Republic Cafe: Portland's Chinatown

Everything about this restaurant is just horrid - the decor, the food, the smell, the restroom, the servers, etc. It's just horrible - there is no other way to describe it. more

rude service (if you get service), really awful food, and eating in a place that looks like it hasn't been cleaned since 1962, you will love this place. more

Really good food, fair pricing, but like most chinese restaurants kinda scared to look in the kitchen.... more

Really good food, fair pricing, but like most chinese restaurants kinda scared to look in the kitchen. Succulent fried rice, excellent sweet and s... more

ATMOSPHERE. Much like a Quentin Tarantino movie. There's not much left of China town and this place screams it. *They also have a full bar. more

We have been dining at the Rebublic Cafe for over 40 years. The fried shimp were excellent but the rest of the food was horrible. The Pork Chow Mein had no flavor what so ever. The ribs were tough and covered in a horrible dark brown almost black sauce. They used to melt in your mouth. Now you can even chew the meat. When we told the waiter that we didn't want the Chow Mein he stated he couldn't take it off the bill but they could cook us something else. We didn't even touch the large dish of Chow Mein nor did we take it with us. It's sad that this used to be a great restaurant. We won't be back. They also need to get a plummer the bathrooms need to be updated and repaired. Pros: Fried Shrimp Cons: Horrible Food more

I had lunch there today for first visit. Lunch specials are pretty cheap. Had hot tea and a bowl of soupto start. Their fried shrimp are very tasty. Tempura. Not greasy at all. The other two items might have been tasty also but they were covered with goo. That nasty sticky sweet gelatanous goo that you see in Chinese places. I can't dig it. Why cook good fresh incredients and then slop jelly over them? Next time I will ask for my egg foo yung plain..nekkid.....no goo.Two lunches with tip was $15. Fair deal. Pros: Fast and cheap Cons: nasty goop over everything more

We went inside the restaurant and the first thing we noticed was the smell of stale cigarettes. There were two families and we were seated quickly and served water promptly. The service was excellent. It was however very dirty where we were sitting. There dried up old food under our table and it honestly smelt musty in the room we were in. The food came fast and it was hot. The food was average. If you couple the the sticky table tops, dried old food under the table, and the smell of stale cigarettes with the extraordinary service and excellent return time from when we ordered and how soon we received our food we came up with a Below Average. Pros: Lots of hot food served fast Cons: Food is average and the smell of stale smoke takes away from your impression more

The 3 of us had never been here before last night and it was actually really fun. We enjoyed the ""seedy area"" because it was so eclectic. It was 11:30, but we felt safe and loved our seats by the window. During our time there, we saw many kinds of people pass by - truly fascinating! The service was SO SPEEDY! The food was good, although I found a hair in my dish. THAT was gross. And the bathrooms are in horrible disrepair. But at least they're clean. Overall, we had a good time there. I would recommend it for a late night adventure. Pros: Good value, fast service Cons: Not the cleanest place more

The staff was nice, but for only haveing a few other tables being occupied they were also very slow with drinks and bringing the bill when we were done. The food wasn't bad, but I can't recommend it for someone that is looking for a really great place to dine either.\r \r I would recommend this restaurant for anyone that is trying several different Chinese restaurants. Pros: Friendly staff Cons: Below average food, slow service more

I must have missed something. I passed this restaurant the other day and thought I had read excellent reviews here and decided to try it with a friend. It was wonderful. We had shrimp kung pao and general tso's chicken. The food was very fresh. The shrimp was huge and butterflied and plenty in the dish. The chicken was huge pieces of white meat lightly fried and served with a side of brocolli. I have tried many chineese places in Portland was most impressed with Republic Cafe. The service was good, not great but they were busy when I was there. Don't ever eat at the restaurants next door. They are truly disgusting and almost kept me from giving any restaurant in Chinatown another try. I'm so glad I did. I encourage people to try this restaurant--the other reviews are old. They also have a 88 score for health inspection now.\r \r I will be frequent patron to this restaurant. Pros: Fresh and Tasty food Cons: Atmosphere -- not great for a nice date or anything and service needs improvement more

You'll find better chinese food at COSTCO! That's if you can find the food which is hidden under 10W-40W oily, drippy, gelatinous gunk. It's disgusting! To make matters worse, you'll probably have to hunt your rude server down and beg for water. And before you leave, you'll need to get on your knees and beg for your change. Don't bother asking for the manager, the boy at the front will tell you the manager is ""gone"" and he's in charge..of the front! Don't waste your money or time. Pros: There's a way out Cons: Food, Service more

While it is a funky, cool, old fashioned place to have a drink, that is all it is. The Republic may be an institution, but the food is really marginal, at best. The chicken is stringy and the beef had fat on it. The shrimp was not fresh, though the sauce was good. Serive suffices, but, all in all, why waste your time in Chinatownm at this place when there are so many better places to go? Pros: atmosphere more

There's not much to say about this place except good food, strong drinks, reasonable prices, and friendly service! Give it a try! You'll be surprised. more

Tried this place for lunch based on recommendations here in CitySearch. There was only one other couple in the place for lunch, so quiet does describe the atmosphere. I ordered the lunch special and was able to choose two items for only $3.50, and so the price was right. The special included hot tea and soup. The hot and sour soup was a strange brownish color but it tasted good. My sweet & sour chicken was done in by way too much batter. The egg roll was also battered before being deep fried. I did not enjoy the food at all. The presentation was grim and the taste was not much better. The service was pleasant, though. Pros: Cheap, Good service, Not busy Cons: Over-battered food, Grim presentation, Sketchy area more

Good food and dimly lit! More than you can eat. Take home the leftovers for a couple more great meals. more

Republic Cafe is highly underrated or unnoticed?? The staff is really nice, the place is generally pretty quiet. The food is really good and cheap!!! It's my favorite place in Chinatown. Skip Hung Far Low, I'm unimpressed with the food there. Try Republic Cafe, you won't be sorry. They have especially good Szechuan, and Mongolian beef. more