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    Jawfish

    4.3 (95 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Jawfish Photos

    Business Info

    JAWFISH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Jawfish

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    Reviews With Photos

    Lily R.

    Really enjoyed this place! We had the fried chicken plate and it was delicious--crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and really flavorful. We also tried the shrimp and corn appetizer, and the shrimp tasted super fresh. The clam chowder was amazing too. Honestly, everything we ordered was really good. The inside is cute with fun decor, the menu has a lot of great options, and the service was friendly and attentive. Definitely a place we'd come back to!

    Azi H.

    Food not good! Service slow out the gate. Unorganized. Still wondering why someone with a chefs hat delivered a to-go box. I ordered my steak medium well and was given a hockey puck piece of meat. Green beans were grilled but raw too hard to eat. and asparagus were cooked one inch of their life. Hubby's fish and chips were dry. Potatoes au gratin were super oily and had residual dirt so I was grossed out. Very disappointed as this restaurant looks the part but definitely not good food. The ambience was nice but the noise level was outrageously loud and made our time there unpleasant. On the other hand, Earle, who must have been the Manager, was very nice, friendly and hands-on. He was working just as fast if not faster than his own waite staff. We were only in town for one night so not a big deal. Just prefer not to spend $100 on a meal that's not edible. Limited pictures as I was more interested in getting out than admiring the place.

    The bar
    Joe S.

    This was a decent restaurant not far from the PDX airport. I needed some real food, quickly after a long drive from Bend and a super early flight the next day and this place fit the bill. There was some construction going on and I wasn't sure it was open, but it was. It had a Family Restaurant (think Perkins) with neon lights vibe going. I sat at the bar and was kind of in a hurry, so I opted for a Jawfish Salad which was fresh and delish. The nuts were a nice touch. I also ordered the Korean steak tips which came out in an overly greasy cast iron serving vessel. The sauce was good but they were way overcooked. I don't think I saw pink in any one of them. Reminded me of the Sirloin Tips at Ponderosa back in the day, without the diarrhea, of course. I did use the restroom and noticed the doors were totally the entire way down to the floor. It makes it hard to lay on the ground so you can see if anyone's in there though. Definitely no jaw-fishing in there! I'd probably give it another try if I wasn't in a hurry and get an actual dinner. The bartending staff was friendly, but they were starting to clean up and put things away so getting out of there as quick as I wanted didn't happen.

    I don't remember the name of this non-alcoholic beverage, but it was really good!
    Stephen K.

    Jawfish is VERY unique. It appears to have a very modern decor, set in a visibly dated building. The menu is eclectic, and the service is friendly, professional, and enthusiastic. Inside of Jawfish is a separate "Le Petit Chef" room, a "culinary art meets 3D projection experience". This looks really intriguing, and I plan to reserve a spot and bring a friend. Be sure to get the house-made cornbread, it's brilliant on its own, but the accompanying black garlic fig honey butter is just amazing! The popcorn Kalbi chicken is served atop a base of French fries, which makes for a nice "two-in-one" appetizer. The key lime pie was just awesome, and is a must if it's on offer on your visit. The major drawbacks are really not any fault of Jawfish, but of its location. Traffic on Airport Way is TERRIBLE, so depending on when you want to visit (and the direction you're coming from), you should probably allow yourself an additional half hour (or more) to ensure you get there on time (generally, anything between 2:30 and 7:00 PM, especially on Thursdays and Fridays is brutal). The parking lot layout is challenging, and again, appears to be the result of the building itself being pretty old. These are the only thing holding Jawfish back from a five-star rating.

    Jason V.

    I was happy to discover a new, seemingly upscale restaurant in the Parkrose area (something we have very few of, in this area), when driving by a few weeks back. I made a note of it, thinking that, based on the name, my wife would enjoy it, as she is a big fan of seafood. When we stopped in for lunch a week or so ago, we were surprised that the menu at Jawfish was surprisingly light on aquatic entrées (I guess that's why the slogan on their menu says "more Jaw than Fish!"). Perhaps this is only true of the lunch service, but even so, there were still many items that appealed to us. We ended up ordering a couple cocktails, the Cuban(o) for myself, the Rocks & Lox pasta for my wife (since she was intent on seafood), and the Cilantro & Jalapeno hummus to split between us. Service was stellar from start to finish, items arrived promptly and in proper time and order (drinks, appetizer, entrée), and presentation was appealing without being pretentious. The fare itself was a tad underwhelming, but still very, very good. Portions were healthy and price-appropriate, but nothing other than the hummus "wowed" us. I need to be very clear about this, because by no means was this a disappointing or lackluster meal; far from it, in fact. However, I think we'd both projected a certain level of haute cuisine expectation (based on things like the décor) that wasn't present in this particular meal. The Cuban was a little dry for my taste, but I still enjoyed it. My wife's pasta was good, but we both felt it was missing some "oomph" factor to really transform it into a five-star dish. Essentially, each main dish was just a hair's breadth shy of perfect, for one nitpicky reason (on our part) or another. We were by no means disappointed with Jawfish, and we absolutely will be back to check out the dinner service. It may feel like I am coming across a bit harsh on what was otherwise a flawlessly executed experience, but I only feel this way because Jawfish is *so* very close to perfection, that missing it, even so slightly, feels disproportionately heavy. That said, you're not going to find *any* restaurant east of 82nd with the chops and competence to compete with Jawfish, and I can't wait to see them really come into their own and make their mark in Portland. We will absolutely be back.

    Exterior
    Lori H.

    Had a wonderful family lunch here today! We had a group of 9. I made reservations over the phone, and received an email confirmation. The gentleman taking my reservation was friendly, helpful and informative. He let me know ahead of time that they automatically charge a 20% tip for large parties, which is pretty normal. It was nice that he mentioned it at the time of reservation though. Our table was ready as everyone was arriving. I appreciated that they seated people at our group table as they arrived and didn't make them wait in the lobby until our entire party was present. So considerate. Super cool vibes inside! Love all the colorful globes hanging from the ceiling. The water vapor display in the bar was really cool too! Nice and comfortable seating. The restrooms were nice too! The floor to ceiling doors on the bathroom stalls were great! I appreciate the extra privacy. Our table ordered quite the variety of food and drinks and everyone enjoyed everything, no complaints. The Bait Shop Mule cocktail was a favorite with a wide range of flavor options. My husband liked the blood orange. As for lunch entrees we ordered burgers, sandwiches, salads, and pasta. I had the Salmon BLT. It was delicious! The salmon was cooked perfectly, and the dill cream cheese paired extremely well. My husband ordered the Rocks & Lox pasta dish. He absolutely loved it. He said it had great flavor and was plentiful. For dessert, I ordered the Almond Roca. OMG, it was soooooo good! The salted caramel and almond roca pairing was perfection! Service was friendly and attentive. The manager checked in a couple times and accommodated my request for a group picture! Great atmosphere with tasty food and drinks, and friendly service...what more could you ask for? I would highly recommend!

    The Bar
    Robin K.

    Food is good- service was pleasant- Only real complaint is the limited hours- Also limited salad selection- But all food ordered was EXCELLENT

    Flory W.

    It was hubby's idea to take me here for lunch today, after Easter, since I've been sick with hip and thigh pains, basically limping, and I was missing Holy Week. I thought, OK, I needed to get out of the house, it's nice & sunny, why not! I've not heard of Jawfish. But, as we walked in, I was already impressed. We were seated by the window, my choice. (I needed to look out). Our waiter was friendly and charming. And answered my question. I ordered the two piece (I got a bonus) Steelhead Fish & Chips with Sweet Potato Fries. You don't see Steelhead Fish & Chips everyday. It was my first! The cole slaw, I'm trying to figure out what was added to it. Hubby ordered the Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Fries and the Jawfish Clam Chowder. Everything we ordered was slightly different than the usual. The sandwich had some unusual ingredients. The potato in the chowder was sliced, and there were too many of them, which I didn't care! The restaurant had only been there for 4 months. The decor was modern and interesting. The bathroom, I like the fact, they have a section to lay your phone down, or purse. Spotless! All in all, we had a great experience. I also had a pleasant conversation with Eric, who brought our meals to our table, who was the manager there today. We have something in common, by golly!

    JF Burger with bacon
    J. A.

    Happened to see this place on our way back home to Seattle. I have all good things to say from the food, the service, the staff and the place itself. Rare and good find, will definitely be back to try other menus :-) Sauce/marinade did not overpower the real taste of those juicy and soft ribs!

    Brittany H.

    We enjoyed an evening with La Petite Chef at the Jawfish. It was an amazing experience and was quite cute. Overall this is a more expense experience but we felt it was worth it. Door opened on time and for us we were early so we enjoyed a drink at the bar which was very nice. The atmosphere in the room we were in was very cute and classy. We were only a party of two so we had to sit with another party of two. They were wonderful! The host/waitress were amazing and great in character. The food was delicious and to be honest it was a lot for a 5 course meal. There was no leaving hungry. The smore old fashion was to die for! YUM. The part of this that is very cool is the animated experience of La Petite Chef making your food in front of you. The animated video was darling and not super long. I thought it was a fun touch and the whole reason this experience exist. This isn't a often event but could be a full every couple years thing!

    Delicious amaretto sour
    Elizabeth B.

    Overall, the food was really great! I truly have no complaints about the meal itself. I ordered the bone-in ribeye cooked medium rare, and it was cooked to perfection. I'm usually pretty picky about mashed potatoes since they can often be dry, but these were rich, creamy, and delicious, with extra butter added, you can tell. I also ordered the house side salad (pictured is half since my husband and I split it). For the middle of February, it was surprisingly fresh the greens were crisp , and the crunchy green beans were a really nice touch. The cocktails and atmosphere were equally impressive. They were able to make me an amaretto sour m which isn't always easy to find and it was fantastic. The service was wonderful as well, with very attentive staff throughout the evening. My only hesitation is the pricing. It may be due to the restaurant's proximity to the airport and catering to travelers, but while the steak was excellent, I'm not sure it justified the $75 price tag. Even splitting it between two people, that felt steep. I would absolutely return for the convenience and ambiance and a quick meal, but I might explore other menu options next time, as you can likely find a comparable steak for less at other places in Portland.

    Korean Teriyaki Steak Bites with Rice
    Darbie E.

    Gorgeous interior (even the bathroom was pretty)! Fabulous server - we LOVED her! Food was good. We shared the fried green beans & asparagus & both had the Korean teriyaki steak bites with a side of rice. Yummy! I did tell our server (somewhat jokingly) that the little skillets the bites were served in were unnecessarily far too hot. She (being Korean herself) explained that this is what makes them Korean-style, but I would argue this isn't a Korean restaurant & made the food too hot to enjoy for a very long time. Hot skillet, sure. Skillet from the bowels of hell is a bit too much. Otherwise, great lunch!

    Ready to try this place!
    Aubrie R.

    We had such a nice experience here from start to finish! I wish people were more careful with their low ratings for a BRAND NEW restaurant. We were greeted by waitstaff, not a host, and they realized there wasn't a clean booth so they asked us to wait for them to clean it. That was fine! We were seated, had menus, and the bus-staff greeted us and brought water. Our sever then made it over and apologized for the wait - but honestly it wasn't bad! We loved all our dishes - the hummus was a standout and our server brought us extra flatbread bc there was enough hummus left over! My Thai noodle salad was delish (rolling my eyes at the person who left the review complaining about the number of noodles in the salad compared to the lettuce... It's called a Thai NOODLE salad.) Hubby's fish and chips were delicious, and the kiddos mac & cheese was stellar. One note... She got it with bacon, and I think it may have been served with candied bacon rather than regular savory bacon. If that was a mistake, we are the right people to make that mistake with because we love sweet things, but if that's not your jam, it might not have been so great for you. If I had a choice, I would always go for candy bacon. I'm not a monster. Our server Taryn could not have been kinder. She seemed genuinely interested in making sure that we had a good visit and was authentically nice and super competent. I really love what they've done with this place in terms of the decor and the ambience. It's welcoming and artistic without being overstated. Architecturally, you can tell that it used to be Beaches, but they've made it so lovely and interesting inside and the bar is genuinely pretty. We will absolutely be back... It's so nice to have an option like this so close to the airport!

    Salmon platter was properly appointed

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    15 days ago

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    15 days ago

    Perfect, food was excellent. Service was wonderful. Best clam chowder I have ever had.

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    Eric U.

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    2 months ago

    food and mixed drinks were delisious, salmon. staff were welcoming and friendly, made the dinner very enjoyable

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    10 days ago

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    30 days ago

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    Eric U.

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    8 hours ago

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    5 months ago

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    Eric U.

    We appreciate you bringing in the family!

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    4 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    Eric U.

    Such a fun dining experience!

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    3 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    24 days ago

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    Eric U.

    we appreciate you!

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    9 hours ago

    Wonderful food. Kasia, my server, was also wonderful. I really enjoyed the watermelon and feta salad.

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    5 months ago

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    Eric U.

    Always good to see you Jerry!!

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    5 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    Eric U.

    Thank you!

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    5 months ago

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    Eric U.

    Thank You so much!!

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    1 month ago

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    12 days ago

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    Eric U.

    Thank you Rylee! We'll be here when you come back.

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    6 months ago

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    4 days ago

    Tasty happy hour. Good flavors. Hot food was hot, cold food was cold. Nice clean venue. Our server Sicily was great! Try it out!

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    24 days ago

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    Thank You!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Jawfish

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