Echo Restaurant

Echo is my go to spot in pdx! If you want a great drink and a fantastic dinner Echo is your mecca. My husband and I live in the neighborhood and have spent many a nights at echo. I have NEVER been disappointed. Pros: Cozy, Great Staff & Service, Amazing food, Great Happy Hour Cons: none! more

We went in for dinner Sunday night, remembering how much we had previously enjoyed our last visit several months ago. We entered the est. and waited at the front for about six minutes to be acknowledged by someone. They were obviously busy, but someone could have at least taken the time to acknowledge us within 30 seconds of us walking in the door. We want to feel like someone is happy to see us, not like we might be another ""burden"" on their evening. ""Hi folks! We'll be with you in just a moment"" is not too hard. While we were waiting for an acknowledgment, I noticed a small dog in the bar area, hanging out under a patron's chair. I assumed this was someone's service animal. After the bartender acknowledged us and motioned us to an available table, I noticed the dog was in the patron's lap, which indicated to me that it was probably not a service animal. After sitting for three minutes without server acknowledgment, menus, or an offer of beverage service, we made the decision to leave. Pros: Nice location Cons: No acknowledgment of guests more

We have been to Echo several times now (its in our neighborhood) and every time has been fabulous. On previous visits we had the steak and it was excellent. Last night I had the pork with spaetzle and it was delicious. The sauce was rich and flavorful, and the noodles were cooked to perfection. We had no problems with service the three or four times we have been there over the last several months. Service was great. This is one of our favorite regular neighborhood restaurants and we'll definitely be back! Oh, and they have great cocktails too! Pros: good cocktails, good atmosphere more

that's right, breakfast is back, and everything I've tried is great. The biscuits are about a mile high and flaky. The servers are no longer a mile high and flaky-- like the other person mentioned, service has improved vastly since the new owners took over. Drinks are excellent, and the dinner menu is solid--now highlighting more local, seasonal food. A great place to meet up with people after work or get the weekend started off right. more

We noticed that Echo had a sign out saying they were open for brunch on weekends so we stopped in to check it out. We've always liked their dinners and drinks so we were looking forward to enjoying ourselves. Pros: Fast and super nice service more

First off, to be fair, let me say that the food at this place is pretty good. Not great and more than a little overpriced for the quality that you get but still pretty good. What I take issue with is the service. I was just there with a birthday party and I feel safe to say that none of us in our rather large group were happy with the service that we got. A reservation was made it was made clear that a few extra people might be likely to show up. When they did, even though there was an open table nearby for them to sit at, the staff seemed rather upset about seating the extra people. Rather than being happy that we were giving them our business and chose their restaurant to celebrate a birthday at, the staff instead seemed rather put off by having to serve us and made us feel totally unwelcome there. They seemed to then really take their time to get around to taking our order, but then after that there was a longer wait for the food than anyone should be expected to deal with... especially with no apology or excuses as to why some of us waited one and 1/4 for our food to arrive. I waited that long for a hamburger! Inexplicably, others got their food much faster. It seems pretty elementary to me that all members of a party should be served at more or less the same time. more

Hello all, Pros: Better than having a parking lot or a house of ill repute Cons: Everything else more

I've been eating at Echo for years. I survived even 2006-2007 which seemed to be the year of like 3 chefs, who fooled around with their sturdy bistro menu, until their current chef was hired. Thankfully he's restored a reliable dignity to the menu which us regulars can appreciate. Pros: great food, stellar service Cons: can get noisy on a weekend dinner hour service more

My bf surprised me on Valentines Day w/ reservations here. I have to admit walking in I was skeptical. The place is tiny and all the tables were so close together. The booths near the window were the only decent seats, and we didn't get lucky enough to get one. Because the place is so small, it is also loud. Despite the music, I could hear my neighbors conversations as well as those between the waitstaff. This was the only major downfall of the place. I'm sure on a less crowded night it's cozy and quaint. Pros: The food, especially the steak Cons: small, loud more

We had great service and great food. Very fun. The staff is super friendly and down to earth. We will definately be back. more

I've been eating here for a couple years. I try to stick to the standard menu items. I think they have rifled through several chefs since my first time because anything besides the standard items depends on the time of year. Summers A year ago it was great! The menu was full of life, local ingredients, flavorful, nice portions and lovely service. Over the last 6 months service has taken a dip, the food is mediocre at best and the menu is lacking any luster. Stick with Echo staples: Mac & Cheese, Beet Salad, Crab Dip. Great Happy Hour type place, would bring a date to impress. Pros: The neighborhood doesn't have too many other nice places Cons: food is never consistant, more

I see that they are at it again...a new kitchen staff and a new menu. I know some of the cats that work here and they told of upcoming changes to the menu... I was a little nervous as new staff can ruin everything, but they are keeping many of their tried and true classics. I had the new saffron shrimp rissotto and was delighted--although there was alot of rice. I was told they brought back a previous ""killer dessert"" and was given a chunk of bananna-bread bread pudding with chocolate and topped with caramel and ice cream...mmmmm. Pros: cool 30-something waitstaffers actually know something Cons: high ceilings make it somewhat drafty/chilly more

The food is lovely, both dinner companion and I have enjoyed Echo now three times and each time we order something different. It has yet to provide anything but outstanding service, perfectly portioned food, and is a terrific value. The last visit, we both ordered a full meal, and shared a dessert for under $40. Even the water is a taste treat (cucumber infused). Go! It is a subdued atmosphere, very good service, and a nice place to unwind. Pros: Great portions, great tasting, creative dishes, locally inspirted menu Cons: I have yet to find any more

Echo is one of my favorite places to go. The food, atmosphere, cocktails, wine and service are all welcome in this area of town in which I feel there is a dearth of good restaurants. The nicest thing about Echo is that it is a place you can go for almost any occasion. The menu has inexpensive items like mac and cheese, a really good burger, (the best burger I've had, actually) and always a few good veggie items. You can also ""go big"" and get steak and seafood, funky small plates, good dessert and espresso, and it's a lot cheaper than the downtown spots. It's also open late, has a full bar, and is actually a place you can go at 11 PM and get a decent glass of wine. Pros: the service is actually good Cons: the revolving menu is crafty, but sometimes a little to out there. more

Echo has many things to enjoy - the building is historic, well lit, and decorated appropriately; the servers are super knowledgeable, accommodating and un intrusive; the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly; the cocktails are delicious and nostalgic (try the Echo Pimm's Cup with dinner and a true Bellini at brunch); but the real reason to come is the food. I love seasonal, rotating menus anchored by a few signature dishes and Echo delivers. You will never run out of things to try because the menu is consistently inventive. The culinary experience of the kitchen staff is exemplified by the variety of expertly crafted dishes. I recently had a Thai green curry that rivaled any of the excellent Thai restaurants, of which there are many, in Portland. If comfort is what I'm craving, I can rely upon the amazingly decadent macaroni and cheese or the memorable Echo burger (w/ blue cheese). Echo uses the same local beef that I have seen on the menus of top Portland restaurants for double the cost. The portions are not huge, which is a welcome respite in our super-sized world, but I'm confident that if I wanted more, they would be happy to supply. The rotating menu may mean that some things are not completely worked out, but I can greatly appreciate a kitchen that takes risks. The real risk would be to not give Echo a try. Pros: Delicous food, great drinks and superb service! more

The service was slow at best . They charged us 1.50 for 7 stale tortilla chips and the food was generally terrible if you have half a pallete. Both of us are industry veterens and were sorely dissapointed in the food. the cost of the raw ingredients vs. what was charged for the final product just was wrong. And Gazpacho is not made from canned tomatoes!!! But it is here. Pros: casual Cons: expensive, poor quality, poor food, so so service more

[My initial expedition to the land of restaurant reviews! :)] more

Went to Echo the other night on my way home and will be making a stop more often. I was always a bit curious and am glad I gave it a try. It's small enough to feel ""neighborhoodie"" and comfortable. We just had drinks and apps there - I had the goatcheese tart and it was divine. My friend had the oysters and said they were great. I was impressed that there were actually a number of items I was debating between. Our drinks were prompt and stiff and the vibe was definitely good in there. Pros: Menu, Vibe, Service more

I went to Echo for the first time on Valentine's Day. During my first few minutes there, I was pleased with the well-designed space and a friendly greeter. The menu was different for the holiday, but the waitress did not explain how it worked or give us much indication of what was good even when we asked, (perhaps our later reservation meant she was tired???) While my dinner was unique and flavorful, my husband's was not. The drafty and cold room meant that I had to wear my coat the whole time. A good sized insect was in my drink, some of the plates were dirty, and although the plates and silverware were eclectic, they were obviously cheap. With prices like this, I feel like I should be paying for an experience, not just good food. Probably would not go back. more

When I walked in I was quite surprised and pleased at the candle lit, vintage, artsy atmosphere (although it is a lot smaller than I had expected). I tried their ""Dark & Stormy"" and loved it! One downside was we came early when it was quiet and got a nice table but were later asked to move to a two person table to make room for others. One waitress was very sweet (the one with the awesome tatoo) the other seemed quite snooty but didn't ruin the evening. It was fun to discover the water was cucumber flavored. A bit of a shock but not a bad one. Also I couldn't help but notice that even though the place was packed, my husband was one of two men in the entire place. The food was good! Don't expect a lot though. I ordered the ribs and they were so great we shared them. All in all it is definately worth trying at least once. more