Merchant Of Venice Cafe

I guess the quickest way to go is to bullet the problems. A group from work went to have lunch at Merchant today and... * Smallish circular table for seven big guys... and no, they can't push two other tables together for us despite having done so for an other group. * "Sorry... not enough menus so you'll have to share." First, there was hardly anyone in the place yet. Second, why don't you have enough for everyone? * Small glass of lemonade of which they ran out... and still charged full price! * Three of us ordered small pizzas. Mine was different. They brought out three of the same. * He actually came back w/ the wrong pizza and asked, "wouldn't you like the same pizza as your friends?" You've got to be kidding! * The remake of the pizza took so long, I finally told him that we needed to go and to forget it. It was still on the bill. * It took so long for the bill to arrive that the pizza finished. He offered to pack it and not charge; even though it had already been charged. * Got the to go... it was burnt, not as-ordered, and packed in a box half the size needed. I've been to this store once before and it was alright. This time convinced me to never go again. more

My husband and I have dined here a number of times, each time hoping it will be good and being disappointed. We live close by and would love to see this restaurant take it up a notch! I would hope someone from the restaurant will read the reviews and take suggestions. Here are mine: 1) Take away the butcher paper and crayons. This just doesn't seem like the place for young children to be happy in. 2) Get rid of the paper napkins (at least for dinner) and small wine glasses. (I don't want to drink wine out of a glass that has scuff marks on it from the dishwasher) 3) Train your wait staff. They don't seem bad, just don't seem to know what to do. 4) The food...be consistent. The pizza and pasta dishes seem to fare well, but other dishes can be bland and blah. Pros: Nice location, Nice atmosphere Cons: Inconsistent more

The food was ok the few times we have been there, if a often unimaginative. The consistently poor service has ensured that we won't be going back. Servers 'forgot' dessert or beverage orders, and once brought the wrong entree. It can be hard to get served here, at all, even if you can get a seat quickly, making it a place to go after a matinee, not before an evening show. The space does have the open, warehouse feel so don't expect to be able to carry on much of a conversation when they are more than half full. more

Lunch. Quickly seated and staff provided high chair for our son. Had crab cakes as an appetizer consisting of 3 tiny cakes. I could barely taste the crab and considered this dish poor. My partner had ravioli with cheese and mushrooms which was quite tasy but the serving was small - so you hearty eaters might be disappointed. My meatball sandwhich was very dry with so little sauce that I could barely taste the tomato - more a preparation failure a think. Wine list was small but the two vintages we selected were quite respectable. I think you can get a good meal here but it's a little hit and miss. Suggest you stick to pasta dishes containg ingredients that exicte you. Pros: Not a chain, Interesting menu, parking Cons: uneven results, small portions more

People had talked this restaurant up so much that I my expectations were pretty high going into it. Perhaps too high. The food was okay, nothing to write home about. The service was okay. The whole place lacked ambiance. It definitely has that eating in a strip mall kind of feel. I would probably take a client here for a good lunch, but if you're looking for a romantic dining spot, this may not be the place. Pros: Friendly Service, Good Parking, Good Bar Cons: Nosiy, Low Ambiance, Spendy 4 what u get more

My husband and I adore this little place. We live in Beaverton and so Orenco is a nice, classy "mini-village" to escape to when we don't have time for our other favorite haunt, NW 23rd Street. Merchant is one of our very favorites. The food is excellent, the service impeccable, the atmosphere sweet, intimate and personable. The cost is also very reasonable for what you get--far less expensive than some of the downtown Italian restaurants. Visit Merchant soon! Pros: romantic atmosphere, great value, friendly wait staff Cons: none more

The Merchant of Venice is a wonderful dining experiece. The food is excellent, and the the service is exceptional. The service staff treats you like family. I took my father there to eat last week, and he loved the Halibut! more

Approx. $10.00 for 8 pieces of ravioli. You do get some bread dipped in olive oil/vinegar as an appetizer, but that doesn't really make up for it. The food was average at best (my ravioli is way better). The waitress was a snob. I only went because I had a coupon, and I will not be back. I guess with the amount of rent they pay in Orenco Station, they can't afford to serve you more food. Pros: Nice atmosphere more

My husband and I eat here every Tuesday night for our "date night", while my parents babysit our son. The pizza is delicious, the pasta is amazing, and the salads have made friends and family moan. Several people have told us it's the best lasagna they've ever had. Our servers are always the same two or three people, they're wonderful. There are crayons on the table, and I always get compliments on my art. Over our year or so of going there we've had two issues with the food; one dish was too cold and once the pizza was burnt. Both times the waitstaff apologized profusely and got me completely new dishes. But that was twice out of maybe 50 visits. We've sat outside, inside, and at the bar, and received great service at all three locations. Pros: Great service, Amazing salads, Outdoor seating more

I had a delicious spinach salad with blue cheese, artichokes, hazelnuts, and marinated onions . Plentiful, very fresh and tasty. Tiny Lamb chops, perfectly cooked, but swimming in the glace. Mashed potatoes were strange tasting, rather powdery. . Also my meal was barely hot-- which leads to the server-- who was pleasant but slow. I never got my requested refill for tea. The ambiance was your basic "tasteful orenco warehouse space" It has a cold feel, and the chairs are too small. The space needs to be broken up a bit. Neither the food nor the ambience seems Italian, more like NW fusion with a nod to Italy. I might go back for some more tiramisu, and get it to go. I did not enjoy sitting there. Pros: nice people, good food Cons: , slow service, uncomfortable seats more

I am so tired of drinking wine in boring, traditional wine glasses. No problem here! I didn't care about the lack of wine glasses - nor did my date, who actually had wine with dinner. The food was good, maybe above average, though certainly not super-great, and the portions a bit small, but we had a good time. Pros: overall experience more

This place is very kid-friendly, and the food is authentic. If you expect to get "American 'Italian'" food here, don't bother going, because there's no "stuft crust" pizzas; this place is the real deal. Bring a toddler and watch the staff and owner dote on him/her; a kiss on the cheek is not out of the ordinary. The ambiance is open, airy, and light. I'd go again. In fact I plan to soon. Pros: Family-friendly, Warm Atmosphere, Good Food Cons: Far (Hillsboro) more

Honestly, if all you can find wrong with a place is whether or not they have wine glasses, you seriously need to get a life! Now, the atmosphere is pleasant. Couples are seated either in front of a window or on the wall, so romance IS possible! The food, however it is a little rushed, is delightful, made with customer appreciation in mind! The dessert offerings are tremendous. The value for the dollar is there, and the portion sizes rival any other upper end restaurant! Big city food and service with small town price! A definite must try if you enjoy great Itallian cuisine! Pros: Friendly Service, Good Food, Great Value Cons: Rushed Courses, Menus Challenging, Limited Wine Choices more

Overpriced for what you get. The food was average. The room itself was nice and open. I won't be going back. more

Merchant is a wonderful place to enjoy great Italian food in a comfortable atmosphere. The staff is knowledgeable and curteous and the food is always on. It's also a great place to take your kids - they can feel right at home. more

I agree about the wineglasses.....there are none. They serve wine in short juice glasses, it kind of takes some of the celebration out of it. The food was mediocre at best, just rather middle of the road on flavor...and I ordered a spicy dish! The space is lovely. I would live in the neighborhood in a heartbeat. Certainly worth a try, but I'm not sure I'll return. Kind of pricey for the quality/portions received. Pros: beautiful space, easy, free parking Cons: bland food, lack of wine glasses? more

Food was reasonable and reasonably priced. The wine glasses were bizarre and unbecoming. We wondered why the restaurant was mostly empty at 7 PM on a Saturday evening. more