Mother's Bistro & Bar

Approval Rate: 79%

79%Approval ratio

Reviews 50

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  • by

    chrispauli

    Sun Feb 14 2010

    Mother's was recommended by our hotel's valet, and we were warned that it would be busy on a Sunday morning. Not disappointed there, as there were probably 25 people waiting ahead of us, but for two, they told us only a 15 min wait, not bad. However, after helping ourselves to the complimentary coffee, we jumped at a chance for two seats at the bar that came up almost immediately. There we were greeted enthusiastically by the busy staff, all who were smiling and had great attitudes while working what had to be one of their busiest shifts. Being at the bar gave us an opportunity to see the heart of this operation. Not the center, but the heart. We saw Mom (Chef Lisa) interact with her staff in a positive yet determined way, taking latte's to the customers and guiding her staff with suggestions and instructions. It was a joy to see the well orchestrated ballet that is a well run restaurant. Even the bus boys were proactive, courteous and cared about doing their job well. The food ... Read more

  • by

    alfie117112084_67

    Fri Feb 12 2010

    I read the review below and can honestly say that we have "never" had the issues this person seemed to have! If you look at her other review... she disses even the place she "loves" for the same things she accuses Mother's of doing. We have been to Mother's many times and have always had a good experience! They are busy on weekends, but it's well worth the wait. If they were as bad as that gal's rant... I doubt they'd be so busy with local patrons! We love the "Salmon Hash" and the Bloody Mary's are really tasty. Mother's has old wood floors, high ceilings, booths and lots of nice bright windows. We have brought lots of out of town guests and it's always been a hit! The staff is colorful and friendly.

  • by

    dael1_125906468

    Mon Jan 18 2010

    After getting several recommendations from friends to check this place out, we decided to go in for brunch on a Sunday. We arrived around 1pm, and waited 30 minutes for a table for 2 (which was fine, it was Sunday brunch at a popular restaurant, after all). Once we were seated, I looked over the menu to see what I could order. I have many food allergies, so sometimes it takes a while to find something I can modify that will work. I asked the server if I could substitute a salad for the bread and potatoes that normally come with a scramble (due to allergies), and he said it would be fine. We ordered drinks, and he promptly returned with my boyfriend's cold drink, and a mug for the tea I had ordered. I assumed my tea would be right out. Bad assumption. 20 minutes later, the waiter brought out the pot of tea. I pointed out that I had noticed (during the ample time I had to ponder my tea-less state) that the mug he'd brought was dirty. He took the mug, and I assumed he'd be right back w... Read more

  • by

    pmw1f599

    Tue Jan 12 2010

    My husband paid the bill with a credit card and made a huge mistake when he settled the bill. He put $60.00 in the tip line instead of the total line. Sure enough the waiter, after horrible service, didn't say a word. When we got home my husband noticed the mistake and called the restaurant. The person that answered the phone said they would take care of it. The problem was never adjusted. That was the worst and most expensive macaroni I have ever had. Not a very honest place.

  • by

    dareal1

    Mon Dec 07 2009

    I came into this place because i heard so much good, but was greatly disapointed with the flavorless food. i ordered the chicken dumplings, and i was bored out of my mind. i know it is a simple dish but geez, for 14 or so dollars, please put some flavor in it. I did like the calamari appetizer, but felt the pieces were so small, that all i was eating was breading. i enjoyed the biscuits before dinner, which luckily filled me up before getting such a bland dish. The pot roast wasnt seasoned all that great, and rather tough, and was served with mashed potatoes, again being really blah. The one thing good on that dish were the vegetables. I may come in for brunch and give it another chance, but please people, with all your amazing comments, you make people like me, spend money on food that really isnt that good. I get much more flavorful food at the food carts for a third of the price.

  • by

    italiansta_754624342

    Sun Oct 25 2009

    Who said biscuits and gravy should be restricted to the south? Well, Mother's aint from the south but they got some banging biscuits and gravy, you just wait til u try! Salmon Hash more like Salmon YES....and it only gets better when you order a french press and its brought right to your table and the coffee tastes amazing which just adds to the whole breakfast experience...We also tried lunch here one day- I thought only my MOTHER made meatloaf sandwiches, turns out this Mother does too! And its TO DIE FOR! But hey, dont just take my word on it, try it out for yourself...word to the wise-make a reservation....or just camp out until it opens and be the first in! Either way, if you just moved here, visiting, or have been hesitant to try it out, consider this the green light you dont wanna miss out!

  • by

    pdxfoodie7

    Sat Oct 24 2009

    Mothers is what I would describe as one of the perfect dining experiences in Portland, if you go on the weekends order the eggs benny I like to add avocado to mine, which has never been a problem. You want it you get it. If you go for lunch the chopped liver is to die for, " if you like chop liver", if not the best thing about Mothers is there is something for everyone, from burgers to salads to eggs and bacon. Just go!

  • by

    sereid1

    Sun Oct 18 2009

    See the review "I didn't know Satan owned a restaurant". That pretty much sums it up. The meatloaf was dry, the owner walks around the place acting like she is better than everyone else and no one in my dining party was impressed. Save yourself some money and cook your "Mother's Bistro" meal at home, it will be a lot more tasty.

  • by

    whiskeycub

    Fri Oct 16 2009

    I am a huge foodie and love to eat out with my wife at least 3 days a week and love that since we have moved to Portland 6 years ago we have had many memorable meals all over the city. I normally try to not leave negative reviews as I believe that it is already hard enough to run a successful restaurant in this day and age with all the competition in this city but this place...wow, I don't know where to start. The host walked away the MOMENT we walked in and left us standing there for five minutes, then returned to say that they might be closing early so we had to hurry up and get sat at a table. Our server was the only bright spot however, cute girl, curly hair, knew the menu obviously, was well spoken and polite. I ordered the mac and cheese of the day which consisted of over blanched broccoli, undercooked pasta and way too much cream. My wife had the salmon special with spetzel(which we normally love being that my wife's family is german , but this tasted like flour and a saltli... Read more

  • by

    joanimator

    Sun Oct 11 2009

    I love this place. The food is delicious. They serve two sizes of their yummy salads, so I can get a Greek salad or a Cesar salad with chicken or salmon in large or small. The Velvet Lounge Bar is super cozy with great bartenders. They have a wonderful movie night with great talks and discussions after the film. Plus, I do not eat wheat and they are totally fine with that. The servers always check to see if an entree contains wheat. They have even made rice pasta just for me!

  • by

    susanba1

    Thu Oct 08 2009

    ALL of Lisa's food is amazing but if I were to be dropped on an island in the middle of nowhere, I could happily live there with a regular supply of her corned beef hash. And maybe a little of the chocolate cake. Or the daily mac 'n cheese. The chicken soup... Oh, and of course, a Cosmo. The portions are generous. The variety is amazing. The specials are MORE than special taking full advantage of local goodies. The prices make a business lunch downtown affordable and the fresh berry cobbler? See - now I'm hungry!

  • by

    camilly1

    Thu Oct 08 2009

    First I must tell you that you HAVE to order the oatmeal! Not in the mood???? The matzoh ball soup, brisket, or ANY salad is AMAZING too!! The people are so nice and they make you feel completely at home with their WONDERFUL food and warm service. Everything is perfect and you should definitely go there!!

  • by

    ryan2171709206_783

    Tue Jul 14 2009

    As noted, this is a fine place for brunch, assuming you are lucky enough to get a seat. The restaurant is not all that nice inside, but that is part of the charm and the food speaks for itself.

  • by

    lrolka1

    Fri Jun 19 2009

    My wife and I went here on a Saturday morning and for two the wait was not bad. The ambience is cheery and the wait staff seemed to be in a good mood if not a bit harried. I am willing to forgive a little sloppiness if the food is good though--and it was great. Simple and delicious. We had the Eggs Benedict and Blueberry pancakes with apple pork sausage. The eggs benedict was some of the best I've had: the eggs were perfectly poached, the english muffins were well-textured and the hollandaise sauce was extremely fresh. The red potatoes were a good compliment and had that desirable carmelly-crispy exterior. Recommended.

  • by

    lilajax1301502_98

    Tue Jun 02 2009

    A couple months ago my boyfriend and I went to Mother's Bistro for a romantic anniversary dinner. The food was delicious, I got a pasta dish and he got the chicken and dumplings and we shared crab cakes. Unfortunately within a few hours he was holed up in the bathroom with his head in the toilet. I don't know if it was just an off night for Mothers, but he was feeling very sick for the rest of the night. Don't get me wrong, this is one of my favorite restaurants and I personally have never had a problem there other than the occasional slow service- but my boyfriend is too scared to go back with me. It's unfortunate.

  • by

    usnkimmari

    Wed Apr 29 2009

    I've eaten at Mothers many times and I love it. They have lots of vegetarian options, the food is served quickly and all the servers are friendly and personable. The only (and I do mean ONLY) con is it's always busy. I would make reservations if you dont want to be waiting 45 minutes for a table.

  • by

    iliketoeat3314_72294

    Thu Apr 09 2009

    I have been reading these reviews trying to decide what then next great place to eat out would be and found these to be completely uninformative. The positive ones all look like a bunch of Sh*t.

  • by

    queenbee06

    Sun Mar 08 2009

    My fiancee and I had made reservations (a party of two) over a week before. When we came in, fifteen minutes before the reservation, we told the host staff that there would still be a wait. Being that we both have been in the service industry before, we were fine with that, and went to the bar to get a drink. However, about 45 minutes later, we still had not been sat. We asked the host about it, and were told that we should be next. Then, people who we know came in after us were sat. We asked again, and were told they were friends of the manager!?! Already offended, we were finally sat. Our seat was right next to the kitchen. We could hear f-bombs coming left and right in the kitchen, and a woman yelling at everyone. Our server came to the table, and she was sweet as can be. Very nice, rather soft spoken, but knew her menu when we asked questions about it. Of course, after placing our order, we heard the same woman yelling at someone in the kitchen again, and our server came... Read more

  • by

    dlockpdx1

    Tue Feb 24 2009

    I recently spent a Sunday morning waiting my turn to eat at Mother's after the male host had told me it would be 45 minutes to an hour before he could seat my party of 4.He had informed me that in the future,we could make reservations in advance,at least 2-3 weeks ahead of time,but not on the same day for saturday or sunday.After 40 minutes,he apologized for the wait and seated us.Shortly after, our server took our order and was very thorough.We were sitting next to a kitchen door,and repeatedly heard a woman's voice barking out orders, and belittling kitchen staff.Shortly after our food arrived,a woman came out of the kitchen,asked us how everything was, and lo and behold she had the same voice as the one we heard earlier,except this time she was pleasant. Come to find out she was Lisa Schroeder, owner and chef of Mother's Bistro. Had I been spoken to in that manner, like what was overheard from the kitchen,I would have quit there on the spot. No employee should be talked to in that ... Read more

  • by

    ptown841

    Sat Jan 31 2009

    We went there on 01/30/09 for a friend's birthday and the group of 12 will never go back there again and will be sure to inform our friends. The gentleman that brought our water and bread was in a bad mood, we asked him how his night was and he replied with Shi**y. The lady that was our waitress seemed bothered all night when we were ordering and getting drinks. They only allow 4 debit/credit cards to be ran, so I had everyone give me their cash and we split the bill with two debit cards. My total came to 123.00 and the other total was 47.00, they ended up charging me 227.00 and the other guest his 47.00 ( our bill was 171.00 not 274.00) I was told that they get calls about this all the time and that my money should have been in my account on Saturday. It still hasn't happened and when I called to speak to the Manager I was told that he has to call me back. I'm still out 104.00 and horrible service. I work in Customer Service and hate complainers but this one really got to me.

  • by

    kesh1_286872509

    Tue Dec 09 2008

    **I'm revising my rating because Lisa, the Executive Chef and Owner actually cares about customer feedback. I'm giving this restaurant a recommended because it sounds like she is going to work with her staff to rectify some of the following. However, the review remains the same because this actually happened.** The food here was good BUT the service is horrible! The hostess told us a 5-10 minute wait time. After 20 minutes, the same hostess said we would be next. Then a couple of minutes later she seats another group that got there after us. When she did call our name we went up and she asked us for the name. She then tried to put us on the wait list again. Does she have short-term memory loss? The water person dumped a lot of water all over our table, wasn't very apologetic, dabbed at the spill a few times with a disposable napkin and then took off. The waitress or kitchen screwed up the order for the table next to us. This sent the waitress into a frenzy which meant tha... Read more

  • by

    jennavv1

    Sun Dec 07 2008

    We love to go try new places in Portland and Mother's is a recommendation we're only too happy to pass on to others! We love this place. I love to cook, but it's nice to step out and have some home made tasting meals served to me so I don't have to do the dishes. The portions are just right, the food is cozy and delicious; I had a cream of turkey soup one night that I would replace Thanksgiving dinner with it was so decadent and tasty! We love their drink menu, the biscuits and rolls they serve before dinner, and the cookies that come with the receipt. We loved dinner so much we had to go for breakfast, and they didn't disappoint on that front, either. Their specials are fantastic, and we cannot wait to go for their lunch menu. We have plans to take out of town family and friends here, for happy hour, for dinner, for brunch! This is a real little gem. Yes, you might have to wait for a seat. So take a walk, have some small talk. Once you're seated it's just a short wait to an enjoyable ... Read more

  • by

    bumpskier1

    Fri Dec 05 2008

    Mothers serves up the best breakfast. Everything I have had there has been amazing. Usually you have to wait for a table and the staff is always great. The service is always good.

  • by

    missoulasu

    Wed Dec 03 2008

    I wish I could review the food, but I am currently snarfing down a McDonald's because after a 45 minute wait our lunch still hadn't come so we left. This was not at the height of the rush either. We arrived about 11:45am. They should warn you that lunch will take at least two hours.

  • by

    rwpdx1

    Sat Oct 11 2008

    I don't care where you come from, or what language you speak, if you tell me people are going to die and that you are destined to become a martyr, I will call the cops on you. And I did, no thanks to the Mother's staff who would rather be unnecessarily PC, than ensure the safety of their sane patrons. Read on to hear about the man who threatened me and my mother at Mother's last night... Generally my experiences at Mother's have been acceptable, with the chicken and dumplings being the best and most consistent menu item, but last night, while dining in the lounge area with my mother on her birthday, was different. The food was unimpressive, the bread pudding was dry (thank you for taking it off the bill Mother's), but one particular patron made the experience downright threatening. Near the end of our meal, I noticed a well dressed gentleman sitting at the bar who had turned around and was staring at us. After a significant amount of time with his eyes locked on us making kissing ... Read more

  • by

    rickspncr1_1241591959

    Mon Sep 15 2008

    Just arrived home from a birthday dinner. My bro and I were celebrating together. Food was good and arrived in a prompt fashion. It's just the waiter was strange. He had a problem getting our bill right. Something to do with the Visa machine wanting to add gratuity when he had already added gratuity. Service was questionable...too bad they force the tip out of you. I probably wouldn't have left as much as they charged me. Our party was over 6 so it may have had something to do with the size of the group. I had been there before and it had seemed fine. Not sure if I'll go back for a while. This one waiter was just a bit too much.

  • by

    cynthiabur

    Sat Aug 30 2008

    We are here for our son's graduation and have been selecting brunch meal restaurants each day. WOW! Mother 's won the BEST brunch and atmosphere! We started with hot fresh blueberry pancakes as tasters which melted in your mouth, the orange juice is REAL fresh juice, the coffee suberb with many rounds had at our table. All four of us ordered Eggs Benedict with red potatoes and there was nothing left on our plates but plenty of compliments circling the table. We topped of the meal with a fabulous hot brownie with ice cream & real whipped cream. I think we would have ordered more just to stay longer in this cozy, upscale restaurant with the most pleasant music. Our waitress did a great job taking care of our requests and giving us dessert suggestions. We definately will revisit this 5 star restaurant upon our next visit! Bon Appetit!

  • by

    citysearch_2068634066

    Wed Aug 13 2008

    We went to this place and had good service and great food. I LOVE the Steak Frites. The place is quite charming and since we had reservatio...

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    jackym11771582_812

    Tue Aug 12 2008

    I have been going here for YEARS and have had great service nearly every time. I look at the reviews below and think...disgruntled ex-employee? I think it's my new 'job' to look at stupid, egregious. arm-chair 'wannabe critic' reviews and comment for real (see my others and there will be more). Mother's is authentic, adorable and real. Lisa, the owner is visible and friendly - she has personally seated me many times. The food is great. Yes, the wait is long for brunch on weekends especially. But get your lazy butt out of bed early and get some extra stellar service before these poor people get exhausted. They have ample staff on and deal with grouchy people wanting breakfast! We have brought our kids here and have been treated like gold. My recommendation is to get there early, wait in line cheerfully, get seated, order one of their fantastic bloody Mary's, peruse the great menu, sip your drink and RELAX!!! If you can ever get it - try their corned beef hash - phenomenal!! Good job Mo... Read more

  • by

    pdxwinefoo_1535752265

    Sat Aug 09 2008

    Been to Mother's dozen times for Bkfast and a few times for dinner. Perhaps, I am jaded, since we love to cook, but their food is good, not outstanding. It's just what it is, home cooking in a downtown spot. Nothing I've ever had there is amazing enough to order twice, nor is it memorable. I am sorry to see a bunch of negative reviews (perhaps once burned?). I would recommend trying this place (you may really like it) if you love comfort food and can't cook. But if you want something that knocks your sox off with lots of flavor, this isn't your place. They have a loyal following and I guess I don't see why, but again, I love to cook and can prepare most of their dishes to my liking at my own home. Can be very noisy, if you like that sort of thing, go. If not, avoid. It's not a kid place, either, so beware. The decor is shabby chic grandma, and it works for this concept. I just wish they had a few more non-comfort food choices on the menu.

  • by

    rorobobo1

    Tue Aug 05 2008

    My wife and I were went to mothers with my family. My sister told us that we had to go there because it's her favorite place to eat. I was disapoined when I looked at the menu because the food was basicly things your mom makes at home, meat loaf, mac & cheese, chicken and dumplings, potroast ect. but for a lot of money. When we sat down we got this bald waiter that just had this rude vibe to him. He looked at us like " oh god I have to get these people". It wasen't just me everyone at our table got the same vibe. He took our orders and brought out rolls?? or biscuits?? I'm not sure they were square and dense and very salty. We had enough people that we ordered almost everything they sell thats on their normal menu. I ordered the pulled pork and it was very bland. Just not alot of flavor, the pork was moist but the gravy taste like nothing. My wife got the chicken and dumplings wich were very dark in color, I thought that to be odd. She took one bite and couldent eat any mor... Read more

  • by

    duckykd1181967_0245

    Sat Jul 26 2008

    After walking the length of the brewfest and finding the lines for food, way too long, we decided to head up a couple of blocks to find a cool, relaxing restaurant. We happened to park right in front of Mother's Bistro and I mentioned to my husband that I had heard wonderful things about the restaurant. The entrance is a bit confusing, (which door to choose?) and it was empty (are you still open?) We had arrived about 3:00 pm which happened to be when they have a limited menu and only seating in the bar. The menu consisted of appetizers, soup, tuna, chicken and egg salad either served on bread or salad greens. I was so impressed with the reviews, I thought what could go wrong? Both of our sandwiches were a bit disappointing. It was nothing but a skimpy sandwich, cut in a half on a large plate with a whimpy pickle slice. Not much presentation, no side, a piece of wilted lettuce under the bread and all of this for just under $8.00! We could have made better comfort food at home... Read more

  • by

    starmoon1_967111512

    Thu Jul 03 2008

    Mother's is famous for being a Portland institution that takes itself way too seriously, and they did not disappoint. We had breakfast reservations for a group made several days in advance. When I showed up that rainy morning, I fiddled with my umbrella at the door as I figured out which door was the entrance. When I stepped inside, the female employee (hostess?) gave me SUCH a stinkeye, I almost laughed out loud. I paid something like $11 for oatmeal with bananas and brown sugar. A bowl of homogenous oatmeal arrived, bananas stirred in, brown sugar missing. It tasted really creamy, as if dairy had been added (I'm vegan). The waitress was way too busy and snotty to bother with our table. Give me a huge break! Not going back.

  • by

    bobbbbbbbb

    Fri Jun 13 2008

    Heres the deal, mothers makes the best home made eclectic assortment of goodies in the world. Breakfast lunch or dinner is without a doubt first class. Plus While Im eating all this great home made food, I love to flirt with all the cute good looking waitresses. They are tough, educated, and very smart so make sure you know what your saying before you open your mouth. Ive eaten all over the planet and mothers is my home in Portland, while I'm here. Ill be back on the road soon, traveling and writing more songs, and I will miss this place more than most. Heres a tip. After you eat, they have a stash of mini cookies. Be polite and say, "do you think I could have a few small cookies" They make all their own cookies and I'm not kidding, they're great. For breakfast try 1/2 oatmeal with 2% milk, no sugar and 2 eggs over easy with potatoes and home made country bread, and dont forget to order hollar mountain french press coffee. Keep those cookies coming. The gal that owns the place is extra... Read more

  • by

    sff00die116256_76495

    Fri May 16 2008

    My boyfriend and I visited Mother's Bistro & Bar on Mother's day. I was quite shocked when the manager had told me unfortunately they were "reservation only" on Mother's day--I guess I should have anticipated this. HOWEVER, they informed me that although that was the case, they would do whatever it took to get me in. I was quite amazed at the efficiency in which they ran things and we were seated within TEN minutes on a Sunday! Wow...that's service. We had the most amazing food, buttermilk biscuits smoothered in gravy served with scrambled eggs--it rivals my grandfathers. We had delicious cocktails, bloody mary's made with in-house pepper infused vodka and to top off Mother's day the most delicious freshed baked key lime pie. We are definitely coming back! Thank you Mother's and your wonderful management team for making my Mother's day one to remember!

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    ieatoutmor

    Thu May 15 2008

    I LOVE this place. The food is always excellent, and the service is better and friendlier than ANY snooty restaurant in PDX. OK, you can't serve this much food to this many people and be perfect 100% of the time, but the people at Mother's are right on the money more than any other place I've been to in town, or any other town. And I probably do eat at more restaurants than 98% of the population. I know bad. And I know good. And Mother's is GREAT! If anything, the portions are too big. I read someone mention a tiny portion of Mac and Cheese... most of my friends can't finish it. Uh.... I can. I also probably eat MORE than you, but that's a cross I have to bear.

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    computerwe6527_53894

    Wed Apr 23 2008

    The bartender didn't listen to a thing I wanted and seemed to charge me and my associates for every little thing. Sometimes in a bar, they don't knit pick like that. Is Mother's going bankrupt or something? The prices for the food are outrageous! I ordered a tiny, tiny speck of basic macaroni and cheese and got charged 8 bucks for it. All of the drinks are $8 and up usually.

  • by

    balaboosta

    Thu Mar 20 2008

    I wanted to send a public thank you for the very special birthday breakfast, I and my "mother" were able to enjoy the day of the Shamrock Run. What a thoroughly "delightful" experience. Great food, and our waiter was so fun. Thank you for serving our city with such excellence. We had a great time. Blessings to you...from Lisa Hawes

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    dantelowe1

    Wed Mar 19 2008

    From a warm welcome, to a goodbye accompanied with home-baked cookies, our experience at this downtown bistro was superb. After a meal of homemade Chicken and Dumplings followed by the best damn BrownieSundae we had ever had, my wife and I just had a brisk walk back to our downtown hotel to fall asleep like babies. Visiting from out of town we had heard that this was the place to come. How true, how true. Delicious.

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    rustymonk1

    Sun Mar 09 2008

    7 of us went to Sunday brunch yesterday, most of us for our 1st visit. The wait was long but understandable. The terrible service started right away. I went in looking for coffee and stood right next to the espresso machine and directly below the coffee price board. Staff members walked past me repeatedly always avoiding eye contact. Terrible service continued once we were seated. The server told us about a special that wasn't on the menu - crab cakes - but neglected to mention that they had bacon! Several people at our table eat seafood but no other meat... and they ordered the crab cakes. The server never checked back in on us and, after the plates had been cleared, we told her that our food had secret bacon in it. She informed us there was no bacon in the crab cakes, that she was 99% sure there was no bacon in the crab cakes but that she "would check for us." She returned, put the check on the table and in one breath said, "yeah, you were right; there's bacon. Sorry." She turned & ... Read more

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    sue111111

    Sat Feb 23 2008

    After an 30min wait for Sunday Brunch, we got seated at a dirty & greasy table w/ food on our chairs. I know their busy, but I do not mind wait for couple more minute for them CLEAN the table before seating us. Our table has half empty coffee cream. Which I instructed for a new one because there were stuff in there. GROSS!. Alright after our breakfast came. It tasted ok, kinda greasy. BUT worst of all, my husband & I had the worst dy-a-rhea . I understand maybe just me, but my husband also, I gotta say never go back there again, they need their health license recheck

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    ckh19691681395_214

    Mon Feb 04 2008

    Gotta try it. Just like mom used to make...large portions with lots of love. Very friendly staff and great menu. I recommend getting there earlier or making reservations. Downtown Portland is limited when it comes to great breakfast spots. It's also pretty small inside with limited seating...but if you have to wait I promise it will be worth it. Enjoy

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    artichokeq

    Sat Jan 12 2008

    I don't know about the neo-Victorian ornate black velvet wallpaper in the lounge area or the shivering little glass chandeliers in the dining room- but thankfully the decor did *not* reflect the food-- Mother's had a *really* great selection on their menu, ever for an ultra-picky eater like myself. The servers were pleasant, the atmosphere was comfortable, and we didn't have to wait for a seat (two of us, Tuesday night 7-ish). I read other reviews of this place and saw repeated complaints of the service and of their treatment of families with children. Again, I thought the service was more than accommodating so i cannot complain. But I agree that bringing kids here cannot be a fun experience for any of the parties involved.... you can find a better, more child-friendly place with squashier seats and less glass objects hanging from the ceiling than Mothers. ....However if you're looking for a nice not-way-too-fancy-and-overpriced dinner with friends or relatives or -ideally- just as a ... Read more

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    sherrykoff

    Tue Nov 06 2007

    My husband and I visited the city of Portland. MOther's Bistro and Bar had been recommended by the conceirge of the hotel we were staying at.. We had eaten brunch at Francis resturant (a very poor meal )and then a bit apprehensive to eat just anywhere. Well anyway, as was perviously stated we went to Mothers for brunch. We felt at ease just soon after we entered the resturant. The "shabby chic" decor was interesting and comforting. Our server, Jason, came over very shortly after seated to offer beverages. We told him we would like drip coffee. He said ,"I would be pleased to make it for you but it takes a little extra time. How about I bring you regular coffee until your brew is ready." We had lemon poppyseed pankcakes-yummy. We had salmon hash. We loved it. It had such a wonderful flavor and the portion was huge. Oh, those wonderfull baked daily cinnamon rolls. (took 2 home so we could eat them at anothe time.)The owner came out and to our table to introduce herself and ask if... Read more

  • by

    customerre

    Mon Oct 22 2007

    Thank you for all your wok taking care of the events and contracts for us at Mother's and Mama Mia's. Also, thanks for engineering a fantastic breakfast for us. We will definitely be back to PDX next year and back to Mama Mia's and Mother's. Thanks a million!

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    customerfe

    Mon Oct 22 2007

    My husband and I have been coming to Mother's since we moved to Portland and have always been impressed by the quality of the food, service and overall environment. I wanted to take the time to let you know how we were blown away by the customer service of your host - Jodi. He made our first brunch since the birth of our daughter special and went above and beyond to take good care of us. Your staff is always great, but I must say Jodi is a top-notch employee. Thank you! We will continue to be loyal patrons and will tell everyone we know about our favorite Portland restaurant. Fabulous food and they care about their customers!

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    rachellekr

    Sun Oct 21 2007

    I recently brought a group of 31 people to Mother's Bistro for lunch and it was great! I must compliment them them; not only on the food, but also the friendly service. We had a space to our groups use, which is always a plus. I was throughly impressed and wanted to send them 31 thank yous!

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    citysearch5077_79258

    Tue Oct 16 2007

    We had a wonderful dinner at Mothers and found it to be a warm, inviting atmosphere. We didn't have any problems with the wait staff being r...

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    isabella21

    Sun Oct 14 2007

    This is a copy of a thank you note sent to Mother's on 5/17/08: I wanted to thank you, especially Margaret, for taking the time to help fulfill a Mother's Day wish of mine. My brother lives in Vermont, I live in Europe and my sister is there in Portland. It's difficult to show each other how much we love one another, especially with the distance-- we try to be creative when possible. My brother and I wanted to surprise my mom (who was visiting fro Michigan), brother-in-law and sister by paying for their brunch on Sunday. Unfortunately my sister ended up getting sick, so they were unable to make it. The point is, you sound like an incredi ble bunch of caring people there. I hear you're a popular and busy place. Margaret could have easily said she was too busy or it wasn't possible to take down my credit card information, but she didn't. She treated me so kindly. It means a great deal and shows me you're not just another restaurant--you certainly have something special going on ... Read more

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    captxemo110107_49854

    Wed Sep 19 2007

    We choose this establishment because on the "quick review" it was noted that it was recomended for kids. We learned our lesson. READ ALL THE REVIEWS FIRST! Bad parking, a long wait,and minor annoyances can be overlooked and forgotten when the service is good and the food exceeds the expectation. This day continued downhill from the time we put our name in at the door and were told "this is not a good spot for a little one". Our grandson acted well mannered and had more patience with the rudeness of the hostess than did I or my wife and was probably so confounded by the agitation that filled the air that it kept his experience at least quiet. The staff was huried and more flustered than anyone should expect on a Sunday morning. It was busy, but it seemed they treated the anxious crowd as a group they wished would go somewhere else. Next time we shall. The food was good, but not exceptional. We have visited 5 other restuarants on the Portland City Search top ten list for breakfast. All... Read more