Screen Door

Don't be fooled by the impatient people who post negative comments about reservations, service, etc- This is not a large space, and the line is long BECAUSE THE FOOD IS OFF-THE-HOOK good. If you don't get there early then that's your problem. The food is constantly great and their unique menu items are one of a kind. So don't worry about anything else but the food- that's what really matters and it is incredible. My personal favorites are the pumpkin pancakes and buscuits and gravy from the breakfast menu. Good prices and drink selections as well. Pros: Quality of the food speaks for itself. Cons: The wait. more

I have been here multiple times for dinner and have been pleased. Breakfast? Don't bother!! I won't go back. We had a reservation for 10. We were told to get there by 9:00 AM sharp and to let them know we were all there. (they won't seat you unless the entire party is there). So, I arrived to a very long line. I went in front of the line to tell the hostess we were there. She was totally RUDE! Never smiled, never greeted us, and told me to get to the back of the line so as not to mess of the line formation. I wanted to leave right then, but our group decided to give it a go. We were seated a few minutes after 9:00 but were not served breakfast until 10:15. The waiter we had was awesome and made up for the horrible initial greeting. Do youself a favor and don't go for breakfast. NOT WORTH IT!! Too many other good restaurants with owners who are happy to have your business. Go there instead. more

This is by far one of my favorite Portland restaurants. Let's start with the drinks..the Rhett Butler and the Porch Swing Lemonade are incredible...not too sweet with just enough flavor...sometimes I do ask for less sweetness in the Rhett Butler though. Note: The porch swing lemonade has chunks of fresh sage in it, so stay away if you dont like sage..I happen to LOVE it in this drink.\r \r Now on to the food...the fried chicken is some of the best in town and the house made hot sauce on the tables is the best with it. They always have delicious local organics to choose from if you want a salad, soup, etc. The brisket is delicious and the pecan crusted trout is incredible. \r \r It is great for groups but you have to get there like 30-40 mins early and put your name in if you have a group of say 6-10. We went last weekend with a group of 8 and only had to wait for an hour (put my name in at 7pm). \r \r Also, there are plenty of vegetarian options for those interested.\r \r Screen Door is hands down my ""go to"" consistently delicious retaurant in Portland. Pros: great drinks, great food, jovial atmosphere Cons: dont take reservations more

We sat at the bar because of the long wait, but it was still great! From the bar we had a great view of the kitchen. They offer a great home style menu along with a local organic selection that can be incorrporated into your meal. They also had a great selection of local organic wines. Dessert was by far the best we had in Portland, the pear crisp was to die for!!! Great place!! Highly recommended Pros: atmosphere, food, local wine Cons: long wait, small place more

First let me validate. I am originally from Texas and I am used to Southern food being prepared with a certain style and flavor. First, a sweet tea should start off sweet and not watered down to try and stretch it. Secondly, smokeless brisket that's passed off with a tomato paste based BBQ sauce is not quite passing as acceptable for a person from the south. Also, the fatty riddled brisket was quite tough. The bland horseradish and bacon potato salad without the yellow mustard was a big disappointment. I expect and accept all Southern cuisine to have it's own unique presentation and flavor, but, to pass off foods prepared in a substandard manner and call them Southern style is offensive to real Southern cooks. The highly overpriced single serving of pecan pie was not only lacking in body but substance as well. It's sad to say the best and most authentic part of the meal was the green beans. On the whole I felt as though I was misled to Southern style dishes or cuisine that was highly over rated. I have personal experience in hosting Soul Food samplers for community events and I truly expected to taste more authenticity for a highly rated Southern cuisine restaurant. On a positive note, I did sample my date's chicken and dumplings that was very tasty and well represented the Southern style cuisine I am accustomed to. Pros: Very good service, nice home like feel Cons: Misrepresented food more

Screen Door is one of our favorites! Everyone that we've introduced to SD love it!\r \r Pros: Reasonably priced, good service, consistantly good food! Cons: long wait, no reservations more

The ambiance, food, service and cocktails are amazing. It is totally worth the wait. A must eat spot in Portland. Pros: Food and Service Cons: Wait more

My mom and I had dinner here last week. We split the Beef Brisket and the Fried Chicken. Both were divine. The chicken wasn't greasy and the tasso ham gravy was divine (strong smoky, slightly spicy flavor). The potato salad had a bit of horseradish, dijon mustard, and bacon in it (yum!). The green beans also had bacon in it. The sauce on the brisket wasn't sweet and the onion straws (think thin strands of onion rings) were terrific. The only complaint I had regarding the food was that the beef brisket had a few largish sections of pure fat that had to be picked around, however that wouldn't stop me from ordering it again. Also, I think the owner should serve a larger side of gravy with the chicken and mashed potatoes. A small ramekin was not enough. And if someone orders an extra side, you shouldn't charge them for it (especially when they had to ask for it three times before they finally got it). If you need to, make the cost slightly higher and be more generous in your gravy portions. Pros: Phenomenal food, food served relatively quickly Cons: Long waits, loud, slight attitude from host more

Good variety on menu, need to bring back red beans & rice! Pros: Best Southern fare in PDX Cons: Long waits more

Our daughter was in from LA and she'd heard friends rave about this restaurant. Her nose for good food is unfailing and once again, she was right on. The service was quick, professional and friendly. We had six different dishes including ""starters"" between us and all were excellent. Can't wait to go back, although we almost died from over-indulgence on this, our first, visit. Pros: wonderful service and food Cons: on street parking more

I used to live in the south and have eaten lots of good southern cooking in my day, and this place definitely ranks up there with the best. Food was to die for and the service and atmosphere were so much fun! Loved it, will definitely go back. Pros: Southern Cooking at its finest Cons: None, don't let the outside of the building fool you! more

The name ""Screen Door"" makes the restaurant seem sort of low-rent. I was invited by some friends, and reluctantly went along. As soon as I saw the menu, I knew I was going to like my dinner. When dinner came, I was so focused on enjoying my fried chicken, mashed potatoes and cornbread that I never really chatted with my friends. What a satisfying meal! Dessert was great, too. I left feeling 10lbs heavier, but in a positive way. =) I've eagerly recommended Screen Door to other friends. Pros: amazing southern cooking Cons: really busy, far from home more

Alright, one of my best friends raved about this place and so I went there not too long ago with her and another friend. I have to say, I'm not impressed AT ALL. I figure it's because of the service of my particular waitress, but she certainly did not make me pleased to be there.\r \r I ordered the vanilla bean french toast. It certainly didn't look like vanilla bean french toast, but the waitress assured me it was. Guess what? I got the regular french toast, though I did not discover it until the check came and my food had been eaten. Also, my girlfriend ordered a mimosa. I know the waitress heard her because she wrote down the order while REPEATING the exact word ""MIMOSA."" 20 minutes later, no mimosa and no waitress. I had to snag some other guy and get him to bring it.\r \r The waitress only checked on us once, and then we had to practically beg for the check so we could get OUT. \r \r I will try the screen door again, yes I will. The food, even though it was not what I asked for, was good. I left feeling good about the food, but very, VERY ill-tempered. The waitress was nice, but she just did not get it. New girl, maybe? Train her better. I wish I could say something else nice about this restaurant. Pros: good food, nice decor and area Cons: bad service, forgetful waitress more

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This is the place to woo those out of town guests that you really really want to move to Portland. You will want to take them to brunch (only available on the weekends). The wait is quite lengthy but here is what you do: Put your name on the list then go next door and enjoy some of the best coffee in town at Blend. Play a game of Scrabble or maybe Monopoly..then boom! Your table will be ready and your extraordinary appetite will be rewarded with vast amounts of food....order the chicken and waffles and share the praline bacon as an appetizer. I am from the south and love southern food and I feel at home at the screen door...only there are no hipsters in Kentucky... Pros: Quite impressive menu with large quantities of food. Cons: The cornbread is not southern it is sweet which is clearly northern. more

I've been to Screen Door many times now, and most recently went with friends last Saturday night. We are never let down. They don't take reservations for parties of less than 6, so we had a wait & waited an hour. We wouldn't normally wait this long anyway, but we brought people that had never been and really wanted to try it. Once we were seated the service was really prompt - they have a great cocktail list and wine list. The portions are large - my salad was $7.50 but huge, big enough to share. The hushpuppies were only $5.95 and also huge. Each of our entrees were wonderful - all piping hot and again - huge portions. I've had their fish dishes several times (always good), my hubby always gets the Screen Door plate (any 3 side dishes). Lots of yummy sauces with everything. Food & service are always good and our friends said it's now one of their favorite restaurants. Pros: Large portions, quality food, reasonable prices Cons: Very busy - long wait on weekends more

We found the food to be ok at this place which is too bad as being from Lousianna and missing good southern food. The hush puppies, while some of the best we've had outside the south (crispy outside, tender inside which, outside the south, is nearly impossible to find), were not nearly sweet enough and required the mustard sauce to get them there. The greens, while flavorful, were overcooked as you WOULD find them in the south but the overcooking is totally unnecessary. \r \r My husband had the grits and shrimp... very ""just ok."". We are convinced that the grits were quick-cook grits (no self-respecting southerner eats quick-cook grits unless you are in a diner!). The grits were congealed by the time of arrival at our table and bland. Good slow-cooked grits are creamy and rich and full of flavor from the corn and the cream and the butter and DON""T congeal within minutes.\r \r The rutabaga and brussell sprout gratin was so ""just ok"" it was depressing. How can cream and cheese and what should be flavorful vegetables be bland?\r \r On the bright side, my entree (the pecan trout with creamed greens and roasted potatoes) was a huge portion and quite tasty. The trout and potatoes were cooked perfectly. \r \r Additionally, the prices were really reasonable - especially for the portion size.\r \r I'm not sure I'll venture here again - what with so many other great restaurants in Portland to explore. Pros: Huge portions; reasonable prices Cons: Most of the food was just ok more

The best breakfast spot ever. I am vegan and my hubby is a meat eater and there were many choices for both of us. I had a wonderful hash of potatoes and vegetables with the option for tofu or cheese if you wanted it. They also had a great option of pure maple syrup to go with their platter sized pancakes. There were many specials that change every weekend so you will never get bored. I could see it becoming my Sunday spot. Also, my husband is a self proclaimed coffee snob and he thought their coffee was wonderful. I think any breakfast craving you may have will be satisfied by something on the menu.\r Thumbs up all the way around ! Pros: Tasty, fresh and healthy options Cons: May be a wait but it's worth it more

Every time I come here I'm always happy I did. Their fried green tomato BLT is beyond description, and the menu is so large that no matter who I bring they can always find something they like. Nice decor and friendly atmosphere. Pros: Food, Ambience Cons: Sometimes the servers are swamped, long lines more

We just went for our first time last Sunday evening & LOVED it!! Wonderful southern-style food and very attentive host & servers! The food was spectacular - especially the pimento cheese, hush puppies, pulled pork sandwich, macaroni & cheese and the fried chicken. We ordered way too much food, but have loved eating the leftovers the past couple of days. There was a bit of a wait, but it was definitely worth it! We will be back!! Pros: Food, great service, atmosphere Cons: Waiting for a table, but it's worth it! more