Muscadine

I wanted to have more stomachs to try everything on the menu. The Cochon was amazing, grits perfect consistency and you gotta try the Kentucky Coffee! ‘Nuf said!!!

Arrived a little before noon on a Monday and was asked to seat ourselves. We had come for the fried chicken but they were sold out, which was fine. No worries there.
After a solid fifteen minutes someone comes and takes our order. The place wasn’t full. The menu is short — one page, front and back. I don’t get it. We almost left.
Ordered the Cochon and the Catfish with a side of gravy.
Catfish was fried up nicely with good seasoning and it came with a dipping sauce. Everything else was unremarkable. Cornbread was dry and tasteless, gravy was cold even though our server had to went back to get it because she «forgot it in the oven.»
They charge an extra dollar for «tennessee hot» which seemed odd to me because the catfish tasted pretty mild. Not that I could ask the server about it since we didn’t really see her around.
Overall unimpressive. A very nice reminder that we are very very far from the south, just in case I had forgotten.

Best fried chicken I have ever had. Crispy, juicy and flavorful. Damn good grits. Flaky biscuit. Delicious runny jam. Great collards. Nothing not to like. And there were no stink eyes when I nursed my baby in the booth or brought my stroller inside. I’m coming back for seconds.

Delicious! Perfect portions. Real southern flavors (My family is from Texas so I was skeptical). SO YUMMY THOUGH! Wait staff could have checked on us more, but we survived. :)
Overall, delicious!!! Will be going back for sure.

I thought muscadine was decent but didn’t live up to the hype that I’ve been hearing. Food was good but not necessarily memorable enough to justify the price or get me to switch from my typical brunch rotation. Food was a bit pricey for brunch. Imo nearby Podnahs and le petite province are better for brunch. Would rather go to Screen door as well. Portland has too many stellar brunch places for me to want to make this a regular place. I will return to try the fried chicken which they ran out of.

This review is pretty much solely for the buttermilk biscuits we had this morning (although everything else we had was extremely delicious as well!). I think I could’ve eaten myself sick on those biscuits. They were incredibly tender, flaky, and golden. They were crusty on top and so, so meltingly soft inside. Easily a notch above any biscuit I’ve ever had.
Also, get the grits. I ordered them as a side, and was an inch away from sprinkling them with some black pepper when I stopped, put down the pepper shaker, and took a bite. They didn’t need anything. Perfection.

Very quaint neighborhood location and we were a fan even before the food came out. Our party of four had the catfish, fried chicken (both buttermilk and spicy), and oxtail ragout. We started brunch with some bignets… AMAZING. I can’t speak to catfish but everything else was delicious. The chicken is very light on the batter and wasn’t dry. Be wary of the spicy chicken because it’s got quite a kick. The ragout was very tasteful and was even better when I added hot sauce to it. Overall a great little place for brunch and I’d be a regular if I lived in the area.

YUMMM! Seriously one of the best brunch experiences I’ve had in Portland. Fabulous, prompt, service and amazing food! Every single thing we ordered was perfection. Started with the beignets (which I highly recommend), the meat plus 3 sides (we chose fried chicken for the meat), and the biscuits and gravy. Whoa. I’m in a food coma but I’m not mad about it. We got the fried okra, squash and grits for the sides. Sauce for the okra is dynamite and the grits were absolutely heaven! Definitely putting this on my top brunch spots list!

3.5 stars.
The consensus among our party of four was a probable non return.
Fried Chicken — good as advertised. The coating made it, decent sized pieces.
Collard Greens — average, the vinegar sauce is a nice touch. Portion was small.
Grits — meh
Biscuits and Gravy and Eggs– better than average, the biscuits at the bakery next door are so much better though. Maybe they should use those.
Andouille Sausage Omelette — average to below; the potatoes were completely boring
Oxtail — so so. Just didn’t connect with it, plus I’m used to the version at Pambiche.
Cute place, good service (but everything is «amazing» when asked), parking lot is tough, and value is neutral.

I’m not a big catfish person but they made a believer out of me. I really came in for the fried chicken but I wasn’t surprised (heartbroken, yes) when I was told they were sold out… it was a Saturday and I did come in an hour before they closed.
I got the catfish but spicy and man was it spicy. The batter was crisped to perfection, falling off the fish with each piece my fork broke off. The fish itself was flaky and just right. Every bite was made better with the come back sauce. I got a side of corn bread (with the honey butter, so goooood), collard greens (not bad), and the grits (I literally licked the bowl). My girlfriend ordered the oxtail with poached eggs and it was tender and really comforting.
We loved the vibe and the service was great. Just gotta make sure we come early enough for that fried chicken next time.

So, don’t go on a Tuesday because they only serve disappointment… meaning they are closed Tuesdays.
I went back the next day and got my fried chicken on for lunch, it was worth the wait. I had the Nashville Hot style with the special sides of the day: carrots and Brussels sprouts. So simple. So good.
Mickey was our server and she was super friendly and personable, she advised me to do the special sides and clearly, she was right! The music was a great 80’s-90’s mix that gave the whole experience a peppy vibe. Between the food, server and the music, I left way happier than I arrived!
I can’t wait to go back and try the breakfast! If Mac and Cheese was a side, I would probably move within walking distance and eat there several times a week — I’m a fatty like that.

We got the beignet, biscuits and preserve with a side of gravy, and the cochon. Everything was absolutely delicious, the servers were friendly and knowledgable. We were immediately seated. I don’t know how I didn’t hear about this place sooner. Will definitely be coming back!

A friend told me about this place and said to go fast, because it was gonna get busy. She was right. This place is the bomb for a fantastic breakfast/​brunch. The cocktails look awesome. The coffee is really good, and the food — my oh my, the food.
We started with the beignet — breakfast appetizers. I got the grits, fried chicken and potatoes — which came with a biscuit. I don’t think I have ever had better grits, seriously — the best ever, anywhere. The fried chicken was moist and delicious. The potatoes were fried to perfection — light a crispy. The biscuit was awesome and was served with a berry compote that was the exact right mix of tart and sweet.
My husband got the biscuits and gravy and was not disappointed.
We signed in and had to wait about 15 minutes — not bad. Help yourself coffee while you wait. There is a full bar, about 6 small tables in front room and three our four tables in the back. I think this place is gonna explode — go try it before it gets too hard to get in.

We got the fried chicken and catfish, both Nashville hot.
Both super moist and tasty.
The portion sizes aren’t as large as Screen Door, but were definitely enough for me.
The only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars are the sides. The cornbread is dry, the biscuit is also dry. The grits are unexciting. Collards are collards. If they get a new baker, I’d bump this up to a five star review.

Great brunch spot and third in line of Southern brunch spots for me. Actually, it’s the most convenient brunch spot since it’s just off the 99 E Highway. Fun, casual atmosphere with an open kitchen and super nice staff. The food is reasonably priced as are the drinks.
Meat and Three — What a great way to try out as many dishes as possible. If you can convince the entire table to join in, you can get all meat options and ALL the sides. My fiancé and I have food down to a science and we truly try to maximize the noms that go into our tummies.
We had the salmon croquette — light, fluffy, and not overcooked — with the braised summer squash, the biscuit, and the cornbread. The biscuit was also fluffy and just as I would love it any other day. The squash wasn’t anything special and the corn bread was dry. I hate to say it is the latter two that made me not add another star to my review.
The rest of the table had omelettes, cochon, and fried chicken. All looked good and were hearty portions for one person. I originally came for the beignets, but sadly, I forgot to order them. It’s just another reason to go and order them. I hope they are as good as I’ve heard.

My new favorite brunch spot! My friends hold a monthly brunch club, in which we make reservations at one of the PoMo best brunch spots for this year and a whole bunch of us descend on the place to grub (please note, we always make reservations because we are not dicks). Last month was this heavenly joint.
Bloody Mary– yes, yes, yes
Beignets– so much yes
Catfish– spicy, w/​grits (OH MY GOD YES)
The food was really out of this world. We’ve hit up quite a few of the brunch spots on that list and this is by far my favorite so far. But don’t listen to me, mostly because I don’t want to have to wait for a table.

I was a little disappointed in the quality… not that the food wasn’t good, but it wasn’t knock my socks off great.
We had the red eye ham and the andouille sausage omelet.

Excellent southern food. The beignets are fresh and hot and delicious. Just the right combination of chewiness and sweet. I ordered the Cochon — pulled pork fritters — with mustard and crispy potatoes. The pulled pork was juicy and frying gave it the perfect texture. My friend had the fried okra and grits. Fried okra was top notch.
Plus they gladly accommodated us even though we showed up five mins before closing time. Definite bonus points for that.

As I feared, Muscadine has become very popular for breakfast on the weekend. So if you don’t want to wait for a table, get there by eight a.m. We’ve been to Muscadine twice now and very much like the appealing menu options, well-​prepared dishes and friendly prompt service (including frequent coffee refills).
For ease and convenience, if driving here, I suggest you park on the street. The parking lot that Muscadine shares with several other businesses is insane. You can pull forward into the lot, but the only way to exit is to back out, often blindly, onto NE 14^th. And I’m not planning on doing that again anytime soon.
With a Southern flair, Muscadine’s walls are covered with several small framed family photos, likely taken in the 1930s.
Probably not surprising, if you know me, both times I went with the fried chicken. The chicken comes with a biscuit and two sides. I opted for the grits and red peas. JP ordered the catfish. For sides, he asked for collard greens and cornbread. For an extra side he went with a bowl of sausage gravy.
For a starter, we went with an order of (3) beignets. Served warm from the oven sprinkled with powdered sugar, they were delicious. The beignet experience would even be better if Muscadine could provide individual plates to eat the beignets from, because the beignets’ powdered sugar is a little messy and the powdered sugar gets all over the table.
The fried chicken is straightforward and its seasonings are pleasantly subtle (no loud rosemary ramming away at your taste buds). The chicken’s exterior is light and crispy. The red peas (which are really a bean) are also lightly seasoned and the peas have a fresh appeal. The biscuit was amazingly good — five stars plus actually — made even better with the (apple?) fruit jelly that accompanies it. My grits were very good.
As good as the chicken was the catfish. The sweet and un-​gamey fish was lightly breaded. The cornbread and collard greens were very good. I did find the sausage in the sausage gravy perhaps a little on the pungent side though, but still good.
Something interesting that I have never experienced elsewhere. After I paid, I was given a paper receipt as is typical at most businesses. I did not give Muscadine my email address. Yet, later in the day I found in my inbox an email from Muscadine containing a detailed receipt. How did that happen?

Good brunch value in Portland
My wife and I had been meaning to try this place for some time as her hairdressers wife is the proprietor. We were not disappointed
The space is very cute. Just a hand full of tables and a well decorated bar.
We had a very short wait while a table was cleaned for us. While we waited we were allowed to help our selves to coffee. I love that feature in a restaurant. The coffee was delicious and Procured from a small local roaster too.
My wife got the catfish. It was very well seasoned and crispy. All while being moist and mild on the inside. She got a side of an enormous salad with some home pickled beets. The fried okra was a great side and went well with the fish.
I got the fried chicken. How could I turn it down. The inside and outside were very well seasoned and juicy. Unfortunately my wetter sides wanted some of the chicken too and made it a little soggy. I got the pink peas for a side. They were good. Southern and such, not really my thing but Im sure someone loves them. The sweet and sour slaw was just as advertised. Even better with bits of chicken breading in it. Finally I also had a side of bacon, good bacon too. Why can’t I get that as I side option with every bbq plate, or even enchiladas. This place is on to something.
The biscuits were delicious with the homemade jam. The had some body to them but were still moist (my apologies for using that word twice)
Our meal ended with some awesome beignets. Soft and fluffy and the perfect finish with the homemade jam. Like a great malasada.
Most impressive about the meal was the value. Brunch in Portland is not cheap but I felt I got a lot for my money. I muscadine here again.