Cafe Portlandia

The taco salad «special» was anything but. Federal prison quality ingredients and presentation. Just a bunch of still damp iceberg lettuce (leading to a plate puddle) topped with food service quality cheese, olives, sour cream, salsa and shredded chicken (which also seems to have been sitting in some kind of bath). The space is definitely cafeteria (nothing wrong with that) and appears to primarily serve the multitudes of downtown office workers (i.e. not a «destination» restaurant). If you’re in a hurry and not too particular this place will probably be OK for you.

Tried out Café Portlandia today… again…my coworker turned me on to this place. They have a salad bar that has lots of choices for toppings. Very fresh and clean. Large salad only $ 6.45. Sure beats the pay by weight place down the street… don’t recommend that place at all.

Pretty meh. Greasy, cafeteria style. Fast.

The food here is good and the quality is consistent. The price is fair and you get a decent amount for what you are paying. This isn’t a five-​star restaurant, but if you want a solid and reliable place to eat breakfast or lunch… then you should definitely check this place out.

Thursday I’m standing in the lobby of my building and ask out loud: «Where am I going to lunch?» The security guard was there but I wasn’t specifically asking him. He looks thoughtful and says «Portland Building». Hell yes. I keep forgetting to hit this place up.
It’s. Old. School. Old fucking school, to be exact. For one the décor hasn’t been updated for, hell I wouldn’t even venture a guess but it’s been a while.
Secondly, it’s a throwback cafeteria place. Not to the extent of Jell-​O under plastic wrap, but you get a tray, you walk through a horseshoe and they charge you at the end. I like the new breed of office café as well (search for my review of the Farm House Café for an example) but there’s something awesome about a well executed version of the old way.
And this is well executed. Your grill orders are delivered and I couldn’t find any evidence of a «please bus your own tables» mentality. They charge for refills which is what cost them that fourth star. You only get to do that when you have a bum problem and I somehow doubt the Portland building is overrun with bums. Not that the feebs at the door asking where you’re going in a public government building are likely to do any good keeping them out.
One huge drawback, you can only enter from the lobby, but you can only exit to the street. If you need to go to the bathroom while in the café you’re going all the way around. Security requirements are stupid.

I have been going to Café Portlandia for months now since I changed jobs and now work close by. I have never been there for breakfast, but I go there at least once a week for lunch. Their menu has a big selection from soup and salad to hamburgers and fries. I have tried many items from their menu and have always been satisfied. My current favorite item is the teriyaki chicken — it comes with sticky rice, 3 pieces of grilled chicken and a small salad with oriental dressing. I can rarely finish the whole meal but it is always good. I have also had the turkey burger with fries, soup and salad combination and the turkey deli sandwich with a side of pasta salad.
While it might not be the most amazing gourmet meal in Portland, it is 100% satisfying for an easy lunch. There are plenty of small deli-​style restaurants to choose from in downtown Portland and this is by far the best one I have been to.
They recently re-​painted the interior and installed a TV on one wall. There is a large amount of seating and they keep the dining area clean and neat.

Because I work nearby, Café Portlandia is a quick, easy stop for breakfast or lunch. I wouldn’t recommend that place to anybody, except for the bare minimum (if you wanted something to drink, a snack, etc) the salad bar isn’t bad, though.
I was getting breakfast there once every couple of weeks… and it continued to disappoint me. I ordered a ham and cheese omelette… and the cooks use so much butter. Everything has so much butter! The omelette dripped when you picked it up and the hashbrowns the same. (also, scrambled and/​or fried eggs) Wouldn’t recommend the breakfast. Makes you feel really heavy afterward.
The lunch isn’t too much better, it’s also greasy. I got fries once (flavorless) and a grilled ham and cheese… it was burnt and too crispy. I notice that the owners are cooks, though… and sometimes I wonder if they should stand down and hire professional cooks… because obviously they are not.