Blu Olive Reviews

I have been here a couple of times. Service has been slow no matter how busy but the food was good so I put up with it. But not this time. I finally, after 10 minutes asked to get some service. After 10 more minutes my drink still has not come out. I gave up and walked out. No amount of good food makes up for such poor service. I won't be back. There is another great Greek place up the road on canyon Rd.

My girlfriends and I recently celebrated one of our birthdays at Blu Olive. Don't be put off by the Westside strip mall location...once inside you will forget where you are and fall in love with their fresh cocktails (Blu-tini!), friendly service and authentic Mediterranean menu. I believe this is the same owners of Blu Olive (formally on N.W. 21st) The parking here is definitely better! The only downside is that they don't take reservations and the waiting area is minimal.

The best Greek food IMHO in Portland used to be at the Blu Olive's NW 21st avenue restaurant. That folded a couple years ago to my great disappointment. Now they have set up a smaller bistro at this new address. It doesn't have the full menu that the restaurant on NW21st did but it is still quite good. We went to have dinner but got there during the Happy Hour, so we decided to get many of the items off that menu and then later picked up one dinner meal. We also had several of their yummy cocktails along the way. Our Happy Hour plates were Dip Sampler plate (combination of hummus, baba ghanouj & jalapeno cilantro humus), Calamari, Garlic Prawns, Chicken Kebob, and Mediterranean Salad. All of these were very good and the prices were quite reasonable. By the time we finished the Happy Hour starters, we realized we wouldn't have enough room for much more to eat for dinner. So, we settled for one of the large dinner plates (Saffron Chicken Kebob) and split that between our party of 3. The saffron rice was absolutely yummy. We had the following cocktails: Twisted Pimm's Cup, Persian Rose, Fig Lemon Drop. These were just delightful and I can't wait to try others on their menu. We also split one of the desserts recommended by our server which I don't remember the name of but it was so good. The place has a really great ambiance and the service was friendly and attentive. I am so glad these folks are back in business and only a mile away from our house!

We arrived fairly early on a Monday, got seated right away. Server was pleasant but seemed a bit hurried (place wasn't busy yet). Drinks took a while to arrive, but our ordering pace kept the drinks/food on a good pace. As they got busy, you could tell service slowed down for others. Our waiter spilled water all over the table. Brought regular hummus when we ordered the jalapeno. My fig lemon drop came out entirely different between the first and second, but both were good. One lacked the cinnamon sugar rim and the sweetness level was different. Points for creativity though. Food was good, but they were out of the lamb.

I recommend this place for lunch. It serves great middle eastern type food. The portion are not too big but perfect for lunch. Everything tasted very fresh. The lamb kebab were my favorites. My wife loved the grape leaves. I even like their hummus because it wasn't too garlicky. We were there with my two sons which isn't ideal for the restaurant. Yet, they were very accommodating and they have some great dish for kids. My 5 year old son got some grilled chicken with fries :-)

This place claims to be Mediterranean but they seem to have no idea. Their Gyros comes overcooked and with Curry. The waiter said it was Persian but curry is not Persian. The server’s reaction to my comment was completely inappropriate, sort of it is what it is. Never going back

We love the Blu Olive Restaurant! The food is fantastic. All of the food has been fresh and delicious. The owner is wonderful, very personable and professional. We have had both lunch and dinner and have several times taken family members there for a fun evening out. The restaurant is small so it can easily get busy. The drinks are very unique and awesome! We'll be back for sure!!

We gathered up the six month old and headed over to the Blu Olive for dinner. We got a table for four and added a highchair. We ordered drinks and plates to share. The baby was happy, eating some premade food from home. Suddenly a baby emergency occurred that required us to make a rapid departure from the restaurant. The hostess was very kind in agreeing to change our order to go. The ambience of the restaurant was lovely. The food was superb. We plan to go back on our next visit to Portland.

I had the combination platter and all was very good except the falafel was very hard and the Greek salad was very small with only one olive on the top.

Finally, a decent HH place on the westside! Fantastic owners, great service, consistently good food/drink, and good atmosphere.

I was first impressed with their spirit collection considering the size of the place. It is small, but did not feel cramped one bit. Service was delightful, they were very quick and friendly and the food was close to excellent. I keep "excellent" out of reach only for the pita bread that lacked a fresh quality. It felt like store-bought pita. But for that, the Mediterranean Plate was very good. The falafel plate was excellent and the Saganaki was sinfully delicious. Top it with rose-saffron ice cream....we will be back very soon!

I was eager for sone Mediterranean food and went to a place called the Greek Cafe, but found they didn't have ANY Greek food, so a quick Google search turned up the Blu Olive not too far away and we decided to give it a go. WE were not disappointed! In a shopping mall this place delivered the goods with an amazing mezze sampler of dolmas, tatziki, humus and more. When I saw the lamb shank on the menu, there was no question what I was having and it was up to par. My wife has the Salmon and finished it, which is always a good sign. Since going I see that some of the menu items have changes, but I would still imagine the changes are still in line with the quality we experienced. So if you are in need of some decent Mediterranean food, the Blu Olive is a safe bet.

Very small and quaint. Good wines. Reasonably priced. Friendly wait staff. Moderate prices but a limited overall menu. Good spot to hang out with a friend and down some wine and cheese.

Delicious lamb kabob, saffron rice and Greek salad. Pairs well with a glass of Tempranillo. Wonderfully prepared and healthy. We’re here at least twice a month!

if you want average food that you might cobble together from the nearby Market of Choice this is for you-- cold pita bread right out of a plastic package, uninspired salad and hummus right out of the container. Now the service was five stars. Next time we'll go down town to Habbibi or out to Hillsboro for a special meal.

I've eaten here 3 times. I think the food is good, the drinks are reasonably priced. I'll keep going back.

Wow! Finally a great restaurant within 5 miles of my house. We love Greek food. My Mediterranean Plate was an excellent sampler: falafel, spanakopita, hummus, Greek salad, tahini, and pita. My spouse had a fantastic falafel sandwich. We also ordered 2 mecium-rare lamb chops--the primary part of the dish that many say is the best thing on the menu. Possibly the best lamb we have ever had in Portland. The seating was comfortable, and there was both indoor and outdoor seating. The server did tell us that Friday, Saturday, and Sunday can get quite crowded. They do not take reservations; however, any wait would be orth it.

First off, this is meant to be a Persian restaurant. It’s awful. The yogurt and sauces are bland, the falafel was the worst I have ever had in 40 years: bland and poorly cooked. So soggy it didn’t even stay together as a patty. The fries were the bottom of the bag, stringy and oily. The rice tasted like it had been re-heated. As a Persian I am insulted by this place, its service and the price.

I really enjoy the new Timberland shopping area and decided to bring coworkers here for a team build dinner. The space is small, but the restaurant was very accommodating to our size. They had a great selection of liquor and a concise menu with options for GF and VGN. The food was pretty good and our service was great. Would recommend this place for couples and family, they do not take reservations however if you call ahead for a big party they can try to seat the large table last if they know when you are coming.

Nice vegetarian food. This was our second visit and we loved it in second visit also. They should make more vegetarian option available.

We checked for a recommended place for lunch and Blu Olive popped up in our search. We love Mediterranean dishes and chose to give them a try. We tried the garlic shrimp dinner and the saffron chicken kebob and were very happy with each. The chicken kabob is very tender and beautifully colored and scented with saffron, the basmati rice and salad that come with the dish are perfect accompaniments. My wife had the garlic shrimp and it was equally enjoyed. The waitress suggested a special ice cream flavor of vanilla rice pudding with saffron and currants and it was a perfect ending for our meal (if you're lucky enough to visit while this ice cream is available, treat yourself to a greek coffee cocktail to go along with it). I ordinarily would give a dessert and a cocktail a pass during lunch, but this was very much enjoyed. We will be back!

I see the review here that says "It's just OK" and that's exactly my take as well. We got takeout from here while staying at an Airbnb in Portland. It was an average Mediterranean place in all respects- good selection but each dish was good but not great. It was COVID and the whole restaurant was set up for takeout only so can't really judge the decor or service.

We went there because we wanted to have Persian food for dinner. It was my first trip to this bistro and it will be my last one because of its poor service and lack of identity as a bistro that serves Persian food! We arrived there around 8:00 pm and it took them almost 15 minutes to approach us. We chose to sit outside because of the smell inside the restaurant. After choosing our table, it took them 10-15 minutes to approach us for the order; and none of the servers asked us if we want any other drinks besides water!!! After 20 minutes our food arrived and server did not ask us if we want "sumac" for our Persian kabobs! We asked for bread and he forgot to bring us bread! At the end I told him about bread and sumac; and replied "sorry"!

My doctor recommended that I go to the Mediterranean Diet which features all the foods found at the Blu Olive. He recommended a glass of red wine each day and the red wine I had here from Spain was delicious. My wife had a Greek salad. I enjoyed chicken souvlaki with saffron rice and a Greek salad along with pita bread and olive oil. It was also delicious. Service was prompt and friendly. We did wait a while for our good to be prepared but it was worth the wait. We will be back!!!!

This place has the best Kebab in town. The barg kebab is the best I have had anywhere. I have travelled to the Mideast and this is better. The humous is also very good. This place is packed on weekend nights.

The good: the food is good, prices reasonable, and the staff friendly The bad: They are terribly sloppy in their takeout service. Order was missing 1 salad and a side of bread, which wasn't noticed until I got home (20+ minutes). 2nd time it has happened. Called to complain: "we are so sorry; come on back and we'll give you the missing items". RUFKM?? This time I disputed with the credit card company & rescinded my tip.

I have ordered the Barg Kabob with rice.several times and it's been very good. This is a very hard food to cook at home as the filet mignon has to be prepared and marinated just so perfectly to make it taste authentic. This place does a very good job with this tricky food. They have a lot of other great Mediterranean dishes as well.

I was on assignment in Portland but lived in Beaverton. My roommate recommended the place and I tried it out not knowing what to expect. I found the restaurant/café to be pleasant; the wait staff personable (and sometimes funny); the husband and wife owners to be very friendly and generous and the food was ALWAYS cooked to order. The Blu Olive has a steady clientele. It is NOT a big place. It has indoor seating that usually queues up on Friday and Saturday nights - not surprising! There is outside terrace tables as well but I'm not sure if it an all-season thing! The food is OUTSTANDING!! I normally get skewers of Lamb, Chicken and Steak with saffron rice and soft oven toasted bread. In fact I would order two sets of skewers, rice and bread - one to eat there and one to take to work the next day. As good as the food is - right out of the oven - it tastes even better after it sits in aluminum foil overnight. The spices and flavors sink into the Lamb, Chicken and Steak overnight! Yum! The owners are extremely friendly and accommodating people. I got to know them better as I frequented the café regularly while I was on assignment. As I was diet restricted, the owners went of their way to insure I got what I needed and usually exceed my expectations. They even got me to try some food that I normally would not have been able to consume by eliminating some of the prohibited menu ingredients. As the café had a brisk evening business, I usually sat at the bar. Since I don't consume alcohol, I chased my meals down with a glass of 1/2 cranberry and 1/2 orange juice without ice. If you want to go to a very nice café/restaurant, get high quality food and good beverages, I highly recommend you try the Blu Olive in Beaverton!

My wife and I decided to try the restaurant after we found out that it had opened. We were delighted. She had a gyro and I had saffron chicken kebab. We started with hummus. First, it was some of the smoothest and tastiest hummus we have ever had, and the portion was generous. The lamb in my wife's gyro was most tender an properly seasoned. The accompanying salad was ample, as was the gyro, with plenty of tomatoes. My chicken was tender (fork cut) and, again, properly seasoned. It came with basmati rice and a small Greek salad. Service was excellent and attentive. If there was a drawback was that we could not have an easy conversation. It is a bit too noisy. Yes, we will return.

I didn't expect much from this place but was pleasantly surprised. Though we went on a Saturday we were seated in about 15 minutes. I ordered the Greek souvlaki with rice and salad. The place was packed and very busy. My friend's order of veggie plate arrived before they served mine. The server apologized as they were taking longer for the kebabs. So she served me the salad first, it was very fresh, dressing had a nice tang to it. The kebabs were very succulent and seasoned well and the rice was flavourful. Overall a great dining option in the neighbourhood.

We had a 30mins wait at 6.30pm on a Saturday. So this place does get busy. Once seated, the vibe is great, the service is great and the food is delicious. Lots of good options and quality produce. Highly recommended!

Our friends had us step out to Blu Olive for a meal tonight (long wait...it was Friday night but, it turns out, it was well worth the wait). We started with saganaki, hummus, falafel and the special dip of the evening. Wonderfully prepared and great tasting. I had the lamb chops as my entree. Again, cooked to perfection with amazing flavor and tenderness. Greek salad was a little banal (dry and too much lettuce) as was the rice (really dry). Nice sides but not amazing. Jessica provided exceptional and attentive service. Much appreciated. And then, the Ekmek. Oh, the Ekmek! Get whatever you want for your appetizer and main course...good food...but be sure to finish with the ekmek! Highly recommended.

Okay little diner. Hummus and bread is so so. Lentil soup is my usual, but today it had less lentils compared to usual. Novelty is wearing off and not sure I’m going to come back here. Prices are mid+. Noisy as tables are closely located to each other. Service is good.

I always like to write amazing reviews about my experiences but unfortunately this is my very first horrible experience, and it was at Blue Olive, and I felt the need to share this. I placed an order online it gave me a pickup time for 12:30am which gave them 30 min to get it ready by the time I got there. I walked inside the restaurant and noticed it was super busy. The owner of blue olive saw me walking in and from a far distance she said I will be right with you. I was standing for 15 minutes and did not get any other approach. Finally, the only other waitress there came up to me and asked can I help you. I told him that I was here to pick up a to go order that I placed online with a 12:30 pick up time. This worker went and let the owner know. He came back and told me that they were packing my order. I now have been waiting for 30 min and I still don’t have my order. At this point I go to the owner in a nice respectful way. I was wondering How much longer for my order to be ready I’ve been waiting so patiently for 30min.The owner replied, “Well we are busy!” with no eye contact at all in a rude tone of voice. I responded that’s the reason I placed my order online for it to be ready and not have to wait 30 min. I got no expression back, so I go back and sit down. The owner then brings an order to me, I checked it was someone else’s order that she was trying to give me. I expressed this is not my order. She rushes to the kitchen gives me a printout with the items in the bag and I repeat myself this is not my order. She is extremely upset at this moment she goes to the counter and shouts this is the wrong order! I was very disappointed I know I should have requested a refund and just left but at this point my lunch break was over and I was already late. I was expecting and apology or at least a complimentary soup or something but all I got was a rude approach. My co-workers then walked in planning to dine in I told them just a heads up they are extremely busy you guys should go eat elsewhere. The owner’s employee which is a family member got so offended when he heard me telling my coworkers to go elsewhere. I’m thinking he thought they were strangers to me, and I was trying to scare away their customers. He came so close to me very aggressive and screamed at my face pointing at me “We don’t go out to your company telling people to not come to you do we” at this point I was in complete shock. He had all the customers eyes at this point. The owner realized this and covered his mouth and said shhhh otherwise he would have kept going. I decided to be the better person and not say anything at that moment he was an older man in his late 60’s or early 70’s. He then walked away. My coworkers walked out immediately in shock along with another customer and told me they would never step a foot in this place again! I have no idea what else happened after that I rushed out. Blue Olive has not lost only one customer but multiple and some of those costumers were regulars. Multiple people are disappointed in their horrible service and disrespectful behavior. They are not friendly at all and with this experience I don’t recommend this place to anyone. This employee had no right to get right at my face and scream at me like that. Such a shame that the owner allowed this awful poor behavior. This speaks a lot about them as a person.

we regularly go to blu Olive. tonight it was awful. Order of a side of roasted potatoes were not roasted--maybe lightly sautéed, soft not crisp like roast potatoes should be. They were-- before 6.00pm on Friday-- already out of green salad. The pita which I had to ask for for my dip came late. There was one piece. Then another piece that was dried out and stale followed. I am so disappointed.

Nice place , good food Terrible service. Had to wait 15 min for one serving baba gnash Over 30 min for main courses - two lamb kebab and two vegetarian Again good food but way too long to wait for

We have enjoyed two visits to Blu Olive Mediterranean Bistro in the Timberland Shopping Center. Their lunch and dinner cuisine is carefully prepared and enjoyable. Friendly and attentive service make each visit pleasurable as well. It's a small restaurant and is a little noisy when busy. There is a television but the latter has never been playing with sound when we've been there. The gyro is outstanding, fresh pita bread with seasoned meat and crispy, fresh vegetables with their signature homemade Greek yogurt. The lamb shank is flavorful and falls off the bone just as you'd hope, with a side of crispy Greek salad and white rice with a dollop of what tastes like saffron butter over the top of it. Very satisfying. We have yet to eat little enough for dinner to enjoy dessert but it looks appealing. Fried calamari is crispy and fresh-tasting and is served with a tzatziki dip. My only gripe is that they are not generous with olives.We had an appetizer of yogurt and kalamata olives. Two olives were served. The dinner Greek salad had one. The cocktail list looks intriguing as well. Their flavored liquors are infused in-house. The wine list is reasonable and well-priced. Their Happy Hour is 3-5 pm with a one-drink minimum per person.

I live nearby and remember when this place opened. It always seems busy and is too small for what they do. My daughter is vegetarian and so eating out can sometimes be hard. She really wanted lentil soup, so we decided to try Blu Olive. I came in tonight at a few mins past 6pm with my daughter. Was told it would be 10 to 15 mins for a table. We went to MOC for a few mins before we got a phone call that our table was ready. Promptly seated we looked over the menu. Took 5 mins for our waitress Timmy to get drink orders and another 5 to get our orders. I ordered the Mediterranean plate, my daughter lentil soup and grape leaves. Then we sat for 45mins waiting for food. No one checked on us at all except to refill water and after 40 mins asked me if i wanted another glass of wine. The table next to us, who were seated and ordered after us was restless and made several complaints. They got their hot small plate(calamari) before we got our cold small plate (grape leaf wrapped rice). Finally our food arrived and it was mostly good. Timmy checked on us once and then she was off to other tables again. The table next to us made several more complaints and ended up canceling part of their order and getting the rest to go. By this time things had calmed down and we had been there well over an hour. We felt like deserts would come out quickly. I had a Turkish coffee and my daughter the fandooreh (might be misspelled). It took awhile again as another rush of people arrived. I watched my coffee sit on the pass for nearly 10mins before the bar took it thinking it was theirs but then brought it to me. My daughter like her desert which came a few mins later though it was too sweet to finish even for her child like tastes. Took a long time to get the bill and then after 20mins of waiting for Timmy to come back for it with me holding it up every time she passed I had enough and loudly asked a couple servers nearby to handle it. Overall it took over 2 hrs from seating until walking out and the most we got was a free lemonade refill which I pointed out it said free refills next to it on the menu, but fine print said only for the sodas, I guess.

We love Mediterranean food and are always in search for a good one. Our hair stylist recommended this place. We live downtown PDX and have no car so we had to make special arrangements to get to this place. The service was ok (out water was never refilled). Chicken saffron was good. Overall, if you are in the area it might be worth checking out but it was not worth the trek for us.

One of my favorite neighborhood places to go. Their lamb dishes are great, also their chicken Kabob. My favorite dish is the Gluten-free calamari, with Tdzadziki dipping sauce, and I ask them to leave out the raw red onions. Very pleasant and attentive service. Well priced. Family and friends have great food when we go there.

We came here for a quick lunch around 2 p.m. on Sunday. It was crowded but there were a few tables available, so we got seated right away. Lunch menu offers variety of options and priced very reasonably. My chicken gyro was very delicious and I chose salad as a side which was also tasty. My lunch plate cost only $11. I think that was a good value.

We love this place! The food is delicious and fresh. The ingredients are good quality and the owner is also very friendly. We have gone for lunch and dinner and it doesn't fail.

Thought we might have found a great restaurant, but no. The service is just average. The food is nothing special. Greek, but not quite. Probably won't be back.

My wife and I had dinner here recently. I had the lamb Shanks which were excellent, my wife had the chicken kebabs. A salad is included. It was busy on a Tuesday night. Good service.

Excellent food and service. It was Friday evening and I rolled in with no reservation, but they took my name and gave us a great table. Very accommodating and personable service all around. The food was delicious, and portions were good sized. Everything tasted delicious and authentic.