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Corvallis Top Recommendations from our reviews:
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6/29/09 LM: I'm not as impressed with this place as many other people I know. I don't like their crust, it is far too yeasty. Also I don't like uncooked veggies on my pizza, particularly mushrooms. They take slice of cooked pizza dough, throw some sliced veggies ontop, pop it in the oven till the cheese melts and all those veggies are still as raw as a salad.
1/21/09 BR: I've only been to the downtown location, but enjoy it on occasion. I don't care much for their pizza; the crust is too thick and has a slight fermented tang to it (they make it early in the day and it sits at room temp), and reheated slices are never as good as fresh, although some people swear by it. The slice and salad lunch special is a great value, however. The salad greens are nothing special, but they have a great selection of toppings. I'd recommend the salad with black beans and jerk chicken with Italian and a liberal dousing of parmesan and red pepper flakes. A bonus: they have a good draft beer selection and happy hour drink specials. Recommended at lunch. Highly recommended during happy hour ;)
And: Great place for a slice and a salad. Single slices on weekdays around lunch time can be a bit limited in the selection (actually, the selection is wide, but who really wants a broccoli, green olive pizza?) The Crowbar is very good. Recommended (The Crowbar is Highly Recommended).
And, another point of view: I give it a little better grade. I judge the sushi and sashimi to be relatively safe (I eat it). Pretty average, but if you crave Japanese and you're in Corvallis, your choices are limited. Recommended.
6/29/09 LM: Though they offer some wonderful rolls such as the Playboy and Super California Roll, the service is horrible, not very kid friendly (be expected to sit far in the corner and forgotten if you have a child or two with you), and the place smells like amonia. I still would keep going back to the place if only because I like some of the rolls, but they are not open Sundays or Mondays which seem to be when I want to eat sushi. And they don't open till 5 for dinner, even on Saturdays.
Aomatsu: Good sushi and tempera. I know several people who love the Aomatsu bowl but it isn^Òt for everyone. I^Òve eaten sushi in a lot of places around the world and while it is not the best, it is definitely good (and I love sushi). The donburi, katsu and other dishes are not to my taste (though I haven^Òt liked them anywhere else either). Recommended (if you like Sushi).
On a recent visit, the food was quite tasty, with excellent presentation. One favorite of mine is the ravioli appetizer. The chicken also seems popular. The Mahi Mahi entree was cooked to perfection, and I even liked the Salmon (I don't normally like any kind of Salmon) Service is fast and attentive. The Key Lime Pie got my attention, since it wasn't too sweet like many interpretations. The Ganache was simply amazing. The only minor glitch in our great experience was that my son had to ask for a replacement fork when his original one was cleared away with the appetizer dishes. No big deal. We briefly met Chef Adam, who is a good fellow and great chef.
There are two or three tables that have a very nice view of the waterfront. When making reservations, I'd recommend asking for one of those tables. Aqua is a bit pricey, but you very much get what you pay for. Iain and company's Le Bistro and Aqua are running neck and neck for best food in Corvallis. Try both, and tell us what you think! Highly recommended. Rating: A.
9/16/09 LP: I took the visiting relatives one night to Terzo and another to Aqua for dinner. Both were outstanding, but I wanted to comment specifically for Aqua. My mother has a lot of food intolerances, including lactose. Most of the (amazing) sauces at Aqua are cream based. She asked the waiter if she could have the seafood pasta dish with the incredible marinara sauce that she had a couple of evenings earlier at Terzo. Off ran the waiter, who bounded back 2 minutes later with an 'absolutely, we can do that'. When the dish came, it was incredible. Just the right amount of sauce. Mom claimed it should be added to the menu at Aqua with the marinara sauce option, it was that tasty. Everyone else had a nice variety from the menu and was very impressed, the 'firecracker aioli' sauce I think I could eat a vat of and be happy. Service was spot-on throughout the dinner. Rate this dinner an 'A'.
6/29/09 LM: I'm form Hawaii so love the idea of having a quality Hawaiian-style seafood place around. I love the fishtanks, as does my daughter; howeve, though families with children seem drawn to the place (there are always at least 3 families with young children each time I've dined there --4 times) there is still only one highchair. This means my daughter is going to want to squirm out of my arms and run around the restaurant which I doubt all the other patrons who pay $25 or more a plate want so to avoid this in the future I highly recommend that Aqua's invest in a few more highchairs. And though the plates are pricey, the decor and wait staff are not upscale and so it is a sort of casually elegant place that does not seem to be the sort of place that children are necessarily shunned (at least in the early dining hours of say around 5 or 6pm) and so I would suspect that there would be more highchairs available. Also, though the staff is very friendly, they seem to be pretty novice and casual and know very little of wine (I understand, likely these are just young college students). I felt like I was back in Hawaii, on the Northshore or some beach town at THE fancy restaurant being waited by a bunch of surf betties, in that sense Aqua's is a true taste of the islands. However, for the price of a plate I would expect fare superior service and sophistication. The food could be fabulous. I recall absolutely loving my fish the first day I tried it. I had Halibut Javenese Style and thought the fish was done excellently and the sauce wonderful. Since I have not been as impressed. Though the fish is still fresh and cooked to perfection, the sauces can be overwhelming a bit. I think they may mask the perfection of the fish. Also the bed of fried leeks is far too much, a few leeks sprinkled as an accent would do wonders but the amount of leeks is just overwhelming and I would hope in the future maybe other veggies or such would be offered instead with the leeks as a nice addition. I have also tried the sable fish which was very tasty but it was both cooked in a terriyaki sort of sauce and then swimming in another buttery-miso sauce on top of being a buttery fish to begin with, it was just too much and I think the fish could have stood far better with a bit less (and I am one who usually likes my fish masked in sauce, so it is unusual for me to say this, but I think the sauces took away from the perfection of and the taste of the fish).
6/26/09 SJ: Business dinner with some prospective clients. Service was great. I had the Dynamite Walu, which was excellent. Nice to see some thought put into presentation, too! Prices are not unreasonable and it's a fresh change-up from a lot of the other dining options in town. Recommended = A.
3/7/09 RK: My wife and I arrived 5 minutes early for a 7PM Saturday night reservation. The restaurant was full and lively. We we seated immediately. Service was prompt, professional, and friendly. We ordered bar drinks, which arrived quickly. The drinks were strong but well made and in good portions. We ordered seafood pasta and crab cakes. Dinner was served within 20 minutes. The presentation was exquisite with all the entrees we saw. The food was hot, fresh, unique, and delicious. We wanted to pace ourselves for a night on the town but the food was so good we practically licked the plates clean! The atmosphere was an eclectic aqua theme that was not as upscale as the food. I would recommend an upgrade (although formal does not really go with Hawaiian seafood). We rate Aqua 'Highly Recommended' for their excellent food, presentation, and service.
8/10/08 WS: [We] had the best food and service. We showed up to Aqua without a reservation and they made room for use even though they were rather busy. We had wine while we waited for our table to be ready. Once we got the menu we were happy to try the Scallops in Truffle Oil (So good) and the Fried Shrimp with Banana and Mango Salsa. My husband had a seafood pasta and loved it. I had the butternut squash and was amazed by it. I loved the way the capers were broiled with the pine nuts because they countered the sweetness of the squash. Will go back again and again.
6/26/08 PT: Highly recommended! We had the pleasure of dinning at Aqua tonight with our children. This was a pleasant surprise. My boys loved the fish tanks and the coloring pages and crayons kept them busy. However, there was still an intimate atmosphere for my husband and my self to enjoy. The food was amazing. I enjoy cooking, therefore, we are very reluctant to eat out because no other restaurants meets our standards. Aqua has change that. "Melt in your mouth" food is the best way to describe it. A surprise in every bite. Thank you Aqua for the spice you add to Corvallis! Every one must try this delight!
5/15/08 FR: Fancy Hawaiian food, Yum! The dining room is a bit small and the wine list very limited, but the food is outrageously good. I spent the first 10-15 minutes studying the menu; you know youâ^À^Ùre in heaven when everything on the menu looks good and it takes forever to decide! We had the tuna and the Oregon kobe beef. Who knew a seafood place would have the best steak in town! The beef was perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth, buttery soft, medium rare, slightly crunchy on the outside, oh so good!! The tuna was also spectacular. While I usually donâ^À^Ùt like my fish blackened, it paired nicely with the creamy/buttery burre blanc sauce that accompanied it. Again, Yum! The crab stuffed shrimp appetizer was great too. Hopefully they will expand the wine list. Anyway, we will definitely be going back. Highly Recommended.
5/14/08 KM: Aqua is highly recommended. The food is great and the atmosphere is wonderful. I'm not a seafood person but the seared mahi mahi is outstanding. It, literally, melted in my mouth. There is a burst of flavor with each bite. The butternut ravioli appetizers are so good they should be dessert. Even the butter for the bread basket has a taste good enough to forgo the bread. The chocolate pyramid cake with white ganache filling is outstanding. This is a place to go with friends so you can share plates. The fish tanks and artwork are a wonderful visual and help if you take children. Yes, children are welcome and even get a menu of their own. This is a place Corvallis can, finally, be proud of. I plan to go back until I've tasted everything on the menu.
8/13/08 MS: Vietnamese sandwiches make for an interesting combo given the French influence in Vietnam. The bread is good. The meats are best if you don^Òt worry about what it is (though I^Òve had many ^Ñfunky^Ò things between Paris and Singapore). They have a nice accompaniment of veggies in them. The appetizers I^Òve had have been so-so (and in one case bad, as in seemed like it was very stale). Still, a decent light lunch. Recommended.
9/9/09 RM: This was some of the worst food I have had in Corvallis. It's hard to explain how bad it was. It was not hot and the service was strange. I would not recommend going. Avoid. Go to Kim Hoas Restaurant if you want good Asia without spending a ton, same owners!
3/12/09 OS: This place is packed every day at lunch. It is a Thai/Vietnamese/Chinese mix, primarily take-out with a few tables. You can get 1, 2, or 3 different dishes, served with either noodles or rice. The Spicy Panang Chicken is the BEST. I definitely recommend it.
6/09 SC: The 101/Big River Review from 2/09 that mentions the "dirty" caeser salad... I'm wondering if she got the WONDERUL Grilled Caesar? It looks dirty because the lettuce has been charred to enhance the romaine's true flavor. The parmesan crisp on top adds a wonderful cheesy crunch to a few of your bites. Rather than the lettuce being drenched in dressing, the drizzle on top and the side is more than adequate. Seeing a bug come outta the lettuce means it's organic, but I agree, not always fun to see.
3/7/09 RK: My wife and I stopped in at 101 about 10:00 on a Saturday night. The bar was mostly full and lively. We were greeted immediately and seated at a table. We looked over the drink and food menu. The menus looked good but they did not have the desserts available at Big River. Since that is what we really wanted, we got up to go over to Big River. One of the servers (and I assume the manager) rushed over to see what was wrong. I assured them that everything was fine and that we were just going next door for dessert. When we went into the bar at Big River the manager was there, as was a bartender/server, to attend to us. We ordered desserts (which were delicious and decadent as always). Our server was attentive and very knowledgeable about wine. He made some recommendations to go with our dessert which proved excellent. He was so professional, I felt I was a VIP in some exclusive restaurant rather than just a bar customer. Kudos to Big River for service! We rate Big River 'Recommended' for fresh food, a good drink menu, and outstanding service.
2/4/09 SC: I ordered a Caesar salad and a bowl of soup. When the waitress brought the salad, I saw on the plate a small narrow head of romaine lettuce, looking like it had just been picked out of the garden. The brown, dirty stem had not been cut off, the head had not been opened or washed and needless to say, the lettuce had not been cut up. Leaning against it was a tiny lattice of some kind of cheese, and across the plate, all by itself, was a small puddle of something, possibly dressing, no more than a teaspoon or two. It was bad enough that the lettuce had not been washed and the salad had not been prepared (and it was missing the usual grated parmesan and croutons) , but to top it off, there was an insect crawling across the plate. I pointed out the insect to the waitress, and she offered to bring me another salad. I said no and explained what else was wrong with the salad. Then she brought the soup in an extremely wide, shallow bowl, which was maybe an inch deep. However, the soup in it was maybe 1/2 an inch deep, so there was hardly any soup in the bowl, and of course it was not even warm. This, plus a beer, and my husband's coffee, salad and appetizer, cost $60. The atmosphere is barren and loud. There are TVs playing all around the bar, but none of them is close enough or large enough to actually see, so it just makes the atmosphere noisier. I can't imagine ever going there again.
3/22/08 GC: It's a busy week for food. I went to Bar 101 with the same friends I went to Block 15 with. We went because a different friend had suggested them for their skillet cookie. No one was in the mood for drinks, so we can't comment on the quality there, but we can comment on the food. We originally had only wanted to order desert, but we got there and saw the menu and just couldn't resist. My friend ordered the lettuce wraps, which we all snacked on and enjoyed immensely. I ordered their Pomme Frites with a mustard dipping sauce that were quite delicious. Letting temptation getting the best of us, the three of us decided to order both the Skillet cookie, and their Banana Split, both were amazing. Big river knows how to make deserts, so I would have hoped their bar deserts would be just as good. If you are in the mood for a light meal I would recommend going to 101 instead of Big River, I liked their food a lot better; their menu was much more creative. It is recommended by the three of us definitely, and we plan on returning now that the weather is starting to turn. Their fries could be a bit better if double fried for that extra crispness, but that's not everyone's favorite so perhaps the option to double fry. Recommended, we have some really nice bars in Corvallis.
3/13/08 BC: We kind of stumbled on this newer place's Happy Hour as we needed to eat an early pre-movie dinner and intended to go to Big River but it opened at 5 and 101 opened at 4:30. The place is very nicely put together with a nice water feature behind the bar. For Happy Hour (4:30 - 6:30 I believe) beers on tap were $2 and you could get $2 off on cocktails. The food is of the "small plate" variety and it was good and fresh and well-presented. Not cheap bar food -- most items were around $10 I had the Asian chicken wraps which were delish and more than enough for dinner. Since it was early, we were almost the only ones there but I'll bet it gets pretty busy in the later evening. I'd recommend it as a good place for a small group of friends (I think it was all booths and they seat 4) or as a decent date sort of a place. It is kind of a nicer version of Cloud 9 but I cannot tell you if the drinks are as good as I did not have one.
2/11/08 [Ed Note: the following response is from the owner / GM of Big River. We encourage responses and comments from restaurant onwership and management!!] As local business owners living in Corvallis, we appreciate the opportunity for community members to share their experiences at local restaurants on this site and the many other review forums out there. Not only do these types of sites give people a chance to see different viewpoints to help them make decisions on where they will patronize, it also provides the opportunity for business owners to hear candid feelings about their establishments. While the Internet is one venue for people to express their feelings, in the best interest of both local business owners and their patrons, a good old-fashioned conversation with business management can often go a long way in turning a bad experience into a great one. As responsible business owners who make every attempt to retain customers and make every visit enjoyable, please give us the opportunity to do so by informing us of the issues you experience while at either of our restaurants.
8/13/08 MS: Corvallis got a real brew pub. The beer here is good and the selection varies frequently. I like the Printmasters pale. Nice sharp, crisp beer that has a good amount of hops. Very drinkable. As for the food here, it can be hit and miss. I^Òve had a few burgers that were great and some that were so-so. The biggest thing seems to be if they are overcooked. Fries are twice fried, beer batter so they are generally crisper then real fresh hand cut fries (like you get a Squirell^Òs or McMin^Òs). I^Òve had a number of other things here (fish and chips, sausage and mash, Rueben, BLT, ^Å) and most fit the bill of being standard pub fare. Not a bad thing if that^Òs what you are in the mood for. The place is low key and family friendly. Recommended.
4/15/08 TN: Having been to Block 15 numerous times I would highly recommend this LOCAL BREWERY any day. Lets start with the beer, being a home brewer for 6 years I'm grinning ear to ear having block 15. Corvallis was in need of a brewery other than Oregon trail and i don't even count Mcmenamins, their beer is terrible. Not trying to diss on Oregon trail but their selection is low. The variety and quality of beer at Block 15 is what we needed in C-town, just look at their brewery! Printmasters Pale: great beer brewed to style, good hop aroma and flavor. great citrus hop finish...Highly recommended IPA: Bitter, truly hoppy and intense. Northwest hop lovers will love this beer. Recommended Ridgeback Red: Great red beer with good hop tones and nice malt background. Being at 6.5% percent alcohol (website Block 15.com) ... hardly a mild beer. Highly recommended Stout: I'm pretty sure the brewer is medal winner in this style and everyone I know that's had it has loved it. I haven't tried it yet but i will next time! Belgian: Great malt and yeast flavor and true to style. Recommended GLO: Great session beer, crisp clean and refreshing. On the lower side of alcohol content so i can have a couple and without feeling too tipsy. Recommended These are the beers I have tried so far. The food is good, they have an amazing pulled pork sandwich. If you like smoked meats then this is a must. Great local brewery with a laid back atmosphere. I would highly recommend trying this restaurant and then write your review. Support your local businesses.
3/27/08 SG: Tried the new restaurant in town for lunch and I would give it a "recommended" rating. I had a small "BBQ styled dressing" salad with chicken and it was good, although maybe an extra piece of garlic bread would have been nice. But, it had good flavor and the greens were fresh and crisp. My lunch associate had the pulled pork sandwich (for the second time in a week there) so it must have been good the first time around too. The fries looked very good, and there were plenty of them. The place was clean, although a little cool inside. I can't wait to try the beers next time.
3/21/08 GC: Last night (the 20th) I went to Block 15 with some friends, and my wife. It was slow to start, but once our food came to us, it was good. The chalkboard tables help pass the time when you initially wait for service. Once service came, the waitress was really nice, and knowledgeable about other bars in the area. I had the lasagna and enjoyed it immensely. My wife had the fish and chips, also a great meal. The Pub nachos are made with fresh ingredients, and in no way are velvetta-craptastic, my wife, who has hated nachos since a bad experience in New Zealand, enjoyed them as much as the rest of us. My friend said the chicken sandwich was the best he had ever had. Quite the feat, he is picky in his food stuffs. My only complaint is that when wandering out of the bathroom into the game room, you walk directly in front of the dart boards. I almost had a dart thrown at me, but luckily they saw me coming. They should put up a bar to block passage in front of the dart boards. Especially being a bar, and everyone being intoxicated. All and all it was a great experience. Definitely recommended. I forgot to mention that my friend had the beer sampler, and enjoyed it as well. His girlfriend ordered the Block 15 Ice Tea, quite the stiff drink, but definitely worth the money. Our meal came to 48.25 with everything, which is pretty well priced for the area.
3/13/08 RM: Been to Block 15 three times now. The beer really is wonderful and even better since they make so much of it on location. Be ready to relax and not be in a hurry, slow service. The golden and IPA stand out as great beers. Dig the simple and understated atmosphere. Having a chalk board as a table is a nice creative twist for downtown Corvallis. McMenamins watch out because the staff service is so much better for a new restaurant/pub, they seem to care. But they need to be careful about the cold food that should be hot! Two out three times is the food has been cold. No one should eat a cold burger! Not so cool and the staff seems embarrassed about it. The last time we told them and the owner responded and for that reason I will try it a few more times. Squirrelâ^À^Ùs has the best burgers and better bar service in town for the right price. Block 15 needs to ramp up the service and work out some of the kitchen problems, then I think we will have another great place to hang out, eat and drink great beer. Recommend trying Block 15.
3/13/08 HD: I have tried this place twice in the last two weeks. I am not favorably impressed. Last week I spent $7.50 for a turkey sandwich that was nothing special; I was expecting better turkey on the sandwich, not the thin sliced deli turkey. If you order the turkey sandwich, ask them to leave the onions off, who really wants a thick slice of onion to overpower a turkey and cheese sandwich? Today I spent $6.50 for chicken tenders. The chicken tenders were fine, the fries were greasy and limp. I know some people like them that way, though. I also had a $3.00 root beer (specially brewed onsite). It was very disappointing; I think A & W and Henry Weinhard's both have better root beer. The wait staff is friendly, however both times I have had to hunt the waitress down to ask for my check after my meal. Finally, their price on growlers seems very high to me at $11 to fill during the week, $13 for IPA, and on weekends the special price is $7 / $8 for IPA. Go to the Ram in Salem; they have $4.50 growlers on weekends, and a punch card that gives you the 7th growler free.
3/12/08 DB: We went to block 15 after Rhapsody in the vineyard this weekend and even though it was very crowded, the beer was good! We had a double belgium, their IPA, and their golden. All were great. We didn't eat anything but entertained ourselves playing darts and shuffleboard.
3/7/08 KM: After anticipating the opening of Block 15 for so long, I am saddened to report it is a mediocre place to eat and drink. The atmosphere and decor are great for family dining. The wait staff friendly. The pasta dishes are OK but nothing to go on about. Pesto pasta is merely OK. The marinara sauce more like spaghetti sauce. We looked forward to drinking some great tasting beer and and were greatly disappointed. The red was too mild and the dark, while better, just didn't compare to most. All in all I would rather spend an evening at McMenamins. I would, however, rate this as suggested and intend to go back to try the burgers.
10/28/09 BJ: It's criminal that you're missing Blue Sky Chinese Restaurant from your list! [Ed note: not any longer. ;)] This is easily my favourite Chinese in Corvallis, hands-down. They are located in the Safeway/Bi-Mart plaza on Philomath Blvd, next to a Quizno's and Phagan's Beauty College. Their atmosphere is pleasant inside, and they have a nice amount of space, which means not too much waiting even at 12:00. I take my lunch hour from 1-2, and my boyfriend and I are never there more than 45 minutes from seating to paying our bill. All of the lunch specials are tasty, and they do a marvellous job with keeping your tastes in mind (my boyfriend always orders dishes without green peppers and if they forget to, they take it immediately back and do it over, usually within ten minutes). We have never eaten anything that is bad there, trying a variety of their dishes, and it's easily the best hot and sour soup in Corvallis. Highly, highly recommended!
5/28/09 BB: We had bomb's away catering are [at our] company picnic and I wasn't to thrilled about having them two years in a row, i think the food should have been alot better for the price of the catering.
11/13/08 RD: One of my favorite places to eat in Corvallis is Bombs Away. It is next to a college campus and usually has a beverage special, so expect a raucous atmosphere. Items from the main menu are unexceptional Tex-Mex, although the tostadas are notable with fresh greens and corn salsa, and the Bomber nachos are popular. Look instead to the dinner specials. From there I have found some of the best prepared lamb and fish dishes in town (try the lamb shanks, if listed), and at a much lower price than places like Big River. The meals can be spicy, but can usually be prepared with a milder sauce (just ask), and on a related note, avoid the Diablo sauce unless you can stand the heat. The meats and vegetables are usually (if not always) organic and fresh. As mentioned before, there's usually a beverage special, so they are sometimes crowded (like Tuesday nights, micro-brews $2), the service is irregular, and they charge for chips and salsa even when you order dinner. In spite of that, it gets my recommendation.
7/8/08 BC: I felt like I had to give a more positive spin to Bombs Away. We go there fairly regularly, especially on Tuesdays for $2 pint night, but I have to admit that part of the allure is that it is fairly close to home. I like their wet burritos with Christmas sauce, their tofu shitake nachos and the fact that I always see people I know there. My friends enjoy their other cheap drink nights. My only complaint is that I think they serve their beer a bit too warm although they say it is the "optimum temperature". Bombs also features some good bands at night during the school year. Not the best place for music but practically the only place in Corvallis with good rockin' music and some room to dance.
And: Food is not great but a nice casual atmosphere. Suggested.
And more: Their tex mex style food comes with good seasoning and generous portions. Daily specials sheet is the place to turn to for some of the most creative food in town. Pork quesadilla is usually one of the dishes we get if we don^Òt get specials. Soups are hearty and a cup with bread or tortilla is enough for a light dinner.
And: Many good veg. options, and the food is mostly locally grown. Almost always like what I get. Recommended.
11/1/09 DJ: Not long after The Broken Yolk opened, I went with a friend for brunch. The wait ress was competent but far from friendly, the hash browns that came with my eggs were still almost frozen in the middle (from a package, of course), the coffee was bearable, and my friend's meal was barely edible, he said. Mediocre at best, we both decided. I decided today to give the restaurant a second chance and went for lunch. I opened the front door and there was about a dozen people crammed inside the door, all waiting for seating. The "greeter" (I use the term loosely) stood with her arms crossed to the left of the door, leaning on a table, facing away from the entrance, and so what I saw when I walked in was her back. I waited a few minutes and she was paying ZERO attention to anyone entering the restaurant; no greeting, no letting people know how long the wait was....nothing. Finally I asked "Is there a list to sign up for seating?!" and she glanced haughtily over one shoulder and said "Ya" and gestured to a sheet of paper on the table with names scribble d on it. She still didn't make any effort to make eye contact. She gave the impression she'd rather be at home watching telly. I said "How long is the wait, please?" and once again without turning to look at me she grumbled "twenty-five min utes" and went back to chewing her gum. I looked out into the restaurant and I can't say that it looked like anyone was having much fun or enjoying their meals, so I decided not to suffer the wait (and the "greeter's" attitude) and went to Evergreen across the street, where the staff was happy and enthusiastic, and the food was exceptional. I won't bother with a third attempt at The Broken Yolk: something's broken alright. :-(
10/28/09 BJ: To add to your commentary on Broken Yolk, they do have excellent breakfasts, and the time to go actually seems to be the lunch hours if you want excellent service. Given my penchant for wanting eggs at all hours of the day, this place is awesome for having excellent platters for lunch!
6/29/09 LM: Broken Yoke: C Service can be poor especially if you are there with a child. You would think a place with a kid play area and that offers crayons would be more kid friendly --but it simply isn't the case. The one thing going for them is they offer a changing station in their bathroom. However when you walk in with a party containing more than one child they act as though you have offended them greatly, make you get your own highchairs, and are clueless as to what to do with your strollers. Lately they have even gone so far as to place on ones table (one with a child) a list basically informing you of how your child should behave in their establishment. I should then offer them with a list of how a restaurant should behave: Yes, you should refill my water and coffee within the half hour, yes you should take my order within 15 minutes of me being seated... A little on the pricey side, but you often get a large plate. However for nearly $10 a plate I would hope to have the option of at least upgrading (even for a price) to real maple syrup. They do not do their eggs properly. Under-medium eggs are drastically undercooked even when sent back (everytime). They will not do egg-whites only even when offered to pay extra (even Shari's will do this!). I have noticed their wonderful strawberry jam now has the taste of freezer burn. To top it off, their home fries are NOT home fries at all but simply square cut (I suspect frozen) french fries. I must say that home fries certainly should be made of real, fresh sauteed potatoes often sauteed with onions and even peppers and mushrooms. To call their potatos home fries is offensive! Also I was surprised to learn that their beans have meat in them, and they do not offer a vegetarian alternative for a dish that otherwise would be vegetarian. I am surprised that, though they serve a lunch menu such as sandwiches during the week, they do not offer it on the weekends. I understand Sundays may be a limited menu but I have never heard of such a thing for Saturdays. What is going for them is that they serve breakfast all day long through lunch. They have a good variety of breakfast foods. Their 3rd St. scramble is quite tasty, and they will substitute meat with an English Muffin or fruit. The strawberry lemonade, though spendy, is very tasty (only wish there were refills). And they have a play area for children.
4/30/09 HD: I went to the Broken Yolk today for lunch; ordered Eggs Benny. You would think that a place that specializes in breakfast would have a clue how to poach an egg......but mine were HARD cooked, and pretty much inedible. I could have bounced it on the floor. I mentioned it to the waitress; she wanted to know if she could take my plate back and `have the cook try again'. Since I was on a limited lunch break and with two other people, I told her that I don't have time......when we got the bill, I was charged full price. I certainly didn't expect them to comp my bill, but a reduction on the price would have been appropriate, in my opinion. Lesson learned.....the other stuff looked good, but if I go back there, I definitely won't be ordering Eggs Benny again. I have to agree with the other reviews about the Eggs Benny.....black forest ham was nothing special; I prefer Canadian bacon, and the muffins should be toasted first.
8/13/08 MS: I went here with family for breakfast. It may be a while before I go back. Had the Eggs Benedict. Mostly inoffensive, though the sauce was a little funky. The ham was just run of the mill black forest. All in all an unmemorable dish that I won^Òt try again. The homefries were bad. They reminded me more of tater tots the way they had been fried (that said, my 4 year old loved ^Ñem). The only way I^Òd go here again is with family from out of town and my choices are here or one of the chains. Not Suggested.
7/8/08 BC: I agree that they are improving although the service there is always a bit "odd". One time they could not make change for a $50 bill! We've never experienced having to wait for a table and we have only gone on the weekend. We like the decor and the food is good and they try to use local organic ingredients when possible. We've only been there for breakfast and our one complaint is that they do not have real maple syrup for pancakes. We'd be willing to pay extra for a real syrup option. The potato scramble dishes are good and they give you a lot of food. I'd recommend this as a decent spot for breakfast downtown
4/1/08 WM: Broken Yolk did not have it together when they first opened. They received lots of (deserved) bad reviews and they have responded. I've been back recently and BY and Sam's are my two faves for breakfast in Corvallis. Broken Yolk definitely has the larger menu and is a little more accommodating, service has improved dramatically and wait time has decreased. Give them another chance, it's worth the trip.
And: Sold a while back and food is slowly declining (and it was never that great to begin with). Best Chinese food in Corvallis, but that's not saying much. Suggested.
10/16/08 SE: China Delight is my favorite Chinese restaurant, hands down. They make the best Hot and Sour soup in the state. (And yes, I've eaten lots of Chinese food elsewhere.) When I was in Corvallis more often, I ate there weekly; now I'm lucky to get there once a month, but I'll drive over there just for the soup. They still remember my standard side order was: hot and sour soup, World Peace tea (which they no longer make, unfortunately), steamed rice. Just off the top of my head, they have fantastic kung pao, excellent General Tso's chicken, and marvelous Mongolian beef. And wonderful service! They always greet me by name and ask how friends I eat with are doing. I don't know where the rest of your readers have been eating or if someone was having a bad day when they visited, but good grief, they don't deserve to be panned like that.
3/10/09 SL: We had a pizza taste test one evening with friends. We ordered three pizzas with the same toppings, one from each of the following restaurants: Cirello's, Woodstock's, and American Dream. Everyone agreed that Cirello's was the best. It scored high on: crust - crispy yet chewy (and I don't normally like crust); sauce - flavorful; and toppings - they don't skimp. It has something special. Overall we think it's the best pizza in town.
3/8/08 BC: Cirello's makes a great pizza! I get the Mr C where you can pick your own 5 ingredients so my fave is pesto sauce with artichoke hearts, feta, olives and sundried tomatoes. I like Curello's even better than American Dream but that may be because I do the campus Dream at lunch a but when the slices are not so fresh.
And: I absolutely agree on Cirello's, an easily overlooked storefront at 9th and Circle. My wife and I usually order the Pizano. If you had told me before that a broccoli, feta, garlic, and black pepper would become one of my favorite pies, I'd have called you nuts, but so it is. Cirello's makes what I classify as a thick and sloppy pizza. Not a deep-dish, but a relatively thick hand-tossed crust. Still crispy on the outside, though. Plenty of sauce and cheese. You'll need extra napkins. Highly recommended.
And: I've eaten most of the pizza types here as I used to work there. Good pizza if you eat in. Crust gets very soggy for the takeaway. Suggested.
And: Recommended: love their 'RJC' with extra garlic.
6/26/09 SJ: An associate was driving and picked Clodfelter's as the place for lunch with a visiting vendor. A long time native, I think she probably has romantic memories of student life. I had the BBC. Yeah, it was an okay burger, but just. Liberally seasoned with that smokiness that only comes from burned grease. Not much more to say. It's a pub. Students and ex-students hang out there. I'll give it a C+ for nostalga's sake.
And: Hamburgers are 'OK'. Definitely not the best place for a burger and beer in Corvallis, but does have sports coverage. Suggested.
Cloud 9 / Downward DogCorvallis is fortunate to have another hip dining option. C9 offers an extensive appetizer, small plates, and entree menu. Ko Atteberry, formerly of the Heathman in Portland, is the chef. Of course, they have a large cocktail/bar offering as well. There is both restaurant and bar seating.The food at C9 is good, and the service is decent. Cloud 9 (September 2008) has recently installed carpet, which really improves the acoustics of the place, which used to be an issue. Prices are in line with the area. Cloud 9 serves lunch as well. Cloud 9 has opened a bar next door (in the former Chippery location). The bar (named the "Downward Dog") has a warm feeling. We like the atmosphere of the bar. Cloud 9 is also available for private events. Both Cloud 9 and Downward Dog are Recommended. Rating: B+. Here are their current hours:
9/3/09 RM: Eight thirsty and hungry women decided to check out Cloud Nine early in the work week and sit outside. The service was really outstanding from start to finish. We all agreed that the food was good, but not outstanding. The salads were fresh and inventive. The dishes were beautifully presented and arrived in a timely manner. We ordered everything from a hamburger, tacos, salads from the special list, and soup. The soup was nice and clean in flavor, however the hamburger was overcooked. If you're looking for a fresh local salad this might be a good place to try one. A few of the ladies felt the menu was a bit overpriced and found the food acceptable but underwhelming. Now for the drinks: we ordered over 10 styles of cocktails to taste our way through the bar. A Sazerac cocktail was a perfect start for the evening, this was super smooth and excellent. Next came a round of artsy drinks and most were tasty and yummy for a hot summer night. Heart of the Valley was said to be a "perfect summer drink", beautiful in color, subtle and refreshing. Lotus Blossom was also an extremely good drink, makes you want to go away someplace tropical! In our opinion, while Cloud 9 excels at the creative cocktail, its efforts at old standard cocktails (Tom Collins, Whiskey sours, etc.) are inconsistent. So, if you go to Cloud Nine we think you should stay with the creative cocktails and eat lots of yummy salads. 2/24/09 HG: Dinner at C9 tonight was a real pleasure. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming and the staff were all very friendly, professional and working like a well trained team should. The drinks and food were delicious and well presented. Theyâ^À^Ùve managed to capture a very enjoyable aura here that is simultaneously fine and casual, with the taste of gourmet and the comfort of a summer afternoon back yard BBQ. In a wordâ^À¦Sweet. Highly recommended. 7/8/08 BC: We finally made it to Cloud Nine and we are glad we did! Went for a workday lunch so we did not have a chance to try out any of their drinks. We had great personalized service as we were the only customers there the whole time! We tried the grilled fish tacos which were good and the 5-bean burger which was great and came with a nice fresh greens salad (I think you can also choose fries). There were quite a few interesting sounding dishes on the menu and we plan to return when we can try a drink or two.
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11/6/08 MS: You need to add coffee culture to your list of restaurants. Their food and atmosphere is fantastic. I love the KC special - grilled cheese panini and tomato bisque soup. I don't even like tomato soup - but I can't seem to get enough of it! I recently tried a Hot Buttered Rum White Mocha as suggested by one of the staff and now I am craving them!
11/4/08 MS: My mom and I love this place! The atmosphere is warm and welcome. The owner, Nancy is a terrific person. Great coffee, great treats - an all around relaxing place to sit and have a nice time.
3/8/08 BC: Henry would be disappointed as the two sisters who used to own it sold it. It is not as homey and friendly as it used to be but they do sell my drink (soy Oregon Chai) and since I get that to go, it does not matter much to me!)
6/13/09 PL: Hi there, I just wanted to say thank you. I am visiting Corvallis and I was craving a real down-home, slippery grease breakfast at noon. I looked online for "Corvallis Greasy Spoon" and your site was one of the top hits on Google. I went to Darrell's today and it was exactly what I wanted, and exactly as you described. As a side note, I noticed that they serve Freixenet splits for $3.50 (I didn't get one because it was only noon) but I am pretty sure this is a sweet deal. They sell those in restaurants in Southern Oregon for 6-7 bucks. Kind of a classy kick. Thanks again,
And: Great place for greasy diner food. If you're craving a standard US diner breakfast this is it. If not, stay away. Suggested (for what it is).
And: It^Òs been many years since I've eaten here (OK, it was the Beaver hut before that and I never went there). That should say enough. Not Recommended.
And: It has good chips and salsa. After that it is completely unremarkable. Not Recommended. Rating: C-.
3/8/08 BC: El Tapatio is now another El Sol de Mexico. They have always been owned by the same people. For some reason, the 9th street location has better food imho and the wait staff on Circle is never very friendly. I like El Sol's chicken mole.
And: El Tapatio is probably the most reliable Mexican restaurants in this town. You can always count on prompt, friendly service and much better than average Mexican food here. As a native Californian who has some knowledge of what good Mexican food is, El Tapatio serves at least that!
10/5/08 TR: Highly recommended for those with food allergies. My family and I visited El Sol and let them know that I was allergic to soy. They went and got their manager (a good sign) and he ended up waiting on us personally, checking every single ingredient and laying out exactly what I could and couldn't eat (no deep-fried foods, no desserts). It was a busy Friday night and they were so kind and helpful, and the food was great too
And: Not good. A bit expensive and the food is very run of the mill (or worse). Might be recommended.
And: This is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants between Corvallis and Albany. Good service, nice, relaxing atmosphere, clean, and the best chili relleno's around.
12/15/08 TB: Emmons Meat market has some of the best jerky I have ever had. Our family has been buying it from them for nearly two decades and it is incredibly yummy! We send it out for gifts to friends/family who like jerky and seem to always "hint" to us if we are getting them more around Christmas or a birthday. They have samples of all their jerky so try it out and see for yourself. I have asked the owner (original owner passed away) over the years why they haven't started selling this stuff world wide on the internet but they always tell me they are happy with just doing it the way they have been since they started. I think the sons took it over with staff working there that have been there for years and years it seems like. Must be a good sign they treat their folks well and probabally why their jerky is so darn good! We have purchased the smoke salmon (black pepper) too which is very good. They sell all sorts of other meat products that I would assume are top notch as well but highly recommend the jerky. They have it in pork, turkey, beef and buffalo with some rare occassions with other meats too. It is a little expensive but jerky in general is expensive so I don't think they are too out of line for the quality of jerky you get.
7/9/08 TB: I just found your web site the other day and I was amazed at how frequently your reviews mirrored my own impressions . I must disagree with your review of Evergreen Indian Restaurant . I find their food is exceptional both in flavor and value . The Tikka Masala is great. We usually order the Tandori mixed grill thali dinner . It feeds my wife and I with plenty left over . Their sauces are superb . I'm not a fan of Buffet so I haven't tried theirs . A gentleman who I believe is one of the owners was helpful in helping us choose various meals .
And: The Chicken Koorma was very tasty because of the light and not too spicy curry. We also enjoyed the presentation of the Chicken Tikkikabob. The Mango Lassi was SO delicious. We all had it and it was sweet and refreshing. If you don't like spice, be sure to order the Masala Dosa, which is delicious but not too spicy. Highly Recommended
8/13/08 MS: Been here for the breakfast brunch a couple of times. The food is fresh and very good. You start off with a long bar a varies ^Ñstarters^Ò with a good assortment of both sweet (little pastries, cookie like things, ^Å) and savory (smoked salmon, cheeses, stuffed mushrooms, ^Å) rounded out with fruit. After you have a selection of about six main dishes. Add to that fresh orange juice and a French press of coffee on you table and you have a good spread. I would list this as a treat for just about anyone. Highly Recommended.
6/29/09 LM: Francesca's: A Probably the best gelato outside of Italy ( I'd say the best even in Italy but wouldn't want to offend). They have wonderful flavors and even offer dairy and sugar free (great for my mother-in-law's restricted diet). In particular their Pistachio is to die-for! As are the cofee and chocolate. I know this goes against the traditional way of making gelato but I wish there were some flavors that swirled in flavors or bits and pieces of cany/pastry. I know usually these added flavors sit on top and are somtimes scooped into a cup (if lucky --such as a piece of brownie or cheescake etc.,) but with the way we have become accustomed to our loaded icecream here in America it might be welcomed by many if there were a few flavors of gelato that also did this (an example/suggestion would be to swirl chocolate fudge with a vanilla cream or custard flavored icecream).
1/21/09 BR: Really tasty gelato in a rainbow of flavors. Espresso drinks are good. The surprise was the lunch menu: somewhat higher-end flavors (e.g. Tuscan Tuna) with a changing cast of cold salads. The Panini are tasty, although sometimes come out a bit cool in the center. That said, the staff has always been more than happy to rectify the situation. Nice soups as well. The decor is a bit sparse, but evokes the Italian countryside and is quite pleasant. Check out the upstairs, complete with the burbling sounds of a fountain. Highly recommended.
12/30/08 BC: All I can say is that I cannot believe this place is still open. My mom taught me if you can't say something nice, do not say anything at all so detect silence here.
12/13/08 WD: A group of us (about 10 people) went to Harrison Street Bar and Grill for a social dinner. Luckily, there were people to talk to as it took my mind off of how long it took to get our food. We were waited on fairly quickly after arriving and ordered. That was, however, the last of any quickness during our stay. It took quite a while (at least 45 minutes) for the first meal to be served and it took another 30 minutes before the last meal was served (which, by the way, was chicken strips - why so long for chicken strips?) The food overall was below average, although my chicken was average tasting. Some of the fries were inedible and some of the plates were cold, as if they came out of the refrigerator before putting hot food on them. The beer was good though (the only reason I would return is for a beer). The atmosphere is definitely on a downward trend (I have visited this establishment off and on over the years - ever since it was Tarasco's Mexican restaurant - and it just keeps getting worse). Overall rating: Not Recommended.
9/4/08 HD: They have a new owner, and it has gone further downhill. A couple of weeks ago I went to lunch with a couple of people; two of us ordered chicken Caesar salad. We waited for about 15 minutes and the waiter came back to ask what kind of dressing we wanted with those Caesar salads....HUH? How about Caesar dressing? 10 minutes later we were still waiting, no sign of the waiter, nobody else in the restaurant, so we got up and left. Not sure if they ever brought out those salads or not.
8/13/08 MS: I ate here once for lunch. As the owner is Asian I decided to go with one of the curries. I got the chicken in yellow curry. Not good, though edible. Very bland (despite being billed as spicy). The decor looks like it trending to being a college hangout for the greek/party crowd. If you are looking for pub food or a curry you can do better in Corvallis. Not Suggested.
12/23/09 BJ: My wife and I went to Fireworks for our anniversary in August and were very disappointed with the experience. I should have known it would be bad when they were sold out of ribs at 6 pm on a Friday night, not to mention the overgrown garden between the parking area and the restaurant, where we tripped over plants that were in the sidewalk. It was all downhill from there. The service as extremly slow and we don't drink so spent way too much time waiting for something to happen. Eventually salad and bread arrived that was of average quality entees were served about 2 1/2 hours into the meal and mine was not even edible. I had a tamale of some sort that was so undercooked that it was like eating corn masa out of a bowl. We were on the verge of leaving several times when they would suck us back by bringing the bread or the salad and finally the entrees. We were there a total of 3 hours and couldn't wait to get out. On the plus side the music was very nice and not too loud as another reviewer mentioned. In response to the owners response to another review I guess I would place blame squarely on the management/owner for our experience. The waitress wasn't exceptional and seemed embarassed but really she can't do much about the food preparation or condition. The place was not even crowded so that is not an excuse. In summary- unkept garden presents tripping hazards, slow service, bad food, sold out early in the night Probably never had any ribs in stock), expensive and I think they saw we weren't happy but made no attempt at amends After leaving and heading downtown to find a dessert (we weren't about to stick around for another couple hours to try theirs) I bumped into a colleage whose response was "I'm sorry" when she heard we had just come from Fireworks, and we had not even let on about bad experience. I give Fireworks an F- and will never go back.
5/11/09 PS: I first reviewed this restaurant last year. Since that time, I have probably eaten there 3-4 times when visiting my daughter at OSU. It was one of my favorite places in Corvallis. My daughter is no longer at OSU and my wife and I are no longer interested in this place after our experience today. We were traveling through town and drove specifically to this place for lunch. It was mother's day and they were serving brunch and were busy. They got a break for the first error but then it when downhill fast. First we were seated, then we ordered, then we were asked to move to a smaller table. The menu was presented in 3 courses with a choice of entree. The following happened within the hour or so we were there 1) We had to ask, twice for coffee. 2) The complimentary champagne was served in a broken glass. 3) We had to ask twice for our bread course 4) We had to ask twice for our fruit course. 5) My wife's entree was not just cool but fridge cold. 6) My entree was presented as a crab cake platter. My single crab cake was the size of a silver dollar. 7) We asked for the check and the owner no less forgot to bring it. For what we had, even if it were presented well and on time, was not worth the price. I paid 26 bucks for one crab cake, some salad, a cold cinnamon roll, glass of champagne, and fruit. I have no clue how a restaurant can go from being so good to so bad, particularly in service issues. When you are busy, just remember to visit each table, check in and fix things immediately. Don't waste time prepping new glasses or cleaning up the server station. Not going back.
Here is a response from the owner of Fireworks to the above review: I have contacted this customer and sought to remedy his unhappy experience, offering him our sincere apology and explained that we were very understaffed on Mother's Day - experiencing the highest sales volume we have had in our entire 7 years, despite having cut staffing back to survive the recession. Since receiving his review, I have given the customer a full refund to his credit card, and expected a conversation in response but as of yet have not heard from him. It is unfortunate that we are not able to respond directly to our occasional unhappy customers, and if this gentleman had mentioned his displeasure at the time we certainly would have comp'ed the ticket immediately. It is also important to note that one customer's bad experience is not indicative of the whole: many customers on Sunday told us they loved their meal and are looking forward to their next visit.
1/21/09 BR: I also really wanted to like this place, but the two times we've been there we left underwhelmed (and lighter in the wallet). My biggest gripe is that the pizza came out undercooked both times I ordered it, which is pretty inexcusable when you have a wood-fired oven. They did re-make them and they came out better, but not with a thin crust rendered bubbly by the high heat. Too many toppings caused it to be a bit greasy and underdone. *sigh* Suggested, if you have quite a bit of spare cash.
7/5/09 RN: Decided to hit the bar at Iovino's on a Friday night for some cocktails, light dinners and appetizers. Four ladies met and this is what our taste buds told us. The bar is relaxing and pretty, a nice place to get caught up on the week's events. The first round of drinks was a strawberry limoncello martini, which we rated a 6 out of 10. A good rating considering the bartender never heard of the drink and was going on what one of the ladies 'thought' were the key ingredients for this particular drink. In any case, an 'A' for the bartender's effort to please 4 thirsty ladies. The best drink of the night was a lavender lemon drop - wonderful, smooth, and perfect. A good mix of sweet and sour, loved it! If you're on a quest for a good martini, definitely try this one. The worst drink was the whiskey sour made with Jim Beam which tasted like it was from a bad mix. It was hard to finish the drink and that almost never happens with this group. A sweet and sour cocktail was up next, it got a 4/10 on our charts. We asked for it to be more on the tart side and it was way too sweet! One great cocktail out of four at Iovino's was what we came up with, not a great hitting record to brag about. The two bartenders, while nice, seemed too busy for the all the people in the restaurant - it was slow for them to serve us, to get water and then our final check. We wanted dessert but could not get their attention. Darn it. The Tiramisu did sound yummy. While the ambiance of the restaurant is very cool and modern and the food was tasty, the selection of a mere 4 appetizers on the menu was disappointing, as was the lack of specials (unless there were some but were just were not informed of them). Not sure these four woman will return for cocktails soon. Who wants to have appetizers after a long week of work without great cocktails? Not us. We would recommend wine as the better (and safer) bet if you can get some service. We'll just have to try some more places to find the best cocktails and finger foods in town! It is our mission (and our pleasure sans the less than desirable cocktails and service), to serve and above all BE served.
10/5/08 HM: Good food, but service is hit or miss. I recently went there for my birthday dinner with my husband and we waited a very long time to order, then to get our food and the worst was when we had been there for two hours already and wanted to pay, it took the waiter 20 minutes to come back with our credit card! We thought maybe he had passed out in the back or something. It was a Sunday night and not busy. I have been there on another occasion and have had good service, so it must depend on who you get.
AW 7/22/08: My wife and I went to Iovinos a couple of weeks ago. This is our second visit to their new location. First thing, I get the feeling that I am eating in the lobby of an office building, because I am! That's a little wierd. The decor is beautiful but there appears to be a bunch of missing paintings up high. Overall a really nice looking place. There were breadcrumbs (maybe croutons?) all over the floor near the wall by the stairs but the place was very clean overall. We were seated quickly but then ignored for about 15 minutes. We did not see a single employee except the bartender. I was very close to walking out. There were about 7-8 tables (including outside) on a Friday night! Not busy at all. It's a fairly big restaurant and the upper levels were closed and dark. By the looks of it, I'm not sure they've ever been used. Once we talked to the waitress (who was very, very cool and friendly) things were getting better. The acoustics in that big lobby are boomy and while the piano player was pretty good, the sound was so loud we could not talk until we asked to be moved close to the bar. I say ditch the piano or make sure the pianist knows to tone it way down. Loud, banging ragtime is not called for during a nice Italian dinner. We ordered simple pasta dishes and the artichoke/crostini appetizer. They brought the entrees quickly but forgot the appetizer. The waitress was very apologetic and offered us a free dessert. My wife's entree was cold--which was puzzling because it came so fast and my dish was hot. The food was very good and well presented. The bill was not bad--$28 or so. I go to Iiovinos about once every 18 months. I suppose I'll go back in a year or two and see if it's any better.
3/12/08 DB: Iovinos afterward [visiting Block 15] however was completely subpar. Their service was immediate and acommodating (we had 6 people instead of our reservations for 4) however I had to call our babysitter after 2 hours because we had not yet recieved our food. We waited 2 hours from the time we ordered until we recieved our food. When the food finally arrived our pork was overdone and definitely not worth the money we paid. They did end up comping all of our appetizers and drinks but it's very fortunate that we were not more demanding or had a show to go to afterward.
8/7/07 JB: I just saw the previous review for King of Falafel (we're talking about Crystals on Monroe right) and I have to emphatically disagree. I'm not sure when Paris became the authority or originator of the falafel, and maybe if you're used to pita pit Crystal's is not for you. Anyway, their falafel sandwich is great, and its huge, all you need for a meal.
1/21/09 BR: Best Mexican in town, hands down. I concur with the previous reviewer that the 9th street location is slightly better than the Western street location, although it can get pretty busy. Wonderful Al Pastor tacos, the carnitas kills (alas, probably literally, it's a heart attack on a stick - but fantastic), great salsa, and great service (at both locations). I recommend one meat soft taco with a side of beans and a side of tortillas. Roll yr own tacos and enjoy! All for under $5, if you can believe it. Highly recommended.
12/15/08 TB: I stumbled upon your site looking for coupons to go out tonight and got caught up reading some of the reviews. I would like to "Highly Recommend" LaRoca as a premier Mexican food establishment that rivals any I've been too throughout the country. For the price it is hands down a fabulous place to grab a very flavorable burrito, taco, nacho's or enchilada. We have basically stopped going to the "finer" Mexican restaurants in the area and sticking with LaRoca now. We prefer the location on 9th street the best as the cook their seems to do a slightly better job with the food prepartion than the new location in downtown. We just tried the Philomath location on our way to the coast and that too was nearly "perfect" for the chorizo taco's and super burrito with mole sauce poured over it. I have never eaten a tastier "breakfast burrito" than the chorizo burrito at LaRoco (never had good chorizo until there as well or always to scared to try it). You do need to like spicy foods on some of the meals but we are all trying out different items on the menu (which is hard to to sometimes because each thing seems so dang good hard not to want to order same thing everytime). So far nothing I have eaten there wasn't very, very, very good. The portions are large and you find yourself thinking "why in the world would I pay twice the price at a fancy restaurant for food not nearly as good?" The guys at work all go to LaRoca's at least once a week and many clients who fly in here request us to take them there when on return visits. Great flavorable food, large portions, great prices and very nice people who run these shops. Can get overcrowded during lunch but well worth the wait!
10/5/08 HM: Delicious burritos! Very friendly and fast. Best salsa in town. Highly recommended.
3/8/08 BC: They recently opened another restaurant where Grempsey's used to be. I have only eaten at their Philomath dive but I think their food is great and inexpensive, especially the chicken tamales.
7/8/08 BC: They are open and even better than they were in their old location! Located in the Richie's Market area, they did a nice job of taking a crummy shopping center storefront and creating a nice cafe ambiance. Their croissants are wonderful, a bit pricey but this should not be an everyday indulgence anyhow! I am looking forward to trying one of their specialty cakes for an upcoming birthday.
Update 03/11/08: The offical word is: Their website is updated now: http://www.lepatissier.net/ Our address: 956 NW Circle Blvd. Corvallis, Oregon 97330 Our tentative opening first week in April, 2008, please call 3rd. week in March to confirm exact date
Update 02/21/08: The unofficial word is that they are going to open shop in the Richey's market area (not by Cirello's) in what was some kind of pharmacy. They have to put in a kitchen, but hope to open in March. Funny they haven't made any changes to their website, though.
4/24/08 HD: Le Bistro: Have yet to be disappointed! From intimate, special dinners with my wife to larger family occasions, it has always been an exceptional experience to dine at Le Bistro. The staff is absolutely first-rate --- polite, professional --- they know their menu and their wines. We have sampled many dishes from the menu over the past couple of years, and have always been extremely pleased and satisfied with all. Hors^Ò d^Òoeuvres (lobster and seafood crepe our favorite), entrees (filets and veal always perfectly done pleasers, and every sauce has been delicious....coq au vin fantastic) and the crème brulee our favorite way to end the meal. Definitely a special occasion/very fine dining place to experience!
12/30/08 BC: I'd like to commend them for changing to use all biodegradable to-go containers and utensils. They may not be heart smart but they are environmentally friendly!
And: In the mood for some meat? This is the place for you. Cheap, quick and guaranteed to make you sleepy after lunch. The 5a and 7a are good bets for first timers.
MagentaMagenta has moved to 1st street (former location of Oregon Museum/Kells/AJs). They reopened on 7/7/7 at 7PM. The new digs are pretty slick! The food is, for lack of a more specific term, a french/vietnamese influenced northwest cuisine. Magenta is recommended. We congratulate Magenta on their 10 year anniversary (June 2008)! We wish them another good 10 years. Rating: B.3/7/09 RK: Last year, my wife and I went to Magenta early on a Saturday night and had a bad service experience. We were the only bar customers and had to wait 20 minutes to get served a drink (after watching the bartender wash glasses and drink his own soda). We waited almost 40 minutes before being served two tapas we ordered. My wife and I decided to give Magenta another try Saturday night. We had dinner reservations somewhere else at 7PM and arrived at 6PM at Magenta. The bar area was almost full and we took a table by the door. We were greeted immediately by a friendly server and given drink and tapas menus. We ordered 4 tapas and two drinks. The drinks arrived within 5 minutes and were OK (we both agreed we had tried better versions elsewhere). The first tapas arrived about 10 minutes later (coconut prawns). This was excellent- hot, fresh, great flavor and presentation. Just as we finished the prawns, the Indian chicken arrived. This was also excellent with wonderful curry spices and tender chicken. When this was complete, our crab cakes and shrimp/ goat cheese baguettes arrived together. The crab cake had a wonderful, subtle sauce with a spicy kick. The shrimp/goat cheese baguettes were fresh and delicious. We were finished and had our check by 6:40 PM. The service was perfect, as was the food. We hope this indicates positive changes for Magenta. We give it a rating of 'Suggested' for their excellent tapas menu. We will upgrade Magenta to 'recommended' if their service continues to be good. We will be back. 11/2/08 HS: A friend and I tried Magenta's downtown location for lunch this week. They did a lot of work inside and it looked very nice. The lunch menu looked excellent and I had a hard time choosing. I decided to branch out from the only item I had ever eaten there, pad thai, and I ordered the squash crepe. Both my friend and I ordered iced tea. They were not busy, we were one of about four tables in the restaurant. The service was pretty bad, my friend never got his iced tea although we now consider him the lucky one. Mine cost $3.50 for plain iced tea and I never got a refill. The food took awhile but it looked great when we got it. However mine looked familier, it looked just like the pad thai that I usually get. It took so long to track down the waitress I ended up eating it anyway. So much for branching out. The waitress offered to bring me the crepe, but by then my lunch hour was long over. I will probably go again, but not anytime soon. 8/10/08 WS: We went out to Magenta for a nice dinner last night but it never happened. I was so excited to try the restaurant and their pasta with seafood and scallop appetizer. My husband and I arrived and had to seat ourselves, waited 10 minutes for water and 5 minutes later when the waiter arrived we were told they were very busy and the food would take a while. So after we were there for 15 minutes we left because we were scared to stay due to the bad service. The staff just did not seem to care at all. So we went to Aqua. 3/8/08 BC: The place looks great! I think the food is good if you order the right thing but it is too expensive for what you get, even though the menu is creative; not sure if they are a lot cheaper at lunch like the old Magenta. They have a great cheap bar menu but you must sit at the very small bar or at the nice-looking but uncomfortable modern tables by the fireplace to order from the bar menu. The weirdest part was that we were at a table and it was vibrating the whole time. We hypothesized that this was some new-age technique to add good vibrations to the food. Turns out the vibration is from the downstairs refrigerators! 2/20/08 GL: My husband and I went to Magenta last night, and I feel compelled to add our two-cents worth. We had only eaten at Magenta when it was located on Monroe, but we both had favorable memories of the food, the cocktails, and the service. I should also note that our previous experience with the menu had been the bar menu only, not the entree menu. When we arrived, we were greeted and seated quickly. We looked over the menu and felt mortified. There was not one entree that either of us found appetizing. I am an adventurous eater, but not when it comes to meat. They had only 7 or 8 entrees, which included rabit ravioli, elk, emu, buffalo, wild boar (!), and duck. They were all expensively priced, on par with Big River or higher, but we didn't order from the entree menu, so for all I know, the Emu medallions are worth every penny. The waiter came over to get our drink order. I ordered a Magenta martini, and my husband ordered a beer. It took almost 20 minutes to receive our drinks. As a former waitress, I compulsively watch the waitstaff at every restaurant I go to. I can't help it. In the case of poor service, I am usually totally understanding because it is almost always due to circumstances beyond the server's control. Unfortunately, this was not the case last night. I am afraid our server was just incompetent. 10 mintues after ordering our drinks, he came over to let us know they'd be right up. The problem is, there is no bartender there~the servers mix their own drinks. I watched him mill about, check on other tables, flirt with the hostess, and stare off into space before he actually made us our drinks. When he came to take our order, I explained that we had only ever seen the bar menu, and asked if we could order off of that. He said it was kind of against the rules since we were seated at a table, but since the bar was full, he'd let us order from the bar menu. I definitely have to give the guy credit for bending the rules for us. The bar menu is (was?) really snazzy~they offer 20 or so plates at $4.00 each with an $8.00 minimum drink purchase per person. They are small-appetizer size, so between the two of us, we ordered the Pad Thai, grilled lemongrass-pork meatballs, the shrimp salad roll, a shrimp and goat cheese baguette, potstickers, and the steamed mussels. The food took quite a while to arrive, at least 30 minutes, and when it did arrive, our server only brought the pad thai, salad roll, and potstickers. All three were good, if not run-of-the-mill. The mussels arrived five minutes later, and then the meatballs arrived shortly thereafter. The meatballs, I kid you not, were 3/4 of an inch in diameter, and came 6 to a plate. It was the epitome of stereotypical pretentious French food: tiny portion on a big plate with lots of garnish. They were delicious, but their tiny size made us both crack up. 15 minutes after that, the shrimp baguette arrived. It was also pretty good, but again, small. We pretty much knew what we were getting into when it came to the modest size of the bar menu plates; after all, they're only $4.00 each. However, the portion sizes of some of the bar menu items is just insulting. Our server did not come to check on us the entire time until the end of our meal, when he asked if we wanted anything else. I fear we may have been written off as poor college kids, which couldn't be farther from the truth, but that doesn't matter. It was just plain uncomfortable to sit waiting for a $4.00 bottle of beer while other tables were being doted upon. We will not go there again, and I would never recommend it to anyone. Magenta seems to want to be a Portland-esque restaurant, but just doesn't cut it. It has all the pretension with none of the special little things that make going out in Portland worth the price. We love Far East, which I have heard is owned by the same person, and has a much more traditional -but-quirky Vietnamese menu with far more reasonable pricing and outstanding service. And as far as Magenta's cocktails go, my martini was decent, but at $8.50, don't even bother. Save your money and go to Cloud9 for a Lotus Blossom or the Crow Bar for any one of their Kamikazes~you'll even have enough to leave the awesome bartenders the big tip they deserve. There! Thanks for keeping your site impartial and up-to-date. It's always reliable, and fun to read. 1/4/08 BP: [Ed note: this reviewer is only speaking of the bar, not the restaurant] I cannot speak for the food at Magenta for the service at the bar made me worry too much for the quality of the food coming out of the kitchen. The "bartender" was extremely slow, and didn't know her drinks or her booze. We were extremely let down and will probably never return to find out if the food is even worth trying. 100% not suggested!
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11/6/09 WA: I will never forget, nor will I forgive, the horrible treatment I have received at this highly priced but mediocre cafe. As a senior in high school we ordered a few hundred dollars worth of punch and food for our prom. In the middle of my prom dinner at Big River, I was interrupted by a rude phone call from one of the staff members who insisted I go down to the Alumni center to sign off for the punch. They were three hours early in dropping it off. I had to leave my dinner before I was able to eat, and when I got there the two staff were sitting there with annoyed looks on their faces. I signed the papers and they left, but not before complaining about how they had to wait 30 minutes for me to get there. I had to wait another 2 hours alone, eating my now cold dinner until I could reunite with my friends. During the dance, one of the volunteers ran up to me saying she couldn't find any of the punch. We looked everywhere, but were not able to find it. We had to hand out tap water instead. The next morning I got a phone call from the Alumni center saying there were several buckets of punch in the fridge-- the very fridge I specifically told New Morning Bakery we were not allowed to use. We were charged extra for using the fridges and for leaving items there overnight. I called New Morning Bakery, and they insisted I pick the buckets up and bring them back to their cafe. Being naive and young, I agreed and lugged several very heavy buckets into my car and drove them back to the cafe. Upon arriving I had no help in unloading them. I was then ushered in by the owner (Anne) to have a discussion. She brought out one of the staff members who then proceeded to get in an argument with me (in front of the owner) claiming that I was "lying" an d that not only did they have to wait for me to sign off the punch, but I never told them not to put the punch in the fridge. I, as the customer, tried to defen d myself but was promptly shut down by the owner as both the owner and staff member proceeded to tell me I was wrong. The next year, I was told that when our school tried to order from them again they refused because they had "problems" with us last year. The owner is not only ageist, but she is rude and irresponsible. Although I was a teen, I was still a customer. They obviously underestimated me because since t hen I have told everyone I know to never go to their restaurant- and have dissua ded many of my friends and family to never eat there again. Oh- and their food is not even worth the trip downtown. They use too much oil in their lunch dishes, and it is extremely overpriced. The pastries are pretty good- but you can get better ones at La Patisserie. The owners head is obviously bigger than her talent.
3/14/09 JA: I am appalled at the reviews written for New Morning Bakery. I am from the South and I believe that New Morning Bakery is an excellent example of casual Northwest cuisine. Everything there is well-made and uniquely tasty. Their soups are the best, and their clam chowder is the best I've ever had. I rank them highly because their breads and desserts are also the most delicious I've had. If you're unsure, try their wonderful kalamata olive bread or their peanut butter pie. I assure you--you will fall in love! As for the long lines, that's what happens when you're one of the greatest lunch spots in Corvallis!
2/8/09 KJ: Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign??? I don't feel comfortable here at all. The signs are oppressive. The only reason I ever go is because my Mom has Alzheimer's disease and she can point at the food that strikes her fancy rather than having to remember what it is called. Having said that, if the signs (and the attitude they convey) don't disturb your digestion, the pastries are quite good with one exception: their pie crusts are too greasy, as if they added a bunch of extra fat to overcome bad technique. Of course, some people may like a crust like that.
04/09 RR: a new [Ed: new-ish...see above] Indian restaurant has opened in corvallis, on 9th, south of circle. it is called Nirvana, and the food is delicious. the place is not so atmospheric, but it is clean(especially the restrooms). the lunchtime buffet is always fresh, not greasy, and very tasty. and the dinners superb. i took a friend to dinner there who has spent much time in India, and she approved!
8/13/08 MS: Eaten here once. Won^Òt be back. The food was bland and oily. I^Òve had great Indian food in Singapore and London. I^Òve had good Indian food in Portland. This isn^Òt even close. Why can you not get good Indian food in Corvallis? Not Suggested.
HJ 7/24/08: I've eaten the lunch buffet three times now at Nirvana, the new Indian Restaurant in Corvallis next-door to Bi-mart at 1945 NW 9th St, Corvallis, 738-0487. This is the spot previously occupied by Cha-Da Thai restaurant. Nirvana is GREAT! The food is really yummy, the people are nice, the atmosphere is clean and bright and cheerful, and it's always packed when I have gone. They need to start giving people napkins at the tables and not expect them to be picked up in the buffet line, but everything else about the place is great. I found the food to be just as good as Evergreen Indian Cuisine in downtown Corvallis, who set the standard pretty high. Nirvana has all the standard Indian fare-- tandoori chicken, vegetables pakora, creamy spinach with cheese chunks, salad, the yummy mint and plum and creamy cucumber sauces, and much more, plus they have a yummy bread pudding dessert too, so be sure to try that when you go.
WH 7/12/08: We enjoyed the buffet lunch yesterday (Sunday July 20, 2008) at the new Indian restaurant Nirvana on 9th Street near Circle Blvd.. We were more than happy with the food, the service and the appearance of the restaurant. In fact, we can hardly wait to go back, as a note at the bottom of the menu board states "Buffet menu changes every day." The dining room was clean and airy, with pink tablecloths and a pitcher of ice water and water goblets on the table. The waiter was very pleasant and welcoming. The lunch buffet is served seven days a week from 11 to 3. We were early and got a window table. We wasted no time in visiting the buffet. The selection is not as extensive as the large buffet served at the Evergreen Restaurant downtown, but all the food looked really good. We sampled everything, including the three delicious sauces and the dessert offerings. We loved everything. I have never been to India but the food tasted very authentic to me. It was spicy, but not too much so. Perfect! I closed my eyes and imagined I was in India. Everything was well prepared and delicious. Now, the next day, I can't stop thinking about the place. Prices for lunch and dinner are very reasonable. Highly recommended.
1/16/08 BN: I would like to suggest upgrading the rating for Mexico Lindo from "somewhat recommended" to "recommended". Mexico Lindo, and it's sister restaurant Ixtapa in Philomath, are two of my family's favorite restaurants. Their food is fresh and tasty, their service is fast and friendly, and their prices are very reasonable. They do have some "zesty" choices if that's what you're looking for, but also offer milder dishes for those of us that appreciate things not quite so spicy.
[Ed Note: Wow, what a review. Even though it's "flowery" it is based on fact. Murphy's is good, but it's not fine dining. It also tends to be a younger crowd] 3/10/09 DD: Murphy's Restaurant and Lounge! If you are similar to me, you are sometimes indecisive about what to eat in Corvallis, being a small city the choices are limited and become repetitive with the franchise cookie-cutter restaurants. You have probably driven the city streets and tried every restaurant and fast food establishment, and still, you crave a satisfying meal in good company. Murphy's is the place you have been seeking. At first sight, Murphy's does not seem like an exciting and tasteful place to be. Trust me, you are wrong, take the opportunity to see what Murphy^Òs has to offer. You will find me there every day they are open. Newcomers are always welcome here. I am guessing you want to hear about the food. I personally have had nearly everything on the menu. I have not come across an appetizer, side, wrap, burger, or entre that I did not love. There are fresh and creative specials each day. The soup is fresh and different each day. The dinner menu is superb. You will find something you like with the selection they offer; they have something for all tastes. Wings, southwest eggrolls, onion rings, fries, crab dip, whipped potatoes, prawns, dessert, burgers how you want it, wraps, prime rib sandwich with au jus, daily soup, dinner salads, Mediterranean inspired pastas, fresh seafood, poultry (I suggest the chicken bombay satay), baby back ribs, rib eye steak, pork chops (the house favorite), prime rib, and much more. Do not Miss the summer barbeques! Enjoy an expanded menu on Thursdays. Enjoy the best Barbeque in town, so good at times there is standing room only; trust me I do not exaggerate. Corn bread, potatoes, vegetables, seafood, chicken, beef, pulled pork, and brisket. If you enjoy wine with your dinner, they offer an excellent selection wines including Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling from La Terre, Eola Hills, and Chateau St. Michelle by the glass or bottle. If you want, you can choose from the 15-20, local and imported beers and micros by the pint or bottle including Budweiser, Coors, Pabst, Widmere, Calapooia, Oakshire, Deschutes, Kona, Cascade Lakes,Fearless, Ninkasi, Guinness, Rogue, Corona, and Heineken. The bar at Murphy^Òs is the place to be. Between the shots, drinks, and laughs, you will keep coming back time and time again. If you are looking for something in particular or a seasonal beer, just ask the bar tenders, they will not do you wrong. The staff at Murphy's is dedicated to excellence in service. They take pride in how friendly, quick, precise, and fair their service is. The bartenders are the best you will ever meet. You can come and play pool (billiards), the lottery, foosball, reserve a party, trivia with prizes on Wednesdays for the sharper minds in the crowd, and enjoy sports on more than 10 televisions. Dull moments do not exist at Murphy's. You will have a great time. They are open Tuesday through Saturday; typical hours are 3:00pm to 11:00pm or Midnight. I highly recommend Murphy's to anyone who asks about the best food and atmosphere in Corvallis.
10/5/08 HM: Yuuuummmyyyyy! Best sandwich I have had in Corvallis by far. Huge portions. Very friendly staff. Highly recommended.
10/1/08 ST: Not suggested for those with food allergies or wanting to keep anything out of their meal besides meat. After being diagnosed with an allergy to soy, trying to find restaurants that can accomodate my special dietary needs has been a challenge and NN's has unfortunately been one of the worst restaurants out there for me. I assumed that since the staff was so good at keeping meat out of a meal that they might be sensitive to other dietary restrictions, but sadly I was wrong. After making it very clear to the cashier that I was allergic to soy, asking him to check with the chef's (which did happen, he yelled back "is there any soy in the fakin' bakin burger?" To which someone barked back "No!") and having him guarantee me that the fakin' bakin burger had no soy, I blindly believed him and ordered. After getting sick that night I called and confirmed that there was soy in the mayonnaise, bread, chips (soy oil) and margarine used. I e-mailed them to ask the manager if she had any soy-free recommendations for me from their menu, to which she replied "We have many options, just make it very clear to the cashier that you are allergic to soy." I pressed further for specific menu items, and never heard back from her. I had already become increasingly annoyed with NN's policy of absolutely no substitutions (wasteful when you don't particularly want half a plate of plain black beans and would actually eat a side salad) and having gone in there a couple of times around 5/5:15 with my hungry, cranky, picky toddler and having them tell me that I couldn't order pasta until 5:30 - really? You can't possibly boil a pot of water 15 minutes early? Personally I am done with Nearly Normal's, which is unfortunate 'cause I really appreciate the overall idea of the restaurant and am grateful for a pure vegetarian place to eat.
3/8/08 BC: Normal's has so many great choices, it is hard to choose what to order! The food is always so fresh and the outdoor area is great in good weather. If you go for lunch arrive pre-noon as you wait in line to order before you sit down and the line can be long. Be sure to check the specials board as that is where you find the best dishes. I love the Guido's Italian (a "not-meatball" sandwich), the Tofu Potato platter and the mini shepherd's banquest a lot (salad, soup and bread)
And, another point of view: Good place for a vegi sandwich (the Mighty Meatless), other than that the food is very run of the mill. Also has the downside of only serving Oregon Trail beer on tap (though I appreciate the alliance from a community perspective). Suggested.
And: My wife and I love to go to Old World Deli. Their sandwiches are a good value for the money. The chili is hearty and the soups are flavorful. We also like the atmosphere and go to many of the events held there. We especially like the Ginseng Porter. I would highly recommend them if you're looking for a reasonably-priced sandwich place.
1/21/09 BR: OK, there's no seating. There's also no better value for a sandwich to take back to work with you (or, if the weather cooperates, to the riverfront). They use quality meats (sliced on the premises), offer numerous vegetable toppings, and the sandwiches are HUGE. I'll often order a club and eat half for lunch and half for dinner. I recommend the club with all the veggies (but kraut) on whole wheat. The pastrami is killer. And the price for a soda can't be beat. Highly recommended.
3/8/08 BC: Average Mongolian place but great if you or one of your dining companions is on a diet as the only high calorie thing is some of the sauces and you get to be in control of that!
And: Good place to go if Local Boys didn't fill you up. Seriously though, I have not been here is years. A fairly standard "Mongolian grill" (all you can eat, assemble it yourself stir fry). Suggested.
10/5/2008 HM: good food, but poor service. I have been treated rudely by a woman who wears and apron with the name "Sam" on it (the owner?) more than once. For example, my mom and I wanted to share an omelet and we were told there was an extra plate fee, so we asked if that meant we got extra potatoes and toast and "Sam" practically bit our heads off. She seems quite rude to the young wait staff as well. It's enough to make me feel uncomfortable and like I am inconveniencing her for eating at her establishment. I mean, if you're that annoyed to run a cafe, maybe a change in career is in order? But, some customer service and kindness could make this a great place to eat because they do have good food and the best bacon/cheddar omelet in town. Suggested, if you can overlook the rude atmosphere and be ready to wait a long time to order, get coffee, get your food, etc.
2/1/2008 ME: Sam's Station is the only place, other than the occasional Sunnyside Up, where we will eat breakfast in Corvallis. We enjoy simple breakfasts - potatoes and eggs or omelettes, usually with greek fillings, and they always meet our expectations. The prices are average or slightly higher, but the ingredients they use are worth it - good eggs and Yukon Gold potatoes - sliced fresh, not from a frozen Sysco bag like many local restaurants use. I havn't tried anything other than eggs / omelettes, but these are enough to keep me coming back. Plus, it's fun to look through the little window in the back and watch the owner baking everything! It's nice to see an owner actually working hard in his business. Strongly recommend.
And: Best breakfast in town. Generous Yukon gold potatoes with most dishes, wonderfully browned and seasoned. Breakfast IS served every morning except Monday when they take a break. Lunches, pastries and bread are also very good.
And: By far, the worse service I've ever had. I continue to go back, due to the lack of breakfast places. My girlfriend and I were in there last weekend for breakfast, it took two reminders to bring us our coffee after 20 minutes. The food is tasty, but we noticed several other tables sharing our experience. This has happened to use 80% of the time we have visited, and after the last, vowed to eat elsewhere. Not recommended.
12/17/07 SC: Just wanted to throw out an update on Sharon's Cafe in South Corvallis--They've expanded into twice the space so waiting isn't a problem any more. The staff seems just as efficient, the food just as diner-food good.
11/21/09 BR: The Soup Shop changed owners during the summer of 2009, and since then it has been a much different place. The soup itself has been extremely inconsistent (like you get the same soup two days in a row and they look/taste completely different), and the soup quality has undeniably decreased overall. This seems to be because of multiple chefs with differing recipes, and also because of, in many cases, the use of less ingredients or lower quality ingredients, and shortcuts. Greasier/fattier soups with less healthy vegetables. The soup prices are even slightly higher, which makes it doubly lame. They often have the same kinds of soups for many days in a row instead of changing them up like they used to. Salads are often on the older side and getting slimy. Business hours are extremely inconsistent as well and often don't match the hours posted on the door. In general, the Soup Shop is very hit or miss, and many have given up on it.
9/21/09 LK: Every time I have gone to the soup shop I have had a very pleasant experience. The soup and soup combos are delicious and affordably priced. I also like how the atmosphere is casual and like looking at all the art on the walls while I eat. It is very close to campus as well.
10/23/08 HD: My wife and I decided to try Soup Shop on Monroe. Soup was OK but arrived too cool, salad was OK with yummy honey mustard dressing. Price $8.75 for small soup and salad was too high in my opinion Once served, the staff turned their backs and ignored you. Cold atmosphere, I don't think we will go again.
2/9/08 NS: Highly recommended. The soup shop is clean, and fairly priced for the portions. Their price also takes into consideration that the soups are fresh and homemade. I watched a worker go through greens, leaf by leaf, and throw out the bad ones. They cook in an area clearly visible to everyone in the restaurant which shows their pride in their ingredients and methods. Their soup is ALWAYS delicious, too. The owner was there the day I ate lunch there and he was incredibly friendly to all of the customers he spoke with. His employee wasn't as friendly, but that's a common undertone in Corvallis service. All of the artwork on the walls is for sale, painted by the shop owners' wife. One nitpick: it was a sunny day (suprising! i know) and without some sort of window shades, the tables by the window were really uncomfortable. Regardless, this is a great community restaurant that embodies what Corvallis is about. I hope it's around for a long time.
1/31/10 MA: And it's damn good - not the best I've had in the world (I lived in Thailand for a year) but better than many, particularly the alternative in town. Cheap, friendly, and not afraid to flavor their dishes. Highly recommended.
And: Yes it is a tavern, but that doesn;t mean they don't have good pub food (and if Clodfelter's and McMenamin's makes the list, it should too). Best place in town for a burger and beer. The Chicken Little (Chicken breast with shredded cabbage and hoisin sauce) is tasty as well. Cheap, good bar food. No credit cards. Highly Recommended.
And: MS 10/17/2007: Squirrel's. Squirrel's burgers are way better than average. They are the best around, and some of the best I've had anywhere. They are a hand made patty, not a pressed food service disk. They come with cheddar, Swiss or provolone. My friend says they have the best Rueben around too, although I haven't tried one cause I can't seem to order anything but the burgers. I agree that the fries would be better twice cooked, but I still like them and get them every time.
And: One of two Mexican places in Corvallis I really enjoy. Pop in on Friday for the soup special. Very traditional and cheap. Recommended.
7/28/09 CJ: As a relatively new transplant to Oregon (3 years) from Southern California, I've been jonezin' for good Mexican food for a while. Up until now, the best I've found locally is Tacos Uruapan, but their distance and hours, plus the fact that they dropped carnitas from their menu, have kept it from being a regular haunt. Amador's Alley in Independence and Luis' in Woodburn have been of occasional help. I've never been impressed by La Rockita and the corporate Qdoba and Chipotle are just rice heavy imitations. Thankfully, Taqueria Alonzo just opened in the old Marzini's spot on Kings and I couldn't be happier. If you know what the typical L.A. mom n' pop Mexican restaurant is like, you'll feel right at home. Not too much in the way of decor, but the watermelon ice, the weekend menudo and the chiclets for sale at the counter smacked of authenticity. I had the 3 tacos combo with beef, chicken and carnitas. My wife had the vegetarian taco plate and my son had a regular carnitas burrito. Total tab was $21 and the food was excellent! The chicken had a very flavorful marinade and the carnitas was as good as any I've had outside of Mexico. Even their chips were good. For those who care, I believe the frijoles had lard, but am not sure. This is their third restaurant with one in Albany and Dos Arbolitos in Lebanon. If you are familiar with either of these places, you'll know what to expect. I wish them great success as our default "I don't want to cook, let's get some Mexican" had become Baja Fresh and believe me, I have grown very tired of it. They also serve beer, wine and margaritas and are open for breakfast (gotta get me some of their huevos rancheros soon. Their hours (for now) are 9AM to 1AM daily.
5/16/08: AB: The food here is quite good. No, it's not 'authentic,' but it is worth trying to find a parking place for. The decor is pleasant and the service good. It can get a bit loud when they're busy, but isn't that the sign of a good restaurant? I have several friends who don't enjoy spicy food, and the menu is diverse enough that they can find something to satisfy them as well. They are also good about making adjustments to dishes as requested (leaving out the peanuts). I've enjoyed experimenting with the different meat variations they offer for some of their dishes.They have some of the best Pad Thai that I've had, in several countries. Other dishes I would recommend: black curry with squid and asparagus, Num Tok- very spicy grilled beef salad, glass noodle soup, mussman curry- chicken and potatoes with coconut milk, the grilled chicken with spicy honey sauce, and the crispy fish with chili sauce. If you are looking for a decent Thai meal, then I would High Recommend the Tarn Tip.
6/09 BL: My husband and I had a rare "date night" without the kids, so we decided to go to Terzo. OH MY GOD! First, they brought us a special appetizer that we didn't even order... absolutely fantastic. Then we ordered the dungeness crab portabello mushrooms. The sauce was so amazing... so rich and flavorful. I ordered the crab stuffed prawns (and I don't even like shellfish!) Again... from the first bite, I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience! I can honestly say, without any hyperbole, that this meal was one of the top 3 meals I have ever had in my life. The servers were all very friendly and very knowledgeable about the food and the wine - also top-knotch. Now we just have to find more babysitters so we can go back!
5/29/09 WC: Excellent food and atmosphere. Price on the high end but they give you plenty & I have not found anything That I did not like.
5/25/09 KM: We went to Terzo recently and were not disappointed. The happy hour menu is incredible. My date and I had the Calamari Fritti, which is great and the marinara sauce for dipping is incredible. The meatball sliders are tasty and quite filling on their own. For dinner I definitely would recommend the grilled chicken fettucini. Like its upstairs companion, Terzo has an awesome drink menu. The chocolate rum ball is decadent and a dessert on its own. The ambience is relaxing and quiet, allowing diners to sit back, chat, enjoy the food and a night out. I would recommend Terzo time and time again and plan to go back until I've tried the entire menu. Happy hour is brilliant and allows diners to be thrifty and expand their taste. I cannot wait to return. Between Aqua and Terzo, Corvallis finally has a few places worthy of taking visitors out to eat. These restaurants can hold their own. Just writing this makes me hungry to return.
5/09: LP: Had dinner on Friday 5/8 at Terzo. The restaurant was busy but seating made it feel not so crowded, though it had some 'loud moments'. I loved what they did with the decor, very nice. Food was quite good. We had the seafood and sausage appetizer, which was very tasty and just a little spice to it from the sausage. Also had the crab and portabello mushroom appetizer, which got high marks. Las tly, had the crab and walnut seafood tortellini, which was excellent. Was not given a wine list, so I cannot comment there (though others were getting wine). I looked at the wine list online, it could use a little expansion. Service was knowledgable and friendly, not rushed, but we also had times where we were obviously 'done' and waited longer than expected for someone to clear the table. With a certain lack of quality Italian places in Corvallis, Terzo is a very welcome addition. Would recommend, and will be back in the near future!
5/6/09 RM: Four cool Corvallis women on a mission to try out the drinks and taste some food at Terzo and this is what we thought. We sat at the bar and enjoyed conversation with the bartenders who were very friendly and professional. Overall atmosphere was good and the bar was a relaxing spot to hang. The best cocktail was the scarlet margarita. We voted, and gave it a 10. It was clean, crisp and yummy. The next drink was a lemon drop. The vote was between a 7 and 8. Recommended, but not a blow out with taste. A small cup of homemade soup and bread was also ordered to give a taste of what the menu has to offer. It was minestrone soup and not anything to write home about, sorry to say. The last thing we tried was a dessert, a classic in Italy called Tiramisu. And it blew us all away! Not too sweet, light and tasty and maybe the best Tiramisu that some of us ever had. Each bite was amazing. A hands down 10, yes! So watch out Corvallis Bars, you're going to be reviewed by some tuff- chicks on a mission to find the best cocktails.....and we'll snack our way around town.
7/19/09 LP: Rating is a 'C', though I'd like to give it higher. Had dinner at Tokyo Happy Steakhouse on 7/19. We went with the intent of getting something a little different for dinner. We've not tried Tokyo Happy before, but we do eat Japanese a lot, and have been to a lot of teppanyaki places around the country. Overall - the decor was about what we expected. Service was a bit off - for example we got the water we asked for when we got there 1/2 way through our dinner, and on the way out there were three waitresses playing cards at the bar next to the door - if they were that 'un-busy', perhaps they could be taking care of stuff. We ate at the 'grill' instead of sushi. The food was tasty, well cooked to specs, though some pieces were not sliced all the way through, making it tough to eat with chopsticks. Prices were a lot higher than expected - especially for the size of the entrees. A 6oz steak and 4 scallops was a bit much at $25 - I have seen the same dish at other teppanyaki places for about $16. The show was OK compared to other japanese grill places - the chef was fairly new though, slicing was poor, missed a lot, missed the plates when serving (lots of food on the table). He was definitely better at cooking the food than doing the presentation. One note here is fairly important - the chef needs to choose his food to 'throw' at you to catch with your mouth a little better, and he needs to work on his aim. He chose a piece of my steak - done medium, so it was rather, well, juicy. That and the extra sauces on it made it quite juicy, which was delicious, but when he underthrew the first piece at me, the juices made a mess of my white pants, then the second piece was also underthrown and made a mess of my nice silk hawaiian shirt and my pants. This was quite an unpleasant surprise when I got home. So, food - pretty good, service - mediocre, decor - expected, show - below expectations, price - way too high for what I got, not to mention the cleaning bill. I think next time I'll stick with the sushi.
6/29/09 LM: This is a friendly place. Like most Japanese restaruants the wait time can be slow to recieve your sushi. However I find the service far better than Ayomatus. The hostess/waitress who seems to be at the restaurant 24/7 is very friendly and attentive. I enjoy the sushi a great deal and love that they offer a soybean wrapper option which is easier for my 2 year old to chew. Their shrimp tempura rolls are a great deal as are their lunchtime bentos. However I wish they offered a real crab California Roll instead of only the imitation crab. When asked I was told this was because crab couldn't be served raw which simply made no sense since of course the crab would be cook! Also I would really appreciate a changing station in the bathroom. The atmosphere is much more pleasant than Ayomatsu's with far more inviting decor.
2/21/09 MS: As a vegetarian I love it there! We always sit at the grill so we have the entertainment along with the dining. The vegetable delight is soooo good! Fried rice is yummy, noodles are delicious, and the veggies grilled to perfection. But who could go wrong with all that butter? I would Highly recommend this restaurant. Especially for an office party, or for entertaining out of town guests. This is a real treat for me everytime I go. And the Plum wine is my favorite.
2/9/08 KJ: I've gotten sushi, udon soup and tempura here. I eat here not infrequently, usually at lunch. For my taste, the sushi and udon soup are much better than the stuff down the street. I'd stay away from Tokyo Steakhouse's tempura though, it's not light and crispy. For that, the other guys are tops.
8/13/08 MS: Went here to try out the new place to get sushi. Have to say, it was not good. I vastly prefer Aomatsu. It may be good for steak, but if you're craving sushi or tempera, good two blocks north. Suggested.
Fire has closed Tommy's. Stay tuned.
And: Tommy's serves a really nice burger and fries. Their salads are pretty good too. Don't know much about the rest of their menu. Nice selection of microbrews on tap.
And: Nothing fancy but has good size portions, mighty tasty and friendly people. Give them your phone number and they keep track of how much you spend when you reach $50, you get $5 off.
2/1/2010 HJ: The way the economy has impacted these folks was very noticeable on the Friday evening in January when we went. Once the food finally arrived, it was incredible and delicious!! However, they are so sorely understaffed due to layoffs that we were ignored from the minute we arrived. After around eight minutes had passed with us sitting at an empty table, we had to ask for the server to give us the menus he had bussed off of a nearby table. Five minutes or more later we were finally served water, and ordered. The food as I said was scrumptious and the portions generous! But never once did our server ever check on us. I flagged him down for straws and he never showed back up with them. I had to ask another server for hot sauces, and found my own straws. I finally realized the problem with the understaffing when I noticed our server pouring drinks at the bar, taking food orders, serving food, cashing out customers, bussing tables, pretty much everything, with only one other server on a SUPER busy Friday night. I asked the other server for to-go boxes and went up to the bar myself to ask for my check, which I had to insist he give me before taking someone's food out because by this time we had been there 1 1/2 hours. My answer to this is to go again during a non-busy time, to get the authentic experience everyone else is raving about. The food quality and flavors blew me away. It's just unfortunate they cannot afford to have an extra server during the typically busy times at their establishment. Hopefully that will change as the economy picks up. I did make sure to speak to the other server about my experience before we left so she might share it with the owner, and ended up still tipping our server 15%.
MA: 1/20/10: Rating: C - Woodsman is still a great place for Thai in the Corvallis area, but recently the service has gone downhill. On a recent visit for a party of five, there was only one waitress serving the entire establishment, and it was obvious that she was overworked. Several items on our order were forgotten, requests were sometimes ignored, and there was no attention given to our table. The owner was in the establishment, but did not help much with the deficit. Even worse that than, the owner showed preferential treatment to a nearby table over everyone else in the restaurant. I am not sure if this table was full of relatives or friends, but she had an additional staff member serving them (only), made several visits to their table to talk, and served them dish after dish of food that they could barely eat. If it wasn't for this lack of proper service and obvious preferential treatment, I probably wouldn't have written this review: The food was still excellent, and worth the wait. We are waiting for a few months before returning to the Woodsman to see if their problems continue.
WM 4/1/08: The Woodsman in Philomath Oregon is no longer Benton County's best kept secret - word is getting out. The new owner Nang, (rhymes with "tang") has kept the old American style food such as prime rib, chicken fried steak, baked potatoes etc. The big surprise is it's also the home of the best Thai food this side of Portland! Nang's Thai menu (pages of it) includes Asparagus w/basil (your choice of meat, shrimp or tofu, our fave is beef) is sweet and perfectly balanced you can't go wrong with this choice, Other items include Mango curry (the medium is fairly spicy depending on your taste, so choose accordingly), Crispy Trout with garlic vegetables, and Ginger or Basil Duck. Nang's Pad Thai is different and superior to any other Pad Thai I've eaten. The interior has been recently remodeled with an emphasis on clean and tidy, and still features the old logger memorabilia. There is a moderate, but acceptable wine selection and bar. (Can't remember about the beer.) Children are welcome on the "family side". Prices are reasonable, servings are rather large (we often split an entree) and don't forget to try the Fried bananas with home made coconut ice cream. Bananas are wrapped in squares of dough, fried crispy, served alongside Nang's own coconut ice cream, then drizzled with honey and topped off with crushed peanuts. Feeds 2- 4! Nang often shyly checks in to see how you liked your order - she's a real sweetheart! Go!
KJ 2/7/08: The service was fast and friendly. The food was, well, just ok. We are used to fantastic Thai food (Air Thai and Thai Ginger for example). The Woodsman just isn't at the top. I tried several dishes, and the tastes were muddled, and a bit bland. Sure, we'll go back: somewhat recommended. Reasonably priced.
MS 10/17/07: The Woodsman in Philomath. Their Thai food is fantastic. They have a Thai cook. There is American food too, it's your average bar food but the Thai is the thing. We've had Pad Thai which was excellent and 1 other Thai dish with wide noodles and basil. The Pad was better, but just because the basil was a little too strong and spicy for my tastes. The portions are huge. For $7 or $8 we can get 1 order of the Thai food and the 2 of us can get at least 2, usually 3 meals out of it. They have mixed drinks but don't seem to know a lot about it. The waitress had never heard of Canadian Club. Stick with beer.
And: OK pizza. Favorite for the after softball crowd. Suggested.
And: What can I say? Great pizza, lots of toppings, nice crust, both white and whole wheat.
7/20/09 RK: Oh, and I would add my (B) recommended to your recommendation of Young's Kitchen.
1/21/09: A quick clarification, Zia doesn't serve "Mexican" food, they serve traditional food from New Mexico. They do have a few similarities, but don't expect the standard bland Mexican food (El Sol, Los Dos, etc.) As a couple of reviewers have noted, they use a light hand on the seasoning, so you'll probably want to add some salt, but that's fine with me. You can always add salt, but you can't take it away if it's overdone, so best to err on the side of caution. On to the food (all-natural, and a lot of it is local, for a big thumbs up): Breakfast burritos: yummy and filling. You may have seen them at the Farmer's Market. I love the homemade tortillas. Nothing quite like `em in town. Calabacitas: Ennh. But then I've never been a squash fan. Carne adovado: wonderfully flavorful and spicy (although they have a mild version, I've never tried it). Try it in a burrito smothered in hot green chile sauce. If you like spicy, it's out of this world. Sopaipilla: a great way to end a meal, with fresh southwest fry-bread and a drizzle of honey. Sometimes the simple things are the best. Signature Cheesecake: an out-of-the-blue delight. A small slice of cheesecake (all you really need) delicately flavored with New Mexican green chile. It's intriguing and (much to my surprise) delicious, with just a hint of heat at the end. Nachos: not your standard Tex-Mex nachos, but house-fried chips topped with your choice of topping and a creamy queso sauce. They look a bit small, but definitely fill you up. Like most places, service can be a bit slow when busy, but always friendly and helpful. I haven't been in for dinner yet, but have always enjoyed my lunches there. Highly Recommended.
11/21/08: [Ed Note: this is a response from ZIA] We greatly appreciate feedback from our customers, however it is most useful when we can talk with you before you leave the restaurant. This gives us the opportunity to look at what you ordered and determine what caused you to have a bad experience, then we can correct it in the future. Most importantly, we can compensate you for your bad experience. Kathleen Marie ZIA Southwest Cuisine
11/17/08 KS: We are writing in regard to Zia, which recently began serving dinner. Dinner = Disaster! The food was not up to par and much too $$$. The tortillas and sopapillas were lukewarm at best, and the entrees were too salty and lacking any evidence of advertised green chile. We used to like the food when Zia first opened-it was high quality and New Mexico authentic (we're transplants from the Southwest)-but we will not return at dinnertime or any other time of day.
10/10/08 HD: I had tried this place when it first opened, and was not impressed. However a couple of my coworkers like it, so I tried it again today. I was disappointed.....we were there by 12:20 and they were out of the enchilada casserole, it was their special for the day, so I guess I can understand that, but if it's the special of the day, wouldn't you make extra? I had a sopapailla (spelling?) with chicken. Extremely bland; no cheese to speak of. I guess if you want cheese, you pay extra to have it smothered with chile sauce and they put cheese on top of that. The beans were the most boring I have ever had; as was the mexican rice. No flavor at all. I have never been to a Mexican restaurant that charges extra for items that I think belong on Mexican food: .50 for tomatoes; .50 for green peppers or onions, etc. I can understand charging extra for sour cream or guacamole, but not for veggies. It was also quite expensive for the portion size. I was quite disappointed and my coworkers are on their own from now on.
5/2/08 ML: I found the food at Zia's to be tasty and unique, apparently due to a style originating from Northern New Mexico. If you are looking for standard American Mexican or Tex-Mex or the usual perception of Southwest, this may not be your place. I immediately noticed the extra flavor from fresh local ingredients, which I strongly favor over bulk restaurant or supermarket ingredients, preferred by most restaurants around our country. My son and family, who lived in Northern New Mexico for years, found the style to be authentic and Zia's has quickly become their favorite restaurant along with Normals when they visit Corvallis.
1/19/08 VH: I have eaten at Zia's three times since it opened and have had a good experience each time. I recommend the sopapilla with chicken and hot green chile sauce. The burritos have excellent hand-made tortillas that are fresh and tasty! Their sopapillas are the most authentic that I have had in Oregon, if you get there at 11:30 you can eat a breakfast burrito and have a sopapilla for desert. The service is great and the owners are very friendly. This is southwestern food, which is not drowned by cheese and dripping with oil, so you can actually taste the vegetables and chilies. I highly recommend this place.
1/4/08 BP: I ate breakfast at Zia's a few weeks ago. The food was very good, and "spicy" means spicy. I like spicy and it was good enough for me. The food was definitely under salted and the portion was very small for what I was looking for. The service though was great and the food too. I'll definitely be back, even if the portions are too small.