Date: Sunday, March 2nd, 2025 Time: around 4:45pm…read moreParty of: 2 which turned into 4 later *Ru Paul Sparkle Pony ($12) *Glenfiddich 12 yr ($18) *Soda Water ($2) We were meeting up one of my old friends for dinner. Since we had some time to kill, the hubby and I stopped by The Box Social to wait out the 30ish mins. I wanted something light and refreshing so got the sparkle pony. It was indeed bubbly and refreshing. Tho very light given there was vodka in it. The aesthetic of the place is very minimalistic. It was super quiet and bright when we were there. So the vibe can be a little sterile. Bartender was great. We just wanted a quick drink and he delivered. Once my friends joined us, one ordered a quick soda and we were on our way to dinner. Great if you want a very chill bar. Worth checking out for a round. REVIEW #3731

We came here for a couple drinks while waiting for our dinner reservation. It's an interesting…read moreplace with cool murals and decor. Drinks are pretty good. I got a happy tree friends- I liked the creaminess and hint of pandan. The Pagan holiday was a bit too vanilla forward for me, could be more balanced. They had a few drinks that I would be interested in trying whenever I come back. Bartender was quick and overall welcoming. Playing bangers this night!

This is my second time booking at Terra Mae for a special event. I booked online and got a…read morereservation at the time I wanted. I put in a special note regarding the event for my party. When we arrived, the staff made us feel welcome by bringing my guest a drink on the house for their retirement celebration. I knew the menu but tried some new things! We shared everything. My favorite item I have to order each time is the Tuna Tartar. Its favors are rich but delicate. The presentation is perfect and my guest was impressed. I got the dumplings for her but if I had to skip something I'd do those. They were good but compared to all the other items we had, they were lacking. The only thing not pictured is our wagu braised with sweet potato. That was phenomenal. It pulled apart and melted in your mouth with every bite. We ended with two very different deserts, the strawberry mochi and whipped crem brûlée type desert. Both were tasty. Price range for all plus three alcoholic drinks was $165 not including tip. We were full and happy. Great service as always and it was full, busy house tonight inside the place. I wouldn't change anything other than trying some new things next time to add!

Came on a double date, and had made a reservation in advance which I would recommend because it was…read morea full house on a week night. My favorite items of the visit were the sake selection, the whole fried snapper (best bite - amazing), the tuna tartare with furikake chips and caviar, and the super tender beef cheek. The mushroom small plate was also pretty good! I didn't like as much the milk buns, they were just ok and I only liked 1 (rooftop grown chive) of the 3 butter shmears it came with. Wasn't woth $6 per bun. While it was a quality cut of meat, the Snake River Wagyu steak dish needed salt and the sauce below it wasn't as flavorful. Perhaps needed cracked black peppercorn, or something to punch up that flavor. I wasn't as impressed with the octopus salad either. Very scant thin tiny octopus slices on top salad greens with lots of sliced raw bell peppers. You'd think it should be called a bell pepper salad with the amount it had in it, instead of the hard-to-find octopus! I couldn't detect a flavor note of the dressing either. Other dishes we tried were lobster bao buns and the seared scallop on jalepeno grits... they were ok but lacked a little flavor. I could not taste the jalepeno on the scallop dish, and the lobster slices were fairly scant and not very succulent. We split the strawberry mochi cake for dessert and it was fun that they added Pop Rocks on top, but the mochi was too tough and dense. A chiffon cake or something light would've been a nicer alternative to end a rich dinner. Service was excellent, and each person who spoke to us or delivered a dish was beautiful & friendly. Be prepared to share dishes when you come here, about 2/3 per person. Prices are on the higher side but I think it matches with the sophisticated ambiance and quality of food. Lots of free parking in the Cascadia parking lot just outside. Will likely come again down the road, for a date night.

To speak about Teardrop Lounge, I should probably start with this:…read more Ladies and gentlemen, I present my favorite cocktail bar. Not the best -- I'm not arrogant enough to claim that. I haven't been to every cocktail bar in Portland, and saying something is the best usually says more about your lack of experience than your conviction. But favorite? That I can stand behind. And I want to get that out of the way early, because of the amount of praise I'm about to pour on this place -- fully earned, completely intentional. The biggest crime here is that I only discovered it two weeks ago, after living in Portland for a year. It had been recommended to me countless times, and I ignored it. A mistake. A painful one. But now that I've found it, I don't plan on making that mistake again. I'm not typically an Old Fashioned drinker. In fact, I usually hate them. But somewhere between curiosity and too many episodes of Mad Men, I decided to try one anyway -- fully expecting to confirm my bias. Instead, it completely flipped me. Bright, almost citrus-forward in a way that felt unusual but entirely intentional. Balanced, smooth, just enough burn to remind you what you're drinking without overwhelming it. It was the first time I actually understood the appeal. I'm pretty sure I grew a few chest hairs that night. That alone would've been impressive. But it didn't stop there. The space is beautiful -- clean, intentional, but not cold. The staff are excellent: personable, engaged, and most importantly, authentic. Not scripted, not performative. The kind of people you actually want to talk to, and hopefully, eventually be on a first-name basis with. Now, all of that gets it close to a perfect score. But what pushes it over the edge -- what makes this place stick -- is the White Russian. One of the first drinks I ever had. My dad's drink. Not because of The Big Lebowski -- that came later -- but because it's just always been his thing. And at some point, it became mine too. Typically, when bars try to "elevate" a White Russian, they ruin it. They overthink it. Swap ingredients, tweak ratios, add unnecessary flair. And more often than not, it ends in disappointment. Teardrop does the opposite. They respect it -- but refine it. The coffee liqueur actually tastes like coffee. The heavy cream is properly integrated, not just dumped on top. The vodka -- whatever they're using -- is clean, present, and perfectly measured. There's a subtle complexity to it without losing what makes the drink what it is. It's the best White Russian I've ever had. No hesitation. I've gone back twice just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. It wasn't. If someone asked me what my death row drink would be -- this specific cocktail, from this specific bar, is in the conversation. Easily. Teardrop Lounge doesn't just make great cocktails. It reminds you why cocktails matter in the first place. And that's why it's my favorite.

We came to Teardrop Cocktail Lounge while visiting Portland and were genuinely impressed…read more The cocktails were excellent -- thoughtful, well-balanced, and clearly made by people who know what they're doing. One of the best parts was how approachable the bartenders were. We asked for custom drinks based on our preferences, and both came out perfectly tailored. Creative without being weird, and strong without being sloppy. What really stood out was the price point. For the quality of cocktails, the prices felt very reasonable compared to similar craft cocktail bars in other cities. The vibe was also great -- relaxed, cozy, and not pretentious. It felt like a place where you could come for a special drink experience without feeling like you had to "perform" or order off a rigid menu. We liked it so much we actually came back a second time during our trip. Highly recommend if you're into well-crafted cocktails, friendly bartenders, and a laid-back but elevated atmosphere.

That white curry with brisket burnt ends is everything. Sweet & sour fried chicken slaps too. Worth…read morethe 40 min wait. Go hungry.

Ambiance: Very well lit and warm. It's inviting and pretty…read moreloud, but it looks like it's a very popular place. We were visiting and was told that the drinks here are very good. They have big windows that open up and a bar area with hooks to put your things. Service: We sat at the bar area since we didn't have a reservation right in front of the employee sink. I will say that as an observational person, I noticed a lot of female employees washing their hands, but very few male employees washing their hands. I was glad to have a female server. She followed up often with drinks, which was fantastic. Food: We got the Kingston Fix slushy tiki drinks and those were good. Nice and refreshing for the hot day. Sweet and sour fried chicken - the small was plenty for us, since we had been snacking all day. They were lightly breaded, very crispy, and not heavily drenched in sauce, but still very flavorful. White curry with brisket burnt ends - light curry taste and the pieces of brisket made this dish so robust. The brisket was a bit crunchy at the tips, but it fell apart in your mouth and wasn't chewy or tough. Overall wonderful experience. My dudes - please wash your hands. (We were there ~45 minutes and one dude with glasses washed his hands twice. I didn't see any other dude wash, but maybe there's another sink elsewhere.)

Great service, tasty food. We ordered from the happy hour menu (4:30 - 5:30 pm) and everything we…read moreordered was super tasty. My favorites were the cauliflower and the cepavi, which are 5 little meat sausages, raw onion, bread and a garlic aioli-like sauce. Also ordered the baba ganoush and fried calamari. Beautiful space.

Don't have much experience w/ high end fancy Turkish/middle eastern cuisine much but I do think…read morethis place is worth treating urself to at least once. It is small portions and higher prices, but very tasty & worth it. The lamb kebab might've been the best or 2nd best lamb ive ever tried: perfectly seasoned and juicy. Served w/ a thin small lavash wrap, pickled onions and a little dollop of garlic sauce for dipping, keeping the other ingredients minimal to really let the meat shine. Yellow rice is tasty but expensive for $6 for a small bowl, however is still a must have side w/ kebab. The grilled octopus was also soft w/ nice char and served on a bed of some fresh chickpea/yogurt/herbs succotash. The lamb shank served on a bed of baba ganoush was very rich & tender tho it was definitely not a full shank if that's what you're expecting, it's just a little bit of the deboned meat. The clams and dessert were ok, nothing really else to say. **InKind has an offer for $30 off bill of $100 or more! I was able to download the app and use the discount in the store.

The Knockback is a whole vibe,loud, packed, quirky decor (yes, mounted animal heads and roses), and…read morereally good food. I had the patty melt, tasty but the onions were surprisingly sweet. But the queso and chips? Unreal. Order it, trust me. Funky cocktails, tons of sandwiches, indoor or patio seating. Super laid back and not the least bit pretentious. Just know Fridays get wild, every other day is way more chill. Don't forget the have an awesome happy hour Great neighborhood spot with personality for days. I definitely recommend.

At first glance the queso fries looked only moderately appealing: "nacho style" processed cheese…read moreand CUBED pulled pork. But the taste was loaded goodness. Yum. Their take on a Negroni cocktail was excellent. Great vibe and awesome bar. Decent prices, friendly service, doable parking.

Kaya has immaculate vibes and they've got a DJ turning it up after 8pm(?). I know I'm at a cool…read morespot because all the melanin in the Portland metro area is here. Love the decor and the drinks are fun and super tasty. Happy Hour is lit! We ordered a bunch of truffle/parmesan fries and the food was very hot/fresh. Will definitely be coming back here!

Stopped in last night with a few girlfriends to celebrate my birthday. Such a cute spot for a chill…read morenight out with friends. Good vibes and good ambiance with great music. Service was great. Staff was nice. They were very accommodating to our large party (8 people). It did take awhile for us to receive our last round of drinks, but we weren't sure if the bartender knew how to make the shots or not that we ordered. Before we left, a DJ was setting up to play live music. They do pay you down and check your bags/purses when they check your ID. Will definitely be back soon with my friends.

Dream House is great. The cocktails are good. The food is the kind of cozy, comforting stuff that…read morehits even harder after a couple drinks. Nothing pretentious, just the sort of menu that works. The vibe is dialed in too. It's chill without being sleepy, lively without being chaotic. They've got local XRAY DJs spinning, trivia nights, and hot jazz that's so good. It's the kind of place you stop by for "just one drink" and end up shutting down hours later.

Really cool neighborhood bar. Solid staff and friendly atmosphere. Definitely worth stopping in for…read morea drink.

Great local bar with kitschy funeral theme. Strong commitment and support for Dining out for Life !read more

Came here the other day for lunch and I'm already planning my return!…read more What acute unique " lively " place!! (Saying this for the coffin) Came in on a rainy day, the person behind the bar gave us menus and let us sit where we wanted to. The booths are so retro and cute also extremely clean! I definitely want to come back and make some photo content the place is so unique and fun to look at. When we were ready to order, we walked up to the bar. I forgot what burger it was, but had faithful in the name ordered our drinks. They made our drinks right then in there and we sat down with a number on our table. Although it was a slower day that food came out so quick and it was hot, you can tell it was made of fresh to order. The burger tasted very charbroiled. Also enjoyed that the fries had a lot of seasonings. I'm a girl who loves ketchup and I was able to eat these fries dry. Very tasty meal! Thank you who ever made that I enjoy the unique menu and fun names for everything that gets me. Excited about coming back again! Definitely want to try those slushees! Just wait for my wallet to get some meat on her and I'll be in!!! Take a trip to sad valley

It's been 9 years since I've written a review for Sam's establishment... when you've got something…read morethat works... you don't need to necessarily change it and Sam has not... not even the prices for as long as I can remember. Tell me where you can get a top tier Vesper, cosmopolitan, kamikaze, or hazelnut chocolate martini lower than anywhere else in downtown PDX? It's just a nice comfortable place to hang out and chat, whether heavy or light topics... Come for the booze, come for the Jazz, come for the atmosphere... you won't be disappointed.

They have great craft cocktails that are reasonably priced. Friendly and engaging staff.read more