It was a nice restaurant with good atmosphere. The staff themselves were the standout - they treated us really well and with kind attitudes. I went because I had heard they had lots of Gluten Free options, but would have liked to see more options than there were.
The Beet Rueben, The Walnut Chorizo Quesadilla, The Utopia Dream Salad, The Gilt smoothie, Garden Scramble…Love this place! And I feel safe coming here with my Celiac Disease which is huge.
Had a lovely dinner here with my girlfriend! The food was great and our server, Joe, was incredibly kind and welcoming. I also have celiac disease and he took excellent care to make sure my food was gluten free. Cannot recommend this spot enough!
I was in town visiting a friend who has a severe gluten allergy and I found Bamboo Sushi on the gluten free app. Looked into it and made a reservation. Informed the server of the allergy and she said there were only 2 items with gluten. One was the burger but could likely be substituted with lettuce instead of the bun and another was an option garnish. Even the tempura is gluten free which is very rare. We decided to get Wasabi Honey Chicken and Smashed Avocado crispy rice as an appetizer. The chicken was really good, had some heat/spiciness, but excellent flavor. The Smashed Avocado crispy rice was really good too but we both liked the chicken more. She got the Unicorn sushi and asked for eel sauce, and I went with the green machine which is vegetarian and asked for spicy aioli. We both really enjoyed the food and we ended with the Matcha panna Cotta. I'm not a fan of matcha so it wasn't for me, but she really enjoyed it. We enjoyed the food so much we came back 2 nights later with her Aunt and ordered chicken karaage for an appetizer (no picture). She got the garden of Eden Sushi and the Friday the 13th sushi and enjoyed both but I think she likes the Friday the 13th better. I got the chili garlic chicken with steamed rice which was very tasty. And her Aunt got the grilled octopus (no picture) and said it too was delicious. Highly recommend checking Bamboo Sushi out. It's a small restaurant and can be a little cramped but the food is delicious!
My first meal at Besaw's was in 1995 when it was located on NW 23rd, I remember vividly the excellent trout special I had for lunch that day, my first week of graduate school. Brunch was a semi-regular occurrence throughout the twenty-teens. We had not been back since the restaurant had closed due to the pandemic.
Perhaps we arrived on a "off day" because the food just wasn't up to the previously high standard we can to expect from Besaw's. My wife had the Crab cake eggs benedict but her potatoes were so overcooked they were inedible (see photos), thankfully the potatoes on my dish, the Eggs & Steak weren't as overdone. The steak was decent but not spectacular, having asked for it to be cooked medium but receiving a well cooked piece of meat. To the cook staff's defense it was a thin steak, so well done was inevitable unless closely timed.
Our side of bacon could have been more crispy as it was soggy. Perhaps the kitchen staff could swap positions for crispy bacon and well, but not overcooked potatoes.
My eldest daughter's Besaws Omelette was well prepared and her potatoes looked cooked properly. So we're not sure why there was such a difference.
We do miss the pre-pandemic gluten free options, especially the gluten free pancakes and French toast. We'd love to see those options make a return.
Sooo good! Loved everything we got, but the hummus was my fave. They do sauces really well here. They were able to accommodate celiac (gluten allergy) very easily which I really appreciated. For a tapas place I feel like the portions were really good.
They were able to get us a table in 15 minutes. The service was so friendly and helpful, especially on a busy Christmas weekend. Our food was amazing. My Croque Monsier (ham, gruyere, dijoninaise, grilled parmesan-crusted broche bread) was scrumptious. Our daughter, who is gluten-free, went with the Salmom Apple Salad (pan seared king salmon, mixed greens, gala apples, honey roasted pecans, fontina cheese, pomegranate, pumpkin seads, and apple maple vinegrette dressing) She said it was the best Salad she has ever had! My husband had the BBQ Brisket Sandwich (braised and smoked beef brisket, chipotle, clowslaw, grand central brioche bum, with fries) he ate the whole thing! It was delicious.
We shouldn't have, but we did have dessert. They shared the Cre'meux for two (flourless chocolate torte with toasted Italian meringue) and I had the Cherry Bomb ( chocolate cake, liquor soaked cherry center, chocolate glaze) with a cup of their home made Caramel ice cream. These were absolutely sinfully yummy! Definitely make a stop here. We will for sure!
The presentation of this food was visually stimulating for my eyes! The intense colors and delicious flavors and the egg in the middle was my favorite… plus the hand written instructions to “mix 😊” ! This was a perfect afternoon meal for me! The restaurant interior was clean, open and fresh, the music video selection is right on!! Thanks for being in Portland! Also I got gluten free option!
Solid, reliable food that you literally can't go wrong with. Always served with a smile and what I appreciate most, other than the whole ingredients, is the fact that it's truly priced fairly.
For those who are Gluten-Free, we love that Whole Bowl is fully gluten-free!
Bonus? The serve Nate's Oatmeal cookies which are the best (and also GF)! 🙌🏽
A tastefully decorated spot with clean Everything! 🤤 Fans that keep you cool despite the many bodies in the room. The friendiest most efficient staff! And the fooooooood!! Oh myyyy gooooooooood!!!! The best! And delicious for my vegan and gluten-free friends.
I took one star off atmosphere just because it is so busy it is hard to hear people if they aren't a loud talker. Staff is very good at being loud though.
Atmosphere was wonderful, and service was somehow better than that. Finding dining experiences with celiac is always difficult, but the staff were incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and dedicated to providing a wonderful experience. They have a huge variety of options that were completely gluten free, including appetizers, entres, and even desert! Wonderful dining experience overall, and appropriately priced.
MexicanDinnerOpen Late NightLunchDeliveryTake AwayPet FriendlyOutdoor SeatingBarRestaurant
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Amy Harries
I’ve been eating here for many years with celiac disease and never had an issue. They have everything labeled on their menu and the staff is very knowledgeable about celiac disease.
I live close by & have been coming here for many years & have always had great service & good food.
In the last 8 months, I have been managing life-threatening health issues & was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. The severity of my autoimmune disease now prevents me from eating at restaurants that are not dedicated gluten-free, but I missed this place so much since getting sick, I insisted that my friend who was visiting town meet me here for lunch today.
I came in with a salad I packed from home & some cookies from Trader Joe’s down the street, while my friend ordered two entrees (one for herself, & one to bring back to her husband). Because I love(d) this place so much, I wanted to be sure to personally support them just as I always had despite my new health limitations, so I ordered a large matcha & grabbed a bag of gluten-free chips as well.
When we came back to our table, there was a sign saying “Reserved” & we were asked not-so-courteously to move by the owner (?). The only available seats now were outside, so we grabbed all of our things & settled into a table out there. A few minutes later, the owner (?) came over to our table & asked that we move AGAIN because they needed to “leaf blow”. Then she asked about my “outside food” despite seeing that we were clearly paying patrons. Embarrassed, I tried to explain my condition to her but was not met with any empathy. She said she would offer to let us sit somewhere else but it was for hostel guests only. So we were practically kicked-out as there was nowhere else for us to sit. I have never had anything like this happen to me before, it was so awkward & unkind.
My friend was forced to box up her meal before she was finished & the bag of chips I bought from them turned out to be past their ‘best by’ date so I had to toss them!
What a bizarre experience. I will not be coming back, such a bummer.
Fast, friendly, gracious service, delicious noodles, clean kitchen. I went back for the pumpkin curry, which was also top-notch tasty. Spice level was exactly as requested. Vegan and gluten-free options available. Burmese music created pleasant atmosphere. Look for the Eater article to read about the food cart’s interesting origins. Village Kitchen is the real deal!
Food, service AMAZING. There is a wide variety of options to meet the needs of vegetarians, gluten free, and any dietary restriction you may have. The happy hour is the best in NW Portland. The staff are engaging, knowledgeable and the bartender has talent (Cocktail menu is perfect). Definitely recommend and will definitely be back.
Sat down at 10:15 for brunch and weren’t served until 11. There were only 4 tables of people in the whole restaurant. I asked to substitute potatoes for a waffle since I’m gluten free and they said yes for $8. The chicken and sauces were delicious but the service time was sorely lacking.
AMAZING Food and Service!
My company just had our Holiday Party here and they went above and beyond! Working with Jennifer and the rest of the staff was such a great experience. We had a few vegans and gluten free people at our event and they were so considerate when making food special for them. The staff was so attentive and made the evening go seamlessly. Everyone at my work is still raving about the food. I could go on and on about this place.
Highly recommend to anyone looking to host a gathering here or just enjoy delicious Japanese Food :)
Celiac friendly
