Oven and Shaker
1134 NW Everett St, Portland, OR, 97209
Oven and Shaker Menu
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Address :
1134 NW Everett St
Portland, OR, 97209 - Phone (503) 241-1600
- Website https://www.ovenandshaker.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Heather F.
This might be my favorite place in Portland so far. I moved from New York, and finding decent pizza here has been harder than expected. I ordered the pork belly pizza, and it was fantastic! I also really enjoyed the cocktails, specifically the mint/anise one. Lastly, the atmosphere is really nice, and I can't complain about the service either.
(5)Vanessa S.
Cocktails are better than the pizza. The toppings on the pizzas are kinda strange and the flavors don't really go well together. Also, they will not serve you a drink at the bar unless you are eating there. So if you are waiting for a table, you can't even wait at the bar. Wouldn't recommend this place.
(2)Kaeley W.
The selection of pizza combos is intimidating at first. For it's nothing you would normally expect, and then you are completely surprised at how good it tastes after you order it. I ordered the pork belly, and it was delicious. I was skeptical cause I'm more if a traditional pizza girl, so it was very out of my element to get it. I was impressed. Definitely will be back to try the rest. The staff was genuine and always checking in. Not overly assistant but just enough. Especially because it was slightly busy.
(5)Don B.
Pizza and high-end cocktails. This is totally a concept I can get behind. Or in front of. Or all around. Especially when it's Cathy Whims' pizza and Ryan Magarian's cocktails. Because seriously, each is a master/mistress of their craft, and someone I'd be happy to have feed me alone, let alone together. Oven and Shaker is making fancy-pants thin crust pizza that's as good as most any in town. The ingredients are tasty and of high quality, and the flavor combos work well together. If you like thin, charred, bubbled crust that's not loaded down with pounds of cheese, then you'll likely dig what O/S is serving up. At least I do. To pair with the pizza is a list of tasty salads (like the fave Nostrana salad - a radicchio caesar) and some other sides like too-big-but-still-tasty arancini, an expensive but very delicious lamb-pop and various creative add-ons. But the focus is really on shared pies as far as the food goes. Ryan's cocktail menu leaves little to be desired for the average-to-advanced cocktail enthusiast. On-meny choices are varied and diverse and my request for an off-menu, not-oft-known special was easily fielded by the bartender. And it was a tasty version of this harder-to-find cocktail. And if I can find any way to hyphenate any more words, I will. Trust-me. But a nice bonus is that the bartenders aren't wearing the craft-cocktail uniform (aka 3-piece suit with suspenders). Not that there's anything wrong with the craft-cocktail uniform, but change is good sometimes. Anyway, I do believe that Oven and Shaker will appeal to the right crowd - and that is a crowd that appreciates Nostrana's style of thin crust Italian pizza and a solid high-brow cocktail. Anyone looking for quantity of thick, cheesy pizza should apply elsewhere.
(5)Hijo d.
Been here a dozen times and the food has always been good. Really like the shepherd salad and spicy salami pizza with honey on the crust. Like the thin, napoli style pizzas. 75% of the time we have had good service. There have been 3-4 occasions where our server was so-so. A couple of those times it seemed like they had too many tables. The other couple times I think our server was just not good and we had to wait quite a while for our check -- especially when he figured out we weren't going to run up a liquor and desert tab, at that point, he seemed like he lost interest in service. That said, the rest of the times we have been there we have had great service. We have experienced, on two occasions what some describe here of being sat at a table with other people who were either obnoxious or seemed totally put off by the fact they had to share a table. I prefer to go here in the off times, and sit at the bar or one of the small two tops. The bartenders have always provided good service. This place gets packed at happy hour or peak dinner. Other than apizza scholls, this is probably my favorite pizza in PDX.
(4)Bob B.
great ambiance and food!
(5)Jeanne J.
Wow..pizza never tasted this good. We had a margarita pizza and added arugula and it was superb . The crust was wonderful and the drink menu was very diverse..I ordered my favorite and hard to find..cucumber soda! The salads were fresh and the seating arrangements were just perfect for accommodating casual , but serious, pizza lovers. Great service, wonderful wide open windows ..we will go back again. Maybe even this coming weekend.
(5)W. C.
I've been eating here for over a year. I was on the fence about whether to continue giving them my business. The place has its appeal, but there is always a wait, food quality can be good but is very inconsistent, and the service is borderline. Tonight they helped me make up my mind. Arrived during holiday dinner rush and told there was a 30 to 40 minute wait. I gave the hostess my phone number. No big deal, let's walk around downtown until they call. 40 minutes go by and no call. We return. You never called me, says I. Yes we did, insists the hostess, three times and it went straight to voicemail! My phone never rang, says I. You must have it turned off she retorts! I hold up my glowing smartphone. What number did you call, says I? She reads the wrong phone number. That is not my phone number, says I. She points out she read it back to me two times (read: not even once). You think I confirmed the wrong phone number twice, says I? She doesn't have another counter accusation to obfuscate her incompetence, so she scurries off to find her manager. The manager returns, primed with the hostess' lies, and elucidates me on 5-minute hold policy. I elucidate her on hostess' penchants for calling customers liars, instead of admitting simple mistake. Manager lady wants to avoid a scene (given enormous customer line) offers half-assed excuses and seats us immediately. Waiter takes our order quickly. 15 minutes later he returns to tell us he forgot to place our order - and he forget what it was. Food is good (this time), but then waiter disappears entirely. Wanting a second round of drinks, we work hard to flag another waitress to get drink menu. She brings the menu back, but no one ever comes to take our order. Ever. No one comes to bring us a check. After another 10 minutes, I track down original waiter and ask him to pay. No surprise: tip = $0.00. Never again. Not my friends or acquaintances, either, Shaker and Oven . Hopefully more than a few Yelpers who read this, too, if they expect value and service for their money.
(1)SuzyCreamCheese E.
Had the salami pizza, margarita pizza, and the Radicchio salad which were all super delicious. Salami was really good and spicy and we love spicy. One thing that was disappointing though, the pizza crust was not crisp on the bottom, which is how we like it. Service at the bar by Steven was excellent. Would definitely go back.
(4)Peter T.
The name refers to the two elements that the restaurant hopes to capitalize on - oven, for wood fired "Neapolitan style" pizzas, and shaker, for interesting cocktails. This partnership between a local 4 time nominated James Beard nominee and a local renowned drinksmith held great promise when announced, but in my opinion, succeeds at the bar level, but fails in the kitchen. Our party of four arrived on a late Saturday afternoon, and there were plenty of seats available inside; the smattering of tables on the sidewalk were all taken by Portlandians taking advantageous of an unseasonably hot and dry day. A bottle of tepid water and four glasses were produced instantly, and our drink orders taken. Cocktails ranged from $9- $12, outrageous in my mind, but on the low price point side for 'uptown' mixed drinks these days. (Curmudgeon sidebar, when I started drinking, mixed drinks were 40 cents at the bar I popped my cocktail cherry at). I went with the Pimms "Rangoon' a variation on a Pimms Cup, a refreshing cocktail I fell in love with living in England, basically Pimms #1 Cup, ginger ale, cucumber and lemon. Oven and Shaker adds their own local, house twists to their cocktails, like manufacturing fresh mixes in-house. It's a great drink. In my salad days, I could have slammed back a half-dozen, and not given it a thought. These days, I'm the designated driver, so I just had the one, and then switched to coffee, which they serve French press style at $4 a cup. In addition to the pizzas, a lot of the food is fried, and we went with fried chickpeas for one appetizer, which were fun, as well as "Rosemary nuts', a ramekin of herb flavored assorted nuts, and some garlic toast. No complaints on that score. We ordered a variety of pizzas, which clock in at about 12" and $14-$18 each. One is probably enough to share between two average appetites, but the four of us ordered one each, and had plenty to take home. I won't argue the fact that the restaurant uses quality ingredients for the pies; the 'wild fennel sausage' topping on the Margharita I ordered was some of the best flavored pork sausage I have had in Portland. The cheese is more than adequate (and you can substitute other cheeses for additional money), and the tomato sauce fresh and on the sweet side. It's the dough and the baking where the concept falls apart. The crust is chewy, doughy, and underbaked in my opinion, making slices very limp with a high moisture content. Examination of the underside reveals very little charring, usually a signature of a well-baked wood-fired pie. A couple hours later in the evening, trying to make my way through left-overs, a true test of good pie in my world, the crust is best described as "soggy" and while sometimes with pizza this is indicative of the presence of fatty meat toppings, in the case of Oven and Shaker, to me, it represents a failure in the area of dough prep. Four pizzas, three appetizers, 6 cocktails, 1 coffee, over $200. Ouch. As Mrs Burgerdogboy commented walking around the Pearl after dinner, "OK, been there, done that, don't have to return." Sad, but true.
(2)Anthony K.
sides of parm or crushed red pepper would be nice. However, the pizza is like no other. They offer a nice variety of fresh ingredients that are paired nicely and make your mouth water as you read the menu. The coctail and other drink options are also awesome. I would definetely go back again, and again, and again. If you like Ken's give this place a try as well.
(4)Christina B.
I was impressed with their wood fired pizza - which I wouldn't say is traditional Neapolitan pizza but pretty close and pretty good. Thin crust, tangy red sauce, delicious mozzarella. The pizza margherita was around $13 which is normal for a Neapolitan pizza place. The rest of their pizzas (there were four, I think) were a bit pricier (around $16). Not very many pizza options, but you are able to add any extra desired toppings. Our party was seated outside and when I discovered they used a wood fired oven, I hurried inside to check it out. I was greeted by a server/host right away, and we had this awkward moment where I had to explain I just came in to look at the oven. It was only awkward because he gave me a really confused, that's-kinda-weird-look. Watevz. I needed to make sure it was legit. Okay service, a little on the pricey side, cool location, and delicious pizza. Will take my pizza-fanatic boyfriend here the next time we're in PDX together.
(4)Amy C.
Just writing this review is making me hungry. How can a pizza place be original? Pizza is so overdone but not here! Finally a place that gets it. The appetizers are just out of this world and the drinks, hello, perfect. Plus this is in a great place to hangout with friends downtown. A+
(5)Paul C.
Pretty solid place. Part of the small/thin crust pizza phenom that seems to be sweeping the nation. Priced about the same as what you'd expect to see in SF or NYC. Really cool open space that can get kind of loud. They do these fried rice balls that are just stuffed with gooey awesomeness, and a fried shellfish concoction that is nice but terrible for your arteries. Our server was cool, had great recommendations and friendly. He was also super fast. Only major drawback is that their beer selection is kind of sad. Mostly pilsners and light ales; they need some heavier stuff for sure.
(4)Jennifer W.
My last night of my first visit to Portland required one more great meal (I had not had a bad one yet). Oven and Shaker did not disappoint. The host was quick to find a place for me, a solo-diner, at the end of the bar, right in view of all the action. It was a slightly tight fit, but all I needed to snarf down a delectable pizza. Though I came for the Brussels Sprouts pizza I read about here on Yelp, it was a seasonal offering that they had very recently taken off the menu. Drat. Instead, I ordered their 'simplest' sounding option: Salami. Thinly sliced and nicely crisped circles of salami dotted on top of a sharp provolone then drizzled with honey... super-yummy. I didn't partake in any libations - at least not alcoholic - yet they seemed to cover the prohibition-era cocktail request fairly well. The bartender who served me was helpful and uber-friendly, always with a smile. (Oh, to love a job THAT much!) The atmosphere was dim-moderate, a nice glow filled the space. Seemed to be filled with the types of people I saw while walking around the Pearl District residential areas a few days before: urban-yuppie-hipster. YOUNG. Nothing wrong with that - it makes for a good vibe sometimes.
(4)Jynn H.
This review is for the ridiculously wonderful cocktails and bar service only, as we did not eat while there. My hubby and I were in Portland several weeks ago for a quick two day stay. One of our days we spent just going to places in search of the perfect cocktails (he's a bartender, and well, I just like to drink tasty drinks) and all said and done, O+S was the winner of this trip. We sat at the bar during the afternoon, so being in between food services, we had one-on-one service. The gal was super friendly, conversational, accommodating and attentive, even while stocking the bar in between shakin' cocktails for us. She spent time giving us advice where to go next for food and cocktails (didn't steer us wrong), and some insider tips of the area. She gets a 10 star rating. (Sorry, writing this a month later, forgot her name (or was it just too many drinks?), but she was from San Fran originally). Adored her. We proceeded to try just about every drink on their custom cocktail menu (or so it seemed!). The drinks just explode on your taste palette in so many colorful ways and wave their fresh squeezed and plucked herb brushes onto your canvas with incredible artistry. Damn, their effort of all that squeezing and muddling and plucking pay off in top notch drinks. Tied with Spruce in San Fran and Needle & Thread/Tavern Law in Seattle. My absolute favorite was the Pepper Smash. I went into it a little dubious (yellow bell pepper juice?), but it ended up being the only one I ordered twice - and still think and talk about since returning home. So incredibly fresh and tasty, a perfect melding of not-too-sweet and lightly savory. Very unique in all the best ways. Pimm's Rangoon (my second favorite and a work of art) was another unique liquid masterpiece of well-balanced flavors that screamed originality and innovation that I appreciate. Try them. You'll feel blissful that you did. (A little tingly too.) My hubbies fave was the Sazerac, being a whiskey lover. He felt the handling of this drink was a complete homage to it's vintage roots and the best version he's had. Our other favorites were the Pineapple Trainwreck, Corleone, the "Lost" Cosmopolitan and Cantaloupe Cucumber Sour. Seriously people, we recommending a long afternoon of just sitting at the bar and having your taste buds explode with each sip if you appreciate a fine cocktail made with the highest caliber of ingredients. This place doesn't make a bad cocktail. And the decor is excellent. Tall ceilings, a raw wood rustic decor meets min-Century industrial with lots of natural light flowing in from the large front windows and sparks of ambient lighting from the Edison-style type of lighting fixtures. I'm a designer so I'm always a sucker for a well designed place. We regret not having found this place before we had lunch, since the pizza and overall menu looked fantastic as well. And if their handling of their cocktails is any indication...oh man! We can't wait for our next trip to Portland.
(5)Molly S.
Came here on a whim with friends while visiting Portland. Want one in Chicago. We shared the marinara pizza (tomato, garlic, oregano) and the pork belly pizza (crispy pork belly, Brussels sprouts, garlic, robiola, lemon). Both were great, but the pork belly was awesome. Om nom nommm. But honestly, the star of the day was the ginger ale "ala minute." One of the best beverages I've ever had. Would definitely be good with some booze in it too, but it was just perfect by itself. Refreshing, balanced, well-crafted, amazing. The smell of the wood burning oven is heaven when you walk in the door. Perfect crust - thin in the middle, puffy on the edge. I don't really know how this stacks up to Portland prices, but it seemed pretty in line with comparable places in Chicago. This is not a mass-produced pizza and cheap beer place. It's high quality stuff, so you're going to pay for it. (And obviously it's a little sceney, so you'll pay for that too...what can you do.) I think it's worth an occasional splurge (and it's only moderately splurgey really). Dig!
(5)Chandler L.
Awesome happy hour! I've been here a few times and have not been disappointed. The garlic bread is amazing! Cool atmosphere but not as expensive as other places in the pearl. Will go back for sure.
(5)Cindy I.
Let's start with the pizza. The crust had decent flavor but was tough. By halfway through my meal my jaw was getting tired. It didn't suck but also didn't impress. Ken's on a bad night still beats out this pizza. The prosciutto was thick too and I like it it super thin, just my preference. the mushroom pizza was bland. The name has shaker in it but the mixed drink menu was very,very short when I think of other bars in the area. Maybe six items listed under mixed alcohol drinks. The bar looks impressive but when you look closer they have many of the same bottles lined up four wide. So for mixed drink options there are better places near by. My last gripe was the music. I'm sure they are trying for a younger clientele than us but still it was grating music that was harsh and annoying most of the time. So they get an okay grade because nothing was bad but it wasn't great and I won't be going back. I will say the service was very nice.
(3)Juan M.
My review is really somewhere between 2 and 3 stars.. Went here with my mom who is chef from Boston, and we had a lovely experience. We had a great table and shared a yummy kale salad, tasty arancini, and a currant sausage pizza, which we really liked. The sausage was extremely flavorful and we wished it had more actually. Next, we ordered a margarita (the true test of a pizza place) and added some spicy salami. Wow, it was actually spicy and really quite good. The sauce is was some of the best I've had on a pizza, as it had a wonderful tomato flavor, and they were generous with it. I like a saucy pizza! The crust is a bit chewy though, and when it cools gets even more rubbery. It's not on par in my opinion with Apizza Scholls or Kens as it lacks the crunch. It seems more like bread, and It would make good toast actually. Overall we had a nice dinner and were pleased. I decided to take my girlfriend there for her birthday on Dec. 13, as I thought it would be romantic as I liked the ambiance. Well we got there too early it would seem as it was happy hour and they were blasting some terrible music and the lights were still on pretty high. No big deal though. We shared a salad which was great and she got the margarita and i got a happy hour special which sounded okay, but proved to be a mistake. Hers was pretty good but the cheese blobs were too big, and congealed into massive clumps. It seemed not quite as good as the one from my first trip. My pizza with potato, smoked mozzarella, green onions, Mama Lil's and sausage was pretty gross. It tasted like an poorly conceived combination that one might find at papa Murphys. After eating this pie I've decided that scallions do not belong on a pizza, and I've come to realize that I hate Mama Lil's on pizza, as they have way too much vinegar and are a poor substitute for calabrian chilies (imho). There was also too much smoked mozz. on the thing and it was doomed in all sorts of ways. The sausage was more bland than on my firs trip it seemed. Oh well.. I may go back one day, but I'll be more careful when selecting from the overly creative menu. Most of the seating here is actually at counters with bar stools. The prices are high and I really wouldn't want to shell out this kind of money to cram around a counter on a bar stool. Maybe for a drink at happy hour, but not for a proper meal.
(2)Amy K.
I love this place. The pizza was really good (maybe a bit overpriced, but in a trendy, Pearl-District sort of way). My only complaint is that I found it a little hard to see other people in the party because the high tables have a pizza shelf that partially blocked the view across the table.
(4)Jack B.
Went back again........... just as good as the last !! Flawless.
(5)Philip S.
The wait at Piazza Italia was an hour and a half so i tried this place. I absolutely hate to eat alone when on travel. But this place has a lot of bar seating and a few seats in front of the pizza oven. Had some excellent food and very good service. Friendly place. no hipster attitude to overcome as is so common these days.
(3)Andrew A.
(half yawn)...another thin crust, wood fired, creative topping pizza venue. If you've got a hankering for that, O&S does it well. The Cazzilli is a very flavorful ~six piece appetizer and a steal for $5. What it's lacking is something to dip in, the Pizzaiola sauce would work. The Pineapple Trainwreck was yummy, that little cherry on a stick is a great throw-in. There seems to be a wide degree of opinion regarding the Calabrese Salami with honey. The Blood Orange was okay. For the dessert, the vanilla gelato with olive oil and sea salt drizzle provided a wonderful ending. The space is beautiful, the service attentive. Parties of five or more should fit comfortably at the long table, and duos nicely at the small table. But three or four is a very tight squeeze at the latter. A brilliant interior decorator's design resulted in us having to place our bottled water on the floor as there was no room on table.
(3)Kim K.
Spicy Salami Pizza (honey drizzled on top) is probably the best pizza I've ever tasted. The combo may sound unusual but it was perfection! They were also recommended by local mixologists and have an extensive collection of whiskeys and rums. I cannot say enough about that pizza though! Thin crust, crispy near the edges and soft toward the middle, wood fired, divine! Lots of bar stools and friendly staff. Again...get the pizza. I dreamt about it last night. More pizza ...I need more of this pizza.
(5)Maret S.
Went here for snacks and drinks before a night of further gluttony. It was a great starter. The highlight was the Rapini pie with mascarpone. Deeeelish. I was surprised to discover that the potatoes I ordered were, indeed, glorified french fries. But no matter, they were good and came with fried rosemary and sage leaves. The interior architecture succeeded in being hip and cool. There was something very sexy about it. But maybe I was just into my hot date. Oh--one thing. They misspelled lavender as "lavendar" on their menus. This I cannot abide.
(3)Melinda C.
This is actually my first yelp review and the best possible opportunity to do so. I've had countless meals at OaS that have been nothing short of genius (try the sausage or mushroom pizza!), but had one that just didn't really suit my palate. I was honest that it wasn't to my liking when asked. They absolutely went above and beyond to make sure that I left happy. The service here deserves a standing ovation. And truly, I've had enough incredible food here to know that this particular dish just wasn't my thing, not a reflection on their food. Thanks guys! You rock.
(5)Jon S.
Our service from Sophia was great. Good Job ! This place is fancy. Fancy like, I don't know what the eff I just ordered fancy. My pizza came WITHOUT pizza sauce. The ingredients are top of the line, no scrimping on quality. My salad was made with red leaves, it was ok though. Service was great, $75.00 later I am still craving pizza. Would I go back? If i was starving and I had no place to run, SURE.
(3)Alisa F.
Look for me here again as soon as summer break arrives and I roll back into Portland. If I lived there, this would be my friendly neighborhood bar n pizza joint :) nice and cozy, friendly people. I can't wait!
(5)Madame M.
I recently had lunch at Oven and Shaker and here were my impressions Good--Restaurant Itself 1. Location close to all sorts of shopping and entertainment 2. Got a table quickly without a reservation Bad--Restaurant Itself 1. Table choices were odd. Metal stools aren't the most comfortable choice for seating (at least have cushions on the stools). 2. Cannot push tables together for groups since they are bolted to the floor. 3. Server wasn't very friendly, very impersonal, and she had mild attitude even though it was empty in there. Good--Food 1. If you like alcohol, they have more than enough on hand to make any drink under the sun. 2. Lot's of pizza choices (wish they had a gluten free alternative) 3. I had the carrot soup, it was tasty and well seasoned Bad--Food 1. I had the Antipasto Salad. It was overdressed, very oily, and quite a small portion for the price. Considering it was priced the same as their main dishes, I assumed it was a main dish. It was actually good that it was small because I couldn't finish it since it was so oily and the dressing they used was overly spicy and contained a huge amount of dried oregano which is not very appetizing when the copious flakes get stuck in the throat. 2. I also had their version of a Ginger Ale "ala Minute." This was not a good ginger ale. It was for starters $6.00. The glass was full of mostly crushed ice, and what little liquid that was in there was an oddly medicinal flavored ginger water. For $6, it better beat the pants off any ginger ale out there. It had me wishing I had a Canada Dry instead. This restaurant has a few good things going for it but since a lot that has to do with dining also has to do with the experience you have with the food, I do not think I will be back, at least for lunch. Maybe after some more time, they will reach their stride. As for now, I give it a C+
(3)Lauren S.
Had the Bianca and it was fabulous--three types of relatively local (ca and or) cheeses with fried sage. The avocado bruschetta was delicious and their $3 Fire sale brew was nice.
(4)Albert C.
Came here one day while on a trip to Portland. It was highly recommended by my sister-in-law (who actually works here as well). Loved the dimly lit ambiance. Felt very cozy and our server (I think his name was bob?) was awesome. Also loved the special that day: Clam chowder smoked bone marrow pizza. Oh, and it also came with a duck egg.
(5)Mike B.
I'm one of the few I guests who wasn't impressed at all, except for the look and feel of the place, which I quite admired. A pizza cut into 6 slices, covered with 3 different white cheeses and some dried up green stuff on it was $16? Grocery store pizza for $7 had more depth! And the cheese grease pooled up at least into a teaspoon from 3 slices, ew. Not used to that. I would have ordered a drink but for $9-$12, I rather not. (Plus, I was the designated driver). Also, I admit being a fairly simple person, easy to feed, and that I had to Google the pizza contents to figure what was on the menu! So perhaps none of this detracts from your perspective of this place, but it did for me. My wife, on the other hand, loved the pizza and was happy.
(2)Flavia A.
I like this place. They have consistently reliable food quality. It's not out of this world tasty, but there are a few dishes that stand out. I've had several of their pizzas and they are all quite tasty. Their ingredients are clearly fresh but I'm not so sure about the sauce. The sauce is kind of average. Nothing to write home about. I've had the bianca (delish), mushroom (great), fennel sausage (amazing), and a couple of others. They all feature thin crust, which is my fave pizza style. I've also had several of their salas. This summer they had an out of this world potato, tarragon and wilted arugula salad. They still have their gorgeous raddichio salad which comes in a lovely creamy dressing topped with heaps of grated parm. I've also had their kale salad, which feels like a nice healthy alternative. I've had their arancine (deep fried crusty balls of stuff like risotto) and they are delicious, if not expensive. The only other drawbacks are: it is very loud and the tables (the bar height tables) have shelves on them for the pizza, but they are really awkward and on two separate visits, we accidentally broke a wine glass because they don't fit under the shelf, and if you go to grab yourself a slice, you will likely tip over your wine glass. Overall, their quality is pretty good but I would rather pay in the $9-13 range for their pizzas rather than in the $12-16 range. For the O&S price range, I'd rather have Kens Artisanal Pizza.
(3)Barry T.
The food was so good and the service was so poor. The appetizers, the fantastic salads, a delicious pizza, good beverages were overshadowed but some very poor service. This is not Pizza Hut, we expected some professional service at our sidewalk table. I do give credit to the on duty manager who seemed to be working harder than our waiter. But the parmigiana and garlic bread, the kale salad with grapefruit, my incredible shepherd salad, the arancini were all four star. Actually my shepherd salad which I ordered with Caesar dressing was five star. But a waiter that we had to call back so we could order another drink because he was so quick to leave our table? Letting us sit there playing cards without bringing us the check while people were walking away because of the wait for a table? A waiter who made infrequent visits to the table? Not acceptable at this price point. But the food was delicious.
(3)Ken C.
The wild fennel sausage pizza was great. The mama lil's peppers add the perfect amount of heat without blowing out your taste buds. The staff was friendly and quick. Was disappointed by the $6 fried mozzarella. Three tiny little pizza shaped pieces came out wet, like they hadn't actually been baked and instead were microwaved. They plate it by putting the sauce on the bottom, then the fried mozzarella sit on top, making it a struggle to actually get sauce on the food. I sat at the bar, and watched a patron at the end order a glass of wine. The bartender poured the wine into a small plastic measuring cup, like something you would use to fill your iron at home. He over poured into the measure by an ounce, and dumped the ounce out, rather then put it in the customers glass. Wow...
(3)Carey L.
Flaccid and tasteless crust, banal tomato sauce. Add to that inept service and a snarky, unpleasant and highly unprofessional manager. I wish I had the reviews before I wasted my time and money.
(1)Ann S.
Horrible service. We came here for dinner Friday night and was told it would be about a 45 minute wait after putting our name on the list. We stood around for about 15min until we decided we would go get a cocktail down the street while we waited. Before leaving, we checked in with the host to make sure they had our number so they could call when our table was ready. After looking at the list the host said we were not on it, and looked right at us and said "I never took your information, I would remember if I checked you in". This is the same guy that got our name and told us it would be 45min. We stood right in front of the host station for 15min after that...but he claims we never checked in? He never apologized and never once suggested he get our name and number (for real this time), he just continued to argue that he never saw us. He was so rude and worried about being right that we decided to go somewhere else. We would have waited, but the way he was treating my friends was so disgusting and rude that I will never eat here- ever. I can't believe this guy has a job, and that this place decided he was the best person for a job at the front of the house. Get rid of him!
(1)Amanda L.
I've been to O&S twice now and I do think it's one of the best places for pizza in Portland. The toppings are creative and the crust is hand tossed and wood-fired. Loved both the squash pie and the bianca pie. What really stands out for me, though, are the arancini appetizers and the cocktails. I love the arancini--little fried, cheesy rice balls. And this place makes one of the best old fashioned cocktails in town. It's the kind that you sip and savor. As far as the atmosphere, it's like upscale pizza parlor, with long communal tables and ample barstools. I don't mind sharing a table-top with other groups because I think most people are pretty decent. Communal style is SO Portland, right?!
(4)Thumb P.
The kale salad and spicy salami pizza are AMAZING! BEST IN PORTLAND!
(5)Jenna B.
Oven & Shaker has a cool atmosphere and great pizza. This is always top of my list for taking an out of town visitor. My first time here I got the spicy salami pizza which comes with honey on top. A weird concept, but holy smokes, it blew my mind. Since that time I became vegetarian, so I now get the margherita and add honey to it. It doesn't get better! Now I can't even eat a pizza without honey. I definitely give the pizza a 5-star rating. However, the service isn't the best, everyone is friendly enough, but it's soooo slow. Once I think we waited at least 20 minutes after we were completely finished to track down our server and ask for the check. We were in no hurry, but when you're full and sitting on a tall barstool, you just wanna get outta there. And I always seem to be waiting for a refill. It's usually pretty busy, so there's often times a wait, and no real area to do such, except for outside. But the part that frustrates me the most, is you can't order take out over the phone. One night, I really wanted a pizza, so called in to order. Was told that they don't take pick-up orders over the phone, so I'd needed to come in, order, and then wait there while they prepared my pizza. Really? What's the difference? For this reason I will be much less likely to go there since I most often eat by myself. And just as a sidebar, I don't believe they have pineapple, which is my favorite pizza topping (aside from my new obsession with honey), so not a deal-breaker, but a strike for that. So...pizza: 5-star, service/convenience: 3-star
(4)Bob R.
This is a review by a vegetarian I'd say the 3.5 star overall rating for Oven & Shaker is just about right. The margherita pizza is good but not great. It's 12" artisinal neo style for $13. They put whole basil leaves on as the pie leaves the oven. It's cut into six slices. It's a nice brown on the outside edges but is a little too blonde in the center and tends to floppy. The oil drizzle, though tasty, adds to this effect. The person at the table next to me ordered his "well done" after seeing mine. This may be the way to go. I'll likely be back and try that. Pet peeve: only about 1/3 of the seating is padded bench or real chairs with backs. The rest is high hard stools. I really don't get this design decision. My personal rule is if I'm spending more than $10 on food and/or am expected to leave a tip I want to sit on something comfortable. You can give me a stool if I'm eating a slice or a donner kebab.
(3)John H.
Only bright spots: kind and amicable hostess (not the one we got) and $3 Coors Light - permits one to be present but to avoid giving the place more than minimal money. Many dark spots: attitude galore from servers and hostess 2. We 3 tried to meet our 4 friends who were already seated at the corner of the bar. Hostess 2 said we couldn't move adjacent barstools to accommodate the remaining 2 of us sitting beside our friends. We asked if we could stand: no. No standing. At a bar. We were instructed to check in with Hostess 1. Did so, she didn't care where we sat. But Hostess 2 cared. A LOT. It's a bar. Isn't packed. And we can't position ourselves near our friends. Classy, Oven and Shake. Classy. Keep up the good work and earn yourselves friends.
(1)Jesse G.
Good value happy hour pizza. Radicchio salad is excellent.
(4)Kasey C.
Look, I understand that Portland isn't known 'round the world for its spectacular and friendly service, and I've come to accept that. But man oh man, Oven and Shaker has taken it to a whole new level. The manager who was working the night we came in was SO rude, that it was obscene. He was arrogant, surly and just an overall jerk. We live in the neighborhood and like to support local restaurants, but unfortunately, we can't support O&S anymore. If you like overpriced pizza and being treated horribly by the staff, then you should definitely come here. What's that you say? You don't like being treated like garbage when you go out to eat? Then I suggest you go somewhere else. Here's a tip for the young, dark-haired, manager-looking guy in a plaid shirt: don't treat your patrons like crap.
(1)Arthur B.
We've wanted to try Oven and Shaker for a while, and it lived up to its reputation. Great atmosphere with an open kitchen, top quality food (we split the currant sausage pizza), and perfect service. We'll be back!
(5)Katy H.
This place is so rad! When I think of eating at a pizza place I think of a dive or a small space. But neither is true when speaking of Oven and Shaker. This massive and beautifully laid out restaurant is really clean and really spacious. My friends and I grabbed some stools at the bar but there were also outdoor options as well as large and small tables indoors. I must've seen a group of at least 12 people at one table so if you're in a big group, they've got you covered here. And more than just a pizza place, Oven and Shaker has great drinks and great non-pizza menu items. I tried lamb lollipops and an old fashioned. Two things I love and wouldn't think of finding on the menu at a pizza spot! The pizza itself was also great. Definitely a place people ought to check out if they're looking for a solid meal and a solid cocktail.
(4)Sam F.
I was really excited to come here for happy hour, had heard many good things from co-workers. Showed up around 4pm on a Tuesday and sat at the bar. My $7 Margarita left much to be desired and seemed expensive for a happy hour drink in Portland - I find many HH drinks are around $4-6, especially for an exceptionally limey margarita. The bartender, recommended his favorite pizza Salami. The pizza was great but beware it has honey on the crust which makes it difficult to eat without being terribly messy. I definitely plan on coming back for dinner, maybe I'll have better luck with a different cocktail. The atmosphere was great, very trendy feeling spot in the Pearl.
(4)Mark B.
Atmosphere is a perfect blend of casual and elegant. My guest and I, ordered the fennel/sausage pizza, which was not the best pizza I have ever eaten, but was delicious, none-the-less. The cocktails and the friendly service really made this place sparkle. I would highly recommend this: Pepper Smash Cocktail 12 - 15 mint leaves + 2 oz. Krogstad Aquavit (think caraway/anise flavored vodka!) + oz. freshly pressed lime juice + oz. grade A maple syrup + oz. freshly extracted yellow bell pepper juice
(5)Mel W.
What a cute little place. I was only visiting portland so i can't compare it to other portland pie places but i thought the pizza here was great. there were three of us and we got a margherita pizza with arugula added on top, and an eggplant parm puccia. i had a glass of rose. don't remember which one but it was really nice. the eggplant parm - i should have realized that it would be more dense due to the eggplant. it was very flavorful and cooked perfectly but for me, to eat the entire sandwich would have been too much. the pizza was awesome. the sauce was really nice, the dough was cooked just the way it should be. the server took a little longer to get to us at first than i would have liked but she was very pleasant and attentive from there on out
(4)Heather V.
I always like to visit a place a few times before I write a review, but alas, I don't live in P-town, and this place was pretty fantastic. Definitely next time I'm in Pdx, I'll eat here again. I can attest to great cocktails, great pizza and the most amazing kale chopped salad I have EVER HAD. If I lived in the pearl, I would eat here daily, just for that damn salad alone. The chopped kale salad had berries, toasted breadcrumbs, poppyseed fricco, pecorino, anchovy vinaigrette and chopped so fine it looked like shredded paper (um, green paper?). Seriously fantastic. I ordered the Bianca pizza, which was also incredibly tasty, with complex flavors. It consists of teleme, truffled sottocenere, bufala mozzarella, fried sage -- all good things, LOVE. The crust is pretty authentic (definitely brick oven), but not thin crust, so it's sort of a mix between the classic "Northwest" pizza and NYC pizza. But really good, not doughy like a lot of NW pizza can be. As an East coast girl, I really enjoyed the crust and toppings and even took my leftovers home for breakfast the next morning. Oh, and my campari cocktail was FANTASTIC (I love a place that recognizes Campari -- what an underrated aperitif!). We ate outside, since it was a cool Summer night, but the interior is quite nice, another reviewer called it "slick," which is definitely a good word. It's modern contemporary, clean lines, blah blah. It was crowded when we visited, but all the staff were very nice and we had prompt service, despite the restaurant being so busy. And the food came out so quickly, I had to wonder if they just keep the food coming out, hoping someone will order that particular dish (I kid, I kid). All in all, definitely worth a visit! A little pricey for many of you Portland folk, but splurge a little!
(4)Jessica S.
Amazing fresh food and yummy drinks! The pizza was simple and delicious and the place has a great ambiance!
(5)Rich B.
Sultry and mysterious atmosphere: think of Edward Hopper, but darker and with better food.
(4)Matthew W.
I enjoyed each of the three different pizzas (Salami, Fennel/Sausage, Margherita) I tried at Oven & Shaker, with the Salami being my favorite. The flavors were solid and not overwhelmed by the sauce, with the meaty goodness of the toppings playing the staring role...as they should. The Margherita was a little on the flavorless side, which was a bit disappointing and nearly dropped them to 3 stars. On the positive side, the ingredients were fresh an the crusts were caramelized perfectly from the wood fired oven. The appetizers are high end and enjoyable. Seating is a combination of regular tables, bar seats and custom "pizza bars" (my term) with bar seats and tables that have a place to keep the pizzas out of the way. The restaurant is hard to find, but look for the small sign with the "X" of pizza peels with the letters "O" and "S".
(4)Debbie S.
Love the fun pizza menu at Oven and Shaker. The chef combines traditional and surprising ingredients to create some of the best pizza anywhere! You must try the Maple Bacon Pig or some of the Seasonal pizzas. I love the strawberry fields with fresh greens, strawberries, marinated onions, balsamic drizzle, and a soft decadent cheese of some type! So good. They also have a terrific "shaker" menu of unique mixed drinks, wine, ciders, and beers. If you get to Portland this is a great place!
(4)Laura M.
Warning! This place sets a new standard for pizza. The best pizza we tried was the salami pizza. It is topped GENEROUSLY with excellent quality ingredients. The honey drizzled around the edge is the SECRET weapon. WOW! The other pizza we tried was the WILD FENNEL SAUSAGE...with potatoes. It was a great combo that reminded me of a fully loaded baked potato. The smoked mozzarella was a wonderful addition too. Sadly my dining experience was tainted because this pizza was HOT, SPICY, 5 ALARM! My GUMS were burning. I actually ended up saying something and they said they got a new shipment of chilies in and they were trying to adjust to the spiciness. They happily made me a new pizza without the chilies but by the time it arrived I was basically full. I thought their service was good. The crust! Practically perfect. Mmm! The radicchio caesar-ish salad was also very good and was a great item to share before the pizzas arrived. I loved the rosemary sage croutons. I didn't have any cocktails but the ice cubes in my neighbors' glasses were perfectly square or crushed. I loved it! Oh, and in case I sound like I was spying on my neighbors, please keep in mind that this place has communal seating, which adds to the fun, hip atmosphere. I'll be back, oh, I'll be back!
(4)S M.
Atmosphere - Rugged Chic, very date friendly, friend friendly, even family friendly. The restaurant is very nice but comfortable for various occasions. Good atmospheric lighting and not too noisy. Drinks - I am not a cocktail person but they have the best most balanced cocktails I have ever had. Very impressed. Food - I can not eat gluten and they unfortunately did not offer gluten free pizza, however, I ordered a salad and a plate of salami and cheese, and felt completely satisfied; it was delicious. Highly recommend.
(5)P V.
All I can say is WOW! My friends and I have been here twice and both times, were simply amazed at the quality of the food. This place has been packed both times we came but the wait was less than 15 minutes each time. Excellent thin crust pizza, drinks and appetizers. As far as pizzas go, we've had the Spicy Salami, Maple Pig, Margherita and Mushroom (in order of our favorites). The Nostrana salad is big enough for 2 people and is ridiculously good and the Arancini are addicting. Cheese Plate was a bit small for the price but the food, drinks, service and atmosphere were so good, it didn't matter. Definitely one of our favorite places in the Pearl!
(5)Eric And Arisa C.
I absolutely love this place for dinner - the atmosphere is so fun, great lighting and awesome clean, wood decor everywhere. The drinks are very decent, the beer selection is small but quality and the pizza is my absolute favorite. The margarita is pure, simple and so delicious. The Spicy Salumi is hands down my favorite - full of flavor, super quality ingredients, and the honey drizzled on top sends me over the moon. Their wood-fired Italian style pizza is some of the best of it's kind. I can't believe this place only had 3 1/2 stars, it makes no sense to me, just goes to show sometimes you can miss out on a great place if just relying on Yelp ratings.
(5)Kathryn R.
Love this joint! It's always packed and I don't think you can get a reservation, but I appreciate that they'll take your number so you can grab a drink elsewhere. We usually head a block over to Life of Riley for a beer, and by the time we're about halfway through, the phone rings. Great pizza and awesome salads meant for sharing - try the Nostrana salad! Amazing cocktails from interesting ingredients. I love watching the bartenders make them because they're so precise. One truly hidden gem is O&S's lunch: their oven-fired sandwiches are amazing. Try the eggplant! Great for entertaining out of town guests, date night, or a meal with your girlfriends.
(5)A B.
There it is - the rare five star review I give. Just awesome food, service, drinks, ambiance! I got the Italian dip sandwich, Nostrana salad and my group got several pizzas. It was all really spectacularly tasty! The Italian dip was a genuine masterpiece. The bread was flavorful and soft, but had enough strength and chew to handle the beef. The beef (where a lot of sandwiches fall down) was moist, never grainy, deeply flavored, but not greasy either. Awesome. The sandwich also had good provolone on it, a slightly sweet horseradish sauce and radishes. Great jus. Will order again. The radicchio ("Nostrana") salad was also superbly crisp and balanced, with a rich anchovy dressing to offset the sweetness and slight bitterness of the radicchio. Awesome. Every person at our table loved the pizzas. Great service, beers, wine. Recommended!!
(5)Dan C.
This place is AWESOME, and definitely makes my A-list. If we're talking ambience, vibe, drinks, and service - easy 5 stars. The food is very, very good as well, but I'm a hard grader in this department. I'm sticking with 4 stars here, not because I have complaints, but merely because while the food is great it doesn't quite reach the coveted 5-star rating... But don't let that deter you in the slightest, because depending on the menu item, it can come pretty dang close. Sure, the pizza is not APizza Scholls in terms of pure flavor, but that is a pizza shop that specializes in only that. Yet Oven & Shaker comes impressively close - their Salami & Honey pizza and their Goat Cheese pizza were both incredible, and for many, the mood and ambience here will seal the deal. Even when the food doesn't reach those epic heights, it's always good at the least, and always served up with top-notch presentation. While they don't only serve pizza here, this place easily lands on my list of favorite pizza spots, and definitely a very solid appetizers/drinks spot. The cocktails here are nothing short of impressive, both in terms of quality and presentation. Just take a look at some of the photos posted. These guys know their drinks. The feel of this place is best summed up in the name of one of their non-pizza menu items (from their "Finger & Fork" selections) - the "Lamb Lollipop". Everything here is high quality and classy, but maintains a fun and casual feel, making for a great combination when you want to go out somewhere that is both nice AND fun. In terms of service, this place gets BUSY, but our table was always well attended to. Someone in our party spilled their cocktail, and without it even being suggested, the wait staff was quick to bring a brand new one. Classy. Overall, I give this place 4.5 stars and it is one of my new favorite spots. Highly recommended.
(4)Vanessa M.
I have been here twice and I am not too sure how I feel about it. The waitstaff could be a little friendlier and the pizza could be a little bit better. The second time I came I had a salad as well and honestly for the prices I don't really think the food is that good. I probably won't be back and will probably hit up Roman Candle for my regular pizza craving from now on.
(3)Billy S.
Not bad. The middle tables are interesting with the stand in the middle which makes serving pizza easier. The pizza itself is not the best, but the flavors are unique. I liked the one with honey. The sweet and savory combination is delicious. Definitely get the fried chick peas, it's crunchy and interesting. Didn't stay for dessert though. I recommend it though but probably not worth the wait.
(3)Livia M.
Great happy hour. Tasty large Margarita pizza for $10 and tasty cocktails made by friendly bar staff.
(4)Quinn E.
I was so excited to try this place. My husband and I are pizza addicts, and Portland has great pie generally (Lovely's Fifty-Fifity, Pizza Scholls, Ken's...). Unfortunately, this place falls far, far on the list, and after trying it, we will not be back. First, the host was rude. I don't need to go into details, but he treated my husband and I like we were idiots and gave a sarcastic remark about bar seating vs. table seating. Like, maybe he'd had a hard night, but it wasn't the way I wanted to start out experience. Our server was lackluster. He was extremely slow, and only came to our table to deliver food. He never asked how things were once. It took him 30 minutes to run the check. We weren't in a rush, but the time things took seemed a little ridiculous, especially since it wasn't crowded. And then the food: the kale salad was our favorite part. It was really delicious, and I would recommend trying it. But the pizza was hard and burnt, and nearly completely cold once it reached our table. I love a good thin crust, but this was extremely thin and the flavors weren't great. It was my husband's birthday so for a few minutes both of us tried to be optimistic, but then broke down and began joking that Pizzicato was better. (I'm sorry--it was!) All in all if you want to drop 17 bucks on a gourmet pizza, hit up Lovely's Fifty Fifty. Better service and way better pizza, hands down. This place has a cute name and Portland vibe, but just doesn't follow through. Won't be back. I wish I had followed the other lackluster yelp reviews and just gone somewhere we knew and loved.
(1)Wayne G.
Had heard much about this place but really wasn't expecting to go here on a day of exploring the Pearl. But passed right by the door and decided to make it our first stop. I didn't regret it. The service at the bar was fast and professional from Courtney and we ordered a simply Marguerita Pizza to start us off. I have to say the simple pizza may have been the best I'd ever had in my life. Fresh, perfectly cooked in the oven... the taste of basil and the very flavorful sauce were all fantastic. The beer was excellent and what more can I say? I will be back and soon. Well done!
(5)Luke G.
Very good! You should go. The salami pizza was a very good pie! Good beers and good mixed drinks too.
(4)Gene M.
The margarita salad was amazing. We went during happy hour so there were really good deals (3:30-5:30pm). The pizza was SUPER thin! A little disappointing because that's what we went for. I loved the macaroni and cheese :)
(3)John B.
So far, the best pizza I've had in Portland and I've lived here all my life. I've tried Ken's Atrisan, Lovely's Fifty-Fifty, Apizza Scholls, Doce Vivi and others (all which are good), but I keep going back to Oven and Shaker. Very unique flavors and always changing. Pretty much pizza only here with some salads and appetizers, but it's worth a trip if you like a good pie. I love their radicchio Caesar salad. My wife and I usually split it and split a pizza. Decent beers on tap. Not a huge list though. Pretty good wine options too. Cool environment with family style seating. They'll take your # and call you when a table is ready and there is a lot of fun bars and restaurants nearby.
(5)Damian C.
Another great recommendation as we ate our way through Portland. My friends raved about the cocktails and the sight of an anejo Manhattan on the menu was a pleasant surprise. I have always been pretty simplistic when indulging in cocktails (7 and 7, you at my one true love), but, in my advancing age, I prefer quality and this drink was exactly what I hoped for. The perfect amount of heat and a salami garnish to boot - yum! For food, we ordered the fried chickpeas and fried mozzarella to start, and split the spicy salami pizza for our main. The chickpeas were excellent and plentiful, and I am positive I would have eaten the entire thing myself if I had not learned how to share back in preschool. The fried mozzarella, on the other hand, was a bit of a disappointment; for $6, we got 3 teeny little pieces of cheese covered in marinara, hardly enough to get more than a very small taste. Skip it and get another order of chickpeas. The pizza was a hit as well. Thin crust, the perfect amount of burn, and toppings that complimented each other beautifully. Let's face it, salami is a very underrated pizza topping and it's such a great alternative to pepperoni, and I really hope this 'trend' catches on in other places. The honey on the crust was a nice touch, too. It was just enough pizza to have a small dinner for two without lugging around leftovers. Two drinks, two apps, and a pizza ran $50+tip. Solid! I have passed the recommendation on.
(4)cindy y.
Went here with my GFs on Weds night. They make some really mean drinks but the pizza was terrific. Good size servings, one was enough for the 3 of us. Really great thin crust. Nice place to me social but too loud for a date night. I'd kill my BF if he took me here for V day.
(4)Megan M.
The good: The pizza is pretty delicious - similar to Ken's in taste and style. The bad: Service is awful. Slow, somewhat rude, and unprofessional. One of our pizzas came out to our table as expected. I sat waiting for mine (a margherita, so nothing complicated). One came out...and was put on the table next to us. The couple had sat down a good 30 minutes after us, so we were pretty certain the pizza was ours. Despite the fact that we were sitting less than 2 feet away from their table and were waving our arms, the waitress ignored us for several minutes. I had to actually stand up and yell EXCUSE ME to get her attention and tell her that we were sure the pizza was actually ours. She stared at us like we were crazy and clearly did not believe us. She did ultimately move it to our table, however, but it made for a very awkward situation. Neither our waiter or her (or anyone else) ever acknowledged the error. Not impressed.
(2)Jay B.
Decent pizza, ambience ok. Nice spacious place. Good looking. Walked a good ways to eat here not sure it was worth it. Oh well it wasnt bad just not excellent. Happy hour beer $3.
(3)Brian C.
Recently went here with a large group of people. The staff was great, the food was also great. Really good pizza. I thought the beer selection could be better, though. Portland, OR is pretty much the center of the universe when it comes to great beer, so I kind of expect places to have a better selection, with so many amazing local breweries. Maybe I am expecting too much?
(4)Bethany P.
We went for lunch with the visiting in-laws and we all really loved it! Really great space and awesome pizza. Service... fine, not amazing (the average). The four of us shared two pizzas: the Margherita and the Spicy Salami. The Margherita was really well done! Great crust (flavorful, not too chewy, little bit of crunch) and super fresh mozzarella. The Spicy Salami *was* pretty spicy; it was the favorite for the guys :). My father in-law is a pizza-conesour and said he would go back for lunch the next day. I loved that Pearl-esque industrial atmosphere and am looking forward to going back! I'm surprised to see the mixed reviews here that make Oven & Shaker sound like hit and miss...? But I would totally recommend it for some great wood-fired, brick-oven pizza. Yes, please!
(4)Randy T.
Brick oven pizza at its finest. Very interesting and unusual combinations, service was very good, crust was perfect for a Brick oven. They know what they are doing and do it well. Don't miss this place,
(5)Jenna S.
Oven & Shaker is a Portland trip staple for me -- usually my first stop after I land. I think I really enjoy it because it's dependable , it's consistently good. I dream about their Nostrana salad. The dressing is just perfect. Their pizzas are lovely.... and I credit the dough. Their dough is very well made, and really makes these pies stand out. They have an inspired cocktail menu, however I wasn't pleased with the one I tried most recently (The Corleone).... but I can't fault them for that. Great neighborhood, welcoming design & decor, pleasant staff, consistently yummy food.
(5)theresa d.
Loved the pizza and the drinks! Perfect name for this spot. There were three of us and we shared a sweet and savory pizza with a salad as and appetizer. They do fun flavors that dance in your mouth. And its a pretty swanky spot for pizza. I really enjoyed my meal here.
(4)Ralph K.
We loved this place! We stopped in for dinner and drinks and we didn't regret it. The pizza's are creative with unique pizza toppings that are well thought out and work perfectly. Pizza is thin crust, great flavor and that perfect texture. Drinks were amazing as well. Pineapple Trainwreck and Pepper Smash #2 were great drinks. Once again a lot of thought was put into everything they did and it was all very wonderful. This is a don't miss!
(5)Sarah H.
Had a disappointing experience at O&S tonight. Service was suspect: Host made my family feel bizarrely unwelcome regarding the seating arrangement; never a good way to start a meal. We would have found another restaurant but my dad has a hard time getting around and we had tickets for the theater around the corner. Food was a mixed bag: Nostrana radicchio salad was delicious, and the arancini were pretty good. Things got bumpy with the "squash" pizza. Sounded tasty on paper, with spinach, goat cheese, oyster mushroom, hazelnuts, and aged balsamic. Tasted like...nothing. Kicker was we were charged for the red onion and fennel sausage we asked to add in order for the pizza to taste like something. I eat out a lot in Portland, and am happy to take my business elsewhere, as there are an abundance of delicious establishments. If I need my radicchio salad fix I'll go right to the source at Nostrana; their staff is welcoming.
(2)E M.
I've been here a handful of times, most recently on a really nice summer evening. The outside was packed, but two of us were able to get seated inside very quickly. In fact, I've rarely had trouble being greeted, seated, and placing a drink order quite quickly at Oven & Shaker. As far as the food goes, I love the kale and grapefruit salad. That's about it. I'm not overly impressed with the pizza (it's not bad, just.. meh). Some of the other salads look pretty good and there are enough menu options for vegetarians, but after having a few meals here, I'm left underwhelmed. As far as staff and service goes, that's also hit and miss. The staff is friendly and accommodating - like replacing my drink when I had a chipped glass, or replacing my friend's glass when he had something looking and feeling a bit too much like a booger on the side of his pint glass (I took his word for it, I didn't really want to stick my finger in the glob of goo to confirm). I can overlook some of that, but when you forget to put in the pizza order (on two different occasions) and don't even apologize, that gets old. Last time (booger + forgotten order visit), after the initial greet and order, we had to flag down our server every single time we wanted something. Like more water or a second drink (why not have another round when your food is taking so long?). All in all, nothing here is bad (okay, booger-like-substance = bad). In fact, the place is fun and has good drinks and decent enough food. That said, when there are so many other great places to try, why settle for repeat visits to a place that you don't love? Not saying I'll never go back, but for now I think I've had my fill of Oven & Shaker. Pros: * Fun, urban environment, good location * Great outdoor seating * Full bar * Friendly staff Cons: * Service is decidedly hit and miss (more miss) * Pizza isn't that great for being a primary menu item * Can get loud * Quality control (dirty, chipped glassware)
(2)Brooke S.
I have been here twice now and can say that all the reviews give an accurate perspective. Food is delicious but pricey; for pizza at least. Delicious drink recipes but most seem very weak. Cheese plate is AMAZING and house-made. Seating is very uncomfortable as they mostly only have bar-stools. Both times my group was sat next to another and our conversations interfered with one another. Last time we came with our daughter and the couple next to us had a very inappropriate conversation. They did not seem to care that a toddler should not overhear such sexual comments. This time the waiter was much less attentive and did not entertain a conversation with us. Not planning to return again.
(3)Ramzy H.
O&S is exactly what NW PDX needed!! A comfortable, alive and well executed Saloon offering high quality yet affordable plates and some amazing signature drinks. Everything else in the Pearl is so fake and pretentious not to mention over priced. Kudos to O&S!
(5)Logan S.
There pizza and sides were quite good. I can't complain. Not the best brick oven pizza, but in the same category. My rapini was creatively topped and well executed. I'm a beer drinker, not really wine or cocktail, so I found the selection somewhat thin in that regard and the pilsner I ended up with was satisfactory. My friend forgot his ID and so although I understand not serving to him (he looks more than 21, but not 30), but it also wouldn't have been unreasonable to serve him. Our server was polite about it but a little awkward after that. All in all, satisfactory, but I won't go too far out of my way to go back.
(3)John K.
Place was packed, lots of energy and the pizza was good. . . but REALLY . . . $2.00 for parmesan cheese "because its fresh grated!" That is a nice touch, but that should set you apart, not cost more than the $16, six piece mushroom pizza...please. Would have been four stars were it not for the airline nickel and dime treatment . . . maybe they will start charging for window seats?
(3)Ev'Yan N.
Great pizza, slick atmosphere. The eats didn't WOW me, but that's because I ordered a plain pizza (on purpose). But the staff was incredibly friendly, even though we had an impromptu party of about 20 (with some of us coming & going) last night. We all stayed until last call (a little after midnight) & the waiter that helped us was very patient as we all sorted out the bill -- a lofty, lofty task. Their cocktails are pretty good! Kind of strong, which might be a huge plus for some; as for me, I am a cheap date. Got to half of my drink & felt a nice, steady buzz for the rest of the evening. I would definitely go here again. Oh, & I have say that their sign/logo threw me for a few minutes. To me, it looks like two shovels & an urn. . .
(4)David S.
It was okay when I went. The drinks were kinda expensive, $10 or so. We ended up sharing a Squash pizza and it was okay. That category where you know you've had better but not as bad as some others. The place is super nice though and the bar is sweet. It definitely has a cool atmosphere and nice feeling. Sharing a pizza will definitely save you money but their appetizers aren't bad either.
(3)Ben K.
Pros: Cool ambiance, wide variety of cocktails, unique pizza combinations Cons: So-so pizza, loooonnnggg wait I'm pretty old fashioned when it comes to pizza. Put some cheese, sauce and meat on it and we'll call it good. So in all honesty, Oven & Shaker wouldn't be my first choice when it comes to a pizza place purely for a tasty pizza. However, for a place to have a hip experience, a great cocktail, and pizza combinations Pizza Hut and Dominos would avoid, this is your stop. We went with some friends and it had a very cool vibe. It's communal style seating, so you are seated at long tables shared by other patrons. The bar has a long list of drink options, from a wide selection of beers (this is Portland, beervana, after all), a nice variety of wines, and pretty much any cocktail you can think of. The pizzas are... different. You won't find pepperoni or sausage, but you will find goat cheese and salami & honey. Those were the two pizzas we ordered. They weren't bad, but it wasn't the kind of pizza I want to eat when I want to indulge in pizza. I guess it fits the vibe of this place, which is more of a bar with pizza to munch on while drinking and socializing. Going along with that theme, this place is slow. Very slow. It takes a long time to place an order, get drinks, get your food, etc. It's all about creating an experience, so plan on at least spending an hour to an hour and a half if you come here. Overall, Oven & Shaker is a fun place to socialize with friends over drinks and munchies, but I don't think it's somewhere I'd go to satisfy my pizza craving. Gooey, greasy pizza loaded with meats, cheese and sauce will always overrule.
(3)Christian C.
Love this place. Enjoyed the fennel sausage pizza which we added ghost pepper salami to. They've got a good beer list too. Also, they've got nice outdoor seating during the summer.
(5)Kisar D.
My wife and I went here yesterday for dinner, because we wanted to try something new. When we first walked in it was really packed, which is always a good sign. Why, for one the food/drinks must be good, and you know that the food needs to be fresh to feed so many hungry mouths. We ended up being sat in front of the Pizza brick oven, which we thought was pretty cool, especially when you get to see how quick these pizzas take to be cooked in such a hot brick oven! We ordered two beverages and they totally forgot to bring my wife her drink. It took about 15 minutes for her to come back so we could ask her about it, but they finally brought. We were not initially impressed, but they soon picked up their customer service, they were more attentive and the whole experience even its way out and we ordered another round, which were made extremely quick. The food was actually very good and we will definitely be going back!.
(4)David C.
For anyone who has seen the movie date night....think of "claw your welcome!", that is the way the staff at this restaurant treats you. I felt like it was a complete inconvience to them that I actually wanted to eat there. I asked the hostess if there was a table for 3 open......"No.". How long? "I don't know, you can sit over there and wait.". Ok...we are meeting a client for a business meeting. "I told you to sit over there.". Needless to say I didn't even bother with waiting. Blue Hour was happy to have my business. Obviously this restaurant doesn't need customers so I suggest going elsewhere as you are wasting their time coming here.
(1)Laura H.
Why is a martini $11?? Their house white is just as nice and excellent with the anchovy pie. Atmosphere is lovely, although I was a little confused by the tables out in the middle of the street. That must cost a pretty penny to the city of Portland and may drive their prices up a bit if it doesn't prove worth it. Doesn't really seem appealing to sit out there, either. Large mirrors up the walkway make the dining room look larger, the kitchen is wonderfully designed, candles and lighting are beautiful and tastefully placed. Service is standard, our experience was neither exemplary nor insulting. I think with time they will have adequate knowledge to show a little more passion about what they bring to the table. Worth a try, definitely. Check out their menu before you go.
(4)Megan R.
After having some amazing cocktails out of state, I was in search for a Portland restaurant that served up some spiffy cocktails. I found it! Their drinks are so delicious and pair perfectly with their amazing pizzas!
(5)Jena L.
Happy Hour pizza was a let down. I think their pizza oven is too hot? Had the salami/honey, added sausage. The toppings are quality, it's very apparant, and very delicious! The crust though is a huge fail. Edges burnt, middle thinner than the thin layer of toppings it needs to support and just barely cooked. Try to pick up a slice? Crust droops, toppings slide right off. If anyone is working on a viagra for pizza crusts, this is a prime test subject!
(2)Clay B.
Happy hour here is a must. The pizza is amazing and don't even get me started on the kale salad. It's something that dreams are made of. You can't beat their hand crafted cocktails as well. I can't wait to come back to Portland to enjoy the atmosphere of this place and devour some fantastic pizza.
(5)Ami G.
The Eggplant Parmesan sandwich is the greatest sandwich I have ever tasted. The roasted eggplant is diced and tossed with herbs atop peppery arugula and fresh mozzarella all inside the chewy wood fired bread. If you like sandwiches, you must try the Eggplant Parmesan. The atmosphere is perfect for all occasions and any dining experience. Great for families or a cocktail night out. Service was wonderful too! I will be back and back again!
(5)Jacob C.
Went it at lunch time and was disappointed a bit in the limited menu. I wanted to have a drink and an appetizer at the bar but ended up ordering a sandwich. It was really good...just not what I was looking for. I will be back some evening to try the arancini.
(3)Alley M.
We ate here for lunch today for the first time. If I had been in the mood for a mixed drink, this would have been the place. Regardless, the pizza was delicious and the staff were friendly and quick. Will definitely go back when we are in town.
(4)Kathleen B.
Excellent pizza; I'd say it's up there with Ken's as Portland's best pizza. The sausage hot-pepper was amazing. I don't love the honey they drizzle on the crust, but I'm one of those people who doesn't like to mix sweet and savory. We had good salads as well, and the fried chickpeas are amazing. Seriously, you don't even have to be a chickpea person. Interior is very cool, though we sat outside. Which brings me to the missing star. On food alone, I'd give this place 5 stars. Minus a star for being totally un-child friendly. It is clearly by design; they have no high chairs or boosters, no change table in the bathroom, and they seem to put most parties with kids at the outdoor tables. They don't want a lot of kids their, it's not part of their vibe, okay. But I have kids, so I would have enjoyed it more with a few amenities.
(4)James O.
Great place. Started with the pineapple cocktail, which is something I always shy away from, but the bartender said if he could recommend one drink to anyone ever it would be that. It was amazing! Then I got the whiskey with grapefruit and honey, which was equally as good. The next taste of heaven was when our food came out: salad with goat cheese and pickled onions with balsamic. The pizza was next-pork belly pizza with veggies. One of the best pizzas I've ever had. The atmosphere of this place was top notch. I highly recommend this place. What more could you want?
(5)Abby B.
Pizza was great! Crispy crust, tasty toppings. Just the right amount of cheese and sauce to bread ratio. Service was great, the place had a nice atmosphere, though I wish we could have sat outside on a beautiful day like the one we had.
(4)Amy B.
Love this place. The salami with arugula added is the best pizza even though I really enjoy a great vegetarian. They also have some great creative drinks.
(5)Rose B.
Best artisan pizza in the Pearl! I recommend the spicy salami & honey pizza. Go during happy hour for the same size pizza up to $5 cheaper. Drinks here are also excellent with freshly made purees though they're a little more spendy than I'd like. The service is sometimes slow so don't go when you're in a hurry, but that doesn't bother me and the servers are always friendly.
(4)Gianna S.
Excellent thin crust artisan pizza, and they serve until midnight. Yay! The sausage topping is particularly tasty.
(4)Marcus I.
The service was very mediocre and the pizza was very bland. I felt like I was paying for the ambience as opposed to the food. For the price you can do much better.
(2)Lina L.
Delicious pizza. Went here on a Friday night and the place was packed. I was in a group of 7, but luckily ended up waiting a lot shorter than the hostess originally quoted. I really like their pizzas, especially the mushroom pizza with sausage added (recommended by our server!). I wasn't a super big fan of the salami with honey, but that's because i'm not a super big fan of salami in general. The margherita pizza is also good, but not my most favorite margherita in Portland. I really enjoyed the cocktails here. There's a not so secret list of classics as well. They also have a non-alcoholic drink section, that looks pretty tasty. I tried some of the homemade ginger ale my friend ordered - it was really ginger-y! Lastly, there was no charge for gratuity, and they split the check no problem, crazy! There is also happy hour during the weeknights, which offers a great deal on food. I'd definitely come back for both the pizza and drinks.
(5)Jess P.
Suppli al telefone!? My tastebuds have been in a heart-broken induced hibernation since leaving both Italy and the wonderful breaded risotto balls that defined my vacation. When I saw these little guys on the menu, my heart pretty much stopped. Thankfully, they were so good they jolted me back to life. True story. They were just as delicious as the ones I had in Roma, and way less expensive if you take plane fare into account. The pizza was also amazing. The first time I got the margherita- and it was fine as far as margheritas go. The second time I got the Rapini....drooooooooooolllll......SOO good. Shitake, marscapone, provolone, almonds and whatever else was on that thing- pure rapture. The crust, also, was out of this world. Happy hour from 10-close....doooo it. Also- extensive cocktail, beer and wine menu. I had a stout (because, really, you can't go wrong with a stout). My friend had a Corleone that tasted "antique-y". As odd as "antique flavor" sounds, it really worked. I've also had the house wine (separate trip, I'm not a lush....shhhhh). Great flavor, fair price. High five! Also, the service was great. Everyone is incredibly friendly and don't even look at me funny when I run in exclaiming my love for the arancinis!
(4)Cookin B.
The pizza was OK. I was a bit disappointed I couldn't order any of the finger food menu items during happy hour. That's a flaw for us folks not really interested in stuffing are faces with dough but more fell like munching on an assortment of items. That's actually why we went in this joint, But the bartender would only serve happy hour menu, weird and they didn't even have IPA. Wrong keg delivered. Early Friday evening, that problem should be fixed. Anyhow got some pizzas, cauliflower, rapini, wild fennel sausage. The breadcrumbs on the cauliflower got to go, way over cooked. It tasted like deep fryer crumbs with maybe some ground fried pork fat and a couple of pieces of bone to go with that. The rapini pizza is to loaded as the mascarpone tastes better when the pizza cools. Otherwise a soggy mess. Well at least we got happy hour prices on these over topped "gourmet pizzas" best thing they have going for them is the Radicchio salad. too bad I didn't get to try the finger foods.
(3)Adam R.
Nice trendy spot. Good food. Not mind-blowing, but good. Will go back and try some more varieties. Service was solid.
(4)Ted F.
Bad food, bad service, bad attitude - the hostess was rude - when we asked if we could add a chair to our table she told us they "never do that"...so two people had to sit in a space for one...the wait for food was long and the pizza was burned...second drink order took 15 to 20 minutes...sorry don't get all the hype....
(1)Jill B.
We were so excited to try the pizza in the cool and eclectic neighborhood ! Then, we were "greeted" by the hostess. she was incredibly aggressive and inflexible , to say the least. she refused all reasonable requests, and became agitated and wouldn't leave us alone once we were sat. The city of Portland is full of service oriented people but not here.
(1)Gerard B.
Fun place to eat! great pizza & beer!
(4)Rebecca R.
Went on a Friday night and expected to be on a wait but luckily we were able to be seated quickly even though the dining room was full. Unfortunately, that was the quickest part of the night. It took a while for the server to greet us but I understand since it was pretty busy. No biggie. I am okay with a long greet time as long as everything else is good. Unfortunately, service was poor. Our server visited everyone around us but walked by us. She did not check back on us until our pizza plate had been bussed. I understand servers get busy but this was not acceptable. The salami pizza was fantastic. The saltiness of the meat with the light sweetness of the honey was a great combination despite my reservations. We will be back for the food and hopefully the service will be better. I suspect it will be as the place always hopping. Limited selection of pizzas and they all have unusual toppings. If that is not your thing, hit up another pizza joint because this is not the place for you.
(3)Michelle S.
I like this place, although the service was abysmal the first time we went. Second time was much better. The pizza and salads are both great, and I've really enjoyed the cocktails as well. We got some olive oil ice cream last time, so tasty! Although we didn't care for the extra olive oil on top. Still yum though.
(3)Josh P.
been here a few times and have never been disappointed. the cauliflower pizza is really good, as is the one with fennel sausage and potato. The crust is thin but not so thin it becomes a cracker... excellent, in my opinion. the drinks are made with fresh ingredients, and are priced appropriately for the pearl, although I would like to see a more extensive beer list last time I was there during happy hour, one pizza and one salad was the perfect sized meal to split between my wife and I
(4)Bradley B.
Late night in NW the Pizza is cheap and the place is really dimly lit, peaceful and classy. Great for many different kinds of occasions. A very "Portland" establishment.
(4)Jeff M.
Oven and Shaker took over the friendly (and usually empty) Italian place at 1134 NW Everett in the Pearl. O&S kept the oven, but about everything else is different. The dark, narrow, slice of what probably was an old warehouse building has the bar on one side, shared bistro tables with barstools, in the middle, and an edge of tables with regular chairs on the other side. Because older folks value comfortable chairs, the barstools probably helps keep O&S patrons the younger side of the population age curve. Taking a page out of the old movie "Cocktail," O&S stocks its bar with tall, fit, handsome men. They keep the ladies returning, which attract the men, so the theory goes. "Shaker" refers to cocktail shakers, and the Oven turns out pizzas. The food menu also offers salads, small plates and dessert. We started with the Kale salad, livened up with grapefruit, poppy seed fricco, and a nice vinaigrette. (Kale, of course. What else is growing these days in the Pacific Northwest?) The small plates are small, but mostly inexpensive. We tried the minestrone and bread fritter, which is not soup, but tasty soft triangles with the texture somewhere between bread and mashed potatoes. The lamb meatballs, also, tickled the tastebuds. Next, we filled up on a pizza featuring roasted squash escarole and spiced walnuts. Other creative pizzas on the menu included Wild Fennel Sausage; White Truffle, Brussels Sprouts. No pepperoni or Hawai'ian pizza, here. We skipped the cocktails and, instead, enjoyed glasses of the house red and house white wines. Both were quite good. (I've had some really bad house wines at some restaurants.) Oven and Shaker deserves a thumbs-up. Although we feel bad for the nice people who used to occupy the space, the pros who run O&S are in a different league. They have transformed the location into a hip, Pearl hotspot with creative, good-tasting food that is priced reasonably. January, 2012
(4)David B.
Great pizza, good drinks, awesome playlist and friendly staff. Had a great time as an outsider just visiting
(4)Michelle Pearl G.
You could find me, every Sunday evening, at Nostrana. Either sipping on wine, whiskey or Aviation gin. It was obvious enough to my friends that I'd love Oven & Shaker, enough so that they bought me a ticket to check out the menu and drinks on November 22nd's private pre-opening event. We had the entire menu between our group, and quickly made friends with the customers to our left, sharing everything family style. There was not one item that I was unhappy with, both in food and drink. The atmosphere is cozy yet still modern. I have a slight favoritism towards establishments located across the bridge. I feel that many downtown restaurants are commercialized and not as adventurous on their menus, paired with a hefty price tag. It's nice to have a spot in the Pearl that ventures outside of the average norm on menu selections, this I'm extremely happy about. You wont be disappointed upon your visit here, I highly recommend it.
(5)Jacqueline F.
Overall, not compelled to go back and eat their pizza, but would go back and have a drink at the bar. Read on to hear why... Dined in for dinner on Wednesday night in early September for two to taste their pizza. Immediately was seated outside. Both inside and outside were busy and the atmosphere appeared in good tidings. Drinks a bit spendy, but their unique signature cocktails are worth a try. Ordered a arugula/peach pizza and a meat pizza. The arugula/peach needs fast improvement. The meat pizza was comparitvely better than the peach, but not awesome. We requested salt, pepper, and olive oil for the table. They all come in tiny, tiny saucer bowls, enough to fit two fingers in. The 1oz olive oil request cost us an extra $1. We purchased two pizzas, one cocktail, three beers, and...a dab of olive oil too. It was certainly good olive oil, I will say that. But it really felt like a 'nickel dime' experience when we saw the olive oil charge on the bill, and was a bit of a turn-off for us both. I think because we sat outside, and it is quite a journey to get back into the main part of the restaurant, our service experience wasn't quite up to snuff. Next time, it will just be a drink at the bar.
(3)James S.
Three different pizzas, on three different occasions. The flavors are great, and they remind me of [some] of the pizza in Italy. The main difference I noticed, is that in Italy they actually put cheese on their pizza. Something I'm a fan of every once in a while. But what do I know...... 1 pizza + 1 [excellent] drink = $28.50 and I'm out the door. The last two times though I was hungry an hour later and had to find a burger happy hour special downtown.
(3)Aaron S.
Good but still not as good as the hype. A bit overpriced (probably due to location). Would go back but man there is better pie shops in Portland and I don't have to deal with the downtown parking situation.
(3)Jill S.
Ate here in the summer of 2012. Wanted a simple pizza with arugula and they made it for me. Was exactly what I wanted. Service was great. It's a loud space, and you can buy the staff a beer. When that happens they ring a bell! Fun place.
(4)Jennifer F.
So, I've been to Oven & Shaker twice now... I'd say round 1, knocked it out of the park, 5 stars all the way! From the great spot at the bar, entertained by the meticulously measured cocktail creations, to the mouth watering BIANCA PIZZA with the fennel sausage added (by recommendation). I couldn't tell people enough about this place. But, round 2, just didn't live up to my previous experience. Drinks were still good. Tried the LA FETTUNTA, which is an olive oil and garlic party in your mouth, definitely recommend. Really it was the pizza that let me down. We had the MUSHROOM PIZZA which had good flavor... but the crust was kind of limp. Last time I remember the crust was cooked to perfection and had a nice crisp crunch to it, the slice would hold its shape when you lifted it up. This was not the case, and therefore the pizza just didn't have the same amazing factor it had for me the first time. We did have a scoop of the MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP GELATO, and it was delicious! Super refreshing and made with fresh mint, no artificial flavoring here! I'd like to give O &S another try, to redeem themselves back to five stars, but there are so many places I still would like to try, I'm just not sure when I will get around to it.
(3)Modestly I.
I like Oven and Shaker. The last time we went was a gorgeous, balmy summer night, so the wait was long, but if you leave your name and number with the hostess she will call you when your table is ready. I was really hungry and couldn't wait 45 minutes to get something to eat, so I walked a couple of blocks away to get a snack and do a bit of shopping before dinner. They have a huge, HUGE bar in the restaurant, one of the biggest I've ever seen in a pizzeria that wasn't a sports bar and there are two drink menus: one is the short list of daily specials that comes out with the dinner menu, and the other, which you have to ask for, is a bound catalog of around fifteen or twenty pages of old school drinks. Drinks are very good here, another rarity for a pizzeria, but this isn't your average pizza place. It's a grown up, much more polished version of the pizza places you used to go as a kid after soccer games or swim meets. I ordered the wild fennel sausage pizza, the arancini (which are risotto balls that are breaded and fried to sublime perfection), and the kale salad. The salad was well dressed; kale can be tough if you don't massage it enough or wait long enough to serve it after dressing it and the other flavors in the salad worked really well with the bitterness of the kale. Pizza was nicely done: slight crispiness on the outside of the crust, nice and chewy on the inside though I would have preferred a little more tomato sauce. Service was friendly and efficient, drinks came quickly. It's *really* loud in here, which I think could be addressed by some sound dampening treatment on the ceilings, and it can be a bit hard to hear the person you're with at the table- the reason I didn't give five stars.
(4)Cynthia M.
I love the food, cocktails and vibe. The arancini are amazing! Ham plate is fabulous. The pizza is great. I suggest the salami with honey, so good! I also love the brussel sprout and bacon. Some of the best cocktails in town!
(4)Monique D.
Visited Oven and Shaker last night in a party of 10 before heading to see The Santaland Diaires. At 5:30, the restaurant was already packed and we were seated about 45 minutes later. It would be great if O&S would accept reservations for larger parties. The servers and staff were very friendly and great, especially considering how crazy things most likely were in for the staff on an opening weekend. Drinks...I went with the Mexican Firing Squad and was a little disappointed. Lots o' ice and nothing "firing" about it. I should have gone with my first idea...the Pineapple Train Wreck...tasted a friend's and it was fabulous, the spicy ginger added just the kick I was looking for in the Mexican Firing Squad. Food...the Nostrana salad was tasty as expected...our group shared a few of these and a few pizzas. I would suggest if you share ensuring you order at least 1 salad and 1 pizza for every 2 people...we should have ordered a little more, but we ordered quickly in order to get to the performance. Pizzas...loved the Salumi, Brussel Sprouts and margherita pizzas...especially the Salumi. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was that O&S woodfired pizza means charred to burnt in certain areas...I know it is a thin line but I'd like fewer burnt areas on the crust. Lastly, one in our party ordered the goat cheese arancini (risotto ball) and I wish I had a bite, looked great! Advice...go early or go late...it was tasty and I'm sure once they get a flow going it will be a great place to visit again. Congratulations on your opening Oven and Shaker!
(3)Carter H.
I live close by and have long admired the space and the idea of delicious wood-oven pizzas in the neighborhood. Sometimes the anticipation or ideas in your head are better than they are in actuality... Pros: - They were able to accomodate our group of 8 without much hassle. - Pretty good cocktails. - Pizza is good. Although I agree with some other reviewers that the crust is oddly crisp, but also limp. - They let us run 5 or 6 credit cards for our bill. - Nice space with large open windows. Cons: - Service was lacking as it took over ten minutes for my first cocktail to arrive while we waited for the rest of our party, and the place was not that busy. The bartender who brought the drink over did apologize for the wait so she knew and I do appreciate that sort of acknowledgment. I also brought a bottle of wine and had to ask the server twice if he could bring some glasses and open the bottle. He brought glasses the second time, but then did not open the bottle. I kindly asked another server, and she was more than happy to help and also let me know that it was our server's first night off of training so things were starting to make more sense. - $11 salad was small (almost too small for two people to share) and a bit underwhelming. Not bad. Neutral: - Grunge music from 1993. Overall it fit the bill for what we needed, but I am in no rush to return.
(3)Brian C.
This place is owned by the same people who run Gruener. They have very unique pizzas, the crust is sooo good. The drinks are very creative also. I tried to order a long island and the waitress told me she didn't know if they could make it so I had a beer. We had the sausage pizza and the margehrita pizza, they were great. This is a great choice.
(4)rick r.
Finally a pizza on the west side that I can recommend. O|S has a selection of well-curated pizzas to choose from, and some toppings available to add or substitute. After a moderate wait (45 minutes, but they took my cell so we could go wander Powells), we were seated at a table that was a bit too um, intimate, for me, N, and the baby Roxy. Which was fine, and good for the atmosphere, but it took some juggling to keep wine and other breakables for exploring arms. The ambiance hits a nice chord between trendy, upscale, and casual, in a very Portland way. We ordered a carafe of the house red, and the pear and white anchovy pizzas. They were both thin crust and beautifully charred. The crust leaned chewy over flaky, which was fine. Both pizzas were fantastic and completely different. An egg was available to add, which I didn't think sounded right with either, but in retrospect might have been a good addition to the anchovy. Service was very friendly. O|S does not fall under the kid-friendly banner (no boosters or high chairs), but they were pretty accommodating of us, and friendly to the in-arms child. I was also consumer of a delicious mixed whiskey drink, I believe it was a Scofflaw. It was complex and deliciously drinkable. And the Tuscan brownie dessert was a treat. Brownie, lightly sweet shipped cream, and gelato with amarena cherries. They brought a third spoon for the babe, and we all devoured it.
(5)Ashley C.
I've been here at least five times, and three of them within a week's span. I love the atmosphere, spaciousness, and food; especially the pizzas. I do recommend reserving your spoace; or it will be a very long wait time. Who knew pizza can be glamorous, delicious, and tasty.
(5)Ghassan A.
It's always fun to check out a newly opened spot, and nowadays in Portland you could pretty much eat out every night of the week at a newly opened restaurant and never run out. Wood fired pizza is one of the many new fads in town, and in the past year alone there have been a number of new places. As a disclaimer, I must say that my heart will always lie with NY style pizza, it's the real deal. However, wood fired pizza is much lighter, and definitely makes for a more enjoyable dining experience, allowing one to enjoy drinks, appetizers, and salad without getting too full. Oven & Shaker is the newest on the list, having only been officially opened less than a week. It's in a nice space in the Pearl, and fits in with many of the other restaurants in that area. I don't eat much in the Pearl, as most of the restaurants I enjoy are on the east side, but I live in Northwest so I'm always willing to venture into the Pearl to check out a restaurant that has some hype. The good stuff first. The drinks were delicious. My fiancee had an old fashioned which she enjoyed, and I had some sort of blackberry muddled cocktail with green walnut liqueur, which usually isn't my thing, but sounded like it was worth a try. Next, the Tuna meatball appetizer was phenomenal. It came served in a sweet marinara and was quite delicious. We also had the Nostrana salad, which is sort of a caesar salad made only with raddiccio. On to the not so good. Our pizza came to us a little burnt. I suppose this is one of those things that can happen from time to time with wood fired pizza. The oven temperature needs to be just right. Too hot you burn it, too cold and you don't get the crispy crust. Ours was burnt, tasting charred and smoky around the edges. Next was the arugula on our pizza. This is a favorite of ours, and fortunately is something available at pretty much any of the wood fired joints in town. If you've never had fresh arugula on top of your pizza, you're missing out. Anyway, the amount of arugula on our pizza was pitiful compared to other establishments, which made us quite sad. At Ken's, for example, you get an entire salad's worth of arugula piled high on your pizza for an extra $2. But here we paid $3 and got an amount of arugula that was enough to just taste, but not feel like you're getting a nice dose of veggies. The other complaint we had was the temperature of the place. It was in the low 40s upper 30s outside, and inside wasn't much better. It didn't feel like there was any heat on in the place, other than the oven. I noticed that we weren't the only one's with our coats on the entire time. All in all, we really enjoyed the dining experience. Everyone was super friendly, and the place had a nice energy. The drinks and the appetizers were fantastic. There was just those other items that prevent me from giving it more stars. I'm sure it's just some of the kinks associated with the opening of a new place.
(3)Ronald A.
Rebecca and I stopped in for a bite before heading to a benefit for Outdoor School. Since we arrived after 6:30, we waited 30 minutes for a place to eat. We sat at the window bar. We ordered the radicchio salad; we ate I the last time and enjoyed it again; of course, lots of cheese and garlic helped. We also ordered the Bosc pear pizza with talegio cheese and the banga cauda, which had squash, peppers and arugula. Both were good, served hot and big enough to bring some home for lunch tomorrow. A glass of vino nobile di montepulchiano. A very nice meal to share with my bride. This is our second visit and not our last.
(4)Will E.
Although the menu is riddled with pork dishes the Mushroom Pizza was one of savory bliss and an absolute silver lining to this pork laden menu. Every bite was sweet yet salty enough to make you salivate as the ingredients danced on your tongue. The pizza is very good and the location is prime. So prime it would serve you best to make a reservation to avoid the sixty minute wait. The bar is one to be in awe of; it literally spans the length of the wall. Tables are created like Thanksgiving dinner at your Mom's house where as one party leaves a spacer is placed in the gaps to extend the seating area. It's like the ultimate game of Jenga without the teetering crash. The atmosphere is very reminiscent of Central Perk from the sitcom Friends were Chandler, Ross & Monica hipsters of course! The ambience is dim and the music pumping the night I was there sounded like it was ripped straight from Lenny Kravitz' iPod; it was a mix of everything! Nice. I would absolutely visit again but probably on a night where it is really slow, although I doubt there is such a night.
(4)Jennifer S.
I had heard of this place a week or so ago, but since I'm not a huge pizza eater wasn't dying to try it until a friend posted a picture of their Brussels sprout/bacon pizza....and that was it. I went the very next day. It was busy but not packed; we got seated right away (there were only two of us), and our server was on the ball and friendly. Of course I had the B. sprout & bacon pizza, and my friend ordered the squash and walnut pizza. Don't cringe - walnuts belong on pizza. Both were insane. I must go back as soon as possible. The only drawback was the noise level, but it wasn't like we had to yell to hear each other. The design is typical Portland, mixing elements - lots of wood, metal, etc. Loved the gigantic mirrors over the entry wall, and the fact they weren't tilted down in such a way that you could stare at everyone in the place if you were facing them.
(4)Marie N.
a group of friends all met for lunch here a few weeks ago, we sat outside and had an enjoyable meal. Two of us had pizza, though my friend's had a lot of black crust which she picked off (understandably) and the other two had sandwiches. Service was friendly and prompt.
(4)Aidan G.
They were always bugging me... And we're a bit rude...
(2)Erin C.
Short & Sweet: We thoroughly enjoyed our drinks, and I really appreciate the effort they seem to put into their mocktails. The pizza, however, was nothing special. I prefer Ken's or Lucca's. As Alyssa C put it, "I'd consider coming back here for the 'shaker' but not the 'oven'."
(3)cory h.
Nom. Nom. Nom. I've been here three times now, and they haven't even been open two months yet. My favorite thing so far has been the salami. I like the salami plate, the salami pizza (with honey - how original!), and the other salami stuff. If you're looking for the real deal wood oven fired thin crust pizza, this is a great place. The crust is just thick enough to hold all of the toppings, while being thin enough to be chewy in the right way and tasty to boot. My wife and I don't drink alcohol, so we were also delighted to find that they have an array of mocktails. The gingery one is the best we've tried so far.
(5)Jennifer W.
I came here last night for their first opening night through Living Social deal. It is chef tasting menu but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the tasting menu is pretty much all you can eat dinner and drinks from their menu. Chef Cathy Whims's unique tasting menus feature thin crust pizzas, fresh from the wood oven, along with seasonal appetizers and salads, house made gelato, and wood oven-baked fruit desserts. We had 3 appetizers (the cazzilli - croquettes, goat cheese aranchini - risotto, and the veal shoulder). Among the appetizers, we agreed that the veal shoulder is the best. thinly sliced meats with anchovy sauce. Not too overpowering but enough to give it rich flavor. So delicious! We also ordered 2 pizza - chanterelle mushroom and the fennel sausage pizza. the mushrooom pizza is another great hit among us. the fennel sausage is too mild and not enough flavor. During this dinner, we befriended our neighboring couple and shared our food in the process :) They ordered the squash pizza and the tomato pizza. Love those 2 pizza too. I never know squash pizza can be that good and the basic tomato pizza is simple but delish. The cocktails are delicious and with an emphasis on classic cocktail twists made with whimsical and often unexpected flavor combinations. Beer and wine are also available. i love the decor of this place - lots of wood finish and feels very warm and inviting. One note, don't expect this to be the same as Nostrana's pizza. According to report, "Oven and Shaker is her fun lab, not simply a showcase for classical treatises... No more knives big enough to frighten Jack Bauer or scissors. These pies will be sliced to order. Sometimes un-authentic is OK." - There're still limited spaces available to try out the chef tasting menu this friday nov 25th and saturday nov 26th. Just go to their website and sign up. Overall, I'd stop by here again.
(4)CA f.
Their happy hour is great. Their pizza is amazing- very authentic italian. Aracinni is delicious. Very solid place.
(4)Julie S.
So, we get to Oven & Shaker and there is a long line. All the way down the little aisle with the ramp and then some. I look at my friends and secretly judge them for making us wait in line for a pizza. And then they walk up to the bar and get us a round of delicious cocktails to pass the time, which makes waiting in line not bad at all. And then we get the most ridiculously good pizza I have had in a while (besides Lola and Black Sheep in Mpls). Interesting topping combinations that are even better in your mouth than they are on paper. The salami and honey was the big win for us. This isn't your typical pizza joint. This is the place to come when you want a really good wood oven pizza with a little char on the crust and great toppings. Not a lot of sauce and bins of crazy bread.
(4)Kevin L.
Delicious pizzas and other goodies
(4)Carlos C.
Their pizzas are pretty good, although I wish the crust was a tiny bit thicker, just to better preserve its structural integrity when leaving the plate. I love their topping selection. On our last visit the appetizers and the pizza came together, which is not ideal when you want to have them in order and do not want to risk your pizza getting cold.
(4)Clayt R.
Visiting Portland I wanted to get as much fresh seafood as possible, after 3 straight days of terrific meals I was ready for a change of pace. My daughter had heard about O & S and it sounded good. I was completely surprised. First off we ordered a couple of cocktails. I have learned from every other bar to order my ice separate for my bourbon, so its not watered down by the time it gets to me. Not necessary here the attention to detail this place has begins with... the ice cubes! Hard frozen and actual cubes! I have never seen this before. Shared the mushroom pizza with fennel sausage added. Loved the crust, ingredients are fresh. Wonderful! Great place! Next time in Portland I'll be back.
(4)Hannah L.
I was in Portland this past weekend for business and decided to check out Oven and Shaker at the recommendation of a coworker. It did not disappoint! Food: We split three pizzas (margherita, bianca, and goat cheese) and an order of fried chickpeas between four people, which was plenty. The margherita and goat cheese pizzas were quite wonderful, however I found the bianca pizza a little too garlicky for my taste. Crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese would have made nice additions, but I suppose this wasn't the kind of place that you would expect these items to be on the table. Drinks: The drinks were incredibly fresh and well made! I ordered the Pimm's Rangoon (Pimm's No. 1 Cup, lemon juice, ginger syrup, club soda, cucumber slices, berries, herbs, and citrus) and it was amazing. Others in my dining party order the Cantaloupe Cucumber Sour (gin, lemon juice, cantaloupe, honey syrup, bitters, and a cucumber slice) and the Pepper Smash #2 (mint leaves, Krogstad Aquavit, lime juice, maple syrup, and yellow bell pepper juice) and had positive reviews as well. Service: Spot on. Our server, as well as other restaurant staff, were attentive and friendly and made for a wonderful dining experience. Atmosphere: Comfortable and a more upscale from your typical pizza place. I was with a group of four and we were seated with another group of four at an eight-top, but I hardly noticed there was another group there and they were just finishing up as we were sitting down. They also have outdoor seating, which seems like it would be quite lovely on a nice summer evening. All in all, it was a pleasant dining experience. If I ever find myself it Portland again, I am not sure if this would be my first choice because there are so many other wonderful places that I want to try, but I would definitely recommend it to others.
(4)Lee P.
Although the food was delicious the prices are ridiculous! $36 for One salad, One pizza and two coffees is just unnecessary.
(2)Charles B.
Being a big Kathy Whims fan I had high hopes for Oven and Shaker, unfortunately I was pretty underwhelmed. It started good with an excellent take on an Old Fashioned. Next up was the Nostrana salad, an old friend from Nostrana the restaurant, and the antipasto misto, with it's very tasty fried fennel. So all this sounds good, right? The problem was the pizza, which is really the heart of the menu. I love thin, crisp, pizza but Oven and Shaker only gets you halfway there. Both pizzas was indeed thin but also soggy. It wasn't anywhere close to the quality you get at Nostrana or Ken's. Next time I want pizza, I'll stay on the eastside
(2)Megan L.
This place is fantastic. They have 4 seats available right infront of the oven, which is by far the best seat in the house. Admittedly a bit hot after a few minutes, but worth it to be able to watch the pizzas being made, and witness how a successful kitchen works on a busy Friday night. This would also be a great seat once the weather starts to cool down... We shared the Padron & the Wild Fennel Sausage- both fantastic. We planned to take some home for left overs, but they didn't stand a chance, they were both gone within minutes. The drinks were delicious- I like the idea of gourmet pizza & cocktails, rather than greasy, heavy pizza & beer- but of course they have beer if that is what you're in the mood for. My boyfriend tried the Pimms Rangoon & I chose the Lost Cosmopolitian which both were great- the Cosmo was a bit on the spicy side- surprising- but I welcomed it. The service was great- definately a team & everyone seems to be willing to pitch in regardless of their position, so long as the customer is satisfied (for example, the hostess came over & cleared our plates.) The one thing that stood out to me was when watching one of the guys in the kitchen slice prosciutto right infront of us, I made a comment that I just wanted to grab a piece & eat it- it looked incredible. A few minutes later, he snuck a plate to me with a piece of it to try! That made our night, just a simple gesture like that is what will keep us coming back- along with the delectable meal.
(5)Lisa K.
With how sleek and hip as this bustling place looks, you can tell Oven & Shaker is going to be a popular place amongst the trendy neighborhood locals and First Thursday crowd. This place seems like it will do well catering to the bar crowd. The drinks are delicious and inventive. Not too mention the ice cubes are a nice touch too. The only suggestions for improvement on the bar end would be: 1. Add some dessert wines to the lineup for those of us that are here for the food. 2. Have an alcohol (whisky) list to peruse. The waitress didn't know what whiskies were available and the boys had to resort to squinting across the restaurant to see what was on the shelves, or going over to the bar to see what was in stock. We were more satisfied with the drinks than the food. Currently, Oven & Shaker seems to make a better bar than a restaurant. The food was under whelming and sadly failed to deliver. With our group sampling 2 appetizers, 3 salads, 3 pizzas, and 1 dessert, the only thing that really stood out was the one pizza drizzled in honey. It was unique and tasty. All the other dishes looked good on the menu, but failed to impress once arriving. With this being their first week open, I look forward to them fine tuning things, especially the menu. The pizza crust is what you would want from a good wood-fired oven, the toppings just need some improvement. In the meantime, I'll be there for the drinks come First Thursday and getting my gourmet pizza fix from Ken's Artisan Pizza or Tastebud.
(3)Kristen M.
Oven & Shaker (O&S) - if Doug Fir Lounge + Vault Martini Bar + Sizzle Pie had a love child, it would probably be this place! You've got the ultra modern wood, glass, dim-lighting combined with an impressive bar menu (and bar itself) that serves up unique upscale flavored pizza. I really wanted to fall in love with Oven & Shaker (O&S) since it's the product of James Beard 2012 nominee Cathy Whims and mixologist Ryan Magarian. Unfortunately my experience with the food did not leave me wanting more...... they just left me feeling so-so. NETTLE PESTO PIZZA: Made with house made ricotta, balsamic vinegar, radicchio and prosciutto was served upon a wooden plate. Good for 6 slices. I loved the ingredients that went into making the pizza - very unique! This dish was decent, good to share and satisfied my hungry stomach. I do not think it's the "best" pizza I've ever had, but I do think it's worth the dollar for creativity. ($16, 3.5 STARS) POLENTA CROSTINI WITH SAUSAGE TRUFFLE SAUCE AND PARMESAN sounded yummy on the menu and so we decided to order it. Unfortunately, the finished product did not do any justice. The polenta crostini broke into mush after a break from a fork. I'm not too sure if it needed more time to be cooked since it was very lightly golden-brown. The sausage truffle sauce didn't really have the "truffle essence." I think it was masked by the sausage-esque flavors, which were a bit too salty for my book. ($6, 2 STARS) "PAPPAS FRITES" sounded like it would be a good choice of carbs to the meal. It's not listed on the menu anymore. Maybe because it was't a "hit" with others as well. Anyways, on the menu, it sounded like it would be presented as a hash or some type of similar dish. It was actually french fries with a side of aioli dipping sauce. The fries were extra, extra piping HOT! Burned my fingers when I touched them. I don't think they cooled it for a minute before plating. In addition, the fries were not cooked all the way through. Just one bite of it, there wasn't that "crispy-ness" you would get from french fries, let alone from homemade ones from here. Furthermore, whoever had the salt shaker, went a bit wild with this one because the fries were TOO SALTY - I had to dip it in the sauce to make sure I didn't get too much salt. We usually finish our fries when we eat out. Unfortunately we had to make some food go to waste. No bueno. ($6, 1 STAR) Service was on-the-spot. Our waitress took care of us from start to finish. The food was served fast! But maybe too fast since those fries weren't cooked all the way through (and maybe the polenta crostini as well?). Our waitress was very cordial with us and re-filled our water glasses for us. She was even kind enough to split our check with multiple cards during payment (plus in my book!) I didn't try any of their cocktails that evening since I was driving that night. I think if I were to come back to O&S, it would be for alcohol. I will attempt to try their pizza one more time, but as for now, it's just decent in my book - nothing to go bewildered about. Overall thought? Great vibe and drinks but so-so food
(3)Abbi R.
Fried garbanzo's to start, and perfectly paired with the whiskey cocktail. The spicy sausage with honey was a real treat. Can't wait to go back, but arriving early is a must. The sorbet selection was pretty great too!
(5)Brenden S.
I'm a little disappointed in this place. The pizza was thin crust... incredibly thin, so thin it was hard to even move the pizza from one plate to another. It wasn't crisp enough, clearly and all the toppings just sort of fell off. Not that the crust itself was anything to write home about. Certainly it didn't add anything to the pizza. The toppings were very up to standards for me, the Brussel Sprout Pizza surpassing them. But the crust was almost not there. Might as well have been not there. Why order pizza if you are just ordering the toppings? That is like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with two pieces of thin crackers. I also ordered a drink. And while the drink was extremely good, the olives they currently use are just sort of... meh. They don't add anything to the overall flavor. And as for the toothpick, my toothpick was super fancy looking... and it splittered into my olive which created a very painful surprise when I bit down into it. When I told the waiter there were toothpick shards poking the inside of my mouth, he seemed to shrug it off. Overall, this place has a lot of room for improvement. If they get pizzas with a thicker crust option and maybe switch to better olives they could have a really great little pizza place here.
(3)Julie P.
Loved this place for the artisan pizzas and casual yet cool atmosphere. Incredibly friendly bartenders; I'd recommend sitting at the bar for your meal to watch the hustle n' bustle. Had the Bianca pizza with pork belly and it did not disappoint.
(4)Lauren H.
If you are looking for burnt pizza crust and poor customer service, this is the place for you!
(1)Gemma S.
What a wonderful experience! Because of its popularity, we chose to wait until late night to go- otherwise I don't know if we would have gotten a seat. We had a large party (8 people) but they managed to seat us quickly and all together! Plus I sipped a delicious pineapple cocktail while I waited. I tried a few other cocktails, and I especially liked the Pepper Smash- very fresh and tasty! I ordered so many pizzas, it's hard to remember them all. There were options for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. I've never even heard of some of the combinations but they all worked and were delicious. I couldn't stop eating them! This is my favorite place in Portland and I'll definitely be coming back!
(5)Liz K.
Great pizza, very creative menu (both drinks and food), cool space and most refreshingly, super-friendly service! The one thing that could use some tightening is how the front desk estimates your wait - we were a party of 5 on a Monday night at 6:30 and she told us 1.5 hours which really surprised us. We almost went somewhere else for dinner and decided to go across the street for a drink and discuss - the hostess took our cell #. She called us in 20 minutes with a table so we were stoked - but we could have already been on our way somewhere else. I think this place will go the distance - just has that formula down that so many places don't!
(4)Greg L.
Ate here yesterday evening with my wife. I like the atmosphere and the different variety of pizzas that they have. We had both an Oregon White Anchioves and a Bianca. Food quality was good. The pizzas are eleven inches and are thin crust. Only negatives are that the Happy Hour is only from 2:30 to 4 pm which is awfully early. Overall, I enjoyed it although nothing really stood out and would make me necessarily come back but I would eat here again if I were hungry for pizza and in the Pearl area.
(3)James G.
Very good pizza and craft drinks.
(4)Bob L.
My wife and daughter's family including our twin grandsons went to the Oven and Shaker a while back during lunch time, checking out a national review. It is an interesting place, and is well laid out and decorated. It features a wood oven for pocket bread (puccias) and pizza, and an artisan bar (hence "shaker"). However, we were only interested in the pizza. The seating was a little awkward to us. The tables were bolted down and could only be joined with inserts between them. Our only complaint was the operation was not very child-friendly. They had no booster or high chairs and did not seem much interested in accommodating children. Since we were there for the pizza, this was not a strong negative, and the pizza was fabulous. We ordered the Margherita and three custom built varieties. They were among the best Neapolitan (Neo) style pizzas I can remember, although a bit pricey. For Neo style, which I typically don't like because they can be skimpy, O&S had ample sauce and toppings, and they were very tasty. The crust had a good amount of char and a good puffy cornicone that was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside: the desired characteristic. However, the service was slow and spotty considering there were only two parties there at the time. I complemented the host on his pizza and asked if O&S was VPN certified, but he did not seem to know much about it. I am no expert but I think they could probably get certification as is. Judging by other diner reviews I read, no one seemed to know about Neo style. This is a common problem. Most people compare them to their expectations of American, New York, Chicago (deep dish) etc. styles. Neo's stand alone and should be appreciated on their own merits. Great Neo style pizza, but don't bring the kids.
(4)Alice H.
Absolutely fantastic! After arriving from Hawaii at 9:30 pm he dining choices were few. We were warmly welcomed, not too crowded. Loved the currant sausage and arugula pizza and of course the raddichio salad. Service at the bar was great, especially the wine on tap, we had a great pinot blanc.
(5)Mike Q.
Good food, good drinks but over priced. It's a bit pretentious and to be honest you're paying for the atmosphere.
(4)Lindsay F.
Stopped in for an afternoon snack with my guy this weekend. We split the salami pizza (add arugula) and the meatball sandwich. The honey offsetting the salami flavor and the light tomato sauce and cheese on the pizza was DELECTABLE!!! Having a meatball sandwich that was more meatball than bread was wonderful but it was literally one of the best sandwiches of my life. This place gets my vote for sure!
(4)Adam P.
Food was fantastic! Drinkers were great and generous as well. Spicy salami and honey was so great I would return. Also had an amazing radicchio Cesar salad and risotto balls that were tasty.
(5)Paul A.
As always, I read the other reviews before writing my own. Let me start by reviewing the other reviewers: 1. The last time I heard the word "disappointed" so many times, I was walking by the Rose Garden after a Blazer's game. 2. I assume everyone writing reviews was an only child who had parents and grandparents catering to every need, however slight. In a whiny voice: "but mommy, I wanted my milk at 48 degrees in the Mickey Mouse cup, not 49 degrees in the Power rangers cup..." 3. Yelp invites us to express our opinions, but even the smallest amount of humility and recognition that your opinions and tastes are your own - not objective truth - makes your reviews sound better and more useful to the reader. Example: Rather than say, "the _______ was terrible. Say, "________ was _______y. I like _______ prepared _______ so I suggest trying __________ or going to _______ ." 4. Still many ironic critiques of places that don't warrant the crowd, when, of course, the reviewer was obviously one of that crowd. 5. Try to avoid dumb criticisms. For example, it's just dumb to say that the Portland Symphony needs to be more danceable, that the zoo sucks because of all the animals, and that the movie Saw 2 wasn't romantic enough. What I mean is, different restaurants are trying to achieve different things so a good review takes that into consideration. Don't knock a fast food place for not having fine linen napkins. Finally, the Review Oven and Shaker is great. Get the salami pizza with arugula added, the pineapple cocktail or a beer, and the Nostrana salad. The servers were attentive and genuine. Look around. Be happy. Feel lucky that you have enough money to eat.
(5)William T.
Went a couple of times. The space and energy of the place are great. The food is ok, but the portions tend to be small. If you like waiting in line, this might be the place for you, if not, there are better options, more reasonably priced in the area. I was surprised to receive pizzas with burnt crusts both times. Not really acceptable. I might try it again, but I am not in a hurry.
(3)Connie C.
I came here after reading some of the reviews, but left disappointed. Lacks flavor.
(2)Lee R.
Friendly staff, centrally located, great pizza, not too load so great place to grab a bite and socialize
(3)Everett S.
The pizza is good for Neopolitan. And they had the Raconteurs blasting when I ate there. But it seems like it's just a bit too much of a scene for what you get. I'll have to go back and test out their shaker section to give this place a real review.
(3)Sandra C.
Doughy, soggy. Pathetic comparison to nostrana's deliciousness.
(1)Cate M.
Super friendly service, delicious pizzas with amazing thin crust, and a great variety of interesting cocktails, made with freshly squeezed juice. We liked it so much we went twice during our week visit to Portland (once for dinner, once just for drinks).
(4)Eve P.
Great atmosphere, pizza, sandwiches and drinks! Try it!
(4)Lauren K.
The food was really delicious. Homemade ginger ale was bomb, too. I'd definitely pop in here again if I was hungry and in the neighborhood.
(4)Ryan M.
Absolutely loved this place. Made the acquaintance of barmaster Ryan Magarian by chance and visited O&S at his request...the roast beef sandwich and especially the salami pizza were both delicious, but it's really the cocktails that I have to recommend. Tell the bartender what you're in the mood for and they'll deliver, or pick from an extensive list of house specialties. You won't be disappointed. Oh, and ask for the story of how they sort the bottles on the back bar - chronologically.
(5)Sarah L.
I love this place. Desperately. The kale salad is the stuff dreams are made of. How do they slice it so thin?? The brussels spouts pizza - sounds gross, tastes awesome! I like the staff, the drinks, the price. I try to bring out of town guests here as it's one of the star places in Portland right now.
(5)Lo W.
We loved this place - We came in after we had made reservations at another restaurant and upon arrival did not like what we saw. We'd walked by earlier and I saw a drink with a pineapple leaf/spear in it and knew this place was for me. That drink was the Pineapple Trainwreck and it is delicious. Tropical flavors upfront with a little bit of a spicy ginger finish. We got sat at the bar and had great service from the very knowledgeable bartender. We ordered arancini (wild mushroom risotto balls stuffed with smoke mozzarella on top of a tomato ragu) for our appetizer and they were very good! Then we had the spicy salami pizza and it was also very good. The spiciness of the salami paired with a touch of honey was prefect. The crust is thin and chewy with a little wood-fired char, just how I like my pizza crust. I can't wait to come back.
(5)Vi B.
The location of O & S is ideal - really central to the nightlife and foot traffic of downtown Portland. Whenever I walk by the place is always PACKED - it's a good thing, I think - I love seeing this city alive. The few times I've been to O & S has been the same deal: fast seating (even when packed), good service, mediocre pizza/food. Really, besides their location/cool vibe, I'm not sure why they're as popular as they are. I know it ain't for the food!
(3)Amanda T.
This is hands down the best pizza place I have ever been to! They have classic house-made artisan pizzas as well as innovative pizzas such as the Maple Pig pizza, my personal favorite, sweet and salty at the same time. The outdoor seating is also really nice!
(5)Anna C.
A great pizza place! Not much on the menu besides pizza and salads, but they do a great job with everything! Would highly suggest the spicy salami pizza. The wait is usually 10-30 minutes long depending on your timing.
(4)J B.
Surprisingly great brunch spot! Their new outdoor seating is great and the food was delicious. Granted, a few adjustments could be made such as stronger coffee, but overall brunch was a really enjoyable experience. We tried their Eggs in Purgatory which was a delicious take on eggs in a spicy tomato sauce with bread. We also had their special red currant sausage pizza which was a beautiful, fresh and savory delight. Finally, we shared the biscuit with berries. I have never had a biscuit of perfection like that before. Lunch and dinner can be overpriced with expensive cocktails and pizza, but brunch I would recommend.
(4)Kristi J.
Loved the Spicy Salami pizza- so good with the honey drizzled on top! Not a huge beer list was was surprising.
(2)Martha R.
Love the atmosphere, and loved our service. The waitress was super witty - and that can be tough to find in the world. Found it here at Oven and Shaker, and it made our experience all the much greater. The pizza was quite solid, and we had the place to ourselves. I had some wine, and while the wine list wasn't extensive, the wine that I had was good. The atmosphere is homey and welcoming. I really liked hanging at this place, and when I make it back to Portland next, I'd definitely consider putting it on the list of places to eat.
(4)Joe H.
Oven & Shaker is a decent night out, but given the location and abundance of restaurants nearby I would take my date elsewhere. Staff was friendly enough but we almost felt ignored once seated. The seating itself is bizarre, with the bar acting like regular tables (there is a wait to sit there) and the high tables in the middle being first come, first serve. The flavors of the margherita pizza were pretty close to those of Naples, but the crust was burned and that ruined the pizza for us. And $13 for a burned pizza isn't acceptable. We might return for a happy hour sometime but meanwhile I wouldn't recommend dining here.
(2)Diane C.
The pizza here was just OK, not great. We arrived at 5:25 and Happy Hour was just about to end...seriously? Happy Hour ending at 5:30? Anyway, we did get our order in just under the wire. The food came really quickly. The house salad was pretty boring and the oil and vinegar dressing was just blah. My margarita was $7 at Happy Hour, which was still expensive since it was pretty small. The waitress was ultra-friendly. I cannot complain about the service. But I doubt if I will go back.
(3)Nikki B.
I stopped by Oven and Shaker for a late lunch on a day trip in Portland. I stumbled upon it while walking downtown with friends. I looked it up here on yelp and saw it had great reviews so we decided to go in. I ordered the Nostrana salad and shared a margerita pizza with a friend both were good. The service was pretty good also. This place is A-OK.
(4)Blaine P.
The salami with honey is OUT OF THIS WORLD great. I'm not even joking a little bit. Be sure to get this one item above all others!
(4)Jill W.
Cocktails and food so good....service so bad! I got the Honey Basil Collins (honey, basil, vodka, lemon juice, and seltzer) and Bianca pizza (teleme, truffled sottocenere, bufala mozzarella, fried sage). Both were terrific - great flavors. Pizzas were fairly small - I think if hungry enough, someone could eat one on their own. The service, on the other hand,... The servers kept going to the tables on either side of me, but I never got more than water and glasses slammed down on my table. I finally caught the server as she left the table next to mine and said "excuse me, may I order?" And she looked at me like I was crazy. She did take my order and the food came. But no one ever checked on me until about 10 minutes after I put my napkin on my plate to signal I was done. Disappointing...
(3)Michael C.
If you read a number of the reviews both positive and negative you get a very good idea of Oven & Shaker's pros and cons. Pros: Great location with a very cool interior. Service is excellent Pizza selection is good. Pizza is excellent (it was not very busy when we sat down) Drink selection ( with the emphasis on selection) Cons: Seats are not very comfortable Pizza: As they get busy they seem to have trouble keeping up with the quality hence the comments by others that pizza crust may arrive burnt. Drink Pour; look at the picture below and cut the quantity in 1/2. My advice is only go here if it is not packed. If it is quiet then I suspect will enjoy your experience.
(3)Sara F.
Great pizza, good drinks, fantastic staff. Had a great dinner here. We had the margherita and spicy salami pizzas. The seating is a little tight but not terrible. The staff is great: super attentive, friendly and fun. Made the experience all the better. We did wish for a little more variety (not just pizza) but should have just checked the menu first. We'll definitely go back. Fun tip: Buy the kitchen a six pack (it's on the menu) and see what happens.
(4)Stevie N.
If there were a place on this list I couldn't wait to go back to, it's Oven & Shaker. Their cocktail list is inspired and offers options for every palate. I had one of their alcohol free concoctions and even that was delicious. I met a friend here for lunch. We each had a different puccia (a wood oven pocket bread sandwich). I love that it is served with a salad to balance the filling sandwich. The restaurant itself is gorgeous: very simple with natural wood. Not very big, but a great spot for happy hour or dinner with friends.
(5)Mike R.
A solid choice for food and drink. I can say I am not really a fan of this style of pizza, but the food suprassed all of my expectations.
(4)Ari R.
I'm from out of town and every time I come in for a late lunch, it also happens to be happy hour. The mushroom pizza (add a duck egg) is insane. It's so good. The crust has that crack factor. I love the char on the edges. And with the egg.... forgetaboutit. I loved sitting at the bar looking at obscure bottles of Genever. They have such a great liquor selection... although my drink could have been stronger. Anyway, gorgeous space with lots of wood, friendly staff and food is always perfect. And during happy hour, my full sized pizza was like $7. What?!
(5)Elvira K.
Drinks = amazing. Pizza = delicious. They make their pizza unique and interesting without being overwhelmingly strange. They put a lot of care into making their drinks and you can taste it. Definitely try it if you like a gourmet pizza with a nice cocktail! Oh and we sat at the bar where the service was great!
(4)Edward B.
ATMOSPHERE: Excellent use of space. Long bar that fits the space (it wasn't an afterthought), then a row or two of stool seating at long narrow communal tables parallel to the bar, and finally a row of conventional low (chair-height) seating. The layout helps bar patrons fit in, instead of feeling like lepers. The open end (well, open when the weather is nice) is a couple feet above the sidewalk, which is nice if you don't like passers by getting too chummy. FOOD: Pizza crust was just a flat disc, as if it had been rolled out with a rolling pin, or perhaps cut from a sheet (I'm not saying it was made that way, I'm just describing the appearance). Toppings on my Wild Fennel Sausage pizza were great on paper, but I didn't like the balance/proportions. Overall, it was okay, but I wouldn't order pizza here again. Now I'm really curious to check out Nostrana and see how they compare. Regarding beer: I know this isn't a beercentric place, but come on, you serve Coors? Really? Not that I give a rat's behind what other people drink, but is that Coors displacing a better product you could offer? SERVICE: Slightly stilted, timid, lacking confidence. Maybe he was new, or maybe this isn't the best career choice for him. Could have been a little more knowledgeable and interested, but at least he did seek out an answer to my one question. And he shared some interesting thoughts on my beer, which was fun and interesting (the discussion was fun, not my beer). Also, I noticed some other staff who were obviously green and had to be instructed by senior staff. Overall, just not polished. Of course, this isn't fine dining, and such imperfections are part of the charm. Attitudes were good all around. I do wish that my server had stuck with me to the end. He wasn't on break or anything, I could see him right there in the dining area. I got the feeling they all collectively took responsibility for guests, but that just doesn't work well at all. PRICE/VALUE: About right for the neighborhood I suppose, but a bit more than I prefer to pay. Especially taking quality into account. That was not a $16 pizza. Well, I mean, it was...but it shouldn't have been. RESTROOMS: Great. Single occupancy, mixed gender, IIRC. Well placed: accessible, but not right next to somebody's table. OVERALL: I almost love this place. The concept is great. But with so-so food, high prices, and unpolished service, I don't see a need to return. Yeah, that's a harsh conclusion to reach after one visit, but there are, what, about 73 other places to eat in the neighborhood?
(2)Rachel C.
The drinks were pretty, but I've had tastier. I didn't eat, though the menu looked delicious. The atmosphere was great.... Contemporary simple melded with the classic building style and beams. The tall windows, open wide at midday were great. The service was kind of slow, though. I will go back to try the food (the salume plate and the wood fired pizza looked great) but if you're looking to be wowed with a drink... Not so great. Maybe I ought to come back in the evening.
(3)Jonathan F.
After reading reviews , my wife and I decided to try this restaurant's pizza. The meal was a total waste of $50+ and the nite manager's behavior ensured we NEVER RETURN. When we ordered the pizza we wanted, the waitress said they did not have the meat for that specific pizza so I requested the same pizza with a substitute meat topping that was equal in cost to the meat they ran out of.......Soooooo the pizza arrived with VERY LITTLE cheese but was otherwise fine. We got the bill and they charged us the proper (full) amount for the pizza BUT added $3 for the meat substitution which was not mentioned when we ordered.!?? I brought this to the attention of the waitress who sent over the manager who ARGUED with both my wife and me that she had done the "correct " thing. We pointed out we got nothing extra or free and had paid full price......and she continued to argue but eventually deducted the $3....after the PR damage was done! In conclusion, the pizza was OK and the experience was HORRIBLE! The staff clearly needs to go to Nordstrom's and learn how to interact with paying customers!!
(1)Emily A.
Oven and shaker is pretty sleek. But not in the "douchey" way where they might play Marvin Gaye as the last call song. They take their drinks seriously, a Portland rarity. A lot of thought and preparation went into their wine selection list and it shows. Add a margherita pizza with their Sangiovese or Syrah and you've got a safe bet Expect superior service (without the white gloves) and no-attitude Portland attitude. They know they are good, so pretension only hinders them. Do you and your friends a favor and hit this place during happy hour or dinner. Nice chill Vibe without the pearl b.s.
(5)Krisi H.
Great fun, trendy atmosphere! It gets a bit loud, but everyone is super friendly. The pizza is thin with fresh, clever ingredients. Order take out if you don't feel like waiting for a table. Great spot!
(4)Darin G.
Very tasty! We tried the squashed yellow pepper cocktail and the basil honey one. Both had great balance and flavor. The pizza was also very good too. Atmosphere was perfect and the service was good, yet the drinks were a little slow getting to us each time. I would definitely try this place again and recommend it.
(4)Ryan A.
I have been teetering between a one and a two star review for this place, but the more I think about it, the more I have to hand out a one star rating. I had to look and see how many one star ratings I've handed out, since everyone else seems to love this place. Maybe I'm too cranky? It wasn't just me, though, no one in our group was happy with our experience here. I have given out one star reviews in less than 7% of my reviews. I bet that's more than other people give out, but it doesn't seem out of line to me. I will be the first to admit that I know very little about Neapolitan style pizza. I have since done some research and will use that to not complain about what I just don't like. However, let's start with the service. To quote a friend helping me through this bad experience tonight, "hospitality is paramount." In my opinion, good food can make up for some poor service, but having the best food in the world isn't going to make up for truly terrible service. Our experience with the service wasn't "truly terrible," but it wasn't just "poor." I put my name on the list and told them there would be five of us. We were told the wait would be 45 minutes to an hour. Fine. No, good. Clearly this is a popular place and I'm willing to wait to try what is supposed to be some pretty amazing food. We found out after a bit (15-20 minutes?) that there would be one more joining us. So, we promptly told them we would have six instead of five people. We were told that this would add some more time to the wait. I thought that was a bit odd . . . where were they going to shove our fifth person in? There weren't any tables that would comfortably fit five but not six people. After about an hour and fifteen minutes, I went to check. We were told that the table they were planning for us had paid and they expected it to be less than fifteen minutes. While there, I noticed that we were at the top of the list and a few after us had already been seated. Fine, they probably had fewer people. However, there was a table for eight that got seated before us that arrived after. Not acceptable. The wait ended up being an hour and a half. When we were finally seated, our waitress made the experience worse. She stared at me from across the long table and apparently expected me to order something, but I was never really sure, since I could barely hear the person next to me, let alone her from that distance. She was rude and clearly didn't care about us the entire night. When someone with us asked what robiola was, she replied with "cheese." He looked at her and asked for a little more information. She said "soft cheese." She knew nothing more about it. If you're going to have rare items on your menu, your waitstaff should know something about them. By the way, she also brought him the wrong drink. Oh, and they don't serve cranberry juice. At a restaurant. A restaurant with a full bar. Let that sink in for a minute. The food itself got mixed reviews from everyone. Mixed in the range of "fine, I guess" to "this is awful" (there weren't any reactions to any of the food higher than acceptable). In fact, my thought was that my Diet Coke (the one I ordered after getting a bad mixed drink) was the best part of the entire evening. I wasn't the only one that had basically the same thought. Here is where my lack of knowledge in the style of pizza comes into play. Apparently it's normal to have soggy pizza. However, from the pictures I've seen online, it shouldn't be horribly limp, either. It was really thin and soggy, not just soft. The toppings were no better, either. The sauce on the Margherita pizza seemed like it came out of a can, though I'm sure it didn't. We even questioned whether there the salami on the salami pizza was rancid. There were definitely a few bites of a couple of the pizzas that caught me off guard. We ended up getting out of there as fast as we could and going to Schmizza Pub & Grub for drinks after. Schmizza is nothing special when it comes to pizza, but at least we were helped by someone friendly that seemed to genuinely care that we were happy. I'll take that any day over bad tasting, overpriced pizza and drinks served by someone that would be just as happy watching you step in front of a moving bus as serve you at her snooty restaurant.
(1)Lora E.
Amazing food, atmosphere and service! The cocktails are incredibly creative, the pizza is delectable and the best cheese plate I've ever had in my 6 years living in Portland! Oven & Shaker is hands down a family favorite!
(5)Ajit P.
I'm not a big drinker, so I don't have much to say except I have vaguely fond memories of the gingery thing I drank. So there you go. But I am a big eater, and I think I fell in love (again) that night. On a friend's recommendation, I had the wild fennel sausage with honey pizza. Or it might have been a special construction... don't remember. But it had wild fennel sausage and honey, and it was mind-blowingly awesome. The honey didn't come through in the flavor so much as add a richness to the aftertaste which made it seem like you'd just had a sip of beer with your pizza and were enjoying the combination. Best pizza I've had in town. Best pizza I've had outside Chicago, actually, and hands-down the best thin crust pizza I've had.
(5)Blake M.
Love it, good food, good drinks, great staff.
(4)Ash Y.
Very average, burnt pizza. Lovely decor, but that only goes so far. Would not recommend.
(2)Erik B.
Im a fan... they have this pizza that they put honey on and fancy pepperoni which is purely fantastic,,, start with the radicchio salad and pair with a Budweiser(no Coors light :(....)
(4)Angela G.
I had heard wonderful things about this place and finally got to see what all the hype was about. The sausage and pepper pizza was excellent as was the caprese salad that I ordered. The kale salad looked divine as well but I didn't personally experience it. I agree with what some other reviewers have said in that the beer choices were a bit limited. But overall, a great place and I'll be back!
(4)Ian A.
What an incredible sum of Portland & big city & pizza! The first time I stepped foot into the restaurant, immediately fell in love with the ambiance of dark wood and edison lighting. Open kitchen is always a delight to see the chefs/cooks hard at work. Ordered a drink and 2 and 3, loved how precise the smooth drinks were and the strong drinks were; they did not disappoint. And I have had some pizza in my day but the Bianca pizza sat me back in my chair with an enormous grin on my chin. The perfect mixture of goodness and I could see nowhere for them to do better. That is a must have pizza and I will surely be a very returning customer! Great job Cathy!
(5)Eric L.
Came here for the soft opening. The flavors on all items were amazing and very dialed in. I'd say the dinosaur kale salad was my favorite of the starters. I'm not a big fan of uber gourmet pizzas, that being said these had great flavor and it was clear that they were prepared by a knowledgeable chef. We had the Brussels and the squash pizzas. The atmosphere was very hip and the service was great. I would highly recommend the vibe. We came from out of the town and of all the food we had I'd say the overall experience was preferable.
(5)Sarah A.
We walked past this place and noticed two things: it was packed full of fashionable, happy people drinking cocktails (good sign) and they appeared to be serving pizza. SOLD. We were not disappointed. The pizza was freshly made and delicious. As were the cocktails. Try the Brown Derby. You will not be disappointed. Service was excellent and speedy.
(5)A B.
Great pizza, great salads and great service. Try the fennel-sausasge pizza with fresh arugula!
(5)Laura C.
I was a little disappointed by Oven and Shaker. We went to have happy hour a few weeks after their grand opening but upon arriving, was told they did not have a happy hour. I argued with the hostess (who was very sweet), stating the website said they had one (although it did not provide an online happy hour menu). The bartender confirmed that they did not, but encouraged us to eat in the bar and order off the bar menu. That wasn't either of their fault. That was a "bad" on the managements part. The restaurant a pretty enough place; kinda urban industrial. The bar items we ordered were pretty good too (margherita pizza and the ribollita - which is minestrone soup and bread crumb fritter). The atmosphere was friendly and the house red wine was better than most. The website now reflects that they have a happy hour and provides a happy hour menu. We may go back to try it out. let's hope they actually adhere to it...
(3)Arianna S.
Went for lunch with a group of 8. We ordered each salad (nostrana, kale, and antipasto). Each one was amazing. Favorite might just be the kale. Also tried 4 the pizzas. I have a hard time choosing a favorite here. The mushroom was super flavorful, the margherita was excellent with fresh basil, the fennel sausage was outstanding, the honey salami was unique and delicious. Got a bottle of rhubarb soda which was very good. Took some getting used to at first, but then I loved it. All in all I am already looking forward to my next stop here. It is excellent!
(5)Coraline J.
I have to say that I don't understand the poor reviews this restaurant has received. I certainly found a few things I'd like to see improved, but not in regards to the food! The pizza rivals Ken's Artisan for some of the best wood-fired around. And while Ken's does traditional flavors well, Oven & Shaker wins out whole-heartedly for creativity when it comes to flavors and pairings. I honestly don't know exactly what was on my pizza, but it was meaty, salty, cheesy and sweet all at the same time. True, the crust is a little blackened in some spots but that happens when you cook something in a wood-oven. I actually prefer my pizza that way. The brunch puccia was also delicious and so was the bruschetta. The wine list was quite good, although it seems as though you can't buy an actual bottle of wine, just glasses and different sized carafes, which is a little strange.
(4)Alexandra A.
3.5 would be my rating if we could give half stars. I tried several different pizzas and all were quite tasty. I tried the: margherita, salami & wild fennel sausage. I didn't expect to like the salami and wild fennel sausage but I did. It was the perfect amount of cheese, meat and spice. It was quite flavorful! They didn't overload the pizzas with sauce or cheese. It was a good balance so all flavors could be enjoyed. Quite yummy. The crust was also thin and crispy. I liked the pizza and would have had more if we had ordered more.
(3)Milo D.
Drinks - tried the rum pineapple ginger drink at the suggestion of our waitress. It was horrid - luckily she was amenable to swap out for a tasty local brew. Loved the crust on our pizza - true Neapolitan. We tried 2 different pizzas and both had honey on them. Trendy? Didn't work so well as it kind of killed the taste of the ingredients. Definitely ask for no honey. Like the vibe - we will probably try again...
(3)M R.
So-so pizza, not the best in Portland. Seemed overpriced, but then again you are paying for location. Neat outside patio, even though they did not have it all open when we were there. Service was slow, waitress was a little flaky, but food was decent. Glad I went, but not sure I would go out of my way to go back there though.
(3)Paul S.
Great happy hour, friendly service and food came out in a timely fashion. No complaints really, the pizza was decent- didn't blow me away, but it was good, could have used a touch more seasoning and a little more time in the oven, but I'm nitpicking- I'd definitely come back.
(4)Rob C.
4.5 wood fire pizza and artisan cocktails make a great late night combo. head right over from the teardrop. it's all about the edison lighting with warehouse feel in this city fried chickpeas got the calabrese salami pizza (has that touch of honey), neapolitan crust -- great arancini, which could have used more internal contents
(4)Kali' G.
Great atmosphere, service, and food/beverages. Salad had perfect amount of dressing and pizza was awesome. I'm pregnant and it was so nice to have a "professional non-alc cocktail", rather than the usual preg friendly options. Took the waiters reco on the bay leaf gelato, amazing!
(5)Gilad G.
Mediocre minus... Absolutely doesn't deserve the attention its getting and the crazy line of people on wait list trying to get in and mingle w/the bold and the beautiful... The space is cool and the vibe is quite nice, however, the food is really sub par. We started w/couple of cocktails - the blackberry collins was really nasty w/weird and unhealthy aftertaste; the Corleone was ok and had nice frutty kick to it. In any case, the 2 bartenders that were working in front of us seem to be very amateurish and not very savvy...Hardly fitting to a place that supposedly prides itself for drink mixing. The pizza (we had the Bianca) was meh... Not really bad, but very far from good. Lacked flavor and seasoning and was very very bland.. Hot Lips is much better, but yes, supermarket frozen pizza is worse.. Both are priced significantly below the Over and Shaker price points. We tried the arancini and it was straight forward disgusting... overcooked bland rice and no flavor whatsoever. I took half a bite and left it on the plate. The awkward robotic bartender asked if we need a box for it, we said no and that it tastes bad - to which the bartender smiled, nodded and threw the dish in the garbage. Of course we were still charged for it and that freakin' pissed me off.
(2)Brent F.
Hooray! Somewhere to eat in the Pearl besides Clyde Common! I've been twice since opening and both times, impressed by the food, service, style and value of this spot. Their salads are bomb ass good. The wine and cocktail list is solid, and the simple, well-lit, comfortable seating spaces make this a great spot to take out-of-towners, locals, friends, and family. The menu offers something for anyone (including a veggo = me). So glad its open, been hearing about them for months.
(5)Korina P.
I was surprised by the list of options for food and drink on the happy hour menu. The salami pizza was really good. And the cocktails were really good as well.
(4)Susan T.
First the pizza is sooo good! and second the fried chickpea's...wow! These should be the new french fries. And I love the cozy atmosphere. An excellent place for dinner.
(4)Chris A.
The Spiedino Alla Romana is absolutely awesome here! Try it. Service was really friendly. Space is beautiful.
(4)Stacey B.
If you can stomach being surrounded by hipsters then this place is great. We had the salami pizza with the honey drizzle and it was amazing. The crust had the right amount of crispiness and the salami had lots of spice. Atmosphere isn't great for dates (too loud and crowded), but great for a fun night out. Service was friendly and pretty fast considering the place was totally packed.
(4)Anika E.
My fiance and I decided to embark on an overnight trip to Portland from the Seattle area and stumbled upon the Oven & Shaker. We had been to a few other places that evening and were looking for something interesting to eat and drink and were pleasantly surprised with our experience. We had no preconceived notions or expectations and were just in a go-with-the-flow mentality when we stepped in, late night on a Thursday. The cocktail list was very impressive and we were informed that they press all the juices in-house daily, even peeling and pressing fresh ginger for the cocktails. I was sold. I think we tried well over half the cocktail menu--this review is based almost entirely on the cocktails as we only tried the chantrelle rillette. It was pretty good but not outstanding--the garlic bread served with it was overpowering for the delicate flavor of the chantrelle, in my opinion. We quickly ran out of bread but were given more with no problem when we asked. This bread was rustic and left ungrilled and a perfect complement for the rillette. Very nice bread. They really know what they are doing here in terms of flavor combinations...As for the service, we sat at the bar and our server was not very well equipped to answer our questions and offer recommendations or suggestions, even when probed for her opinion. She may have been having a bad day or was new to the establishment but overall I didn't even care. Usually I'm a huge stickler on service as I have been a server for going on ten years and my fiance also works in a restaurant. But she was nice enough, just not someone I would think enjoyed the restaurant/service industry in the same way that I do. The bartender was extremely knowledgeable and offered excellent recommendations based on what we were looking for, however, and even recommended another bar that we might enjoy; which we did. But I would go back just for another Pepper Smash...I would love to try the arancini and some of the pizzas as well. Overall the cocktails are what would bring me back from Seattle--I definitely can't wait to try more! Keep up the good work!
(5)Jodi H.
This was good but nothing that special - A-OK says it all. I went hoping for more from Chef Whims. I was also surprised that the special cocktail menu was so short given that "shaker" was in the name I expected alot more choices. What I had was good but not amazing. We had the Polenta Crostini, Margarita, and then the Brussels Sprout pizzas. The Brussels Sprout pizza was very good. Also, as a side note, they don't take reservations. We found its easier to get a seat if your a couple vs. a group of 4 or more. We came in and waited 20 minutes to get a table for 4 (that we had to share with another group) while 6 couples came in after us and were immediately seated. Overall I agree with Bipi P. "yawn".
(3)S K.
5 star drinks 3 star pizza.. So I give it a 4 star. Cool space, but why can't they move the 2 person tables together for parties of 4 or more??? They are literally bolted on the ground and if you are a party of 3 or more, you have to sit on these high bar stools.. kind of uncomfortable.. I hope they fix (I mean UN-FIX) the table situation. I want to go back and try more of their cocktails, have to check to see if they have a happy hour...
(4)J D S.
Let's get my gripe out of the way quickly. The music was simply sadistic and I would venture a bet that 2/3rds of the customers would agree with me that a 10dB reduction in volume would have improved the experience without making the place feel dead in the least. The obscene pounding of the music through only so-so speakers reduced our conversation to something like a bad Bendamalina story, where you had to halfway guess what your companion right next to you was talking about. Earth to Oven & Shaker: your clientele is not all under the age of 35. That being said, this is a fun place with some great food. The three of us (an awkward number for this particular place if you want a table) sat at the pizza station and were treated to a great show. This newly-minted crew meshed together as if they'd all worked together for years. Dozens of gorgeously prepared pizzas were created, cooked and served before our eyes, and the main pizzaiola took the time to show off each pizza to us on its way out before we ordered, so we knew what we were in for. As light eaters, the three of us were quite satisfied with two different flavors of aranchini (deep fried rice balls,) stuffed with various fillings. Absolutely great. We also shared the Nostrana salad, which I don't recall ever seeing at Nostrana, but which was mostly raddichio in a subtle take on a Caeser dressing. Excellent, fresh, and superior. We ordered a Margherita pizza, with additional arugula. Not sure about earlier comment that said arugula was skimpy, in that our pizza was basically smothered in fresh, lightly salted, lightly dressed arugula for two bucks. That was fantastic. I am all in favor of a light char on the crust and they did it perfectly.One of us ordered the lamb meatballs, in a soupy broth. This had bold flavors, a little kick of spice, and a salty finish. As for drinks, we are a bit of the boring types, and thus ordered 'vintage' martinis, which were quite potent and generous for the price charged. The same can be said of the house wine; a $7 pour of Guild wine (a co-op noted for excellent stuff at a great price) was verging on massive. I can't see spending a ton on wine with this food, as flavors are relatively powerful and thus could overwhelm the subtleties of a finer wine, but the house red was delicious and stood up to the seasonings well. Service was great, very attentive without being overbearing, and a great exercise in teamwork. Somebody was always there to remove a plate or take an order for another drink. Somehow they make all this mesh without you ever having to lift a finger or ask for a particular server, and the check comes out right. It feels like a polished crew that has been together for years, even though they are, at this time, still more or less on the maiden voyage. That's a good sign. At arrival, on a busy Saturday night we were told there could be a 30 minute wait. 10 minutes later we were seated at the pizza bar (it would have been longer to get a table.) We will be back. OK, that's easy when you can walk there and live four blocks away, but there are many other places in the Pearl that I can live without. This won't be one of them. Especially if they read this review and keep the music level down to merely enthusiastic instead of frantic, at least before 9PM.
(4)Katrina H.
Best meal of our trip! My daughter and I came down to Portland for a couple of days of shopping and eating. We dined at Little Bird (fine) and Le Pigeon (overrated) and then found Oven & Shaker quite by accident. We started with the kale salad - finely shredded kale with toasted breadcrumbs, pecorino and an anchovy vinaigrette - that my daughter said was the best salad she had ever had. We each ordered a pizza - the salami for my daughter (spicy provolone, mozzarella and honey) and the Brussels sprouts for me (pecorino, robiola & pancetta). Both were fabulous! Despite our overfull tummies, we couldn't resist dessert.....chocolate gelato drizzled with olive oil and fleur de sel. Easily the best meal of our trip and the cocktails were great too.
(5)David P.
Overall I was disappointed with the quality of the pizza at Oven & Shaker. I thought I was getting myself in for some traditional Napoli style pie cooked at high temp and it just didn't deliver. They toss the dough in the air here, which shows me that the dough does not have a high enough hydration content to really make excellent crust, which is the heart of any fine pie. And indeed, the dough, while certainly cooked through and springy, was quite a bit heavier than ideal (it really sits in your gut after an hour), was a bit dry, and lacked depth of flavor. The bottom of the crust was cooked nicely for the style, but did have a slight carbon flavor to it instead of that nice caramelized flavor. Again, this is likely due to the low hydration content. I think overall the oven isn't hot enough for really stellar crust, but of course if the oven was hotter, without sufficient water in the dough the crust would really burn, so they're trying to do the best they can with their recipe and oven. We ordered the Margherita and the Bianca. The Bianca was better, but the cheese completely over powered the rest of the flavors. Things weren't in balance. Adding crushed peppers and sea salt helped matters, but it just wasn't exciting. The Margherita was also bland. The sauce seemed to be pure tomatoes as it should be, but the ripeness just wasn't quite there. The whole package was boring and bland, and again, a lot of that goes back to the crust being off. Great care is applied to the cocktails here, that was clear. I think Beaker & Flask make some of the best cocktails in town, so I'm not surprised. This is likely the best aspect of the restaurant. I was not as impressed with the care applied to the wine. All wines are measured pours, and they actually pour each wine into a measuring cup before pouring it into the glass. The biggest problem though was that the same measuring cup was used for each pour. I watched the fill it up with a big local Barbera, then directly to a Pinot Noir, and then a Nebbiolo blend. Of course there is some cross contamination there... would most people notice or be bothered by it? Surely not, but anyone intimately familiar with those particular wines surely would. I'd just like to see more care shown to the wines. Any winemaker would be disappointed to see that. I really enjoyed the space; the setting is quite nice and the wait staff is very attentive and friendly. Service is quick, and overall people seem to care about the guests. This is the best part of the restaurant, though. My main purpose for coming here was to check out the pizza, and that's what this review is really based on. I found it mediocre at best, and I think there are many better options for pizza of this style in town (Nostrana themselves make a far better pizza). The overall experience may be close to three stars, but the pizza is definitely two star.
(2)Jessica B.
Went here w friends before a concert and it was the perfect fit. We had amazing cocktails and the food / menu was one of the most creative ones I've come across in a long time. The atmosphere was big city, but cozy inside, and the service was really good. Is pretty busy right now since they just opened. Was here on a Tuesday night and had to wait a little, but it was worth it! Will be back...
(4)John M.
Awesome bar/drinks; great pizza and snacks; no preening teenagers and no blaring music! Awesome. Welcome to the neighborhood guys.
(5)Randy B.
desperately hip atmosphere, the portland scene. but the food was mediocre. the kale salad was good, the lamb lollipop ok,the arancine uninspired, but the pizze soggy and rather flavorless. considering it is not cheap, we won't be going again.
(2)Josh F.
Cathy Whims does it again. The ambiance, pizza, drinks all were amazing. Well done!
(5)Christine N.
We had the antipasto salad and the sausage and fennel pizza. Both were very good. It was actually surprisingly easy to get a seat and service was friendly and quick as any pizza place could be which was great because we were hungry.
(4)Jim P.
Probably the worst meal my wife and I have had in a long time. The fennel sausage pizza was about as bland a pie as we have ever had.... No zing in the sausage or any other spices in what little bit of sauce there was on the very thin crust that was pretty burned. The Calzone dish was pretty large but OMG it was filled with a mix of three different kind of cheeses and virtually nothing else. Tasted like a giant blob of greasy cheese. If there were any other ingredients in the filling you could not either see them or certainly not taste them. Calzone is supposed to have a little spicy taste to it, not just be a quivering blob of greasy cheese. We won't be going back and I recommend you go somewhere else as well
(1)David I.
Fab lunch w friends!!
(5)theresa c.
Very good pizza !! there are a few problems with ths place that stop it from a four star first is the parking Terrible!!! I got a ticket and the pizzas tend have some burn on them and there salami plate is disgusting one of the meat is soft in the middle and hard on the outside and everything else was way to salty and some have stale taste to them. I would recommend this place though just plug your car meter!! and avoid the salami plate.
(3)J C.
excellent pizza! ordered the black mushroom pizza and margarita pizza. both were excellent! crust was thin and perfectly done. we were a large group and they accommodated us perfectly.
(4)Dalton K.
Oh, the artisan pizza, also known as, let's take comfort food and make it uncomfortable. Really the Portland food scene is all about comfort food, or elevating blue collar grub, because really most Portlanders are liberal Joe the Plumbers (but, of course, they don't realize it). They think food carts and comfort food are somehow more authentic and less pretentious than food which is actually and wholly something new. And artisan pizza is now automatically supposedly healthier and tastier than other non artisan pizzas, in my experience I have never had an artisan pizza that tasted better then a middlebrow pizza, but I keep tasting and trying to see if my objectivity is in check. On the plus side Oven & Shaker is a beautiful, modern restaurant, I wouldn't actually say it is comfortable, but it is aesthetically pleasing and a joy to be in. The first time I attempted to visit O&S, it was a busy night and upon standing in front of the desk, the three staff members who were behind it ignored me for several minutes, not even a 'just a moment,' nothing. So I left. The second time it was relatively dead and a sign was up that said 'seat yourself,' so we did just that. Our server was friendly and provided adequate explanations, she seemed a little fake, but that is really unavoidable in this city. Overall her demeanor was very good. Unfortunately her technical skills were not as proficient. If you order iced tea, you should be asked if you need sweetener. She plopped the glasses down and left before we had chance to ask for it---then we asked, and she brought simple syrup and said she only gave us a little because it is very sweet, she said she could bring more if we needed it (really?). When I finished my tea there was no 'may I get you another,' I had to ask for it, she plopped the second glass down and as my back was to her I could not ask for more simple syrup as I (of course) had run out. Then she did not ask my companion if he needed another beverage. These are basic levels of service that restaurants should have no problem getting right, and a guest should not be forced into feeling like a pest in order to get them. But overall she was friendly which helped the experience. The polenta crostini was wonderful, it had unique flavors and a good texture that was definitely preferable to traditional bread crostini---it was the best item I ordered. The Shepherd salad was good, but not special, but I suppose how special is a salad ever? Goat cheese, greens, walnuts, eggs, bread and vinaigrette taste just like what they are and are rarely anything more. The salad was definitely not commensurate with the price. The pizza, which should be the star here, was very disappointing. I didn't even like the dough, it reminded me of an elephant ear, and you could taste the burnt crust in places. It was a spring pizza with greens and olives and oil, but was totally underwhelming and dry, and needed something to brighten the flavors. Honestly, the flatbread I had a couple of weeks ago at the Henry was better. Overall, I would return to O&S, but will not go out of my way to do so, and will certainly not be dreaming about it.
(1)Linda F.
Sunday evening at Oven and Shaker - the ambiance, decor and service were very good, but the food was stunning in concept and execution. Do not miss the Brussels Sprouts pizza and Pepper Unleaded. No one does pizza crust like Cathy Whims, and Ryan Magarian has reinvented the cocktail.
(5)Debbie Y.
This place is just what the Pearl District needed!! My husband and I stopped in for dinner tonight, being First Thursday and seeing that the place was packed we were hesitant whether we would get in. The girl at the desk was quite charming and said we wouldn't wait longer than 30 minutes. Excited to try a new place I quickly gave her my name and number and we proceeded next door for a drink. No more than 15 minutes later she called us and said our table was ready. We closed out and made our way into Oven & Shaker. The atmosphere was hopping, the smells were fantastic and the patrons were not only lively but quite stylish....just what I needed after a long day at work. Our server tended to us right away and suggested a red wine for me and my husband ordered a beer, both pleased. We then proceeded to order the Polenta Crostini & the "Nostrana" Salad, both delicious. Our server suggested that we order our food in courses as the food comes out quickly so we waited to order more until we were done with our appetizers. As our main course we shared the Brussels Sprouts pizza which had bacon, pecorino & robbiola cheeses and garlic. Not only were the toppings delicious but the crust was the best we had ever tasted. We ate every bite. Love this new location, only blocks from where we live, we can't wait to return. Thank you for bringing this lovely place to the Pearl.
(5)Elisabeth G.
Good food. Nice atmosphere. Bad coffee. Random, loud music.
(3)Regina M.
We went to Oven & Shaker about 3 or 4 days after it opened. I tried to order a Walnut Blackberry Collins but they were out of blackberries, so I order the Corleone and it was awful! They did replace it for free with a new drink (something with pineapple and ginger and it was pretty good). The pizza was burnt but the cheese and sauce on the pizza was awesome. Between two of us we spent $32 with tip and the charge processed through our bank account for $88!!!!!! Their phone number isn't listed online so I have to drive back to them to try to get a refund. All said and done, I wouldn't go back.
(2)Robert G.
The food is limited to sandwiches, pizza, soup and salad. The service is friendly and understaffed. There are some good cocktails. The outdoor seating is very comfortable. I had the tuna puccia and it's canned tuna with a slice of cheese. It is way too salty. $9.00 half a can of tuna. I did not want the aioli so I asked for the mustard. That's $1.00 extra. Genevive was our waitress and she was spectacular. This is not about the service. Better restaurants nearby. This is my second and last time.
(2)Xiaomin Z.
The place is lively with lots of beer on tap. But the pizza crust is a bit chewy. The salads are good. I should have tried the Italian restaurant next door.
(3)Suki S.
Rudest hostess I've ever encountered the girl in the green top. goodbye, never again! Bad service equals bad quality food and drinks for me.
(1)murphy L.
We went to the Chef's tasting menu through Living Social on November 22. It was $65 a person. We didn't realize that drinks were included in this price so that was a bonus. We each ordered a cocktail the corleone (grapes, gin, grappa, and lemon juice etc) and the Mexican Firing Squad (tequila, lime, grenadine etc.) My husband said the drinks were four stars. Their wine list was also interesting. Since there were no prices on either menu we can't comment on whether anything was a good value for the price. As far as the food, we ordered 3 appetizers and two pizzas so we could try a couple of different things. The appetizer menu was a bit confusing. One thing we ordered, "La Quercia Proscuitto Rosso with speck, tamworth bacon, pepper jelly and pimento cheese." This came on a wooden tray (similar to a pizza tray) with several pieces of meat the pepper jelly and pimento cheese on the side and one tiny piece of bread with the bacon on it. This item in particular was our least favorite. It was very disjointed and we weren't sure what to do with the jelly or cheese. Again this didn't come with really any bread or crackers. The same was true of the other meat dish, "fondo in fino salumi." This also was several meat selections on a tray with two pieces of fried gnocci (like two little bread pieces) and cranberry mostardo and some taleggio cheese. This was the favorite. We had a little bit of bread to put the cranberry on (which was fabulous!) with the cheese and a little piece of meat. I think we would like a couple more bread pieces. While we liked the salumi you are literally eating lots of meat with nothing else. We also got the Tuna Meatballs. These were ok. We thought overcooked and you really couldn't taste tuna. The pizzas were actually really good. Super thin and crispy and nice flavors. The favorite was Wild Fennel sausage, potato, tomato, chilies, scallions and smoked mozzarella. Really delicious. The decor was modern and fun. There are individual tables around the outside of the room and in the middle of the room a couple long bar height tables with maybe 6-8 stools on each side. Kind of a communal table. We both felt the music was too loud and didn't match the environment. It was actually very distracting at times. For a brand new restaurant the service was friendly and the food came out very quickly. We love to eat out and love to try new places. That being said I will say we are a bit jaded. We were in D.C. in July and went to Graffiato (owned by Top Chef contestant Mike Isabella. It has a similar concept of italian small plates and pizzas. It was so amazing it's hard not to compare them to Oven and Shaker. Although we would definitely give O&S another try and feel like they can work out the kinks.
(3)Msc C.
I used to visit this restaurant when it first opened. The food and service was 4 star! It's unfortunate it has not sustained the original standards. The pizza was soggy and not entirely baked. The service was terrible! Waiting 15 minutes for water is unacceptable. Waiting for refills that never came is unacceptable. The lack luster pizza and service will not last with demanding and competitive Portland restaurants.
(2)Coco H.
Okay. Wow. Hubs and I were wandering around on Thursday evening after the Brewfest at 9:30, looking for a place to eat with ambience and without drunk people. We stumbled, much more gracefully than many of our "beer peers" I might add, into this gem. Though we had eaten pizza the night before as well, we thought the atmosphere looked too compelling to pass up. Think dark, sexy lighting, the low din of a place with just enough people, and wood everything, repurposed, I imagine/hope in this Earth-friendly city. Two tastebud-shattering apps and one delectable pizza pie later, we were so glad we came. The croquettes were creamy and soothing, the mascarpone berry biscuits naughty as ever, and the rocket atop our pizza just the right tang to add complexity and a bit of nutritional value. Our waitress was personable but not overbearing, and engaged with us toward the end as we discussed foodie culture in the Northwest. She even made some recs for when we headed up to Vancouver, the final stop on our NW tour. Overall, stupendous!
(5)Madelyn D.
This place is great. The servers are spunky but courteous. The kale and grapefruit salad won't disappoint. The fried chick peas are a must have. The bartenders craft tasty libations. And the patio tables are spacious and comfortable. I love the pizza too, but pizza is pizza after all. Though they do a smash-up job with it, this place is noteworthy for so much more!
(5)Eric B.
Good pizza with a great atomsphere. This place is very good especially in this neighborhood. Wine list is also nice. Don't pass up the salads...they are so good!
(4)Tiffanie G.
I met up with a friend to catch up over a lunch break. The service was excellent and they were so quick! The servers were always available when we needed something. We split the special of the day which was a blueberry bourbon pizza and it was amazing! I would definitely go back.
(5)Miranda K.
The Kale salad was delicious and a hefty size. The goat cheese pizza was also wonderful, (we ordered prosciutto to go on top and got a generous helping of it). The salad and pizza together were plenty of food for two people.
(4)Jan P.
Pluses - reception was nice and helpful. They had outside seating. Negatives - service was slow. Food was so so. Price was very high for what we had. When we complained about one food item the server argued with us! There a many great dining options in this area I won't want or need to come back here.
(2)Emily T.
We were seated fast at one of the high top tables with a group of four. Pros: open area; good pizza; bangin' cocktail list; easy to share dishes. Menu had a lot of variety and new things. Windows opened and it reminded me of NOLA, floor to ceiling windows to appreciate the awesome evening. Cons: Food took a while, waiter did not check on us much. Menu pizzas should be separated a bit better to be able to distinguish which pizzas have meat and which do not. If I lived in the area I'd try O&S a few more times to really gauge if the place is always decent or of it's hit or miss, because I can see how these more negative reviews can be true.
(4)Matt E.
Somehow, Oven & Shaker has become my Pearl District waiting room. I have yet to actually eat dinner here, but if I'm ever early for an appointment in the Pearl, I head to the bar at O&S. I always have great service, great drinks, and an in general great time. Pizza and cocktails, that's what is to be expected from Oven & Shaker, and they seem to do both quite well. Today I had a basic margherita pizza, which was on their happy hour. For a considerable snack, it could easily be split by two people who aren't gluttons who just can't say no. I, however, am not one of those people and ate the whole damn thing myself. The crust is thin and has a nice char, while the toppings were expectedly simple. I liked how they used such fresh basil, always a good thing in my book. This pizza didn't change my life, but it did fill my belly and leave me with a smile. I've run the gambit of cocktails at this place, including off their not-so-secret secret menu that is almost laughably massive and all-inclusive. Thankfully, the menu they share with the general public is much more paired down, and I've always been happy with what i received from their cocktail menu, be it a classic or modern selection. They make good drinks here, I promise you. Really, however, what's always going to bring me back to Oven & Shaker is the staff. They definitely know how to hire. Everybody behind the bar has been incredibly friendly, quick with a recommendation and generally just on the ball. I know that they're going to take care of me. I really, truly, genuinely like the staff at this establishment. I may not be the type of guy who really gets to know the staff at any given establishment, I am drawn here for the basic fact that every single person I've interacted with has been just crazy friendly and accommodating. Long story short: while I can't vouch for the full menu, I can vouch for the people, and in my book that's really what is more important.
(4)Ayla C.
I spent a week in Italy eating pizza trying to top this pizza. It didn't happen. I love this pizza! Perfect crust. Perfect topping ratio. Every bite is so flavorful, love it!!! Also, the staff is always really nice and it's a really nice atmosphere.
(5)Deanna N.
I had their manhattan, Its the best I have had in the city, I was feeling pretty good after one, and had to have another. I love how the slice they ends of little lemons for presentation on the giant rock of ice.
(5)Jade L.
My girlfriend and I came here for post dinner drinks. Ambiance and environment were cool, sort of has that industrial, high ceilings, metal sort of feel. The place is pretty big and there were a lot of people there for dinner. When I go to the bars, my drink of choice is usually a pineapple vodka. The pineapple train wreck was definitely shmancier than your average well drink, with complex flavors from the bitters, but it also came with a shmancier price tab. Good, but also hard to go wrong. Overall, their drink menu is really creative. I'd be down to go back. Their HH menu looks great.
(4)Nory B.
Bright, clean, nice ambiance with lots of indoor and a few outdoor tables. Service was quick and friendly--at first. We asked for a substitution on one of our pizzas; after some discussion with the server, we were confident that our pizza would come out fine. The standard off the menu pizza had to be cooked twice because it got a hole in it during cooking(?), so it took about 30 min to come out, but it was perfect and really tasty! The customized pizza came out first--had triple the amount of cheese it should have, and was just soggy and dripping in the middle. When the server asked how it was, we showed her how it just drooped in the middle and dripped onto the plate. She said that basically it was our fault for ordering something different than the exact menu pizza--"the cooks don't know how to make it if it's not a regular menu item". What?! They don't know how to cook a pizza if there's any change to the listed ones?! Then don't take orders that vary from the exact menu--although since there is a section on the menu where you can choose additional toppings, that doesn't make sense! After that, she didn't speak to us again--I put my card on the table and she dropped off the bill without saying anything. Yet she was very friendly and chatty with the other 2 tables next to us. Not a great attitude--we were polite, but honest in expressing our disappointment with the pizza; since she didn't cook it, there was no reason for her to take offense or ignore us after that.
(2)Greg C.
Really? No highchairs, not even one? We're in Portland! I haven't been to one restaurant since I've had my kids that didn't have a high chair. Fail.
(1)kimberly h.
Outdoor seating, amazing hand crafted cocktails, and delicious margherita pizza! Great service as well!
(5)Kristi C.
My first review of 2015, I like how the year starts out. It's been a while since a place has completely knocked my socks off for ambiance, service AND food. Bonus that it's a very short walk from the streetcar stop. Enjoyed the rustic feel of the restaurant and combined with great music, it turned out to be a really nice place to kick back for a bit. And very important...you can easily carry on a conversation with your table mate. Service, some of the best I've encountered in Portland. Or anywhere for that matter. My happy hour cocktail, the Bramble, lived up to the hype of my server. I highly recommend the Wild Fennel Sausage pizza.
(5)Isabel F.
Had a great late lunch here while on a weekend getaway to Portland. Since every other bar & restaurant was packed, loud, and didn't have enough room to even stand, my fiancé and I kept searching for a different place to grab a quiet and relaxing meal. We ordered the house greens salad and it was delicious! The menu looked phenomenal, diverse and had good prices. We settled on a margarita pizza which was delicious. After pairing it with some cider we were happy customers and even happier tourists. It was located in an awesome part of town that we kept walking around all of the shops just to get a good look at the area. The decor was rustic but chic and really fit the pizza - hidden gem of the restaurant!
(4)Hannah G.
In short: bad service, pizza not that great and overcooked, but great drinks and gelato! Read on for more detail.... Service was lacking, we waited at our table for probably ten minutes before our waitress approached our table with a very strange manner, not very friendly. I had already gotten up to serve my family our water since we'd been waiting. She took a very long time to come and check on us throughout the meal and it was not that busy at all. I did notice the other waitress being much more attentive and friendly with her tables, maybe our waitress was just having a bad day. Pizza was over cooked and not made well. But it was decent. I did love their homemade gelato, I had the orange chocolate cardamom and it was pretty delicious. They also have yummy drinks :) I guess I'd come back if there wasn't anything else open or didn't want to go far. But definitely wasn't impressed.
(2)Nick C.
Came here expecting some badass pizza and was disappointed. There's a pizza spot right next door, so you would expect them to step their game up, but no. Started with the arancini, it was pretty good. Crunchy outside, moist on the inside. It left me wanting more. As for the pizza, well... it was just bad. No other way to put it. It was super thin, and both pizzas we ordered were burnt to the point where every bite tasted bitter. And it's not like you can peel off the burnt parts either because the pizza was so flat and thin. In fact, I don't know if they should call this a flatbread or pizza. The bread didn't even rise... Okay, now I'm looking at pics of other people's pizzas here, and I see that their bread did rise a little and even had a crust handle - regardless, mine didn't. The Bianca pizza was probably the worst. That was just a flatbread decorated with cheese, some truffle oil, and a couple oily leaves of sage. Ugh. The Pork Belly pizza would have actually been good if it weren't for the burnt bread. I regret not going next door instead.
(1)Jennifer M.
While visiting friends in Portland we stopped in for dinner at Oven and Shaker. Cocktails were delicious, the roasted chickpea app was very flavourful. I also had a Waldorf salad, and my friends had a pork belly pizza. All of the food was hand made, very flavourful, and well thought out. Exactly what I expect for Portland! The service was also really good. Server was quick, friendly, and had a great sense of humour. Will definitely go back next time I am in town.
(5)Angie H.
Super cute place-smack dab in the Pearl District Full bar (sadly on a business lunch, but iced tea was refreshing) and their cocktails looked creative and fun Menu consists of about six or so different pizza options, three salads and several sandos I got a sausage pizza and it was delish -the crust was just the right amount of crunchy and thin and the toppings were perfectly distributed
(4)Randi W.
This review is for the happy hour specifically. It happens a bit early, so we went on a day I was off work at noon to fully enjoy it. It had been on-and-off raining all day, so it sadly wasn't possible to sit outside, and the inside was a little dark. We were able to sit anywhere though, and chose a booth/chair combo table in the middle of the house. The music mix was some classic oldies hits and otherwise the bar was very quiet - not surprising for 3pm on a Friday. Our server was lovely and perfectly attentive. The draft beer on tap (a Pilsner) was cool and a good deal at $3. I tried the Bramble, a delectable cocktail mixed with gin, lemon and a blackberry liquor, and tiny ice cubes that make it easy to stir a drink without making a huge mess. Even at happy hour it was $7, but the quality of the drink definitely made it worth it. The pizza was awesomely priced for happy hour at $7 for a margarita pizza, and $10 for the salami. The salami had a killer combination of spice from the meat and sweet from honey that had generously been drizzled over from edge to edge. Between the cocktail and size of the pizza, I even took half the pizza home for the next night's dinner. I'm definitely a fan of their happy hour, but I'm not sure if I'd be up for coming regularly with their normal menu prices.
(4)Melody Y.
Eating Domino's pizza makes me feel lethargic and gross afterwards, but eating wood-fired gourmet pizzas at places like Oven and Shaker makes me feel like I dined on sophistication. My sister, mom, and I shared a mushroom pizza with the addition of wild fennel sausage (lots of spice!) and it was delightful. The dough wasn't thick or cakey, just light and airy with a slight density that created a nice balance. Crust was on point. I love crust on pizza, so it was quite a delight to eat a pizza with a scrumptious, scrumptious crust. It was like eating bread, seriously. I would have liked the dough to be just a little bit thicker, but it was still delicious to wolf down pizza that wasn't sagging under the toppings' weight. The other turnoff for me was the giant hunks of ricotta cheese--I thought t was a bit much. Overall, however--I love this place. I'll definitely be back for more.
(4)Katie H.
We have yet another pizza place. Pizza that is oven fired and decent.....but not great. My issues with this restaurant are the following: 1. Price: it's rather expensive for a small pizzas and they don't have a happy hour. 2. Rules, rules, rules: Rules for ordering, where you can sit etc. etc. 3. Layout: The restaurant layout makes it noisy and difficult to have an intimate dining experience. If you sit outside they have several tables over a grate-when people walk over the grate it sounds like someone kicked the bottom of your table......hard. There are so many good pizza places in Portland that it's difficult for this place to compete. The location is convenient and I wouldn't say this place is bad...there's just so many places that are better.
(3)Megan R.
I love this place. Margarita pizza and a good drink - hello heaven!
(5)Brian C.
Hungry for wood-fire pizza? Check out Oven and Shaker in the Pearl. In the downtown area you can't beat Oven and Shaker's mix of ambience and pizza creations. The nostrana salad and wild fennel sausage pizza make a perfect pairing.
(4)Jessica K.
If you are looking for some delicious, upscale pizza and beverage options in the Pearl, look no further than Oven & Shaker. While I'm not a huge fan of dining in this part of town, it's hard to find fault with the friendly staff and tasty options they bring to the table. I could easily inhale one of their thin crust pizzas all on my own, the spicy salami with honey in particular. The pizza options are inventive and if like me, you will want to try them all. Not into pizza? They have finger and fork options as well. I also have to show some love to Nostrana salad with radicchio, parmigiano topped with scrumptious rosemary sage croutons and Caesar dressing. If you aren't feeling one of their expertly crafted cocktails, they have beer and wine as well. The beer list is solid and they have a $3 option available for their happy hour. Pizza and beer? Sold!
(4)Terry S.
07/01 4.5....short on varieties I like (I like basic mushroom, Canadian bacon...oh well). Crust excellent. Son and I settled on salami, mushroom, sausage.
(4)Danielle F.
Great food, horrible service. This restaurant has strange rules that are really not necessary. It's very annoying. You can't stand at the bar, you can't talk to other tables, you can't pay with more than 3 credit cards or you pay an extra dollar per card. The wait staff isn't friendly and all the food comes out all at once. The pork belly pizza and kale salad was delicious. So were the fried chick peas. The rice balls and the antipasto were just ok and I would not recommend. The maple bacon pizza was good but super sweet. Cocktails were great. This place would be better if service would lighten up, smile, and have less rules. I would come back for that pork belly pizza and kale salad any day but I wouldn't do it on a special occasion or with a big group.
(3)Katarina D.
Great place for pizza in Portland! Our waitress was also from San Francisco and she was great. The happy hour is so worth it! $10 for a great tasting pizza, what else can you ask for?? We ordered the sausage and arugula pizza which was definitely comparable to our favourite pizza place in SF.
(4)Tara M.
The food here is superb. Best fried mozzarella you'll get your hands on. The staff is so nice it's almost ridiculous. We were seated and found that we had friends who were eating there too already. My fiancé didn't mention to the hostess that we would like to move...he just grabbed a table. Still, they treated us like we were highly important and valued. I can't say enough about the spectacular service here, even when the customers don't always do what they are supposed to.
(5)Arlene C.
A few of us went to Oven and Shaker for Happy Hour. We ordered a few pizzas: the Margherita, fennel sausage and the tomato pizza. I have had better pizza but the pizza was still good. We also ordered some finger foods like fried chickpeas which had a very nice flavor and some bar nuts, also very good. My friend also ordered a stuffed mushroom which was decent in her opinion, but I'm not a fan of mushrooms. They have a very unique drink menu but I found it to be on the spendy side. I would suggest getting seated at a regular table rather than sitting up on this high table with backless chairs. It kinda got uncomfortable.
(4)Justin R.
Unique flavors, amazing menu and they do amazing at executing it! And the desserts, and the atmosphere - sheesh!
(4)Gabrielle S.
Big restaurant and no high chair?? What's up with that? The food looked good and the location is great. Too bad we couldn't eat there with our 1 year old....... Not family friendly.
(1)Richard H.
Nice food...good drinks. The staff is attentive and friendly. We had the kale & grapefruit salad which was chopped finely and well dressed. Octopus pizza (yep, octopus) was very nice; but, a bit too charred. The flavors are delicate and the char overwhelmed some bites. Overall, a nice experience and we'll probably be back. Thanks.
(4)Em G.
Delicious pie and puccinis. Casual and easy service. Tried the burrata bruschetta - to die for!
(4)Frankie D.
The space is great ! Love the High ceilings and industrial feel that the space has. The Crowed is very mixed from family's to Bros. Great place to grab a good drink and some pizza. We decided to try three of the pizzas and order some drinks. Margarita pizza, Wild Mushroom pizza, and Spicy Salami. The mushroom pizza was to die for !!! The flavors were Extremely intense!! With a perfectly cooked crust ! Margarita pizza was just ok it was a little soggy but still editable. The Salami Pizza was also Amazing!! The crust and cheese was perfectly cooked !! As far as there pizza game goes its on point ! Lets talk about the drinks! Spanish Coffee WAS AMAZING! The other cocktails were also very well done ! Lets just say its a One and done kinda place ! Of coarse who just orders one ?!
(4)Joyce L.
We decided to go to Oven and Shaker (O&S) for dinner last night with some friends. After parking the car, we walked to find O&S and had a bit of a trouble as they were missing a sign. I eventually found it only because menus were posted on the window. A new sign is much needed. There is a rustic/modern look to O&S. The entrance is odd as it feels like an exit. When we arrived the place had a lot of people but not super packed. I was surprise that we got a table in the middle (bar arrangement), I would of been more comfortable at a table but that would mean a longer wait. Though, there are hooks on the end of tables to hang purses or jackets which is very convenient considering the seating arrangement. As soon as we sat down, the waitress came by to take our drink orders while we waited for our friends to show up. The menu doesn't have a big selection so decisioning was quite easy. Outdoor seating is available for those who don't mind eating outside. For five people we shared 3 wood fired pizzas (mushroom, spicy salami and wild fennel sausage) and 2 (kale and Nostrana) salads which was plenty. I preferred the Nostrana salad over the kale. The salads came out first followed by the pizzas. Each pizza had its own twist to it which was good though the prices are a bit high. Also, the crust was so thin some of the toppings fell off as I used a knife to cut my pizza. Lesson learned, the pizzas are better consumed by holding it with hands. The crust reminds me of super thin flat bread but better. The service was good but nothing special. The water wasn't cold at all (no ice cubes). It was so warm during dinner. I couldn't tell if the AC was on or not but sweating during dinner isn't a good sign. However, it's a great way to burn calories while eating. I'd return to this place with friends but on a much cooler day. O&S doesn't take reservations so expect to wait on a weekend during the popular dinner hours of 6-7. We just happen to get very lucky.
(4)Shauna L.
Everything we tried was outstanding. The cocktails were perfection and nice and strong. The spicy salami pizza is to die for. After having honey on a pizza I will never be the same again.
(5)Felisa H.
The service was great. The pizza had too many toppings for the crust and for being wood fired the crust was really soft. I did really like the fried chickpeas. They were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft with a great rosemary flavor. It's also a great bar and the atmosphere would be a fun place to hangout and get a drink.
(3)Dean W.
I wished Orange County (home) had something similar to Oven and Shaker. My sister works nearby and she suggested this restaurant while I was visiting the area. We were the first patrons in the restaurant as they just opened up for lunch so we had our choice of seating. Went for the standard - table style seats as the high chairs were backless and looked uncomfortable. We ordered the meatball sandwich from their lunch menu (which I was told differs from their dinner menu). The meatball sandwich came in a crisp and chewy "pocket-style" bread - the dough seemed to the ones they make breadsticks with. The meatballs were flavorful and well cooked and had just enough marinara sauce on it so that it wasn't overwhelming. The dough was amazing though - perfectly cooked - not too crispy not to chewy, and had a parmesan garlic buttery taste to it. It definitely "made" the sandwich though - I couldn't imagine the meatball sandwich being memorable if it had any other type of bread with it. The meal also came with a small side salad which was well-seasoned and a nice complement to the meatball sandwich. Prices are reasonable for the area - Meatball sandwich (w/ salad) was $11 and Drinks ranged from $3 to $4. They have a cocktail menu as well. Definitely memorable and I plan to come back at least one more time before I head home.
(4)Jessica N.
This is a tasty place. Definitely try the Arancini. It is delicious. Raddichio salad is also yummy. We had the pork belly pizza which was deliciously balanced but I don't love my pizza soggy in the middle. It's too thin to cut with a fork and knife and too soft/saggy to eat with your hands. When you do get a bite it was delicious. Just needed to get cooked longer.
(3)Roger M.
The wood fired Pizza's were quite good at dinner. The Bianca pizza was smothered with raschera, sottocenere, bufala mozzarella and topped off with fried sage. The Maple Pig pizza was loaded with bacon, ham, mascarpone, apple butter and ricotta--a little too sweet but you may just love it that way. The crust was crunchy and the dough completely cooked through. Good ambiance and service with a good beer--a good choice for dinner in the Pearl! On Saturday night the place was packed by 6PM but the tables were turning quickly. The waiters were setting up seemingly systematically for the next wave of pizza lovers. Any wait for good pizza is worth a seat at the bar.
(4)Alyssa C.
I sadly have to update my review for this place to an even lower rating after coming here for lunch. The waiter recommended to us the special - octopus salad. It was $14 but I decided to trust the recommendation. Here are all the things wrong with your $14 octopus salad, Oven and Shaker: 1) It's the size of a starter salad. And it was $14. 2) There were maybe 4 pieces of octopus on it. Tops. 3) The flavors weren't complex at all 4) You basically threw some arugula, currants and a couple pieces of octopus on a plate. 5) I'M HUNGRY! Basically, we all left feeling unsatisfied, disappointed, and our pockets a little lighter. What a bummer. At least the waiter was cute.
(2)Elizabeth W.
This place is a-okay. The service seemed kinda slow for as few of people were in the restaurant but the food was good. We had an overpriced basic green salad and a really good pizza with cauliflower. (also overpriced if you ask me. At least for the size)
(3)Elyse L.
Oven & Shaker is where it's at. Good pizza and great tasting cocktails is an awesome combo! I especially enjoyed the margarita pizza and the kale salad. As weird as it sounds, if you top the pizza with some kale salad it's delicious, I recommend it! The ambiance is chic, modern with a wood oven cafe feel. Great place to come with friends and stay long, adding a few extra cocktails and walking around the pearl afterwards makes for a fun evening. Overall, I recommend O&S for drinks, happy hour, and if you're hungry, get the pizza!
(4)Matthew D.
There was 4 people in our party. The waiter was a little over enthusiastic when I asked if they had ginger beer to make a Moscow mule. He promised the best I will ever have. Well last time I checked they came in copper mugs. Clearly not the case and where is my ginger beer?? Disappointment much like the cocky, arrogant so called chef. We ordered a cheese board which was dropped off with NO explication. I flagged our waiter down to ask what was what and they were finally able to fly through them with minimal descriptions.. We ordered 3 pizzas which were pretty decent, goat cheese with Broccoli Rabe, Margherita with sausage, and a fennel pie. We wanted a salad to share and was going to get the Waldorf. It was NOT a traditional Waldorf but it looked good except it was over cabbage. None of us liked cabbage so we asked if they could put greens and then top the with the Waldorf instead.. The waiter came back and said the chef refused. First off you are not a chef, you are a pizza maker, and what gives you the right to turn down money for the owner. You are an absolute idiot and we will never be back. Plus with me being an actual chef, I would recommend putting no substitutions on the menu. I would also fire your dumb ass for your lack of customer service if you worked for me.
(2)Theresa D.
I came here on a Sunday and was a little surprised it was so quiet inside - right around lunch time. We ordered a pizza to share and it was actually pretty legit. I love the thin crust, and I love that doesn't mean 'thin on toppings'. The toppings were generous, and overall the food was amazing. The server was super enthusiastic, and the menu had great variety. While we were pretty much in and out of the place, I would definitely recommend coming here again!
(4)Carolyn S.
Excellent stop! The bartender was incredibly helpful, knowledgable, and made great recommendations! Service throughout the afternoon, and a wonderful selection of liquor!!
(5)Alena C.
Came here on a Sunday night and it was hopping! We sat at the bar and ordered drinks only. I had the Walnut Blackberry Collins ($9). It had a little to much pulp in it and wasn't as sweet as I would like. The second drink, the Pineapple Train Wreck, was amazing. Definitely one to order! With both drinks at $9, you better make sure someone else is paying. We didn't order any food but everything that came out smelled amazing! I will definitely be back to get some pizza and salad. The appetizers look great too.
(3)Christina P.
Pretty inside but... I think this might be the weirdest experience I've ever had at any restaurant in the country ever. We eat out 5 out of every 7 days and travel for work (to give some background on why this place is weird to me.) i do not know about the food. 1. You cannot put in a to go order when its busy unless you sit at the bar. 2. You cannot walk up to the bar you must be on a list to sit there - huh? This is why I wanted to put in an order and buy a few drinks for several of us while we waited. Is this a pizza joint/bar/foody place? Is it a family restaurant? Figure it out, re-figure if needed and train your staff in how to handle people because right now your patrons are pissed, your staff is probably the pissiest we've ever seen. Hope to give you a glowing review one day if you make it in this competitive food town, but it was so weird and angry...
(1)Amanda B.
YUM! Some of the reviews on this place don't paint it or its food in a good light, so I wasn't expecting much. My friend and I sat outside and our waiter was attentive and friendly the whole time we were there. We were there a little before happy hour, so he took our drink order as well as our food order, but put the food order in right when happy hour started. Nice. I had the fennel sausage pizza, the sausage itself was delicious! Nice thin, crispy crust and the perfect amount of sauce. Also had the Pineapple Trainwreck. It was really good and the ice cubes were perfect!
(4)K G.
Great food and service. Had the Salami pizza and added the fennel sausage. Delicious! Had a touch of honey on the crust which was awesome. Brought our own wine and paid the very reasonable $15 corkage fee. Root beer float was delicious. Would definitely return.
(4)H O.
+: Cool atmosphere. -: We had a large group and waited almost two hours for a table. !: The appetizer portions were tiny and the pizza was absolutely horrible! ?: Overly burnt crust, really?
(2)Colleen B.
It was valentines day and we had great service and great drinks bartender was awesome offered us some grilled bread for an app sooo good love the atmosphere not sure why the negative reviews !
(4)James S.
Waitress was inattentive, drinks were sparse and they wouldn't split our tab. I have no plans to return.
(2)Pam F.
Beer was $6. Pizza was average - not enough crust to carry mushy ingredients. Staff was indifferent. Not likely to return. Many other better places to have artisan pizza. On the plus side, enjoyed the salad.
(2)B S.
They do not offer highchairs, which sends a strong message about who they want to eat at their restaurant. We will take our business elsewhere. I also think it's bizarre for a pizza restaurant not to offer take-out, even when the restaurant is empty at 5PM. Poorly conceived business.
(1)Melissa T.
Went here for the preview opening dinner and really enjoyed it. It was $65 per person and featured a chef's menu that was all you can eat! Of course...I don't expect this to be the norm but it was a cool way to get people to try their different foods. We were a party of four and tried a variety of appetizers...the lamb Milanese, the arancina (fried risotto balls...one with veal and the other with tomato), the salami platter, the fried chickpeas, and then the also threw in the antipasto salad for us to try. It was all very good! Head Chef Cathy Whim from Nostrana featured thin crust pizzas for the entree. We tried several...the broccoli and olive; the tomato and basil; and the salami pizza. I was impressed even with the plain tomato and basil pizza because the mozzarella was sooooo good. Came to learn that they make their own mozzarella in house. For desserts, they served brownies with ice cream and ricotta fritters drizzled with honey and powdered sugar. Of course, we had to try them both! The drink list was impressive! They had a good variety of mixed drinks, wines, and beers. My favorite is the pineapple train wreck! Oh so good! The wait staff was attentive and friendly. The scene was vibrant and the place was hopping! They played a good selection of music which added to the hipness of the place. I can't wait to go back when they officially open for regular business!
(5)Jason T.
It's not often I am completely disappointed, but I am with Oven & Shaker. I'm not a snob and the more I think about the experience here, I feel kind of food raped and violated. Yes, I used violation in a review, thus... 1 star it shall receive, continue reading for details. The issue began with our party of 6 arrived at 6pm and we had to wait an hour for a table. I was OK with the wait, at first, but it should have been a sign to just go elsewhere. Our group ordered cocktails, mine arrived first and the server slammed it on the table, spilling it everywhere. As a side note, they do not have cranberry juice and will also charge you extra for tonic water in your drink (this is above and beyond drink price.) Despite the bar looking large and full, it's really not and more for show than actually serving people. Alas, we ordered 4 pizzas. The margarita pizza was the best, we also had the salami one, it's coated in honey. It tastes a lot like a nasty box of Captain Crunch with it's sweetness and odd/old salami flavor. Most of the pizzas were burned on the bottom and charred. The other two were not memorable, we simply just remembered tasting charred dough. Yet despite this, most were also incredibly thin in the middle and doughy. In a fun twist, we asked the server what a particular cheese was. No one at the table had heard of it and it was on one of the pizzas we ordered. The response: It's a cheese, a soft cheese. Uhhhh ok, how about where it's from or any details? Clearly the server had no clue what they were serving and were just an order taker. Over all, the service was slow, the food was not worth the price or tasty. I do not plan on returning here. We finally left and went to a Pizza Schmiza around the corner. Not only did they have cranberry juice, but the service was fast and friendly. Ultimately it made us forget the horrid experience we had at Oven & Shaker.
(1)Priscilla P.
My favorites: the cheese plate, nostrana salad, spicy salami pizza and Pineapple Trainwreck cocktail. Great place to be with a 3-4 friends (seating might make it difficult otherwise, with larger groups). Haven't experienced bad service here.
(4)Lonnie W.
This place is just a half a block from our place in PDX. We have been here quite a few times, but recently it seems to be on the downhill slide. Our last visit here a few weeks ago was very disappointing. It was not busy and we were seated quickly but then the trouble began. Drink service was SLOW and we were served by a different staff member for each time. We finally were able to order and then waited again. After waiting too long for apps the main dish came but our drinks were empty and we were out of water. The wait staff seemed to always look the other way. After 2 hours we finally got our check and left. Recently we have been eating elsewhere. Sorry O & S, you have lost us!
(1)Ellen C.
If having dinner with just two people beware: the chance of you having the most awkward dinner ever is very high. We came for my partners birthday, and we're sat with four rowdy Timbers fans. No option was given to not sit with other people. They proceeded to interject comments into our conversation, drop used cutlery near our pizza, and be loud. The food was ok but seriously, go to Nostrana instead. It's the same stuff without the bitchy waitstaff and annoying seating arrangements.
(1)Lin N.
Sometimes less can be more. The small and simple lunch menu, from which I ordered the most simple of pizzas (marinara), was superb. The oregano, the charred crust.... Came together perfectly and proves that, if done right, a pizza doesn't need to be loaded with cheeses and meats and veggies to taste this good. And the ice in those drinks!
(4)Chris C.
ARANCINI! Yes! I finally found some! This place has great Arancini, which are essentially fried risotto balls with a variety of stuffings inside. Oven & Shaker has some with ragu inside, some with goat cheese, and a few others. Come here, get some. We also ordered the Squash pizza which overall was pretty good, although the spinach could have been dialed back a bit IMO. The ingredients all tasted very fresh, and you definitely pay for the quality at $17/pizza. Great beer and wine selection (and cheap beer prices to boot!), and the ambiance was upscale yet rustic.
(4)Linda W.
Best drinks in town! I keep coming back just for a pineapple train wreck made with house made ginger syrup that is some serious stuff. I've only had the pizza once but it was a solid contender for a good artisan pizza. I'm definitely coming back to try more of the menu and happy hour. They also have a large outdoor seating area that is perfect for summer.
(5)Shantanu B.
Excellent ambience, drinks and food. Very cramped seating. Very slow, albeit pleasant, service.
(4)Food N.
Very good pizza. I usually just get the Margarita or the Mushroom. They have a great Happy Hour that starts at 2pm so it's perfect if you like a late lunch. Service has always been very good. Like the outdoor seating in the spring and summer.
(4)Michele R.
Lunch, Happy Hour, Dinner all enjoyed here when we lived in this Pearl neighborhood for a month in November. Fun ambiance even if awkward for seating by over reliance on high bar tables it seems no one wants to use except as last resort. Very friendly service every time. Good food even if not as flawless as expected. Yummy cocktails. Happy Hour starting at 2:30. And the piece de resistance, the best root beer float that I have ever had among the hundreds I've consumed. If you are a connoisseur of root beer, worth a visit for that alone. WHAT'S IN A NAME Oven as in pizza oven and with roots in the pizza created by co-owner Cathy Whims in the remarkable kitchen at Nostrana. Shaker as in cocktail shaker for inventive new creations and luscious old standards as designed by artisan expert and co-owner Ryan Margarian. VIBE & SEATING At each visit the sign said "seat yourself". Seating options are maybe ten standard height tables along a wall with banquette and chairs on one side of the room. The remainder of seating at an equal number of narrow tables in the middle of the room at high bar height with backless stools. People coming in regardless of time of day and age all wanted to sit at the standard height tables. Not until they filled up did people, sometimes obviously reluctantly as in parents with small children or older diners, take the high seating with the "perch here" backless stools. Makes me wonder if those designing restaurants who think high perch seats are good for dining ever watch the patterns for people choosing them only by default. That flaw aside, the vibe here is fun and funky industrial polished up. Noisy as it fills up for hard surfaces and high spaces but not impossible. Music on the sound system from Bob Marley to the Stones to Fleetwood Mac to... Worked for us. Open kitchen towards the back of the restaurant, big and long bar along one wall, windows at the front look out on to Everett. SERVICE Servers knew the menu, could make recommendations and set the tone in a "welcome to the neighborhood" kind of way. MENUS / FOOD Menus appeared in front of us in paper place-mat format, picked up on some occasions and left on the table on others. LUNCH menu includes pocket style sandwiches ($9), called Puccia, served with a side salad. Options mostly carnivore friendly and Italian themed (meatball, pork shoulder, turkey) but eggplant Parmesan is also on the list. That was my choice and it was good enough, but a little oily and the salad was overdressed by a lot. Pizzas at lunch too, although not as many as dinner, in standard and creative options from $9 - $17 with also an ability to create your own. The special cauliflower pizza with provolone, red onion and Mama Lil's peppers was a winner. Other choices include "Finger and Fork" options of soup of the day ($7) or salumi plate ($14) plus three salads ($10 - $12). DINNER drops the sandwich options but pizza options expand and so do the "Finger and Fork" options to include things like antipasti and arancini. Our dinner choices included sausage and potato pizza, which was excellent, arancini, which were good, and the radicchio salad which was a disappointment for the flavor of raw egg being prominent in the Caesar style dressing. Root beer float ($7) appears as dessert option at dinner. Using vanilla gelato and artisan root beer made for them (by a company named Plants I think), the float is delivered along with the unused portion of the bottle so you can continue to pour on the root beer as you consume this mmmm...arvelous dessert. HAPPY HOUR menu offers discounts on a couple of salads, a handful of pizzas, a few cocktails and a couple of wines by the glass. HH here is one of the earliest to start (2:30) made it perfect for days when we didn't get around to eating lunch until 3:00. LIBATIONS Cocktail menu divided into categories of Fresh, Dry, Strong and Free (as in alcohol free or nearly). For cocktails that also appear on the Happy Hour menu, you can't beat the price for a premium libation (as in the Margarita @$7). Regular cocktails run $9 to $14, par for Portland prices it seems. (Try the Botticelli which includes vodka, Aperol, lime and grapefruit juices and Cava $10.) Alcohol free options run $4 - $6. (Try the Fallen Yellowjacket with fresh lemon juice, clover honey, orange Bitters and club soda.) Bottle list for wine is mostly Italian with a few from CA. While not extensive the options are more than ample and divided into bubbles (several), whites & roses and reds. Prices from $29 - $100. THIS N THAT 1) PARKING: On street, always a crap shoot. Happy Hour time frame seems easier than lunch or dinner. 2) ACCESSIBILITY: Universally usable ramp from front door up to dining space. All on one floor. Limited standard (chair) height seating. 3) ROOT BEER: Case purchase available here. Price = $60. Worth every penny.
(4)Liz K.
Really delicious. The kitchen deserves all the beer. Margarita pizza was awesome. Waitress was a little aloof and absent but delicious food made up for it. Nice ambiance! This place is legit. Buy the kitchen a beer. They deserve it.
(4)Eric S.
Love this place. Excellent food, great layout and the service is always great. I recommend the Spicy Salami pizza and one of those little Cokes. Top Notch.
(5)Maxene A.
oh! Oven /&/ Shakes you are a {bittersweet} favorite happy hour of mine! Why bitter]: because you are always such a great go-to place, and I just want to try something new. Why sweet]: because your happy hour is great and the pies are totes tasty! which keep us coming back pretty often. I just give up... 4.5 stars Real Talk: such a great place to meet for Happy Hour, dinner too but HH is where it's at! [Monday through Friday 2:30 to 5:30p] The Happy Hour @ O&S's is great: it's built on the the delicious fundamentals of pizza, dessert and cocktails:) Take the delicious Margherita Pie originally $13, order it at HH and BAM, only $7! Haven't tried the Salami yet with its charming spicy meets sweet goodness, well come in at HH and try it for only $10, instead of the usual $16. The ever simple, yet refreshing tart salad that is a Nostrana Salad is only $6 and helps rid yourself of the upcoming guilt of devouring a whole pie to yourself -or maybe that is just me? As far as being an adult, they have a selection of amazing handcrafted cocktails for only $7, rotating draft beers for $3, and selected wines for $5. I really dig the HH here! The set up: small tables to dine and large communal tables inside. Ample seating at the bar which runs the entire length of the dinning area, and in the warmer months picnic tables outside. I love the atmosphere, feels like you're hanging out in a converted NY flat. Brick walls, fire flickering from the wood oven, it's modernly dark, and sexy. It's a fun setting, lots of noise, and a great mingling space -if you have a large party op for the communal tables in the middle, they have a raised bar down the middle to keep the pizza's out of the way and makes more room for drinks! The noise level is nice, keeps any one-on-one date from being awkward, and keeps it semi causal, perfect! Street Parking can be a tad rough, but there are plenty of parking garages nearby. Hope you make it to this awesome HH and always start with a crafted cocktail!
(4)Joni W.
Their pizza is amazing -- truly some of the best in Portland. Customer service is always terrible.
(2)Allison H.
Aptly named! I equally enjoyed the bounties from the oven and shaker! Portland was having a bit of a heat wave so I tried the honey basil Collins. It was light and refreshing. Perfect for a hot day. I may have enjoyed a few. The margarita pizza was just how I like it. Very thin and crispy crust. The sauce was just right. I added mushrooms which gave it some woodsy depth. We ended up there mid afternoon on a Saturday. If you can't get into Deschutes, come across the street! Our server was very friendly and attentive. And the space is bright and airy Portland industrial chic.
(4)Lisa W.
The pizza is pretty good, but I'm not understanding the hype of this place. I've been there x2 and have had 3 different pizzas, 2 salads and drinks. The only stand out to me was the Norstrana salad and some of the wait staff is easy on the eyes. ;) This place is pretty good, but kinda spendy for pizza.
(3)Steve C.
A pretty big disappointment. The pizza took forever to arrive & was so soupy it should have been served in a bowl. And overpriced marginal drinks, too.
(2)Mary V.
PlZ if you are in Portland go here. I had a bees nees and let me tell you it was one amazing drink, lemin and honey . We also had a margarita which was very good also. Nostrana salad: delish arrangement of radicchio, parm, and some out of this world croutons. Pizza: margarita topped with arugula was fresh and scrumptious Arachi (???): risotto in a ball with delishiousness in the center snuggled in a dab of marinara and garlic oil. Only draw back (and I mean only thing) was our main server was a little snarky. However, the rest of the servers were amazing.
(5)Brittany M.
I came here with a few colleagues from work for lunch a week or so ago. Very mellow, upscale atmosphere. Since it was lunchtime, it wasn't super crowded and we were seated almost right away. Our server was fine-not memorable, but far from terrible either. I decided to split a margarita pizza and the Nostrana salad with a coworker. The salad came out first and was totally amazing! If I could judge the restaurant on the salad alone-it would be 5 stars. This take on a caesar salad with radicchio is great-not too much dressing so that it's soggy and the croutons are nicely seasoned with rosemary. It's also a very large size and can easily be shared or eaten as a meal (or two!). Where Oven and Shaker really fell flat was the pizza. Super unimpressive. The crust was overly dry and pretty flavorless, lots of sauce (also pretty lacking in flavor), sparse pieces of hardly melted cheese and a few sad pieces of basil that wished they had been made into pesto vs. ending up on this sad pie. Maybe I am a little bitter since I didn't get to enjoy one of the cocktails from the bar, but I doubt I'll be coming back for lunch anytime soon.
(3)Jeffrey B.
This is one of Portlands best pizza places! Excellent crust, good sauce, cool pizza options but still some traditional ones as well. But the best thing about O&S is the drinks. I'm not a big drinker, but the Pineapple Train Wreck is killin! Highly recommended
(5)Ben B.
I was taken there with the assumption this pizza was unique and delicious, it definitely was. We ordered the Nduja sausage, although they all sounded great I could have easily ordered more. The flavor, spices and sweetness with the honey drizzled over the chewy brick oven crust was superb. If I can change anything on the menu, it would be nice to be able to order different sized pizzas rather than just the smaller 6 slice ones. It definitely can get spendy if your hungry and especially if you're drinking. However, they serve Breakside IPA, one of the best beers in the PNW so I'm definitely going back, and I'll be ordering something different just because all the pies look amazing.
(4)Laura N.
Do it! Come here! Good music and good pizza. Drinks are yummy too! Margarita pizza was great, excellent crust! I enjoyed a beverage called A Beautiful Liability. Can I say "mmmmmmm!"
(5)geoffrey K.
Excellent wood fired pizza, great salad, Breakside IPA...what is not to like here. Service was great and I appreciated the environment. It's loud inside so don't go here for a quiet evening. The highlight, though, are the sinks in the bathrooms ... Classic!
(4)Heather C.
This has become my favorite place for pizza and salad when I'm with a friend in the Pearl. All of their pizzas are fantastic, especially because I prefer a more light, thin crust that has that wood-fired snap to it. High quality meats and cheeses as well as other toppings bring it all together. My favorite thing of all, though, is their simple house salad. I could eat plates of that salad. It is nothing complex or fancy, just how I like it. Drinks are all great, and the wine selection is always fantastic. When someone asks me to meet them for pizza, this is always my "go to."
(5)Alison T.
Best gourmet pizza I have had in Portland. I'm talking fancy shmancy, pork belly pizza with duck egg and Brussel sprouts. Cheeses I can't pronounce that are smoky, gooey, and pungent. My sister and I shared the kale and grapefruit salad, which was also surprisingly not your average kale salad. It was tangy and not too...kale-y. You know the kale flavor, green and bitter. Nope, not here! The grapefruit was sweet. So they have the oven part done: Thin crust pizza that gave a nice chew, strong cheeses and well cooked toppings, fat pork belly and golden, running duck egg. Cocktail time!! The best summery cocktail I have ordered is here!! Basil Honey Collins. So fresh and clean on the palate. The basil flavor is strong and the cocktail finishes with the deep flavor of honey. It is a little pricey and far away from my house, though. So I might not be a regular, but I am very pleased with my visit.
(4)Chelsea R.
This review is limited to there drinks. Seriously awesome drink menu, and seriously awesome drinks. Fresh and tasty and extremely creative. We did eat fried mozzarella, which was delicious, and I wish I would have gotten a pizza because they looked awesome.
(5)Shana E.
This is a cool, little spot for lunch with some great drink choices. If you are like us, nothing starts a lazy Sunday better than some alcohol at noon. DRINKS: I tried the Pilsner/Bitburger from Germany and I thought it was really good, especially for being only $5. Others in my group got the Pineapple Trainwreck ($9) and the Honey Basil Collins ($9) and those were absolutely delicious as well. Damn, they were fresh. FOOD: We ordered two of the pizzas: WILD FENNEL SAUSAGE tomato, smoked mozzarella, potato, mama lil's. $16 PORK BELLY brussel sprout, garlic, robiola, lemon. $17 When they came out, I was underwhelmed by the pizza size and the amount of meat toppings on each. While the overall taste was pretty good, I wasn't too impressed and I would have definitely like to see more pork for my buck. So I might come back to try their Happy Hour (M-F 2:30-5:30 and 10-Midnight), but I might just hit Costco next time to ease my pizza cravings.
(3)Daniel B.
Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and above all amazing food. The only problem was deciding what to order, the menu is chalk full of amazing sounding food. I only wish I wasn't passing thru town so that I could come back and try it all! Highly recommend the pork belly pizza...
(5)Lin H.
I wavered between a 2 and a 3 star review, but finally settled on 2 stars as the pros were heavily outweighed by the cons for me. Pros: The mixed drinks are tasty... Or at least the ones I had. The service is attentive and very professional. They were very observant regarding whether they were butting into a conversation, and I really appreciated how nice they were. Cons: The food -- and that's a major con. It's just terrible. Every time I've gone in, I have not had a pizza that was even remotely pleasing. I should perhaps play it safe like Scott L. and get the margherita. Unfortunately, I got all kinds of Oven & Shaker specials, much to my extreme undelight. The last time I went in (last night), my companion and I got the ghost chili sausage pizza. The crust was unremarkable and a little chewy. The cheese flopped off while grease was running down my hand. I get that it's pizza, which is an indelicate food item, but it just shouldn't disintegrate into a waterfall of grease. Finally, there's some kind of bell to celebrate something or the other (the drinking or imbibing of something or the other I'd imagine). It's very obnoxious and jarring, especially if you're having a pleasant conversation with someone -- this isn't a sports bar or whatever (or maybe I have the wrong impression of a restaurant attempting to be an upscale pizza place with supposed fancy ingredients, mixed drinks and attentive servers). That really took away from the atmosphere.
(2)Duncan L.
Must-try: any cocktail. You should do it. Would return?: absolutely! We arrived at Oven & Shaker late at night, expecting to only get a little bit of food and maybe, maybe a drink. We took one look at the menu and immediately changed our minds. First of all: their drink menu is wonderful. Try one of their cocktails - no matter what you will be happy. And as expected, their pizza is delicious, as well. We left full, and so, so happy.
(5)Nicole E.
A pizza with honey you say...well just go here & try it I say! This pizza is possibly one of the tastiest pizzas I've eaten in America...& that's a big call! I love spice & this pizza had a great amount of zing & couple this with the drizzle of honey...wow!!!
(5)Bill W.
It might be the best 'eclectic' pizza my family has ever had. The Maple Pig pizza was incredible
(5)Amy A.
I LOVE Oven & Shaker. Not only do they have some of the best pizza's in the city, they also make some of the best cocktails. Take my advice and sit at the bar so you can chat with the bartender. My faves: Pepper Smash (Cocktail) and Margherita Pizza - Simple and Exquisite!
(5)Emily L.
I don't get the buzz over this place. We stopped in on a Saturday about 1:30pm. Sat at the bar. Ordered the fried chickpeas - nope, out of them. ordered vodka and cranberry juice - nope, out of cranberry. My husband asked for a napkin as his drink got sloshed - was handed a paper towel - i wasn't even offered that.
(2)Nick N.
Had lunch here today. I shared the mushroom and ricotta pizza and added arugula. I'm personally not fan of shiitake's on pizza but overall the flavor was decent. My real problem with this restaurant are the prices. $3 for an 8oz Coke and $16 for an11 inch pizza plus $3 for an ounce of Arugula seem really high for what I received. Not worth the price in my opinion, thus the 2 stars.
(2)Jeff S.
They have two go to salads. The Waldorf ( really a kale salad) and the radicchio salad are exceptional. The pizza is good - thin crust and good flavor. The atmosphere is fun, warm and lively. The service is hit and miss. We return all the time for a consistent good dinner.
(4)Paul V.
Why Oven & Shaker?! Why!? I want to love you, I want to love you oh so much that it pains me, and I lash out to the heavens as I walk away with just a tinge of disappointment in my heart, but I can't love you O&S... I can't force it. Star 1: How was the service and atmosphere? Things started off oh so well my sweet prince. Oh so well indeed. Your servers are lovely and balance a see-saw of trendy and chic that only Portland and maybe Boulder can manage. Your service is prompt and your atmosphere, while a bit dark, was oh so comfortable for my party of three. The courtship was off to such a good start. Star Granted. Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost? Alas, as I can only compare you to what I know (which in Portland happens to be Ken's Artisan Pizza ( yelp.com/biz/kens-artisa… ), it was here that the warning signs started to crop up. $16 for my Spicy Salami pizza? Why Oven & Shaker why! Ken's pizza of a comparable size was $15, and that in and of itself was too much. I simply can't justify $16 for a pizza that I can polish off myself in one sitting. I can't do it Oven & Shaker! How you torture me so. No Star Granted. Stars 3 and 4: How was the food? Could this be it? Could this be the turning point that justified the price? Would this pizza softly caress my palette as Ken's Prosciutto pizza had so gently done? Twas not to be so dear reader, twas not to be so indeed. For while the spicy salami had just the right amount of kick, and the honey was a unique flavor element, my pizza suffered from the classic syndrome that I'll so eloquently label 'son of a ***** the whole thing is coming detached from the crust **** **** ****!' You likely know it well dear reader, and you also likely know how unpleasant it can be. I know not how to solve the classic issue of detachment, but it can be done. Sadly, Oven & Shaker fell a tad bit short of my expectations. Single Star Granted. Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could? I can't! Curses Oven & Shaker, while your decor is lovely and your service marvelous, I'm in love with another, and his name is Ken. No Star Granted.
(2)D T.
extremely rude host staff, some of the worst I have experienced....one time they wouldnt let me sit at any table despite being open, clean with no one sitting there & THEY DONT TAKE RESERVATIONS so why can't I sit there?...ok whatever so that night we had to sit at the bar and listen to two 70+ year old perverted men talk about their mistress VS wife dilemmas and how desperate young girls are in the pearl to land a sugar daddy.... so offensive!!! drink menu totally suck if you don't like beer. the menu consists of salad, cheese sticks I think and pizza.....so boring,.... the place next door has pizza too, a nicer staff and better drinks and more food options.
(2)Philly P.
Dawn D: First off: this place is NOT kid friendly. Me: HOORAY! Dawn D: It's rare that you find a place in Portland that is truly not good for kids, but this is one of them. Me: HUZZAH! Dawn D: There are no high chairs, and a small glass of milk is $3! The pizza flavors are unique and my daughter eats almost anything... Me: Except Dawn D's cooking. Why are they serving milk anyway? It will only encourage more kids. Dawn D: Did I mention it's NOT kid friendly? Me: BONUS POINTS! Best service ever, because the waiters need not trip over high chairs while balancing glasses of MILK on their trays. Keep it up, Oven & Shaker. Keep the good old anti-child feeling going. And keep Dawn D and her milk-addicted child away!
(5)Dan S.
*Pretty hipster place (we ARE in pdx after all) but attentive service and really worked hard to accomodate our large table *Pizza was really good but so was the kale salad and all the apps *Def gourmet zapper at fairly high prices, about 17 bucks for what I would call a medium
(4)W B.
Awesome place. Sat outside for happy hour. I had the beer of the day, some pilsner that was pretty good. Also had a couple of pizzas that were on the happy hour menu; Margherita and Salami. The Margherita was excellent, thin crust with a light layer of tomato sauce, large drops of mozzerlla cheese not covering the whole piece, and basil leaves spread out around the top. The salami was really good but had a surpise with Honey drizzled across the top of it. It was sweet and had a good flavor though. The end bill for three people was not bad at all, we'll definitely be back.
(5)Phil D.
The food is pretty good but not great. The worst part about this place is the fact that they do not have high chairs for kids. When we asked why the server she said it was a deterrent to parents so they would not bring kids. This is so lame, it's a pizza place!! Of course people want to go out with their family. Anyway, I will not be going back because of this. It seems like if they did not want kids they would make it a bar for 21 and up. Just lame !!!!
(2)Jesse W.
Saw this place on a Youtube video and decided to visit during my vacation in Portland .It was a pretty short wait on a Thursday evening, only about 5-10 minutes or so. My wife liked the fact that there were hooks by all the tables to hang her purse, big plus. Lots of tasty sounding pizzas but we split the Pork Belly pizza. Not too many toppings on the pizza, which is good for this thin style of crust. I liked that it was slightly charred on the bottom. I really wanted to try one of the cocktails but they were pretty steeply priced ($10-14), so I opted for an Oregon-made beer which also paired nicely with the pizza. I would say the service was average. We were ready to leave but had to stay an extra 15 minutes or so to wait for the bill and then the signature. Would probably come back to try more pizzas, preferably during happy hour so I can also try some of the cocktails.
(4)Kara A.
I came here while visiting Portland for a wedding for lunch on a snowy Friday. It wasn't very busy while we were there, but that could have been related to the snow. The place is cute and trendy and the service was fast, but again, we were some of the only customers in the restaurant. I ordered the Eggplant Parmesan Puccia. This was sort of like a calzone meats a pita. It was crust that was pre-baked with the fillings placed inside like a pita sandwich. It came with a radicchio caesar salad, which I'd never had before. The salad was excellent, and I'm a caesar salad snob. The dressing was good, the crutons were crunchy, and the radicchio was crisp. The Puccia wasn't really my favorite. I felt that it lacked flavor; however, it wasn't bad. It just wasn't something that I'd order again. On an entirely different note, I love how they indicate "American Light Lager" on their menu, which is actually simply referring to a Coors Light. I can't help but laugh when restaurants try too hard to make their menu sound "high class". Over all, I feel pretty ambivalent about this place. If I'm ever in Portland again, I'd return if someone in our group suggested it, but wouldn't go out of my way to eat here.
(3)Ashley S.
I don't get what everyone is raving about I went in for happy hour today and to start with the service is a joke. Nobody there has any personality and were so not personable at all. Very cold. I ordered a salad took one bite and hated it I told my server I didn't like it and he doesn't suggest anything else or anything just says oh okay and takes it away My pizzas crust was soggy in the middle and the honey was just a hot sticky mess. Why would you put so much of it on?!? It's all I tasted was like having a soggy pancakes with honey .... Eww My drink was okay but when I got the bill I was a little surprised I was still charged for the salad I didn't eat.. Um okay..... You have to flag someone down anytime you need anything everyone just seems like they are too good to even have jobs and have zero interest working in the service industry. Don't think I would be back even tho I work in the area
(2)Dawn D.
First off: this place is NOT kid friendly. it's rare that you find a place in Portland that is truly not good for kids, but this is one of them. There are no high chairs, and a small glass of milk is $3! The pizza flavors are unique and my daughter eats almost anything, but the dough was so thin, (it may as well have been see thru), that it was hard for her to even hold onto. As others have noted, the service is definitely lacking. We waited at our table so long, I finally asked the busboy to bring us water, since there was no sign of a waitress. The only reason this place gets two stars from me is that I did like the topping combinations and the salad was good. But it's not enough to ever make me go back.
(2)Cola V.
Great spot to catch up with a friend or have a casual group dinner. Great pizza selections ($20+ ish range), full bar, and excellent salads. Atmosphere is trendy, lots of wood and metal, feels almost modern cabin'isk. Outdoor seating and large window/bar seating inside. Great service.
(4)Cori W.
Just wanted to reiterate my rating after visiting with friends for a bday and trying the food. First annoyance was that our waiter took all our drink menus after we ordered. Do people normally just get one drink and are done? Along those lines our waiter never asked us if we wanted another round and ignored my empty beer glass for the entire hour duration of the evening. I went with the margherita with the buffala mozz, an extra $3. The pizza was sad. It wasn't crispy, being so thin it ended up being super floppy. The sauce was fresh tasting but the cheese was nothing to write home about. I don't know why we bothered to pay extra. Overall the pie tasted like bland tomato flavored flour chewing gum. I do fully believe that if this pie was allowed to cook longer it would have been better but $16 was so not worth it.
(2)N B.
It's good food. I always get a salad, got the Radicchio ceaser style salad they offer. It was great, also shared the ghost pepper salami pizza. Drinks were good, will return !
(4)Amanda W.
I love oven and shaker! Their spicy salami pizza is so so so good. Best pizza I have had in all of Portland. Fun atmosphere and a romantic setting. They also have good salas, which are huge. Their homemade ginger ale is also pretty delicious. You can buy the kitchen a six pack and they ring a bell for you. It's a cute idea. Something kind of fun and a good way to put good karma into the world. It's even worth trying to find parking downtown (I don't say that for anything)!
(5)Brit G.
3 of my girlfriends & I came here for a late night dinner. We ordered the spicy salami pizza & margherita pizza with arugula & a salad & side if arancini. Spicy salami pizza... SO GOOD. They drizzle honey on top & adds such a perfect taste! I can hardly wait to go back. Service is excellent!
(5)Jane I.
It's a place for fancier pizza! These pizza's taste prettier than your average pizza, and they are for an awesome price during happy hour and they are big enough for two people. So, make sure to bring a friend! The cocktails are great, not too sweet and not too strong. The service is hipster-esque, but contrary to popular belief, they aren't. They are very nice, and unpretentious, so they just happen to be regular people guys [they just happen to wear glasses]. Personally I like my pizzas on the greasy side, but not on the domino's greasy kind of side, so this place is a bit swanky for me for a pizza place. Despite that, it was great and I would definitely recommend it.
(4)Kristi W.
I was in town on business and a colleague had recommended Oven and Shaker so I decided to check it out. The restaurant itself is gorgeous - it looks very Northwestern and has great vibe. I had a kale salad which was amazing and more than I could eat. I shared the Tomato pizza with a colleague and we both liked it. The salad portions were so over the top (which I don't usually hate), I didn't enjoy the pizza as much as I would have liked but will come back again for sure.
(4)Lisa B.
What is there to say about a place where you can get specks pizza and a perfect Plymouth martini at the same time. It's perfect! I surprising creative twist on pizza with amazing cocktails. The only downside is the common struggle of parking in the pearl. For those who hate parking as much as I do, head to East Glisan Pizza Lounge. Same awesome styles of pizza with less pretentious atmosphere and ample parking.
(5)Jamie T.
It's a horrible habit (I know), but when picking a place to eat at a quick glance, I glaze right over places with less than 4 stars (I don't know how Oven & Shaker has anything less than 5 stars at this point). Thankfully my sister insisted on coming here. Literally everything my family and I ate was phenomenal. We ordered Eggplant Parmesan, the daily soup, which was Curry Squash with toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Kale salad, and Spicy Salami pizza. OH MY. Whoever thought to put honey on that pizza though...WOW. I am not exaggerating though...everything was delicious. Our server Tayler was very accommodating and hilarious. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I wish I lived closer so I could come here on a regular basis.
(5)Martin W.
Walked in 20 minutes before they close... how are we greeted?.... With smiles! And "of course you can order pizza still, please sit down". Good start. We sat at the bar in an attempt to be as convenient as possible for the staff. We promptly received drinks and food menus. Happy hour pizza had very generous portions and everything was delicious. (Haven't been here for unhappy hours though so no input on that) My wife and I enjoyed our experience here and even though we came in close to closing the staff was very nice and told us we could stay as long as we like - we made sure to get ourselves out before our presence resulted in anyone having to work later than thier normal hours though.
(5)Vi E.
Delicious! Good service too. We sat down right away and ordered the Margherita pizza and added fennel sausage. The first pizza came out without sausage :( we debated for a minute on whether or not we really wanted the sausage and decided to ask for it. They had another one out quick for us! It was delicious and the perfect size for two. Also liked how they left a whole bottle of water at your table . Unfortunately parmesan was an extra add on that I didn't want to pay :( otherwas, awesome pizza!
(4)Len M.
The Maple Pig pizza was absolutely fabulous. Servers great. Drinks great. The charge for extra crostini not so great.
(4)Peter B.
Drinks were strong. Pizza was perfect and cheap at happy hour. Atmosphere was cool. Service was quick and friendly.
(5)Luanda G.
Delicious pizza. Seriously, so good. I had the wild fennel sausage pizza and it's really tasty. The pizzas are a good size and serve 2 people easily. If your party's 3 or more, I would order two pizzas. I also had the shepherd salad, which was sadly not that good. It was soaking in bitter balsamic vinaigrette. Like drenched. The taste was overwhelming, and the salad was really hard to eat because of it. The space inside is really nice. I went at night and it had dim lighting, mostly black interior, and a full bar. It's a nice place for an informal date night or friend gathering. Despite the salad, this place gets 4 stars for delivering great pizza.
(4)Katherine C.
I love pizza, it's probably my favorite food. Oven & Shaker does their pizza right. They're not huge but they are super fresh and flavorful. My favorite is the Pepperoni that is drizzled with honey. The sweet and savory flavor combo is to die for. In addition to great pizza, the salads are awesome. Sometimes we'll go and get both the Radicchio and Kale salads along with one pizza. For two, this makes a super filling, delicious lunch or dinner. The wine selection and cocktails are great too and the style/ambiance is very inviting.
(5)Ryan W.
The pizza is tasty albeit slightly overpriced. We ordered the margherita! The basil and mozzarella were very fresh and the sauce had a nice tang. They use a brick oven so they are flat crusted and come out with the usual outer-char. The crust is very good if you are into that kinda thing. The crust is the perfect combination of crispy on the outside and jussssst doughy enough on the inside. I think the pizzas are 13"-14". Mixed drinks are definitely on the pricier side also. What I can say is AVOID the mozzarella squares as an appetizer-- complete rip-off. The service was good so we have no complaints there. The ambiance is nice and has that classic gastro-pub feel. All in all a decent meal but not a place where I would become a regular.
(3)In B.
my second time at oven & shaker. i absolutely love the atmosphere! perfect place to eat and grab a cocktail after a longg day. i've tried their salami pizza which is delish. they drizzle honey on top so it has both sweet and savory flavor which can get pretty addicting. their nostrana salad is amazing and their italian dip was pretty impressive as well!
(4)Amy L.
Great cocktails. Great appetizers and great pizza. While the ingredients and quality of their food is top notch, their atmosphere is casual and therefore a great environment for anyone looking for a nice night out with friends or for an afternoon where you can brunch and chat. Their speck, leeks, chives, basil pizza was our group's favorite. Also try the Pineapple Trainwreck cocktail, it's sweet, tart and aromatic all at the same time and a perfect compliment to any of their pies with prosciutto.
(4)Ron T.
It's a very good thin crust pizza and bar. They always change their menu. Whatever vegetables on season, they'll most likely have it on their dough. Drinks? Look over at their menu and you'll smile with their ample handcrafted cocktail selection. The service is good. If by being honest will keep you from trouble, then it's ok here. We've had a not so warm pizza that was served and it was replaced promptly.
(4)Marcy E.
The overall feel of the restaurant is very trendy with a taste of hipster due to the amount of staff wearing thick framed classes, beards, and brown leather shoes. I would say this place was intimate due to the lighting, but our table was anything but. We sat at the table directly in front of the hostess table, and let me tell you... It was not my favorite spot. Either one of two things surround our table: a constant river of waiters and waitresses rushing by or a groups of people waiting for a table. Neither really set the mood... If you know what I mean... The pizza eating mood, (get your mind out of the gutter people). Clearly, this was a slight flaw in the interior designers plan. I'm not sure if there are other awkward seats in here, but if you have the opportunity, ask the hostess to sit somewhere else. We decided to go big or go home (which might sound like the better alternative) and tried the Maple Pig with ham, bacon, mascarpone, ricotta, and apple butter. It was good, almost great actually. The pizza in general was overall very sweet. I almost wish there was some sort of saltier component. The Man said the bacon was salty, but it wasn't salty enough for me to make a difference. This might be the rare occasion I wished there was some sort of spicy kick in it (And I'm a pansy when it comes to spicy food... Like a dash of pepper and my mouth is on fire). Some parts of the crust were burnt to a crisp, but I guess that's expected. The Man ended up ordering from the "shaker" menu and got the pineapple trainwreck... Which was indeed a trainwreck. Our waiter, which I'll discuss his "attention to detail" in a minute, swore by this drink because of the house made spicy ginger syrup. Apparently the bartender that night was a little happy with the syrup and it was all you could taste, leaving the cocktail almost undrinkable. What really dropped my rating was the service. The "helpful" advice our waiter gave us was one of two times he showed up at our table... Three if you count when he dropped off our water and left us for about 10 minutes before asking if we wanted something else to drink. I'm still on the fence if I would ever try this place again, much like everyone else's review. The food tastes great and there are still other items I'd love to try. But from what I've read in other reviews, clearly I'm not the only one who's experienced bad service. Hopefully their "we're hipster and we know it" attitude will go away SOON and show off some better service. But as for now, I really don't think it's worth the hassle.
(3)