Dogfish Cafe, Portland

The Dogfish Cafe with it's great service and food has been a favorite with us for years . Our last visit was discouraging though. It wasn't busy and we were seated immediately. The young man who seated us, after mentally reviewing several choices, gave us the wrong name for our server so I was somewhat embarrassed to address her by a name not her own. I ordered a Manhattan (hardly an exotic drink) to start and was served some clear mystery concoction. She took it back without demur but excused the mistake by saying the bar staff was new. My simple hamburger was made even simpler by omitting the lettuce, tomato and onion that the menu promised. Also by ordering a side salad somehow that eliminated the fries that should have accompanied the hamburger. As we had a guest with us and a concert to attend later I didn't make a public fuss, just a mental note. I've compared notes with friends who are also patrons and the concensus is that standards have slipped. There is so much competition for restaurants in the area -- it's a shame to see a nice, small local establishment in decline after such a promising beginning.

The Dog Fish Cafe (on the corner of Congress and St. John) should be visted by anyone who has not tried it. They have a lunch menu that is fantastic, anywhere from appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, or salads all made with very fresh ingredients. At night they have dinner specials which are amazing meals (usually 4 or 5), along with the lunch menu, that they present to the tabel on a chalk board. This is a great place for fresh seafood and their mussles are a must try! The staff is very friendly and they've got an excellent wine selection. Also vegetarian friendly.

I was driving to a different restaurant when I caught a glimpse of the Dogfish Cafe. Needless to say, the alure did not stop at the curb. The ambiance, food and service were perfect for taking a travelers mind off being away from home. This is the type of place that makes me appreciate the opportunity that I have to see the country. The people and the food were great.

We went to the Dogfish Cafe for the first time yesterday, and were pleasantly surprised by how good everything was. We had a bit of trouble finding a place to park, since there were maybe ten spaces in the lot, and all of them were filled. We were fortunate to find a place on the street with 2-hour. I don't know if we could have if we had gone for dinner instead of lunch. Anyway, the food was awesomely good, and our waitperson was extremely nice and accommodating. The space was sort of small, but we didn't feel overly crowded or anything, and the tables were pretty cool. Food came quickly and was better than expected. We ended up spending a little more than planned - the entrees and appetizers on the menu all start at around $7 and work upwards from there (the specials were lower) - but it was kind of worth it. If you can get to this particular location, I highly recommend it.