Oba Restaurante

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555 NW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

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(503) 228-6161
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Oba Restaurante - Portland, OR
Oba Restaurante - Portland, OR
Oba Restaurante - Portland, OR
Oba Restaurante - Portland, OR
Oba Restaurante - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 43 )
( 54 )
( 20 )
( 21 )
( 8 )

Best

We have been to Oba 3 times now, and every Filet was savory and amazing. They change the preperation frequently so we had different styles each time which makes it easy to go bac...

Worst

Let's face it. When Oba opened, it was unique and that alone was worth the visit. It attacted the ""in crowd"" and was the center of where everyone wanted to be. But newness ru...

Highly Over-rated, Extemely Over-priced 9/4/2006

I had heard many great things about this restaurant; perhaps the bar was set too high. I went to Oba! with a party of 5, which is certainly manageable for even a novice server. After waiting an hour for food (early on a somewhat quiet Saturday night), feeling unattended! to (it was tough to get refills), I was very unimpressed! with my unexciting! chicken dish for which I certainly payed too much. Overall, Oba! definitely lacked an exclamation point and could be described as as unimpressive! culinary experience based on the establishment's pricey Pearl location and unfitting! price point. Pros: Location, Bar/Drinks, Decor/Ambience Cons: Service, Price, the Food more
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Grass was greener on the other side 8/13/2006

I met up with some co-workers this past week at the bar at OBA. The group was looking for a celebration location that had a decent happy hour. OBA seemed like the choice, as Portland city grill would be packed with who knows what. From start to finish it was not up to our expectations. We felt as though OBA had been going through the same motions for some time (years) and their food and service suffered from lack of interest. After a gruling hour we were walking up the street and happend upon a restaurant called oleas? (hoyt & 13th or 14th)that also was featuring a happy hour. Talk about night and day. The difference that friendly (and interested) staff, with quality food can make. I might give Oba another chance in their dining room but I will be spending my happy hours at oleas. Pros: ambience Cons: happy hour food, service more
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Oh my...fabulous! 8/10/2006

We picked Oba for our anniversary and were not dissapointed. From the moment we walked in to till we signed the the check, we had a wonderful dining experience. The hostess was very friendly and made great recommendations! The cocktails were fresh and tasty, the crab cake appetizers had perfect taste, texture, sauce, and presentation! Our steak and salmon were perfectly cooked, exactly as we ordered. I've never tasted such succulent salmon at any resturant. If you're looking for rare salmon and have been dissapointed by over done, flakey fish in the past, trust this chef, it was perfect! Our water glasses were always full and our food and drinks, despite all the tables being full, arrived quickly. Pros: Perfectly cook meat, made to order Cons: A bit loud when full more
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Great food, Great Service, Great Atmosphere 7/31/2006

This restaurant came highly recommended and it was incredible, everything we were told and more! We loved the Rock Shrimp and Seafood Tamales, the Caesar Salad was excellent, and the Chocolate Decadence desert (with cinnamon ice cream) was to die for. Will definitely will go back. This is one of Portland's finest restaurants, in my top 5. Consistent in all areas, and we noticed people ""dining al fresco"" outside but we prefered the booths inside. Highly recommended, the staff was very friendly and the service gets a 10+ , the food was the best, I am already craving another Seafood Tamale, and be sure to try a margaritas! Pros: Tamales, Service, Drinks Cons: None, the place was perfect, wonderful experience more
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Slow slide continues, spotty service 7/16/2006

Oba has become a cliche of itself. What started as an inventive, fun, swanky hip hangout serving interesting and delicious fare has become a Pearl District mainstay that appeals mostly to tourists and the sentimental... Pros: ambiance, al fresco dining Cons: Inexperienced staff, overpriced, uninventive more
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AMAZING 7/5/2006

Walking into OBA you feel as if you've stepped into the coolest place on the planet. Going into a place with an adventurous menu seems to intimidate me at times. However our server Peggy won our hearts over and made it simple for us. She talked about the menu and sustainability. How OBA supports local farmers and buys not just local, but hormon free, free range and organic. She put such a unique twist on our visit you got the feeling she really loved OBA. And regardless of how busy it was she was so collected and made us feel we were the only people there. You would think this is normal in the restaurant buisness but I will tell you it is not! In every visit to OBA I find the staff very knowledgable about the menu and having a good time. I once had a bartender ask my name and remember it about a month later before pouring my cocktail from a high arcing pyramid!! Hands down OBA continues to impress not just my wife and I but everyone we send there. I believe OBA to be one of the only places left where food and service are art forms. Pros: Enthusiastic Staff and Artistic Food Cons: Everyone found my secret place more
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Oba is good but overhyped 7/5/2006

We went to this restaurant with some very rave reviews from some other people. It didn't really live up to the reputation. The decor is nice, with splashy colors and trendy wall decorations, but the seating arrangement of the tables leaves a little to be desired. You are very close to the other tables and can hear and watch everything your table neighbor is doing/eating. The waitstaff was friendly to us, including the bartender, where we waited because we were early for our reservation. The food was a bit of a disappointment, with small portions and hefty price tags. My boyfriend ordered the flank steak everyone raves about and it came so undercooked it was cold in the middle. This is a man who eats meat so rare that it still moos. If you want a rare steak, order it medium rare. I had a spicy tuna dish that was pretty good, but definately overwhelmed by the spices that were used. I couldn't taste anything but spice and I wanted to taste some fish (since it's what I ordered!). The cocktails here are some of the best and most unique in town, even though they have strange ingredients, they went down smooth. Pros: Great drinks, cool decor Cons: very overpriced for the portion sizes more
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Waaay too much hype 6/19/2006

This restaurant came highly recommended so my boyfriend and I went to try it out. It's a pretty restaurant, except that the tables are weirdly out in the open and the way that the staff moves around you made me uncomfortable. It was very loud. I had a nice cocktail (some raspberry and gin thing...yum) and we got a nice ceviche appy (YUM). My boyfriend had a steak (mediocre for the price) and I had the tuna. Now I'd heard many people rave about this tuna, but I really found it below average. The fish wasn't that fresh and it was almost tasteless. I am all for subtlty, but this seemed like the chef simply does not know how to handle tuna. The spices were odd and the other little dishes on the place did not compliment the fish at all. I don't understand what people love about this place - it's expensive, uncomfortable with below average to mediocre food. The waitstaff was nice but walked way too close to the tables for an upper-mid range restaurant. The one good thing there was the cocktail. I was so disappointed about the food that I had a couple more. Yum. That said, I am really not sure what all the hype about Portland's food scene is...I have yet to have a great meal in Portland. Pros: good drinks Cons: Bad food, uncomfortable. NOT romantic unless you want to be more
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Sunday happy hour all day! 6/17/2006

I love obas! I love the mango margaritas. The calamari is spectacular along with the salmon tostada and the prime rib coyotas! Also try the organic cheeseburger and the crispy coconut prawns. Always great service and good food! Pros: great food Cons: seating more
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Too much HYPE!! 5/27/2006

Upon walking into Oba, I thought that it could be something special. My wife and I ordered some drinks, five appetizers and a shared entree. The wait staff were very professional. The food was somewhat dissapointing. The seasoning was way off and the kitchen's execution of the menu is seriously flawed. This restaurant is better than the average place, but only go during happy hour to save a few bucks. You don't mind the food and drinks so much when it costs a lot less. Pros: Music, Wine, Service Cons: Sub-Par Food, Yuppie/Idiot Crowd more
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Surprised by poor reviews 4/4/2006

My husband and I dropped into Oba last night after we failed to locate our intended restuarant. We didn't have reservations and were seated promtly. Our waiter was extremely attentive and the food was excellent. Dessert was less impressive than our meals. more
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Been there many times 2/11/2006

I have taken my wife and children with ther spouses several time and have been there for Happy Hour with my wife. We have gone there for special occassions, birthdays and anniversayies and we have never been disappointed. The fish is fresh and succulent. Whatever is offered. The beef, pork and latin specials are always outstandng. One of my favorites is the half priced wine on Sundays. the wine list is excellent because it carries one of my favorites, Ridge Vineyards. I will be back - in fact tomorrow. We will celebrate St Valentine's day early to enjoy it all. Pros: Great food, Great wine and drinks, Excellent Service Cons: Parking, It can be noisy, Not very romantic more
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nothing special other than the bad service 1/20/2006

I wouldn't say Oba was bad, but I wasn't impressed. Arrived early for our dinner reservation and sat in the bar. Drinks were tasty and well made, but the bartender was extremely grumpy. He basically did not speak to us at all - we were just to assume that because he was looking at us we could order a drink. Once in the dining room we were treated to an incompetent server who continually put his foot in his mouth - from promoting that the fish special was something that had been hard to get because it was endangered.....is that a good thing?!?!? He then corrected my friend's Spanish pronunciation (friend happens to be Mexican and knows how to speak Spanish....oops), and completely forgot that we ordered a bottle of wine. The food was so-so but arrived lukewarm. It wasn't bad, but wasn't particularly good, especially for the price. Pros: bar, cocktails Cons: service more
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Latin-Inspired Northwestern Cuisine. 9/4/2005

Oba features a fun, artsy, and trendy dining room. Don't expect to find any traditional cuban or caribbean dishes here but rather entrees that have been influenced by the islands and are sometimes reinventions of the original. Still, you're in for some culinary fun. We started with some creative cocktails and the very tasty arepas. We also tried the Cuban Pulled Flank Steak. It was good. The wine list is interesting and fairly priced. The service was excellent. Pros: Decor, Service Cons: Parking more
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Oba rocks 6/9/2005

The food is not the best in the city, but the combination of very good food, different flavors and the atmosphere makes it my favorite place in Portland. I always have a great time when I'm here. Try the Oba Ceasar for a different take on that salad, as well as the steak/fish dishes. If anything is weak here, the deserts can sometimes be off but are usually (particularly the volcano cake) very good. Pros: Good food, Wonderful atmosphere, Great service Cons: Deserts sometimes off, Parking, Only Dinner more
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Overall okay 5/22/2005

The food was very fatty, I could not finish my fundito dip because there was so much oil on it. My strawberry margarita was great, and my boyfriend really enjoyed his food (and the rest of mine) Pros: vibrant, good drinks, good service Cons: fatty food more
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Great Fun Food 5/21/2005

Wonderful flavors, great attention to detail from service thru to dessert. Our server Rory was great. The other staff was very attentive. The food is terrific. Can save $ if you go for early bird specials or happy hour specials . Drinks are the best!! My favorite restaurant in Portland. Cons: noisy bar scene more
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Rory was an awsome server!!! 5/19/2005

I drove 100 miles to try this restaurant. I'm happy I never read the reviews here, because I probably would'nt have gone. We had a WONDERFUL experience. The food was excellent, my blood orange margarita was delicious and I can't say enough about our server Rory's knowledge of the menu, friendliness and service! Wow, it sounds like people are talking about 2 different restaurants. I think keeping reviews posted for a long time does a serious disservice to restaurants. Restaurant managers strive to improve problems and it's not fair for people to read a two year old review and believe that's the way things are. I am driving to Portland again tonight, just to go to Oba! Pros: great food, Rory, our server, extensive menu Cons: too noisy, too noisy , too noisy more
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happy hour is great 5/11/2005

i went in for happy hour. it was fantastic. i had the queso fundido(cheese dip) it was absolutely amazing. the drinks were great as well. You rarely see a food and drink happy hour. i will be back Pros: great food, cute waitresses Cons: non smoking more
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Great Restaurant 5/10/2005

Highly Recommended. Great location, atmosphere and happy hour food and drinks! more
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Menu for Oba Restaurante


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Editorial

  • This restaurant featuring Nueva Latin food is most family-friendly in the early evening(dinner service starts at 5 pm). Though upscale,...

  • 10/10/2012 Provided by KidScore
Additional information
  • Hours: Fri-Sat: 4pm-12:30am, Sun-Mon: 4pm-10pm, Thu: 4pm-11pm, Tue-Wed: 4pm-10:30pm
  • Payments: American Express, Discover, Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Pearl, Neighbors West - Northwest
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