Holden's Bistro

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524 NW 14th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

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(503) 916-0099
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Holden's Bistro - Portland, OR
Holden's Bistro - Portland, OR
Holden's Bistro - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 13 )
( 10 )
( 3 )
( 2 )
( 2 )

Best

What a fun night!!We went there on Sat. night, GREAT atmosphere, GREAT service! They had a party that night with DJs, GREAT house music! Well, what else could I say..we had a FAB...

Worst

When My husband and I called to make reservations for Holdens for Valentines day they did not tell us it was under new ownership with a new menu. This would have been helpful if t...

New Ownership 11/7/2009

RedXC2006 Provided by Partner
Holden's Bistro was a local favorite. A great hidden gem in the crowded pearl. Unfortunately a new menu and what I am guessing is new ownership has changed all of that. Aside from the tomb like atmosphere the food was terrible. Very bland... The salad was like something bought from a bag, the burger had a bun all to familiar to wonder bread and the fries seemed fresh out of the freezer. Its too bad as this use to be such a great spot. Pros: Good Memories... Cons: New Memories... more
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Great Spot in the Pearl!! 5/31/2009

JnMk Provided by Partner
What a fun night!!We went there on Sat. night, GREAT atmosphere, GREAT service! They had a party that night with DJs, GREAT house music! Well, what else could I say..we had a FABULOUS time there!! We'll definitely go back!! PS#1:I heard that they will have a DJ on every first Thursday.. worth checking it out!! PS#2:Have to try their famous kabobs next time. Pros: Open Garage Doors. Great for Summer Evening. Cons: Didn't Get to Try Their Food:( more
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Great food, location and prices 5/23/2009

Cecile7 Provided by Partner
What a great find in the Pearl! Some great food, friendly attitude and great price. BLT is delicious. So glad they now are open for lunch! Pros: Best BLT Cons: None more
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New Menu--> Bad Idea 2/22/2009

AJTS Provided by Partner
Holden's has a great atmosphere. The service is extremely slow so don't eat there if you are hungry or have anything else to do that evening. My husband and I frequently ate at Holden's for their great happy hour and overall menu. The menu has changed and it is no longer the great place it once was. If you love bacon this is your kind of place. Bacon is in EVERYTHING. The menu change was not a good one and the food is just marginal. The cost seems expensive for what you get and for the poor, new menu. We will not be coming back. more
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New Ownership; not so good- 2/14/2009

poco22 Provided by Partner
When My husband and I called to make reservations for Holdens for Valentines day they did not tell us it was under new ownership with a new menu. This would have been helpful if they would have told us that because we probably would not have chosen Holdens for our Valentines dinner. The only reason we were going back was because we loved the previous ownership and previous menu. We arrived there to a not-so-welcoming environment; the new owner took our drink order and then after 15 mins. of waiting for our drinks the waitress realized he forgot to put the order in. When our food finally got to the table my dinner was completely cold and my husbands was scalding hot, guessing they probably forgot to make his until the last minute. I could just go on and on in regards to how unorganized and unapologetic the staff including the new owner were. Needless to say, we won't be going back and miss the old menu and old ownership:( Pros: Most the of the pricing is reasonable Cons: new ownership, new menu and lack of customer service more
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Absolutely Fabulous! 11/18/2008

Biz120 Provided by Partner
Hands down...Holden's Bistro is our favorite restaurant in the Pearl (and we've tried all of them!). The food is an amazing culinary experience but is not "foofy" or unfamiliar. The ambiance is fun, relaxed and not at all "stuffy." The staff...friendly, personable and never "over the top." They are the kind of folk you would choose to hang out with on any day of the week. Holden's is so consistently great, here are some of the many ways we have enjoyed the Pearl's best kept secret: romantic date night, casual dinner with friends, entertaining out-of-town coworkers, pre-Blazer game bite to eat, girls-night happy hour, private staff party. We love Holden's Bistro and give it our highest recommendation. We know you will love it too! more
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Best Restaurant I've Ever Been To 8/20/2008

CEH47 Provided by Partner
Holden's is absolutely amazing. The food is fabulous and well-portioned. The service is great. I love the atmosphere. As a vegetarian, I was disappointed when there was nothing on the menu for me the second time I went. I asked the waitress to have the chef whip something up. The chef sent out three different dishes, each of which was tasty beyond belief and beautifully presented. I have never been so impressed by a restaurant in my life. Bottom Line: Go as soon as you can! Pros: Everything! more
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A great, hidden space in the NW Pearl District 12/8/2007

marcuspdx Provided by Partner
I've enjoyed Holden's before, but last Friday when I was in, I found my new favorite appetizer: mussels and fries! They were so good and I wanted to write a review dedicated just to them, but I figured mussels aren't everyone's choice, so I'll elaborate on some other things, I guess. Despite the great appetizer, I had a really tasty grilled Mahi-mahi and my date had some braised lamb dish that was also excellent. Music is usually cool, but tonights selection wasn't my first choice... think it was Ella... and I like jazz, but I miss the more alt/college radio type stuff they used to play. Same cool, sexy-lit atmosphere though that is always great for a relaxing dinner. I'll definitely keep coming back. Pros: Food is amazing, price unspeakable in the Pearl more
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Gem in the Pearl 4/13/2007

mgalaxy Provided by Partner
When I visit Portland, I always eat at Holdens. Great food and fantastic atmosphere. Such the Silverlake coolness with a SoHo Vibe tucked away slightly off the beaten Pearl path away from the other pretentious and stuffy eats in the downtown lower N.W. The background music itself is worth the visit. Mew to Muse...Coldplay to Cold War Kids. The food rocks as steady as the music. Absolutely 5 star in my book. You must try the Fried Chicken plate or their fresh made vegetarian burger with sweet potato fries. Oh, and when it?s nice out, the modern glass garage doors are rolled up offering an open airy feel. Trust me, you will love it. Pros: Atmosphere, service, music Cons: I only wish they had specials more
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A hidden treasure in the Pearl 3/20/2007

pollywog123 Provided by Partner
I love this place. No really, I love this place. It?s a breath of fresh air from the Usual snotty wanna be restaurants in the Pearl. The drink menu is great, and the food is excellent. I just wish they had a little more vegitarian options. The new owner seems to be working very hard to make this a fun place to be. A huge band new crystal chandelier hangs close to the entry way to warm the room up, and the best rock and roll music being played in the back ground. In one night I heard A Tribe Called Quest, The Specials, Marvin Gaye, and Fugazi! Are you kidding me?!!! This is the best place to go in the Pearl to get a fine dining experience without a pretentious feel. Pros: The owner is a cutie and the employees seem to be have a lot of fun Cons: closes too early more
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Mediocre 3/20/2007

maxine999 Provided by Partner
This place was bought a while back, and at first it was great. The new owner brought in a fantastic bartender and cute friendly servers. The ambiance went through a couple of changes to give the place a lighter feel (lighting, and some cool music) to take away from the dark cave it was before. The food was good, not great, but pretty good and priced right. The service was splendid, and the drinks were top notch. But as of late, an updated menu, new servers, and a newer bartender, has helped launch Holden?s into the ?nothing special? category in my book. The service has been prompt, but cold. The drinks have become so-so at best, and the food is nothing special. It seems like in the last month or so they have lost it?s lust for life, and the passion has dropped off. The energy Holden?s had when it was first taken over by the new owner was terrific and we had high hopes for this little bistro. Bring back the passion! more
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A little hit-and-miss 1/28/2007

vlcgoddess Provided by Partner
I went to Holden's to celebrate my birthday. I had a large party (7 people) so I made a reservation; I would not recommend going with a group without a reservation. They had a nice table all set up for us. Our orders were taken promptly, and the appetizers arrived within 10 minutes. However, after the appetizers, we did not see our dinner for a good 30-40 minutes. I had to inquire as to the whereabouts of our dishes. Some people really liked their food; others were apathetic about their dishes. My pasta, for example, had obviously been sitting under a warmer for some time--the top layer of noodles was crunchy. The calamari was overcooked, and the catfish was so-so. The prawn quesadilla, I'm told, was excellent, however, as was the fried chicken. The mashed potatoes were creamy and flavorful. And the cream of asparagus soup was some of the best soup I've ever had. So, in summary, Holden's is a really nice space. It was a nice place to celebrate my birthday. However, the service and food was hit-and-miss, which detracted from the experience significantly. Pros: Ambiance, diverse menu Cons: Lack of consistency in service and food more
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Accomodating Staff. Delectable Cuisine. 9/23/2006

davidxanatos Provided by Partner
Apparently the restaurant changed their Saturday closing time from 11 pm to 10 pm because when I made the reservations for 9:30 pm, I had assumed it was the former. No matter, I sauntered in at nigh unto 10 pm and was kindly told that they close at 10 pm but that they would accommodate my date and I nonetheless. Any place that will do that gets in A+ in my book. Not surprisingly we had the place to ourselves and were outnumbered by the bartender and the staff but despite our tardiness our server Rebecca was gracious and I didn't feel rushed in any way. Needless to say our food came out quickly which may or may not be indicative of their true service but I certainly appreciated it. I had the mushroom cream soup du jour and the fish tacos. Both were flavorful and best of all the prices here are reasonable which is why I came in the first place. Overall a wonderful dining experience even for late-comers like myself. It goes without saying that I shall return. Pros: Cheerful servers. Tasty dishes. Romantic ambience. Cons: Closes too early on Saturday more
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Great! 3/11/2006

kara4725 Provided by Partner
I really liked this place. We stopped in (3 of us) on a Saturday night around 8pm, and were greeted at the door and led directly to a comfortable, huge booth. All the other places in the area were packed with people, so this was great. The ambience was awesome, and the food and service were excellent. Our water glasses were never empty! The drink menu had all kinds of drinks, which would great for many people but I prefer vodka so there were fewer choices than I am used to. Overall, we really liked it, and will go back. Oh, and try the sweet potato fries. Pros: Service, Food, Atmosphere Cons: None. more
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Breezy but beautiful 2/13/2006

evsta20 Provided by Partner
I walked into Holden's and was amazed by the ambience. I sat down with my date and ordered from a very professional and nice waitress. Soon the best meal I've eaten in a long time arrived. The restaurant was one of the best I've been to, and that's saying a lot. The only thing was that when the door opened, it sent a huge breeze through the place, to the point that people were requesting to be moved... however, this was a great place for a romantic or fun outing. Pros: great food, great setting Cons: too breezy more
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Good food, good service 11/14/2005

ckang Provided by Partner
Enjoyed the candlelight dinner atmosphere. Very ambient. You dont feel crowded even though the table next to you is within arms reach. Service was good Food was good. But my girlfriend and I ordered two completely different dishes, and they both had a simlar taste. To me, its a light fresh dinner. Desert was good. Excellent dinner for the price Pros: enjoyful food, ambience, romantic Cons: not much more
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wonderful service, nice romantic candlelit spot 10/23/2005

animalnanny Provided by Partner
Our server was one of the most genuinely nice servers I've had in ages. We went on a Monday and it was not busy. I loved the dark, candlelit feel of the restaurant. We started with calamari which had a wonderful crunchy batter. We both ordered pasta; the harvest tomato sauce linguini and the spicy garlic linguini. The garlic linguini had a nice kick to it. The harvest linguini was perfect fall, comfort food. I really wanted creme brulee, but was stuffed! I will have to return to try the much talked about fish tacos. Pros: romantic, good food Cons: smallish menu more
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Good Job Holden 7/1/2004

7_30_seating Provided by Partner
We've been to many many of the resturant's in Portland and most all of them in the Pearl, only a few of which were memorable. Holden's did an excellent job: food was fantastic, portion sizes not excessive or miniature, wine was tasty and the ambience was great--quiet and jazzy. We'll definitely return. Plus, for a change it, the prices were quite reasonable! more
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Great food, questionable service 10/18/2003

topherpierce Provided by Partner
Maybe we caught our waitress on her first night. She forgot things like utensils and appetizer plates followed by droping things on the floor. They also have a poor beer selection. No quality beers like Guinness, Lagunitas, Rogue, or anything substantial. The wine list was average. The food was appropriately priced for it's freshness, presentation, quantity and overall enjoyability. Bottom line Great Eats, Drink Elsewhere! Pros: great food Cons: sub-par service more
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Spectacular! 3/18/2003

frogger777 Provided by Partner
We have date night once a month, and are always on the lookout for a new and scrumptious place to eat. We have been disappointed in the past with some of the restaurants in Portland. Everything about Holden's was perfect and is what dining in Portland should be about. We will definitley go back again and again. Pros: cost, food, drinks more
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