El Gaucho

My husband and I have been here two years in a row for his birthday. The service is amazing and it is the best steak in town. Best way to spend a couple hundred bucks on a meal. I just cannot come up with words sufficient to describe how good the food is - not just the main courses, but also the sides are just divine! The Caesar Salad is a must! Pros: Food! Service! Cons: Absolutely none. more

I have personally eaten here 6 times they are always on there game. The atmosphere is excellent as is the service and food. My favorite of the many dishes is the ribeye and have never been disappointed with this dish. The salad made table side is always good. The chocolate lava cake is great. remember with greatness comes a price this place is not cheap, nor should it be as they skimp on nothing Pros: The food, wait service and staff are always on the top of their game Cons: Spendy and a little noisy more

OK, the filet mignon was succulent and as thick as any steak I'd ever seen. The service was attentive, with... more

OK, the filet mignon was succulent and as thick as any steak I'd ever seen. The service was attentive, with waiters coming at you like staff sargea... more

Whenever my college buddies and I return to Portland, we make it a ritual to dine at El Gaucho. We love it! It's worth every penny. The steak tar tar and NY strip are the best in town, not to mention they are one of the only standing cigar rooms left. more

The food at this place is like eating bits of Heaven! I'm not kidding. The service is outstanding, The food is to die for! If you have the means I reccomend this place above all others in Portland or the US. Pros: Everything Cons: It can get a bit noisy at times more

OK, so I used to be a Ringside only kind of guy. Not real fond of chains like Morton's and Ruth's Chris. Then I tried El Gaucho. Not that it's a chain, but there is another on in Seattle.\r All I can say is *burp*.\r This was an amazing meal. Maybe one of the best steak dinners I've ever had. The presentation is a big part of it, but that does not at all mean that they are all show and no go. Here's my recommendation for the perfect meal:\r Start with the Diablo, prepared tableside. It's like a giant cauldron of Spanish Coffee (and I'm Huber's SC junkie!).\r Then move on to the Caesar Salad, again tableside preperation.\r For the main course, I love the Chateaubriand. But the flaming sword of tenderloin is a close second.\r Finish up with Bananas Foster, again prepared tableside. I've had the Bananas Foster at Brennen's in New Orleans, where it was supposedly were ""invented"", and El Gaucho does it better!\r They love to set things on fire here. Very cool show and excellent presentation.\r And the food was amazing. The steak melts in your mouth! Ordered medium rare (truly the only way to enjoy a good steak) is warm and red through the center - perfect!\r The bourbon sweet potatoes were awesome as well.\r I can't think of a single negative thing about this place!\r I'm still going to go to Ringside when I want an old school Portland experience, but when I'm up for a nice quality meal with some flair, it's El Gaucho all the way! Pros: Top notch steak, lots of flash and fire! Oh - and they serve the Vesper martini! Cons: None. more

Great way to celebrate a special event or birthday! My friends surprised me for a night out on the town to celebrate the anniversary of my birth. I didn't know what to expect but had heard that El Gaucho had an amazing menu and even better atmosphere to make for a unique dinning experience. We were seated immediately by the host and our server was very complimentary, suggestive (for menu items) and attentive. We ordered several rounds of drinks and started with the escargot and then the table side Caesar salad (a definite must if one is on a date; however I?ve had better escargot). Although, we didn't order steaks and my scallops were a bit over done our sides and entrees still turned out quit flavorful. I honestly wasn't expecting the large portions we were served... perhaps next time we will be able to enjoy the cheese and fruit selection. In summary I had a wonderful time and despite the price I will definitely return because the service and ambience is more than worth the check at the end of the night. Besides I still need to try the El Gaucho steak and lobster mashed potatoes. Pros: Service and general attitude of staff, cocktails, atmosphere Cons: Prep of food, loud live guitar, smoking more

I'll spell it out for you: what used to be is no longer. We used to hold our business meeting here. We used to entertain our top clientele here. We used to spend A LOT of money here. That was then and this is now. Over the past few years the level of professionalism and service has declined sharply. It seems that the new crew (and most of the old ones) simply do not have that spirit of service anymore. It used feel different in Gaucho, it used to feel like a place where you wanted to be and be seen in. Now I find it tired and quite frankly played out and full of itself. What ever you used to do, you should try to recapture. Pros: Tax shelter for the wealthy? Cons: see review more

I was really looking forward to this meal as I had heard so much about this place. I was very very disappointed. I started with the french onion soup, which was quite good, followed by some other appetizers. My friend had the scallops which were ok, and then we ordered some wine and then the main course. They forgot our wine when dinner arrived. I asked our waiter about it, who ran off and then forgot about it again!! We just had them take it off our bill at the end of the meal. I ordered a fillet medium rare, and got something that looked like it had been on the edge of grill the whole time. It had been fired black on some of the edges, but was 100% cold and raw inside. In my mind, It should be red juicy and warm with a thin layer on the edge that shows it has been on the grill. No such luck. I sent it back once asking for medium rare to medium cooking, and it returned with another side slightly blackened and still cold and raw. The waiter looked a little embarrassed when I cut into it, and the completely raw flesh just rippled out again. He offered to send it back again, but at this point I smiled and declined. With the wine and poor service I just mentally wrote off the meal and tried to focus on my friend who I had not seen for some time. At the end of dinner we were given some chocolate as an apology for the consistent mistakes. During coffee we watched three tables nearby get apologies for other ""mistakes."" This is not the mark of a five star restaurant. There should be an attendant for every three tables or so, in our case it was one for twenty. When I look at the other reviews, perhaps people have a different experience on different nights, or perhaps when El Gaucho decides that your party warrants extra attention? The problem is when you pay for this kind of thing I want consistency. Morton's or Ruth Chris will not make these mistakes, have better ambiance, and will cost less?? Someone explain that to me. I will not be back to El Gaucho. Pros: Very little.. A few of out appitizers were ok Cons: Overpriced, Food overrated, exceptionally bad service more

It just isn't quite what it's cracked up to be. While certain members of the staff are fun engaging and interesting, many lack the polish that a restaurant of this alleged caliber should have. It is attractive and lively and I suppose if you've got cash to burn there's no harm in giving it a try. The steak and sides were perfectly adequate, though frankly indistinguishable from what one would get at Ruth's or Morton's. Unless your main goal is to eye the more garish who's who of Portland society save a few bucks and go somewhere with the same middle-high quality but better value. Pros: Ambiance, certain staff members Cons: Grossly over-priced more

There was no ""Happy cocktail"" and there were no ""Happy appetizers"". Caesar was soggy, tasted like bagged lettuce. I'M sure the croutons were from a bag and the bread is so boring! Waiter too in our faces and didn't know the prices of FOUR of the ""word of mouth"" specials?? What is that about??? Then the live music began. Dont' they know people go there to have conversations with their group, not a musical concert! Pros: A nice buzz Cons: Music too loud, salad soggy and boring, bread boring, waiter in our faces more

Love to dine in the bar. Great steak and the wicked shrimp appetizer is a must. The ambience is perfect, love the dimly lit atmosphere. Top off the night with an order of bananas foster, prepared tableside. Pros: live music more

We were very much looking forward to the best steak we've ever eaten...we were very dissapointed. We had an 8:30 reservation and were seated at 9:20 pm (first strike), the hostess and our waiter both admitted they took too many walk-ins and were just slammed. Free apps arrived - maybe things are looking up. Our waiter either had extreme adult ADD or a substance abuse problem - he would not even look at us when taking our order he was so busy watching his other tables (strike two). The caeser was made tableside - the best part of the meal - and was to die for. Our stekas arrived and what was listed as a 24 oz porterhouse looked like an average 12 oz t-bone (for $64 non-the-less: strike three). In general the place was crowded, noisy, and very average food. If you are looking for a great steak head to Ringside for casual dining with top-notch service or Morton's for a superior fine-dining experience. Pros: Caeser salad Cons: $$$ way to pricey, loud, rude staff more

I went here for a business dinner. My customer had been to Morton's, Ringside, Ruth's Chris and the list goes on. He wanted something different and I didn't want to take him to another chain since he is visiting from New England. All I can say is WOW! I want to take my fiance here soon. The food was unbelievable, the service was impeccable and the ambiance was awesome. I definitely impressed my customer to say the least. I will definitely go back and I recommend that everyone else tries this place too!!! GO EL GAUCHO! Pros: Amazing entrees, tableside caesar, cocktails, service, EVERYTHING! Cons: N/A more

A lovely restaurant with a romantic ambiance. I took my significant other here on our 1 year anniversary. The service was good but I can't decide if they're slow or if they're just letting us relax. It was ambiguous. I had the (r)ack of lamb and my boyfriend had the NY steak. Lamb was alright though not stellar but the steak was utterly fabulous. really, really good! Scalloped potatoes were great - not too salty like some dishes are. Sauteed spinach came spicy (red pepper), which I was not expecting but it turned out delicious. Wines were alright. Did not have desert but the were given a complimentary fruit bowl and slice of bleu cheese at the end of our meal. Nice job! I'd go again. more

I've only been here one time but I'd be more than happy to return! I had a great experience, our waiter was very helpful and friendly. Our salad and dessert was made right in front of us which was a very fun experience. The steak was delicous! I highly recommed it! Pros: service food Cons: a little crowded more

Having recently arrived in Portland from overseas, my wife and I have been steadily working our way through what critics and friends regard as Portland's best restaurants. Naturally, we were excited at the prospect of an evening at the restaurant regarded as the top of that list after so many fantastic experiences in Portland to date.\r \r Disappointing is a good summary of the experience. From the rude greeting at the door by an arrogant blonde, to the fact that we could not hear ourselves think amongst the noise of other patrons (50 year old men ""high fiving"" each other after ridiculous jokes) we will not be back.\r \r The food itself was OK... just. Mashed potatoes that were extremely dry, steaks that were good- but far short of great (in fact I think I had a better steak at Henry's!).\r \r And I expected more from service that included wait staff leaning over to top up water only to miss and see my red wine diluted! And as for the table side service with the steak... well I guess our table was not on the list last night!\r \r I am more than happy to praise great restaurants (like Blue Hour and Cafe Mingo) but it is just so disappointing when the El Gaucho's of the city that perhaps have been great previously have continued to live off their reputations to now only be average. Pros: Good Steak, great service at table. Cons: Noise, overall service, overall food experience more

Very Sexy, great ribeye, good wine selection, service to die for...All my hot dates take me to El Goucho.. cute waiters, good acoustic guitars, eat late and ask for a circular booth...then go enjoy the view up at the Grill..Ciao! Pros: steak, wine, cigars more

This visit was for my husband's birthday as I am not a 'steak person' but it was magical. Our server was elegant yet fun & engaging (gotta get the tableside caesar - amazing to watch & eat), the cocktails were generous & delicious, service quick enough but not rushed. My husband claimed his pretty-pink steak was heavenly; mine was fine - it was the lobster & sauce on top that I truly loved. Asparagus on side was perfect, mashed sweet potatoes were a nutmeggy dream. Fruit & cheese plate after dinner was a delightful touch. Pros: gracious servers, delicious, delovely Cons: little dark, crowded tables more