Pambiche

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2811 Ne Glisan St
Portland, OR 97232

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(503) 233-0511
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Pambiche - Portland, OR
Pambiche - Portland, OR
Pambiche - Portland, OR
Pambiche - Portland, OR
Pambiche - Portland, OR
Pambiche - Portland, OR
Pambiche - Portland, OR
Pambiche - Portland, OR
Pambiche - Portland, OR
Pambiche - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 49 )
( 34 )
( 8 )
( 8 )
( 10 )

Best

Cuban Food so far, far away! Being Cuban-American puts me in a great position of having the real thing and the 'wanna-bes' all my life... I've got...

Worst

I tried to get a seat a few times but I had to wait too long. So, I ended up getting food togo AGAIN. I understand people love your food because it's good but I don't think these ...

I had high hopes for this place 2/8/2007

I lived in Miami the first 23 years of my life, and come from Cuban born parents. So when I moved to Portland I really hoped this place was as good as people led me to believe. Sadly, that wasn't quite the case. The arroz con frijoles was decent, but the vaca frita I ordered was not at all up to par and in ridiculously small portions. Seriously, the food was about one third the size of what a meal should be.\r \r They also lack many Cuban staples, like bistec empanizado, bistec a la milanesa, or even a simple palomilla. In fact, looking at their menu right now, they don't serve any steaks at all! \r \r However, this is about as good as it gets in Portland. If you're familiar with what Cuban food -should- look and taste like, this is the closest proximity you're going to get and you'll just have to deal with it. If you've never been to Miami or New York or LA and had real Cuban food, then this will suit you fine. Pros: Closest thing to authentic Cuban food in Portland Cons: Barely average quality food, and in small portions more
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My top portland pick 1/16/2007

This place is the bomb and I would disregard anyone who says otherwise as a bad reviewer. This is not traditional Cuban food like you find in Miami but it is a very good rendition. The reviewers who claim a lack of flavor have obviously not ordered the vaca frita or ropa vieja. The deserts are also great, especially the banana rum cake. The place is a bit cramped tho so try to sit outside under the heat lamps if its not too cold out. Pros: very good food and dessert Cons: too small more
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Great Service is Back! 1/16/2007

Thanks Pambiche for getting back our favorite server in town! For the life of us, my husband and I can't remember her name. His guess is Erin and I'll go with it because he remembers the cute ones. She was gone for a bit in the fall and came back. Friendly without the syrup, hustle without the hyper, accommodating but not ingratiating--that's great service. We like all the staff there but she takes the cake...or Tres Leches. Oh and the BEST Cuban in town as always! We are moving soon and Pambiche will be missed. more
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Outside seating! 1/12/2007

They have some pretty neat outside seating, and the menu seems fairly large for not very much seating. But the food was great, service a little slow, maybe just understaffed. Pros: Good food, mainly outside dining Cons: Outside dining great until it is very windy while rainy! more
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Waaahhhh! 1/9/2007

\r I was totaly sad after going to eat at Pambiche. I read the reviews, it was highly recommended to me but when I got there and saw the fried plantanos and how old and dried they looked i was so sad. My meal was even more disappointing. I lived in Miami with a Cuban family and I have never seen food cooked the way it was at Pambiche. It was also very crowded and dirty and the service was so-so. Sorry guys, Pambiche was a real let down. more
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Unique Experience!! 12/1/2006

Isn't exactly your typical restaurant, most of the seating is outdoors yearround. But the food is worth the chill!! I love there large unique menu. And I have been back several times :) more
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Best Cuban food in the city 11/18/2006

This place is one of our favorites. Exceptional dishes reflect authentic Cuban cuisine. Large menu and so many delicious foods makes it hard to decide what to order. Pros: Menu Cons: Dining space more
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Muy GOOD! 11/3/2006

When a Cuban national takes you to a Cuban restaurant -- you know it's GOOD! And Pambiche is a nice dining experience. Portions are good, and the menu is extensive. In fact, there are so many good sounding meals, it's hard to pin it down. The flavors and the manner of cooking the food is what makes this pleasurable. They marinate the meats in tropical spices and combinations, I think this is their secret to success! Served with sides of beans, rice, fried plantain you can't get any better. I've had the oxtails -- delicious, and the Vaca Fritta (a shredded beef dish) to wonderful for words. The down side is that this is a small restaurant and very popular. So you'll probably have to wait for a table during the meal-time rush, and seating can be cramped. Good if you go with a small group of 2-4. Pros: I'm salivating already! Cons: Cramped quarters more
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¡Este alimento es muy delicioso! 10/17/2006

Pambiche is awesome. The servers are all very nice (of course, often overwhelmingly busy), the food is great, and their desserts are magnificent. The pan frito is heaven, and we order it with every meal (sometimes as my meal!). Go for happy hour... you can sample small plates of many different menu items for just a few bucks each. Another excellent time to go is on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon - it is the perfect place for a tasty, relaxing, long afternoon lunch. I can't wait until they start serving breakfast, too! Pros: Great food, fun atmosphere Cons: You'll want to buy a ticket to Havana more
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BEST EVERYTHING! 10/8/2006

FOOD WAS AMAZING! I couldn't believe beans could be so yummy! I also had bannana cake that was Incredible!!! Hours are very flexible, don't know many places that stay open that late. Pros: food Cons: small dinning area inside more
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Great outdoor seating and service, average food 9/1/2006

We went there on a Thursday night and it was quite busy. We waited a few minutes to get a table outside (recommended since inside is somewhat stuffed up). The service was great, but the food is nothing special. I was looking forward to my ropa vieja, but it was very dissappointing because there was no flavor. The snapper on coconut sauce had a nice flavor but the fish was not especially fresh. We thought the black beans were better than the red. The fried plaintains were flavorless and tough. The sangria tasted like there's an overripe/stale strawberry in it. The much anticipated deserts were also dissappointing. The flan was unimpressive and the chocolate cake (aleman, I think) was good but very heavy and sweet. Pros: Good service and nice outdoor dining ambiance Cons: food, parking more
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Small Inside, Lots of Seats Outside & Fantastic Food!! 8/4/2006

OMG I have never had Cuban food so I was a bit scared and unsure until I read the menu and found great descriptions. What I really liked was the use of colors on the walls along with the pictures since it made you feel as if it really was a tropical setting. Yes the inside was small, but who cares when the food, service and drinks were great. We had a party of 6 and had no problem getting seated right away. The food came out quickly and who cared that we weren't feed at the same time, we all took turns from the plates that were ordered to sample the goods and boy was good! I didn't find it too loud as others posted but it was 10 pm when we arrived so I've sure that may have added to it. We all had a great time and I look forward to going again! Pros: Food, Drinks, Desserts Cons: Parking was a bit tight! more
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Not quite like cuba, but close. 7/28/2006

I spent most of my life in Miami, which has a very large Cuban exhile community. I was lucky enough to eat regularly at some of the best little Cuban restaurants in the country. I would say that Pambiche is probably as close to those places as you'll find in this part of the country. \r You won't find a few Cuban staples such as Lechon Asado, Mariquitas, Bistec Milanesa, and Papas Rellenas, but you will find Ropa Vieja (although portions were a little small), Vaca Frita, Picadillo, and Tostones. I thought the most authentic offering was the Flan for dessert, which was as good as I've ever tasted. \r Overall, Pambiche is a nice change of pace to have so close by. \r No liquor here but a good selection of beer & wine. Too bad since a mojito would go pretty well with some of the dishes. \r Parking might be a challenge. Cons: Parking, Limited Seating, No hard alcohol more
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Flavour, Fun, and Great Drinks 6/17/2006

Wow! Whether you're just getting something like the cuban sandwich or empanada, or going for the full dinner plate, whatever you have will not disappoint. There's lots of flavor and adventure for your palate here yet, still something delicious for the less exploratory. The sweet plantians were a highlight surprise. Service was impressive, even though it was busy. Even if you didn't save room for dessert, make sure you get one anyway. more
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Busy but worth it! 6/14/2006

The desserts are to die for-- love the tres leche. It is often crowed so try an off time to get the best service. Or just get cake to go! Pros: great food Cons: popular more
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Good food, spotty service 5/17/2006

My boyfriend and I first visited Pambiche not long after it opened, and while we were impressed by the food, the service left much to be desired. Parties arriving after us were seated before us; our entrees came at different times; the waitress copped an attitude, etc. (We don't expect to be treated like royalty, just like paying customers.) We decided to give the restaurant some time to settle in and went back recently to see how things had changed. Sadly, it wasn't much. The food was still delicious, but the service was still lacking. It's too bad that a restaurant this good can't get its act together, service-wise. Pros: Authentic cuisine, Fun ambiance, Good drinks Cons: Sub-par service, Lack of parking more
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Excellent cuban cuisine 4/7/2006

The beef pepper pot is tender and succulently salty, and the dessert case offers many tempting options. The menu provides a variety of tastes of delicious ethnic cuisine and every time I've been there it's been crowded and the service was brisk. Pros: Reasonably priced, great food, easy parking Cons: crowded, outdoor seating on st more
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Muy delicioso, in a little-bitty space 2/26/2006

Fun, funky decor & bright lights surround the extremely close (full) tables. We waited about 1/2 hour outside (heat lamps available). Servers were extremely gracious and attentive. The food! I had a picadillo empanada, my husband a spicy shrimp plate. Both sooo tasty - not too spicy, quite flavorful. The empanada crust was divine. The plato came with rice (perfectly sticky), black beans (wow good - served warm in a mug), and fried plantains (super yum - crispy outside, soft mild banana inside). We each had a glass of their pinot grigio, which was quite good, and the total with tip was $42. Worth a wait, even in the cold. Pros: great flavors, good wine, nice service Cons: crowded & cramped, difficult parking more
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Exceeded expectations 1/26/2006

I had two friends come from out of town for dinner and requested something cuban for dinner. Both work in the food industry and have high expectations and Pambiche exceeded them. Dinner was great and we had dessert too which was wonderful. Group of eight had a hard time getting seated. Go with a friend or two. Pros: Great desserts Cons: Small more
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Excellent Experience 11/23/2005

After several recommendations and reading the reviews from CitySearch, I decided to try Pambiche. I can't lie, I had high expectations. But Pambiche lived up to all of them. The food was delicious, the atmoshere was intriguing and the help was friendly. In addition, the menu explains each dish in detail, which is extremely helpful for those of us who are less familiar with Cuban/Carribean dishes. I highly recommend this restaurant! Pros: food, atmosphere, friendly service Cons: crowded more
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Menu for Pambiche


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Editorial

  • In Short
    The flavors are hot, cuisine authentic and the place abuzz with Spanish-speaking clientele and a bilingual staff. At times, this brightly painted cafe has lines out the door....

  • 6/20/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Sat: 8am-12am, Sun: 8am-10pm, Mon-Thu: 11am-10pm, Fri: 11am-12am
  • Payments: Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Program, Kerns
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