Relish Gastropub

One of the Best meals of my life, at a very stressful time (meaning I’m hungry and picky– lol)! Akhil, Marla Kapoor and Eben, THANK YOU! Thank you! Thank you! A Bucket list MUST! Everything was incredible, and the staff was amazing. With a group of 7, we tried a little of everything, and nothing disappointed! Mushroom toast, gnocchi, Brussel sprout and kale salad, burgers, fries, clams, oysters and smoked trout– all DELISH! Akhil’s knowledge of wine is unmatched in my book. We’ll be back!

Great patio, though now the building is surrounded by construction, so that’s not so great. Our server was friendly and prompt. As for the foosd, I would have given at least three or possibly 4 stars except for the prices. The «social hour» menu has 5 dollar cocktails but the appetizers/​small plates seem to be full price. And at Relish full price is way over what I expect. We live in the area and are very familiar with what other restaurants in Sellwood/​Westmoreland price their food at. The owner seems to be very defensive here on Unilocal about food costs but I just don’t buy it because how can a small plate of kale and cauliflower cost the same as a regular sized cheese burger? (Both $ 7 at happy hour). There’s no way that food cost explains those prices. For two people plus a toddler, having one drink each, our happy hour total was $ 75 before tip, and we still left hungry.

I had lunch yesterday at Relish. It was my first time trying their food and I really enjoyed it. I had the Reuben Sandwich and fries to go. The food smelt so good I couldn’t help but eat my fries on the way home. They were cooked perfectly. I frequently order Reubens to go and am normally disappointed by the sogginess when I finally get time to eat. This was not the case with my sandwich from Relish. It was done well, with a good ratio of meat, kraut, sauce and bread. I found it to be one of the best Reubens I’ve had in a long while.
For people who are looking for a friendly atmosphere with good food this is your place. For people in a hurry wanting a quick lunch for carryout, the time it took from when I ordered to carry out was minutes and I will definitely be going back to try their dinner menu.
Also, I don’t understand the people who complain about price… There are plenty of restaurants in town that have the same if not higher prices than Relish. The food quality is outstanding as well as the service. You get what you pay for and in this case, it is an outstanding meal, friendly staff and a great environment.

A friend and I had lunch at Relish today, a Friday, at noon. We were the only customers in the restaurant for 25 minutes. Our waitress was friendly and very attentive. Both brunch and lunch items are available at that time so I ordered the Challah French Toast for $ 10. It comes with a fruit compote but I chose to order real maple syrup for an additional $ 2.50. It was three large pieces of French Toast and, while very tasty, I thought $ 12.50 a little steep for French Toast. The music was some sort of loud hip hop – not conducive to a relaxed lunch atmosphere. Probably I won’t go back.

The food was just okay. The drinks were pretty good. The service, however, ruined my entire dining experience. The waiter acted very «put out» by having to serve us. A smile never crossed his face and he was actually a little rude in his responses to my questions. I requested grilled asparagus with my lamb instead of the potato purée. My meal was given to me with potato purée and no asparagus. No one came back to the table to check on us. I had to leave my credit card hanging off the end of the table to get the check. Very dissatisfied with my experience. For a working mother of three, to get a night out and have service like this is very disappointing.

What’s going on here? It’s fine, but honestly the wings are small and lack flavor. The burgers are dry. It’s way too expensive for what you get. Lime light across the street has better food and it’s just bar food. The wine list and beer selection is its redeeming quality. Not an exotic selection of wine but diverse and quality choices. Now if there was something delicious to eat with the drinks we’d be set. I’ll give it one more shot sometime see if anything has improved.

Why so many great reviews for this place?
It was… pleasant yet WAY overpriced for the portions and quality of the food. We actually felt it was priced at 30−40% higher for each dish than it was worth.
The service was again, pleasant, but nothing exceptional.
Nostrana’s gnocchi is miles better and $ 4 or $ 5 cheaper. The $ 10 bib salad was a $ 6 or $ 7 quality/​size. And the shrimp and grits at Screen Door knock Relish’s shrimp and creamy polenta out of the park– again for much less.
With so many stand out restaurants in Portland, why is everyone raving about this one and paying way too much for it?
I’m happy to pay high prices for a meal out, but I expect the quality and the style of service to match it…

Once a month a group of friends and I get together and go to a different happy hour. I live in the neighborhood, but haven’t made it to Relish until last week. We sat on the patio, and had a great server. I am not sure of his name, but he was very nice, and knowledgeable. Three of us stayed for several hours, and no one was rushing us, trying to «shoo» us out the door.
The patio was really nice, there was a great breeze blowing, and while it is right on the street, you can barely hear the traffic. In fact, one of our party was driving by, and tried to get our attention, we couldn’t hear them at all.
The food was delicious. As a group we had the bbq wings with the jalapeño slaw, the mussels, the roasted cauliflower with kale, the Boston bibb salad, and the French fries. Everything was delicious.
Their drink menu is varied and different, and the beer, wine and cider menu was huge!
I would definitely recommend Relish.

I’m surprised by reviews, because I’m picky and we had a marvelous time and flavorful meal here; looks like a lot are whining over various other things though.
Our server was very attentive, friendly and handsome. :) I had a French 75 and a burger and both tickled the taste buds. We relaxed on a beautiful spring day on the patio and it’s definitely on my «to return to» list.

We’ll have to return to try the burgers because they looked insanely good with the egg. However, this time we just shared some apps and got a couple drinks. The drink selection was great. Overall we enjoyed our apps, though the cauliflower and kale app was a bit too heavily lemoned (yes, that’s a word… at least today it is!). And unfortunately for $ 8 I felt the portion was too small. Still, it was tasty. The fries however… those were DELISH!!! The horseradish aioli was great too.
We’ll definitely be back for that burger (and fries!)

When Relish first opened I was curious. I stopped by and reviewed the menu. It took me nearly a year to finally go with 7 friends for brunch. The location is super convenient, I live within a mile and pass it at least a dozen times a week. The patio is large and I really like to dine outside. So how come I won’t go back?
We had reservations and arrived prior to the doors opening. We were seated right away. The server was nice but seemed to be rushed which seemed odd considering there was only one other party who also had reservations.
The food was lackluster, it’s overpriced and the server who was quite nice, had a way of suggesting add-​ons as if they were choices included in the price of the item. It’s hard to explain but 4 of my friends were surprised that they were charged for something that they thought was included with their meals. Each one indicated that it was the way in which the server asked them about their order. Since my visit I’ve heard several other people who said the same thing happened to them.
Bottom line: I find that there are too many other places I’d rather go that have much better food for the same price and don’t seem to trick people into additional items. I liked it better when it was The Woods.

A warm Sunday evening out on the street side patio, A wonderful meat and cheese board.
A bottle of Chardonnay on ice. Chilean Sea Bass, crispy skin, mango salsa, with sweet pea purée.
Water glasses always full, very attending staff and delightful chat with the owner.

I have walked by Relish’s patio all winter and well into the spring, hoping for warm weather so I could take a seat under the string lights and colorful umbrellas situated to overlook the Milwaukie foot traffic. It’s an inviting patio, the kind that begs you to come in and enjoy yourself. On Sunday I had an empty stomach, a wide open afternoon, and sunny skies. You can deduce where I ended up.
Odd that the patio is so inviting and the entryway is anything but. There’s heavy gray drapes that hang down and pool at the floor, feels imposing and slightly pretentious. And this feeling is amplified by the gentleman who clearly sees us but opts to busy himself shuffling menus for a solid minute before acknowledging us. We ask to be seated on the patio and are obliged.
It’s glorious out there, just as I had hoped. It delivered on all the promises I’d made for it. The tables are cozy and surrounded by barrels housing wildflowers. It feels so comfortable in the shade while we look over the menu. It’s happy hour, a welcome surprise, so we both opt for drinks from the generous list of $ 5 cocktails. And wait. And wait some more.
And just when I’m inclined to go find someone, a waitress appears and takes our drink order – a Spicy Paloma and a Prickly Pear Margarita. Minutes later, a second waitress arrives to take our order. We inform her we’ve already ordered and she looks perplexed while she asks us repeatedly if we are sure we’ve ordered. I assure her we have. She asks who took it. I tell her a waitress and wonder if I was expected to have gotten her name. Still confused, this second waitress, The Inquisitor, takes leave and we begin the second wait.
While waiting I can’t help but to listen in on the large group seated at the table adjacent to ours. They are frustrated. And not particularly shy about vocalizing their frustration. One woman complains about the food not coming out. She flags a waitress who assures her «the fries are coming out soon.» I can see a burger in front of her. Customary to have them come out together, I thought. The waitress is visibly bothered by the notion this group of diners is not satisfied waiting for their piecemealed lunch; she’s contemptuous and snide with her responses.
Our drinks arrive in the atmosphere that’s killing the goodness of this patio I’ve spent too long admiring. I scooch my seat a bit so as to ignore the drama-​rama of poor service and pissed patrons at the neighboring table. I raise my glass to my lips and take a hearty sip. Oh! My! Goodness! What the f-​bomb am I drinking? Satan’s spit surely has less heat than this almost literal firewater I’ve been served. Grab an extinguisher and put me out! Put me out! For the love of all that is holy, put me out!
Surely the menu said this drink had grapefruit juice in it, yes? Yes! Says so right there. So, whoa, where is it? Because I need it. I’ll request it, maybe a remake, but the thing is I have seen the consequences of confronting the staff here and I am wholly unwilling to engage in happy hour warfare with insolent servers. I’ll pass on that jibber-​jabber. Kay’s is just around the corner. It’s happy hour there too. Well, then, off we go.
Sidenote: In the spirit of a silver lining, the margarita was good albeit a bit sweet.

I’ve got some ketchup to do with my overdue reviews.
I guess the fear of them not being able to cut the mustard has paralyzed my writing ambition. I use to relish the process of sharing my opinions and half-​witted humor with others, but unless I have a cocktail, sauce my mind up real good, I find it harder to find the motivation to write a decent review. But hold the mayo, I may have stumbled on to something.
Holy guacamole, Relish is the real deal!
Ok, wait. I can’t do this. I’m sorry, I just can’t fucking do this.
Sure in my reviews I’ve written about hooker taints, animals, whores and dialogue, but I refuse to degrade myself with lame condiment jokes. Have I really reach the point where I’m sourcing Wikipedia for a complete list of condiments in order to complete a review? I’ve always found it best to write what you know, but it’s hard to find a proper segue between Relish and Star Wars.
So fuck it. I’ll give it to you straight. No sauces, no lame attempts to work chimichurri into it, just a plain old review.
Relish is great. They have a new lunch menu that focuses on sandwiches and burgers. 20 plus beers on tap. Excellent cocktails. The best patio in Sellwood. Our new office is in the same building so I’ve had a chance to visit for brunch, lunch, after work drinks and dinner. I’ve never once been disappointed. Never once not enjoyed my visit.
A solid 4 star review. Plain. Boring. Safe.
I promise to do better next time.
And remember kids, be safe and always use a condiment.

Great variety of food and drinks. The fried polenta is a must! Our server was fantastic and the ambiance was dates night tactic!

Whatever you do, don’t get the chopped salad. $ 16 for whitish pieces of romaine, and sprinkled with a bunch of ingredients that probably amounted to $ 5 and most importantly, did not taste good.
On the bright side the braised pork pasta was fantastic. Relish is good, but beware of random overpriced items like this.

Stopped in tonight for our first time and had a wonderful experience. The Sunday happy hour menu has so many options. Very solid cocktail list. The bartender had some great recommendations for drink and food items. We ordered so many dishes, they were all so fabulous we ate everything even though we planned on taking leftovers home. I highly recommend any pasta dish as they make their pasta in house and the Cesar salad was on point (I am very critical of a classic Cesar). Ambiance was chill and the bar/​restaurant had a classy vibe. Though the food is deserving of the standing ovation, I would say the attentive and engaging service we received from the bartender and waiter is what made our dining experience so enjoyable. Cheers!

1^st of all, what a horrible name.
2^nd of all, good food, wine and happy hour.
That is all.

This review is a few month late, but I really like this place. They have such a great happy hour with a great, extensive wine selection and beer menu. The spicy bbq wings are delicious as is the sauteed green beans and grilled romaine for HH. The prickly pear margarita is a must have during summer. They have excellent patio seating for those warmer days.
We came back a couple weeks later after trying HH and had dinner. I ordered the braised chicken which was really delicious. The butter nut squash soup was the best I’ve ever had. They are really nice about accommodating special diet needs (gluten free) and we had good service. When we came for dinner, we wanted to be seated outside and we had to wait a little bit for a table so we seated at the wine bar. Everyone was really nice and we felt like they did a good job making us comfortable. I recommend them for HH or dinner.

Great service, intimate atmosphere, quick turn around time and most importantly tasty food (my gnocchi had a zing to it due to the crisp apple addition). I would come again.