Higgins
| Address: | 1239 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205, USA |
| Phone: | +1 503-222-9070 |
| Site: | higginsportland.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 4PM–12AM 4PM–12AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
JO
Joe Ezekiel
The Emperor has no clothes. This used to be THE place in Portland- it is now a sloppy mess. From the appearance of the front of the house staff, to the noise level from the kitchen it is obvious no one is steering this ship. We went for the Portland Dining Month menu, and you could just tell form the attitude of our server that it was going to be a miserable experience. This happens ALL the time with PDM- staff think this is going to be a low-paying low-tipping table and treat you accordingly. I never tip under 20% , but our server treated us like we we would tip 10% and I did not want to disappoint him.We were never asked if we would like refills of our wine or extra bread- had to ask for everything. My fork was dirty. Some young kids from, I presume, a local institute were doing the bussing.When I asked for another fork, it was brought in bare hands without an under-liner plate. The menu was a hot mess of scattered thoughts- Pork terrine, Fish Tagine and Kafir Lime Panna Cotta . The tagine was actually good, but thats not what was advertised on the PBM website. If you really want the best of Portland Dining Month- go to Little Bird. They really understand the ethos behind the concept of PDM- this is to draw in new customers and showcase your talent. The trout I had at Little Bird is something I will dream of for years. Here the menu was just an aside- to get the restaurant on the website. Just sad.
A
A Private User
Note that Higgins has two entrances. One is for the main dining room (on the corner of SW Broadway and Jefferson) and another one about a quarter of a block further up Jefferson, west of Broadway. The corner entrance takes you into the main part of the restaurant, where you will find the guests are generally well heeled & well dressed, and the environment is what you might expect from a high-end restaurant. The side entrance is to the bistro. This is the place that has earned Higgins so much love from so many Portland locals. Here you are not expected to be well dressed or even particularly well behaved. On any given day you will find the jeans and t-shirt set co-mingling happily with business people, retired couples, travelers, and an varied assortment of downtown shoppers, symphony and theatre goers. The bistro is an entirely casual environment, with the full menu served the same hours as in the dining room, but with the addition of a bistro menu which has some lower priced options which are equally amazing. MANY of the best meals I have ever had in my life (I coined the term food nirvana here, and decided years ago that the kitchen staff must trained in sorcery and well as the culinary arts) have been in this beautiful, easy going oh-so-Portland-style bar. If you want to taste the very best Portland has to offer in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, do not miss giving this gem of a bar a try.
XE
Xess Dx
Higgins deserves respect. Sure, Portland has become a food town, and there are up and coming chefs, and some whove been here a while who are doing things that Higgins does, but Higgins was one of the first places in the Rose City to challenge the Ruths Chris of the World by featuring a chef-inspired menu featuring fresh, local, Northwest cuisine. It is expensive. There is no getting around that dinner here is either on an expense account (and its a great place for shmoozing a client), a "treat", or you have money to spare. If you care about what it costs this is not the place to go. But really, thats no different than a $50 steak, or $45 filet of fish at other spots. You will find excellent service, actually better than at most higher end restaurants. A decent wine list. And fresh, local, Northwest cuisine. Parking is a problem, it being located right downtown, but if youre coming into town for a show, or work downtown, youll know how youre getting to and from your night out. What many dont know is that the bar attached to Higgins is cozy, and excellent for a happy hour. Is it "new" or "hip"? No. But while others have come and gone, Higgins has thrived, and continues to keep it real, and flavourful.
A
A Private User
My wife and I planned for months to have dinner at Higgins for her birthday, at the end of our summer vacation trip to the NW. We had informed them of her birthday at least twice prior to our arrival. What a letdown. First, the service has become terse/curt/abrupt. We brought in an exceptional Cabernet to enjoy with our meal...did some of the lack of service come from a corkage fee only dinner? Our waiter almost slopped the wine out of the glass during his initial pour. I poured the wine for the rest of the evening. My duck was very well prepared and flavorful. My wife had the pork tenderloin with Ratatouille. A wierd, disjointed combination...she didnt finish it. When we were offered a dessert menu, I mentioned again that it was my wifes birthday, would they do something for that? No. We left and had a hot fudge sundae at our hotel. Having enjoyed Higgins when it opened initially many years ago, it is a disappointment to come back to it after living away from Portland for 8 years and experience its decline into mediocrity.
GA
Gab
We made reservations here for our date night. Its very close to the Portland Art Museum, which was convenient. We decided on this place based on their online menu, but when we were seated, we learned that you cannot order from the full menu in the restaurant. You can only order from the full menu from the bar, which seems backward. Our waiter said hed been there for 20 years and has never once been allowed to bend the rules, so we were moved to the bar. The food was good (we got a burger and the cheese plate (which had one wedge of blue cheese only). The bars ambiance was nice-- it reminded me of a little bar in Europe or something. Overall, decent place, but well probably try other places before coming back.
ST
Stacie Nakashima
I try to avoid downtown pdx as much as possible, as I cant stand circling around the block ten times to try to find parking. This was the case for Higgins. We ended up parking in a parking garage, which was $8 due to an event at the Schnitzer. The actual restaurant was okay, server was knowledgeable, water glasses were kept full. Nice atmosphere, ample space, though we were close to the kitchen which was a little loud and difficult to have an intimate conversation. Fine dining prices here, not quite my style; Ended up trying the smoked salmon salad which was tasty. Would recommend if you have the money to splurge.
A
A Private User
Food was great, but not better than many lower priced restaurants. Nice atmosphere also. However the STAFF is very SNOBBY. Hard to believe in Portland! They actually kicked us out because apparently we were taking too long to eat. The waiter came by and gave us our bill and said we they have a great dessert list but since we had been there long enough - we would not be able to order any. STRANGE - I have NEVER been asked to leave a restaurant because I was eating too slowly!!!!? We were there approximately 1.5 hours. I would NEVER return!
A
A Private User
Our group of eight arrived at 5:30 for a quick dinner at the conveniently located Higgins before the 7:30 performance at the Schnitzer. We ordered and then waited. and waited. At 7:05 our entrees arrived. Perhaps they would have been more tasty if we had time enough to let them cool a bit. Scarfing down dinners in 15 minutes was disappointing and not a gourmet experience. Perhaps it is the mandatory 18% tipping for parties of eight that takes away an incentive for something approaching good service.
