grab something to go or eat somewhere causal and quiet. They also have a very interesting selection of beverages in their drinks section. Also cute pastries line their front counter, which I may have to try out before I leave. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Croque Madame and mama lanae soup - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This is my kind of fast food. Super fresh, amazing selection, and really friendly staff. My lunch go to is the BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado) for sure, but their grill makes a mean biscuit and gravy at breakfast. Wow! So huge, so tasty, so soul satisfying, and its only $4.50!!! Everything I have ever had from Elephants has been delicious. There are so many sandwiches/salads/tasty goodness, I am sure I will never be able to try them all... but darn it if I'm not going to try! Oh, and I can't forget about the Cowboy cookie. Get it, eat it, love it, repeat. read more

Flying Elephants at Fox Tower - Now that's what I call biscuits and gravy. :) - Delis Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Very friendly staff and my favorite breakfast burritos. Great location, chill atmosphere.

Oh. My. Gosh. The dessert here is out of control good. The gluten free cookie bar is to die for. The ding dong cake is knock out. Cream brûlée is just silly. Food looked really good but didn't have any. Want to come back! read more

Had I been wearing socks, they would have been knocked right off: French music drifting through the airing a bright and cheery atmosphere with a friendly staff. They have a wonderful selection of small format bottles of wine, beautifully bottled splits of champagne (good gifts), single beers, fancy cheeses, wrapped candies, healthy delicatessen items and espresso drinks. Plus, they have a little hot bar in the back--I got a vegan enchilada with Spanish rice and a salad for $9, and it was all delicious. Great spot. read more

I dream of the mac & cheese and cookies. To-go sandwiches have all been good, esp. the caprese, and their selection of single-serve beer, wine, and sake is dope. Couldn't wish for a better lunch break spot. read more