ROUX

some had a bad time here, but don't listen because roux is really a phenomenal place. one reviewer stated they left before getting food, they ordered but didn't get their food: I wonder why they didn't stand up and track down their waiter rather than writing a negative review. small independent restaurants live and die by these reviews, and it is awful prissy to order food and then get up to leave when it doesn't arrive. we have visited roux countless times and found the food to be everything we heard it to be and the staff was helpful and beyond friendly and very competent at each moment on each visit. every business has an off-night, and communication about the late meals would have likely led to a meal comp and no negative review and so much better for the people, the staff, roux, portland, oregon, and on and on and on and on. go and support this local business who do great most all of thetime! more

We dined there on Saturday night and if you want an early reservation you should have no problem getting in. We were delighted by the selection and service. The portions were just perfect, not to big or small. It allowed us to share an appetizer, side vegetable and desert and not leave uncomfortably full. Every Item we tried was a delight with its taste, aromas and visual appeal. We have dined at many Cajun restaurants including New Orleans. Although the food does not claim to be original Cajun recipes its renditions to their origins it unique and delicious! Cons: not enought lighting to read the menu well. more

Decent atmosphere and decor, where you can seclude yourself to a booth, or have partial visibility of other diners. Drinks were very slow in delivery, pricey, and tasted like an amateur mixed them. The duck confit doesn't seem like true confit at all, as it was relatively dry and seemed more like a duck leg browned in rendered fat, stored for the day, and warmed in the oven before being served. Couldn't detect the slightest bit of oyster in the stuffing. Cherry sauce was nice, but didn't make up for the entire dish. Hush puppies were non-descript, and the dipping sauce is a total mistake, tasting like some creamy balsamic concoction...couldn't tell?? The desserts looked fantastic, but I wasn't in the mood to give them a try. If you want great creole that is worth the cost, I very much recommend Acadia. more

Not sure why there were bad reviews about the service? We were there last Friday and the service was outstanding (and they were busy). Our waiter was very attentive and we felt like special guests! And the food - oh my - it was delicious! You all need to try the steak.....and the rabbit.....and the deserts. Pros: Food, service, and wine list Cons: Not enough room to try another dessert more

This was my first experience at Roux and the food was fabulous. The service, however, was not just sub-parr; it was terrible. When you go to a place that gets such great reviews you expect to have an equally great experience as the other reviewers. This was absolutely not the case at this restaurant. My party of four was on time for our reservation but when we arrived we had to wait for the hostess arrive to greet us while we stood in front of the main entrance dodging waiters. After we were seated it took at least 30 minutes for our waiter to take our drink order. Another 20 minutes later we actually received our drinks. After 2 more interactions with our waiter, he still never asked us if we were ready to order although at this point it had been well over an hour. Eventually, one of us had to roust him to have our order taken. When the food began coming out, we got our oysters for the table and only two of us received our meals because the waiter forgot the rest of the order. At this point everyone was frustrated with all of this as well as not having had water refilled after the first five minutes we were there. In short, the kitchen was great but the service was so awful I will never recommend this restaurant to anyone let alone eat there again. more

I have been to Roux a couple of times--and while I enjoy the cuisine and the service is good, I will never go back there! Because it is too freakin' loud!! I remembered the second time what I didn' t like about it the first time--it had been awhile--was there with a group for my daughter's birthday, and gave up trying to shout across the table to communicate with diners who were not right next to me. It really ruined a fun evening and the good food--and I am someone who goes to loud rock concerts and enjoys them. So it wasn't just noisy, but over the top loud. more

It had been awhile since I'd been to Roux for dinner, so I was curious to see if it still held that same charm for me. I'd heard some murmers about high prices, but I have to say, it was worth every penny, and one of the best dinners for 2 I've had for a long time for under $100. We started out with a few of Roux's signature cocktails, and (our favorite) crawfish pie ,as well as a beet salad w/ greens,goat cheese and a zippy horseradish vinagrette.The real surprise came on the entree side- they had a selection of "hand-cut" steaks and we decided to go for the NY w/ a extra add on of crab; hollandaise came on the side and we opted for the twice baked potato w/tasso as our chosen side dish. Now, I've had plenty of steaks in town, from Bluehour to Henry Fords (sigh) to the Ringside, and this one is as good as any I've, except it was cheaper!! .It was perfectly cooked medium rare, with just enough fat on the side to make it the real deal. Great price and quality.We also had the Hunter chicken with wild mushrooms & tasso, and it was probably the best chicken I've ever had- perfectly cooked meat and the rich earthy mushrooms & delicious sauce- wow. Delicious food, interesting wine & cocktail selection and a very competant wait staff (rare in this town) puts Roux back on the top of my list!!! Love those booths! . Pros: Great food and drink, and incredible value. Best Restaurant in North Portland & one of the top 10 in town. Cons: Can get noisy when busy. more

We booked the private dining room at Roux for my wife's birthday party - and we couldn't have been happier. The atmosphere of the room is incredibly cozy - warm lights, dark wood, pleasant jazz in the background - but the food was the most amazing part of the experience. We decided to order off the main menu of the restaurant instead of opting for a pre-fixed menu. All of our guest (30 of them!) raived about the food - and the best part was that everyone was able to order what they wanted. The servers were attentive, but you hardly noticed them at all. It was like hosting a dinner party at your house - except everyone ate what they wanted, drank what they wanted - and we didn't have to do the dishes. If you have reason to celebrate something special in the future, you should defintely think about Roux! My wife has already booked my birthday party there.....I can't wait! Pros: Easy parking for large groups, attentive staff, amazing food Cons: Couldn't find one more

Our realtor gave us a gift certificate after moving to Portland from Chicago. We had heard great things from our neighbors and other friends. Things started well. The oysters were amazing and I don't really like oysters. But then the main dishes arrived. Everything tasted like burnt charchol which I think was supposed to be your famous roux. Desert was just OK. Thank God for the gift certificate, because I would have been very disappointed if I had to fork over my own money. It wasn't worth the $100+ we spent. Given that other people have had better experiences I would like to hope that the head chef was off for the night. I have no desire to go back. more

We went here specifically because they were the 2006 Best Of for Bloody Marys and they did not disappoint. If you like BM's you must try theirs. I went with 3 other adults and everyone had great meals. The Eggs Benedict with fried tomato was amazing, as were the quiches. Really, very good food. On a negative note it is not only not kid friendly, but it is kid unfriendly. We asked for a high chair for our 10 month old and it was dangerously wobbly. The screws were literally falling out of it. Repeated requests to the staff for help fixing it went unanswered so I used up using my car key to screw it together. Even while taking 5-10 minutes to do that not one staff-member asked if they could be of assistance. In this aspect they were quite disappointing and as such only earn 4/5 stars from me. Pros: Food and Bloody Marys Cons: Not kid friendly more

A friend and I had a wonderful breakfast at Roux this morning. I had the Dungeoness Crab Benedict and could easily go back tomorrow and chow down again. The eggs were perfectly poached, and there was a good about of crab meat, which made paying $14 for the breakfast just fine. The home fries were slightly cajuny and perfectly browned. I am excited to have a great place like this in my neighborhood, especially since there was no wait. Service was excellent, but we did have to wave the server down to get our bill. The food came out really quickly and several people checked in w/us to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. My ONLY complaint is that, without thinking to look at the price, I asked for green tea. My friend and I were shocked when the bill arrived, charging me $5 for some hot water and tea leaves. The tea was good, don't get me wrong, but really, 5 bucks? I could enough tea to last me a couple weeks for that price. If I had known I was going to spend $5 on a beverage, I would have ordered an alcoholic drink. Anyways, rant over. This place is awesome, the sausage gravy is killer, and I seriously considered the asking the stranger sitting next to me for a bite of his fried chicken. I'm excited to visit Roux again for dinner and imagine I won't be disappointed. more

My boyfriend and I have been there several times, We have loved it every time. Great drinks, great service and great Tasso Shrimp!! Try the craw fish pie regardless of how you feel about crust and enjoy a Sunday Confession!!! MAKE THE TRIP!!! Pros: Shrimp!!!!! Cons: Small Space!! Not for Kids!! more

I'm a North Portland resident. For the past two years, Acadia has been my favorite French-Creole restaurant, with Roux a close second. [disclaimer: I've never ventured south of Fremont to try similarly themed restaurants, but I've eaten several meals in New Orleans and am a big Emeril TV fan.] Tonight that changed. I've always known the great quality of the food available. Tonight the level of service pushed it over the top. When one dines alone at the south end of the bar, one has an unfettered view of the staff. Whether is is salads, bar menu (oysters on the half shell like no other, crawfish pie that makes you rethink the whole crawfish thing), dinners (tonight was oven-roasted chicken with garlic potatoes and vegetable -- a favorite for this foodie) or dessert (although I didn't order a dessert, I received a couple of small chocolate shortbreads that amazed me) -- you cannot go wrong with the food. On the drinks side, I have tried one cucumber sort of martini (pretty nice), but am basically a wine guy. The pinot is Willamette Vineyards -- acceptable. I'd be more excited with a Tori Mor pinot at the $10/glass price. But tonight the service was outstanding. I've always had good personal service, but I hadn't noticed the attention to detail that occurs that is not directly diner-related. A server preparing after-dinner espressos who not only warms the cups prior to pouring the coffee, but smelled the cream before pouring it into the creamer. A bartender who holds every glass up to the bright northern window and then polishes all smudges that might be detected. A server not responsible for the bar noticing an empty plate and quietly removing it from me. Excellent food has always been my Roux experience. Excellent service tonight sealed the deal. rscowboy more

Roux is a fabulous well-kept Portland secret... I love it! This my special occasion, can't get enough, amazing food place. It's kind of spendy, I love the oysters and the Rabbit and it's hard to get out of there under $50/head. The drinks are fabulous - the "Big Easy" is impossible to beat. Make reservations....although a well kept secret in an up and coming neighborhood, Roux's getting a great name for itself and is more crowded all the time! Pros: awesome food, friendly service, great atmosphere Cons: parking, crowded and a bit on the spendy side more

We attempted to eat brunch at Roux today, and failed, miserably. In the time between the two of us placing our order and our decision to simply walk out, we watched several neighboring tables arrive, order, receive their food, and finish eating. We had no explanation from the server as to why our orders were taking so long to arrive, but more than 45 minutes later with no food in sight, our server assured us that our food was "just being plated." Another 15 minutes after that, still without food, an explanation, or even an apology, we put five dollars on the table to pay for our coffee and left. The coffee was good, but I see no reason to return to Roux, despite the positive things I've heard about their food. This was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in Portland, and not one I care to risk repeating. (OK, maybe it's not fair to refer to it as a "dining" experience, since we never actually received our food, but that's sort of the point, isn't it?) Pros: Pretty good coffee Cons: Unapologetically incompetent service more

This was my first dinner at Roux last night. For a Thursday night 6:30, it wasn't busy at all. In general the food was ok. I ordered the hush puppies: 6 nice sized puppies. Dark golden brown in color and cooked to perfection. It didn't have much of a jalapeno flavor. I tried it first without the dipping sauce, but the remaining 5 had to be eaten with the sauce to give it a more well rounded flavor. The Crawfish pie that the server recommended was very good. We found that the crust was a bit bland and dry, but it worked fine with the filling. I had the jambalaya which had zero chorizo, two small pieces of duck, and 3 shrimp. And the portion was very, very small for an entree. My bf had the pork chop with oyster stuffing. The pork was over cooked just a bit, but the stuffing was good. We ordered three sides as well: whipped potatoes (which were mashed, not whipped), collard greens (slightly undercooked and the pieces were huge!), beets and turnips (no complaints there, shock!). For dessert, we had the Chocolate Nightcap and the Almond Cake. The chocolate "torte", if you will, was way too rich. The white chocolate coating on top was too thick. It looked like it had been frozen and pulled out just long enough to be served. My fork made a loud "clunk" when i tried to break into it at the first bite. I had imagined that it was going to be a chocolate espresso cake of sorts. But the espresso part was a shot with ice cream in it. The Almond Cake on the other had was pretty good. The ice cream portion was a little heavy on the almond extract flavoring. But overall the sour cherries and the cake and the ice cream was a nice balance to the whole dish. I can't really complain about the service. Our server was always at the ready, but not standing over us the whole night either. As it got later, the noise level increased. Not a great place for quiet and romantic. And the price was moderately expensive for two people, after two beers, two glasses of wine and a cup of coffee. Pros: Nice sampling of French-Creole cuisine, good list of libations Cons: Loud, inconsistent cooking temps more

Second time to ROUX last Saturday, didn't have reservations, and figured we'd have to wait a bit (our last visit we had to sit at the bar for about 10 minutes before being seated). The hosts (one girl, one guy) took our names and had us seated in one of the cozy booths five minutes later.Our server, Jen, was incredible. She was always available when we needed something, and had us laughing the whole night. We ordered a boiled crawfish appetizer and it was really fun and unique. They brought a tray that consisted of crawfish, roasted garlic, lemon, boiled potatoes and mushrooms. She showed us how to peel the first one, and after a little practice, we had it down. Something I'd normally not order, but fun for 4 people to share, and really delicious (nice detail, she brought hot rags to wipe up with).We weren't extremely hungry, so opted to share a couple appetizers and entrees.The Muffuletta Salad (sp?) was amazing, and huge (enough for four). Despite having meats and cheeses, it was very refreshing with a kind of lemon-herb dressing. We also had, at Jen's rec. the Crawfish pie. OMG! Spicy, creamy, and a perfect pie crust-- could have had 2. We ordered a Pork Chop with oyster dressing and Roasted Rabbit (apparently a signature dish). Again, OMG! The carrots on that dish could not have been better. Of the two dishes, we cleaned that plate for sure. We only ordered cocktails because the bar list looked too good, and each was very unique. I'm a traditionalist, and had the less adventurous Sazerac-- yum. Did notice on the list that they have 1/2 priced wine on Monday, and my boyfriend and I are already planning when we could come back to take advantage of that. Overall, we were so pleased with our return trip to ROUX. From our nice greating at the door, to Jen's service, (oh yeah, forgot about the great dessert that we really enjoyed-- lemon Chibouze sp?) to the food and to the fact that we got a booth, we had an exceptional time! We'll be back! Pros: Great, non-Portland Service, Drinks, Crawfish Pie! Cons: It wasn't 1/2 priced wine Monday! more

Just went to ROUX for the first time last weekend. Overall, it was a great experience. We had reservations and were seated promptly. The food was really terrific. Hushpuppies came in a delicious sauce and the crawfish pie was wonderful. The salads were very generously sized. The desserts (including the special sundae and lemon cake) were really terrific. The service was spotty - when we had our waiter's attention, he was extremely helpful. But when we didn't, he was somewhat hard to find. It was a busy night and in the end, didn't impact our nice time. more

We wanted to give the new Chef from New Orleans some time before we dined at ROUX again - but the anticipation was killing us - so we stopped in over the weekend. Even in the short time he has been there, you can taste the difference! The Trout dish we tried was INCREDIBLE - light and tasty, and the Jambalaya was to die for! If you liked ROUX before - you're going to love it now! As always - the wait staff truly made you feel like a welcomed guest. They are always there to make sure your experience is delightful. This still remains the jewel in North Portland! Pros: The Rouxby Red drink! Heaven in a glass. more

The food is not ordinary, it can restore you to life at the end of a soul-wearingly bad day. Been enchanted with Roux each time I've been there for dinner. This time, decided to take a group of friends and family to brunch, our server was sullen, unresponsive, unenthusiastic, and at times, just rude. We asked for two orders or beignets, she told us there were three to an order. When they came two to an order, she said, I don't work brunch, only dinner, and they give three at dinner. NO apology, no attempt to make the number closer to what we were expecting. Two of us having coffee had to ask for refills throughout the meal, not once was their an anticipated warm up. When another asked if she thought the trout hash would be as good as the crawfish omelette, she fell silent, and GAVE NO RESPONSE, just ignored it completely. In fact, this happened often throughout the meal, we would ask a question, she wouldn't answer, just drift away, and we'd all lean and ask each other, Did she hear that? Is she going to get us boxes? etc. Bewildering. The service in the past has been beyond exemplary, it has been impeccable, perfect service, warm and attentive, not stuffy, just genuine and you feel well taken care of. The food is too good, and our past experiences too positive to be too put off from ever coming again, but we are on our guard. more