Three Doors Down Cafe

I have just discovered Three Doors Down and I think it is a great place to eat and drink. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly, the food is generous and filling and the drinks are strong and balanced. The Plum Tomato and Vodka sauce is one of those dishes you will crave after you try it, very unique. Nice servers and bartenders. Excellent seafood, try the scallops and the steamers. New Old Fashioned, best I've had. Love it, love it, love it!!!

Pros: Plum tomatoes with vodka and cream. Stiff drinks!

Cons: Closed Mondays

Posted 04/12/09

I have frequented 3DD since my husband and I moved to Portland in 2003. It just keeps getting better! I'm a creature of habit, so I typically enjoy their wonderful, spicy seafood fra diavlo (outrageous portions). I recently branched out and tried the pork tenderloin and couldn't believe that I wasn't ordering that for the past five years. I am never disappointed with what I get, and it's often more food than I can ever finish.

3DD recently started hosting happy hour in the later evening (8:30), and we have been stopping by more frequently since that started. They have fantastic menu items that remind me of food back home on the East Coast. So far, I have enjoyed Kathy's beautiful Stromboli, meatballs under a thick layer of fresh motzarella, delicious fingerling potatoes, and my personal favorite, a zuppa di mussels that calls to me on the nights I don't go in. They also have a cocktail menu for happy hour that does not disappoint. There is typically a specialty cocktail each night. All of their cocktails are made with super fresh ingredients (I have often been there while the bar staff juices fruit to keep up with the evening's demand). Nothing beats fresh ingredients in a cocktail. Nothing. The pours are generous and the bar staff is hands-down Portland's finest.

This restaurant is a neighborhood gem and is a class act all the way. It is our go-to restaurant to celebrate special occasions as well as the fact that, well, it's Wednesday. The atmosphere is dimly-lit, with lots of candles, quiet music, and a wait staff that truly helps you have a fantastic evening, whether you're in for a multi-course dinner or a quick bite during happy hour.

Pros: Ambience, staff, food, yummy cocktails

Cons: Parking (neighborhood streets are narrow, but worth fighting for a spot)

Posted 03/03/09

I have had this place in my restaurant rotation for years because it is so solid.
Food, service and atmosphere are always spot on. Matt (bartender) knows a lot about scotch.
It always feels like home.

Pros: Consistent, reasonably priced wine list

Posted 02/23/09

My date and I were both disappointed with this restaurant. Everything from the service to the quality of food was average and not what we both expected given the price of the meals. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a good meal at a good price.

Pros: Seated promptly

Cons: the taste and portion of food does not warrant the high prices

Posted 02/21/09

My wife and our friends went here last Saturday evening. I must agree with the other reviewers that the atmosphere was wonderful and the service was outstanding. The food was pretty good but far from the best in town. The prices and portions were not great compared to similar restaurants in town. You can definitely do better.

Pros: great service

Cons: High prices and small portions

Posted 01/04/09

I can't imagine anyone writing a negative review about this place! IT'S AMAZING! The food is consistantly delicious, the wine menu is fabulous, and the service is great! This is the place we go when we get a babysitter for our kids. (by the way... the first time we went we had 2 of our small well-behaved kids, and they were very accomodating, although this is not a place to bring kids)

Pros: great ambience, service, food, and wine

Cons: parking on hawthorne

Posted 12/27/08

The food quality is outstanding - fresh, tasty, flavorful, etc. The wine list long and very interesting - several good choices at the $20-$25 a bottle level. The place is comfortable but could be a little noisy. Finally, the service is professional and friendly. Bottom line: a perfect restaurant without the fake pretension and the higher than your wallet prices. Cheers! Only drawback is their "no reservations" system, so the wait for tables could be long on the weekends.

Pros: Quality of food, professional service, and wine selection.

Cons: Do not accept reservations

Posted 07/20/08

My husband and I went to 3doors down for Valentine's Day. We had a small wait before we were seated for our reservation. The host seemed a bit overwhelmed, but he remained friendly. Our server was excellent! He knew the menu very well and was confident in his recommendations, which I can always appreciate. The entrees were great. Their Tiramisu is one of the BEST I've ever had!!!!

Pros: food, service, TIRAMISU

Posted 05/28/08

The food is definitely good, and our server was top notch, but I found the bar waiting area very cramped with absolutely no room to move about, and since the restaurant is not really separated from the bar the whole place was extremely loud. I couldn't speak with our friends across the table without yelling, and I couldn't hear what they were saying. The parking is very limited because you're in a residential neighborhood and off of Division. Plan to spend some time looking for an open spot to park and if you're looking for a quiet romatic place, this isn't it.

Pros: Great food

Cons: parking, noise level, limited seating while waiting

Posted 05/28/08

I don't usually review restaurants but after having dinner at 3 Doors Down I felt compelled. I come from a family of chefs and grew up in NYC. I have my standards for what's good....
The service was excellent (Mara), the menu had something for everyone and the food was delicious (I had the Rigatoni in Vodka Cream Sauce with Italian sausage..... A bit spicy but very good). Great selection of wines! The atmosphere was romantic. We went for a birthday celebration and everyone raved. The place was packed! I highly recommend this restaurant.

Posted 03/22/08

Great Service, food and wine list....Get early or make reservations...Our server was very friendly and his suggestions were spot on. Their meatballs (made of veal, pork and beef) are to die for.

Pros: Food

Cons: Busy, if you consider that a con

Posted 11/01/07

I love this place. The service was Amazing, and the food tasty. W/O reservations our party of 4 was seated in 20 min. Our server suggested the perfect wine for our dining selections too! I will be back!

Pros: Service and Food

Cons: Parking

Posted 10/04/07

To the reviewer who thinks the east coast has the best food in the world please go back and enjoy your food. We don't need any more east coast snobby implants out here in the west. Take your polluted minds and your pretentious air back to skid row New or should I say Sewer Jersey and eat your "fresh" fish out of the Hudson river. Oh by the way the Italian food is good in Jersey when prepared by the Mofia..or maybe I'll let them read your review since New York's cuisine is far superior over Italy's or any other country in Europe.

Pros: On the west coast

Cons: some people from the east coast eat here

Posted 09/02/07

We grew up in Jersey. Some may consider that a negative... and you are right in many ways. But, the food in New Jersey and New York is the best in the world. Not opinion... fact. And there are not many places in Portland that can even compete with old world Italian cuisine... 3 Doors Down can and does.

They had a fantastic anti-pasta made not with the usual ham slice, peppers and olives... but with fantastic prosciutto, capicola and REAL mozzarella. The gnocchi with sausage was fantastic

3 Doors Down really deserves a night out.

Pros: Dishes, service, prices

Cons: Hard to find - off the beaten path.

Posted 07/29/07

This is our standby, great restaurant we go to when we want a fantastic meal. The service is always superb, the food is always super tasty, and I can always find a glass of wine that needs to be consumed.

Pros: Great food, generous portions

Cons: No reservations, parking

Posted 07/19/07

The small staff at 3 Doors Down clearly wants everyone to have a stellar experience. They turned a potentially negative situation into a positive. After delicious bread with their house white bean and rosemary spread, followed by an outstanding Caesar salad and a memorable spinach salad, my seafood fra diavolo was disappointing. The presentation was gorgeous - brimming with clams, mussels, scallops and shrimp, but unfortunately, there was an undeniably gritty texture. I'm sure this isn't the norm, but when serving clams night after night, this is bound to happen once in a great while. The accommodating wait staff could not have been more professional about this gaffe. While we dined on my date's tasty tuna puttanesca, the staff quickly prepared their other house specialty - the fantastic, famed, vodka penne with Italian sausage. The meal was topped off by the greatest piece of tiramisu I've ever consumed. Our server was prompt with clearing, checking in, making suggestions on both food and wine, as well as crumbing. An incredible value, Three Doors Down makes our 'short list.'

Posted 07/15/07

dMy wife and i found this place here and thought that this would be a nice place to have our annaversery dinner. We were the fist to arrive and got good service. I ordered the seafood special that the waitress reccomended and my wife ordered a past dish. The past dish reminded us of hamburger helper and would has been allot more appealing if it had not of come with frozen peas. My meal looked allot better, it had lots of seafood in a red spicy sauce. Every thing was great until about 9:00 that evening and then at 12:00 mid night it all came bck up. I have an iron stomach and have never had anything like this happen to me before. 06/06/2007

Ron

Posted 06/14/07

the food was sooooo mediocre! i don't get all the hype about this restaurant. if it was only my plate, i would let it go as being inconsistant, but so was my date's. they were so ununique that i didn't even remember what we had the next day. the service was great, though.

Pros: service

Cons: boring food

Posted 05/04/07

My husband and I had a great meal at 3 Doors Down! The food, service and atmosphere was awesome. Our waitress was great! We highly recommend this place for others to try.

Posted 03/16/07

Delicious food. Worth the visit. They don't take reservations, and it can be a little noisy at times. We didn't want to wait for a table, so we opted for the bar. The gnocchi is pure heaven. I didn't know pasta could taste like that.

Pros: Great food, good drinks, knowledgable service

Cons: Long waits, no reservations.

Posted 01/22/07

Delicious food, must try. Can't make reservations, but has a great little bar to have a pre-dinner cocktail or glass of wine while you wait.

Pros: great menu

Cons: no reservations

Posted 11/17/06

We've been here several times now since discovering it last year. The food has always been excellent, service is impeccable and the atmosphere is classy but comfortable. This is one of the few restaurants in PDX that I would recommend without hesitations to anyone. The mussels starter (from the bar menu) are always a good choice for an appetizer and a couple times they were transcendent. The pork chops is like nothing I've tasted before - very juicy and tender - think filet mignon but with more flavor. The pasta with spicy sausage is another great bet. The ingredients are always fresh and top quality. The service is attentive but not intrusive. They have a full bar and always have an interesting microbrew to try. The tiramisu is as good as I've had.

Pros: Food, service, ambiance

Cons: a bit pricey, but worth it

Posted 09/01/06

Took some friends there recently who had just returned from three weeks in Italy and they said this meal was better than all but one of their meals in Italy! We were so impressed with the food and the service and compared to other restaurants in this class, the prices are reasonable. We called at 5:30 and put our names on the list for later and waited maybe 10 minutes for a table when we got there at 7:00 which was fine. Our salads were lovely and the porkchops and vodka penne were amazing! Great seasonal cocktails too! All in all a great experience and we'll be back!

Pros: Food (Vodka Penne!), Service

Cons: No Reservations

Posted 08/21/06

The best thing about 3 doors down cafe, besides the consistently good food, the hum of diners packed in for a good meal any day of the week and the phenomenally priced and varied wine list is the service. These guys are pros. They are always on top of their game, friendly, approachable, knowledgeable and skilled. I have eaten many times at the neighborhood cafe and eventhough they don't know me by name someone always welcomes be back as if I'm family. They do get busy and the food takes time - the roasted chicken isn't pre-cooked, the sauces are all made to order and each dish is plated by one of two guys. Treat yourself to a great meal with awesome, unpretentious service and be sure to speak up if anything isn't to your liking. This house is flexible, professional and truely down home.

Pros: best wine list in town, knowledgeable staff, solid service and food

Cons: you're not the only one

Posted 08/15/06

I had heard so many great things about 3 Door Down that I selected the restaurant for our my office team outing. There were 8 of us. Our reservation was for 7pm on a Tuesday night. Our dinner was not served until 9:15pm. My water glass sat empty for 30 minutes. We had to ask the server multiple times to take our drink and dinner orders. The server acknowledged that it was taking a long time for us to get our meals. She said she would "take care of it". When we finally finished dinner, at 10pm, everyone declined desserts. However, the server brought 2 anyway. We were really trying to get home. Everyone was very disappointed, especially those who had been there before. If you are considering bringing 8 people or more to this restaurant, I would think again.

Pros: Great food!

Cons: Takes 2 hours to get it!

Posted 08/11/06

Had to pleasure to be taken here for my Birthday celebration with good friends. Had a great meal with dessert. Service was very attentive and we got all the bread we wanted. Seating was prompt. If I have a choice I'll go back here for another birthday celebration!!

Pros: Great food.

Cons: Parking scares. Did have to go around the corner.

Posted 07/11/06

We ate there last night (Wednesday) at a table in the bar. It was so noisy we coudn't hear ourselves think. I walked through the dining room on the way to the restroom and it was just as bad in there. It used to be a cozy restaurant before the remodel, but now it's noisy.

We had a crostini appetizer that was uninspiring and bland. This took 45 minutes to come out. Another 40 minutes later, our dinners finally arrived. I had the vodka pasta, which was excellent, but my companion had the diavolo pasta and it was spicier than he had ordered. It was also blazing hot temperature-wise, which made us suspect it had been under a heat lamp or microwaved while they prepared my dish. He had to wait a good 10 minutes for it to cool off enough to eat.

The worst part was the waiter came by and apologized about the wait and offered to refill my companion's wine while we waited. We took that to be an offer to comp the wine as a result of the long wait, but when the bill arrived, he'd charged us for the wine. We were not impressed.

Pros: food

Cons: ambience, wait for food

Posted 06/07/06

Had dinner here last night and man was that place busy. Wall to wall people, but the kind and attentive staff was right on it, everything. The food took a bit of time, but my dish (Vodka Pasta) was worth the wait. Overall, a great staff and great food and it is no wonder why this place was so crowded.

Posted 05/25/06

My husband and I took our parents to this place. The server was rude and irriated with us from the begining. She didn't like that my husband asked questions about the menu. (Go figure.) The people in our group outnumbered the peices of bread we received and after 1 1/2 hours, I received a bland plate of undercooked pasta. My second time eating there and I have NO desire to ever return. Average or below food with a snotty attitude. NO THANKS!

Pros: Nice cocktail server

Cons: Crowded, rude service, long wait

Posted 05/16/06

I have counted on this place numerous times for making myself look good when I need to entertain business guests! Penne Vodka is the #1 dish in Portland - if you disagree - then I feel bad for your taste buds...they are obviously disfunctional! (ask for scallops instead of sausages - they will do it for a few extra bucks and it is WORTH it!)

Pros: Food, Environment, People

Cons: Nothing, Nothing, Nothing

Posted 04/01/06

Although the food is excellent, this place does not live up to their word. My wife, 9 months pregnant, asked if we could go and I called ahead to see if the place was full since they don't reservations. They said it was dead and there would be no problem getting a seat. When we showed up 10 minutes later....there was a line out the door. What a scam. Again, why won't they take reservations since its so popular.

They did not honor their word; we no go back.

Pros: good food

Cons: snob service, do no honor word, sleezy

Posted 03/27/06

All I can say is, you know the food you dream about until you have it again? That's what I'm talkin' about!

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience

Cons: No reservations

Posted 03/04/06

This is the first review that I have written and I am way overdue. Friends, family, coworkers and clients of mine that have been to Thee Doors Down are always highly impressed with the food, wine and professional staff. I have been a steady customer as well as one of their many fans since they have opened.
Read through the many positive reviews and they will confirm my enthusiasm for this fine restaurant. The one "thumbs down" review was sad in that it was written by someone who has little knowledge in dining out and could write what they know about food on a matchbook cover. If they were disappointed, they should have notified their server and the whole issue would have been promptly rectified. There has been nothing short of praise for Three Doors Down from anyone I have sent or brought to this exceptional establishment.

Pros: Food choices, Wine selection, Service

Posted 02/26/06

I'm about to make my 4th trip Portland. And like every other time that I've visited the city, at least one dinner, if not two, will be at Three Doors Down Cafe. This is an upscale dining establishment, with its muted lighting, snowy white table cloths and waiters at the ready. From the bread and bean spread, through the appetizers and entrees, down to the dessert, I can truthfully say I've never put a morsel in my mouth that wasn't splendid. I know it's the attention paid to the food by the staff that makes it so delicious. Whether I had boudin blanc with proscuitto-wrapped asparagus or scallops with peaches for my appetizer, prosciutto-wrapped halibut or flank steak with roasted fingerling potatoes for an entree, I never ate any better food anywhere.

Pros: Menu Variety, Food Quality, Service

Posted 02/25/06

Hawthorne in general is NOT known for good food... and 3 Doors Down is NOT the exception. The waitstaff: competent BUT not friendly. Upscale decor BUT UPSCALE PRICES for the SALTIEST FOOD WE HAVE EVER HAD. One small piece of rustic bread (for 2) was brought out. We ordered: I had the Mussels and Clams in a white sauce, BUT all I could taste was the SODIUM. I had a whopping 3 glasses of water and my lips left feeling like they had gone through a bagfull of sunflower seeds! Maybe it was just my dish...BUT my husband's Chicken Parmesan with asparagus was SALT filled too! Unless you are a heavy chain smoker who has lost all sense of taste PLEASE save yourself some $$$. On the upside, they had nice heating and maybe not a bad place to get a drink (if you can find a spot)...

Pros: Good heating, Nice Bar, Fast service

Cons: Expensive!!!, Salty food, Odd staff

Posted 02/22/06

"Classic" neighborhood restaurant with inventive, delicious food at a reasonable price that is so rare (and wonderful) to find.

The meal:

Grilled pancetta wrapped radicchio with gorgonzola cream sauce with chopped walnuts. Superb!

Frisée salad with roasted golden beets. Excellent.

Clams & mussels pan sauteed with white wine, chili flake, basil & garlic & fettucine Simple, but perfectly executed.

Vodka sauce with sweet italian sausge tossed with penne & hard cheese. Sauce was very good; penne somewhat overcooked.

Banana cream pie. Very unusual and excellent.

2 glasses Alsatian Pinot Blanc and bottle 1999 Rioja riserva. Pot of mint tea.

Total tab for two (before tip): $107.00

Service was attentive and personable. Our waiter had excellent knowledge of the wines and used simple descriptive language to help make choices.

Can't wait to go back and see what other interesting food and wines they serve!

Posted 11/19/05

I can't stop thinking about how amazing the scallops are!! I heard they were great, but I had no idea. They are on the appetizer menu, and they come with a grilled peach and a creamy basil honey sauce. To die for!! But, the dish only comes with 2 scallops, so don't order it as your entree. I called in at 5:30pm and put our name on the waiting list for 7:30pm (on a Friday night). We arrived slightly late and were told our table had been let go. We waited only 15 minutes and were seated with no problem. The service was friendly and quick, and the food was incredible. I can't wait to go back.

Pros: scallops!!, wine, service

Cons: very loud

Posted 10/22/05

We heard the raves so we gave it a shot. We got there early on a Saturday night, around 5:30 pm and didn't want to be seated until around 6:30. Since they don't take reservations, they took our name and our cell number and said they'd call us. We roamed the neighborhood a bit, had a drink and then got their call at exactly 6:30. We came back, were seated immediately and had appetizers and drinks within 10 minutes. The dinner, the atmosphere and the service were perfect. We will gladly eat there again and again.

Posted 09/24/05

We ate 3 doors down pretty late on a Friday. Maybe 9 pm? We barely had to wait, and I can't say enough about the service. Every server that made eye contact offered their assistance. We actually had two people waiting on us once. I think they must train people to work the whole restaurant and not just their section. I was really impressed. The food was great too. I had the Penne Vodka and loved it. My husband tried the seafood linguine and didn't end up with any leftovers. The expansion of the restaurant has really helped open it up, it doesn't feel as crowded any more.

Pros: Service, Service, Service

Cons: Parking, Awkward waiting area

Posted 08/01/05

My husband took me here for the first time for our anniversary a few weeks ago and we decided to go on a Thursday night since word had it they were usually pretty busy and didn't take reservations. We were seated immediately and offered appetizers. The waiter was helpful in his suggestions but not pushy. He took care of us without being annoying. We each left with half our entrees in a box because we had the parmesan risotto-ham balls for an appetizer and tiramasu for dessert. I have yet to find better food anywhere. I had the vodka penne with Italian sausage and it was amazing! Just the right amount of spice. I was told it was their most popular dish - understandable! I highly recommend going when you aren't starved for immediate food and want to enjoy a leisurely evening among great food and wonderful service.

Pros: food, service, ambience

Cons: parking

Posted 06/20/05

I just happened upon citysearch reviews and am apalled by the people in this town who are aghast that places don't take reservations. It's RIDICULOUS that grown people complain about waiting..no not service or QUALITY of food but WAITING!!!!! You all should be so lucky as to live in a city with only a scant amount of people. If you lived in NYC you'd wait 60 minutes for your "reservation". Appreciate instead the fabulous local agricultural resources and access to sustainability OR move to NYC where they will take your preciouqus reservations!!!

Pros: quality of food, pace, service

Posted 03/03/05

You go to a fine food restaurant and expect to be able to drop in? Come on people, go to the olive garden if that's what you want, and expect the food to be awful. Come here for slow, good food. This is some of the best food in town with an extremly clean and ecclectic wine list to back it up. Are they busy? Yes, but the second time I went in they knew my name, not because I dropped big bucks, but because I took the time to eat, drink and enjoy myself without worrying about making the show downtown an hour after asking for a table. Everything about this place is top-notch.

Pros: Wine service, quality ingredients, smart staff

Posted 07/13/04

Been to three door's twice and both times were fabulous. The place is in a cool neighborhood , but the restaurant is small and very noisy{ That didn't bother me tho } The food is unbelievably good with absolutely huge portions. The service was friendly and very good. On my first visit they showered me with free appetizers - Roasted peppers and fennel. When I finished my meal I had to walk around the block twice because I was just stuffed! This place is also a square deal regards the price. The only downside is the place is super busy and if you are expecting a quite , romantic evening, go elsewhere!

Pros: great taste, huge portions, friendly staff

Cons: , very busy and crowded

Posted 06/20/04

Had dinner at 3DD last PM and as always, this place rocks. The cocktails were strong, the food was top notch and our server was great.

I have a couple of small complaints. 1. The policy of not taking reservations is becoming a tad too precious in PTown. Customer's time is valuable and we don't like taking an extra half hour out of our evenings because an establishment won't take reservations. Sadly, the trend is catching on elsewhere (it may be OK at the Olive Garden, but get real, we are dropping serious bucks here). 2. Courses come out very slowly. They are great, but it all conspires to make this a place to spend an entire evening, not a place to drop in on a whim. Too bad, I'd be there almost every night!
Overall we love the place, hope it stays for a long time.

Pros: Great Food, Great Servers, Nearby

Cons: , Slow Kitchen, but worhjt it!

Posted 05/05/04

The food was fantastic. We both loved the warm bean spread. Also the service was both timely and friendly.
We need a place like this in our Kentucky neighborhood.
Thanks, Mel and Pam.

Posted 04/08/04

On our most recent visit to 3 Doors Down my wife and I enjoyed a wonderful meal. The consistency of this restaurant compels us to return as much as we can, even for take out when time is tight.
My wife and I choose to spend our discretionary income here because of the quality of the food and its veteran service staff.
We hope to see this restaurant weather these difficult times. You have our support!

Pros: Big portions, take out available, nice wine list

Cons: Spaghetti and Meatballs are only available on Sundays

Posted 04/01/04