Sylvan Highlands - Verde Cocina — Restaurant in Portland

Came here for Thanksgiving and pretty much everything was bad. First of all we made a reservation for a party of 3 in early November after looking over the menu everything looked great, my mom needed a vegan option and I wanted turkey so it was the meeting of the two perfectly. Plus all the proceeds go to the Oregon food bank which we were all really excited for, which looking back is probably the only positive. They had a bottle neck of customers because they only excepted reservations at 3 times throughout the day. We chose 3pm, which was the latest possible slot. We arrived on time only to find a huge line that was going outside of the restaurant so we had to wait OUTSIDE in the RAIN. After 30 minutes of waiting, which is not something you want to do after you’ve made reservations, we were finally seated. The hostess didn’t apologize for the wait at all, however she did inform us that the only seating they had available was outdoors. So what option did we have, there were at least a few heating laps outside and they had a clear plastic tent to cover the tables from the rain. The tent however kept flapping in the wind and hitting us in the back and the heating lamp only warmed the tops of our heads, leaving our feet and legs freezing for the whole meal. I don’t even want to get into why the service was bad, because this review is already going to be too long. Trust me, it was BAD we all joked at how it must’ve been the guys first night waiting tables. After we were finally seated our appetizers are brought out, pre dedermined so we didn’t get to choose. The carrot soup was overly peppered and grainy, it was as if there were sand in it. It was so sandy that I had to spit it out into my napkin. The salad was a joke, some greens with a few veggies on top, no flavor at all. I could have made better and I don’t even cook. On to entres; the turkey was fine, nothing special. The mashed potatoes were acceptable but honestly on par with any mediocre homemade version I’ve ever had. The stuffing was honestly gross, and full of raw celery, it had a very strange flavor I couldn’t even begin to sort through to explain why it was so bad. The roasted squash and sweet potatoes were unpeeled, and the squash was rather stringy. The “roasted seasonal vegetables” consisted of mostly kale with a few burnt carrots and 2 brussel sprouts. And for desert they advertised one as a mini pumpkin cake, it wasn’t, it was a pumpkin moose in a small pie shell. For the other option it was chocolate horchata breadsticks pudding, which I was looking forward to but couldn’t taste any cinnamon or rice flavor through any of it plus it had pieces of fig which it didn’t say anywhere on the menu was included. Overall horribly overpriced and horrible planning on the owners of the restaurant. If you have that many people coming in at once, don’t have only one person seating everyone. I LEFT HUNGY because the...

The food at Verde Cocina is unlike any Mexican food I’ve had, in the best way possible. You might not equate fresh local vegetables with Mexican food, but let me tell you, the vegetables are as prominent in the enjoyment of the dish as the meat. That’s really saying something since the meat is free range, without antibiotics, local, and delicious. The flavor of the dishes are captivating in that once I start eating, I find myself appreciating the flavors and textures without much conversation between bites.

Though the meat is rich, the ingredients carry the dish rather than relying on salt and fat (oil or butter) to add flavor; as I find in too many other restaurants. Of the dishes I’ve had, the spices are sometimes familiar, and at other times a surprise: true to the spice, but not like the spice combos used at other Mexican restaurants. Simple, fresh, firm, and juicy ingredients play well with the other components of the dish making it interesting and fun. Meat and vegetables grown and cooked with respect for meat and vegetable lovers, is a phrase that comes to mind.

I am familiar with the newer location at Canyon Ct at Sylvan Hill, off of Highway 26. Service is friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is open and inviting. If you’re looking for someplace new to try, and you’re looking for something maybe a little bit familiar but considerably better than what you’ve had before, I can’t see going wrong with...

Terrible service. We came in with our three young kids after we gave up on a 45 minute zoo lights shuttle wait.

To be fair, this seemed like a 'high-end' Mexican restaurant so not particularly suited for young kids. BUT we were in a pinch with some hungry kids.

The waiter showed up and my wife explained that we were looking for some appetizers. Having bith worked in the food service industry (me for 5+ years, my wife for 10+), we immediately sensed the attitude change as the waiter realized we wouldn't be a big ticket.

My wife asked if they had taquitos. But she couldn't think of the word so she inquired with our waiter. She asked, "I can't think of the name...it's fried..."

The waiter cut her off and said, "chips?"

Chips?!? What a punk. We let it slide and ordered his recommendation asking if kids would like it. He assured us they would. Now, again, benefit of the doubt, how can he know what our kids would like. But, as a waiter, if you don't know if kids will like it, say so. What we ordered was totally not kid friendly.

He came to our table once and that was about 5-7 minutes after our food came. And it was a quick table touch of 'everything fine?' We requested for a second time water for our children.

Never brought waters for the kids, paid little attention to us. Two appetizers for $18 should come with a modicum of good service. We...