Le Bistro Montage

It makes me so very sad to only be able to give the Montage 2 stars. Really, it does. It used to be an old reliable standby where you could get some tasty grub very late at night and have a decent time doing it. Now, it's where I risk going late at night and *hope* my food has been consistently WARMED before being served to me and that my waitress isn't a TOTAL hag and maybe stops by once or twice to see if I need water.

It's always been loud and it's always been crowded, but it used to be well worth the wait for some cheap and delicious "spold mac". Now the flavor balance of a LOT of the dishes is off (some things way spicier than they used to be or need to be, some dishes way over or under seasoned) and the consistency of the kitchen is questionable at best. On two separate occasions I have literally been served food that was cold on the inside (a warm pasta dish should not be half hot, half cold!).

And don't get me started on the service...

Now, if that didn't scare you off, here are the good parts... the macaronis are GREAT (when they're warm) and cheap. Spold mac used to be my old standby, but it's now way too spicy, so I often go for 'old mac'. The gator bites and frog legs are also pretty darned tasty. The ambiance is neat with the murals and high ceilings, even though it gets way too loud and despite the fact that the staff often seems more into themselves than serving their guests.

So if you're out late and need a cheap bite, give it a shot. If not, I'd go somewhere more reliable and leave this one for the drunken late-night fill-me-up.

Pros: Cheap Macs, open late

Cons: VERY loud, inconsistent food quality, long lines

Posted 10/08/09

I went to this place three times. The first two times it was so busy we waited for an hour an a half, and gave up and left. When we finally get there, we ordered gator jambolya. IT WAS DISGUSTING! It was thick goop, that had a red oil layer on top. The environment is pretty lousy, and tons of unwanted noise. This place is bullsh*t and I would never reccomend it.

Pros: Cool aluminum foil origami

Cons: everything else

Posted 09/20/09

This place is good for one thing - after hours dining. Get there late, wait forever for service, and have a great time sobering up so you can sleep.

Pros: Drunken Food

Cons: Service

Posted 09/09/09

Well, first off it was loud, dark, and strange. I could see straight in the kitchen and the horridly filthy conditions and lack of hair nets or proper food handling I saw immediately turned me off. But I was with a group and couldn't leave. The food was terrible, inedible. and the server refused to split the check for a party of 12 people and would only take max of 5 debit cards. Flies kept buzzing our food and the bathrooms were disgusting. I was sick as soon as I left from the little bit I ate, and the next day the rest of the party that hadn't been sick immediately, complained of being sick.
All in all, I would never go again, and never recommend it to anyone. And I never write bad reviews or judge a place on one visit, so it really was that bad.

Pros: the silly tin-foil leftovers are the only pro here

Cons: loud, bad service, filthy kitchen, flies, bad food

Posted 03/23/09

If you are looking for good southern cuisine, delta in se Portland is great! Fabulous bloodymarys and pbr's in ice buckets!

Posted 03/03/09

best thing about montage are the late hours and funny aluminum animals create with the remainder of your meal. they have your typical noodles, gumbo, some meat dishes, but the taste wasn't amazing. you're paying a bit more purely for the dark candle light atmosphere with very loud music and tons of strangers. if you're around the area, looking to experience a place with a darker setting, this might be what you're looking for, but it's far from "amazing."

Posted 01/17/09

Montage is like no other restaurant I have ever encountered. I remember my 1st visit to the original location up on Morrison in the little red building, I met Old Mac. When they moved down to under the bridge it became all about late nights with spold (it was way more cool when it was an "in the know " item), shooters, and $1 bottles of Rainier. I find the spold is more spicy than it used to be so now now I order old mac and a cup of the Cajun gravy to mix in to my taste. If you have never eaten here you are missing out, remember to save some leftovers for your foil sculpture!

Pros: Food, service, ambience, & spold!

Cons: Long wait to get in

Posted 01/17/09

When I first moved to PDX after living in a city with an actual nightlife, I was sad to hear that the only place to eat after the club was Shari's. But when I heard about Montage, I got excited.

I have lived here for several years now, and while I have been to Montage on many occasions, I think I will choose Roxy's or Hot Cake house, as the food wasn't that much better at Montage, and the host staff in incredibly rude, seemingly on purpose. They must have heard somewhere that in order to be taken seriously, you need to treat your customers like you have something better to do than be assisting them. I find this attitude a real downer, and considering I am a good looking, well groomed person with cash on hand, you'd think they'd want me to frequent their establlishment? Not the case, or atleast, you'll be left feeling that way.

I will say the food was decent. while overpriced for what it is, and the wait staff seems to have good dispositions, so it's always there, as a fall back, if nothing more.

Pros: late night eats, large groups accomodated

Cons: rude hosts, food over priced

Posted 01/12/09

Best mac n' cheese! I always get the spold mac and my husband always gets the jambalaya. Both are always excellent, we are never disappointed. We have been coming here for years at least once a month and it never fails to please.

Pros: food, parking

Cons: sometimes service is slow

Posted 01/11/09

the floor was disguesting with trash everywhere. the waitress was a bitchy and took her forever to take our order and we had to ask serveral times and serveral times for the bill. the table was unclean it was the same table cloth from the same person before us.

Pros: food is alright..

Cons: nasty floors and bitchy service

Posted 01/07/09

I evacuated to Portland from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Having been raised in the South I'm very familiar with the cuisine this establishment(I refuse to call it a restaurant) claims to serve. Having been raised by human beings I am somewhat aware of how to behave in a public place amongst other human beings who are trying to eat...apparently, the hipster staff here wern't fortunate enough to receive that training and my boyfriend and I found that out first hand the other night.
This is one of the few "cajun" themed places to eat in PDX and I was excited to get some catfish and frog legs. I know I am not in NOLA and I really wasn't expecting some kind of culinary masterpiece with great customer service from the place but it would have been nice if they could learn that 1) BLACKENED CATFISH DOES NOT MEAN COMPLETELY BULLETPROOF OVERSEASONED CATFISH SHELL WITH A BLAND UNSEASONED CATFISH CENTER. 2) Frog legs should not be giant blobs of FAIL fryed in WTF batter. 3) It's customary to seat people BEFORE making them stand around in a mostly empty bistro for 15 minutes 4) Two adults are going to eat more than the 2 slices of bread you so laboriously dropped on the table 5) If making a decent margarita is beyond the scope of your abilities don't try to overcompensate by throwing too much(clearly cheap) tequila in...even if you're trying to make it a double there's an art to it. 6) The ONLY way wrapping people's scraps in aluminum foil shapes/animals is going to compensate for sitting through that meal is if you shape it like a giant phallus and service yourself with it VIOLENTLY.

To anyone considering eating here- I advise you to go elsewhere if you're looking for genuine soul food/southern style cooking. This place is like a caricature of decent southern food. All the positive reviews for this place are highly suspect IMO. If you're looking for catfish around pdx the only good place I've found so far is called Po' Shine's Cafe on N. Killingsworth

Posted 12/22/08

The place is buried under a highway and inside it is dark candle-lit. The decor and surroundings are not the greatest. But the food was probably one of the top 5 I have had in Portland.

They are famous for their mac and cheese entrees. I ordered the Pesto mac n' cheese that came with diced tomatoes in the corner of the plate and fresh shredded Parmesan on top. It was simple, yet blended together perfectly. Don't be shy to ask for more tomatoes! I also ordered the fried pear salad which was delicious and unique. The bill came out to less than $10.

The service was very attentive and friendly. Great place, inexpensive, and a real find.

Pros: Outstanding food

Cons: Good luck finding it without a map

Posted 12/10/08

Its a human zoo. Like eating at the Star Wars Cafe, right out of a movie ! And the food is creative, consistent, reasonably priced, nicely varied and very 'Nawlins' ... VERY. Its a night in the French Quarter. GREAT FOOD, BEST Cajun in the Northwest, and a freak show, starting with e cooks and the insane but efficient wait staff. Kudos my friends, KUDOS. Job Well Done. Open a second one near NW23rd or NW21st streets and you'd have an instant success.

Pros: The Food is DELICIOUS, The staff are ALL FREAKS, KILLER DESSERTS. BEST Mac 'n Cheese ( Pesto Mac RULES ) in town !

Cons: Parking can get tough, Ya really need to pick your times or the lines go on for hours ! Tey don't accept reservations at all. Bummer

Posted 10/13/08

The de rigueur of South East Portland is still standing after all these years...and it's better than ever! Try the Frog legs and the Rabbit...They're excellente! The drinks are moderately priced and stiff! They don't hold back at all. The ambiance is what Portland used to be...You know that bumper sticker that says, Keep Portland Weird? Well this place is still hitting the nail on the head. Totally! The floor staff and the kitchen crew sure know how to interact and rope you into all their fun! And they're fast and efficient, not like most of the other places around town; These guys should teach the rest of Portland how to "cook to order", it really shouldn't take that long. It's like quick, delicious dinner and a free show all in one. It's so much fun! It's also cheap! So order two or three things when you get there, even if you can't finish them...You're going to wish that you would have...You'll see! (Wink! Wink!) It's the best part of this wonderful, old Portland establishment. Oh...And make sure you tell the owner to delete the recording. He'll know what you mean.

Pros: open for lunch and late night

Cons: Nothing!

Posted 09/26/08

Food is excellent, atmosphere is great if you don't mind loud music. Try the spold mac- combo of old mac and spicy mac, you can't beat it!

Posted 09/20/08

It's dirty dining and the restroom looks worse than one at a gas station stall in middle of nowhere. My experience was you couldn't get greeted in a timely matter, all you do is wait, wait and wait. The staff is tremendiously unefficent, slow, snappy, dirty and overly rude! I saw the staff go out to smoke many times during my "waiting for the meal" and never once seen an employee go to back to wash their hands. It makes you wonder if they wash at all. Better yet there were insects crawling around, no wonder they keep the atmosphere dark and the music loud. At last, I get my food tossed at me because I dared to ask for a glass of water. Food was luke warm and overly seasoned, flavor overwhelming. I have had southern, cajun, creole food and this was a stone soup, a salty slop! It's not for families, romantic dates or casual, it 's below that! If you want lousy service and food, please by all means waste your hard earned moolah!

Pros: parking

Cons: lousy service

Posted 08/23/08

the montage is one of my favorite places to eat in portland. it's great for getting some friends together over diner and a couple bottles of wine. it is fairly loud and dark which is part of the reason i really enjoy the atmosphere. the food is always fabulous, i like the spold mac with rock shrimp and sausage. good wine selection and cocktail menu. there are two beers on the menu, but if you walk past the rest rooms there is a bar, the beer selection is actually decent, get it there, and walk back to your table. service can be slow at times because they usually are quite busy, but with your friends there you don't notice, and everything turns out well enough to tip on top of gratuity anyway.

Posted 08/23/08

I've been to the Montage a few times, and each time, their green pesto mac and cheese with rock shrimp has amazed me. They use quite a bit of garlic, which I love, but may not be quite as good for you. Their pasta dishes are served with a side of chopped tomato which adds to the flavor of the pasta and adds a welcoming cool texture. I wouldn't change a thing about their food. Five stars for food.

The overall ambiance of the Montage, however, is sub par. Screams come from the kitchen, the wait staff bellows and yells each time an order of oysters is placed. The acoustics are dreadful and the seating is abhorrent. The bones of the Montage deserve about two stars.

The wait staff falls somewhere in the middle. I can't say I've ever had a "bad" experience at the Montage, but, to be frank, I'd rather take my pasta home in the shape of a cute cat or bird and eat in the comfort of my own dining room - which is not something I'd want to do very often!

Pros: Affordable, delicious food, fine service.

Cons: Horrible ambience.

Posted 08/15/08

Watered-down drinks, oysters tasted like fresh from the jar, fritters lumps of undercooked dough, gummy mashed potatoes, anemic mac and cheese, bananas Foster turned out to be bananas Foster bread pudding--dry tasteless mass we sent back--even the beautiful looking blueberry pie a let down with no flavor (what kitchen can ruin blueberries?) Not what it used to be--we'll not be back.

Posted 08/09/08

Listen, I have been going to Montage for ages and I am sick and tired of reading these whiny reviewers bash my beloved restaurant. I go there because the staff lacks the pretension and the sickly sweet smiles of other bougie places or corporate places. I love that the servers can have piercings and tattoos. There are still a lot of companies that won't allow that kind of individuality. The service can vary there, but I have never been treated differently than anyone else and I am not a hipster. I am constantly surprised at how uptight the so-called open minded people of Portland act. Apparently everyone wants their butt kissed. As for the food, yeah sometimes the mac is oily but for the price and the late hours it's one of my favorite late late late night treats. Portland stop your whining.

Posted 08/01/08

I used to love going to the Montage with friends late at night, but after my last experiance I will never be back. I'm a bar mgr and it takes a lot for a dining experiance to get to me but I've had it with this place. After my party was promptly sat we waited for twenty minutes for our server to take our order, we then waited almost forty minutes for our food we were all a little annoyed but still having a fine time until ten minutes after we got our food they blasted the most annoying, hard core, heavy metal I have ever heard at a volume comparable to a concert at the Rosegarden. We got the hint they wanted us out, which if we would have gotten our food in a reasonable amount of time we would have been long gone. Needless to say we promptly got our food boxed/foiled up, paid the bill, and left only to figure out later they gave us the wrong food. They think since they're known for great food late at night they can treat their customers like doodoo. It will take time but they will not be around if they continue to treat customers the way they do.

Posted 06/27/08

Everyone talks about Montage and the different macaroni and cheese dishes are really delicious (spicy, old, spold, pesto, red pepper). However, the attitude of some of the waiters/waitresses is not great. There is always at least an hour long wait and it's worth it if you are really easy going and not going to get upset if your server is inattentive. Really any of them can be cracked though if you are friendly enough and busboys fill up water glasses non-stop. Of course you have to leave some food on your plate to get it wrapped up in some crazy foil animal or other character. Tip: Be waiting outside the door before dinner starts to get your name on the list right away. Otherwise bring a lawn chair because you will have to wait and they won't let you do it inside.

Posted 06/24/08

Montage has been trendy for a long time. When ownership changed hands (death of owner under mysterious circumstances), the attitude changed. Maybe if you're 20-something and mega-tattooed, you get better service, but for anyone else, the attitude of the staff is UNBELIEVABLE. Totally rude; they make it a point to be rude. Not like the famously rube waiters in NY, but really nasty. Seems like they pick up the trash from under the Morrison bridge and make them work there. It's also FILTHY, especially the kitchen. The last time we went, we were completely ignored by host/hostess, even though I was staring at them both for eye contact. When we were seated, the waiter did not appear for 20 minutes, and when he did, he took the order for the group next to us who came in after us. I ordered a drink, which came after the meal was served, and of course it was the wrong drink. My partner had leftover food and asked that it be packaged. It was, with an oh-so-pretty foil animal, but the gave us the WRONG food. The people that continue to patronize this place are morons. Even if the food were as good as before, that would be no excuse to go there, but the food is now CRUD. And don't forget the filthy kitchen. Ya, go anywhere else, but not here. Montage, you are sooooo over.

Pros: tinfoil animal doggy bags

Cons: SERVICE ATTITUDE FOOD

Posted 06/18/08

We went to Montage with recommendations from a friend. It was very busy but we just went to the bar area around back and ordered a bottle of wine and we were seated pretty fast considering it was pretty packed. When you go there don't expect an intimate seating arrangement with only you and your party because you are placed direcly alongside the other tables. It's hard to have a conversation with your party without being distracted from the people right next to you. The food was okay, but very cheap which was a plus. The vegetarian gumbo is like goop without very many veggies, but the cornbread was very good. And the tomato basil pesto mac was lacking any basil flavor at all, but swimming in too much oil. Overall, it's a good place for the price but I don't think it is worth it to go back.

Pros: cheap food, great bar area

Cons: average food, tight seating arrangements

Posted 06/12/08

I have gone to the Montage, since my childhood days and have always looked forward to dining there. My mom chose this venue for her birthday and I am having second thoughts on ever going back. We had ordered our food and I looked for our waitress to order a special, birthday drink for my mom. It was a busy evening, so I figured I'd venture up to the bar to order. Big mistake! The waitress reprimanded me for doing that and said I needed to ORDER IT FROM HER, OKAY..... I went on to mention it was my mother's bday and it was my treat, so that's the reason I went up to the bar. I did not get any sympathy there. Food is good but being scolded for something so trivial just seem downright wrong. It's a free country, I can get up and go to the bar as I please...what's the big deal? It's not like their making commission or something. It was not a pleasant birthday dining experience. Especially after going to some other restaurants in Downtown who kindly bring complimentary drinks or dessert, when it's a special occasion. My father got a free bottle of wine on his birthday in March at a new restaurant that opened in the Pearl, that actually has some heart.

Posted 05/30/08

I really do love this place. I moved about a year and a half ago to Portland, and I would definitely say Montage is one of my top three finds in this state. I crave their Old Mac pretty much every day, and their frog legs are freakin amazing when theyre cooked right. The only thing I have to say is this, and I thought I never would: one or two of the servers are SO BAD sometimes! I used to hate on people who complained about the service and noise, because seriously, thats what Montage is all about, and since its always packed I totally understand rushed service. However, one night I had a blonde girl server who was really nice, but my boyfriend and I went back many times and the next time we had her, she was awful. AWFUL! Im one of those people who smiles all the time, is very personable, and totally fair when it comes to dining experiences. But she was conversational and nice to people only a table away from us, and whenever she gave us something or came by(which was pretty much never) I wouldnt even be done saying thank you or saying how good something was and shed be walking away with an annoyed look. And that night our food wasnt good either. Plus, it was FAR from busy.

This is my only bad experience with them, and Ill obviously continue to go back. But seriously people, dont get cocky because youve been working there forever and think that the quirky atmosphere allows you to be rude for no reason. You need to remember that customers determine business, and rudeness, abruptness, and distasteful attitudes are always remembered more than a normal experience.

Pros: Great food, cool vibe, truly "Portland-ish"

Cons: Parking, waits over an hour, sometimes rude staff

Posted 05/05/08

i love this place! its portland in a nutshell. its great! i take all out of towners there and they love it

Posted 04/13/08

Man, has this place lost it. It's been a while since I've been there, but I used to go all the time, ever since Jon opened the original location on Belmont. It was around the corner from my house, and Rainier pounders with Mac n Cheese after a night out was the stuff dreams are made of.

Now they appear to be a victim of their own success. Rudeness abounds in the staff. And they seem to embrace it as if it adds some sort of charm to the place. News flash - Jon and staff were loud and abrasive early on because the staff was so small and they were always in a hurry. As a restaurant grows and matures, the service should get better, not worse.

What's motivating me to write this review is my experience there last night. We had a group of about 20 for dinner. Yes, large groups are a pain in the rear, but they are a fact of life in the restaurant industry. Get used to it. It's not that hard to figure out. But after waiting an hour and a half (which was to be expected), they wanted to seat us at 3 different tables. And there wasn't even a "sorry about this", it was more like this is what you'll get and like it. The extreme rudeness that followed caused us all to just get up and walk out. Sorry, but with all the great new places opening up in Portland, there's no reason to put up with this. I'm sure they won't miss us.

If you're an emo/hipster that likes to be abused, this is your place. Enjoy.
For everyone else, there are far too many other great places in town to consider visiting Montage.

Pros: Great leftover foil art.

Cons: Staff attitude. Can't seem to get a handle on the whole seating thing.

Posted 04/11/08

Great food, especially cold the next day. I've tried several dishes both hot and cold, never been let-down. An interesting place with a loaded history, Amber is the most loveable and delightful of the staff. A truely awesome experience that I cannot recommend highly enough!

Pros: the seemingly endless menu of great food and the beautiful server(s)

Cons: she's taken

Posted 03/07/08

Great food at Montage. Love the bar and bartender. Everyone i know just would like a little bit more light in the restaurant. Would be nice to see the food you eat, not a floodlight, dude, just a little bit brighter. Maybe you are hiding something?

Pros: good food

Cons: too dark

Posted 02/27/08

I was just there with a few friends over Valentine's day. Food was hot & had a lot of flavor & we got good wine & appetizers to go with it. I got a little distracted by the staff, sometimes unknowingly screaming right near me through no fault of their own -- it's just part of the experience. Probably would be better if the place was just a bit bigger. I've never had a bad meal there, and I've been a customer since 2000 or so.

Pros: Great after-bar food, always flavorful & hot, usually served quickly

Cons: It's a little small which makes it extra noisy on busy nights.

Posted 02/23/08

I have been going to Montage since 1996. This place was great then and great now. Working in a restaurant for 12 years, I admire the servers!!! I wish I didn't have to deal with sh*t that customers bring to the table. If the customers only knew what service was, appreciated it, didn't need so much flippin attention, and realized they are wrong 99% of the time, they might have respect for a place like this. I love the enviroment, the bitchy staff, the yelling, the food, and the lack of choices because they get it!!! It would be great if all the a**holes would just stay the heck out and let the smart ones covet this place of glory.

Posted 02/19/08

I agree with "smithee" wholeheartedly... I stumbled upon this place online and at first was afraid to go in alone because the location seemed a bit sketchy to me... Given, it was nearly 1 am Friday morning... But I'm glad I did... just sidled up to the bar, squinted at the wine list, and asked the really cool, really friendly bartender/server/(who knows when you're at Montage) person whether I should go for the Jambalaya or Etouffee... I was craving real cajun food or something besides the normal hipster/portlander latenight fare and He said it would be a difficult choice... Went for the crawfish Etouffee and it was as good as any I've had in N'Awlins... and that says a lot. Add to that the brilliant cacophony playing in the background and the cook I had to keep diverting my eyes from... Who, by the way, yelled "this shall be the best etouffee I've ever created!" after my order was put in... anyway, all of the above added up to a great experience and I wish I could have stuck around to hang out. But that may have been a bit obvious ;) I went for the food, it was brilliant... and everything else is truly what you make of it. You either appreciate the atmosphere (which is also quite nicely appointed and romantic), or you shouldn't be digging for an amazing restaurant under the bridge, anyway. So take that. And love it.

Pros: Wonderful dishes, adequate prices, friendly & entertaining staff

Cons: Location, perhaps, but that also deters would-be snobbery

Posted 01/17/08

ugh. this food is soooo bad. the parmesan on their spicy mac has a creepy powdery consistency and seems to be the lowest grade imaginable. not to mention how filthy the kitchen looks. the only thing that makes this a good date spot is that the food is too bad to finish, so you won't be too stuffed to get frisky later.

Posted 01/09/08

Heard a lot of hype about Montage, especially the Mac & Cheese. I went on a weeknight so it wasn't that crowded, and yet the music still had to be turned up so loud that you're forced to yell at the person across from you. That doesn't seem like great business strategy for me, but I think they're trying to force some sort of "mood" upon you. The service was very good and attentive, I got "the old mac" but it was a little too water-y for my taste. I like a rich and creamy mac and cheese that's less soup-y... but maybe that's just me! Also, only 2 not-so-great beers available? I got a lemonade instead. It wasn't a bad experience, but I wouldn't go there voluntarily again.

Posted 11/30/07

the wait for a table can sometimes be 30-45 minutes and the wait staff in general are indifferent sometimes bordering on unfriendly. Short on smiles and everything seems to take forever, from getting your food, to getting the check. Wine is served in a water glass (lame) and they only have two different kinds of beer in the bottle (also lame). The oyster shooters however, are the best in town and if you aren't on a clock and don't care if the host/hostess and server give you attitude, the food is generally delicious and the prices are great!

Pros: Great tasting food at great prices

Cons: Super small water glasses, indifferent waitstaff, wine is served in a water glass

Posted 11/02/07

I'm sick of hearing how the help are rude and the food is lousy. It's Portland for Christ sake! No waiter is going to hover round and wipe the food from your mouth for you! The waiters are attentive and have good manners. The thing is, they don't leave their personalities at the door. Last time I was there, The Smiths come on the radio and our waiter started shaking his booty 'round the restaurant. It was very cute. The muscle shooters are TO DIE FOR, and the po' boy gator is delicious. The only complaint I would have is that the (very)spicy Mac is a bit watery, more like a soup than Mac and cheese, but it still tasted good. Late at night it gets extremely busy from the bar scene, especially on the weekends. Contrary to the ratings, I believe this is a great place to bring kids for an interesting lunch. I'm sure the animal shaped-leftover-foil art would delight any child.

Pros: Tasty food, Oyster shooters, lively waiters

Cons: small water glasses

Posted 10/16/07

Perhaps the worst dining experience I have ever had in Portland....I have never seen such inefficiency and poor customer service. Half the dining room was EMPTY and yet they did not seat anyone that was waiting! It was infuriating to wait for almost two hours watching tables remain vacant for up to 45 min. People could have been in and out in the amount of time! The wait was unabareable and certaintly not worth it! There's no way I'll go back. Food and everything else was medicore at best.

Pros: Good for a large group if someone is interested in going two hours in advance and you are prepared to wait in the back bar (you'll get yelled at if you crowd the front one)

Cons: Horrible Management, Terrible Customer Service

Posted 10/08/07

I used to love this restaurant. Growing up in Portland, I have fond memories of going to a show, then heading to the montage for a mud pie and a coffee. I was horrified when I recently heard what had happened to a friend of mine in the restaurant, and since have vowed never to eat there again. She was served her pasta with the words "I heart Nazis" written in the sauce. She looked at the plate, and the waitress asked what was wrong. She told the waitress, who got her manager, who also examined the dish. Then, the manager stated, " oh, that's just our chef pushing the envelope".

My friend left immediately. The chef wasn't pushing the envelope. He was pushing the hate.

Posted 09/28/07

I used to love the Montage. The food has always been good, and at one time, the service was good too. The last two times I've been there (both of which I was entertaining friends in from out of town and trying to show them some classic Portland spots) the service has been beyond rude. The first time, the hostess refused to let me sit down at a table while my friends parked their cars, even though the restaurant was completely empty. When she overheard me on the phone telling one of them that I was coming out so that we could eat elsewhere since I had gotten such a nasty reception, she stomped up behind me and asked me if I was "talking about her".

I gave it one more shot, a month later. We ordered the "Spold Mac" - a mixture of the spicy and old- as a appetizer and asked her if she could make it about as spicy as it would have been if not mixed with the Old Mac. The waitress brought my dish and we took one bite and started coughing from the heat. Lifting up a few noodles, we noticed she had put gigantic CHUNKS of jalapenos throughout the entire dish. She then moseyed over and with a smirk on her face, asked us how it was. When I told her it was inedible and I wanted to speak to a manager, she asked me if I'd like a glass of milk.

This restaurant is the epitome of hipster bitchiness and sloth. Crappy music blares so loudly you can barely talk over it, servers seem completely put out at being asked to do their job, and the hostess is way self-important. I will never eat at Montage again.

Pros: Food is still decent- get it to go and pass on the crummy service

Cons: Unbelievably rude hostess and service, blaring bad music

Posted 09/23/07

Montage has great food and lighting. They have very avante garde art on their walls, some which could be construed as sacreligious. Their "Old Mac" is a delicious concoction of garlic, parmesan cheese and noodles that will leave you craving it at weird hours. Their desserts will put you into sugar overload because they come in huge portions, but they are so worth it. Best of all is how they send you home with left-overs. They make fantastic creations out of tinfoil from swans to swords to bongs. (I've seen just about it all.) Prices are moderate, with about $10-15 per entree.

The downsides to Montage are that they play LOUD music, which is often an annoying mix of industrial pop/rock/punk, complete with feedback that drones on and on; it gets really busy there so you may have to wait awhile for a table; there is trash all over the floor (on purpose) and one of the waitresses is super slow and will leave your food on the counter until it's cold before she delivers it. (She is the black one; I don't know her name.) If you are unlucky enough to be seated at her table, make sure you put your food order in with your drink orders, and request anything you want when she does manage to get to your table. The only time we got her, we spent forty minutes waiting for our food and the restaurant wasn't busy at that time.

I only give it four stars because of the loud music and the crappy waitress, but the food is wonderful.

Pros: Great food and good parking.

Cons: Obnoxious music and crappy waitress.

Posted 08/28/07

I honestly don't understand why people complain about how loud the Montage is. If you want a quiet place to have a conversation go somewhere else.

The best way to enjoy this place is to join in the fun to be had: Sing along to the old punk song!... strike up a conversation with a stranger!... order a Rainier and an Oyster Shooter! Eat, Drink, and be Merry!! Do some people watching!

Sure, it isn't a perfect restaurant. Every time I've ordered a jambalaya, the rice has been undercooked ( I usually stick with the saucy Spicy Mac with chicken). The service can be slow when its busy. The servers will be brutally honest with you (instead of kissing your behind like most places). BUT, if I wanted fine dining and fake-friendly service I'd go to some place boring like Stanfords, or someplace hoity-toity like Clark-Lewis.

I bring my friends to Montage when I'm in the mood for a festive night out where anything could happen. I remember a night years ago when a woman suddenly stood up and sang a gorgeous aria at the top of her lungs. The whole place went silent. A waitress started to cry. I forgot where I was! No one was expecting that!

It has always been the Chaos, uncertainty and festive atmosphere that have kept me coming back through the years. It is truly a special place, but in order to experience the festivity you have to relax. This is not the type of place where snapping at the waitress will do anything except make you have a frustrating experience. RELAX! The best experiences I've ever had here have been when I just sat back and enjoyed the show.

Pros: Amazing Experience, Awesome Cocktails, Sincere Service

Cons: No Air Conditioning, Bad Air Quality, Sketchy Food

Posted 08/28/07

This place is a gem! Skillfully crafted cuisine, great music and fun decor. Great place for lunch or dinner.

Posted 08/26/07

A great place to invite friends from out of town or wanting a late meal. The dim lights, candlelight, and funky/fast service is what the restaurant is known for gives out a fun vibe. I do like the table settings for easy socializing but can get loud at times. The dishes on the menu were unique and tasty. You either love it or hate it, but is a great experience.

Posted 08/19/07

We went out yesterday, and after searching for a new place to eat came upon this place.
What a great atmosphere, interior, menu and a little something at the end.
They have a good menu and a wine list. Great food, that you can't refuse to take home in a pretty foil sculpture (I got a giraffe - love it;)). Good service, friendly staff.
I will be back.

p.s. They serve wine in the same glass as water, so if you ordered a white one - keep the glass away from the waiter that serves water. I got some water in my wine, but it was replaced promptly. :)

Pros: Food, atmophere

Cons: a little loud

Posted 08/17/07