Came over for the first time to celebrate my birthday with a few friends. We were meeting for…read moreHappy Hour and was surprised how big the lounge area was. There were many large seating area available. One main cedar table was a big attraction. There is a fireplace with a table by it We got a table. I ordered a Borgona, fruit puree juices mix with Sprite. Never had one, but sounded really good. It came and it was delicious and fruity for a mocktail. We ordered a shrimp ceviche and octopus skewers to start out with. The Shrimp Ceviche was very delicious and it was something that I was very happy to share it with my friends. It was a big portion of shrimp cocktail with salsa on the bottom and these large sized blue chips. It was so good that we ate it quickly. Octopus skewers was a tad charred. Yet very delicious especially if you eat it with the pineapple together. Brings out the flavor of the pineapples quite well. We ordered the Pork Belly Tacos and Mole Shrimp Tacos which came in 3. I absolutely loved street tacos filled with good fresh ingredients. And both of these hot the spot. The pork belly was an absolute great flavor of the pork belly. The Shrimp was delicious. Cook perfectly and easy to devour quickly. DeFuego Nachos had Jalapenos. But wasn't listed. The nachos were delicious and it was quickly devoured. Wings came in 4 wings with garlic parmesan with carrots and celery and ranch on the platter. Heavily garlic on the wings yet very delicious. Half wedge salad was a surprise how much there is in the salad. A lot of fresh veggies there with cherry tomatoes and sliced radishes in it. I had a absolutely fun experience celebrating my birthday here. DeFuego had Happy Hour from 3pm to 6pm, seven days out of the week. Seems the Happy Hour here is very popular. You have 21 appetizers to choose from on the Happy Hour Menu. There are Mocktails, and any drinks you want available. Definitely will come back again.

Shoot. Last night I took my boyfriend here to celebrate a special event & we left so disappointed!…read moreWe got there at 7:15 & we were stuck there for over 2 hours! I ordered 2 things and both came out wrong. Our waitress spoke very loudly and we could hear her having long personal conversations with people a couple tables away from us for 10+ minutes at a time, several times. While we waited for her, we ran out of water a few times and I had to ask for more. It was over an hour before our order was even taken. We did flag her down to order an appetizer, brussel sprouts with cheese on the side due to a dairy allergy, but... the sprouts came out with cheese on them. They corrected this fairly promptly, but then we sat for another 45 minutes before our order was actually taken. I ordered a steak as "somewhere between medium & medium well" and she correctly repeated my order back to me "medium/medium well." When the steak came out, it was WELL well done. Like, burnt. I wanted to send it back, but I didn't want to deal with the embarrassment or have to wait even longer for food. We were about an hour & 45 minutes into dinner by the time we got our food. I was so disappointed! I also wanted to get dessert to celebrate the occasion but the service was SO slow that we had to cancel our after-dinner plans. We ordered it anyway & requested the check promptly, giving up on our plans for the rest of the evening. We were only a party of 2, we arrived early for our reservation, & we watched several larger parties come and go while we waited for our order to even be taken. It was a Wednesday night and not overly busy, there were several empty tables, so I'm not sure what the hold up was. We were also seated at an odd table next to the kitchen with a small divider between us and the staff. It was noisy and I even heard 2 staff members exchange a joke about how someone else had left & said they'd never come back. They laughed about it. I wish I had the guts those people had to get up & leave! I've never once left less than a 20% tip and felt immense guilt not tipping well, but after experiencing the poor service then also hearing the staff blatantly acknowledge it & not care.... I was appalled. The Hilton bought the hotel attached to De Fuego and I'm shocked. This was a Monarch hotel before and I'd assume that the Hilton's standards would be higher but the service and quality here have tanked hopelessly low since the acquisition. I had a similar experience at The Underground before it closed. I've learned my lesson & won't come here for a special occasion again.

El Gaucho has been on our list of Portland Restaurants that we had on our bucket list; we can now…read moreofficially share what an amazing experience we had. We were celebrating my wife's cousin's birthday. El Gaucho restaurant is located on the street level of The Benson Hotel on SW Broadway. You have the option to valet your car or right across the street you will find a local parking lot or if you are lucky you can search for street parking. As you walk in you are greeted by a door man, the staff we interacted with were over the top friendly and engaging. The interior is swanky with a wood tone, white tablecloths but not stuffy. We were seated quickly. The booth was on the street side wall near the bar area with open seating in the middle of the space, but know that the booth was a snug fit, in our next visit we will see if we can reserve an open table for a little more elbow room. This aside, you are entertained by the staff's theatrics around the old school serving theater, the flaming sword brochette is worth the view. They also had live music that gave that extra touch an ambiance. Our food, wow, you know the saying, you get what you pay for, well it was worth every cent. We ordered the Prawn Linguine, very ample serving of Linguine and very tasteful Prawns, we shared the wedge salad, it was very well prepared, I had the 14oz Peppercorn, New York Steak with a side order of the Wicked Shrimp, large Prawns sautéed in a spicy sauce, (its spicy) so beware, I loved them even with the kick. Our party also ordered the Standard 14oz New York, with sautéed mushrooms and spicy Brussel Sprouts. On top of all of this great food, we enjoyed the garlic toast, its amazingly tasty. We washed it all down with a 2014 Tempranillo-Malbec, a perfect red wine from our family members collection. If you have not experienced El Gaucho, don't wait too long, you are missing out.

Although the tableside salad is standardized, it can still be a hit or miss depending on the server…read morepreparing it. I had the best tableside salad here last year, and our waiter even personalized it by adding extra garlic. Unfortunately, things fell short during my most recent visit. The salad this time was very bland and barely garlicky, even though we specifically asked for extra garlic. Last year I didn't get a chance to try their off-menu porterhouse and was planning to order it this time. Unfortunately, they no longer offer it. The only off-menu option now is a sampler of three different cuts for over $100, which isn't worth it to me. I ended up going with the ribeye cooked medium rare as usual, but it was surprisingly chewy this time and even made my gums bleed a bit. One small thing I wish they would change: at other locations, the personalized menu is kept in a plastic sleeve, but here they roll it up and tie it with a ribbon. A common issue I've experienced at El Gaucho most of the time is that when the server pours water, it often drips onto the personalized menu. I hope they can be more careful since it gets messy and ruins something many guests like to keep as a souvenir. There has also been a huge price increase across the menu since my visit last year.

This review is from a visit last year. No idea if things have changed since then but I sure hope…read moreso. We had a gift card here so gave it a go. Seated upstairs so felt bad the waitress had to go up and down many many times. The empanadas were awful. I am being extremely honest. It seemed as if they were pre frozen and lacked flavor and filling. We were so surprised at the quality and price. I also had the shnitzel and it had no seasoning and was so bland. With a sad excuse for chimichurri. That seemed haphazardly put together, again lacking any flavor. Was it an off day based on the amount of people raving? Maybe. But also maybe they aren't aware of the better options in Portland so lack the awareness of true potential in this cuisine. I recommend Lechón if you want real chimichurri and empanadas.

A small and charming spot in an area that could use some more charm -- and what a pleasant surprise…read moreit turned out to be! We tried four empanadas (chorizo, pollo spicy, humita, and imposter) along with an order of papas, and that was more than enough for the two of us. Each empanada had a wonderfully flaky, golden crust. The fillings were flavorful and distinct; the only one that didn't quite win us over was the imposter, though that's probably just a matter of taste. The papas were crisp and perfectly seasoned too. Service could have been a touch more attentive, especially given the place wasn't too busy, but overall, it's a lovely new addition to the neighborhood -- cozy, tasty, and full of potential.

Some bulletpoints because theres so much to say! - hubby…read moreloved his So Real cocktail. He said "would drink 10." - Dungeness Crab Bruschetta was so so good! We recommended it to the table next to us, and they liked it too! - Mushroom soup was so smooth and delicious! Perfect mushroom flavor without tasting like dirt. - Beef Tounge was not for me (I really hate capers ). Also was not a fan, personally, of Blood Sausage. Hubby loved both so if thats your thing, you'd probably really like them! - The rest of the Asado Argentina for Two was AMAZING! - I put the chimicurri on everything and they were so nice and brought me an extra bowl of it AND extra togo!! Thank you!! - The wine selection was incredible! I had the '21 Sangiovese and it was so so good. - Our server was very familiar with the menu and gave us such a good description of the specials and each dish we asked about! - The rest of the staff was very nice and they took away dishes and cleaned our table (literally wiped away crumbs) from previous ones so quick. - The overall vibe was so cool! I really want to sit outside next time we visit! I will be recommending this place to everyone from now on!

Oh, the joy of Ox…read more It's become a staple -- the kind of place that quietly works its way into your rotation and then suddenly holds weight in your personal ranking whether you meant for it to or not. As of right now, it sits at number one for my dad and a few of my friends alike. For me? I'm not ready to crown it just yet. I need a few more visits, a few more comparisons against my usual haunts. But it's up there. No question. When I first moved to Portland almost a year ago, this was one of the spots that kept coming up. Highly recommended, spoken about with a kind of confidence that usually means it's either overhyped or the real deal. We went for Mother's Day. Then again for Father's Day. My parents loved it -- the kind of love that doesn't need explanation -- and honestly, I get it. The service is immaculate. Thoughtful, attentive, but never hovering. You feel taken care of in a way that's increasingly rare -- like the front of house actually wants you to have a good time, not just turn the table. There's a real sense of pride in what they're doing. The team feels aligned, almost symbiotic. Front of house lifting up back of house, back of house delivering in a way that makes that support feel earned. Whether that relationship is perfect behind the scenes or not, it reads as seamless from the outside. And the food -- it's just excellent. Cooked perfectly, consistently, without unnecessary theatrics. No foams, no gels, no overworked plating trying to prove something. Just honest, confident cooking over fire. The kind of food that reminds you how good simple things can be when they're done right. It's indulgent in the best way. The kind of meal that might even tempt a few vegans back to the dark side -- at least for a night. It's not cheap. Let's be clear about that. I don't go here casually, and I'm not pretending I do. Thanks, Mom and Dad. But it's the kind of place that's worth saving up for -- not just for the food, but for the experience. For some people, this might be a random Wednesday night. For most of us, it's something you plan for. And when you do, it delivers. It's special without making a big deal about being special. And that's exactly why it works.

I can't count how many times we've eaten here. I first went May 5th, 2008. Since then my wife & I…read morehave been back many times. The specials are "special", should be called superbs. The salads are always something to try as well. And if you can get to a class, take it. Ben is great.

The staff was nice. The place was clean. The drinks were good specifically the Mezcal drink we also…read morehad chips and guacamole, but we did not take a picture that was really good too, but I like mine more spicy and with more lime we couldn't tell if this place was authentic, but the tortillas were definitely made here so no complaints.

Came for the empanadas, which appear to be everyone's favorite…read more We tried three kinds -- the beef, the onion and cheese, and the humita (sweet corn. yellow onions, with a traditional Argentinian white sauce and spices). Small. Flaky pastry. Reasonably filled. Our order came with one very small plastic cup of plain hot sauce and a few french fries. A tastier salsa or two would have made the meal better, brought out the flavor of the fillings, sharpened the overall taste.

Those in the know seem to favor the empanadas. Unfortunately, I opted for the round, pastry, with…read moreham and cheese thingy, and barely finished it. I usually enjoy this mixture, but there was way too much ham and it tasted low quality. Maybe it's the way it's supposed to be, I don't know. Their fries are one of my least favorite kind (and I love fries.) They're not thin, steak cut, crinkle, or shoestring, but rather something that has a tempura batter like coating. They just taste oily. Again, maybe that's the norm. The lady was absent for a very long time during the weekday lunch rush. Maybe place a sign that indicates you won't be back for ~15 minutes. A number of potential customers we're waiting and then opted to leave. She was very nice so no big. Gonna start with a 3-Star and try a few more dishes as I generally enjoy Argentinean cuisine.

Another great lunch at Salvador Molly's! We had a Cubano sandwich and a jerk chicken/mango…read moresandwich. Both were delicious and the service was perfect. I love the bright and festive space, and bonus points for Cubs game on TV!

Tasty food, lots of different options, good service. Good cocktail selection as well, a bit of tiki…read morevibes to those

The staff were pretty friendly, joked about giving us an empty drinks menu folder…read more The Nines Hotel surrounds the restaurant, it's a pleasant area on the 8th floor. It felt cheap to be surrounded by plastic plants - the price of the meal should be enough to get some real plants. The food was tasty, best tenderloin steak I've ever had. One big tip - the main steaks do not come with sides. If you order a steak by default it will be just one piece of meet on your plate. Make sure you get some sides too!

Modern restaurant and well lit with only light coming in from top of hotel. Uniquely designed and…read moredecorated hotel with plenty of space / seating. Restaurant is located inside of The Nines Hotel. Service was great and bartenders were very helpful in getting us our drinks and explaining the restaurants hours of operation for dining. You can come before 5pm and get served at the bar but you cannot sit in the main dining area or order food until 5pm. This restaurant fell short of my groups expectations as the actual space did not match the vibe or aesthetic shown online. Something just felt off, but food and drinks were good and the bartenders service was great!

This review comes second-hand, as it was my wife who ordered from this cute little cart, but after…read moreshe got over how small her single empanada order was, and ordered a second to make a full meal out of it, she was a pretty happy camper. For the price (~$5/each), you get a piping-hot little pocket (NOT a Hot Pocket) of whatever goodies you want from the available choices: she ended up with a chorizo and potato, and a mushroom and goat cheese, the latter of the two being her favorite (I could have guessed: goat cheese anything is always a win). It's hard to beat the price, even if you're going to need 2-3 to fill you up; at least then you can try a whole selection of savory snacks, and really experience the variety of wonderful flavors here. If only more food carts had the option to sample multiple entrées in an almost a la carte fashion, like you can here at Masa, because I know that, many times, choosing just one option seems like you're missing out. If variety is the spice of life, then Masa is the spicy little seniorita making it all worth while!

I've been here multiple times, and the empanadas are always delightful. They are the perfect snack…read moreas I wander around John's. They are piping hot and fresh with a broad range of flavors. Definitely check them out if you are wanting something tasty with your beverage!