Trebol

We recently stopped by Trebol and were disappointed with the food. Don't get me wrong the service was great and friendly. I expected more from an entree costing $15 than a heap of lettuce. The tuna tostada wasn't much more than an appetizer and ended up leaving hungry. Pros: outdoor seating Cons: value more

About a month ago, we returned to Trebol. The waiter didn't know anything about the menu, and my food came undercooked. I very nicely asked to have it ""cooked"" a bit, she was very rude. When my food returned it was torn apart like they threw the insides of my taco onto a grill and just tossed it back on the plate, burned. Sadly, they've gone downhill a bit and is not worth the high price. In these times, I can't afford to dally around with subpar food and rude service when there are other sure bets in this town. I doubt I will return Pros: The memories Cons: Food, service and price more

The food here is top notch. Great for non-meat eaters as well. The best ingredients combined in unique and amazing dishes paired with high quality cocktails. Among many, the tamarind margarita was truly memorable. The service was great, they take time to answer questions and make you feel at home. I also appreciate the sustainability in choosing foods, and the recycling and composting efforts. This is a place I will frequent. Pros: Food, Drinks, Desserts, Service, Conscious of environment, Good happy hour Cons: ....none!.... more

I read a nice review of Trebol on livePDX and my wife and I decided to give it a shot. We were pleasantly surprised at the unique menu options and dedication to local and organic ingredients. I am not a vegan but even their meat-less menu items sounded delightful. Starting out with the drinks, the tequila list was impressive, their unique take on the margarita was also nice, and a good selection of both local and hispanic beers, plus house sangria which is always a plus. We had the ceviche for an appetizer, which was awesome, and the main course was very delicious as well. Two drinks a piece, an appetizer, and two entrees and walked out the door $60, which was another nice surprise for the quality of the meals we received. The wait staff was very helpful and friendly, and I assured them we would be back to visit Trebol before too long. Pros: Fresh ingredients, good bar Cons: n/a more

went trebol for the cinco de mayo festivities, and was blown away by their creativity to set the mexican bbq with d.j's in and outside. the ribs were to die for and the drinks were great, even though they were served in plastic cups (but whatever) it was my first time visiting and was pleasantly surprised in their professionalism under very busy circumstances... it was also great to hear that the hispanic chamber teamed up with them and were able to share in proceeds benefiting their kids scholarship fund. great job, and we'll definately be back Pros: very helpful staff, yummy food Cons: parking more

My best friend?s birthday is Cinco de mayo so this year she preferred to find a Mexican restaurant with entertainment and margaritas. I called around many places to find out who had a patio, entertainment and room for a reservation for 15 guests. When I called Trebol, a peppy man explained that they would be having musical entertainment; a raffle and other fun cinco activities and all benefited a charitable cause. This sounded great so I made the reservation. When I arrived, I looked around and noticed there was no music or any sort of festivities to speak of. I asked and was told that there had been a DJ earlier, but he was done on the patio for the night. My friend was a little disappointed, but we moved on. The margaritas were being served in plastic cups on the patio. The birthday girl asked if it would be possible for just her to have a glass since it was her birthday. The waitress courteously explained that the bartender was not having glass outside. We had children at the party who ordered milk which arrived in?glass cups. 2 out of 15 plates of our food arrived. It was not for another hour that the rest of the party?s food came (including the birthday girl?s vegetarian option). There was no explanation or apology. Drinks took a long time and often when they came out (now in glass). At the end, after all paid for what they had ordered, there was a still unaccounted for money left on the tab, most likely due to the drinks that no one ordered. There was no attempt on the waitress?s part to get that figured out and she was unsure of the prices of the drinks. Neither was there any attempt at any sort of compensation (perhaps comping the appetizers that were small plates of guacamole with six chips for $10). The couple of people who had brought cash were forced to foot the rest of the bill (includeing the birthday girl?s husband). The waitress complained about her tip. Overall, the service, food and drinks were terrible none of us will EVER go back. Pros: The ambience of indoors and patio both Cons: Everything else more

With over 75 tequilas, Trebol is sort of my heaven. Both the bartenders are rather personable and have an extensive knowledge about the numerous tequilas they carry. Trebol is an excellent place to try out a brand you've never tasted, let alone those you have never even heard of. In the restaurant's organic spirit of ""no prepackaged food out of a box,"" they make their own sweet and sour mix for margaritas, which I find rather tasty and impressive. Pros: Ambience, Tequila Selection, Warm Service Cons: As a student, a little more than I like to spend, but well worth it. more

went last night (thursday) to meet friends for happy hour. some showed up at 5:30, some 6:30, a few at 7. ended up with 8 people and had to move to a larger table, not a big deal since only about a 1/4 of the tables were occupied. i arrived with boyfriend at 6:30. we ordered four happy hour plates and some drinks. drinks arrived. at 7:15 i asked about our food. it was brought out a few minutes later. it took 45 minutes and a request to get 1 salad (a large handful of mixed greens with one pickled onion on top), and 3 small plates of tacos. 45 minutes. no apology. our friends who arrived around 7 and ordered dinner didn't see their food for an hour, and the restaurant was out of rice (which was told to them shortly before their food arrived) we ordered some flan around 8 and asked for the check. boyfriend was handling it - we wanted to pay our portion and go. around 8:45 when he was still waiting i asked what was up - i wanted to leave. he explained that they'd been having trouble - couldn't split out the bill and he had no idea what the waitress was doing. i go up to the counter, ask the waitress what's up. she's frazzled beyond compare and has multiple receipts flying about. they can't really bill mutliple cards, didn't split the bills out (even though it was clear separate groups showed up and ordered at significant time intervals...) then apparently they can bill more than one card, but we need to do it all at the same time. i took the bill ($184) and manually broke it out into four groups, crossed out the printed gratuity and wrote in $0, gave them two cards and cash. they ran the cards (including 18% gratuity). i called them on it - they said they couldn't do anything about it. manager was called in who was a little more solid than the useless waitress, but had nothing to suggest. ideas: give the gratuity back in cash. credit some drinks. give out a gift certificate. nothing. ridiculous. not worth another visit. Pros: atmosphere Cons: service inexcusable more

As native Texans, my husband and I are always on a search for great Mexican food. Needless to say, this is often a fruitless endeavor so far north of the border. However, we were both highly impressed by the quality and creativity of our dishes at Trebol. Our food was well-seasoned and the portions were generous. The margaritas were perfectly balanced and had creative ingredients like lavendar, tamarind, and serrano-infused tequilla. These were literally the best margaritas we've had in years! We also enjoyed the friendly staff, comfy booths, quirky mexican-wrestling films playing silently above the bar, and the Mana/Manu chao mix on the radio. We will definitely be back! Pros: Unique mexican cuisine in Portland. Cons: Don't come expecting chips & salsa or fajitas - that's not what trebol is about. more

We were very impressed with this neighborhood spots, original dishes and warm decor. I appreciate the authentic spanish cooking and could not begin to tell you what we liked best, since we seemed to go from one tasty discovery to the next. I particularly appreciated our server, who knew his menu and bar choices, and was not afraid to make recommendations. Nothing irritates me more, than to ask a server what they think about a particular cocktail or dish and have them reply ""depends on what you like,""- duh! Our server asked question to help us navigate the menu and our drink choices, to our ultimate satisfaction and enjoyment. We loved Trebol and are looking forward to returning! Pros: Knowledgable wait staff Cons: neighborhood still developing more

My partner and I went to Trebol on a much anticipated date night. The overpriced menu should have been a warning to stay clear, but based on a positive review, we decided to try it out. more

I was excited to try this new restaurant. I love Higgins and feel strongly about eating local, however I was very disappointed in Trebol. The cocktails were weak, average and overpriced. The food was o.k. and nothing special. There was one veggie option on the menu that was lacking in flavor and creativity. The pumpkin seed encrusted tuna was the best thing I tried there but was served with bland uncreatively prepared winter squash. To top it all off, the Mexican bread pudding dessert was horrible, both salty and completely dry. When we got the bill, we discovered that the soft tortillas that they serve you upon being seated and refill throughout the meal are then charged to your bill at $3 for 4 small tortillas. I would expect such an item to be complementary when you are paying $20 for your entree. Needless to say, we will not be going back to Trebol. Pros: happy hour, N pdx location Cons: uninspired food, horrible dessert, over priced more

It wasn't crowded when we went there, still the server was all energetic in inviting us and explaining the items, their ingredients. Their tuna item (with the rice) was the best that I tasted, while I liked the Flat bread chicken too. Definitely not a recommended place for vegetarian, there's only one entree item for veggies and it's not that good. Overall, pretty good restaurant (definitely very different of all the Mexican restaurants that I had earlier). Pros: Good, different food Cons: Not recommended for vegetarians more

This was my second visit to Trebol. I came back to find a wonderful menu change with the most incredible ahi dish I have ever had! There were seven of us there so we shared appetizers and entree's all of which were delectable. The tequila menu has also expanded: The waiter was knowledable and helpful in creating flights for us. They offer smaller ""taste"" size shots of tequila (not that these are tequilas you shoot, these are for sipping) so you can sample a quite a few without falling off your chair. I am so thrilled that we have another Oaxacan style restaurant in town, and it's in my neighborhood! Great job Mr. Hill Pros: Beautiful interior, good service, knowledgable staff Cons: neighborhood is still a bit sketchy more

I love this place. Great cocktails and beautiful bar!! I have been here about 4 times now and every time I have LOVED what I ordered. The seafood and oysters are beautifully prepared and there is just the right amount of heat! Its definately worth the small trip to this cute small neighborhood. I am looking forward to visiting during the happy hour :) Pros: Fresh beautifully prepared food, huge list of tequilas, and the best tamales in town more

A few us went to Trebol's happy hour recently and had an excellent experience. We sat at the bar and learned about the specialty cocktails, their vast tequila selection, and the authentic Mexican influence on the cuisine. Our bartender Tony was very knowledgable about the tequilas and the food. His recommendations were much appreciated. I particularly enjoyed the Tamarindo Margarita and the all of the food items we ordered were fantastic. I could tell that the chef takes a lot of pride in offering quality cuisine. I look forward to going back for some more! Pros: Margaritas and food made fresh. Vast tequila selection. more

Fun and flavor are the two words I would use to describe our recent dinning at Trebol. The restaurant is painted with warm and inviting colors to match the mood of the friendly and attentive service. Our group sampled a heathly variety of appetizers and shared portions of specials and menu entres. The queso fundido disappeared almost immediately. Dishes with Pork were a favorite -- braised to tender perfection, and the margaritas were fantastic. Pros: Food and Service more

Let me first say that after reading the great reviews I was very excited to try Trebol. Pros: Service Prompt Cons: Food more

Love it!! Love it!!! Love it!!! The smoked pork shoulder melted in my mouth...the cocktails were creative and delicious and the staff were friendly and attentive. more

I really wanted to like this restaurant. It is only a couple blocks from my house and it seemed like a refreshing addition to the neighborhood. I first visited when they first opened with my boyfriend and we had a really nice time. They had an excellent drink selection and the food was both superb in its presentation and flavors. The service on our first visit was almost too attentive as it seemed they were over-staffed but everybody was very friendly and informative. It is unfortunate that my second visit was such a disappointment. I came with my family visiting from out of town and I thought this would be the perfect spot to bring them... I could not have been more wrong! We came during a weekday (perhaps weekends are better) we stood at the door looking around for someone to seat us (over a minute), finally a guy got up from the bar and greeted us. Although he seemed enthusiastic about the drink menu he came across more as a pushy salesman trying to get my non-drinking parents to order ""flights of tequila"". We were then greeted by a very corporate-like waitresstron who while she seemed knowledgeable about the menu left us feeling like cogs in her corporate spiel. We had the guacamole which was as good as I had had the first time but my father wanted chips and we were disappointed that we were only given a few! My mother ordered the soup which was bland and watered down while my sister had the house salad that consisted of a couple leaves of lettuce with no hint of flavor from the dressing. The entrees were inconsistent the tamales were excellent but the taco entree had a messy presentation and lacked in any savory aspect. While our waitress did the basic checkin to see how we were doing it really seemed as though she was going through the motions . I have to say though that she had several tables and may not have had the time to spend with us as she would have liked. I hope they get more consistent with staff and food but for now I'd say stay away. Pros: nice bar Cons: inconsistent service and food more