Vista Spring Cafe

This local neighborhood restaurant is almost an institution in southwest Portland. The menu has a variety of pasta and salads with a full bar. Ideal for families and friends wanting a Portland tradition.

Ate here yesterday. It's a small, cozy corner cafe that probably used to be a old soda fountain or neighborhood market. All wood interior with a warm, dim ambiance like an Italian restaurant ought to be. The menu is perf. All the food is pretty meaty except the ravioli. We ate early and the place was nearly empty. Im sureits packed during peak dinner hour as it's a small place. Food is excellent. Also, a large selection of spirits.

This is one of those hidden gem restaurants that have delicious food and yet, somehow stay off the radar. First, the location is in the absolutely gorgeous Goose Hollow Neighborhood with large and historic houses perched along the hillside. Second let’s talk about the atmosphere, the restaurant is very quaint with small booths and tables along with a full bar. A small stairway leads into a cute antique shop next door. Third, let’s talk about the food. I started with their homemade meatballs which were some of the best I’ve ever eaten. Our family got a large Sicilian Pizza and it was amazing. (Much better than Ken’s) Perfect amount of toppings and the crust had been cooked perfectly. Not too hard and not too soft. Lastly, the waitstaff were very attentive and super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Everything looked so good but, their suggestions helped us pick out the most popular dishes and they didn’t disappoint. Definitely give the Vista Spring Cafe a try for your next dinner. If you love homemade Italian food, this is the place

An Italian restaurant in a residential area. Their pizza is great!! It is the best pizza in Portland. Not sure why it is not publicized so much, yet many people know how good their pizza is. A true hidden gem. On the weekends they can be quite busy and you may have to wait for a table.

Nice cozy atmosphere. A lot of neighborhood people lauded their pizza so we gave it a try, ordering the Sicilian. The pizza was good, not quite great. Salads were solid. Waitress was very nice.

Update: my wife and I visited when we were back in the neighborhood, still a gem. Original: Vista Spring has always been there. It's never the first place I think of to eat out but it's always the place I'm so thankful has been around when I do. The pizza is pretty good, everything is straightforward and dependable. It's just a great combination of cozy, warm atmosphere, decent food, and a historic location (one that I hope keeps keeping on).

It was fabulous. We had a sweet little table outside and our lovely server, Amy, couldn’t have been more perfect. Great meal, lovely views - what more could we ask for?

Cozy Italian bistro with very friendly staff. The food was wonderful especially that days salad special: beet and beretta salad. Also enjoyed the spaghetti with bolognese sauce immensely.

My recent meal at Vista Spring Café was dangerously delicious. The service was exceptional and very attentive despite there only being 2 waitresses. The Vista Spring Combo Pizza was rich and savory with an excellent crust. The Caesar Salad dressing is homemade and very delicious. The cocktails were top-notch, and the baked Brie was warm and creamy. Vista Spring Café offers a sensational dining experience and ambiance.

Food was super fresh, full of flavor... we just picked up but the restaurant was super cute inside so next time we will eat there!! The staff was awesome... nice and approachable... and get the tiramisu... best I have had!!

What a cozy and charming cafe in the neighborhood! They are the most friendly staff and their service is always excellent! Try their Montrachet pizza - it is uniquely flavorful. This is a gem at the top of the hill, and while you're headed here for dinner, don't miss out on the views of Portland on your way down. Better yet, grab one of their pizzas and head up to counsel crest for a memorable picnic!

Very comforting space, with outstanding pizza, and warm and friendly service. I look forward to returning!

Came here for dinner and instantly felt we were in a small town with a very family feel restaurant. We ordered a salad with smoke salmon and spinach ravioli. We also had their seasonal maple old fashioned and glass of Cabernet - unfortunately wine list is a bit limited but the fresh well prepared food made up for it. They have also set up so nicely for Christmas - the place is full of lights and decorations Highly recommended!

I LOVE this spot, what a gem. Food is good, beer and wine selection is good, dessert is great. Very cozy, warm and thoughtful atmosphere. Staff is kind.

Service and food were amazing. Something for everyone- both traditional and modern! Great atmosphere.

The lasagna, the pizza were delicious. The ambiance is super cozy and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. Thoroughly enjoyed our time and the meal very homey. We had not been here since before the pandemic and super glad Vista Springs is still a wonderful oasis in the West hills.

Bias review: 14 year tradition to come here after getting Christmas tree food here is good and atmosphere is better. Reminds me of those 10 hour YouTube videos of calming background you would use if you were studying or something.

Being a 3rd generation Portlander and self-proclaimed "foodie", I don't like giving up my "hidden gems", but I'm also a Team Player. This cute restaurant 3 minutes up the hill in Portland Heights from Burnside is amazing. We tried bunch of things on the menu and all were great. 3 different salads, including the Cesar, were all well-prepared with just the right amount of dressing. We had the meatball and focaccia bread appetizer and were not disappointed- it arrived hot and delicious. For our main, we split a large pizza and found it hot and fresh with a great ratio of pepperoni, Italian sausage and olives. Dessert? You know it!!! We enjoyed the molten lava cake, fresh baked chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream and a chocolate-amaretto-hazelnut cake that was on point. Last but not least, the service was beyond amazing. Do yourself a huge favor - GO. NOW. We will be back very soon.

What a treat to have a place like this in our neighborhood. I love it. The pizza is as good as anywhere. There are a few pasta dishes and the usual soups and salads. Overhead are two antique fans from India. It's a shame they don't operate. We really ought to eat there more often.

When it comes to reviews about restaurants I can be pretty lenient when it comes to the taste of food. The one thing that will make me give a bad review is service. I drive past this place all the time and it looks so cozy so I finally had the time to take my wife. It closes at 9 and I got there at 8 and when we walked in NO ONE greeted us. They walked by and attended to tables, people at the bar and still not a "hi" or "hello, welcome in!" For a whole 10 minutes. Mind you we were the ONLY ones waiting. After 15 minutes someone finally came to greet us and sat us down. We sat down for literally one minute and got told we could only order something to go cause they weren't taking anymore dine in orders. Wasted 16 minutes of my life.

Excellent meatballs! Service top notch. Please bring back some sandwiches, the BLT was always bomb. Keep up the good work!

I'm 9 years old and vista springs cafe is my favorite restaurant.And they also have really good macaroni and cheese.But I don't recommend the bathroom.I also can get free lollipops.So I do recommend this place.

We moved to the area a few years ago and found this little gem tucked away in our neighborhood. So glad we did. The staff is really nice, and the food is fantastic. We tend to drop in at least once a month, and often times more. The meatballs, pizza and salads are our go-to's. I really like the Asian chicken noodle salad. The dressing has just enough,, but not too much, spice that my husband will eat it too. I do enjoy the wine selection. My husband always orders a light beer, which we never know what will be available. It's not a biggie, he's easy to please. Place is charming, with 4/5 bar section. Children are welcome and outside dining is available when weather permits.

The kind of amazing neighborhood spot everyone wants. Great food & friendly service with reasonable prices.

I moved away from Portland and so missed the hilly dog hikes and a stop at Vista Springs for a little nosh. It was great to see how busy still is - even mid afternoon. Jill, my server, was a wonderful bartender and waitress, managing until a co-worker showed up at 4p. I had ordered a pizza to go and kept wondering what was taking so long as I watched the navigation line down I-5 turn from green to red... Jill came out and apologized because there had been a mistake. The kitchen read the order "pick up at six" instead of "table six." I decided I just needed to get refunded and get going. The chef, Josh, came out, also apologetically and said, "It will only take 10m - and the pizza's on us." So, I changed my mind and decided family would be happy to have pizza for dinner! And sure enough, with another apology and a fabulous 1/2 Hawaiian and 1/2 Palm Springs I'm off! The Rose City Gin Naighty martini was great as was the mac and cheese and Caesar! Always appreciate how people make up for mistakes. Josh and Jill get *****!

Nice outdoor seating just a few tables pizza is good I had great pasta special once, get there early for a table - I usually walk up from PSU area for exercise and to enjoy the day.

We waited 45 minutes to get seated, and after waiting that long (and the restaurant seating people who arrived after us first), the waiter came to tell us the owner said they were out of food. This was on a day when most restaurants were closed because of a heat wave. Had they told us that from the beginning we would have had a chance at finding another restaurant that was open but since they made us wait before telling us we were out of luck. It's ok to run out of food. It's not OK to make 3 people wait 45 minutes just as most restaurants are closing and then say "sorry you have to leave." Unprofessional.

Delightfully satisfying food, lovely ambiance, thoughtful servers, and easy to converse made an evening with family quite special.

A local bar and restaurant in a neighborhood with many beautiful homes. The food is simple, fresh, and primarily with an Italian bent. There is a full-service bar. The service is friendly and knowledgeable. Overall a great experience for a local restaurant.

Great food but the server, an older lady dressed in near funeral garb, seemed rushed and trying to get us out of there while we sat at a quiet booth. It seemed like she was annoyed we showed up with only two people and asked for a booth. She quickly asked us for dessert orders before we were ready and then told us she would transfer the table order if we wanted more. Totally acceptable, however she treated us like we needed to leave then and there at that moment instead of providing us service since they were still open another hour. She even went as far to put chairs up while we were still dining. I admit, we were there late but no later than close. I would return, only for the food and ambiance despite the un empathetic waitress.

My friend and I ate here last night, we were looking for a place close to the zoo and didn't know what to expect but it seemed to have good reviews. So with that in mind, we might not have had the typical experience but ours was pretty bad. For a café at 6:00pm on a weeknight it seemed pretty crowded, but the list only had one 2 person group ahead of us so we signed up and heard a server say it was about a 10 minute wait. I tried to reserve online while I was at work, but this is not an option. They do apparently take reservations but only by phone. It was an odd experience from start to finish, partially because it did seem like they were pretty short staffed. Anyway, a waitress came over and called out a 2 person party (the one right ahead of us) and got no response. Rather than calling us next instead, she walked away and didn't come back (nor did anyone else) for 20 minutes before calling us up. She stood at a table and talk to 2 guys for about half this time, and then went in to the kitchen. Who knows what was happening here, but really unsure why she didn't just call us next since the group ahead of us wasn't there or why it took so long to come back (at that point we had been waiting 30 minutes). We considered leaving at this point, but we were trying to get somewhere by 8 and figured we wouldn't have time to relocate. We were seated around 6:40 (30 min longer than suggested, with 5-6 tables open this whole time that never ended up being seated in our time there, so clearly not reserved). We ordered right away assuming that would take forever too. We ordered the brie starter and the large garlic and pancetta pizza. The brie was just okay, not worth the price and I definitely would say it was not a tapenade as the menu said that was in the cheese. The pizza could have been good, but had very little pancetta that was just in random balls throughout the pizza rather than distributed out- sort of like they just grabbed a few handfuls and threw it on there. Most slices didn't have any and we spread it out ourselves. It was okay, but basically just a cheese pizza the way they made it. Our waitress didn't check on us once while we were there, and we had to ask her to come over to give us the check. The whole ordeal ended up taking more than 2 hours and we missed our chance to go to the zoo. I'd say this place has potential, but everything was so poorly executed that we definitely won't be back.

Excellent small Italian restaurant with fabulous food and very reasonable prices. I would highly recommend!!!

Excellent food in a great neighborhood location. Server was very helpful with great suggestions. The pizza was perfect, ravioli excellent, and the meatballs marvelous. Definitely worth another trip.

Love this place. The food is great, the atmosphere is inviting, and the staff is nice.

This place is terrible now. I used to eat here on the semi regular long ago, but a trip last weekend will be my last. I ordered a large pizza with pepperoni and mush on half, and double anchovy on the other. The pizza when it arrived was very mediocre. It was underdone and the crust was just tasteless. Oh well, I figured. Maybe I'll get something not pizza when/if I return. The bill comes, we paid without examining it in great detail at first. Then I realize they charged me not for two topping, like every SINGLE PIZZA PLACE in the known universe, but charged me for FOUR. Initially I thought this was probably just a simple mistake on their part, as there were literally two topping on each side. I talked to the waitress, who was just super bitchy about it. She agreed to go talk to the manager. She came back ten minutes later and literally threw $4 in ones down on the table at me and said "There! Does that make you happy?" I said no, but it does answer the question of if I will be returning or not. Unbelievable rudeness! Sub par pizza and a super bitchy attitude do not equate to return customers.

We love the neighborhood location, the old building, bar, and decor. We always appreciate the ambiance, friendly staff, and unique homemade pizzas!

My hubby and I ate here on our last night in Oregon, and we were so thankful that Yelp led us here. It was such a romantic treat. It's nestled in a residential area, one that we enjoyed walking around after dinner. The décor is beautiful, dark wood booths, with multicolor lead glass desk lamps at the end of the booth for lighting. Such a beautiful accent to the tablescape. The food was very good. We ordered a big salad and sandwich, splitting both. We ordered martinis, which we enjoyed very much. There were maybe five other parties there that evening, so it was nice to feel like we had the place to ourselves on a week night. The ingredients were fresh, tasty, and well put together. Service was friendly. I wish wish wish that we could pick up this place and plant it in LA. I do hope we get a chance to have a beautiful and romantic dinner here again. What a fond memory to take home with us!

Evelina is the best!! We love this place, best pizza in Portland. A great environment to eat and relax.

The location is nicely removed from downtown l, but still local. The food overall is pretty good, I would describe it as "comfort food." It's consistently good and pretty tasty, but nothing too special. Ambiance is dark, dated, and a little cold; this is where they lose most their points. However, the menu is solid and you can find a lot of good, simple meals that you'll enjoy.

I am so thankful to have found this lovely family run restaurant! It was my first time ordering food to go and it was scrumptious. (Pro tip: if you order pizza, I highly recommend mixing red sauce with pesto! Owner suggested and it was delicious!). With social distancing, they will take payments over the phone and bring your to-go orders to you curbside. I am incredibly grateful that they are continuing to provide delicious and comforting meals especially during this time. I look forward to being able to return to dine in and enjoy its ambiance and friendly staff, but until then highly recommend ordering take-out!

This restaurant is across the street from a grade school. Lots of mothers bring their children in after school gets out. Also, it is a great place for your tutor to have a one hour lesson with your child and then you can go shopping. They do not expect you to order any food and best of all, you can use the public bathroom at no charge. You will feel right at home as there are lots of other children there, so it is like a free play school. I recommend it for all children to have a good time. And you don't have to spend any money. The waitresses won't bother you about ordering food as they are visiting with each other and the cook.

We love this cafe for its menu, high quality ingredients, and its cozy neighborhood friendly ambiance. For now, while we can't enjoy its ambiance, we can still enjoy the food, by purchasing take out. Call 503-222-2811 of view menu at vistaspringpdx.com We got take out yesterday. Our sandwiches and salads were just as delicious as ever and the two lasagnes and two mac and cheeses are in our freezer to cheer us up down the line. Take-Out let's us show some love for Vista Springs and its people while giving us/ healthy and comforting meals for challenging days ahead. Social Distancing They will take credit card info over the phone 503-222-2811 and bring take-out orders curbside - no need to enter Our Take-Out out brightened our day!! We took orders from neighbors and did a run. Maybe you can do that, too. NEXT WEEK 3/21 - 3/27 I have been told, upon inquiring, that Vista Springs plans to provide a reduced, but still robust offering from their online menu: 1) SALADS (The Thai Chicken and Cesar Salads is my favorites) 2) PIZZA (hot or half-baked so it bakes at home perfectly for at home dining and fills our house with great Italian aroma) 3) MEATBALLS and pasta dishes 3) LASAGNE and MAC and CHEESES (hot OR chilled to freeze for later, as we chose) I hope this is helpful to any folks finding the Vista Springs Cafe for the first time as well as long-time guests like us. For any of you in Beaumont Wilshere area across town, Jason is a longstanding neighbor who founded Red Fig that we all loved, before taking over ownership of Vista Springs. I would be happy to coordinate times and bring your order to you when I pick up my own over the next week or so. The restaurant can give you my contact info.

Have you ever watched the movie "Pretty Woman"? I'm referring to the scene where Julia Roberts walks into the store and was snubbed by the sales lady. That was what my family experienced last night with our server, I believe her name was Erin and she was being shadowed by another girl. I don't know whether or not her boyfriend broke up with her, and if he did, I can excuse this incident, but if he didn't, why the rude attitude. We ordered drinks and left. I've lived in SW hills for 14 years and have never eaten at this establishment. It looks like I never will.

I am writing a review for my parents because they aren't on this thing. They ordered a pizza online about 30mins before Vista Spring Cafe closed. Something went wrong with the order, no fault of either party. I don't recall the details, but my mom said she spoke with them on the phone right before they were closing and Vista offered to make their pizza if they could be there in ten minutes. That was on Christmas Eve. I work in the industry and know that so many places are finished serving food ten minutes or more before their stated closing hours. To go above and beyond on what many view a holiday, during a PANDEMIC deserves a huge thank you!!! I had a cold piece when I got into town later in the evening. My parents have been going there for over 25 years. Makes sense. Thank you to all of their employees who have continued to provide wonderful service.

Last night we came here for an earlyish dinner. The Warriors were playing Game 7 against the Thunder and we'd rather eat early than miss the end of the game. Vista Spring was recommended by our AirBnB hosts. We walked in just before 6:00. There was a sign-in sheet so I dutifully put down my name, as did several subsequent arrivals. A staff member saw us and directed us toward a table w/o referring to the sheet. I'm sure it would be needed later in the evening as it got busier, but not yet. The place looks like a neighborhood joint that has been here for decades and I mean that in the best possible way. It's woodsy and attractive w/ booths and tables. While not full when we arrived, there were tables w/ families and tables of older folks eating together. A fabulous looking routed wood system was attached to ceiling fans to move them when the weather is warm enough. We looked at the menu and decided to start w/ a hummus plate as an appetizer. I ordered a red blend by Charles & Charles and Alan ordered iced tea. I considered a pizza, then decided on a hamburger as my main after our server assured me the kitchen would do their best to cook it rare. Alan ordered a salmon burger, substituting salad for the kettle chips that came w/ it. I followed suit. The salad was $2.50 extra but was well worth it, as it was a generous portion. I ordered blue cheese dressing and Alan ordered Italian. The hummus plate was marvelous, w/ warm triangles of pita, a good serving of well made hummus, crumbles of feta, slices of kalamata olives, halved cherry tomatoes and chunks of cucumber. Because Alan couldn't eat the feta or the olives due to their sodium content, he focused on the hummus, cucumber and tomato w/ the pita. I enjoyed the feta, olives, hummus and tomatoes w/ the pita. It was an excellent start. The burgers were brought w/ large, sharp knives to cut them in half. Mine was nicely rare. It came w/ pickle chips, sliced onion, tomato and lettuce. I requested catsup and mustard. It was a very good burger. I liked the salad too, although there was something about their blue cheese dressing I didn't care for. I should have ordered the balsamic vinaigrette. The wine was very tasty. Alan was pleased w/ his meal. We were both wearing Warriors shirts and when we paid and got ready to leave our server wished us good luck in the game, which we appreciated. We got back just after halftime and the Warriors won the game.

This is an establishment of the area! Clam chowder is a bit too creamy but pizza is superb. The Vista Combo is one of the best. Thai Peanut Chicken is fairly solid but a bit too saucy. Love this place!

We are from out of town and can not find a place for dinner. We saw the review and thought, sure let's try this. Vista Spring is a gem! Great food, great service! Even though we were stying at downtown Portland, we will be back again!!!

Believe the reviews: this cute little place up in the hills has warm and lovely service, solid food and a strong if limited local beer selection. The wife's food was fine (Cesar Salad and Turkey Sandwich with cranberry cream cheese) and mine was good ( chowder and grilled cheese). The kids meal for the kiddo was as needed. The wife's cider was really lovely. Added bonus for those with kids. There is a playground across the street at an elementary school. Open on the weekends.

Hidden away, ambiance of the place is awesome. Ordered a pizza which was delicious and there was a nice selection at the bar.

On one of my visits to Portland, my sister brought home a pesto pizza with artichoke and sun-dried tomatoes from the Vista Springs Cafe. From the first slice, I was in love. That was back in 1990. Every time I came to Portland afterwards, I dreamed about having that pizza. A little over ten years later, I moved to PDX and found myself living near the cafe. It became a frequent treat to order a pizza on my way home from work or to go to dinner there with out of town guests. The atmosphere is a great. Relaxed, casual and comfortable. It's a neighborhood hangout that is great for an intimate meal with good friends. Even after moving away from the neighborhood, any time I am in the area I schedule it (even subconsciously) so that I happen to be driving by it at the time I need something to eat. Anyway, enough about all that. What should you eat? Everything! There honestly hasn't been one thing that I have regretted ordering. Obviously the pizza is high on my list. Love them. Salads are great if you want something lighter. Try the Poppyseed Chicken Crunch or the Southwest ChIcken Salad. Burgers are amazing if you need something more filling. The Oregon blue cheese burger is a highlight. Love it! I will always be partial to their pesto pizza, even though they changed the original one I fell in love with and added more toppings. One of the best things about the Vista Springs Cafe is its consistency. I am all about the latest and newest places to try but there is something comforting in knowing that you can go to a place for almost 30 years and be served with the same consistently good food, great friendly service and a casual relaxed atmosphere. Thank you Vista Springs Cafe!

First off the food was good. I had sausage ravioli and tiramisu and chianti. Yum. It came with some bread. The place is cozy and cute, dimly lit, kinda romantic. Service was just ok

Love this place. No nonsense good food and great pizza. Warm rustic room with caring service. A feel good place with consistently good service and high quality food.

Our appetizer was the baked brie and it was delightful! I usually don't like brie at all and scooped up the last bites to not waste a taste. The pizza is outstanding and the service was too. We will return!

Some nice, warm food at a reasonable price. Thankfully its not located in downtown. The meatlovers options are my favorite

Great food and social distancing in place. Staff were all wearing masks. I'd feel safe ordering food to pick up again.

It's been about 20 years since I have been to Vista Spring Cafe. We ate there once and the food was unexceptional and we never went back. I thought that maybe the restaurant had changed in 20 years and I should try again. I read some decent reviews, so it seemed like a reasonable thing to do. Bad idea. It was still pretty blah. My husband ordered the lasagne and I had the Chicken Crunch Salad. When asked how the lasagne was, his answer was, 'meh'...As for me, the salad had almost no chicken in it, so that was disappointing. It was all bland. There were not even any onions. Onions would have gone a long way to improve it...that and more chicken. If the bitty bits of chicken had any seasoning, that would have been nice, too. Our server was great and attentive. 5 stars to her. Otherwise, I guess we'll try again in 20 years.

My family has been going to the Vista Spring Cafe for years and have always had great service. It has been of our favorite places to eat. Yesterday, one of the servers, (I believe her name was Annie) was extremely rude to me and my friend. She seemed upset that we only ordered drinks. When I asked for water, she slammed it on the table without any eye contact. We couldn't believe she did that! We felt uncomfortable and unwelcome the whole time

Vista Springs Cafe is our local neighborhood restaurant serving lunch and dinner. I have always enjoyed the food, adult beverages, and service at Vista Springs but wow - tonight's salad was soooo good I just had to write a review. Smoked salmon Ceasar salad! Unbelievably delicious. The salmon Ceasar is a special but they always have a chicken Ceasars which is also wonderfil. But oh the salmon ceasar!