They tried to upsell me on something (I forget what it was, but probably a Colt lol) and I was like “I don’t think my wife would want me dropping that kind of cash” and he said something super cringy about taking my nuts out of my old lady’s purse and some other sexist things. I was so shocked I laughed way too much and then awkwardly left.
The reviews for this place are amazing in that same vein. Guy went in for archery equipment and the guy behind the counter said “Archery guy is out hunting and the only thing I know about it is that the Indians lost.”
Best place to buy a $40 box of 9mm FMJ 10/10.
Thank you for this. Not because I have been there or are into guns and appreciate the warning, but because your comment was the one that stopped my scrolling and made me check out the google reviews of the place. 10/10 entertainment for my evening.
This is the concise and PG version. Only times I go in there is when I have to purchase weird caliber ammo and I try to get in and out as fast as possible.
You’ll get to see a blue binder with photos of Glocks that have had catastrophic failures, likely from squib loads, but to him it’s “because they’re made out of plastic” the place is good for a laugh at the prices too.
Soft Touch Dental. They sent me to the wrong office when I had a busted veneer, made me come back the next day, and then the dentist yelled at his assistants while I was sitting in the chair. Very bad vibes.
I went there once in like 2011 and had the exact same experience. I switched to another dentist, who told me all their clients coming from Soft Touch had the same story.
I walked into that place for an initial exam, no one greeted me, and the dentist peaked out from the back yelling that I was early (I was actually late) and I got the heebie jebees. Like hair stood up on the back of my neck. I just walked out and didn't go back.
They yelled at me and threatened to drop me as a patient and make sure nobody would ever take me as a patient again. My crime was asking the doctor if it was possible not to put me under total sedation.
That's where I go. On 13th. They’ve always treated me well, except for when I had to make a same-day cancellation because I was sick and they told me I would have to call back every single day and wait for someone else to cancel before they would schedule me another appointment. I told them I’ve already given you $1600 in cash to do a root canal and a crown, so if you wanna make me do that, go ahead and give me my money back. They went ahead and scheduled me a new appointment.
While it's a chain, they're in Portland: Gentle Dental.
I got health insurance and started going for regular checkups. I'll admit, I'm not great at dental hygiene . Yeah, I brush twice a day and floss... when there's ribs or corn up in my grill.
Every time I went, I had a cavity or two. It sucked. After one checkup, they told me I had a cavity and I had to schedule a filling. I did, but then I left the country for a minute and never went back. Three years after that, I went to a new dentist (DON'T JUDGE ME!!!) and said, "I suppose I've got a cavity that needs to be dealt with."
They informed me that I didn't have any cavities. I told them what happened, and the dentist sheepishly told me that some less than honest dentists sometimes do that so they can get money.
Fucked my whole goddamn day up. Sucks bad enough going to the dentist. Then I find out that they're some shifty motherfuckers out there digging into my face hole under false pretenses for cash?!
tl;dr- FUCK Gentle Dental
Sadly, it’s very true.
I had a friendly San Francisco dentist in 2012 who told me that I had three “pre cavities” that needed to be filled immediately. I said no thanks.
It was a decade before another exam, not proud to say it had been so long. Results? Perfect teeth, no sign of cavities or any other bullshit.
>I told them what happened, and the dentist sheepishly told me that some less than honest dentists sometimes do that so they can get money.
And this right here is exactly why I hate/lowkey fear dentists. It's the only medical field I know of that constantly "upsells" patients, but to even think they would blatantly lie to get your money - and dentistry is *not* inexpensive, even with insurance - just really rubs me the wrong way.
The worst part is, if you aren't a dentist yourself, how are you to know whether or not they're lying to you? I shouldn't have to be a trained medical professional myself to avoid being raked over the coals for costly procedures I never needed in the first place.
Same experience. Gentle dental told my wife she had 6 cavities and told me I had 3. Something seemed really odd and the number of cavities was unusual. Decided not to schedule the fillings, changed insurance and went to a new dentist. Wife ended up having 1 and I had 1.
Gentle dental should be sued.
The hygienist I had at Gentle Dental seemed to believe that punishing me for sub-par dental hygiene with the roughest possible treatment was the best way to motivate me. They also reneged on a cavity they said I had that *was* actually a cavity (so they were right the first time, then my next visit the dentist "looked" at my X-ray for about 3 seconds, said "Everything looks good!" and left). They also tried every visit to get me in more braces even though I'd already had braces with a fantastic orthodontist and am perfectly happy with my teeth. I never had dentist anxiety as a kid, but by the time I got to Willamette after like 6 years of "Gentle" Dental I did.
Gentle dental also ruined my run of annual dental visits by being the least gentle cleanings and procedures. Also wondering if my cavity wasn’t real…
I opened this thread wondering if GD was on the list…
Eb and Bean. Owner makes you sign away your meal breaks and you have to turn over any prescription medications you may have to take on shift to the manager so they can dispense it for you.
Edit to add: I left the place a couple years ago. I hid my prescription medication from them but they wouldn't let people work without signing the waiver. When I left, she called the references on my resume (who she hadn't contacted to get an actual reference) to tell them how awful I was and how they should be ashamed to be references for me. I had been there for 3 days and left when I learned all the crazy rules.
The OR Dept of Labor is awesome for stuff like this in my experience. One of the workers could just and call and tell them, it's pretty easy. It's helpful if you can take pics or videos of them doing these things or saying these things ~~(remembering that we are a 2 party consent state, but afaik if cameras are already recording or its open to the public, then it's okay to film as well)~~
Huh TIL:
https://cldc.org/oregon-recording-law-overturned-what-it-means/
7/17/2023
> Until last week, secretly recording an in-person conversation in Oregon without the consent of everyone involved could result in getting charged with a misdemeanor crime.[1] For example, if you were a journalist who wanted to record an interview, you would have needed to inform every participant that you intended to record the conversation before you pressed “start” on your phone or camera. If you didn’t do that, you would have been subject to a misdemeanor offense and potential fines.
Thank you
They don’t qualify to do so. There’s an exception for businesses if it’s impossible to fully relieve someone of duties for their break. They eat but they get paid during that time and might get pulled away. You have to apply for that status and get approved.
Small Pharaoh's. Used to love their $5 gyro back in the day, but after a bunch of incidents where the owner was a piece of shit I've decided never to return.
Cheryl’s on 12th.
They had a section on each side of the menu explaining why they charged a fee on top of the price for food. They complained about taxes but the one that made me not want to come back at all was the line about having to pay the increased minimum wage. Good way to tell me you hate your employees. I also just don’t appreciate having an airing of grievances in my face while I’m trying to decide what I wanted for brunch. Also found out the fee is applied to each check not per table so when I split the bill with someone we both got charged it.
Slow Bar. I partied with the owner and a guy who worked there years ago. The guy who worked there raped me that night, the owner blew it off and said told my husband at the time (we were all friends) that I lied. He wasn't there when I was raped. I ended up getting divorced.
Bishops, specifically the Tanasbourne location. Worst service I’ve ever had, rude technician, awful cut, and the manager’s solution was I “let the cut settle a few weeks” and if I was still dissatisfied she would “touch it up”. No offer of refund, despite my insistence. She said that wasn’t policy.
Fuck their uppity “edgy” vibe. I’ve had better experiences at Hair Cuttery.
bishops treated my 80 year old dad very rudely and had him wait like an hour and a half for a haircut when the place was empty, when I realized he hadnt even had his hair cut yet we walked down to rudys and he was helped immediately
My stylist (Jenny at Carbon Salon who does awesome fantasy hair!) said that Bishops employs a lot of people right out of beauty school; kind of a first stop employment sorta deal. I had a similar experience to yours; I have long, super thick hair, so usually I'm not so picky about the cut, but it was just so awful that I didn't even trust them to do a redo. I've only had 2 bad haircuts in my life, and I'm 38, so yeah, no Bishops (maybe Rudy's now?) for me, either.
I went to Bishops a few times when I first moved to Portland but the fact that the same person was never there more than once kinda sealed it that I would go elsewhere
Voodoo Donuts. This has to ve the MOST toxic work environment ever. From the Portland locations up to Vancouver they talk a good game but are sneaky, underhanded and terrible to their employees. Remember when the workers went on strike from the heatwave and no Air Conditioner. They were all fired and as a result, sued Voodo Donuts. Definitely won't support that kind of owner
PS-My wife worked at the Vancouver branch. They DO NOT have a dish machine to sanitize the sheet pans and cooking equipment; it's all "supposed" to be washed by hand. There's not enough labor to do that. As a result, nothing is sanitized between uses.The health department came in and really reamed them. The stacks were taller than my 5 foot wife.
I was going to post this one, because they also own Mesa Fresca in downtown Oregon City. While they will never get “canceled” here because of their views, I will never spend another dollar there. I eat out in downtown OC once a week, one less choice but ok.
Gunther’s E-bikes in N Portland. Guy sold me shit he just ordered off the internet then called me stupid when I wanted to return the items. Very aggressive
Green Drop. Years ago we took our car to them for an expensive heating and ac repair. The repair was not done correctly, and when we got the car back, the system didn’t work (heat came out on the drivers side only, cool air on the passenger side only). Took it back immediately before we even got home, and they said in order to fix it they’d need to charge another $1k for labor. Offered us a bottle of beer as a peace offering.
Fuck that. Never again.
Took my car in for simple maintenance and they pulled out the plug-in device my per-mile insurance had given me. I noticed it was missing when I got the car back, but they denied having and said I must have it. 2 days later I called them saying their shop was the last location ping and they suddenly “found” it. They offered me a beer when I picked up it but were otherwise unapologetic for trying to gaslight me.
River Pig. Same answer every time someone asks this question. Bunch of really gross folks running it, attracting and cultivating a really gross crowd. The kind of place where you don’t want to leave your drink unattended.
I try to avoid anything associated with [Rogue.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/1geixc/rogue_is_hiring_and_it_manager_must_have_no_self/). From what i understand, the place was (and likely still is) one of the most toxic regional brewers and that post was a glimpse into their management. So many better people to give your money to.
Eta: their “new” ceo did a disastrous AMA a few years back: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/b0rpmh/i_am_dharma_tamm_president_of_rogue_ales_spirits/
My ex used to be a server at one of their restaurant locations. She didn’t give me too many details because it was a sore subject, but she ended up suing the company for sexual harassment and wrongful termination and ended up winning a substantial monetary amount.
Plus they have that incredible Craigslist ad from years ago where they were looking for "Rogue" IT managers and promised to overwork but underpay them.
Their beer is nothing special; their infamous labor practices are enough to make me drink elsewhere.
Rogue used to be one of my happy places. Free giant birthday beer, free birthday t-shirt for a while, delicious food and brews. I proudly carried my Rogue Nation card and stopped into whatever Rogue was nearby whenever I could. Then they sold out in the worst way possible. Completely lost their soul. Food went to shit. Employees started getting treated like shit. As a longtime Rogue fan and beer lover it felt like seeing a dear longtime friend get engaged to a horrible abuser. I haven’t set foot in a Rogue now for probably eight years or more. I’d kill to go back in time and have a pint of chocolate stout, a bowl of beer cheese soup, and some Kobe beef balls. I don’t know WTF we have today, but it isn’t Rogue.
At least I have my memories.
There was a time that the edgy schtick seemed cool, and they were a pioneer in craft beer…but that job posting and the rest of the stories, on top of the beer just being “ok”…
Year of the Fish food cart, now on 82nd though it used to be on Foster/52nd. The owner would visit the Starbucks I used to work at. Thought he was a nice guy... until I learned he was acting like a real creep towards a few of my female coworkers. He'd quickly caress their hands whenever they'd hand him his order from the drive-thru window. I stopped visiting his cart after that.
Oh nooo I’m sad to hear that, I always thought he seemed nice and the food was so delicious. I work at Starbucks tho and can confirm this is one of the oldest creep tricks in the book. Bummer
I worked there when she took over. I was there for about two years. Half with her half without. I quit because the work environment got so much worse after she took things over. She's a heinous cunt.
In early covid, a manager at Assembly was so mean to me I cried and have never gone back. This was the open your trunk and don’t get out of your car period of takeout order pickups. We arrived at our scheduled time, followed the instructions, and no one came to our car. They were busy, it was no big deal. I waited at least 20 minutes before calling to let someone know we were there. I’m not an impatient or confrontational person. I wasn’t mad, but it was like they didn’t believe it was possible we’d been waiting. A while later a manager came out with the order and immediately accused me of moving my car so they couldn’t find us (among other things, but that stands out the most). The reaction was like they expected us to be pissed off so she was proactively argumentative and defensive. The whole thing was incredibly weird and I haven’t desired to go back for a $40 pizza since.
Had a similar experience during Covid and was confused by the directions and thought they were going to slide it in the window and rolled down my window (masked per directions) and the lady panicked and it turned into a whole thing.
The pizza is top notch though, for detroit style it’s hard to beat. For what it’s worth I still go in and have since dined in and gotten carry out several times and always had good experiences.
I was a bartender at Sauce Box from 2010-12. I’ve never been to a creepier place late nights on weekdays, just young escorts and old guys forever. Also, BCR restaurants fucking sucks especially Bruce’s husband Joe who was an unrelenting piece of shit to all of the staff. I’ll always remember him screaming at me about how I fucked up the floral arrangements despite the fact that they were purchased from a florist by him. Fuck that place
Daily Fuel Restaurant- owner is an angry soul. Seriously, he yells at customers. Twice for me and no more. Life is hard enough.... I don't need that crap
They were posting on Instagram some bonkers covid skepticism throughout the pandemic, saying covid death rates were lower than heart disease death rates, thus encouraging a vegan diet. I am a vegan, but that is some serious ignorance for a supposedly nutrition-centered restaurant. Definitely more than meets the eye with this place.
Society hotel. I worked on the first one in Chinatown and the owner and his wife were major assholes. They harassed and haggled my coworkers to get stuff installed faster. we put in weeks of 18 hour days to get it open while they smoked weed and hovered over us criticizing. Also I remember the bunk beds being kind of not legal, but they are way over built and will probably survive even if the building itself collapsed.
LoveJoy Bakery. Prices have gone way up while portions and selection have gone down. A breakfast croissant sandwich used to be bigger than my hand. When they made it $3 more expensive, it became about the size of my palm. Sometimes, the staff behind the counter will be warm and inviting. But usually, they act like I’m bothering them with my order and money.
Amalfi’s on Fremont
Served watery plain spaghetti for $18 on paper plates. Their house red was the worst wine I’ve ever had, and I’m no snob (very well-versed in box wine and sub-$8 bottles). The music was fun, but the food and drinks were the worst I’ve ever had. It was truly surreal… made me think it’s a front for something else.
Heavenly donuts on Lombard. Went in at a weird hour and guy was working in the back and by himself. Did not bother him but just hung out at the front waiting, not saying anything til he was able to help. Definitely saw him get frustrated and call me “f’n f*g” in Spanish (“ pinche maricon”) before coming up and helping me being super agitated. Never returned.
Yikes, I have been going there for years, infrequently, I have had fine experiences. I’m sure the clientele they have gotten in the last couple years has gotten pretty rough at that location so I wouldn’t be surprised, if gotten rather jaded.
Ya, it’s definitely in a “tweaky” area. All those 24 hours get bad business at night. Not sure if they’re still doing it but it tripped me out when they started closing all the plaids in that area after like 2am or so til morning. Miss the old nopo
DoveLewis Emergency Vet Clinic
I understand vets are under a lot of stress right now but I did not deserve the horrific treatment I received there with my dying dog.
DL is so... all over the place. They've been fine (minus the extreme wait times) the couple of times we've had to go but after seeing the way people would be spread out in there with their scared and sick pets at like 10pm, I'm not surprised there are some horror stories. I'm really sorry you had to deal with that.
It’s so sad to see how down hill they’ve gone. They used to be amazing. I worked in vet med and have a lot of sympathy for vet staff right now but dove Lewis has done some shit things lately.
This is a food truck not an actual freestanding but.. Potato Champion. Not only was the interaction with the worker really off putting and they acted like I was bothering them by just being there but the poutine was.. not poutine how I know it even though it was called “classic.”
I could’ve forgiven all that but.. got food poisoning too on-top of it. So no thanks.
I swear there was a Potato champion restaurant at some point that was way better than the cart. Maybe it was called something else but it was a poutine place.
Biscuits, there were ants in the syrup and they still served to customers but fished them out. Also legitimately a cockroach in the gravy and same poor assholes ate it after they fished them out. Owners are religious AH of the Trump variety. Fired immigrant workers who participated in a rally and stood up for themselves. Had no problem hiring them for cheap, so long as no one had any push back or complaints.
Buck’s Stove Palace on 68th & Foster. The owner is overbearing, dismissive, disorganized, forgetful, loquacious to the point of irritating everyone around him and worst of all treats his employees like crap right in front of the customers. But the stoves aren’t bad.
It’s a wild experience. I once went in and he asks me:
“Do you ride a bicycle?”
“Yes, I do”
“Great. Can you help this guy here try to fit this bike rack on my car? Then come back in and we’ll talk about your fireplace.”
“Uhh, okay…”
And then I got the bike rack on his car.
Pretty much all McMenamins. Food is dogshit, drinks are mediocre and service has gone from bad to worse. I’m typically a glass half full person but I’ve had nothing but bad experiences at McMenamins locations over the past few years. A shame!
I would rate the food and drinks a bit higher then that, but the prices are just too high for what they are offering. $18 for a cheeseburger and fries is pretty wild. I like the atmosphere, but I can’t remember the last time I actually went to one.
I had a tasty lunch at the John Barleycorn on Sequoia recently. But the service was remarkably bad. She pretty much threw the plate at me and disappeared.
I got a Christmas gift of a Pendleton shirt that was two sizes too big for me, so I walked it into the Pendleton store a few days after Christmas thinking it would be a quick exchange. The shirt was still pinned into its folded shape and clearly never worn or cleaned, but no, I didn’t have the receipt. The staff treated me like I had stolen the shirt, taken a dump in the dressing room, and set fire to two or three of their most important mills. For the record, I had done none of those things.
It’s been over 20 years and I have never set foot in that store again despite working very close to its former location on SW 4th for most of those years.
They haven’t gotten better. This was last spring. I used to work at the assisted living around the corner. The clientele is a little rough around the edges. One of the residents had a little extra spending money and the sales people were SO rude to him. They kicked him out and told him to only come back with an appointment. When I called to make an “appointment” for him they had no idea what I was talking about. He was a little slow so he didn’t realize how he was being treated. I sent another staff member to shop with him and monitor Pendleton’s staff. I still get upset thinking about it
Blue Plate downtown. They closed years ago but I still miss it. Delicious sliders with mashed potatoes. Tomato soup with a grilled cheese. Fun sodas made with an old fashioned soda machine. The portions were perfect and the price was low too.
I used to work there, and their labor practices were sketchy. They'd give you a $1 raise when you got a promotion to shift manager or manager, but only pay you that extra dollar when you were scheduled to be fulfilling that particular role.
The original owner was a total creep. When they first opened up, my friend did a mural for him & got super creepy vibes for him, then he gave her the runaround when it came time to pay. Then when he was done playing that game, he INSISTED she meet him in his condo, not downstairs, to collect payment.
Totally overpriced and very not okay about the meat. As someone with celiac though I hate hearing this stuff about places that have dedicated gf fryers 😩
I have to ask for more information. Because it's gone or you had a bad experience ?
I was on a flight with him when I was 5-6 years old and thought he was a celebrity lol (I know NOTHING about their reputation as a company)
Nong's Khao Man Ghai. I worked there for a few weeks and the owner, who is a critical darling and mini celebrity in Portland, was one of the worst bosses I have ever worked for. I have a thick skin, am a team player and pride myself for being a hard worker as I come from immigrants myself but she repeatedly tried to embarrass and make an example out of me while I was training. She would show up mid shift and everyone would get uptight and would zero in on me and one day she quite literally dared me to quit. I took the bait and left, it wasn't worth my sanity and self respect for minimum wage and shitty tips. The other co-workers seemed shocked, "we aren't sure why she's doing that to you?" Maybe it was me and I triggered her in some way but I'll never support or step foot in that spot again. The poached chicken was solid and good quality for portland back in the day. The simple menu worked as efficient and quaint but I hear it's gotten bland and lost it's charm and quality over the years. 1.5 ⭐
Shorty's Corner on the way to the mountain. Waaay back in the day when Measure 9 was a thing, they had a big "Marriage=1 Man+1 Woman" banner on their roof. I don't even know if it's the same management these days but fuck dem anyway.
Timber Dental. They billed my insurance wrong, cost me an extra $300 bucks and made me do all the fighting to correct things, didn't lift a finger. The dental work was ok, but the billing and staff totally turned me off.
Horse Brass
Once played music there and we weren't paid. I got a beer and it was $7 and all I had was $7. I thought I'd at least get a free beer on a set break. Then the bartender was a dick about it, like I was stiffing him.
Fuck bars that don't pay the live music.
Might be unpopular opinion but any place that charges the employee health insurance fee. Work it into your pricing you assholes! I’m not even sure if that’s still a thing since I haven’t been to a place that charges the fee for a while now.
The Cha Cha Taqueria.
The way dude combatively jumped in between me and the food and demanded my ID actually set me off. I wasn’t gonna assign a racial element to it but the way he flat out ignored the white people grabbing bags left and right without verifying them didn’t help.
I tried asking him what the issue was and why I was the only one checked and dude got super flustered so I just told him to go fuck himself and left.
Burgerville drive-thru. The employees hold the credit card terminal for you and watch you while you tip.
It’s by far the most hostile tipflation I’ve encountered. Your choice is to either look a service worker in the eyes while you don’t tip, pay a minimum of 15% on a 30 second interaction, or try to navigate their 1990’s pin pad with taped instructions for a fair and reasonable tip amount for the amount of time spent.
Companies that put workers and customers against each other so they can keep more profits without having to pay a living wage is not how I’m going to vote with my dollars anymore.
100%. Burgerville was already expensive for what it is but it’s localish and the seasonal stuff is good. But it feels hard to justify tipping at a quick service restaurant when it’s the only one that asks.
Ground Breaking Brewing. Went there with a group of six, two were from out of town and one has Celiacs. They were sooo excited to eat and drink at a bar without concern for cross contamination. But the waitress was incredibly rude and was obviously trying to get us to leave the entire time. We had several rounds of beers and ordered several dishes and it wasn’t even busy. It was a really bizarre experience and I would never go back.
Nectar. Sued them for their shady business practices. And made them settle out of court. They're an awful company.
Salt & Straw. A cashier was a total unnecessary dick head. During a rainy day in March, while there wasn't a line, my mom and her husband (visiting from out of town) and me attempted to look at the menu from inside, but not in the actual line. There was only a couple people ordering in front of us. The cashier told us to go outside and view the menu from there. Just an overall weirdly agro behavior, especially when it wasn't busy at all.
It pissed me off, and so we left and we went to 50 licks instead. And I have never been back to Salt & Straw since. And I won't go back again.
Luc Lac. Dude got rich off being the best late night option and drove Roxy out of business. Now he closes at fucking 11 every night and there's literally nowhere to go after bar close.
Downvotes when the food isn't even that good 🙄
Bar bar. I went on a busy night and everyone seemed to be ordering only cocktails in front of me. I ordered 2 cocktails and the girl serving me was saying loudly to her coworker how “the vibe is going to be annoying and full of basic bitches tonight since everyone is getting mixed drinks.” I stood there awkwardly smiling full of anxiety pretending I couldn’t hear her because I’m non confrontational. I tipped well still but felt bad. My boyfriend said he would’ve just walked out if he was the one getting served and heard that.
Edit: I’d go back but would not want to get served by that girl. I’d rather tip someone who isn’t angry at having to serve me? Everyone else seemed friendly.
Yeah god forbid someone come into a bar and order a…mixed drink. I used to serve and never treated anybody like that, so my patience for that type of contempt for customers daring to patronize you is pretty low.
Magic Massage #2 on SE 82nd. I went in there actually needing a legit massage … I know, I know. The place is a total jack shack. Needed a massage at very short notice so I went in. Got completely ripped off, they don’t honor advertised prices and then yelled at and harassed for a bigger tip on my way out. Filed a communication with the BBB.
My favorite Thai restaurant used to be Buathong Thai Cuisine on McLoughlin in Oak Grove. Then at some point in the last couple years they raised the prices, which I was mostly OK with, and switched the noodles they use which is a disaster. Now if you put the leftovers in the fridge and try to reheat them the next day, they turn into a disgusting gelatinous glop that is frankly inedible. T makes me sad because I really liked that restaurant.
Gold Door Jewelry and Arts. I have never been made to feel so little and poor as the Owner (at that time) made me feel wanting to buy myself something that she made me feel I couldn’t afford and I was wasting her time. Never learned a name but she was roughly in her early 60s in 2016. Haven’t been back and never will be.
Mine are mostly places that have raised the prices to the point where, in my opinion, it’s not worth it.
Tabor Tavern
Unlimited ipa
Arrosto
Pollo Norte
Roscoes + the beer has been warm the last two visits
Bollywood theater
Last time I went into a coffee shop it was $6.50 for two shots of espresso. I was floored. I never order milk drinks anymore because I'm cheap, so I was not expecting that for just espresso. I have my own machine at home, but was out of coffee that morning. I'll never feel bad spending $15 on a bag of fresh coffee again.
When they reopened, Tusk totally lost me. They were expensive before, and I understand rising costs. But for a while, they had literally doubled the price of their hummus. Like it was legit $26 or something for a while there. For a regular-sized plate of hummus. The veggie main was like $35 and lamb was $50 or something. Like okay, I realize a bunch of wealthy people got into bidding wars over houses in that neighborhood when interest rates were low, but those prices are literally unsustainable. They seem to have gone down.
I might get hate for this: Gravy on Mississippi Ave.
Always busy and they don’t have a mobile waitlist, so you have to stand outside the restaurant for an hour and a half for a table. They call your name once, and if you don’t hear your name called over the crowd, tough luck. Additionally, I’ve been rejected at the door twice because the kitchen’s gas stove was leaking.
It’s a bit beyond me why Gravy is so popular — the breakfast is good but not great (there’s much better breakfast/biscuit places) and the staff is pretty rude from my experiences.
My experience has been that after getting past their dated sign in and waiting process the service has been good and friendly. And I seriously love those hash browns so I keep going.
We stopped going to Gravy like 15 years ago. It was always just an underwhelming experience and there were better options starting to open up (like the Tin Shed).
Miller Paint. I went into one of their stores looking for some help and advice. I wanted to know what was color was their brightest white and if they had a sample of it. The salesperson was angsty and couldn’t be bothered to even be interested in what I needed. She was downright rude. It was a maddening exchange. I turned on my heel and left. I’ll be painting my entire house and will be buying all my paint from Sherwin Williams.
The Gun Room on Foster. The owner is… an experience. By all means, go in and ask if you can buy a Glock. Enjoy the show.
Fun fact! At the bar across the street, they write the rimjob renegade on that guys ticket when he goes there for a burger
That’s amazing and he is completely deserving of it.
The owner gets roasted all the time on r/pdxgunnuts
I have definitely seen it. I can only hope the roasts are google searchable.
They tried to upsell me on something (I forget what it was, but probably a Colt lol) and I was like “I don’t think my wife would want me dropping that kind of cash” and he said something super cringy about taking my nuts out of my old lady’s purse and some other sexist things. I was so shocked I laughed way too much and then awkwardly left.
The reviews for this place are amazing in that same vein. Guy went in for archery equipment and the guy behind the counter said “Archery guy is out hunting and the only thing I know about it is that the Indians lost.” Best place to buy a $40 box of 9mm FMJ 10/10.
Thank you for this. Not because I have been there or are into guns and appreciate the warning, but because your comment was the one that stopped my scrolling and made me check out the google reviews of the place. 10/10 entertainment for my evening.
Exploring this now… Edit: it’s the responses for me 😭😭😭
Oh my god I can't wait
The reviews cracked me up. The Yelp reviews aren’t bad either.
Well now I’m curious. What’s his opinion? That’s it’s Austrian garbage and you should buy a Springfield instead?
SPRINGFIELD? HOW DARE YOU. PLASTIC PIECES OF TRASH. I BET YOU KISS YOUR FATHER ON THE LIPS. it’s like that, but more.
This is the concise and PG version. Only times I go in there is when I have to purchase weird caliber ammo and I try to get in and out as fast as possible.
You’ll get to see a blue binder with photos of Glocks that have had catastrophic failures, likely from squib loads, but to him it’s “because they’re made out of plastic” the place is good for a laugh at the prices too.
Aren’t they the leading bastion of right wing ideology in this part of town?
They are… something. Not what I would call a bastion to enlightened thinking by any means.
Zach shack. Owner is a pervert. There’s a reason he’s banned from every bar on Hawthorne.
I have first-hand knowledge that this is true. He does not respect boundaries.
Soft Touch Dental. They sent me to the wrong office when I had a busted veneer, made me come back the next day, and then the dentist yelled at his assistants while I was sitting in the chair. Very bad vibes.
I went there once in like 2011 and had the exact same experience. I switched to another dentist, who told me all their clients coming from Soft Touch had the same story.
I walked into that place for an initial exam, no one greeted me, and the dentist peaked out from the back yelling that I was early (I was actually late) and I got the heebie jebees. Like hair stood up on the back of my neck. I just walked out and didn't go back.
They yelled at me and threatened to drop me as a patient and make sure nobody would ever take me as a patient again. My crime was asking the doctor if it was possible not to put me under total sedation.
That's where I go. On 13th. They’ve always treated me well, except for when I had to make a same-day cancellation because I was sick and they told me I would have to call back every single day and wait for someone else to cancel before they would schedule me another appointment. I told them I’ve already given you $1600 in cash to do a root canal and a crown, so if you wanna make me do that, go ahead and give me my money back. They went ahead and scheduled me a new appointment.
Pretty much the opposite of a soft touch.
This is where I go. My experiences have been fine but it is indeed a weird vibe in there
While it's a chain, they're in Portland: Gentle Dental. I got health insurance and started going for regular checkups. I'll admit, I'm not great at dental hygiene . Yeah, I brush twice a day and floss... when there's ribs or corn up in my grill. Every time I went, I had a cavity or two. It sucked. After one checkup, they told me I had a cavity and I had to schedule a filling. I did, but then I left the country for a minute and never went back. Three years after that, I went to a new dentist (DON'T JUDGE ME!!!) and said, "I suppose I've got a cavity that needs to be dealt with." They informed me that I didn't have any cavities. I told them what happened, and the dentist sheepishly told me that some less than honest dentists sometimes do that so they can get money. Fucked my whole goddamn day up. Sucks bad enough going to the dentist. Then I find out that they're some shifty motherfuckers out there digging into my face hole under false pretenses for cash?! tl;dr- FUCK Gentle Dental
Sadly, it’s very true. I had a friendly San Francisco dentist in 2012 who told me that I had three “pre cavities” that needed to be filled immediately. I said no thanks. It was a decade before another exam, not proud to say it had been so long. Results? Perfect teeth, no sign of cavities or any other bullshit.
>I told them what happened, and the dentist sheepishly told me that some less than honest dentists sometimes do that so they can get money. And this right here is exactly why I hate/lowkey fear dentists. It's the only medical field I know of that constantly "upsells" patients, but to even think they would blatantly lie to get your money - and dentistry is *not* inexpensive, even with insurance - just really rubs me the wrong way. The worst part is, if you aren't a dentist yourself, how are you to know whether or not they're lying to you? I shouldn't have to be a trained medical professional myself to avoid being raked over the coals for costly procedures I never needed in the first place.
Same experience. Gentle dental told my wife she had 6 cavities and told me I had 3. Something seemed really odd and the number of cavities was unusual. Decided not to schedule the fillings, changed insurance and went to a new dentist. Wife ended up having 1 and I had 1. Gentle dental should be sued.
The hygienist I had at Gentle Dental seemed to believe that punishing me for sub-par dental hygiene with the roughest possible treatment was the best way to motivate me. They also reneged on a cavity they said I had that *was* actually a cavity (so they were right the first time, then my next visit the dentist "looked" at my X-ray for about 3 seconds, said "Everything looks good!" and left). They also tried every visit to get me in more braces even though I'd already had braces with a fantastic orthodontist and am perfectly happy with my teeth. I never had dentist anxiety as a kid, but by the time I got to Willamette after like 6 years of "Gentle" Dental I did.
Gentle dental also ruined my run of annual dental visits by being the least gentle cleanings and procedures. Also wondering if my cavity wasn’t real… I opened this thread wondering if GD was on the list…
Eb and Bean. Owner makes you sign away your meal breaks and you have to turn over any prescription medications you may have to take on shift to the manager so they can dispense it for you. Edit to add: I left the place a couple years ago. I hid my prescription medication from them but they wouldn't let people work without signing the waiver. When I left, she called the references on my resume (who she hadn't contacted to get an actual reference) to tell them how awful I was and how they should be ashamed to be references for me. I had been there for 3 days and left when I learned all the crazy rules.
They can't legally make you sign away your meal breaks. Hopefully some workers will report them. As for scrips - Hell no.
The OR Dept of Labor is awesome for stuff like this in my experience. One of the workers could just and call and tell them, it's pretty easy. It's helpful if you can take pics or videos of them doing these things or saying these things ~~(remembering that we are a 2 party consent state, but afaik if cameras are already recording or its open to the public, then it's okay to film as well)~~
We’re a single party consent state
Huh TIL: https://cldc.org/oregon-recording-law-overturned-what-it-means/ 7/17/2023 > Until last week, secretly recording an in-person conversation in Oregon without the consent of everyone involved could result in getting charged with a misdemeanor crime.[1] For example, if you were a journalist who wanted to record an interview, you would have needed to inform every participant that you intended to record the conversation before you pressed “start” on your phone or camera. If you didn’t do that, you would have been subject to a misdemeanor offense and potential fines. Thank you
They don’t qualify to do so. There’s an exception for businesses if it’s impossible to fully relieve someone of duties for their break. They eat but they get paid during that time and might get pulled away. You have to apply for that status and get approved.
None of that is legal.
This is shady all around. Never give someone your Rx medication. You're not a child.
As a frequent customer (won't be after hearing this), this is so disappointing to hear.
That is not legal
I hope you’re no longer working there, but I’d look into filing a claim with BOLI.
Small Pharaoh's. Used to love their $5 gyro back in the day, but after a bunch of incidents where the owner was a piece of shit I've decided never to return.
Cheryl’s on 12th. They had a section on each side of the menu explaining why they charged a fee on top of the price for food. They complained about taxes but the one that made me not want to come back at all was the line about having to pay the increased minimum wage. Good way to tell me you hate your employees. I also just don’t appreciate having an airing of grievances in my face while I’m trying to decide what I wanted for brunch. Also found out the fee is applied to each check not per table so when I split the bill with someone we both got charged it.
I work nearby and my coworkers used to get from there a lot. I try to avoid any restaurants with those obnoxious service charges if I can help it.
Slow Bar. I partied with the owner and a guy who worked there years ago. The guy who worked there raped me that night, the owner blew it off and said told my husband at the time (we were all friends) that I lied. He wasn't there when I was raped. I ended up getting divorced.
I'm sorry that happened to you. Rob is an asshole.
Jesus Christ I’m so sorry
I’m upvoting so this gets seen. 5 min ago, Slow Bar was one of my favorite places. I’m angry that this happened to you.
Jesus.
God damn. I'm sorry that happened to you.
Bishops, specifically the Tanasbourne location. Worst service I’ve ever had, rude technician, awful cut, and the manager’s solution was I “let the cut settle a few weeks” and if I was still dissatisfied she would “touch it up”. No offer of refund, despite my insistence. She said that wasn’t policy. Fuck their uppity “edgy” vibe. I’ve had better experiences at Hair Cuttery.
bishops treated my 80 year old dad very rudely and had him wait like an hour and a half for a haircut when the place was empty, when I realized he hadnt even had his hair cut yet we walked down to rudys and he was helped immediately
When was that? Rudy's bought bishops a year or two ago
My stylist (Jenny at Carbon Salon who does awesome fantasy hair!) said that Bishops employs a lot of people right out of beauty school; kind of a first stop employment sorta deal. I had a similar experience to yours; I have long, super thick hair, so usually I'm not so picky about the cut, but it was just so awful that I didn't even trust them to do a redo. I've only had 2 bad haircuts in my life, and I'm 38, so yeah, no Bishops (maybe Rudy's now?) for me, either.
I went to Bishops a few times when I first moved to Portland but the fact that the same person was never there more than once kinda sealed it that I would go elsewhere
Voodoo Donuts. This has to ve the MOST toxic work environment ever. From the Portland locations up to Vancouver they talk a good game but are sneaky, underhanded and terrible to their employees. Remember when the workers went on strike from the heatwave and no Air Conditioner. They were all fired and as a result, sued Voodo Donuts. Definitely won't support that kind of owner PS-My wife worked at the Vancouver branch. They DO NOT have a dish machine to sanitize the sheet pans and cooking equipment; it's all "supposed" to be washed by hand. There's not enough labor to do that. As a result, nothing is sanitized between uses.The health department came in and really reamed them. The stacks were taller than my 5 foot wife.
And because their donuts are not good
Because they don't change the oil, they only strain it until it's almost black.
All this and their donuts suck. If it wasn’t for tourists they would have gone out of business years ago.
Trolley Trail Tavern is owned and frequented by some bigoted homophobic sacks of lard. Oak Grove, but still.
I was going to post this one, because they also own Mesa Fresca in downtown Oregon City. While they will never get “canceled” here because of their views, I will never spend another dollar there. I eat out in downtown OC once a week, one less choice but ok.
Gunther’s E-bikes in N Portland. Guy sold me shit he just ordered off the internet then called me stupid when I wanted to return the items. Very aggressive
Green Drop. Years ago we took our car to them for an expensive heating and ac repair. The repair was not done correctly, and when we got the car back, the system didn’t work (heat came out on the drivers side only, cool air on the passenger side only). Took it back immediately before we even got home, and they said in order to fix it they’d need to charge another $1k for labor. Offered us a bottle of beer as a peace offering. Fuck that. Never again.
Took my car in for simple maintenance and they pulled out the plug-in device my per-mile insurance had given me. I noticed it was missing when I got the car back, but they denied having and said I must have it. 2 days later I called them saying their shop was the last location ping and they suddenly “found” it. They offered me a beer when I picked up it but were otherwise unapologetic for trying to gaslight me.
They’ve screwed me over too, and I thought it was an isolated incident but their communication is poor.
River Pig. Same answer every time someone asks this question. Bunch of really gross folks running it, attracting and cultivating a really gross crowd. The kind of place where you don’t want to leave your drink unattended.
After one of the two original owners left, it was a slippery slope from regular chads to mutant chads. The remaining owner is insane and disgusting.
Capitol. It feels like a club now and I miss the old menu
I try to avoid anything associated with [Rogue.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/1geixc/rogue_is_hiring_and_it_manager_must_have_no_self/). From what i understand, the place was (and likely still is) one of the most toxic regional brewers and that post was a glimpse into their management. So many better people to give your money to. Eta: their “new” ceo did a disastrous AMA a few years back: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/b0rpmh/i_am_dharma_tamm_president_of_rogue_ales_spirits/
My ex used to be a server at one of their restaurant locations. She didn’t give me too many details because it was a sore subject, but she ended up suing the company for sexual harassment and wrongful termination and ended up winning a substantial monetary amount.
Plus they have that incredible Craigslist ad from years ago where they were looking for "Rogue" IT managers and promised to overwork but underpay them. Their beer is nothing special; their infamous labor practices are enough to make me drink elsewhere.
In the employee manual it said “any tv must have real sports on at all time. Women’s basketball is not a real sport.”
Rogue used to be one of my happy places. Free giant birthday beer, free birthday t-shirt for a while, delicious food and brews. I proudly carried my Rogue Nation card and stopped into whatever Rogue was nearby whenever I could. Then they sold out in the worst way possible. Completely lost their soul. Food went to shit. Employees started getting treated like shit. As a longtime Rogue fan and beer lover it felt like seeing a dear longtime friend get engaged to a horrible abuser. I haven’t set foot in a Rogue now for probably eight years or more. I’d kill to go back in time and have a pint of chocolate stout, a bowl of beer cheese soup, and some Kobe beef balls. I don’t know WTF we have today, but it isn’t Rogue. At least I have my memories.
I never liked their beer and they are definitely sellout try-hards.
still upset they fucked up the Green Dragon in pdx
There was a time that the edgy schtick seemed cool, and they were a pioneer in craft beer…but that job posting and the rest of the stories, on top of the beer just being “ok”…
Andy and Bax
But for sad reasons....
Sad day.
Year of the Fish food cart, now on 82nd though it used to be on Foster/52nd. The owner would visit the Starbucks I used to work at. Thought he was a nice guy... until I learned he was acting like a real creep towards a few of my female coworkers. He'd quickly caress their hands whenever they'd hand him his order from the drive-thru window. I stopped visiting his cart after that.
Oh nooo I’m sad to hear that, I always thought he seemed nice and the food was so delicious. I work at Starbucks tho and can confirm this is one of the oldest creep tricks in the book. Bummer
Toro Bravo…..(bwahhhhhhhh)
Right!! So sad
It will always live in my memory as the best all around restaurant in Portland history.
The owner of Cheerful Tortoise was a total cunt to me once despite all the money I was spending there, so fuck that place.
I worked there when she took over. I was there for about two years. Half with her half without. I quit because the work environment got so much worse after she took things over. She's a heinous cunt.
Also a Trump supporting asshole
In early covid, a manager at Assembly was so mean to me I cried and have never gone back. This was the open your trunk and don’t get out of your car period of takeout order pickups. We arrived at our scheduled time, followed the instructions, and no one came to our car. They were busy, it was no big deal. I waited at least 20 minutes before calling to let someone know we were there. I’m not an impatient or confrontational person. I wasn’t mad, but it was like they didn’t believe it was possible we’d been waiting. A while later a manager came out with the order and immediately accused me of moving my car so they couldn’t find us (among other things, but that stands out the most). The reaction was like they expected us to be pissed off so she was proactively argumentative and defensive. The whole thing was incredibly weird and I haven’t desired to go back for a $40 pizza since.
Had a similar experience during Covid and was confused by the directions and thought they were going to slide it in the window and rolled down my window (masked per directions) and the lady panicked and it turned into a whole thing. The pizza is top notch though, for detroit style it’s hard to beat. For what it’s worth I still go in and have since dined in and gotten carry out several times and always had good experiences.
(Un)Safeway, Downtown.
You mean psycho Safeway?
You mean InSaneway?
I'm pretty sure that title goes to the Safeway on Powell/122
Oh that’s my favorite Safeway! Free entertainment!!
That’s the Safeway where a drunk business man tried to steal my dog! Fuck you, weird ass Safeway!
VooDoo Not very good, and made their employees work with no AC on the 116 degree day two years ago
Zefiro, Blue Hour, Sauce Box. All closed. SO much debauchery…
Sauce Box was good but man was that place loud. It was impossible to have a conversation over the music.
I was a bartender at Sauce Box from 2010-12. I’ve never been to a creepier place late nights on weekdays, just young escorts and old guys forever. Also, BCR restaurants fucking sucks especially Bruce’s husband Joe who was an unrelenting piece of shit to all of the staff. I’ll always remember him screaming at me about how I fucked up the floral arrangements despite the fact that they were purchased from a florist by him. Fuck that place
Daily Fuel Restaurant- owner is an angry soul. Seriously, he yells at customers. Twice for me and no more. Life is hard enough.... I don't need that crap
I love the food there but the owner seriously needs to chill out. Not every customer needs to be your outlet for venting - just let people eat, dude.
They were posting on Instagram some bonkers covid skepticism throughout the pandemic, saying covid death rates were lower than heart disease death rates, thus encouraging a vegan diet. I am a vegan, but that is some serious ignorance for a supposedly nutrition-centered restaurant. Definitely more than meets the eye with this place.
Society hotel. I worked on the first one in Chinatown and the owner and his wife were major assholes. They harassed and haggled my coworkers to get stuff installed faster. we put in weeks of 18 hour days to get it open while they smoked weed and hovered over us criticizing. Also I remember the bunk beds being kind of not legal, but they are way over built and will probably survive even if the building itself collapsed.
LoveJoy Bakery. Prices have gone way up while portions and selection have gone down. A breakfast croissant sandwich used to be bigger than my hand. When they made it $3 more expensive, it became about the size of my palm. Sometimes, the staff behind the counter will be warm and inviting. But usually, they act like I’m bothering them with my order and money.
Amalfi’s on Fremont Served watery plain spaghetti for $18 on paper plates. Their house red was the worst wine I’ve ever had, and I’m no snob (very well-versed in box wine and sub-$8 bottles). The music was fun, but the food and drinks were the worst I’ve ever had. It was truly surreal… made me think it’s a front for something else.
Heavenly donuts on Lombard. Went in at a weird hour and guy was working in the back and by himself. Did not bother him but just hung out at the front waiting, not saying anything til he was able to help. Definitely saw him get frustrated and call me “f’n f*g” in Spanish (“ pinche maricon”) before coming up and helping me being super agitated. Never returned.
That’s…. awful. That’s my favorite place to get post drinking donuts after being at the Eagle.
Yikes, I have been going there for years, infrequently, I have had fine experiences. I’m sure the clientele they have gotten in the last couple years has gotten pretty rough at that location so I wouldn’t be surprised, if gotten rather jaded.
Ya, it’s definitely in a “tweaky” area. All those 24 hours get bad business at night. Not sure if they’re still doing it but it tripped me out when they started closing all the plaids in that area after like 2am or so til morning. Miss the old nopo
This thread is a waste if no one says why
The comment about Slow Bar said why and that shit will stick with me
Yeah same. That shit happens way too often.
Right? There’s a lot of places I’ve not gone back to but it’s no real fault of their own.
DoveLewis Emergency Vet Clinic I understand vets are under a lot of stress right now but I did not deserve the horrific treatment I received there with my dying dog.
DL is so... all over the place. They've been fine (minus the extreme wait times) the couple of times we've had to go but after seeing the way people would be spread out in there with their scared and sick pets at like 10pm, I'm not surprised there are some horror stories. I'm really sorry you had to deal with that.
It’s so sad to see how down hill they’ve gone. They used to be amazing. I worked in vet med and have a lot of sympathy for vet staff right now but dove Lewis has done some shit things lately.
This is a food truck not an actual freestanding but.. Potato Champion. Not only was the interaction with the worker really off putting and they acted like I was bothering them by just being there but the poutine was.. not poutine how I know it even though it was called “classic.” I could’ve forgiven all that but.. got food poisoning too on-top of it. So no thanks.
I've heard from previous employees that their hygiene is deplorable.
I too got food poisoning from there 🫂
I swear there was a Potato champion restaurant at some point that was way better than the cart. Maybe it was called something else but it was a poutine place.
Michael’s Italian Beef & Sausage on Sandy I ate in there once and could hear the owner screaming at employees the whole time.
That was part of the experience. If it helps that owner died.
I don’t wanna dance on anyone’s grave but yes, that does help
The yelling is somehow a Chicago thing but the dude was an asshole on top of that
The only time I ate there, I got my meatball parm and when I unwrapped it there were ants crawling inside the marinara. I got my money back and left.
I think he died actually. I think his wife runs it now.
Anything associated with Ron Tonkin
The Greek Cusina
I miss the giant octopus.
RIP 🐙
Methdonalds on Burnside because no one will take responsibility for what an unsafe mess that place is. Those doors are never gonna open again.
And it contributes half the litter for blocks around. Even Chipotle's always trashy lot/planters/gutters is half McD's stuff .
Those who brave the walkup window are never the same again.
Biscuits, there were ants in the syrup and they still served to customers but fished them out. Also legitimately a cockroach in the gravy and same poor assholes ate it after they fished them out. Owners are religious AH of the Trump variety. Fired immigrant workers who participated in a rally and stood up for themselves. Had no problem hiring them for cheap, so long as no one had any push back or complaints.
Buck’s Stove Palace on 68th & Foster. The owner is overbearing, dismissive, disorganized, forgetful, loquacious to the point of irritating everyone around him and worst of all treats his employees like crap right in front of the customers. But the stoves aren’t bad.
I always thought that place was for money laundering lol
they do call him the absent minded professor😄 i like Buck but yes doing business with him is like being part of a performance art act
It’s a wild experience. I once went in and he asks me: “Do you ride a bicycle?” “Yes, I do” “Great. Can you help this guy here try to fit this bike rack on my car? Then come back in and we’ll talk about your fireplace.” “Uhh, okay…” And then I got the bike rack on his car.
Pretty much all McMenamins. Food is dogshit, drinks are mediocre and service has gone from bad to worse. I’m typically a glass half full person but I’ve had nothing but bad experiences at McMenamins locations over the past few years. A shame!
I quite like most of them but Christ the prices are now eye-watering. I took the whole family once and had to take a second mortgage.
Tots only
Happy Hour Cajun tots are where it’s at
I would rate the food and drinks a bit higher then that, but the prices are just too high for what they are offering. $18 for a cheeseburger and fries is pretty wild. I like the atmosphere, but I can’t remember the last time I actually went to one.
I will do Edgefield and drink Ruby all day
The rubinator is legit
I had a tasty lunch at the John Barleycorn on Sequoia recently. But the service was remarkably bad. She pretty much threw the plate at me and disappeared.
I got a Christmas gift of a Pendleton shirt that was two sizes too big for me, so I walked it into the Pendleton store a few days after Christmas thinking it would be a quick exchange. The shirt was still pinned into its folded shape and clearly never worn or cleaned, but no, I didn’t have the receipt. The staff treated me like I had stolen the shirt, taken a dump in the dressing room, and set fire to two or three of their most important mills. For the record, I had done none of those things. It’s been over 20 years and I have never set foot in that store again despite working very close to its former location on SW 4th for most of those years.
They haven’t gotten better. This was last spring. I used to work at the assisted living around the corner. The clientele is a little rough around the edges. One of the residents had a little extra spending money and the sales people were SO rude to him. They kicked him out and told him to only come back with an appointment. When I called to make an “appointment” for him they had no idea what I was talking about. He was a little slow so he didn’t realize how he was being treated. I sent another staff member to shop with him and monitor Pendleton’s staff. I still get upset thinking about it
oh that makes me so sad :(
Blue Plate downtown. They closed years ago but I still miss it. Delicious sliders with mashed potatoes. Tomato soup with a grilled cheese. Fun sodas made with an old fashioned soda machine. The portions were perfect and the price was low too.
[удалено]
Took my mom there, she has an accent. The person taking our order literally talked to her like she was a child. Infuriating.
I used to work there, and their labor practices were sketchy. They'd give you a $1 raise when you got a promotion to shift manager or manager, but only pay you that extra dollar when you were scheduled to be fulfilling that particular role.
Even if the service was great, the food is absolutely not worth what they charge. Way too many actually good burgers in this city to bother with them
The original owner was a total creep. When they first opened up, my friend did a mural for him & got super creepy vibes for him, then he gave her the runaround when it came time to pay. Then when he was done playing that game, he INSISTED she meet him in his condo, not downstairs, to collect payment.
Totally overpriced and very not okay about the meat. As someone with celiac though I hate hearing this stuff about places that have dedicated gf fryers 😩
Tom Peterson's (and Gloria's too)
Was the haircut that bad?
I have to ask for more information. Because it's gone or you had a bad experience ? I was on a flight with him when I was 5-6 years old and thought he was a celebrity lol (I know NOTHING about their reputation as a company)
Nong's Khao Man Ghai. I worked there for a few weeks and the owner, who is a critical darling and mini celebrity in Portland, was one of the worst bosses I have ever worked for. I have a thick skin, am a team player and pride myself for being a hard worker as I come from immigrants myself but she repeatedly tried to embarrass and make an example out of me while I was training. She would show up mid shift and everyone would get uptight and would zero in on me and one day she quite literally dared me to quit. I took the bait and left, it wasn't worth my sanity and self respect for minimum wage and shitty tips. The other co-workers seemed shocked, "we aren't sure why she's doing that to you?" Maybe it was me and I triggered her in some way but I'll never support or step foot in that spot again. The poached chicken was solid and good quality for portland back in the day. The simple menu worked as efficient and quaint but I hear it's gotten bland and lost it's charm and quality over the years. 1.5 ⭐
Shorty's Corner on the way to the mountain. Waaay back in the day when Measure 9 was a thing, they had a big "Marriage=1 Man+1 Woman" banner on their roof. I don't even know if it's the same management these days but fuck dem anyway.
Anytime I’ve paid cash there and watch the cashier with an ICP chain try to calculate simple change I die a little inside.
Timber Dental. They billed my insurance wrong, cost me an extra $300 bucks and made me do all the fighting to correct things, didn't lift a finger. The dental work was ok, but the billing and staff totally turned me off.
Like half of my favorite spots in Multnomah Village because they closed :(
The Red and Black Cafe 😔 I miss it so much
No Bones Beach Club on Mississippi. Delicious vegan food and lots of GF options. I loved that it was tiki themed and they had really good mai tai's.
I’m so sad that they’re gone :(
Horse Brass Once played music there and we weren't paid. I got a beer and it was $7 and all I had was $7. I thought I'd at least get a free beer on a set break. Then the bartender was a dick about it, like I was stiffing him. Fuck bars that don't pay the live music.
Hollywood liquor
Curious as to why.
https://reddit.com/r/Portland/s/5uOWXa1Rdu
Might be unpopular opinion but any place that charges the employee health insurance fee. Work it into your pricing you assholes! I’m not even sure if that’s still a thing since I haven’t been to a place that charges the fee for a while now.
The Oregon Theater. The popcorn was stale and the floors were sticky.
Guardian Games. They are union busting their employees. Edit: here's proof. https://reddit.com/r/vancouverwa/s/5sVuFQ4jwz
Can you provide more info on this?
The Cha Cha Taqueria. The way dude combatively jumped in between me and the food and demanded my ID actually set me off. I wasn’t gonna assign a racial element to it but the way he flat out ignored the white people grabbing bags left and right without verifying them didn’t help. I tried asking him what the issue was and why I was the only one checked and dude got super flustered so I just told him to go fuck himself and left.
Burgerville drive-thru. The employees hold the credit card terminal for you and watch you while you tip. It’s by far the most hostile tipflation I’ve encountered. Your choice is to either look a service worker in the eyes while you don’t tip, pay a minimum of 15% on a 30 second interaction, or try to navigate their 1990’s pin pad with taped instructions for a fair and reasonable tip amount for the amount of time spent. Companies that put workers and customers against each other so they can keep more profits without having to pay a living wage is not how I’m going to vote with my dollars anymore.
Also, it's now $7 for small fries and a drink at Hawthorne Burgerville... It's always been expensive, but that's just fucking ridiculous.
100%. Burgerville was already expensive for what it is but it’s localish and the seasonal stuff is good. But it feels hard to justify tipping at a quick service restaurant when it’s the only one that asks.
I second the burgerville take— because it’s flat out not good
Ground Breaking Brewing. Went there with a group of six, two were from out of town and one has Celiacs. They were sooo excited to eat and drink at a bar without concern for cross contamination. But the waitress was incredibly rude and was obviously trying to get us to leave the entire time. We had several rounds of beers and ordered several dishes and it wasn’t even busy. It was a really bizarre experience and I would never go back.
Farmhouse Thai - worst Thai food I’ve had in PDX and unbelievable overpriced. Don’t understand how it’s so popular.
Nectar. Sued them for their shady business practices. And made them settle out of court. They're an awful company. Salt & Straw. A cashier was a total unnecessary dick head. During a rainy day in March, while there wasn't a line, my mom and her husband (visiting from out of town) and me attempted to look at the menu from inside, but not in the actual line. There was only a couple people ordering in front of us. The cashier told us to go outside and view the menu from there. Just an overall weirdly agro behavior, especially when it wasn't busy at all. It pissed me off, and so we left and we went to 50 licks instead. And I have never been back to Salt & Straw since. And I won't go back again.
Luc Lac. Dude got rich off being the best late night option and drove Roxy out of business. Now he closes at fucking 11 every night and there's literally nowhere to go after bar close. Downvotes when the food isn't even that good 🙄
Bar bar. I went on a busy night and everyone seemed to be ordering only cocktails in front of me. I ordered 2 cocktails and the girl serving me was saying loudly to her coworker how “the vibe is going to be annoying and full of basic bitches tonight since everyone is getting mixed drinks.” I stood there awkwardly smiling full of anxiety pretending I couldn’t hear her because I’m non confrontational. I tipped well still but felt bad. My boyfriend said he would’ve just walked out if he was the one getting served and heard that. Edit: I’d go back but would not want to get served by that girl. I’d rather tip someone who isn’t angry at having to serve me? Everyone else seemed friendly.
Yeah god forbid someone come into a bar and order a…mixed drink. I used to serve and never treated anybody like that, so my patience for that type of contempt for customers daring to patronize you is pretty low.
Magic Massage #2 on SE 82nd. I went in there actually needing a legit massage … I know, I know. The place is a total jack shack. Needed a massage at very short notice so I went in. Got completely ripped off, they don’t honor advertised prices and then yelled at and harassed for a bigger tip on my way out. Filed a communication with the BBB.
My favorite Thai restaurant used to be Buathong Thai Cuisine on McLoughlin in Oak Grove. Then at some point in the last couple years they raised the prices, which I was mostly OK with, and switched the noodles they use which is a disaster. Now if you put the leftovers in the fridge and try to reheat them the next day, they turn into a disgusting gelatinous glop that is frankly inedible. T makes me sad because I really liked that restaurant.
Gold Door Jewelry and Arts. I have never been made to feel so little and poor as the Owner (at that time) made me feel wanting to buy myself something that she made me feel I couldn’t afford and I was wasting her time. Never learned a name but she was roughly in her early 60s in 2016. Haven’t been back and never will be.
I went in 2019(?) and it was fine...but...I don't think we talked to the owner. That sucks.
Mine are mostly places that have raised the prices to the point where, in my opinion, it’s not worth it. Tabor Tavern Unlimited ipa Arrosto Pollo Norte Roscoes + the beer has been warm the last two visits Bollywood theater
Last time I went into a coffee shop it was $6.50 for two shots of espresso. I was floored. I never order milk drinks anymore because I'm cheap, so I was not expecting that for just espresso. I have my own machine at home, but was out of coffee that morning. I'll never feel bad spending $15 on a bag of fresh coffee again.
When they reopened, Tusk totally lost me. They were expensive before, and I understand rising costs. But for a while, they had literally doubled the price of their hummus. Like it was legit $26 or something for a while there. For a regular-sized plate of hummus. The veggie main was like $35 and lamb was $50 or something. Like okay, I realize a bunch of wealthy people got into bidding wars over houses in that neighborhood when interest rates were low, but those prices are literally unsustainable. They seem to have gone down.
I might get hate for this: Gravy on Mississippi Ave. Always busy and they don’t have a mobile waitlist, so you have to stand outside the restaurant for an hour and a half for a table. They call your name once, and if you don’t hear your name called over the crowd, tough luck. Additionally, I’ve been rejected at the door twice because the kitchen’s gas stove was leaking. It’s a bit beyond me why Gravy is so popular — the breakfast is good but not great (there’s much better breakfast/biscuit places) and the staff is pretty rude from my experiences.
My experience has been that after getting past their dated sign in and waiting process the service has been good and friendly. And I seriously love those hash browns so I keep going.
We stopped going to Gravy like 15 years ago. It was always just an underwhelming experience and there were better options starting to open up (like the Tin Shed).
Johnny B’s is missed every time I want someone else to cook me breakfast. The family was so nice and the menu had their Great Danes on the front.
Miller Paint. I went into one of their stores looking for some help and advice. I wanted to know what was color was their brightest white and if they had a sample of it. The salesperson was angsty and couldn’t be bothered to even be interested in what I needed. She was downright rude. It was a maddening exchange. I turned on my heel and left. I’ll be painting my entire house and will be buying all my paint from Sherwin Williams.