I wanted to give this 5 stars because the food was fabulous, the ambience was wonderful and the staff was so kind, attentive and very pleasant but we were there to celebrate my 30th birthday and not a single person acknowledged it which is such a bummer! I made a reservation on open table and wrote in two separate places that we were celebrating a birthday. The hosts (who again were wonderful!) printed the tag and gave it to our server so I thought for sure someone would say something (I used to be in the industry and those tickets from the host desk are so helpful when telling your servers about reservation notes) then we enjoyed our meal and left. I would absolutely recommend The Malarkey and we will be back but to not have a single person acknowledge the reservation note in the 1.5hrs we were there was very disappointing. read more

Great new spot in PDX with cool vibes and music. The food is delicious and the designer dope

10/10! Food, drinks, vibes... The Pearl needed this new spot! We got beef tartare app, Filet and Pork Tomahawk main, Apple churro for dessert. Oba gin and tonic was a super refreshing cocktail. We'll be back! read more

It was fantastic!! Our experience was everything we were hoping it would be. The atmosphere was so fun, very busy and a little overwhelming but in the best of ways, and totally Portland! Service was great. We had oysters, the flat iron, the rabbit, the green beans, jojos, and the burnt ends. All of it was cooked to perfection and tasted incredible. The rabbit was tender and juicy and the skin was crispy. The burnt ends had a sweetness that made me so happy. We had the apple churro ala mode for dessert and that was a good mix of sweet and cinnamon. Can't wait to come back and try the rest of the menu. Girls-make sure to check out the bathroom, and yes, push the button... read more

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Found this restaurant very disappointing. We booked it for our anniversary. We walked in for our reservation on time and were told to wait because our table wasn't ready. I asked to use the bathroom while we waited and the host told me to sit and wait for our server. What? In what world does a host decline to let you use the restroom before your reservation? Anyhow, we got seated. It took about 10 minutes for a server to come and to fill our water. I ordered a non-alcoholic lemonade like drink and it was undrinkable. Just pure lemon juice with a dash of soda water. The server never asked about the drink even though it sat full on the table all night. Our meals were plain and underwhelming. Also note that it is very loud between people and dj/music. I left feeling really disappointed. I had such high hopes for this restaurant. read more

We had such a great experience at The Malarkey! The atmosphere is really cool, fun, and upbeat--such a great vibe for a night out. The food was absolutely delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the clams were amazing--the broth was so flavorful we couldn't get enough of it! Everything we ordered was fantastic. Great food, great atmosphere, and an all-around fun experience. We will definitely be back! read more

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Such a gorgeous and unique venue. You must see it to understand the WoW factor. Celebrated my birthday and it was special. Outstanding service so much attention and care shown throughout our evening. The chef came out to meet us as well. The food was excellent and we enjoyed every bite. read more

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We had to check out the hype! Double date was a blast coming here. Walking in and instantly you feel an energy and excitement. Our reservation at 7:45 is prime time to be there. When we left, it was still very busy and people kept coming! Service is fantastic. Everyone is friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. If you need recommendations, they can give you all the details. In the end, it was a pricey check but I had so much fun! It's a treat, it's fun, and no regrets. We started with oysters, and they are so fresh and tasted perfect with the ginger apple migonette, hot sauce, and lime. Then we had the beef tartare and they came as a set of two little guys on toast. We cut them each in two and they became the perfect bite or you can savor it in two bites. Highly recommend, it was so good. For mains we got the grass fed New York steak with XO salsa macha and salsa verde, and my favorite thing.. Kentucky Fried Rabbit! Wow that was so crispy and tender, and I just can't stop thinking about it. Chef Malarkey stopped by the table and admitted it was one of the stars of the menu. Sides we recommend; beef tallow jojos and green beans. The cocktails were phenomenal and great selection of wine. Dessert! We enjoyed the baked mount hood and our server recommended the apple churro à la mode. Both go well with coffee and a scoop of the coffee almond fudge ice cream. It all felt like a vacation and a dream and I'm writing this the next morning with the fondest memories. Take me back! read more

The Malarkey - Bottles menu - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Great experience for only being open a couple months! We booked a reservation and noted it was our anniversary- we were brought complimentary glasses of champagne as we were seated. The space is huge, the staff is friendly and attentive and the decor is insane and incredibly detailed. The steak was cooked to perfection and the halibut cheeks are a must-try. Not to mention the housemade croutons in their Caesar. Overall it was a great experience and we can't wait to return! read more

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The Malarkey is one of Portland's newest hot spots, and I knew from the moment I walked in that it was something different. The crowd was young, old, and everything in between. The vibe is colorful, hip, a little wild, and completely over the top in the best way. Bright pink seating, blue walls, vintage Portland memorabilia, retro music posters, unusual art, a motorcycle, the old Jantzen Beach neon sign, and even what appear to be stripper poles in the bathroom somehow all work together. The place was packed, with a buzzy, electric atmosphere and excellent people-watching. The decor was stellar, and this is definitely not another boring steakhouse and seafood joint. The menu has a million choices, including vegan options, so there's something for everyone. They also offer happy hour, which is worth checking out. The cocktails looked beautifully made and were definitely part of the experience. My receipt was over $200, so this is a "you pay to play" kind of place. If you want great energy, fun people, great drinks, and a memorable Portland experience, The Malarkey is worth checking out. read more

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We came for a birthday dinner and had such a great time. The cocktails were very well made, the wine sections were also pretty good. For apps we did oysters, halibut ceviche, Brussels sprouts and the focaccia bread. Everything's was great, the ceviche was absolutely incredible. The only less than spectacular was the focaccia is obviously fresh and baked in the wood fire so there were burnt black parts to bread that made it not great. Entrees were wonderful though and I personally had the halibut cheek which was so light but flavorful. Other standouts from the night were definitely the clams and mussel toasts. The vibe is what absolutely makes this place a must!! The details are everywhere and it shows in the experience. Don't forget the shotskis!! Our server Louis gave the perfect recommendation for the night end. read more

The Malarkey - DJ area - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Went for a friends birthday dinner and the staff were exceptional! Such a fun and lively atmosphere. We mostly had beverages so I'm very exited to get back and try their food! read more

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The oysters, steak and ceviche are all delicious and melt in your mouth. The cocktails were flavorful and rely on clever mixology. The ambience is well thought, classy and fun. Even the ladies room has a look complete with disco balls. The service was prompt and friendly even tho it was very busy. read more

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Friend and I made reservations, glad we did, place was packed. I'm a major foodie and have followed Malarkey throughout his career, so I was stoked. Let me start with the "bad" The music was so incredibly loud, this is a place you would go with girlfriends more than you would go on a date. 100000% the vibe is like Vegas/LA, side boob everywhere, small dresses, older men eyeing all of them as well. My friend and I had an older gentleman come to our table and diarrhea of the mouth (after we saw his swooning and touching young ladies, and apparently he invited his boys). He did not pick up on social cues and even asked to sit at our table. Hard no. There was a group of men sitting on a couch our whole visit, staring at women, and just drinking a lot. I am more than certain they did not have reservations to eat. It was weird af. Our server did the bare minimum, no personality or check ins. I had an empty drink and she did not bother to ask if I wanted another one. Not even a fake smile, it literally felt like we were an inconvenience. Oh, and a girl threw up in the women's restroom (projectile) that staff did promptly tend to it but allowed a line to build up (they should have policed and guided some to the men's while having men wait - there were no men in line). It was about 15 minutes before the women's restroom opened up, and there was a long line at that point. Last "bad" - my friend and I ordered everything at once to share - oysters (6), cabbage wedge, pork belly burnt ends, New York, and jojos. When runners came to drop off food, I swear they were whispering and speaking as if we were at an auction, couldn't hear or understand a damn and then they rushed off. The time gap from all I stayed above food wise, to get our steak and jojos was about 20 minutes, so the food caught up and we got too full to eat the remainder. Now, the drinks and food WERE PHENOMENAL Zero notes Pork belly burnt ends *OH EM GEE* One runner, gentleman that had eyeliner on, was incredibly tentative to us and even when I asked for the restroom is he offered to walk me there. He was a gem!! I would go back for the food, but managers really need to keep an eye out for creeps in the "lobby". read more

Horrible experience -- absolutely not worth the price. We came as a group of eight and waited 1.5 hours for our food. We were starving, our appetizers either never arrived or showed up extremely late, and despite the long wait, we weren't offered any discount or compensation. I had to grab a burger afterward because I was still hungry -- not coming back. So disappointed. The staff was friendly, and the ambience is great if you're just here for drinks, but the overall dining experience was incredibly disappointing. If you're hungry or value timely service, this is not the place. read more

Feel like table service still finding place but if can work it out will be success. Food and drink top notch.. no complaints. read more

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We loved our experience at The Malarkey! A beautiful space, vibe, with delicious food and bevies. We didn't have a resy and decided to try for seats at the bar, arriving on a Saturday at 4:30p. It was super easy and a great time to be there. We enjoyed the crab cakes and shared a NY steak with crab hollandaise sauce. Yum! Excited to visit again with friends. read more

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The food was bad service was very slow the prices are way too high for what is served. My burger was inedible. Drink orders took 25 minutes. Considering the dude that runs this place has been part of dozens of restaurants this was a complete fail. Don't waste your time or money. Plenty of other places in the Pearl read more

The Malarkey - The hallway to the bathroom - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food was great. Server was wonderful. We had the chicken bites, brussels sprouts, the cabbage wedge salad and the albacore tuna entrée. Really cute vibe. Special occasion kinda place because it is expensive. read more

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I'm a San Diego native so I love Brian Malarkey. The restaurant looks amazing. Staff was friendly and helpful. It was their 8th day and you could tell they were still learning and executing. I think the food was good, not great...yet. It takes months for new restaurants to fine tune and dial in. I know Chef and all of his amazing restaurants I've been to in the past and I know The Malarkey will be one of Portlands premier spots. Looking forward to coming back! read more

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My wife and I have been going on date nights every Tuesday for a year and have hit most of the top Portland restaurants. The Malarkey sits at the top of the Portland restaurants scene. Food was insanely good. Other worldly flavors. Service was nutso. Never did my water get below half full. Everyone works extremely hard to take care of you. This is not a new restaurant. This is a new experience. We will 100% be back. 1,000,000 stars!!! read more

Excellent service. Good vibes and ambiance. Dimitri was our waiter and was most attentive. Great food. Our only let down was the Berthet-Rayne, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, FR '23. It was served at a frigid, well below cellar temperature. It was so cold we had it decanted and had to lap warm the decanter for 30 minutes to reach serving temperature. At $105 per bottle, this was unacceptable. However, we were most pleased the wine wasn't served at 100 degrees fahrenheit. We suggest better cellar temperature storage moving forward for the red wines. In total, our table spent nearly $1,000 on a fantastic evening. It would have been a perfect evening if the red wine had been served at a proper temperature. read more

Truly enjoyed our experience at The Malarkey! We weren't disappointed with any of the dishes we got, quite the opposite. Atmosphere was cool, funky & upbeat. Music and talking got pretty loud but there was dancing in our seats and smiles the whole meal. Service was great - the servers are well versed & provided great menu insight and reccs, offered to take group photos, and we had 3-4 different team members come by to grab drinks etc through the reservation. We had a 5pm Monday resy & the restaurant was quiet then filled up around 5:30-6. Menu standouts: salmon, steak filet, cavatelli, tomato salad, halibut ceviche, clams, focaccia read more

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Went there with 4 people, we had reservations. We were seated right away. Services was outstanding, the drinks were great. The names of the drinks had a NW connection. We ordered quite a few appetizers, oysters, muscle toast, burnt ends, focaccia and butter, tomato salad. My favorite was the bread and the muscle toast! My wife and sister in law loved the tomato salad and the burnt ends. Entrees we ordered the pork chop, ribeye, filet, and halibut cheeks, with sides of carrots, green beans, and jojos. The pork chop just might be the best pork chop I have ever had. The halibut cheeks were delicious as well. The steaks were cooked very well, great flavor! Those green beans though, those were heaven in a bowl! Overall, it was a great dinner, great service, great atmosphere, we will definitely go back! read more

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The ambience was super cute and eclectic and the food was AMAZING! I got the beef tartare to start, which was my favorite plate of the night. I will return just to eat that dish! It was truly phenomenal. Just perfect in event way. For my main, I got the halibut cheeks, which were tender and flavorful. For dessert, I got the apple churro à la mode, which was divine! The staff were quick, kind, and very friendly. The only thing I wouldn't order again was the Meadows Cooler beverage. For $17, it was about 4-5 sips and just an average cocktail. The wine was lovely and I would stick to that. Overall, I would return- just not with any vegan or vegetarian guests, as they don't have anything on the menu that doesn't include animal products. read more

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I don't know what celebrity aura/mythos all these rave reviews are buying into and then mistakenly attributing to the food/service, because celebrity is literally all this place has. If you go in with clear eyes, it's very plain that the food is poorly thought-out, even more poorly prepared, and overpriced to boot. Front-of-house is visibly inexperienced, overwhelmed, and not knowledgeable about the food or the drinks. The ambience is nauseating: walls are painted the color of stomach lining and not helped by the addition of amateurish paintings and porny elements reeking of machismo in the bathrooms. Owner has been wearing the same paint-stained designer jumpsuit and sunglasses for seemingly months straight. Seems like he dumped money into what amounts to a frat party for his crowd and clueless tourists and decided to call it a business, until the money runs out. I hope it does; portland deserves better. read more

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Ambiance is fun and lively and drinks were great. Friendly staff. The bread and the tomato salad were phenomenal. Everything else we had (shrimp, clams, brussels sprouts, hanger steak) was extremely salty. read more

We went to The Malarkey for dinner. The place looks amazing top to bottom. Very roomy and interesting. The staff very attentive and helpful and accommodating. We order the half chicken, steak and pasta. For appetizer we got dirty jojo, shrimp cocktail and pork burnt end also for side eans and Brussels sprouts. Everything was more like overpriced bar food from plating and taste. Nothing stood out. The cocktail was pretty good. The place feels like more as a party place . The food just a after thought and more flashy hip thing. read more

Very delicious food, fun atmosphere, friendly service. Especially for a new restaurant everything is very well done. My one criticism is I asked for my pork tomahawk to be medium well and most of it was VERY rare, almost raw. It seems restaurants serve their cuts of meat to their liking, not the customers. Beyond the pork, our other dishes were excellent. read more

Amazing atmosphere and service. Food was stunning and so tasty, well prepared. Side green beans were to die for! read more

The Malarkey - Atmosphere - Seafood Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food was really good, ordered the New York steak that melted in my mouth, cooked to perfection and the albacore was delicious. Service was attentive and helpful. Oysters were good also. Ambiance reminds me of the club scene/restaurant from the movie Scarface. Gives 80s Miami vibes. DJ played nothing but hits! Will definitely go back, worth the money read more

Great meal... great atmosphere... great service. Highly recommend. Try the butterscotch pudding for dessert... it's worth it.

So many restaurants survive by proximity to restaurant lore and this is one of them. We love that it is here and want it to succeed but it needs a bit of tweaking. Some of the dishes were phenomenal and all of the drinks we tried were top notched. The food was either amazing or wtf. How the wtf dishes were cleared by the main chef is mind boggling. It literally was like visiting someone's grandparents and forcing yourself to eat. With all of the talented chef and sous chefs there is no excuse for superbly bad food. Meeting neighbors that had also tried the Malarkey had almost the same exact experience; phenomenonal and disappointing at the same time. We are hoping you will listen to criticism and stay. The decor and aura are amazing. Dishes are not named on purpose (because they should be obvious) read more

Excellent food, drinks, and service. Our only complaint is the pacing. Appetizers, small plates, and main courses were all delivered at the same time, creating havoc at the table with so many plates to navigate and to rearrange. The restaurant definitely needs to work on this for a more enjoyable dining experience. read more

Friends and I sat at the Bar Saturday ,right when it opened. What a fun experience, the colors, design layout and lighting make it a very fun atmosphere. Great size bar and lounge area, by 7 pm the place was packed. Helpful and friendly staff you could feel the energy.. I will go back often. read more

Decor was fun! Staff was great! Had the burger with dirty jojos- burger had so much sauce wasn't able to taste any other flavors. Dirty jojo's didn't come with the bacon as described on menu. Focaccia bread was ok, would recommend it is precut before bringing to table as it comes with a big dallop of butter making it tough to cut without getting messy. For sure try the baked mount hood dessert. THAT is worth going back for. read more

Good food, everything has a bit of heat including the Caeser salad. Not sure it needs heat, but the croutons were delicious. The steamed clams were very good, even tho half my shells had no clams. The halibut, flat iron steak and tuna were very good. Very fun atmosphere, but music is way too loud for good conversation, you have to yell across the table. We brought our own wine and the waiter uncorked it but didn't pour it, which we thought was unusual, but the restaurants focus is not on good wine. Very fun decor and the servers are nice. Seems like the new trendy spot. read more

Food was pretty salty!! Wish the cups were bigger for all the water needed. Fairly loud inside, hard to hear each other talk.

Dined on a Sunday, party of 5. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous and the ambiance is great! There's music and color and it's very lively in there, so fun! The food was good, we tried the porter house, the halibut "ceviche", tallow jojos, focaccia, chicken liver pate, tomato and stracciatella, and a few more dishes. The cocktails were also quite tasty. But where atmosphere and food delivered (for the most part) service lacked, INCREDIBLY. We had to wait 25 minutes for our table even with a reservation, that's ok, it happens. But our server was below par for such a trendy and pricey new spot. He did not ask if there were any allergies on our table, did not make any recommendations, did not walk us through the menu not even a little bit. Our cocktails took about 25 minutes to hit the table. Our entrees took quite a bit as well, without any follow through from the server OR the manager who seemed to be walking around the dining room lost. He was not touching tables or monitoring them even. When a bartender "manager" dropped off some drinks at our table, he refilled out table water with tap even though we had cans of spring water on the table, attention to detail? Zero. We will be back to sit at the bar and share some appetizers and enjoy the fun ambiance. The price tag didn't match the table service experience. read more

The Pearl has been starving for an upscale restaurant. The place was packed on a Monday night. We ordered the Smoked Cabbage Salad and Crispy chicken to start. Salad was on the soggy side and chicken way too salty and less than average. Main Course we had the Hangar Steak which was kind of not edible. So much salt we left 2/3 of the steak. Also ordered the Halibut Cheeks which were very good , a bit of a spice kick. My impression is this is more gimmick than a serious Restaurant tho I'll admit they drew a crowd. I think people want to be seen and have an upscale kind of experience. Next time I will just grab a drink and maybe the Cherry Ice Cream which was excellent read more