3 Doors Down Cafe & Lounge

Fried oysters, Panko breeding way too heavy and aioli sauce just «meh». Rigatoni with sausage and vodka really great! Good sausage and sauce delicious. Clean fresh atmosphere. Interesting «grown up» cocktail menu. Helpful and friendly staff. So many great eating places in the area that I’m not sure I’ll make it back here.

We had the most wonderful evening at this dining establishment tonight.
The service was excellent and the food and drinks were excellent. The atmosphere is really special and we look forward to our next visit. You can never go wrong with the pasta and vodka sauce with plum tomatoes.

My absolute favorite spot in all of Portland. So yeah.
Matty makes outstanding cocktails, Dave makes incredible food — love particularly his risottos, the bibb salad and his pork dishes but you seriously can’t go wrong — and the waitstaff make you feel at home.
Charming atmosphere for a date or a get-​together and, as has been mentioned, the banana cream pie is a perfect dessert.
THIS is what I miss most about no longer living in PDX.

What a wonderful experience! Yep leading with that.
Ambience is perfect for a date or getting to know you date, nice low key food with the fam or friends, or just if you are craving a great well made meal.
Bar looks well stocked and wine selection is on point! Waitress was so nice.
Now to the food:
WOW! I call it «The Umm Effect.» Its that point when you put the fork in your mouth and all conversation stops, goosebumps tend to happen at this point, and some people may even close their eyes and say «ummm,» yep, The Umm Effect! Needless, but I will, it happened all the way until dessert.
I had the Asparagus Risotto and it was perfectly cheesy, balanced flavors, not mushy, and über delicious.
The banana cream pie, was amazing. I crave it now, maybe it should be listed as a Schedule 2 substance because it is highly addictive.
Overall great meal experience.

Went here with the hubs tonight for date night. When we arrived we found out that it was happy hour (yay!) and were faced with the grueling task of deciding which happy hour appetizers we wanted to order! We ended up getting the bread with white bean spread (which is to die for, as many other reviewers noted) and the fried oysters. Oh. My. Goodness. The bread was amazing – crunchy on the outside, so soft on the inside. The spread… I will probably dream about eating it tonight, it was that creamy and tasty! The fried oysters arrived hot out of the fryer, with the perfect amount of crunch. The aioli was nice and fresh as well.
For actual dinner (since one can’t live on appetizers alone) I got the beef carpaccio and hubs got the chicken sausage cavatappi. Both were amazing (though I was fairly sad when my plate was empty far to quickly).
I would totally go here again, if just for the white bean spread. The only caveat was that it was not a busy night, but service was less than grand. We sat at one of the «bar» tables (although it was right next to several other tables being served by one of the «dining room» servers) but experienced sub-​par wait-service…probably because our server was also single-​handedly working the bar and making drinks for the whole restaurant. He was very personable though, and friendly.
Overall, if you’re willing to wait for service, this is a great place!

We’ve been here twice now and both times we were just not that impressed. Recently we had a reservation and we were 5 minutes early and they weren’t ready for us. We decided to just eat at the community table in the bar area. For whatever reason no one waited on us. The waiter waited on the group of people next to us. He took his time with them. We sat there for about 15 minutes never even got water. Waiters kept rushing past us and not one even acknowledged us. We were like «wtf? hello?» Finally I flagged down the hostesses and asked if anyone serviced this end of the table. She was surprised no one helped us. She scrambled to get us water and bread and even took our drink order. Yeah, she gets the stars! The food was good as were the cocktails. But when your servers rush past you completely ignoring you, you just want to get up and walk out and never go back again. I saw the hostess speaking the the man who SHOULD have been our server (the same guy waiting on the group at the end of the community table we were sitting next to) and he glanced over at us. Not sure what was going on that night with that dude. The night was salvaged by the sweet hostess.

Went here for the PDX dining month, got the salad to start off, was great flavor and texture, also tasted the polenta cake which is very good. For the entrée I got the duck confit which was excellent. For dessert they had run out of everything except the rice pudding, so had to have that. It was pretty good, and a lot of dessert, can be easily shared between 2 people. We had ordered our dessert at the very beginning when they had all 3 of the desserts, was a bit strange that they ran out of two and didn’t let us know. Thought they would save us the desserts we ordered. But apart from that the food was very good.

One of the most surprising restaurants in PDX. It’s 21 years old this year and can’t believe it’s ever been better than the meal we had last week (February 24^th).
Every aspect from the warm welcome, cozy atmosphere, wine list, service and dishes was incredible.
Terrific value considering the quality of ingredients and execution.
Stylistically it’s focus is on traditional Italian with a few pleasant twists along the way. The wine list is beautifully crafted and well priced. Plenty of choice for those who wish to step outside of the vinous box.
Bill came out to be $ 80 pp including four courses, bottle of wine and tip.

I want to like this place so much. It’s so close to our house that I could easily become a regular, but both times I visited, the food just dramatically let me down and the service wasn’t great.
In the first visit, we stopped by for dinner and everything was going okay until we ordered dessert. The tiramisu was ALL alcohol — not a bit of extra rum or rum that just hadn’t had time to cook off, but SOAKED in rum that overwhelmed every bite. I tried to flag down a server, because I figured the restaurant was just swamped and it was a honest mistake (no way would that much alcohol be recipe-​dictated), but fifteen minutes later, we didn’t have any luck catching anyone’s eye and just wanted to leave, so we grabbed the check instead.
Recently, I revisited for happy hour, ready to forgive and forget. I asked how pickled the brussel sprout side might be (because I love pickled veggies, but sometimes people overdo it), and the server assured me that the acidic level was moderate. Then it arrived and was yet another inedible item. The potato croquette that we also got was fine but not so good that I was tempted into ordering other food.
On the plus side, I do love 3 Doors Down’s bread and bean spread. Sadly, that’s about it.

We stopped in on a Thursday evening with a reservation. There were a few open tables, and looked like some seats at the bar area, so we may have been able to get in without one? In any case, they’re on 37^th just north of Hawthorne, and could easily be missed if you didn’t know they were there, especially as they’re sort of lost in the shadows from the the lights/​lanterns of the adjacent Toney Bento.
Décor is pretty traditional — white table-​clothes with white butcher paper over the tops, dim-​ish lighting, etc. While our server was well informed, and seemed to know the menu well, service was really slow. According to my motion tracking app, we were there for 100 minutes, and I remember noting we’d been there over 45 minutes and still hadn’t seen our entrees. Server seemed stretched a little thin — she brought by a shell bowl for my main after we had finished our appetizers, brought out our mains maybe 20 minutes later, and then brought me another shell bowl, setting it down next to the one I was already using the lemon from…
Food wise, bread was brought out with their white-​bean spread. Bread was good and the warm spread enhanced it nicely. The fried oysters may have been the highlight of the meal. These were nicely prepared, to the point where I suggested my texture-​adverse dining partner should try one.
I tasted her main (vodka cream sauce with sausage and pasta). The sausage was a little overly dry, feeling like it needed some fat to help bind it together, though the flavor was good. The sauce was excellent as well. I had seafood with a red sauce and olives, which felt like their take on a cioppino. Plenty of clams and mussels, and some very large prawns.
I also had their negroni on tap, which was made with cocchi americano instead of campari. Server did make a point to highlight it lacked campari while I ordered. I thought this was an interesting substitution, and was surprised to see it served up. The combination of the lack of color/​bitterness and the cocktail glass really made it seem like they should call this a martini, rather than a negroni…
Overall, the damage for the appetizer, cocktail, and two mains was a little north of $ 60. I really enjoyed my night out with my GF, but the slow service and lack of pacing really impacted what could have been a really solid meal.

Always a favorite place and never disappoint. Great happy hour! Fried oysters and pork chops are some of the best in PDX. Vodka sauce pasta is another favorite. Decent lineup of fresh pasta dishes with a rotating entrée menu. One of the things people may miss is the fabulous hummus dip with bread. If there, it is a must order. Soo good! Wonderful desserts! Our favorite is the tiramisu.

First I have to say I ordered from here through Caviar, so I have no comments on the physical location. However, this was literally the best food I have ever had from that delivery service. I had the bibb lettuce salad, which btw the garlic dressing is to die for, and the chicken pasta. Both were absolutely perfect, I couldn’t get enough! I had to stop myself from scarfing everything within seconds in order to delay some gratification. Seriously, eat here. I will again and again and again…

The food was excellent. Had the chicken special. Might be the best chicken I ever had. Great drinks. Nice and knowledgable waiters. Great place. We had a window seat, which even had its own heater for Candace.

Service was a little slower than I would have liked, but the pasta with vodka sauce & sausage and other dishes were no less than amazing. The setting was also great.

This place has consistently provided wonderful food and incredible service. My boyfriend and I have been for the happy hour twice now and have really enjoyed our food. I would highly, highly recommend it.

I appreciate that this place supported the Portland’s Gay Men’s Chorus with a fundraiser. I made dinner reservations to support the cause and enjoy holiday time with friends. When I checked in (with a server), I was told to wait a moment, but no one ever came back. I have a disability and my knee was hurting, so I approached a woman, apparently the host, to check in again. This woman was very unfriendly and had a sharp attitude. When I explained that my knee was hurting and asked if there might be any bar seating available, she said «do whatever you like and I’ll just find you». Later, when my friends arrived and were waiting at the door, they overheard this woman bad-​mouthing me to other patrons. And, I overheard her bad-​mouthing other patrons to someone sitting next to me at the bar … very off-​putting and very unprofessional. The restaurant was busy because of the fundraiser … consequently, the service was spotty (though our server was nice). The food, drinks and dessert were all really excellent (though someone went a little heavy on all of our salad dressings). The concept was great … however, the music/​sound was quite loud and, at the same time, hard to hear. Nonetheless, people seemed to enjoy being out and supporting the cause (as did we).

Great ambience and food! I wish I lived closer, but wait… no…that might end badly. I would become one of those stalkerish patrons that eats every meal there. The bread and bean spread they serve with it is fantastic. I could just sit and eat that… for…every…meal.
The Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts and Risotto are ah-​mazing!!! I could seriously eat that risotto every day. It was that good. Our server was a little blah, but I’m beginning to suspect this is a Portland thing.
The atmosphere is super cute, with mismatched chairs at the tables. The lighting is nice as well, and adds to the ambiance. :) We would definitely return to 3 Doors Down Café & Lounge, and can hardly wait to do so! I think some yummy bread and bean spread is calling my name!

Highly recommend: 3 Doors Down Café is one of my favorite restaurants (the competition is tough in Portland) and my number one choice for consistent excellent food, comfortable atmosphere and friendly well-​informed staff. Most recent visit highlights: fried oysters, salmon was cooked to perfection and the wine (great wines, that do not break the bank). My go-​to is usually the fresh fish special. That said I love pasta and the pork tenderloin is delicious. Kathy (the owner) really makes you feel at home and makes special occasions extra special.

Had a fantastic experience here with a group of friends. Service is excellent– among the best I’ve experienced in Portland. Food delicious and cocktails stellar. The atmosphere was warm and inviting… a great spot for a group dinner.

Went here with large group of 10 people so we ordered a bunch of appetizers, then entrees. I definitely love their appetizers a lot more than the entrees. Although, my pasta dish was pretty good. The appetizers were amazing. They also have great desserts. The banana cream pie was the bomb.

We mostly enjoyed our meal at 3 Door Down. I generally avoid risotto, but the mushroom risotto was fantastic. The mushrooms, green pepper, and tomatoes combine to give a really bold flavor. We also had the tagliatelle with goronzola, which was excellent. The burrata appetizer was wonderful (can a burrata ever be bad?). The gnocchi appetizer is a pass — it isn’t very flavorful and it arrive room temperature.
The meal begins with a bread basket gratis, with white bean purée, which was nice. However, any additional bread is a $ 3 charge, which seems stingy to me.
There are a bunch of dessert options. The house special is the banana cream pie, which we ordered. I probably would try something else next time. It was fine, but no better than what I’ve had for $ 4 out of the coolers at my favorite diners back home.
Service was a bit of a problem. The front of the house uses an iPAD app to seat the guests, and the host was seriously struggling. It was taking 10 minutes to seat each party. Also, we didn’t enjoy watching the host licking his fingers before picking up the paper menus. It makes you want to reach for the Purell. After being seated, we were forgotten for 10 – 15 minutes. But the company was good.

Excellent food. Some appetizers a little rich or a little salty, but still quite good. Pasta entrees excellent, Desserts excellent (best tiramisu ever, with the richness of the mascarpone cheese making the difference).
Also, of note, the service was very good, more attentive and more thorough than typical Portland service.
Definitely would come again.

3 Doors Down was recommended to me as an excellent date spot, so I got a reservation for my girlfriend’s birthday. The reservation wasn’t entirely necessary since there were quite a few open tables on that weekday evening.
We started off with bread and a warm white bean spread that, by itself, is pretty much worth the visit. For dinner, I went with the spaghetti and meatballs, which was good but not great. The sauce was bit acidic, but the flavor was right. The meatballs were excellent… huge and not too dense. Dessert was their banana cream pie. I don’t usually eat dessert, but this pie was pretty irresistible.
Overall 3 Doors Down is a quality Italian restaurant, with the perfect date night ambiance.

If you enjoy good Italian food and are looking for a nice place for a date, 3 Doors Down will not disappoint. It has very nice, upscale atmosphere, a surprise (to me at least) given that it’s in the heart of the very casual Hawthorne retail district.
We started with a salad that is basically a caesar. It was good, but the portion was smaller than I would have expected. My date had a couple of glasses of the house red wine which she liked. Her entrée’ was salmon — this drew raves. This is noteworthy because she’s a classy act from a big city. I had a hearty pasta dish with meat that was quite good though I couldn’t help but notice that the shape/​size of the pasta reminded me of weevils! It’s called cavatelli bolognese with stracciatella cheese.
Our waiter was very nice and extremely polite though he needed to ask what we’d ordered after we’d been served our appetizer & wine. I cannot downplay what a pleasure it was to be warmly greeted and served by a professional who seemed to appreciate our patronage.
Given what a dinner for two cost, I’d say the price range should be $$$, not $$, but for what was offered, it was worth it.

You can’t go wrong here… amazing appetizers, salads, entrees and dessert! Not to mention the best cocktails in town. Lots of house made infusions and creations that will blow you away. We love the Happy Hour menu, offered Sun-​Thursday, such a deal!
Our favorites are the vodka penne, the stuffed pork chop or the Happy Hour mac and cheese or burger.

Love this place for Happy Hour! Monday thru Thursday all night long. Bartender Matt is super nice as as new bartender Steven.
The food is yummie. Eggplant Parm is my regular dinner — when you find something you love, why try anything else?
Got the banana cream pie tonight — was already overfull — but the next table got one and I had to have it!
Happy hour is only in the bar but also outside on the sidewalk.

UPDATE: they have a new bartender named Steven and not only is he attentive, he’s creative. Come visit him for their casually brilliant happy hour Tuesday-​Thursday. A smooth cocktail goes down extra easy when the service is great… and he brought me my next beverage before I even asked for it. *tips hat*
Still hands down, my favorite restaurant to treat myself in Portland. I recommend it to friends, out of towners, and foodies alike. Simple, well done Italian dishes, daily specials, cocktails AND prosecco on draft (feel myself tearing up a bit…), and the best staff ever. If you don’t feel taken care of like a family member, then you must’ve accidentally walked into a neighboring business and not 3DD.
Can we talk about the happy hour? Always a faithful dinner patron at 3DD, I have ever made it to the happy hour until recently. DID YOU KNOW:
1) certain items that aren’t even presented on the regular menu, are only available on happy hour? I. e the burger and the eggplant Parmesan.
2) it’s a little slower than normal dinner hours, since they open right at 5, so a great time to stop in and ease through a meal. Enjoy your conversation with your bartender or companion.
3)“the bar”, where happy hour is strictly only available, includes the buddy bar tables off to the side. So don’t fret if the actual bar is full.
Now you know. Happy dining; I just hope I never have a problem scoring a table here.

I came here during Happy Hour and ordered the Eggplant Parmesan, and it was simply out of the world. It was really simple and light (as light as Eggplant Parmesan can be!), with excellent marinara sauce, and even though the portion size looked small, it filled me up.
The food was ⁵⁄₅. However, I am deducting one star because a) there are very few vegetarian options, so it’s unlikely I’ll be a regular, and b) it took about twenty minutes for my food to arrive. That always puts me off.
Overall a great experience. Staff is really nice, and they even gave a bowl of water to some pets that were tied up outside (not sure if this is the norm, but it was my first time seeing that, and I thought it was nice of them).
Recommended for a date.

Server: Jackie. Excellent. It was if she had an eyeball on our table without being anywhere near. Finish a plate– poof its gone. Nearly out of water– splash it’s full. Not in your face, not absent. Just right.
I had a calamari pasta which was good, not something I’d get again but I tried something new. The ‘sauce’ was excellent but didn’t hold to the pasta. What do I know about the proper type of pasta to serve with a dish but it seemed a different shape would have carried the sauce better.
My friend had the steamer clams and really liked them. Excellent serving size, wine broth with parm grated over and in the clams. Yum.
Wine– the server was excellent at recommending a wine based on our preference and what we were ordering.
Location was clean from ceiling lights, items on the walls to the floor. (start watching for this in restaurants, you’ll be amazed at what hangs overhead)
Now lets talk about the show stopper of the night. THE BREAD PUDDING.
It seems they must use the Pearl Bakery bread they serve before meals. Cut in rounds I believe they toast or broil the slices before baking this made for an amazing texture and variations in color. Killer whiskey sauce on the plate, on goes the bread pudding and a topping of whipped cream. Let me say. .my eyes rolled back. We were to be sharing it but I found myself snatching the plate away and snarling «get your own». Oh heavens was it good.
This, quite possibly, runs neck and neck with Observatory bread pudding as the best. We need a fork off.

Truly one of my favorite restaurants. I recommend anything here and I never say that but, I will say, save room for desert (no really, save room) because they have two amazing sweet treats on the menu.
* The bread pudding
* The banana cream pie (the best in pdx)
If you eat here… order this. You’ll thank me later… haha.

I came here before a concert to grab a drink and kill some time.
I thought it was all very mediocre but perhaps the bartender was just having a bad day. The drinks I had were good but the experience overall left something to be desired.
My other options in the area were Brasserie, the Backstage Bar, Gold Dust Meridian and a few dives between 39^th and whatever I felt was walkable. Brasserie was a sports nuts dream but also had a great selection of beer. Backstage Bar was too open for a single person, I wanted to be able to sit at the bar and blend in. And Gold Dust Meridian I’ve been to before and wanted to try something new.
Yeah, just an okay experience. There’s a bar in the literal sense so you can sit by yourself and I’d call this place classy so it’s not too strange to sit and sip a bev by your lonesome. It just wasn’t stellar. Maybe if I’d had food I’d have been treated better but I was just kind of treated like an incidental obstacle. It also took a long time for the tender to close out my tab of two drinks.
I’d go back but I’m not in a hurry to.