Portland City Grill

This is the who's who 5 ocklock happy hour. Best looking people watching in town and the food is delicious and cheap.

I've visited this restaurant on numerous occasions. I can count on good quality on most days but have found that it is not always the case. I hope that they will keep a close eye on delivering hot food and not cold.

I love the view, the atmostpher, food and service. ..not sure you can ask for more. :]

Reservations are a must! We were able to call that day and get reservations for later that night. Parking is confusing if you are not from Portland, but you can validate your ticket at PCG. Overall, great meal, great service, fun night out! Views from the 30th floor are outstanding!

Great view. Great food! Great place for a date!

Wonderful food with an amazing view of the city and our waitress was insanely helpful with any questions we had regarding the city, or our meal. It was a wonderful experience all in all. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic/ formal night out.

It is an amazing view...but the service and food is not...

thank you for nice atmoshpere and beautiful views

We went last night for Happy Hour. We ordered burger, fries, and few other items. I asked for BBQ Sauce. The waitress said "We do not have BBQ Sacue at the restaurant". OK, then how about Blue Cheese Dressing. Same answer. How does a restaurant not have BBQ Sauce or Blue Cheese Dressing?

Obviously the views from the 30th floor of about anywhere are going to be fantastic. My biggest problem with this place is that it reminded me a little of eating on a cruise ship - they have turning the tables and moving people in and out down to a science. Our (obviously pre-made) appetizer came out within 1 minute of ordering it. The plate was still cold from the fridge where it had been stored..... My food (duck) was average at best. When I finished my meal, my fork had not been down more than 10 seconds before somebody came by and took my plate. The guy picking up empty plates was stalking the floor looking for people who had finished their meal. I wont be back.

Test

Customer serice was outstanding!! Food was served very fast. Fun atmoshpere.

I had their special which was filet topped with crab. It was done perfectly to my order and was truly delicious. The server was attentive but not bothersome and allowed me able time to visit with friends and take in the amazing view. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Brought an out of town guest here for lunch, the view made it the perfect place. The food was just fine and the portions were not too large; we didn't think the prices were overly expensive. Our waiter was friendly and made good menu suggestions; however, his white jacket was filthy! The napkins and plates were also very worn which made everything look grubby.

I brought two out of town guests to view Portland and have a wonderful meal. The service in the restaurant was perfect. The waiter was helpful and didn't rush us. The Kung Pao calimari was fantastic! Though I had ordered that terrible glass of wine in the bar (service not very good and really loud in there), the mohito I had in the restaurant was great. I ordered New York steak - which for some reason comes only at 20 oz which is way too big. However, it was very good quality. I asked for it medium rare and it was more on the rare side. The sides were decent. I highly recommend the fresh cookies for dessert. Be prepared for the bill! Still, once in awhile, it's a special place to go.

We requested an appetizer (waiter never asked) crab cakes, the large Australian lobster tail and the 22oz. Porter House Steak requested Medium. There was no offer of a salad or soup (Guess they figure the fat guy does roll large with the dolla dolla bills yawl!) but I was fully prepared to drop a few large on dinner for two. The steak comes out and they ask me to check if the temp is to satisfaction?. The fat guy never sends food back but I couldn?t even cut the darned thing even if I was a ninja with a Katana slicin? thru your melon! OK guys! Pay your freaking gas bill turn up the flame and cook the freaking food. How hard is it to throw that little sea creature into bath and boil until it turns redder than the devil in a cell with Bernie Madoff after he was scammed on the market. The bearnaise sauce lacked that normal zing that makes you say oooh laaa laaa and was rather flat on the pallet. During the course of the meal the service was somewhat lackluster. The wait staff appeared more enthralled with aerating and filtering wine and heating cognac or brandies than checking to see that their guest where enjoying the meal. The wait staff was nice and responsive but lacked polish. They failed to offer wine/scotch, salads or soup and made excuses that they cooked the steak properly and I must have wanted a medium well steak because they cook to temperature. Overall I would save your money and your time?. And can you believe a fat guy skipped desert? Well PCG got skipped for dessert like ferris bueler skipped a school all day and without paying the tab. The only saving grace on an otherwise abysmal experience was the manager taking the steak charge off.

My wife and I went here for a romantic anniversary dinner. The view was incredible but the food was terrible. Over-sauced, over-priced and undercooked.

This used to be one of my favorite bars to visit. Ever since the company switched owners, the quality has steadily declined, and I've noticed the "regulars" are no longer regular. The drinks aren't as good and the prices have skyrocketed. No thank you. But hey, what a view.

If you want the views, just to the OHSU cable car. Please dont waste your time and money at the Portland city grill. We were so disappointed. It is way overrated. Food sucked, service sucked and it's overpriced. In this economy just save your money and go see the Portland views from OHSU cable car for like $4. YA! Don't mention it....

If you're looking for a great view of the city, this is definitely the place to go. Nothing compares if you're fortunate enough to get a window seat. But be prepared to pay top dollar for all the entrees, appetizers and drinks. Everything is ala carte so as long as you know that in advance and you're willing to part with saved up funds, this place makes a nice place to visit for a special occasion. Shy away from the sushi, however, unless you're into dry, undercooked rice and tasteless fish. The head sushi chef has moved on to open own establishiment and it's starting to show.

Great views (from the 30th floor), terrible sushi. We didn't try the other menu items, so I can't really judge the quality of all the food served. Perhaps it's better. The sushi was almost inedible. We sent half of it back and asked for a refund. All in all, I think you're paying for the atmosphere here. Do not go for the sushi. There are better, and cheaper, options in Portland. If you're going for the views or bar-scene... this place might suit you well.

In August of 2006 I had my wedding at the beautiful Portland City Grill. We used all three banquet rooms and had a fabulous time. The food was first class! We had everything from prime rib to salmon to sushi and it was all beautiful and delicious. With just over 100 guests, it was the right amount of room and the perfect ambiance. I couldn't have asked for more! The staff went above and beyond our expectations by changing over the room from ceremony to reception in a matter of minutes! If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have changed a thing! The food, the view, the party, everything was perfect! Thank you 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.

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. But ummmm.... the food. I've had much better. For the price, it should have been world class, but in fact Portland has better dishes. Most of the presentations were acceptable, but not spectacular. And although I didn't complain, do not serve the guest of honor an overdone steak! They should rethink the chef and make the room as grand as the atmosphere. Great time, may go again, but it's the experience, not the food.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Delightful! Delicious food. I enjoyed the atmosphere very much!!! The service was prompt and wonderful.

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!

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. Good luck and happy dining.

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

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!

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.

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.

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. Our requested window seat was awesome- BEAUTIFUL sunset views of the Pearl, Rose Garden, and more. Since we had heard the food was great, our plan was to sample as much of it as possible! Our waiter came without too much delay, and he was courteous although a little robotic. We ordered the Tempura shrimp appetizer and the Steak Satay appetizer. WOW! Both were stunning. We could have packed it up right there- very impressed. I love corn chowder, so I had to get a cup. VERY nicely done, one of the better CC's I've had. My gal ordered the $79.99 Steak and Lobster and I got the $30 Braised Beef short ribs. Food didnt take too long, especially since we had the city views to distract us. Her Steak was PERFECT, and seasoned incredibly, and she said her lobster, which was 'shucked' right in front of us, was complete bliss. (Huge tail too) My short rib entree was nothing short of incredible. I seriously felt sorry for anyone that hadnt ordered it that night. The sauce was perfectly sweet, and the bonesless rib meat was an A+. We made the appropriate 'yummy' faces at each other. It was dessert time, and I, being a Creme Brulee afficianado, sampled their Vanilla Bean while my Lady friend went for the Bread pudding. The Brulee was great- I'd say in the top 4 of examples I've tried. (#1 being at Sanderlings in Aptos, CA) BUT the bread pudding....Oh god child.....DAYUM! Best we've ever had, bar none. Freaky really. I could have had 14 of them. Damage: $20 at the bar, $150 dining, $30 tip = $200 of total 'foodal' domination! PWNED!

The food is very good. We went there on our anniversary and had a very romantic dinner. They greeted us nicely and our attendent was very nice. I loved the food. The apetizer was great. We had lobster potlicks and satayed beef. For the main course I had ducks which had a very nice sauce. The presentation of the dishes were great. And the place was 'oh so romantic'. We asked for a table by the window and it was an amazing view. They also gave us a free desert for our anniversary. I would highly recomend this place to any friend.

I am a loyal client to Portland City Grill and plan events there all year and have for the last 3 years. The event coordinating staff is the most professional I have ever worked with, the service is fantastic, the food phenominal and of course the view is gorgous. I read the other comment posted about having a negative experience and cannot even imagine that it would go that way. For anyone reading these comments, please know that this person must be the impossible-to-please type because there is no way that an event could go any way other than perfectly. I have many colleagues that use Portland City Grill's Private Dining department as well and have noting but amazing things to say about them. The largest companies in the country go to them and they must go for a reason. DO USE THE PORTLAND CITY GRILL FOR PRIVATE EVENTS, THEY ARE WONDERFUL! Sincerely, Cheryl

I organized dinner for a party of 50 at the Portland City Grill and suffice it to say it is the worst experience I have ever had in my career of working with conference meal planning. The service was disastrous. We had asked the food to be ready by 6PM (ordered weeks in advance) as we had a function to attend promptly at 7pm. The restaurant made a mistake in their scheduling and did not manage to rush our food out until 6:35 - which as the organizer, left me highly embarrassed. They did not apologize, although they acknowledged the mistake was there own, and emails since have been snippy to say the least. Rather than reducing the room charges or comping us an item for their mistake, they infact went over the amount agreed upon in the billing. I had previously explained to their dining coordinator that that as a non-profit receiving federal funding, our company was bound to a $50/day per diem, and was assured this would not be a problem. After the 20% gratuity was added (a charge not, incidentally, stipulated in our contract), the bill went over $50. The restaurant can be charming for individual dinners, but I advise those planning larger events to avoid this restaurant at all costs.

I was recommended this place by the concierge at my hotel specifically as it served later than other restaurants. Really, I just can't believe that this place claims itself to be a sushi restaurant. The Hamachi was obviously many days old and had become greasy and fishy-tasting, OH YUM! I expect to be overcharged at places on the very top of buildings, but just couldn't believe that people are willing to pay these prices to eat such mediocre food. They might as well have put a big sign up that said " All meals prepared by SYSCO". Our server was very scarce. Overall, I felt like I had come to a midwestern country club, Not just sorta bad, really bad.

This place was awesome, i'd heard alot about it from friends and such. I went on the wrong night (prom night) but I still got seating in about half an hour. They offered a salad with my meal and caesar is apparently $6.00 more than regular but i wasn't aware. Everything was really great though, there were fireworks going off across the bridge and it made for a great setting. I recommend it.

Arrived on a Friday, mid-happy hour. Was hoping to enjoy appitizers and drinks, but lounge was packed. The dining area had lots of open tables with views and we were promptly seated. Our waiter ,Eric, was spot-on, and had helpfull reccomendations. The wine list had plenty of optionsand I thought just a bit ecclectic. My companions light meal of tempura shrimp and spinich salad was terrific and my Sturgeon over mashed potatoes was delicious. Add in the beautiful view and it added up to a great dining experience. Our previous visit here was a happy hour on Saturday. The appetizer menu was great and our bill with a couple of drinks very modest.

As a Portland native I am somewhat regretful to write that last evening was my first experience with Portland City Grill (All those wasted years)! My husband and I made reservations along with three other couples for a surprise birthday dinner. Although at first glance upon entering it may seem a bit hectic with the lounge and people standing in the entry, the ambience glows with warmth and texture. There is a feeling of comfort and a fragrant mixture of delightful aroma the minute the elevator doors open. We were seated immediately (with reservations of course) and the welcoming host and hostess we encountered were pleasant yet sophisticated. Our waiter really won us over with his incredible attention to detail and intuitive awareness throughout our engagement. The appetizers were unbelievable for lack of a better word. I highly recommend the Dragon Roll for a sensual and exotic kickoff. The calamari is also perfect for anyone. I had the Hawaiian Mahi Mahi with Papaya Salad (now salivating heavily). My husband greatly enjoyed his seared duck with some exotic or complicated reduction that I am unable to recall (which I sampled of course). Everyone at our table left the restaurant happy, full and giddy. The views are sensational and sure to impress your pickiest clients! Finally, we found IT. To sum it up, YUMM!

We went here for dinner about a week ago and the view was amazing! The food was fantastic, and the service superb! I wil diffenitely be back.