Equinox Restaurant & Bar

We purchased a Groupon for this restaurant and knew it couldn't be applied to Happy Hour. No problem. However the evening of our dinner reservations, I thought it would be nice to have drinks at the bar during happy hour-which would be separate from using the Groupon. Any drinks we bought during happy hour would be paid for separately & in entirety before having dinner. \r \r My husband called to check what time happy hour was. The person who answered asked him if he had a Groupon. When she found out he would be using one for dinner, she informed him that diners using a Groupon could not have any of the happy hour sprecials/pricing. Even when it was explained that the Groupon would be used for dinner only as per the deal. The hostess/receptionist advised that did not matter, anyone using a Groupon is not eligible for happy hour. She said this policy came from the owner of the restaurant.\r \r Not believing this policy when my husband told me, I called Equinox as well & spoke w/the hostess/receptionist. I told her we had dinner reservations & would be using a Groupon, but would be coming in to have drinks during happy hour. She advised we would not be eligible for happy hour pricing because we had a Groupon. I clearly stated anything purchased during happy hour (&at happy hour pricing) would be paid for separately before dinner. She said we wouldn't be allowed to do that. I told her the policy wasn't fair & she said this was what the owner told her to advise diners with a Groupon. She also said we were not the only diners that felt this policy was wrong.\r \r I canceled our dinner reservations. I refuse to eat at a restaurant that discriminates against a customer (potential or returning) because a discount coupon is being used. Groupon tried to intercede on our behalf, but received no cooperation from the restaurant.\r \r The restaurant is getting away with enforcing this discriminatory practice. Hopefully enough of you who have experienced what we have will also write a review so the restaurant gets the negative feedback it should.\r more

Had a groupon & enjoyed dinner with a friend this past Friday evening. Decent selections of beer on tap & wines. We were seated immediately and the server came over immediately with water and took our beverage order. The very friendly server came back a few minutes later to take our food order, I had the prosciutto wrapped shrimp as an appetizer (yummy) & pork loin as an entree. My friend had a salad and gnocchio entree. Pork loin was excellent - thick & juicy. The seasoning was complimentary to the pork loin. My friend enjoyed her selections as well. The entrees arrived a few moments after we finished our appetizers / salads. Look forward to visiting during warmer climes to enjoy the outdoor seating. Ambience inside restaurant was real nice - not too bright...not too dark. Lively atmosphere with excellent & friendly service... Will definitely be back! more

Beautiful day, decided to try them for brunch. They had fair amount of business but lots of tables available and oit pretty much stayed that way. Service was fine to start, came immediately to take order, said she'd come back since we just sat down and hadn't even looked at the menu, brought water as requested and it went downhill from there. She finally returned and I ordered salmon hash no bell pepper. 35 minutes later, no food so we ask, she comes back says it's in line(?). I saw the cook say oops. Food comes, no apology for the wait, and the only good thing I can say is the eggs were poached nicely. There were, as requested no bells, BUT someone decided to add spinach without asking and I hate spinach. Would have sent it back if I thought I'd get food before dinnertime. The potatoes were stings not cubed, and I saw some pink flakes, but certainly not enough to taste salmon, and there was water at the bottom of the bowl from the eggs, the hollendaise tasted like mayo, huge disappointment. The breakfast sandwich came on a plate which wasn't necessary, the bread was so dry it subbed for the plate and the bacon was almost burnt it was so done and dry. Waitress never came back until delivering the check. We won't be back, there are too many good restaurants in town to deal with this. Pros: Patio Cons: Food, Service more

A good friend and I had the misfortune to pick Equinox for our brunch today.\r \r The food didn't arrive at our table for over a half hour! When we inquired as to whether our order had been forgotten, the waitress checked and told us, that our order was ""in line."" Hmmm... several others who had arrived and ordered after us were served first. So, one wonders which line? \r \r The waitress never apologized, nor did she or anyone else, offer us anything during the wait. In fact, we were soundly ignored... punished for asking? \r \r When the food arrived, in spite of the fact that I had asked for no potatoes, but a salad (I am a diabetic), I got potatoes. \r \r I had slurged and asked for an egg sandwich, but with only one slice of sourdough bread. It was burned. The eggs were unevenly done... over cooked in one place and not cooked enough in another. How in the world does anyone DO that? The pepper bacon, for which I was charged extra, was also burned. \r \r My friend ordered salmon hash with a Hollandaise. The Hollandaise tasted like mayo. There was hardly any salmon in the hash.\r \r When we paid the waitress, she wondered if we wanted change. Are you kidding me? We did leave a small tip, but only because the two of us had been waitresses in former lives and couldn't quite stiff her. But, my Bad Girl REALLY wanted to. \r \r A place to avoid. Pros: Can't think of a one! Cons: Service, Food more

My BF & I went there with some friends for lunch. We ordered waters to start off while we waited for folks to arrive...the water was luke warm, so it was obviously tap water, but come on, throw some ice in it! Okay, it's free, so I shouldn't complain...we moved on. I REALLY wanted a hot chocolate mocha with ghirardelli shaved chocolate since it SOUNDED amazing. For $5 I figured, ""why not?!"", I'll splurge a little. When i got it, i asked the waitress if she brought me the right drink b/c it had no shaved chocolate on top. She said they 'ran out of shaved chocolate'!! What restaurant runs out of food, especially stuff you can get at safeway?!! And then she couldn't tell me they ran out!? SHADY!! I tried it anyway & it tasted like burnt coffee! Yuck. I should've stuck with the warm water!\r \r Onto the food: My BF ordered steak & eggs & i got the hamburger & fries. We ordered our meat well done...well his steak was served medium-rare. And to top it off, his steak arrived cut into 1 inch strips!! Any COOK knows to never cut up a steak because it needs a rest period. He sent it back & the cook looked mad!! The cood didn't put it on the burner (i was watching) & he just kept it for a few mins & sent it back to us still undercooked! My burger was also medium rare, so i took out the meat & ate the bread. (at least that was good, probably b/c they didn't make it there) \r \r This place was HORRIBLE!! Oh and there were flies all over the place...if we weren't there with friends, we definitely would've left asap!\r \r I'd give this place a 0 if i could! Save your money & go to Ruth's Chris for a nice steak & there's tons of better burger joints...even McDonalds over this place! Cons: Food, service, small place more

My wife and I went on an all too-rare date last night and wanted to go somewhere we had never been, and more importantly, somewhere interesting. We dropped our son off at a babysitter in North Portland and decided to check out Mississippi. We had a drink at Miss Delta and then headed out to see what else was happening. We were considering Mississippi Station (we had been there before, and liked it) and the new Thai place but we wandered past both and eventually stumbled upon Equinox as we turned a corner. After a quick look at the menu, we decided to give it a try. The dining room is small but nicely arranged and the place felt comfortable and inviting. We started with drinks. I had the Heathen and my wife had the Sazerac- both were well made and satisfying. Appetizers: I ordered the French onion soup which I hadn't had in ages and was REALLY hoping would be good- it was sooo good! The broth was super rich and dark, and the bread and cheese were in perfect proportions. The bread retained its great, crusty texture and I enjoyed every bit of it. My wife had the Mushroom Wontons and this was the highlight of the meal. These were delightfully fluffy/ crispy and filled with gorgonzola cheese, herbs and who knows what else along with a dipping sauce (chile-lemon dip) that defies my powers of description...manna from heaven. We each had a salad and though I can't recall their names they were both nicely put together and provided a nice change of gears before moving on to the entree, which we shared. It was their Winter Pillow puff pastry stuffed with roasted portobellos, spinach, caramelized onions, mascarpone and rosemary, with sauvie island squash and roasted red pepper sauce. We approached it like a dessert and this was appropriate given how much there was to savor in each bite. Our waitress was attentive, efficient and friendly and the combination of her skills, the quality of the food and the general atmosphere of the place made for an exceptionally enjoyable evening. We will most certainly be back! Pros: incredibly delicious food and drinks Cons: not a one more

I'm surprised at the lack of taste in their risotto. I agree with the last reviewer, as it was very mushy, almost an oatmeal like feel and way too fishy (and I love salmon risotto). The ambience is nice and the drinks are good, but for food...I was unimpressed Pros: Cocktails were great, appetizers okay Cons: Food was so, so; Risotto was flavorless more

I'm not quite sure why Equinox is so well reviewed. My wife and I went based on reviews and many of you are so far off (though I notice a lot of complaints are about the seating) so maybe terrible food isn't noticed by the run-of-the-mill diner.\r My wife had the salmon risotto which was salty beyond belief and overcooked into mush. I had the Equinox burger which was served sans caramelized onions and the peppered bacon I requested (don't know how hard reading an order ticket is). Also, not quite sure why the restaurant can't seem to provide ice in the water.\r Beyond the horrible cooking, I lost count of how many flies there were flying over the seating, landing on my table and my clothes and buzzing around our plates.\r Basically, the restaurant is disgusting and the food is well below sub-par. Equinox will never see me again nor will I recommend it to anyone I know. more

Always, consistently a great breakfast. Best in the neighborhood. Gravy can be good, but spotty. Equinox is mellower, has a more varied menu. The staff are super friendly. Nice area outside to sit Pros: Great food, reasonable prices, great atmosphere more

While visiting Portland I checked out some of the restaurants close to me and this was one of the best. The food was great and the staff was so friendly and helpful! I can't wait to dine there again. more

Can't wait for summer so I can go back to their lovely patio. I've always had attentive, friendly service and delish food here. Pros: Example: best croissants in town Cons: What are the drawbacks? more

We had a great meal on their wonderful patio. The ambiance is great; the patio is nicely lit and has heaters to keep you warm. The food was excellent; highly recommend both the spicey pumpkin soup and the risotto. Also, ask the bartender to make you a coffee martini; it was her first try and it was the best I have ever had. Excellent service, including a recommendation for a great hike we took the next day. more

I went to dinner here last night after having appetizers on their patio last week. The appetizers were so good that I wanted to try the dinner menu. I'll start with the cocktails we had last week. I had a Basilberry which was a strawberry/basil based cocktail. It was OK, not too sweet but a little bland. We had the mushroom wonton appetizer and that was REALLY good. I returned last night and ordered the mushroom wonton appetizer again and it was even better this time around. I think last week we were served a portion that had been sitting under the heat lamps for a while. Last night's portion tasted and looked freshly prepared. The outer wonton was crunchy, the filling of mushrooms and other goodies was very tasty and the dipping sauce is fabulous. I ordered the Summer Pillow for dinner. It is a puff pastry square filled with vegies and other tasties. It was good but was floating in a sauce that was overwhelming. It was sort of a sweet, almost enchilada tasting sort of thing and was too much for the delicate pastry. That and the asparagus used for the filling was woody. I had the banana wontons for dessert and they were off the mark as well. The filling was supposed to be rum soaked bananas but it was bland and the dipping sauce was coconut milk straight out of a can with no flavor and no consistency. Thus it was difficult to get any on the wonton and keep it on the wonton, it just ran off. They are trying some really nice ideas but just missing the mark with the flavors and the consistency of the sauces, with the exception of the mushroom wonton appetizer which was off the hook. On the positive side, the patio was a delightful place to sit and eat, even on a cool evening and the staff and service were exceptional. It might deserve second chance as so many others have given it very positive reviews. Pros: Ambience, service, staff, outside patio, location Cons: mediocre food, uncomfortable patio chairs-need pillows! more

Equinox has fabulous and tasty dinners but I tend to go there for breakfast as it's close to home and makes a nice walk or bike ride. There breakfast menu is very reasonably priced, the food is not fancy but prepared very well. The service has always been quite good, and becaue Equinox is sort of large and around the corner from Mississippi, it seems like I never have to wait for a table. Nice!\r I've had several very impressive dinners there, too -- exotic, yummy and nicely spicy. Once had an amazing chocolate cayenne pot-de-creme. To die for!! Pros: Full and rich flavors, very good service more

When the sun finally comes out, Equinox is one of the first places I want to head. I was delighted to learn that one of our dinner 10 crowd has had never been and has chosen it for tonight. The food is cooked in the NW tradition. Prices are fair. But you can't beat the atmosphere of sitting on the patio drinking a glass of wine, laughing with friends. more

We were looking for a romantic place for our 27th anniversary, read the reviews and thought we would try it. It isn't that romantic but the food is fantastic. This is the first reasturant that we thought was as good as Higgins,downtown,but Equinox is in the area, hurray. The service was informative,attentive and friendly. One of the best things is the atmosphere. Being able to carry on a conversation without having to shout to be heard seems to be a unique find these days,we found it here. Everything we ordered was fantastic from the calmari to the beet salad to the steak with hollandaise. We went with the lemon chiffon cake recomended buy our server,who had asked the dessert chef, it was a perfect end to a wonderful meal.\r We are looking forward to warm weather and being able to eat outside. more

We have eaten here several times. Every time has been fantastic. The food is great and the atmosphere is fun. We have brought children here and then also had a romantic dinner without kids. We love the unique flavors, great value and friendly and helpful staff. Don't miss the yummy desserts and the great coffee drinks!\r \r The menu just changed for the season and it's all wonderful. Pros: great patio, great indoor atmosphere, friendly staff Cons: no cons! we love this place! more

Equinox is one of the best restaurants I have been to in Portland in a very long time. We had the ravioli with smoked mozzerella and the risotto, both of which were excellent. The raviolo sauce tasted homemade, with capers, the cheese was smoky and memorable. The risotto was richly flavored. Besides that, the drinks were good, patio is beautiful and the server was great. Worth every penny. more

I haven't been to this restaurant for dinner in quite awhile. A friend and I walked there last night around 8:30pm and everything was fabulous! I've had pork twice recently at other restaurants that was overdone and tough. My Pork Loin Lemon Cilantro dish last night was incredible - the watermelon cocktails were refreshing and fun - and the cheesecake was very unique and delicious. The best thing is, I now know I can bring my boyfriend on my next trip back because the draft beer list has such a range of choices from Walking Man, TG, Laurelwood and his new favorite, Hoegaarden. Prices were not unreasonable and the service was very prompt, friendly and offered us good advice regarding our choices.\r \r \r Pros: The Service, Food and Draft Beer Offerings Cons: Closed on Mondays more

When we first arrived we asked if we were allowed to have dogs on the patio. The waiter looked at our two dogs and said rather curtly, ""I will have to ask the owner, usually lap dogs are ok."" So we waited and the owner came out, she was supper friendly and explained as long as they stayed out of the landscape that it would be ok. This was the best part of our experience. As far as the food was concerned, the description that came to mind while sitting there after our meal was, ""glorified diner food for yuppies."" The menu made it sound as if we were going to receive this amazing innovative meal. But when it arrived and we tasted it my partner and I were both disappointed. Good service could have made us forget about our average tasting food but the service was more disappointing. Our meal was dropped off and we were never checked back on. We needed ketchup and salt and pepper and non of these things were offered. After we were finished eating we sat waiting for our check for twenty-five minutes before finally asking the hostess to track down our server. I would not recommend this place, as it is pricey and you do not get what you pay for. more