Sagittarius

Went here for Friday happy hour. Nice, attentive server… but they ran out of wine and chips and salsa! Who runs out of these essentials on a Friday evening?! I don’t care if this isn’t a «wino place» or not.
Rosemary Mac’nCheese was pretty good, worth a try (but not worth the price).

I Stumbled across this restaurant after a disappointing Refuel
Station North Food Cart Pod experience and cursed that it
wasn’t opened yet. Luckily, they had the menu in the window,
and If you want a Lisa to come back and drop coin at your spot,
you will include the magic phrase «Rosemary Mac-​n-​Cheese.»
I turned to my Unilocalers and other non-‘puter friends for
guidance, and it seemed unanimous that the mac-​n-​cheese here is the shizznit. I had this goopy, cheesy, aromatic dream so
built up in my mind, that when it was finally time to dine
there, I was afraid to order it.
What I wasn’t afraid to order was a drink. Damn, Gina! I want
to hang out with whoever invented those drinks and cleverly
named them after Punk references. I wanted them all, and most
importantly, everything sounded so good that I didn’t give a
squirt about the cost. Like for the first time, ever.
Another item caught my eye on the menu (deep fried veggie
burger. Get out of TOWN!) But I was here to get my mac on.
I am sad to report, I could have done it as good or better
myself. You ever make this stuff from scratch? I have, but tend
not to because the cheese can get really separated and mealy if
you don’t get your initial roux right. I know how difficult it
is to get the roux perfect, and I’m not sure the chef had
enough time to pay attention this vital step. Overall,
The Mac’s cheese flavor was good, but texture was mealy and I
was pining for more rosemary influence. My mind wasn’t blown.
There seemed to staffing issues, as it appeared that there was only one cook in back, and one guy waiting on the entire restaurant. Beers were forgotten, but at least we weren’t charged for them. BUT! I will be going back, several times in fact, to keep
sipping those sassy drinks, and noshing at Happy Hour Priced
Mondays. Hopefully I just go an off-​night batch, and the Sag
Mac-​n-​Cheese can be redeemed.

I have been to Sagittarius more times than I can count and things there are always good. The owners are sweet, they have quirky drinks on the menu, and their food is always creative and filling. They also have an all night Monday happy hour filled with all of those things that are making your ass expand by the second. You know, breaded shrimp, delicious mac n cheese etc. Ok, fine, there might be a salad on the happy hour menu but who wants salad after 19 martinis?
I don’t know why, but I was never compelled to write about Sagittarius until last night…
I wasn’t really hungry for anything and I am trying to watch my «girlish» figure so I figured that ordering a burger bigger than my torso should not be in my future. In a moment of panic, I ordered The Cassiopeia, a sourdough sandwich lubed up with basil pesto, filled with sauteed squash, red peppers and blue cheese.
By now you are probably thinking «Blue cheese? WTF?!»
I know, I know, I can only handle the blue in small portions, otherwise I feel like I am eating out of my compost bin. Full of skepticism, I sunk my teeth in to that baby, and felt like I had just been injected with a syringe full of HAPPY! The blue cheese had just the right hint of blue, the veggies sauteed to perfection. Every heavenly bite of this sandwich was devoured within seconds and if I thought I could get away with it, I would have eaten another!
Sagittarius has always been good, but after my discovery of the Cassiopeia they have officially been upgraded from good to Excellent!

Oh man, I really want to give this place five stars, because the first time I went, I had the Doomtown chicken sandwich (after specifically testing the bbq sauce to make sure it wasn’t too spicy for wimpy little me) and it was DIVINE. So good.
The second time, I had the much-​touted mac & cheese. Pretty good too, but I found myself wishing I’d gotten the Doomtown, so when I went back for the third time, I didn’t hestiate.
Aaannndd… it was too spicy to eat. Not super spicy, really, for someone who likes spicy food, but way hotter than last time, and enough that I couldn’t enjoy it. So even though I’m sure it’s still delicious, I have to knock off a star or two for dangling such a delicious thing in front of me and then ripping it away so cruelly. Consistency is a virtue for the weak-​tongued like me.
Service is always friendly, if not overly attentive sometimes (which honestly I prefer, in general, so that’s not really a downside… though in this case I didn’t get a good opportunity to order something else to eat. Oh well.) Prices are fair. Everything else we’ve had there is pretty tasty. But damn I miss that burger.

With a cold winter craving for mac and cheese without the Montage lines, we turned to Unilocal.We found this little neighborhood gem. I don’t think I would’ve even noticed this place on any other occassion, but it boasted a good mac and cheese, so here we were.
Having not eaten for 8 hours, I got the rosemary mac and a cup of creamy tomato bisque. BF got the astro burger that had mango chutney, proscuitto, and avocado on a sesame brioche bun.
My side salad and soup came first each with a baguette chunk. I felt like a pig cuz I was the only one eating. The soup was not overly creamy and was probably made from pureed canned tomatoes so it was just a bit chunky. It was actually just what I needed on this cold day. The toasted baguette was a nice dipper. The red pepper ranch dressing, which everyone here says is homemade is also good.
The food came. The mac & cheese was just what I needed. It was creamy with just a hint of rosemary. It was not the best mac & cheese I’ve had. Henry’s happy hour is by far cheaper, but it’s nice not sitting in that big bar sometimes. The burger was really good. It wasn’t all that juicy, but the flavor combination was a hit. It was complex. There was sweetness and tanginess from the mango chutney, creaminess from the avocado, saltiness from the proscuitto, and the star was that soft buttery brioche bun! The fries reminded me of In & Out. Maybe they fry in vegetable oil here too?
They have really creative drinks here though I wasn’t in the mood to try anything. The waiter was really nice and quick.
I’d definitely go back on when another cold winter craving hits!

To edit or update. That is is the question. Sag stopped serving their Late Riser brunch over a year ago. And the kitchen boys went from cute to hot.
I have since realized the errors of my burger ordering ways. Entrees are the way to go at Sag. The fish is ridiculous. Euro Tartar is the new nickname for my imaginary lover. Missing your Meme’s hugs? Order the pot pie. Drunk? Pesto mac. Heart broken? Jay the kitchen boy will serve you cheesey fries with you ex lovers name written in bacon and give you a serrated knife.
Did I mention that they serve 12 Bridges Gin? Oh they do.

This place is really nice. It’s one of the few places I have found to have an upscale type feel without being pretentious at all. Bright pink when you walk in the door, BRIGHT. But other than that… its a very inviting, hip spot.
The happy hour menu offers smaller versions of the regular menu. Everything looks like it deserves a try. I believe happy hour happens all day Monday.
They make many original cocktails which is fun every once in a while, and I wanted to order one, but instead I got a beer float. They were out of guiness so I had a coffee stout instead which was flippin amazing.
The mac and cheese is why I came, it’s what I ordered, and it’s why I will be back. I will order something else next time but the quality is definitely there.
Unilocal really needs half stars but if things continue down the same path, it will go to a five.

Sagittarius is that bar you’re happy to have in your neighborhood. It’s small and perfect for a few close friends to gather, but doesn’t feel overcrowded. As long as the conversation is roaring, you won’t care about the slightly slower service, and with a Mac & Jacks ale and Rosemary Mac (aroni and cheese) order in front of you, you’ll be worry free.
Word to the wise: bring cash. They accept cards, but no more than two per table and they don’t take reservations, but a heads up call could aid your effort to snag a table for a larger party.

I love love love Sagittarius.
Here’s why:
*hand cut fries & housemade ranch
*rebel girl cocktail (rosemary simple syrup, orange, lime, vodka)
*about 20 other super unique specialty drinks
*the tastiest mac&cheese EvEr.
*cookies hot out of the oven for dessert
*the owner has really cool tattoos
So, you should probably go there & partake in your very own mac&cheese. It will make your day.
Yum.

I’ve lived two blocks away from this place for the past two years and tonight was the first night eating there. It was amazing. The place was kind of quiet but it was a Tuesday night. We had fantastic service and everything was so fresh and fast that the meal was piping hot.
I had the dark and stormy cocktail which was a perfect balance of rum and fresh ginger. For dinner I had the rosemary mac with a fresh green salad — house made cilantro vinaigrette — delicious. My friend had the meatloaf and even though it was wrapped in bacon, something I don’t eat, I had to try it and it was also delicious. Everything else on the menu looked to be just as tasty and I’ll guarantee another visit in the near future.
Last Tuesday night trivia, possible Bingo starting up and all night Monday happy hour — I’ve been won over.

My NSLP (non-​sexual life partner — its the new BFF) went and we were the only ones in the whole joint.
The bachelorette drink is served with a muthaeffin’ red licorice straw! BAM! However, its made with coke — which is no good for me —next time I’m going to ask for a 7up substitute .
I had the pesto shells which is baked and brought to your table while the cheese is still bubbling. BAM! It was very good — I would have wanted a little more pesto taste but overall it was great. The salad was crisp greenery and the dressing, ranch, had good garlic kick.
We haven’t rushed back — but I’ll definitely go again.

A friend suggested this place, which I had never heard of. I thought it was great: super laid-​back and has a very interesting menu. I got the burger with prosciutto, guacamole, mango compote (salsa) and other fixings. Really tasty, really messy for $ 8.
They also have a great menu — my summer-​inspired gin and citrus cocktail was right what I wanted.
I had no problem with the service. It was rather excellent.

One hot afternoon, Mr S and I were hungry and decided to bike to a neighborhood happy hour. We wanted to try someplace we had never been, and because I had heard good things about Sagittarius and driven past it one million times we decided to give it a whirl.
We showed up about ten minutes before they opened and loitered outside reading the menu while we waited. The girl that worked there took pity on our half-​starved faces peering inside and very graciously let us in a couple minutes early.
We were the only ones in the place that didn’t work there the whole time we ate, but I didn’t really expect anything else at 4:00 on a weekday. We started out with drinks. I had the daily special, which I don’t remember much about except that it had vanilla vodka and was delicious, and the man had a drink that embarrassed him to say the name — I think it was called the Naked Mannequin? Anyway, they were both solid. We were trying to be somewhat healthy so we both chose sandwiches on whole wheat bread, which were also good.
Appetites satiated, we got back on the bikes and made our way home. I’d like to return soon to try this mac and cheese that everyone is raving about.

I’ll preface by saying that this is a 4.5 star rating!
What a great little place in North Portland! I’ve driven by a million times, but finally decided to drop in for some dinner and a glass of wine. After reading all the reviews for the awesome rosemary mac & cheese, I had to try it! In my opinion, this mac puts Montage to shame. I am nearly speechless and ate it one cheesy shell at a time. Not greasy, but very creamy. Friendly service. Cozy setting. Fresh and yummy food.
BONUS: All-​night happy hour on Monday’s!

It’s difficult for me to find fault with Sagittarius, if not completely impossible. On the one hand, this place will forever go down in the history of Tom as a place where I completely botched my first impression on a date. That, of course, is no one’s fault but my own, and was one of those learning experiences that you come away from better able to face the world, etc.
No worries; things happen for a reason, and it is still only with fondness that I consider Sagittarius and its friendly, completely chill and down-​to-​earth staff. They are attentive, funny, and able to make even Guiness in a can somehow taste like its brighter Tap-​born older brother. I have no complaints, and enjoyed my time there immensely.
It’s tricky finding places like that, so subdued that they remove you from the moment and just let you feel at ease. Whether it was lazily munching on cheese fries, sipping a cold beer, or helping another patron with their Mercury personals ad, Sagittarius was the definition of relaxing. All in all, it was so comforting that I am tempted to add it to my list of David Lynch-​ian places in the Metro.
Sagittarius is almost too good to be true when looking for a place to let your stress drip from your heels; the kind of place where the décor, lighting, service, drinks and food are all on stand-​by to bring you back down to the ground. I would love to have a place closer to home… I might not ever leave!

This is a review of Sagittarius’ macaroni and cheese dish.
I was encouraged by a couple of people to try the mac n’ cheese here and it was really very nice but not great. Good comfort m&c with a taste of rosemary at a reasonable price.
Presentation: Beautiful color with the cheesy shells served simply in a bowl.
Taste: I was afraid that the rosemary would be over-​powering in the dish but it was done perfectly as a nice compliment to the cheddar cheese.
Texture: Creamy consistency that really brought the dish together well and mixed well with the shell pasta.
Overall: I would definitely order this again as a good comfort m&c and will have to try the other pesto mac n’ cheese I saw on the menu.
The restaurant itself was simple and nice as a neighborhood spot and the locals seem to love the hipster ambiance. But, the quality of some of the food and drinks leave a bit to be desired.

I frequent Sagittarius for several reasons. I love the atmosphere! The pink walls and lighting are very nice. The staff are friendly and attentive. I have been a fan of their burgers but have recently branched out and tried their meatloaf and mac-​n-​cheese, both of which were very enjoyable. I appreciate that a lot of their food items are handmade, from the fries to the salad dressing. Very tasty!
I recommend this place and look for opportunities to bring my friends here.

This is one of my regular haunts — my sweetie & I usually end up here or at Pause (which has a similar menu) when we are too tired to put together a meal at home.
It has a small, intimate feel with all-​red décor, and the service is friendly. As you would guess from the name, there is an astrology theme that you see in the menu, books on the shelf, and even the napkin rings that have fun insights into various astrological signs.
As a vegetarian, I can only comment on their veg-​friendly selection. Their vegetarian options are not extensive but not sparse either — about one or two items per section on the menu. This place doesn’t have many vegan options though; sometimes the soup is vegan, but that’s about it. Whether vegan or not, the soup is usually quite good and made from scratch. Other noteworthy veg items include the Polaris (bbq tofu sandwich), shepherd’s pie, and Wilky’s Comet, a deep fried veggie burger (yes, you read that correctly). The salads are also super yummy, with a wide range of house-​made vinaigrettes to choose from.
For omnivores and vegetarians alike, the plate of fries is huge and made to order, the rosemary mac & cheese is always good, and the drink menu is quite creative.
Note that there really isn’t much space for a group bigger than 4 — if you come at a quiet time they could push 2 four-​person tables together, but they only have about 5 four-​person tables total, so I wouldn’t recommend planning a big group outing there.
Update, 1÷17÷08: We biked over today to check out the brunch everyone talked up in their reviews, but apparently these days they don’t offer brunch. Bummer!

I LOVE THIS PLACE!
The mac and cheese is SOOOOO yummers! Either one!
I also love that I can look for my perfect mate in the astrology books at the bar, while gazing longingly at the CUTE bartender! What’s your sign hotness?

Always good food and drink to be had here. The Bartender (mike?) is very nice and is detail oriented.
Good atmosphere, and I love that they have the astrology books up at the bar. Music that is played there is also an added bonus.
Definitely have to try the fish and fries with the mango chutney– top notch!