Gustav’s Pub & Grill

My friends and I went to the Tigard Gustav’s for happy hour on Sunday. We sat in the bar and I couldn’t believe how quick we got our drinks. Service and food was amazing, we had the best time ever! I’ll definitely be back!

Service is lackluster at best. Unfriendly and extremely slow. Took our server forever to get to us to even take our drink order, and then he seemed to take forever to come back and take our food order. And I don’t know if he just didn’t want to be working, but he was very unfriendly almost to the p point of being curt. Took 10 minutes to get our second drink and that was after the first sat empty because the waiter couldn’t bother to stop. We sat in the bar so it wasn’t like it was a long way to get our drinks to us. All the server does is take the order. Someone else brings the food and the drinks and we still felt ignored the entire time we we were there.
Food was okay, bit definitely not worth the price or the lack of service. Last time we were here, the service was just as bad… thought maybe it was just that night, but it appears to be the norm.

This place is a joke. The staff seem completely incompetent… they didn’t know what the soup of the day was and seemed irritated that our party was disappointed by the fact that their blender has been broken for a month. When we asked questions our waiter often just answered with, «good question.» The food is not terrible but not worth the price. Happy hour is just a silly term… ain’t nothing happy about this place. Rude staff, bad prices, okay food. Might as well go across the street to Thirsty Lion.

We went here for our office Christmas Dinner — party of 17. The service was excellent — they provided us with two waitresses to handle our group — the fondue with bread and beer sausage was excellent. Everyone enjoyed their meal — and the food was awesome. Thank you for hosting our group — we will definitely be back soon!

UPDATED: We were invited back to Gustavs to try again. It didn’t disappoint. It was delicious and the service, like our last time there on Thanksgiving, was outstanding. Our experience tonight reminded us why we chose Gustavs for Thanksgiving. I’m going to chalk Thanksgiving up as a fluke since tonight was the kind of food we have enjoyed in the past. We left full and happy. The General Manager was gracious and receptive to our feedback.
…
We decided to try something new for Thanksgiving and came to Gustavs. We won’t be doing it again. We will go back to the buffet we’ve been to the last few years for a better price and better tasting food.
My husband and kid had the Thanksgiving «Feast» and it was over priced, small portions, and bland. It was followed by the worst pumpkin pie, we debated if it was even cooked since it tasted and had the texture like it just came out of a can. My daughter ordered chicken strips and it was a small, bland, breaded cutlet plated with cauliflower and mashed potatoes– very visually unappealing since it was all mostly white, including a white plate.
The service, on the other hand, was great– that gets the second star. I can’t blame the waiter for crappy food. The place was packed and he managed to keep drinks filled and to check on us.

Came for lunch today. The ambiance was great except for the Frank Sinatra and Ela Fitzgerald music playing. German Music would be more appropriate but the décor was nice. I haven’t been to this location since the remodel (whenever that was) and the place has a cool and comfortable look to it!
All of the restaurant employees were very friendly and courteous but our waitress seemed like she was new or just very inexperienced. She brought the bread and forgot plates, brought tea for a member of our group but no spoon for her sugar. Also, the one time our water was filled, she mistakenly put water into a lemonade on our table. She asked if she could bring another one, but most places would just replace it.
Now for our meals:
I ordered the Sauerbraten. I LOVE Sauerbraten but the sauce tasted like beef consume, with out the expected bite, and the meat seemed processed, not just tender the way it should be.
Another member of our party ordered the Reuben, it looked excellent and I was told it was very good but could have used more Thousand Island dressing. Fries were ok, the Shepards pie another person ordered was reportedly just ok, and the Wiener Schnitzel was pretty solid but the sauce was sort of like what was on my sauerbraten, it tasted like beef consume, no wine or other flavors.
I’ve had much better experiences at the SE location. This, as much as I hate to say it, was like German American Denny’s and that makes me sad for one of Horst Mager’s restaurants.

I enjoyed Gustav’s. I really enjoyed the ambience and decoration. The food was pretty decent and our service was excellent. Our waitress was very attentive, helpful and quick. I’ve had better German food IN Germany, but I thought the food was pretty good for being so far from the mother land! Sidenote: The music was weird, however. Didn’t seem to match a German restaurant. Oh well! I would go back again!

We finally went back to Gustav’s tonight, more than a year since our last, subpar experience. I’m happy to say the fondue has been restored to it’s former glory. I didn’t get the Shepherd’s Pie — I just couldn’t risk it after the last experience. I got a pork cordon bleu, which can be quite dicey. This one was good. The ham was a bit fatty in one spot but other than that it was tasty. The beer selection is still good and my wife reports that the bread pudding is better (although the sauce is still too runny).
The biggest complaint this time was the terrible 1940’s music that they had blaring over what sounded like tiny transistor radios. The sound quality was terrible so that even if you like Sinatra-​style music you would have hated the experience. We went early so maybe they were catering to a deafer, more elderly crowd but it was actively annoying. Turn the music down a bit so we can hear our conversation, please.

Having lived in Germany for a year, going to Gustav’s is a trip down memory lane. The food seems very authentic and it tastes good as well.
I’ve been to the Gustav’s on the other side of town (Clackamas) a few times, this is the first time I’ve been to this location. As other reviewers have mentioned, this place isn’t nearly as large and feels a lot «lighter».
We were able to get a seat right away and our order was taken and drinks brought very quickly. Our meal took about 20 minutes at a time that the place didn’t seem very busy at all, so a bit of a disappointment there.
I had the Schnitzle Club sandwich — very tasty — plenty of food. The french fries that were served with it were hot, crispy and my favorite skin-​on variety.
The wife had the Biergulash — little chunky bits of tasty meat on a bed of noodles that the German’s call Spaetzle. She thought it was very tasty.
So good tasting authentic food with reasonable service would typically be worth a fourth star — here’s my beef:
no lunch menu — come on Gustav — give the working man a break
20 minutes to bring out a couple of meals when the place was mostly empty?
So it’s good food but in my opinion, not great value.

I always love coming to Gustav’s… one word, fondue. Yes, we fondued, with bread, and sausage, and pretzels. I am sad that they no longer have Scotch Eggs on their menu, one of my faves (weeps), but they still have fondue at least. BF tried the shepherd’s pie and I ordered a few cabbage rolls. rolls were decent but I still prefer the Hungarian version. and BF ate everything so I assume it was delicious :)

I first heard of Gustav’s when I saw them at the airport but I didn’t know that they were a restaurant. My friends said they like coming here on Sunday because it’s all day happy hour. We went on a Saturday so it was just their normal menu.
PRETZEL FONDUE ($ 11.50): Pretzel was delicious and I could have just eaten that for my meal. It’s served warm and soft on the inside with the perfect amount of salt. I didn’t like the fondue sauce though and mostly ate the pretzel by itself.
CABBAGE ROLLS ($ 8): I’ve never had cabbage rolls before so I don’t have anything to compare to but I enjoyed this dish. It was cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned ground pork and beef, braised in a tomato based sauce.
ENTREE OF TWO LINKS ($ 13.50): I had one smoked bier sausage and one weisswurst. The odd thing was that the two were very different sizes. Sausages were good but salty so it was hard for me to eat them all. The entrée is usually served with potato salad, sauerkraut, red cabbage, and whole grain mustard. I didn’t want the red cabbage and the server said I could change it to any other side. I chose salad and ended up with a giant «side» salad.
CHICKEN BREAST AND MUSHROOMS ($ 16): My friend ordered this entrée and I loved it. If I go back, I’m definitely getting this dish! It’s spatzle with grilled chicken breast and roasted baby shiitake mushroom drizzled in delicious pepper infused cream sauce. Great flavor and loved that they didn’t skimp on the mushrooms.

I like this outpost of Gustav’s it is more open feeling. It is also a good place for groups. The menu is a bit different being German yet the food is good and everyone always seems to find something they like.
I usually get the chicken schnitzel. It is always good. I also really like the soups, especially the Bier Onion Soup!
The fondue is usually a bit of a let down, They used to serve it in a metal dish that kept it warm and made crispy cheese on the edges. They now serve in in a ceramic bowl so it cools off fast. i think it used to be more flavorful. This one usually serves better bread then the original on Sandy, Or maybe I just haven’t run into the new bread here yet.
I really like the bar area here, Great choice of pictures on the wall and it is just a comfortable place to hang out.
The happy hour menu is much smaller then it used to be, I am glad they have added the soups back to it.

Let me start off saying that I have been a long time lover of Gustav’s and Der Rheinlander on Sandy. And was ecstatic when they opened on Greenberg. Even my favorite waiter moved restaurants.
These last few times I’ve been, Horst Mager would be appalled at what he’d find. The rotisseries are gone, the after lunch crowd on a Friday was dead, but the hostess still had to give the servers «time». For what I had no idea as there was certainly no shortage of seating.
Then we get sat. The beer menu is a faint shadow of the much larger list of the past. The food menu, also about a quarter of the size of the past. What happened to my Königsberger Klöpse?
And you used to play actual Bier Stube music. Today was smooth jazz…
The waitress, Brigit, was not helpful, seemed like what little we asked for seemed as though she was being put out, what very little she bothered to come around.
I ordered the spaetzle Alfredo. Maybe because of my German upbringing, I would think the staff should at least know how to pronounce what they’re serving. The Alfredo was bland and oily. Fortunately, my husband’s cordon bleu was great, but it was very obvious it had been under the heat lights for quite a while.
I guess this location won’t be on my return visit list anymore. I have a bad feeling both Sandy Blvd and Clackamas are now just as bad. So sad.

Dad’s 70^th birthday disappointment :-(In hind sight, recent reviews shed light on our experience. Underwhelming.
Started off with such promise, the bartender was great. Knew how to make a classic Hot Toddy for dad.
The Gustav’s atmosphere and décor was very inviting and set the right mood for the occasion… But what’s up with Frank Sinatra in a German /​Eastern European esky establishment? Enjoy all music but seemed disconnected… Not to worry, we were here for the food and service.
Being a first timer from our of town we tried nudging our waitress by asking for the «spiel». We got nothing in return… Okay, perhaps she didn’t get the hint… Let me be MORE clear, «What do you recommend»? Still didn’t get any type of ringing endorsement…“everything” is good… Really? That helps us narrow down our choices.
Ultimately, we were on our own. Dad ordered the Pork Cordon Bleu and loved it.
The rest of our entrees were «unremarkable», perhaps the lack-​luster services contributed to our impression, that said, my chicken schnitzel was served luke-​warm at best, had to send it back which took some time. Not to beat a dead horse but the service was SLOW, and pretty much had ask for everything. Empty waters.
Here is some advice for the owners/​management/​staff — give a darn !! It shows when you don’t and that’s what we felt tonight… just another table, just another night at Gustav’s. Nothing special, someone has lost their MOJO.
Like another recent reviewer… someone needs to «WAKE UP».

I always hate to down grade a previous five star review but unfortunately sometimes it happens.
Upon entering the restaurant I was greeted by the hostess and seated promptly in the lounge to take advantage of the happy hour pricing on food. She provided me with the happy hour menu and the full menu.
The restaurant was not busy at all.
Approximately seven minutes later the waiter greeted me with a smile and took my beverage order. I ordered a coffee and green salad.
The salad arrived a couple minutes later and the waiter explained the delay in the coffee because they had to brew it. The coffee finally arrived about six. minutes later with cream and no spoon to stir it with so I use my knife.
The salad was a nice selection of mixed greens half a tomato quartered, carrots and fresh dressing. The tomatoes were green.
In the past I’ve had plenty of restaurants tell me that their tomatoes or other produce came in bad or green and that they would not be serving it for that reason. That was not the situation today. The only thing green tomatoes are good for in my book is fried green tomatoes and then it’s still not at the top of my list :-)
The waiter took my order of the happy hour schnitzel club. $ 7. The schnitzel club arrived in five minutes which was very fast. It consisted of a pounded chicken breast breaded and served on a brioche bun with A couple cheeses, bacon, red onion, tomatoes and lettuce. This sandwich also comes with fries.
The leaf lettuce on the sandwich was slimy an old so I removed it and, surprise, the tomatoes were green so I also removed them.
The fries were cold and tasted as if they had been re-​cooked or re-​heated. They were awful.
The waiter did not come back for 16 minutes and by that time I was past done and my coffee was empty.
The waiter picked up the food and all the utensils and brought me back more coffee. I had to request a stirring utensil. :-)
I sat there again for over 10 minutes before I got the check.
Just because it’s happy hour does not mean that you can serve subpar food and not have good customer service. Take note!

What a great lunch spot. This place is very convenient when shopping at Washington Square, but don’t want to hit up the food court. Went with my family and we were situated in a comfy booth overlooking the area below.
We picked potato pancakes, veal schnitzel, some bratwurst/​sausages, and pork loin to split. The pancakes were nothing special and lacked any spice. Did come with applesauce, which was customary, though my Chinese parents thought it was weird. («Applesauce is for dessert!») The veal came with spaetzle. First time I tried it and was pleasantly surprised. It was light, not oily or anything, and had a nice texture to it. The sausages were flavorful and plump. Didn’t try the pork, but my mom enjoyed it.
Service was a little lacking. After we got our food, our server never came back. Water remained unfilled and we had to go up to the front to get our check.

We went in for the first time in a year, and oh my, we will not be back! They have clearly made changes here, but not good ones.
The Caesar salad which was once my favorite was totally bland. The bread that came with our fondue must have been day old. It was dry and crusty and not appetizing. Our waiter completely forgot my husbands soup and gave me a super hard time about wanting grilled chicken for my kid instead of chicken tenders. He actually said to me, «I don’t know if we have that». I actually had to remind him that it comes on all your salads. So yes, you have it. Side note– what a horrible kids menu. Seriously, please add grilled chicken or fish and more fruits and veggies. I should not have to choose between a carb or a fried protein. No one at our table loved there meal, one person in fact didn’t even touch her burger and the waiter pretended not to notice rather than asking if it was ok.
On our way out the manager on duty asked how our meal was and we politely shared our feedback. His response was not great. He mostly seemed annoyed.

Happy hour fondue. It’s like cheesy heaven. This is a true gem at great prices. I can take my business associates and turn right around and take the family. I love the meat. Fondue with sausage. What a feast! The pretzels are a must. And you can bring large groups.

First time visiting this chain, and overall — I wasn’t disappointed.
As I took my sweet time ordering, our waiter seemed to maintain a patient demeanor — considering business seemed steady. But c-​mon. If I order a beer I would like to enjoy it, slowly, before you basically force me into ordering. Might as well have just dropped a couple links into my glass and topped it off with some kraut. Perhaps you should consider incorporating this option into the menu — for when you don’t have time to allow your guests to enjoy their dinner. Whatever, I can switch to beast mode on command so we proceeded with our selections.
For starters we ordered the «Original Fondue.» I had not tried fondue prior to this ocassion, but I enjoyed it despite how silly I felt using that long,… baby pitchfork? The cuts of bread were fresh and BEHOLD!, the cheese Gods provided enough melted glory for two. Onto the second course… I opted for the smoked German bier links with warm potato salad, red cabbage, sauerkraut — while my hunny went with the Reuben sandwich. Lemme tell ya that sammich was s t a c k e d like a hay bale. I tried a bite, having been apprehensive about corned beef in previous times — and regrettably admit I have been missing out. Furthermore, all the flavors on my plate were on point. From the peppercorns in my kraut and cabbage, to the combination of the smoked links with the most legit, fresh tasting mustard I may have ever had. Did I mention they provided more bread? Completely unnecessary, but just as fresh as the previous serving.
…Back to the beer. There’s a reason I was so keen on enjoying it, slowly. I can only type/​speak for the Haufbrau hefeweisen at this point, but kick me with DAS BOOT that is a tasty, tasty brew. It’s one of the best beers I’ve ever had, making their «happy hour» a definite must in the near future. PROST!

Great beer and great German food! We have been a few times and generally order one schnitzel plate and one sausage plate (you can select from about 5 different tasty sausages). The schnitzel although being chicken and not pork (my only gripe here) is excellent and the German warm potato salad that comes with it is some of the best I have had. The soft pretzels are pretty good too. The service is very good and the atmosphere has a modern yet old world German feeling all at the same time, very clean and open. The place is huge and although quite popular you can generally get a seat without a wait.
So far my favorite German place in Portland and up in my top 5 for the states overall.