Portland City Grill

I am writing this in August, 2008 about my dinner there on Friday, December 7, 2007, but I just found this site. I had a special friend that I flew up from Los Angeles to spend the weekend in the Northwest. Included was dinner at the Portland City Grill. This place has got to be one of the most special settings in Portland, and I really wanted special care for my guest. I was not disappointed with service or drinks, but was with the food. I believe we had fillet mignon, which was great, but the sides - mashed garlic potatoes - were an incredible disaster, dry and devoid of flavor. In any case, I did write the restaurant upon returning to Los Angeles, outlining that I came there, traveling quite a distance, and was disappointed with the meal. I never received any comments back from the place. My only feeling on this is, for such a great place, that the sides were so poorly managed . . . it was also disappointing that they never sent anything back - I was not looking for freebies or anything, just perhaps an acknowledgement, and something that says they are aware and working on the problem. So, overall, I would not have done it any differently, but perhaps send back the sides until they were done correctly, since that would be the only way to reach the management. more

Friends took me out for my birthday..very special occasion. We had reservations for 5:30PM on Saturday evening, figuring we could get a window seat, but alas, not meant to be. However, we had a very nice table witha semi-view. Having arrived early, we sampled the bar and some appetizers; very crowded, but totally cool atmosphere. Drinks and food were great. After we were seated, our waitress came over and introduced herself, asking who's birthday it was. She made me feel really special all night. Drinks and wine were great, the food orders were correct, although my filet mignon was a bit overcooked. She did ask that we cut into our steaks to see if they met with our approval, but I didn't want to return it, so I ate it. The meat was good, potato perfect, veggies satisfactory. I was given a complimentary desert (with spoons for everyone). All in all, a very nice, very special event. Pros: view, service, ambience Cons: food was good, but we've all had better. more

Portland City Grill is a great place to go to soak up some amazing views of the city and take advantage of some cheap happy hour appetizers. You also have to purchase a cocktail or ""beverage"" while in the lounge, so my fiancee and I decided to try Oregon's Pinot Noir because we've heard so much about it and love pinot noirs. We were greatly disappointed. We don't know if it was just this brand or if all oregon pinot's taste like watered down white zin with no body or fullness? So, we had to send it back because we weren't willing to pay $12 a glass for that. The waitress seemed a bit offended, but was accomodating. The happy hour appetizers were pretty good and pretty big for the price too. Overall the atmosphere here was not laid-back at all, a bit uptight, so we didn't really feel at home here. Would recommend this place for the views, but probably wouldn't go back again. If you want great food with a great atmosphere, we would recommend Park Kitchen. Pros: great views, happy hour Cons: uptight, bad oregon pinot noir more

We celebrated our anniversary here on Saturday night. We got a seat near the window. The view is spectacular. We had the crab cakes and lobster wonton appetizers. They were fabulous. We then had a dinner table also near the window. Reservations were needed. Dinner was perfect. Steaks, salads and the mocha creme bulee was sensational. I'd highly recommend City Grille for a special occasion or special event. more

The view is really 5+ stars, and makes it worth going. I've been there twice in the last month, and every few months during the past couple of years. The food ranges from average to very good, but not exceptional. Pros: View, view, bar menu, food for any taste, view more

I took my husband here for his birthday. When I made the reservations I let them know it was a special occasion and they went out of their way way to make it special. The views are of course great and the service was wonderful. Helpful but not hovering. The food was great!! I read one of the previous reviews about not being fresh, I'm not sure what happened but that was NOT our experience. My husband had the special steak oscar with asparagus and baked potato and thought he'd died and gone to heaven. He raved on and on about it. I had the lamb and it was done perfectly. We had the dim sum dumplings for an appetizer and loved how delicate they were. They brought my husband an apple bread pudding that had caramel sauce that was to die for. All in all it was a wonderful night. I did chat with two young women sitting at the next table who were from Japan who were dinning extensively on the sushi and they said it was wonderful. Pros: The food, the service and the view Cons: current construction arround the building can make getting to the garrage a little longer. more

This is a great restaurant. Very classy, good food, good drinks, spectacular views. However, we have requested a table w/a view the last few times when we made reservations weeks in advance and we were assured we would get a great table and then when we show up it's not a table by the window! The food is excellent, but sometimes we feel it's a little overpriced. Very good, but I don't necessarily think the menu prices should be as high as they are. (That's my only complaint.) more

This is my first time writing a review of any kind, but I thought my dining experience needed to be heard. We had reservations at 8:15 on Sunday night, to celebrate my daughters birthday (her choice). Service was perfect, our waitress was very knowledgeable about wine selections, and helpful in suggesting food items. I drink a lot of water and my glass was never empty. If the food had been half as good as the service I would have given 5 stars. I ordered the Kung Pao Calamari as an appetizer, the kung pao sauce was very strong, but it would have to of been much much stronger to over power the fishy taste of the squid, it was NASTY. Our salads were acceptable and my wife had the salmon and it was about average in taste. My daughter had sushi, and said she has had better. I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Jumbo White Prawns, it was pretty on the plate, but it was not fresh and the taste was unremarkable. The view is amazing. The worst part was not at the restaurant, it was after we returned home, where my wife and I spent half the night on the toilet. This is one place you will never see me again. Pros: service, view, ambience, easy parking Cons: food, food, food, sitting on the toilet half the night (WASH YOUR HANDS PEOPLE) more

All the happy hour items were delicious the cocktails were fabulous. Happy hour gets crowded fast I had to stalk a table for 30mins before my friends and I can sit down. After the waiting then great service, ambiance and delicious food. Would go back again. Pros: Happy Hour Cons: Waiting for tables more

The food is excellent and the menu changes often to avoid the mundane. The staff is busy and overworked, but they seem to be happy and helpful in suggesting potential drink options. The view is absolutely amazing! You can get drunk from just looking out the window. A must do for all out-of-town guests. Pros: View, food and service Cons: Waiting for a seat during happy hour more

I had a great time, do not get me wrong, great happy hour, good food, fabulous locations, but a few days later my reciept and by bank statment did not match up. The waitress add more to her tip when I even gave her over the recommended amount. Pros: View Cons: Seating, waitress more

My favorite place to go out for the night. This restaurant is beautiful, from the friendly staff to the wonderful view to the amazing food. Just a perfect dining experience every time! Pros: Amazing waitstaff, excellent food, beautiful restaurant, wonderful bar Cons: slightly confusing location the first time, sometimes a short wait more

With a view like this they could get away with mediocre food but they don't! The steaks are top notch, appetizers are great and the service is excellent. Worth every penny! Pros: All thumbs up!!! Cons: Didn't find any more

Delightful! Delicious food. I enjoyed the atmosphere very much!!! The service was prompt and wonderful. Pros: The view, service, food Cons: Price more

Please be aware that Portland City Grill does not reserve specific table, such as seats along the window. As you say, Veronica, people do tend to sit for quite a while; it is partially for that reason that window tables can't be promised. It is a challenging enough dance to maintain flow of a restaurant and honor reservations; for a high volume restaurant like Portland City Grill it would be impossible to honor reservation times for those few specific tables. You never know if a party will stay for 45 minutes or 4 hours. Also, everyone wants a window table. If Portland City Grill did take window reservations, you would have to call weeks in advance or sometimes even months to reserve one. It may seem unfair to someone who didn't get what they wanted but it is the most fair system possible. Everyone can get a window table if they are willing to wait, and if you make a reservation you'll get one more quickly than a person who walked in without a reservation. It all depends on how many people have decided to wait on that given night. Sometimes you may get one without any wait at all. more

I can't see what the fuss is, because it was full, people sat forever, no one got up from the window seats, which we wanted. They really SHOULD take reservations for those, but they refuse to. The food was average, although my ny steak was nicely charred. Relatives liked it but it was too dark and our table was in a very awkward position. Seems like the view would be better on a day you could see out the window in the distance. Probably will not go back more

After only 2 visits, the City Grill has become a favorite of me and my girlfriend... We really enjoy the appetizers, and especially the Mai Tai drinks they make... So delicious, and they pack one heck of a buzz! Pros: Incredible view, from the 30th story! more

My husband and I have dined at a few restaurants all over the world, the ambience in this restaurant is amazing. I love the pianist, there. The food was good, service was exceptional. My favorite dish is the sampler appetizer, I love that I have a wide selection of apps on 1 plate. The steaks are good as well. more

Four of us dined at the Portland City Grill for my daughter's birthday. We had requested a window table and got it, the service was great and the meal terrific. The only problem with the entire evening was the sushi. Ick. Yes, this is a great restaurant, but we have had better sushi at many other Portland restaurants. The sushi we had as an appetizer kept falling apart. The rice was dry and not your typical sushi rice at all. We were very dissapointed that such a highly regarded restaurant just couldn't seem to get the rolls right. What a shame. So go for the views and the great steaks, but skip the sushi. Pros: Views, steaks, service Cons: Sushi more

I wanted to take my wife to a spectacular dinner in Portland for our 4th anniversary, and research as well as word of mouth suggested the PCG would probably rock our socks off. I made an 8:30 reservation on Saturday night. We arrived, dressed nicely, at 8pm and checked in, then went to the bar. Had a couple fruity booze drinks. It's a pretty 'happening' bar- many attractive 20-30 year old guys and gals. Buzzer rang at 8:15 for out table. more