Portland City Grill

Reviews

• DS

  Derek Smith

  1 day ago
  1.0
  I have been here before a few years back and had a decent experience. I decided to bring my wife here for a special occasion so made reservations ahead of time. We were seated at our table and first thing we noticed was that the silverware, water glass, and wine glass were all water spotted. Not the worst thing, but would have expected a little better for a higher end restaurant but I got past that. The waitress was great and very informative. I ordered an old fashioned mixed drink, truffle fries as a starter, clam chowder, and an expensive fillet mignon for my entree. The presentation of the old fashioned was poor, just a cube of ice and small pathetic looking orange peel garnish. Typically nicer restaurants will also have a cherry, or roll up the peel with toothpick, just usually presented a little nicer. It didn’t taste horrible, just expected a little better. (I get this drink a lot at other places). The fries came out barely warm at all, but we were hungry so didn’t say anything and ate them. My clam chowder was hot and tasty, until I pulled a hair out of my soup (was definitely not mine). I told the waitress and the response was “hmm interesting “. At that point I said I was done and just to move on to the entree. I ordered my steak cooked to medium, it came out overcooked at best a medium well. Mashed potatoes were ok, but could have been seasoned a little better. I was very disappointed in the food, especially for how much we had spent there. We were trying to celebrate a special occasion but unfortunately it was really hard to get past the food not being up to par. I did not mention to the waitress about the steak, or fries, or spotty glassware, I felt bad because she was nice and it wasn’t her fault. Maybe I should have been more bold since I was paying so much, however didn’t want to spoil the moment with my wife. We will not be going back here.
• LD

  Leonida Dieter

  Jan 1, 2026
  2.0
  We were excited to experience Portland City Grill's New Year Eve Spectacular all week! The cost of event was $235 per person. When we arrived it was approximately 15min after check-in time so best seats near window were taken. Not a problem ... everyone was dressed beautifully and ready to say farewell to 2025! The live music was so loud that you could only hear the person next to you so socializing was limited to break times. 5 course meal? YES PLEASE!!! The food was "MEH" at best. You'd think the final entrè would be a decent portion ... I mean I would've settled with 4oz steak. It's like they took an 8oz steak to share amongst 10 people. Drinks were not included so expect to pay $20 per drink depending on preferred beverage. There were only a few employees so our waitress/bartender was running like crazy. She was absolutely amazing and deserves a raise!!! Overall, not worth it! The restaurant and bar is open during the event so we sat in the bar area to watch the drone show. We returned during countdown to celebrate and welcome the New Year with others. Recommendation: Sit and spend your $$ in the regular restaurant to have a decent meal then wander over. It was so chaotic without security measures in place to know who paid and who didn't (just checklist upon arrival) Guests from bar did (genius)! Or perhaps they experienced it last year? Either way you'll get same experience without the fee, eat an actual meal not 5 course appetizers, better service (hats off to ours ... she was amazing but patience becomes thin after waiting 20m for drinks. No, I didn't complain other's did at our table) Not to mention incredible views of the drone show. HAPPY 2026!!!!
• AG

  Andrew Gray

  Dec 27, 2025
  1.0
  I don’t normally bother posting reviews but this place was so comically bad I had to share. We had a reservation for 8:15, by 8:25 I decided I’d go to the bar to get drinks to try to speed things along, because I got the vibe it was going to be “one of those nights” as far as service time goes. After a few minutes of waiting at the bar the bartender asks if I want food or drinks, I say drinks and they walk away without another word. After serving 3 or 4 other people they take my order - 15 minutes later I actually get it. $38 for two drinks. On the bright side the long wait didn’t matter because it still took another 5 minutes to get seated after the 15 minutes it took to get 2 drinks. 8:45 we have reached our table for our 8:15 reservation. No server in sight, but at least we had the foresight to get drinks at the bar! Just before 9:00 our server appears, 15 minutes later the bread we ordered finally arrives, but not the lobster bisque we ordered. Another 10 minutes goes by and we start hearing other servers (because other tables’ servers were actually there you see…) regretting that the bisque was no longer available. I start thinking this bisque I ordered isn’t coming…some time later, another gentleman (not our server) arrives to regretfully inform us they are out of bisque. Now, were they out of bisque when we ordered it what seems like half a day ago? I don’t know, but we relent and go with the chowder, which arrives within probably a minute, and was not spectacular, but fine. I will give credit where credit is due, he also comp’s us some drinks for the wait and trouble. Not two bites into the chowder, our entrees arrive, clearly having been sitting under a heat lamp for who knows how long, no doubt waiting on the bisque that would never be. My “medium rare” filet was beyond well done, it was something a 9 year old might enjoy with ketchup, but not something worth the $14 bone marrow butter they added to it without informing me of the up charge that included. At one point our server made a rare appearance just to say “I guess that’s why it was taking so long on the bisque!” Yes, one of the rare times we actually saw our server she just showed up to joke about the poor service they were actively providing us which I have to admit got a big laugh out of us just out of the sheer absurdity of it all. We then wait, and wait, and wait some more and finally we get to just request they actually bring the dessert that was part of my meal. Many minutes later: huzzah! We have…spoons! For food that still isn’t there. Another “who knows how long at this point” amount of time later, the dessert arrives (and was good, I will say) and after another “did our server die or something?” wait, we receive and are able to pay our check. 2 hours, the wrong soup and a steak turned to leather later, the nightmare is over. View is great, though!
• AA

  Anna

  Dec 22, 2025
  1.0
  We had a 7:30 PM reservation and weren’t seated until 35 minutes later, which was already frustrating but nonetheless we waited excited to eat here. Our waitress’ name was Sherry. I’ll first say that she asked everyone at the table if they wanted a soup and salad in a way that implied it was included with the entree, and without mentioning that the soups and salads were full-size entrees, not add ons. Then had the audacity to ask my younger sister who is clearly a minor if she wanted bone marrow butter with her steak, without explaining what it was OR that it was an upcharge. What kind of server asks a kid to approve an add-on she obviously doesn’t understand? I’m still trying to figure out what personal bills this woman has that she felt the need to push charges that aggressively for a tip. When the bill came and I questioned the extra charges, she immediately caught an attitude and hit me verbatim with “that’s just how business is,” “not my problem,” and “do you even know how upselling works?” I am a waitress myself, and let me be clear, this wasn’t upselling. This was sneaky, lazy, and unprofessional. Guests shouldn’t be talked down to for questioning charges that were never explained, especially when they aren’t simple add-ons but entirely separate items slapped onto the bill. The soups and salads were full size entrees, not starter items as we found out when we received them. And let’s not forget the actual service, or lack thereof. She barely came to the table, had other servers run all her food to the table in the span of three hours we were there, and still somehow found the energy to be rude and condescending when called out. Zero accountability, zero professionalism, zero shame. For a restaurant with this reputation and price point, this experience was an absolute joke. It’s funny because the food itself was absolutely outstanding, I can tell a lot of thought and time went into creating these plates and I was so ready to have a positive fine dining experience at this restaurant. But after tonight, I am never coming back. Poor service, and attitude the second someone doesn’t just shut up and pay. Completely frustrating and embarrassing. Do yourself a favor and skip this place, or scrutinize your bill like a hawk, especially if you very unfortunately happen to be waited on by Sherry.
• KG

  Kelly Gajer

  Dec 20, 2025
  1.0
  How does this rubber-stamp, conveyor-belt restaurant have a 4.9-star rating? There is bad, worse, and awful—and then there was tonight’s experience. I might as well have lit four $100 bills on fire at the table. Arrival: Other than manager Fernando welcoming us and taking a few photos, entering the restaurant felt like the dark, oddly-smelling, forgotten part of Pirates of the Caribbean—where you realize Disney stopped investing and saved the budget for the Johnny Depp animatronic at the end. Welcome: Not a single person asked what the occasion was or even acknowledged the holiday season. The servers felt like struggling actors just trying to get through the shift, more focused on tomorrow’s auditions than the guests in front of them. Menu Fanfare: None. Absolutely zero. The only thing mentioned was the grandparent-inspired three-course dinner—which, in hindsight, had serious nursing-home energy. No garnishes. No excitement. No “oohs” or “ahhs.” Just long, dry stares and the sound of forks scraping plates as we pushed food around and passed the table lamp to confirm we had the correct dishes. Bone Marrow Luge: Skip it. A hockey puck of raw beef topped with something called “bone marrow butter” (it wasn’t), served with “truffle toast points” that were actually plain white bread triangles with grill marks. Truffle Fries: The most insulting dish of the night. The basket wasn’t overflowing, didn’t arrive sizzling, and had zero truffle aroma. The parmesan was cold and straw-like. We forced ourselves to believe these semi-warm fries were somehow truffled. Praying for the potatoes that suffered this fate. Bread Service: We were asked if we wanted bread. Instead of a hot steakhouse basket, we received what looked like an underbaked communion loaf—cold, dry, one piece on a plate, no butter. The single tiny ramekin of butter arrived eight minutes later and did nothing to improve whatever we were eating. Overall: Nothing looked or tasted upscale or elevated. The service and presentation were mediocre at best, and every dish felt like a missed opportunity. This restaurant is trying very hard to be something it simply isn’t. This was the biggest holiday dinner disappointment in the history of my 57 annual holiday dinners. At least they can’t ruin the view. I’ve had better airplane food. The $65 three-course meal was an overpriced joke. Corporate food should be banned, and Portland City Grill should be embarrassed. I could tell my guests were pretending to enjoy themselves—awkward glances, forced “mmm’s,” clear discomfort. Don’t waste your time or money. I would have more respect if the restaurant were simply honest about what it is. If you dressed up and expected a special, memorable dinner with your family at the city-view restaurant that charges premium prices—and instead received convention-hall food that tasted like leftovers—you’d leave a review like this too. RIP-OFF CITY should be this restaurant’s nickname. I cannot be onboard with some of these 5-star reviews - OR this restaurant has been in decline for a LONG time - OR people can't bring themselves after being PRICE BLINDED to believe that the food was anything close to good.

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