I go to El Gaucho about a couple of times a year. I'm from NY, so I made a point of trying out all the supposedly good steak restaurants in Portland when I first moved here several years ago. So here's my review of El Gaucho: I've never had a bad service from valet, coat check to wait staff, they've always treated me and my company incredibly well. If you sit close enough to the kitchen, you'll see the steaks being cooked over the open charcoal flame which is fun but you'll be warm :) \r
Now on to food... admittedly, I've had better steaks in other cities (NYC, Chicago, LA and Dallas), but if you're looking for a good steak in Portland, El Gaucho does it well. They always have about a dozen sides to choose from (quite shareable portion, btw) and if you're at a loss for what to get, you can't go wrong by asking your wait staff.\r
Their table side Banana Foster is quite the show, but the taste wise, it's nothing you've never had it before - so save the money and just stick with their complimentary (read: free) cheese and fruit they give you after dinner.\r
Final note: their valet parking = $7\r
Pros: prompt attentive service, great date spot
Cons: it can get bustling on weekends
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