If you are craving a hearty, comforting breakfast Grits n Gravy is the perfect spot. I would anticipate a potential wait on weekends, as I went on a Sunday morning at 9:30am and got the last two person table available. The ambiance is welcoming and fun. The walls are full of bright, colorful artwork that is for sale and made by the resident artist. The uptown shrimp & grits are a must order. They were decadent, rich in flavor, and cheesy. The country boy breakfast was also a delicious option. I enjoyed the creamy and well seasoned gravy that comes on top of it. read more

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On my 1st day back in downtown Portland, of course I skipped all the other treats so I could make Grits and Gravy to start my day. Overall, another great experience. However, now that I've been a few times, I notice little details like "why do the hostesses continue to seat people right next to each other?". There are plenty of other open tables that people could be seated at, but it really eliminated our ability to have a connecting conversation, as it felt like we were a party of 6 with us 2 in the middle!!! And 2 of the people clearly had some personal "issues" going on and were very disruptive. The space is small, but the visual displays of all the artwork make it a talking point conversation. The main artist was on hand & we found ourselves with the opportunity to talk with him while we waited on our food (which took a lot longer than expected). Funny, we ordered 1st & ours came out 10 mins later after everyone else. I decided to go with the Chicken and Waffles, and we also had the shrimp and grits. The food hit on all cylinders, and the only thing that was needed next was to make a move for a cocktail and a little walking in downtown to change it up. Will definitely return, but I will be more direct and vocal about seating that's for sure. read more

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Always love trying new dishes, and this time it was grits! In town for work, I tried the grits with shrimp. I thought it was delicious, but next time I'll need to get the fried catfish! A very hearty portion, and definitely will quench the craving of southern food. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Downtown Shrimp N' Grits - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We loved the food at Grits N' Gravy. Good portions, flavorful comfort food, and a great vibe overall. This place really gives you that vintage soul food diner feel with all the artwork and cozy atmosphere. Service was friendly and the food came out hot and satisfying. Only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was a slightly awkward checkout experience. When paying, I asked for the total twice to confirm and tried to look at the handheld machine, but the server kind of tucked it behind his back and rounded the total from around $38 to $40. I brushed it off and still tipped because we genuinely enjoyed the food, but it just felt a little odd in the moment. Other than that, we had a great experience and would still come back. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Chicken fried steak with part 2 option - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Grits and Gravy is a Portland Staple. If you have not been here, I highly recommend stopping in for Breakfast,Brunch or Lunch. Their food is amazing! Definitely recommend the fried green tomatoes, Perfectly seasoned and fried, great flavor. So good! The waffles are basic yet fantastic, perfect crunch, fluffy texture and slightly sweet flavor. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Fried Green Tomatoes - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Brought a date here this morning but the girl that greeted us needed something other than her attitude. Don't know what I did to offend her but we waited over 45 minutes to get seated and she got snarky when my date asked how long until we're seated Once seated the waiter was amazing as he was the first time I came. He's very fast, courteous and a hard worker. Food was fantastic read more

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We rang in the new year in Portland & before we drove to the coast we stopped in & dined at this local gem. These servings are easily shareable and of course my eyes are always bigger than my stomach. I had fried green tomatoes, fried catfish plate & a waffle (those who know me know I take just a bite of each ). Bae had a waffle, eggs & bacon The service is a tad all over the place so just make sure when you walk in you head to the podium and give your name bc it bottlenecks and folks stand around bc there's not much room to wait. Pro tip: Go early before 11! Its worth the wait, cool art throughout the venue and vibes are pretty high with music playing. read more

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Good service, enjoyed my turkey sausage, butter grits, and sweet tea. Love the art on the walls. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Sweet Tea - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I ate here 5 years ago when they first opened. It was OK at the time. Recently, passing by at lunch, I saw the crowd and thought I should try it again. Glad I did! Before I talk food (I know..., what kind of foodie does this...?, let me just say, I saw the most exemplary customer service/management I've ever seen anywhere, right here. Some obnoxious guy was whining about something he said he'd been waiting for too long (the check? ... a swift kick in his entitled pants...?) and the maitre d responded by saying it was all his own fault (the maître d's that is) and no one else's, put the guy at ease and made it right. I was so impressed. So, the food... I got the loco moko (whaaaaaat? In a Cajun place, am I nuts...? Welll, yes, but...). It was AWESOME. A very tasty brown gravy with lots of sautéed onions over a huge hand-formed patty and rice, topped with 2 eggs over easy. It was so tasty! While the onions imparted a bit of natural sweetness, overall, it was not the usual Hawaiian grinds, no added sugar I could taste. It was perfectly to my Texan tastes and would make any Cajun so happy, especially with some cayenne pepper on top Inside tip: art everywhere and they have a resident portrait/caraciture artist, so that can be fun in a group. The space is big, with intimate tables in the back by the bar, and more seating on the upstairs balcony. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Loco Moco - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

As always another phenomenal breakfast today at Grits N Gravy. Took my kid there for his birthday. Loved the Cafe Du Monde Chicory Coffee as well as my fav, Downtown Grits, the Corned Beef Hash & French Toast. Everything's great here. Great service. Nice ambiance. read more

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5 Stars across the board! Took a sister trip to Portland over the weekend and wanted some good breakfast. Found Grits and Gravy on Yelp and gave them an early morning try. We were the first ones in for the day and were greeted by Alejandro (sp) he sat us down and talked through the menu. We ordered our Cafe Du Monde hot coffee that came fresh in a coffee press. Then placed our order. Chicken and waffle Traditional breakfast plate With a side of grits Let me start by saying the chicken is fried and seasoned to perfection. Perfection! Being a girl from the south to find fried chicken this good so far away I was blown out of my seat. Now let's get to the star of the show- GRITS! Baby I've never in my life had such a savory grit like I had at this restaurant! So much so we ordered another side of grits because my sister and I wanted to share. Alejandro hooked us up with a big bowl this time. And we ate it all. The pancakes were fluffy and the waffle had a crisp to the edges that I loved. Now the grits had us in a chokehold so much that every morning we woke up and said so are we going to Grits and Gravy for breakfast? And we did! Every morning during our trip we started at Grits And Gravy! 100% recommend this restaurant! And the decor inside holds so much history it's hard to look down at all of the art on the walls. Oh and the playlist is just down right soulful! It definitely put me at home for that moment! Thank you Alejandro for your amazing service and great conversation! read more

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This place was so good! The service was excellent. The menu had a wide variety of options and everything I saw other people get looked fantastic. The food was great! I loved how much butter they put in the grits. I'm from the south, so I am hard to impress in this area and I am pleasantly surprised! I would definitely want to come back to try other options. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Finally, I had the opportunity to try Grits N' Gravy during the first Saturday in September. With hearing about this place from friends, and reading all the yelp reviews, I had high expectations. * Reservations & Dining in * Being in a group of ten, the hostess took my name down, and we waited outside since it was a nice morning. They don't take phone reservations, so I'll assume it's due to their popularity. Luckily, the wait was only about 25 minutes. The dining area isn't very big, so expect close seating from table to table. Our party of ten had to cram in together to form one long table along the back wall. * Breakfast Menu * Obviously this place is about Chicken Fried Steak, Waffles, and Grits. There's plenty of options on the menu as well with omelets, pancakes, sausages, and catfish. But I went with the Country Fried Steak and Partner #2 ($18). This included three eggs, gravy, a waffle. With that waffle, I added a couple of southern fried wings ($10 extra). My chicken fried steak was in three pieces. Something I wasn't expecting. And I hate to say this, but it wasn't very soft or tender either. It was crispy and the gravy helped improve the taste. But I was just thinking to myself, do they even change the cooking oil? With all the hype, I wanted to believe their CFS was the best, but it wasn't in my book. However, the fried chicken wings on top of my waffle was palatable. Loved the crunchiness and taste of the wings, but the waffle was just regular. Similar to Roscoe's waffles, but nothing thick and fluffy like Mother's Bistro. * Service * With it being a busy Saturday morning, we were only attended to by one waiter. He moved pretty fast helping other tables, so tried not to ask him for much. Glad he was still able to help us when needed and refill out coffee mugs. * Final Grit * It's a decent place for breakfast, but not as spectacular as I hoped it would be. Both food and service were just average at best as well. If I had a choice, I'd rather go to Mother's or Screen Door instead, BUT I am willing to give these guys one more try. read more

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Had the downtown shrimp and grits as I noticed it was one of the more popular items on the menu and talked about positively in the reviews. Felt like it was just okay though, nothing really exceptional to be said about them. Also, it only came with about four pieces of shrimp which is ridiculous! We waited an eternity for a table, they told us thirty minutes but we waited way more than that. I get it though, it was incredibly busy on a Sunday morning. Plus, there were three of us so I knew it would be a bit of a wait. We saw our waiter a total of four times, when we got sat down, when he took our order, when he brought the food to the table and when he brought us the check. That was it. The poor guy was swamped with tables, give him a raise! read more

Grits N' Gravy - Uptown Shrimp N' Grits - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Food and Ambience were very cool. Definitely packed throughout the day. But will be coming back. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Pancake Combo with sausage, bacon and eggs Strawberry Lemonade - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food~I finally was able to try the breakfast and, it was amazing. I had the waffle combo I chose a sausage patty and 2 eggs over medium. Next time I wouldn't get the powder sugar It makes the waffle sweeter (brushed off what I could) and, I do like my whites completely done. Server~I arrived at 7 am (opens) (closes at 3) re opens at 5pm-10pm. I was seated immediately, giving water, and a menu. It got very busy in 15 minutes but, my server was very attentive and polite. Ambiance~Great music playing loudly (but you can still hold a conversation) and, the vibes are very nice. Plenty of floor, bar, and upstairs seating. I was able to park in the front but, there is street parking (don't have to pay the meter until 8am). I would highly recommend this place I will be back again very soon because my significant other wasn't to pleased I went without him lol! read more

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I came to Portland for my birthday weekend in January and decided to return during Black History Month to support a Black Owned Business. The ambiance was a 10/10, the food was delicious and there was a nice sized crowd. I even got the opportunity to sit next to a very handsome Black man. That was like the cherry on top as far as the experience goes. read more

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This place is the real deal! Good prices, good service and good food. Everything was cooked perfectly and covered in butter. The music and art was also wonderful. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Small Breakfast - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Greeted immediately at the door which is a MUST FOR ME. I arrived at 7:15 am and was seated quickly; another plus. The food was traditional southern style. I ordered French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon with a side order of grits. Everything was served hot. Their space was surprisingly large. My waiter asked me how was I doing. I said pretty good and you? He SAID, "EXCELLENT" and that set my day!! (might I add, another plus). People can set the tone! I would suggest however a variety different of music. I love R&B but at 7:00 am, the amps were a bit much! Only speaking my opinion!! read more

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Arrived at 7:15, front of house staff not friendly or welcoming. I sat at the counter. I ordered the chicken fried steak, grits and eggs over easy with black coffee. The coffee was fine. The chicken fried steak and grits were good. The eggs were not even set - when I cut into them it looked like water running everywhere. I pushed them off to the side as best I could. No one ever came by to ask me anything. When I finished what I could, I tried for 10 minutes to get someone attention to pay. When someone did finally came over - again I was asked not a thing. Disappointed! read more

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So sooooo good. Atmosphere: As soon as you walk in you see Black pop culture references tied in with history of the restaurants owners. I went twice while in town and felt like service was better when sitting at the bar on a weekday morning vs sitting at a table on a Sunday evening. The Food: The first time I went I made breakfast and got the waffle combo. The second time we went for dinner and the menu switches up, I had the Waffle n Wings with red beans and rice as my side. I'm from the south and this waffle definitely had me feeling like I was cheating on Waffle House with that being said skip the red beans and rice if you're looking for something traditional. Serving sizes were great. I could see this being a weekly breakfast spot for sure. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Waffle Combo - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Had no problem, waiting 45 minutes for a table. It ended up being about a 35 minute wait. We caught the end of the morning rush crowd. We got there around 11 on a Saturday. Asked to be seated outside as the inside reeked of grease and food. I stunk so bad after going inside and just putting my name on the list. Definitely ventilation is an issue. And I get it. It's an old building and all the things. Service is hard to have a good point in a bad point about. While the waiter was super kind and did get all of the items requested. I did have to flag him down every time and there would be a huge 10 to 15 minute lag between seeing him and getting the service. What was more frustrating is that the table beside us was getting full on service to include coffee being poured suggestions on the menu and all of the things. Definitely not our experience. When my food came out, a side of French toast, beignets and biscuit w/sausage gravy everything was cold. Like the gravy had the gel on top of it because it had been sitting out. There was a ton of gravy, which is fine, but I think it was trying to compensate for the super dry biscuits that were underneath. And it needed salt so bad. The beignets I actually ordered because I saw other people have them, and it came with some type of berry compote and whipped cream. Ours came out dry, not sweet at all, and no fun stuff on the side. The French toast was middle of the road, extremely similar to how I make it at my house. My Spouse had the fried green tomatoes and said they were good and really liked the dipping sauce which I'm sure was homemade. And also the uptown grits. The dish was extremely spicy with hardly any grits at all. It was fine because it was a new experience and we wanted to give it a try, but we probably won't return. read more

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This has been on the to try brunch list for a while. As it's a fave spot of one of my sister's good friends. We decided since we had the day off why not have a girls date and meet here. Service was friendly and fast. The server was honest as we walked in at noon that the table was needed for a 1 PM reservation. Even with this time commitment to be mindful of the service was friendly and fast. We ordered the Waffle n Wings, Uptown Shrimp N Grits, beignets, and fried green tomatoes. Everything was delicious. I will say the only downside was the tomatoes were far from green but the breading and Cajun remoulade they were served with were phenomenal. It's a cute diner, with exceptional service, and delicious food. The sauce with the wings was a nice addition to a lightly coated and fried experience. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Uptown Shrimp N' Grits, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Ranee's Beignets - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This is a very hip breakfast spot located in downtown Portland. It was suggested by two different people from the hotel on different days; I had to try it. I'm not a fruit eater, so I chose the waffle with turkey sausage links and eggs. It was very good! The waffle is thin but yummy! The decor consists of famous people in pictures at the restaurant, artists work, and even a historic picture of the Sit-In Four at Woolworth, Greensboro! I would love to visit here again and try the chicken & waffles. read more

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Wait time was supposed to be 45 mins, but we only had to wait about 10!!! :) It was pretty busy but our waiter did a great job managing 2 floors. It was a rainy day and the waffle combo hit the spot. I like the classic waffle, a lot easier to eat than run-of-the-mill diner waffles. I tried the shrimp and grits as well, i highly recommend if you want some deep flavor!!! read more

Grits N' Gravy - Waffle Combo - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

In a downtown that is mostly unoccupied in the early morning on weekends and holidays, this place is a really find. And it looks like the locals know it! We went in for breakfast on a Saturday, arriving at 7:15 a.m., just after opening. They were already full! But they were able to seat us at the bar. I ordered the full breakfast, with scrambled eggs, bacon and an English muffin. Pretty decent diner fare. And filling! My girlfriend got pancakes with eggs, and loved them. We were so enamored worth the place, we went back again a couple of days later, getting similar options, although my girlfriend changed things up a little and got an omelet, which she really enjoyed. read more

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A great little place for brunch, lunch or dinner. It was centrally located so easy to get to and because we came for brunch. We didn't have to wait too long for a table, but there was a little bit of a wait. That definitely shows you how popular this places. Because we wanted to eat sooner rather than later we opted to sit at the bar. Service was a little bit slow not sure if they were understaffed or that's just the casual vibe there, but the food definitely made up for it. I opted for the shrimp and grits and my friend got a breakfast platter and we thoroughly enjoyed our food. I felt that the portion of the shrimp and grits was perfect. It was not too large. Bathrooms are clean. If you're in the area, I would definitely recommend you try this place out. read more

Highly recommended by the locals and didn't disappoint. The fried catfish was very tender, almost a bit too tender for my liking, but maybe I'm just not a fan of catfish so take this review with a grain of salt... The creamed corn was very good but very sweet. The biscuit was soft but not as flakey as I would have liked. The gravy tasted great - no complaints. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Southern Fried Catfish - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Staff was friendly, really cool place inside. But the food, why? I ordered the SOS (Biscuits and Gravy) with my eggs over medium and home fried potatoes with onion. The biscuits were the driest thing I've ever ingested, even with the gravy and eggs over medium. Texture and taste was all wrong-tastes like corn bread biscuits. I'm from Texas, I make foods from scratch, cajun lineage here. This was disappointing, to say the least. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I loved the ambiance. When you walk in, there is art everywhere. Loved the Prince Akeem Employee of the Month. Service was fine. The food didn't sit well with me. The shrimp and grits were over seasoned. And the biscuit in the biscuit and gravy tasted old. The best thing I had was the fruit cup. read more

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Not sure what happened. I had ordered their grits uptown style and there were lots of chunks of onion. I do not remember ever having onion chunks in my grits. The first few visits everything was great. Except this time. I love onion just not chunky onion grits.. read more

I really dug this place. They got music going, it's busy but they check in and manage it really well. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. The food was great. I would definitely come back here. I read some reviews where the music was too loud. I thought it was perfect, it wasn't quiet but it was at a fun level. I still had a conversation with no problem. This is a spot I would refer people to from out of town for a breakfast spot. read more

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This place felt like home; like a warm hug. I was in Portland for a conference and wanted to eat somewhere Black-owned. Grits and Gravy was the closest place to my hotel and had great reviews. As I approached the restaurant, one of the staff members was taking their break outside. They spoke to me as I got closer to them and I knew I was in the right place. As I entered, I walked into a place that clearly understands cultural significance. There so so many references to Black music, art, and culture on the walls and around the restaurant. As for the food, it was so good. My hotel didn't have a fridge but if it had, I would have taken my leftovers. The waffle was A-1 and the wings seasoning was pretty good. The service was good. I was running behind that morning and I was able to get in and out in less than 45 minutes. And they had almost every table filled. I had a pineapple juice to drink but they offer other options as well. I saw a pie in the dessert case so I believe they have sweet potato pie here. They get their desserts from a third party and their QR codes were on the tables. The nearest trolley station is across the street and the second nearest one is around the corner so it's definitely easy to get to with public transportation. If I make it back to Portland, I want to try the shrimp and grits. read more

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Food was good. Took awhile to get recognized by wait staff but service was fine. They were partnered with a design artist who made his presence known but not too pushy. Seemed like there were regulars who frequented the restaurant. read more

I'm always more than happy to support a black owned business with good food and service! I've been twice now. Both times the food was great! Perfect spot for breakfast/brunch. I had the fried trout on the first visit. I ordered the fried grits which was a first for me. It was served with molasses. I'm from Texas so I'm no stranger to fried delicacies. The batter was seasoned well and filled with creamy grits. On the second occasion, I had the waffle n' wings. The wings were crisp on the outside while flavorful and juicy on the inside. The waffle was good too. I look forward to taking family and friends when they visit PDX. read more

Grits N' Gravy - Southern Fried Trout - Southern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The chicken was fried to a golden crisp, with a juicy interior that was seasoned to perfection. The waffles were light, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweet. But the real magic happened when you combined the two - the savory chicken paired with the sweet, maple-drizzled waffles was an experience I won't soon forget. The ambiance of the restaurant was cozy and inviting, with some great local art placed about the room. The staff was friendly and quick even though it was quite packed during my visit. read more

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We had the chicken fried steak, pancakes, eggs and bacon. Just yummy! That's all I can say read more

Came with with my family couple months go when my sister in law and brother in law came for a visit ! I got the chicken and waffle breakfast and the portions here are big good for sharing . Our party of 9 had so much leftovers . Service was fast and everyone here is polite and attentive . Will Come back to try the lunch items they offer here . You get a very cozy at home vibe here read more

We enjoyed our brunch at Grits and Gravy. Our server Kierra(?) was awesome. Informative about the menu, very personable and present! Top notch service. The ambiance is a VIBE. Good music streaming..but at a level you can appreciate. You can still talk to your companion across the table and not feel like your yelling. Love that! Love the Icon pics on the wall that give it that west coast Vibe. Food was GOOD...not great. Chicken n waffles: I enjoyed the waffle, but I've had better. It was golden brown on the presentation side, yet "dougy" on the underside..but flavor was on point. The chicken was slightly under seasoned on its own BUT, if paired with the honey hot sauce provided was decent. THE BUTTER GRITS were the chef's kiss! Bread pudding French toast: it was a NO for my husband. But he enjoyed the BISCUITS and Gravy! Restaurant and bathroom were clean and had an overall home/family vibe. I'd definitely recommend this place for those looking for a cool spot in Portland! read more

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They're the BEST, I definitely recommend this place for people who loves Southern food,. They're very serious about cleanliness and customer services,. I love how they treat their customers,. Kudos Grits and Gravy read more