The Grill Room & Bar

We stopped into The Grill Room & Bar on a chilly Portland evening, and while the dining room itself was a bit cold for comfort, everything else about the experience was outstanding. I want to specifically mention our waiter Colby by name, he was excellent. So professional, knowledgeable, and attentive without ever being overbearing. You can tell he genuinely knows the menu inside and out, and he guided us through it perfectly. The menu itself is perfectly chef curated with creative dishes, but also has à la carte options that let you build your own meal if you prefer. Everything we tried was phenomenal. The Caesar salad tasted authentic and fresh, topped with crisp parmesan chips for a perfect crunch. The wood oven cooked salmon was beautifully charred on the outside and tender inside, just fantastic. The steak was cooked to perfection, juicy and flavorful, and the chimichurri sauce paired with it elevated every bite. Even the mashed potatoes were silky, buttery, and comforting. We also loved the kimchi, unbelievably good and such a unique, flavorful touch that we weren’t expecting but absolutely loved. This place delivers a well rounded dining experience; thoughtful service, expertly prepared food, and an atmosphere that feels elevated yet relaxed. We’ll definitely be coming back the next time we’re in Portland.

First time here. Went for my girlfriend’s birthday dinner. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. The atmosphere was very dim and relaxing. The service was top notch. Water constantly topped off, and knew the menu/specials from memory. Had recommendations on sauce/meat combinations. The food was amazing. Everything farm to table and cooked over open fire. You could tell it in the taste and was phenomenal. We started with the white wine mussels and then split the ribeye, duck, horseradish mashed potatoes, beets, and broccolini. It’s definitely pricey, but you get what you pay for. Highly recommend.

Pros: Excellent food, we were very happy with the filet mignon, ribeye, mashed potatoes, carrots, and asparagus. Not so happy with the chocolate cake, which to me was dry. Very nice selection of wine. Service was fast and friendly. Cons: I made a reservation here for our anniversary a few weeks ahead of time. Unfortunately, the put us in the back corner right next to the door leading outside, which they opened about every 2 minutes and every time I got a cold blast of wind on my back, enough to whip my hair around while I was trying to eat. I had also pictured a nice, quiet steakhouse for a romantic dinner and was very wrong. It is so loud I could barely hear my husband talk. The chairs were SO uncomfortable. Sitting on hard wood chairs for a 2 hour dinner had my back aching so badly I had to take ibuprofen afterwards. They also initially brought me a warm, flat glass of prosecco, but they did quickly replace it with a different wine and didn't charge us for the prosecco. Overall, good food and service, and as long as you aren't looking for a quiet, romantic place would be an okay option.

I don’t know how this place has anything but 5 star reviews.. but I’m so glad we didn’t listen to the bad reviews and bit the bullet and tried it for ourselves. We sat at the bar and had top notch everything. From the service to the appetizers to the cocktail to the entree, everything was phenomenal. Karl is by far one of the best bartenders and cocktail makers I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. The espresso martini was phenomenal (10 out of 10 recommend). The roasted oysters Rockefeller was incredible as was their bread. For the entrees we had the pork chop and the duck, and both were out of this world. I would highly recommend this place and will definitely be back!! Thank you for the wonderful experience!

Who are the snobs rating this place below 5 stars??? Get in your Subaru and go back to your bland lobster rolls and clam bakes. This was one of the top 5 high end steak houses I’ve eaten at. And I’ve had some of the “best” across the country. We sat at the kitchen facing bar and it was so fun. The kitchen staff were friendly and interactive, and they made sure we were pleased with every thing. The fresh focaccia bread was amazing! The french fries…. Speechless! The wood fired steak and asparagus was mind blowing. So much flavor and excellent char. And the service, led by Julio, was first class. When visiting Portland, forget the lobster places. They are overrated. Go get a steak, an old fashion, and let your taste buds go wild.

Amazing service and food. Our lunch was delicious, we ate like kings. Don’t skip the noshing cheese board or the Caesar salad. Everything was delicious, my daughter said the juicy burger was the best burger she’s ever had, and she’s a connoisseur. Highly recommend for your next lunch!

Perfectly cooked filet mignon, fresh tasting vegetables and great specials. For starter I had the special, scallops in tempura with scallions and other vegetables...I was a surprising combination of flavors that worked! The steak (filet) was ordered black and blue and was perfectly seared and soooo soft and delicious. The asparagus was grilled and seasoned so well, I can't remember having it better. The mash potatoes was good too. It is expensive but worth it.

The Grill Room in Portland, Maine is a solid spot that delivers on atmosphere, service, and flavor, especially when it comes to seafood done right. The mussels from Bang Island are the standout, easily some of the best and most plump you’ll find anywhere in town. They’re fresh, perfectly cooked, and bursting with that clean ocean flavor that makes you want to soak up every drop of broth. The service is top-notch, attentive without hovering, and the beer selection is surprisingly strong, offering a good mix of local and regional options to pair with your meal. The only real miss for me was the lobster roll, which felt pretty average compared to what you can get elsewhere in Portland. If that’s what you’re after, I’d suggest heading somewhere more lobster-focused. But for mussels, drinks, and a warm, lively atmosphere, The Grill Room is absolutely worth the visit.

I enjoyed it here a lot for my 24th birthday but they gave us a table that was next to a huge party of 6-8 when we were only 2, and being so close to the kitchen meant we could barely have a conversation. The spicy broccolini on the new york strip ruined it completely. The food was very good and it's a fantastic place for quality, casual food at a quick pace. The open kitchen is lovely and it's a firey atmosphere. Not sure if I'd come back but maybe for another special occasion if we could get a better table.

It was our first night on our vacation in Portland and let's just say a lot of the restaurants we went to after we came here had a tough act to follow. We made a late reservation on OpenTable but came a little earlier, expecting that we may have had to wait, however we were able to get seated outside very quickly. Our server was very friendly and attentive, making great menu recommendations and was very engaging with us. We started with half a dozen oysters and their beef tartare. My fiancé loved her oysters and the beef tartare was amazing, the seasoning and the sauce for the tartare was on point. For our entrees, we ordered a NY strip, Filet mignon and three of their sides (lobster mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts and bacon and a popover). Everything was cooked to perfection, they even had us cut into our steaks to make sure it was perfect. We cleaned every plate they gave us and we even had their delicious crème brûlée for dessert. This place is without question, Portland's top steakhouse. If you haven't been here before, you definitely need to come here for dinner. When we're back in Portland, we'll definitely be back in for the best steaks in Portland.

Enjoyed a wonderful evening at The Grill Room! We didn't have a reservation, but were able to get 2 seats at the bar at 5 p.m. on a Sunday. Happy Hour menu features $6 glasses of wine and the selections were good! We enjoyed a dozen and a half of deliciously fresh oysters, followed by entree-sized salads -- the roasted beets with goat cheese and almonds, and the blue cheese wedge. Everything was so good and our bartender was outstanding!

One of my favorite restaurants in Portland. Perfect and cozy for winter and then they have outside seating in the summer. We always sit at the bar, which is a must. The bar tenders are always nice and the service is great. Their happy hour from 4-6 is the best with 5 dollar drinks and cheap appetizers. The bang bang shrimp is my favorite. The steak is amazing and all the food is really good. The drinks are also great and they have one of my favorite wines. This is a favorite and will continue to come back!

A longstanding favorite of many, we visited on a Saturday night around 6:15. The place was packed and the noise level was significant. Our server was delightful and clearly knew the menu. Drink service was slow but the blue cheese stuffed olives are worth the wait. Apps were good, our party liked the mussels and the calamari, despite a very fiery hot chili sauce. Dinner presented well, the trout dish was well plated. My wife enjoyed her salmon as well. My steak, although requested medium was cold to the touch rare and needed to be returned. It was scraped off the plate and brought back to the grill. For a $50 plate, that felt sloppy. Overall it was good but not the level of finesse one would expect. The least appealing part of the night was the chef yelling at staff. He was clearly upset and it was quite evident in tone. Our server gracefully attempted to normalize his actions but again not what one would expect in a high end place. We will likely return but not for awhile.

2nd time here... The food was phenomenal! Service was also best in class... Caitlin was my server... Steak is high quality on par with a Ruth's Chris or other high end chains. I've eaten here twice as I travel for business, however this would be a very nice place to bring your wife for great food as well. Filet 10/10 Baked Potato 9.5/10 Ruby Slipper 10/10 Crème Brûlée 10/10 Will absolutely be back next time I'm in Portland!

We had our wedding rehearsal dinner at The Grill Room with a group of 16 on a Friday night. They had our table ready for our arrival, and the service was 15/10 for the entire night! We had plenty of drinks and food ordered, but everything came out absolutely perfection. The filet mignon was cooked to perfection and the mashed potatoes were fantastic. I'd definitely recommend considering The Grill Room for your special evening!

I got the steak and frites, they were good not great I got the french onion soup, it was not nuclear upon presentation so that was nice but still it was good not great. We tried the bone marrow, well I have never had that before and I am still not sure how I feel about it. I was here for a business meal and I was pleased with the meal but not enough to call it the steakhouse representative of Portland Maine, I have a feeling there may be better out there. That is not to say though that you should not try it. I am just one person you see. The interior is dark, sets an ambiance I guess. Our waiter was good not great, he forgot a lot. I ordered a white Russian and that was good but the margarita was not good. I hate to be that person albeit I write a number of reviews, I try to see the light in the dark but it really wasn't that good and I never saw the bill but I am guessing with a high degree of certainty that it was not affordable for a typical budget. The steak was, sadly, flavorless and the Béarnaise sauce was lacking powerful flavoring. The famous fries were truly overcooked. I The finally to it is that I am siting at the Portland Jetport writing about this experience about 7 h after eating and I feel like I have indigestion which is uncommon for me and I think it was from their fries. I suspect they might have been doubled cooked for flavor and crisp. My colleague stole a fry and also mentioned that they were overcooked. I have to agree. I also ordered the mashed potatoes and I guess someone else ordered some with horseradish and they got flipped to my side of the table and I just ate them as the other party did not seem to notice (there were 5 of us) and they did not taste like horseradish but more gravy/Béarnaise sauce. They were good nonetheless. It is hard to rank mashed potatoes. The rest of the food looked great, I did not taste it but by looks, they appeared to be a winner. Give it a try, why not, if you don't like it, go somewhere else the next night aye?

My husband and I went here on Friday night and it was delicious. The atmosphere is rustic and warm with a lot of brick inside and and candles on the tables. Just beautiful. We had the Filet and the steak frites. Steaks were delicious and the sides were as well. Our server Will was great. He gave us some suggestions on places to go to downtown. He was very welcoming. Will go there every time we go to Portland.

We hit this place up twice for happy hour! They had a delicious goat cheese + toasted bread app for just $5 which is impossible to beat. Also, $3.50 Guinness, Allagash White & Shipyard brews is amazing too! The bartender was great. He was from Boston and gave us really great recs twice in a row that turned out to be wonderful. He was super nice and a great bartender that took care of us super well. The couple next to us at the bar got the $42 ribeye and raved about how great it was. I also saw this place won "Best Steak" in a 2022 "best of portland" publication. I get it, it looked amazing. Had we not already had dinner reservations, we'd have gotten it.

Went out to eat for my bachelorette party on Friday night. Was NOT disappointed. The ambiance is great and the food is amazing. We had Dustin as our waiter and he was an absolute gem who did a fantastic job putting up with 5 crazy girls. 100% will be back in the future for more delicious food and the best espresso martinis in the area.

Wasn't planning on eating here again, ever, until it was impossible to get a reservation anywhere else on short notice. So my wife and I figured we would just give it another try. Our waiter Sean was fantastic, knew the menu like the back of his hand. The highlight of our meal was watching the hostess, Addie (sp?) do the jobs of 5 people with a smile on her face. She would seat people, answer the phones, fill waters at all tables when they were low, bring the food to the table, bus tables... Her work ethic did not go unnoticed and I hope it doesn't by management either!

This fine establishment is a must on our list we've been here the last seven years in a row. From the service to the wait staff to watching your meat grilled on an open flame. Everything was so perfect. We even tipped the grill cook. See you in March.

The service. The food. All excellent!!! We had the trout and the salmon entrees. Delicious!!! Perfect night out! We will definitely be going back!

The food was delicious. My husband had the Ribeye and he still talks about it. I had the salmon and it was amazing. We had roasted olives from the happy hour menu. We just made it at the end of happy hour. We sat at the bar because it was busy. The bartender was friendly and helpful and made the best espresso martini. It's a small restaurant but has a great vibe and I love the open kitchen and the wood fire.

Outstanding food. Perfectly prepared filet. The garlic spinach was an ideal side. The service was impeccable. Highly recommended! We will be back.

I wanted to love this place but it fell short - especially for how expensive it was. My husband ordered their house burger but it came on a black squid ink bun - this REALLY should have been mentioned on the menu or the server should have asked if he'd prefer a regular bun. He could not eat it, said that the taste was very off putting. The portion was huge with tons of fries but even those were strange (sweet?). I ordered the rib eye - it was $70 and honestly pretty bland and tough (but also huge portion). It came with horseradish mashed but those were so salty it wasn't great - you can't make substitutions on the entrees. The mushrooms and asparagus were the best part of the meal. We went for my birthday so they did give a free dessert, we got the creme brulee, it was fine, nothing to write home about. The service wasn't great, very subpar. The drinks were okay but pretty weak. The restaurant atmosphere is nice but other than that, I definitely was not impressed. Wish we chose elsewhere.

We have eaten at The Grill Room multiple times over the years but no more. We live about an hour away and always tried to eat here when we came down to Portland. So for this trip we made reservations before we came down. Apparently they are so worried about turning a profit they have gone to packing customers in like Sardines and charging Fine Dining prices (Steaks $45+ a la carte). Tonight we had 1 glass of wine each and a Caesar salad and honestly could not even talk because the people in both sides were closer to us than we were. We paid our check and I asked to see the manager on my way out. She was dismissive and said we need to optimize space. When I am paying over $200 for 2 people I expect a nice experience. Well we won't go back. Guess I need to vote with my wallet so be fair warned it is loud and you are extremely close to other customers.

My friend and I were craving some premium quality meat and seafood, so we let the Yelp app lead us to The Grill Room - I'm SOOO glad we did! After being seated promptly, we decided to order two entrees and share everything "family style". We chose the Sea Scallops with lobster risotto and the Filet with mashed potatoes and asparagus capped with red wine mushroom sauce, and then finished with caramelized goat cheese. Both dishes were completely delicious and beautifully presented, but the Filet was the best of the two by far. It was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection! Tip: Our server explained that the Grill Room uses a different scale for "doneness" than most people are used to; if you would normally order your steak medium-rare, here you should order it medium. The service was excellent, and the ambiance was relaxing and fun. The prices were quite good, especially when you consider the exceptional quality of the food and service, as well as the fact that all the portion sizes are very generous :-) Highly recommended!

I don't understand the 3.5 star rating for the Grill Room. This place is on point. One of, if not the best steakhouses in Maine. There simply aren't many places like it. Salads and French Onion soup are amazing. Filet mignon was on point; cooked to perfection (could have used a bit more salt and seasoning). Fries amazing. Brussel sprouts were boiled then seared (wish they were baked, but they were still good). My wife got the trout, which was good. Drinks: Martini, espresso martini, wine all great. Server was attentive but not overbearing. Get a "bar" seat near the kitchen. Dinner with a "show". Watching the kitchen staff work was fun and made the dinner exciting. These guys were working hard.

Super friendly service, great shrimp cocktail, wife menu selection, and the salads are huge

Booked a table for my wife's birthday, 3 months in advance. Checked in on time, waited in the seating area with about 30 other people who were walk-ins waiting for tables. We watched them, 1 by 1, be seated at nice tables. They called our name, and brought us to a table down a narrow hallway next to their server station. It was a literal closet, a tiny nook off the main restaurant with only two tables because it was intended to be a server station and they greedily added two tables. So tell me how I made this reservation 3 months in advance, and all these 30 walk-ins are getting nice tables and I got a closet for my wife's birthday? Not only that, but the food was terrible. The only edible item was the salad. When delivering our drinks, the server tripped and spilled my beer all over my wife, and a tad bit on the other table. She didn't apologize to my wife, and they never replaced my beer - they only apologized to the other table. What a bad experience. Steer clear. Locals, and we'll never go back.

Our overall experience was spectacular. A seat overlooking the kitchen was amazing and made the experience that much better. We were able to engage with the chefs who were extremely friendly all while they remained focused on the task at hand. The steak was cooked exactly how it was requested and the sides were sensational.

I recently ate here for the first time with a large group and had a pleasant enough experience. The service here is very good and I found our server to be both attentive and professional. One thing I was not prepared for was when you come with a larger group (there were 8 of us) they had us order a ala carte protein and sides to split with the whole table. This expectation was not made clear to us ahead of time, and I know cause most people to spend way more money than they were planning. For example, my husband and I were going to get an app and split a the ribeye entree (20 oz ribeye with mashed potatoes, asparagus and blue cheese sauce, PLENTY of food for two people and cost $55). But because we had to do this family style system, we ended up spending $130 (this included one ala carte Ribeye for $55, and a ton of sides and apps because we had to split with the whole group). On top of that, I was not wowed by the food. Again, it was good, but it wasn't anything particularly stunning. There is another upscale steak house two doors down that serves a similar menu and, in my opinion, has the better food of the two.

First let me say the place is so loud barely can hear the great company I was with, the drinks and food were spot on. Steak was great and mussels were great too. Service was awesome, just too loud there. Thanks

Went last night. Orderd the ribeye i explained NO sauce or anything on the ribeye. I got a ribeye SMOTHERED in bernaise sauce and mushrooms. The steak was cooked perfect! But hard to tast3through the sauce.

Visited the Grill Room wanting a good steak, and the steak frites did not disappoint! The steak was perfectly cooked, and the fries were delicious. The portion of the fries was so big that it could easily feed two people. The Ruby Slipper cocktail I got was really good too. The only thing that was less than ideal was how tightly arranged the tables were; the people at the tables on either side of me were super close. It didn't ruin the experience though - the food and service were great enough that I would go back!

As far as steak houses go, the Grill Room is definitely one of the best that I've been to. They have an open air kitchen and it's very cool to watch the magic happen. The steaks were cooked perfectly and the side dishes had very generous portions. Bread with oil arrived at the table to help stave my hunger and soak up some of the alcohol from the delicious drink called the Ruby Slipper. The service was very nice and with reservations, we are always seated promptly. My only little complaint is that the tables seem a bit tight and the benches with pillows is slightly uncomfortable. I always feel like I'm eavesdropping on the tables around me because we're so close together.

I made a reservation for 4 of us to celebrate our 43rd wedding anniversary for 7:00pm. We arrived promptly at 7:00 and when we checked in we were told there would be a few minutes wait. We said no problem. A few minutes later the Hostess came up to me and said the table they were going to seat us at were just getting desert, but she had a different table We said no problem and we were seated. We ordered cocktails and once they arrived we ordered apps and our entree's. We enjoyed our apps. When the entrees arrived we noticed that the top sirloin steaks seemed very small for the price and were sliced by the chef prior to serving. They were warm, not hot. The other two entrees were fine. When we were done eating the waitress cleared our plates and asked if we wanted dessert. We opted for just coffee and tea. As soon as the coffee and heat was served, the hostess came to our table and said it's 8:30 we have another party at 8:45. Mind you there were 4 other empty tables all around us at this time. Then the waitress came by and said anything else while looking at her watch!! Dinner for the 4 of us was $275.00 for the 4 of us prior to tip! I eat out often and have never been treated so rudely, nor been rushed out of a restaurant. I would not recommend this place if you are looking for an enjoyable evening out!

Our experience started at at the host stand. We were greeted with a smile and got our reservation moved up because we were starving! That was not the best part though. We enjoyed our dinner on the patio. Eric was our waiter. The banter was fun and he was very attentive. We ordered the ribeye with mashed potato and carrots and a lobster risotto special. Both dinners were seasoned perfectly and the ribeye was very tender. Get the carrots! They are absolute perfection! The creme brûlée was a nice finale. To top it off a lovely group next to us bought us a round fit my birthday. Portland has great people and great food. All around great experience. We look forward to visiting again soon!

One of the worst experiences that I had at the Grill Room . The service was mediocre at best, our food was either overcooked or undercooked. This place used to provide great food and service. Not worth the price.

Fabulous food & drinks but SO NOISY. The loud music paired with a full restaurant meant my husband & I couldn't even hear each other sitting at a 2 person table. While the food partly made up for it, cause it really was that good, I do wish the waiter would have mentioned their special Porterhouse (which wasn't on the menu) was going to be $125. While I don't mind paying that for the quality of steak it was, it would have been nice to know before the bill came. Also, absolutely nothing for birthday celebrations? Both the hostess & our waiter was aware it was my birthday and absolutely nothing was offered.

The chef on Friday nights thinks he's really cool. He enjoys playing the tortured artist role. The one thing I noticed is his co workers and guest don't enjoy it. The wild thing is he put out sub par meals. I ordered the special. I have a wide pallet but we aren't talking exotic here. It was literally sirloin and potatoes. Gotta admits the potatoes were awesome........ if that's your take away from a steak house no more needs to be said. Piss poor attitude from chef was translated into his plates.

This is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Maine. We like to eat here about twice a year and reserve it for special date nights with just the two of us. We like to eat here without a budget because it is expensive and we want to be able to order apps, drinks, etc. We always reserve the chefs bar and enjoy watching the cooks prepare food. My fiancé almost always orders whatever the nightly special is and has enjoyed dishes including swordfish, pork chop, steak, etc. I am a big fan of their ala cart menu and order the filet mignon paired with the various sauces available. One evening we ordered the large T-bone steak and it had to have been the best cuts of meat I've ever eaten. I love the sea salt fries. They beat many other fries in Maine. My fiancé loves the Mac n cheese. I also recommend the Brie. The waitstaff are all incredible, friendly, and knowledgeable. They'll take the time to answer your questions and even provide recommendations based on casual conversation. The hostesses tend to be less friendly but don't let them scare you away from this gem of Maine.

SO disappointed! Knew we were coming into Portland from out of town so we booked a chefs table reservation way in advance. I secured it with my credit card and received multiple confirmations. When we arrived we were told the table we booked was no longer available because they "overbooked"! The hostess was not very friendly and I honestly don't know how this could even have happened. We didn't even get a courtesy call or email to tell us there was an issue so we could try to book somewhere else.

We were very excited to celebrate my birthday here based on what I've heard in the past however after reading reviews on here and OpenTable I did question my decision. For all the reviews that were not 5 star everything stated I would agree with. The restaurant is extremely loud and makes it challenging to have a conversation and you are basically sitting at a table with others, tables are so close that the waiter while waiting on a table beside you is also at your table but the backside of them. My jacket was knocked off the back of the chair (and left) by waitstaff squeezing through. Enough about the atmosphere, for the price point I did have higher expectations for my dining experience. We started with the Wood Oven Bri, I expected that to come out bubbly and hot, because I did not clarify I will not hold the restaurant accountable for the less than spectacular bri, we ate it and agreed it was just ok. While ordering we (waiter initiated) specifically discussed the temp of the steak. My husband and I both ordered a medium well temperature. As our dinner arrived the lady who brought it asked us to cut through to make sure it is cooked to our liking. 1. It's a grill room and I do expect them to know how to cook all cuts to temperature. 2. My steak came sliced so I clarified what she was asking me to do, she said does it look ok? As it was red and bleeding in middle I asked her if it looked medium well to her, she laughed and said no. So she grabbed a plate and took my steak back to the kitchen. My husbands rib eye was huge and also very uncooked in the center. Now my husband is waiting to eat his meal while mine is being corrected, no worries though it was quick, my steak came back out and still not medium well. I kept it of course. My mashed potatoes were not hot and the carrots were very under cooked. 3. She knew our steaks were not right, she should have pushed them back at the window and not delivered them. I would have been much happier waiting an extra 5-8 mins for $56 dollar entrees to come out as ordered vs getting them subpar. Additionally the waiter shared that since it was my birthday, dessert is on the house. As you can imagine that was also on the bill (perhaps it slipped his mind) totally fine but based on my dinner experience I would not have ordered a dry chocolate cake again for that price point. Not worth mentioning of course. Highlights of the experience, drinks were good and portion of the rib eye entree was huge. My husbands steak can easily be cooked for another dinner with no worry of over cooking and I can microwave my carrots to an edible state. Realizing the entire industry is understaffed we go to restaurants knowing we might wait a little longer and always tip generously as an extra thank you to the staff for showing up! What is not acceptable is rushing food because you've packed the restaurant like Covid isn't a thing and that you're not short staffed. I wish they had not compromised quality. As we were elbow to elbow with the other patrons I did over hear the folks beside us say "it was just ok and I wouldn't rush back here". I share the same sentiments and if I do return it will be for the French Onion soup which we didn't have but looked amazing based on the presentation. The lightening in the restaurant is low so photos didn't come out great.

Our waiter was amazing, the food was great with deep flavor and the inside had a dark ambiance to it.

I'm a little disappointed as this was our first restaurant we decided to try out while vacationing in Portland. We were sat down immediately and our service was on par with other restaurants. But I absolutely could not ignore the fact that there were potentially some health code violations. Our server took our order and menus, went to put our order in digitally on the screen and then proceeded to touch and cut the bread without washing their hands or wearing gloves. During the duration of our dinner, I also noticed a cook eating his lunch by the carving station in the kitchen. Makes you wonder what else is going on. Felt sick later that night.

Great Experience! Loved the vibe of this place. I started off with an awesome drink, the Ruby Slipper, excellent! Our server was awesome, very personable, friendly and great humor! The ceasar salad was very delicious and my filet was to die for! HIGHLY recommend this restaurant!

I booked this dinner reservation at the last minute on a Saturday night while in Portland with my wife. We were not disappointed. Decor is rustic steak/grill type...dimly lit, dark wood...but not dated...they make it work. Open kitchen. Service was excellent all the way through. Food was excellent. I started with a dozen oysters which hit the spot. My wife had scallops, perfectly cooked and delicious. I had surf and turf... Hanger steak with lobster tail. The hanger steak was a little under cooked but not the end of the world better- than the reverse. Tasted great.

Great for lunch! They don't actually "use" the grill for lunch so the offerings are different as compared to dinner menu. Friendly staff. Fills quickly so arrive early or checkout bar seating.

Every single item I ate (and drank) here was absolute perfection. We eat out a lot and I can truly say I've never had a steak cooked as perfectly. All of the food was well seasoned and fresh. Not one person out of the 7 in my party had an issue or disappointment. This will be our new spot for special dinners!

Consistently great and last night was no exception. Three of us went at 7 PM. We couldn't get a table. Two hour wait. We sat at the bar. And within 20 minutes we that three seats. We had a variety of fish, steak and vegan pizza; and drinks. Everything was amazing. The music in the background is awesome. It's a great restaurant!! Go!

I'm from North Carolina, but this is a must for when I come to Portland. The filet was perfectly cooked and I especially like the bread.

We had dinner here recently with friends. The food is simply not worth the $300 we paid for two couples. The waiter was polite & attentive, but very pretentious. We could barely hear him over the kitchen staff yelling out orders. The sweet potato appetizer was quite tasty, but not $15 worth. One person in our party had what turned out to be an awfully small steak that was overwhelmed by fries. This is a steakhouse? Others had salmon that was just OK, because it was over seasoned. Veggies were OK. The cheesecake didn't come close to the waiter's hype of possibly being the best we've ever tasted. The brûlée was quite bland. We can well afford to eat here, but are unlikely to ever go back. There are so many restaurants in the Portland area that serve far better food and give you far more for your money. And you can hear your companions.

This was my second time out to this restaurant in 6 months. We did not have an appetizer. My husband had 1 cocktail. I had a mock tail in a can. No other drinks. Two steaks; I rib eye, 1 NY sirloin, with 3 side sauces. My NY was tough and full of gristle and edge fat. My husbands rib eye was cooked well and to his liking. The mushrooms were dry and tasteless. The spinach was fine. The sauces were served to the table 15 minutes before the steaks so they were cold. I did have a green salad which was just lettuce tossed. Our bill totaled 172.00.

We have been dining here since it opened and it used to be one of our favorite "go to" restaurants for special occasions etc. The last two times we've eaten there, we were disappointed in the quality of the food. The service was very friendly and welcoming as usual. My husband usually orders duck and he said it was a bit tough and lacked the usual quality flavor - stating that it seemed bland. I usually order a type of fish and mine was over-cooked. We always order brussels sprouts and they were quite greasy this time. We've decided to wait a month and see if the cook staff can find their groove again so that we can given them another try.

Ok Third visit , as much as I want to like it here the bartenders ruin it!! I'm not sure if they collectively do drugs together or if they are just poorly trained and allowed to drink behind the bar. It's honestly too weird to even be true, but it is! They literally forget your drink order, and or dinner order. It's happened three years in a row. How is that possible? I've had my food cooked incorrectly twice but I actually think it's not the kitchen it's the bar staff that ordered it incorrectly. My most recent visit the bartender took our drink order came back four minutes later and asked us if we knew what we wanted to drink, we said we already ordered with you and she said " oh shit what was that again" I know it's all hard to believe but it's all true ! How is this possible? If you decide to eat here Good luck!

The place has potential but for the price isn't quite there. The $170 poterhouse ordered medium rare+ came out medium well. It still was delicious and tender but for that price and a focus on steak they need to deliver. Other missteps included mistimed delivery of apps and sides, not refilling wine and water and just an inconsistent experience. Could be better with some more focus and probably staff.

I'll start off with what I didn't like: It's LOUD. We sat in the booth next to the door to al fresco dining. I was facing the door and it was blindingly bright outside, yet the room itself was extremely dark. Because of that I could barely see the people across the table, nor read the menu. One of the servers dropped a glass right next to our table. Our server, who was very sweet overall, did drop a knife that just missed my boyfriend's lap. Drama. There was a communal finger bowl of salt for all at the table to dip their fingers into. No, not sanitary, just stop with that. The napkins were so heavily starched that they were like cardboard. Seriously. What I did really enjoy is the food! I had the skirt steak with Brussels sprouts. I ordered it medium, it came medium rare but it was still delicious. My boyfriend ordered the pork and he loved it. My father, a literal steak connoisseur (he routinely eats at the big steak places in NYC ie Peter Luger's, The Palm, etc) who was visiting from away had the rib eye, ordered it black and blue, and said it was great. He also enjoyed his french onion soup. I would go back, yes, but will not sit at booth #36 (I asked before I left!)