St. Jack Reviews

My husband and I dine at St. Jack about 6 times a year. Always amazing! We think it's one of the best places in Portland. We love dining at the chef's table so we can watch them preparing everything. The service is always top notch, the staff is friendly and very knowledgeable and cocktails amazing! Never a disappointment here. 👍🏻

Plan was to come for dinner at the bar as I was solo on a work trip. Came in and the dining room was completely empty. Bar was pretty full with couples which was odd but maybe a Portland thing. Bartender was terrible with poor attitude and equally matched cocktail skills. I did not stay for dinner and ran as quick as I could finish my extremely overpriced drink. The menu also was lackluster and did not match French cuisine expectations. Hard pass.

One of the great meals we had in Portland with our party of nine. I guess you can't have a poor meal in a French restaurant, but we really enjoyed this one. Terrific service and delicious food.

I ordered the Chicken Ratatouille. The chicken was undercooked cornish game hen. The ratatouille was nothing close to the classic French dish and consisted of a piece of eggplant and two cherry tomatoes. When I asked the waiter about it, he described it as a "deconstructed" ratatouille. I would describe it as "a joke". The food was very disappointing. I won't be back.

Place was packed -- of course it was Friday! Food was great! I especially enjoyed the calamari!! This establishment serves traditional French bistro food! Wonderful bar space.

This was our first time to this restaurant and we enjoyed it. The food was very French with choices of duck, scallops, mussels, filet, dole, chicken, a variety of salads and a creamy tomato soup. A variety of coffees and French deserts. Our favorite was the scallops and mussels. The wine list was mostly French with some northwest choices. The wine price range was wide with all kinds of choices. Service was excellent and very attentive. The only two drawbacks, it was cool and noisy inside the restaurant. My take away was the fantastic flavors of the food. Not really a place for children nor a business discussion, great for friends and couples.

On our second night in Portland St Jack was highly recommended by a local we met at a coffee shop.Having ate at Davenports the previous night we thought we were on our way to a Portland tri fecta dining weekend. Unfortunately it was a loss at St. Jack. Several items were hits - tomato soup, shrimp cocktail, and the little gems salad. Our biggest complaint is tha ll of their main plates are to foofy. They take a great piece of Salmon and kill it with 62 things and and then poor a sauce over it. WHY? Same fo the Crepes that were offered that night. Aside from the fact they were dry, this was a kitchen sink dish. Save money and eat in the bar!. On that line, their wine list is nice. not overly expensive and they offer a great selection. However when I ordered just a glass of Pinot Noir (Oregon) it was at $ 15. I could have ordered the bottle. If we were to go back I would definitely just eat in the bar area. Great staff and a different menu

For all the reviews, I was waiting for magical french cuisine, but it is just average food with a lot of sauce with even a bit too much salt.

There was a lot to love about this place. It was really energetic, which some people may take as loud. Well, it was loud, but the food was amazing. We started with Olives, Oysters, Liver Mousse, and Steak Tartare. I know that sounds extreme, but we were visiting our adult "kids" who live in Portland, and it was our last meal together before we left. My husband's Oxtail dish was so rich and delicious. My daughter's lamb T-bone was memorable. I had a salmon dish that really wasn't anything special, so I can't recommend that, but my son loved his very fabulous Duck Breast dish. We really enjoyed St Jack.. Hope to return. Very good service and also very interesting food.

This place is half bistro and half bar. We had selections from the Happy Hour menu--hamburger, sauteed clams, goat cheese and artichoke soup. Everything was delicious. The staff--all attractive and customer-friendly women--made the meal very enjoyable for two grandparents, their daughter and year-old grandson. Highly recommend St. Jack when you are in the Alphabet District in Portland.

For me, it's all about the food, and French bistro is our preferred style, so we tried this well-reviewed venue expecting just that. Alas, the chef apparently thinks classic French dishes aren't trendy enough and seeks to "update" them—with disastrous results, for my choices. A Salade Lyonnaise did say "asparagus" on the menu, but I assumed that it would be the classic with frisée, lardons, toasts, a poached egg plus some asparagus I could pass to my husband. But it was entirely asparagus with a few dubious lardons, soggy croutons, and a rock-hard golf ball of a supposedly "poached" egg balanced on top. I was startled into being rude about it, which is unusual for me, and our very good waitperson had it struck from the bill. My other choice was chicken liver mousse with prunes as the sweet component. What possessed the chef to eschew the usual terrine slice and form the dark brown mass into an exact replica of excrement with two little radish slices teetering atop??? The flavor was odd: perhaps honey was used, but the liver was not foremost, and the texture was gooey rather than mousselike. No toast points: the waitperson said they expected diners to use the baguettes on the table, which were whole and difficult to tear apart to spread anything on. She kindly sliced up more bread for me, however. The prunes, rather than a compote easily spread or even softened prunes, had been dumped on the plate right out of the bag, so difficult to cut that I gave up. Couldn't eat any of that dish after two bites. We might try it again, but there are so many other options...

My wife and I make a point of visiting French style bistros when we travel because there are none in our small city in the mountains. The St Jack bistro in NW Portland is really promising but we left with mixed feelings. First off, our Governor has used executive orders to limit restaurants to 50% capacity or less. St Jack is doing their best to stay legal and to still stay in business. There is a line of tables outside next to the street under a covered canopy warmed by space heaters. These were marginally effective at keeping people warm on a damp and cold March night. Be sure to good a "standard table" if you want to eat inside and hope that your reservation doesn't get bumped. We started with an excellent pate en croute, a hearty mélange of meats, fats, and fruits baked in a crust. This paired well with our Washington State red wine but we waited a very long time for a simple baguette to spread it on. Our salad was tasty but our waitress insisted that the greens were 'oregon arugula" when clearly they were something else. The Orielles de Crisses ( fried pig skin) was a dish that was simultaneously strange and addictive. These huge and light fries were not the pork rinds that you buy at a mini-mart. We kept commenting that "I'm not sure that I like these, but I can't put them down either" and I would order them again. The mussels in a saffron broth was a definite miss. While the broth was nice for dipping my bread, the creamy flavor was mismatched with the ocean taste of the shellfish. We will try something else on our next visit. Please note that parking can be hard to find in this gentrified neighborhood, so allow some extra time for hunting for an open space before you meal.

We have eaten in many restaurants around the world and this was one of the very best! French food with a modern healthy twist!

We ordered a scallop crudo appetiser n two mains. When the crudo arrives, I m bit shocked to see how tiny the portion was. It was just three very thinly sliced scallop probably from just one fresh scallop dressed in a sauce. It costs 17 dollars for a single scallop. The steamed mussels plate was fairly decent, but even the braised rabbit was just one leg. Overall, a bistro environ, but overpriced n tiny portion dishes.

Fascinating that 6 of the 10 most recent reviews comment on "snobbiness" or "rudeness" of staff and/or manager. I brought business dinner of 10 to St. Jack with a reservation. From ordering main courses to delivery was over 1 hour and 40 minutes (!!). Excuse was "the kitchen is behind" but it took 15 minutes to even get attention of wait staff and over 45 minutes from ordering drinks to arrival so everything was slow. I did not ask for the manager but he came out while I was paying the bill. Rather than "sorry", I got "I heard you are unhappy with the service". He then told me we were the problem for "ordering too slowly and throwing the kitchen off their schedule". Arrogant does not even begin to describe his attitude. This is the worst service I have experienced at any restaurant anywhere in the world (in terms of delay and close to the worst in attitude) and I have crossed this restaurant off of our approved list for business dinners for my 140 person unit. I will also actively encourage friends and other units at my company to never use. Horrific.

The food was good, the server was very good, but this little restaurant was so noisy that the 3 of us had to shout. They don't serve lunch when it might be quieter. We were there for dinner, not happy hour and only one of us would go back. Not that anything was wrong. Just that none of five dishes we tried was very exciting, and everything was slow to arrive from the kitchen. For the prices, quality, noise level and ambience, Portland has too many better options.

Had a decent meal, not death dealing. Geoduck carpaccio was quite interesting as was the octopus appetizer. French fries delicious and I like their wine 450ml carafes. I can't say they are a great deal economically, but it fall somewhere between a nice glass and and entire bottle-certainly good for singles. Still for 6 of us, we were over $300. A little too pricey

We didn't have reservations but walked by and decided on the spot to give it a try. I had read the reviews in advance, some claiming it was average and one that said the food was a little too salty. Now in retrospect, I'd have to agree.

Interesting menu..The Restaurant part ( guess they think finer dining) ,is very noisy, and very uppity...Hard to find anything for a non adventuresome diner..My husband loves things like Octopus,sweetbreads, bone marrow,etc...I settled for butter lettuce salad and a side of summer vegetables for my more simple taste...The restaurant is a bit snooty so to be fair, we went back to try the bar area..Had a good hamburger and a salad..nothing outstanding.. Still a good addition to the dining options in Portland, but not at the top of our list...

First, the noise level was enormous in the bar area, where we ate, so it was difficult to have a conversation. Talking with friends is an important part of the dining experience, no? Despite this, I had an excellent steak frites, but a friend thought the mussels were just so-so. Great bread. Decent wine list. Good service.

I'm very surprised to see reviews that aren't 5 star, but I'll note that they mostly seem to be older reviews, perhaps during the pandemic when every restaurant in Portland was struggling for its life. For context, my wife and I are foodies, and French foodies in particular. We've been to St Jack twice in about 60 days and the meal was stunning both times. Let's get service out of the way: stunning. Very well informed waiters. Attentive. Really perfect service. Food: stunning courses from appetizers to mains. I had the moulles mariniers both times because it's just that good. My wife has had the poussin (like Guinea fowl) and was thrilled. We also had a could appetizer courses that were just delicious. Wine and spirits: the cocktails are inspired and delicious. The wine list is unusually comprehensive w/r/t french choices. I wish the prices were about 20% cheaper. IE it feels like the usual premium is a bit high. I can also understand how hard it is to make money in the Portland restaurant scene. I total, if you like food, especially French food, please visit. This is our #1 must-go Portland restaurant.

Portland has so many great restaurants that it is often hard to choose where to eat. St. Jack has been on our bucket list for quite some time, we just have never gotten around to making a reservation. Glad we finally did. Our evening got off to a slow start. We were celebrating a birthday and after a busy Saturday were looking forward to cocktails before dinner. We were promptly sat upon arrival. After about 10 minutes we had to actually flag someone down to get our drink order. The hosts was all too eager to help and did a great job. About 20 minutes after our arrival our server finally showed up. She was pleasant, but did not apologize for our wait. The nice picked up quickly from there. We ordered several small plates and then dinner. The food was delicious, reasonably priced, and well portioned. The restaurant itself is in a very busy part of Portland, so plan on arriving early to look for parking. Once inside St Jack will transport you back to Paris (if you've ever been there). St Jack is NOT for families with small children, or teenagers who are picky eaters. Luck for us our kids love food and even as 13 & 14 year olds ate and enjoyed the Fried Tripe, Chicken Liver Mousse, Smoked Steelhead Rillette, and finally the Veal Testicles. No burgers here!! I highly recommend this restaurant.

Very nice location in the 23rd, this restaurant missed the essential with delicate food. It does the job but there is nothing special in your plate. Disappointing..

Party of Nine so we basically did the entire menu. Octopus was succulent and tender. Fried anchovies may have been the best i have has since visiting Turkey. Escargot was sublime and flavorful. Oysters were briny and fresh. Sweetbreads...i wanted a second plate. All the meats were flavorful and cooked as ordered. Lamb. Steak. Wine list was approachable and interesting. I'd go back for sure.

We just went for Happy Hour, really enjoyed. We had Olives. They were delicious and a soft boursin like cheese with wine and a grapefruit vodka martini. Both were a great value and delicious. Happy hour is a bonus!

We wanted this to be delicious. It was not quite a disappointment, but we did not leave raving. The service was excellent. The wine offering was adequate the food is good and its normally expensive for this type of dining. But we had heard so much that it did not live up to. Its a very small space and the surfaces are hard which makes it noisy. We had a reservation, but still had to wait. It was busy, certainly and we understood that, but the entry is a postage stamp and it was not comfortable. There is little for a vegetarian. Pasta, sigh. The meat eaters had beef and said it was ok. We had a good time but all agreed that with so many amazing and less expensive restaurants in Portland we won't be back.

Service was attentive, mussels were very good, tomato soup in puff pastry interesting. But noisy to point that it was difficult to carry on a conversation, with odd intermittent background music Tables crowded together. Had to pause eating while waiters squeezed in to take orders from next table. In this price range I far prefer Le Pigeon or Paley's Place.

I was so surprised great atmosphere and wild eclectic French food. What a feast, loved every course, the setting and would go back in a second.

Ah, St Jack is reminiscent of small backroad French bistro in cuisine and ambiance. The craft cocktails were inspired, the wine list was deep, even by the glass. We enjoyed our beverages with a couple small plates. A soft, garlic-infused goat cheese and thin-sliced mini baguette were wonderful. Do try the vegetable credutés with Green Goddess dressing on the side- fresh, flavorful fingerfood. Lastly, extra request bread. You will receive a fresh crusty baguette with butter topped by ground sea salt. Mmmmm good.

Brassieres in France can be counted on to provide a selection of tried and true French dining staples, nothing fancy just good food in a lively atmosphere. St. Jack is just that. However, the prices, especially the wine, are high enough to be more like a one star restaurant, which St. Jack is not.

We just arrived in Portland and checked in our hotel in the northwest part of Portland. I read about St. Jack's happy hour special on oysters. We arrived in time for happy hour. The bar area is very bright and cheerful. Our waitress was Cecile. She welcomed us with a very warm smile. She did a amazing job taking the time to explain the items on the menu and make recommendations. We strongly recommend that you take advantage of the oyster special. The oysters were amazing. They were so fresh. We felt like they were freshly harvested out of the ocean. The butter lettuce salad was very good along with the goat cheese. We are from Texas and are always apprehensive about ordering margaritas. The restaurant had several good tequilas on their menu. The drinks were made to perfection. Hats off to the bartender. We loved the place. It is located in a nice quiet area. It is very warm and inviting. It is a must especially if you are in the area. Thanks to Cecile and the rest of staff for making the first restaurant such a positive experience.

Believe it or not we went there for more wine after coming from Taste. It does not disappoint We had 2 very nice Beaujolais . Fruity and light. In all we sampled 6 items including the Mac-n-Cheese,Escargot and Roasted Bone Marrow.All good. Be sure to take photos to remember how good they looked and tasted. Most of all our waitress was more than excellent and we must have said that a half dozen times while there. She took care of both the inside bar and outside patio. Kudos to her for her attention. If you're looking for food,wine and service St Jack has it.

We went in a group of four. Each of us ordered something different and every one of us enjoyed our meal. Items we especially enjoyed were the heirloom tomato salad and the beet farm salad (each large enough for two to share), the branzino, the bavette steak frite, and the duck aux cerises, but I understand that the menu changes with the seasons. The restaurant is quite casual and a bit noisy, but not excessively so. Servers were friendly and knew the menu well. We had made a reservation and it was honored on time. St. Jack is off the usual tourist path, about a 10-15 minute ride from Pioneer Square, but worth finding. It seemed like a lot of locals knew about it.

The menu changes a lot so before you go look at the website. The food was good but the service was slow. We ordered the $16 plate of 3 cheeses which were delicious but very small. Great baguette! Asked for the house white wine. $12 and a small pour-ouch!

The menu is small, the presentation tends to be fun, the flavors are exquisite, the service is attentive and personal. St Jack finds that middle ground of being really solid and a little quirky without being pretentious. And that's why we enjoy going.

Dinner reservations for 7:30pm. Sat in the bar for 35 minutes waiting for our table. Although staff was courteous to keep us posted as to what was going on and how much longer the wait was going to be, it was not right that we had to wait that long when we had reservations. We were finally seated at our table. Atmosphere is cozy, a bit loud but not bad. Menu selection diverse. Food, very good but nothing to rave about. May give it another shot.

We enjoyed an early evening family dinner for five adults and one toddler. We found the staff to be courteous, professional, helpful and attentive; the food was phenomenal (even according to the toddler!!!) We had a wonderful evening and look forward to returning.

There was nothing fresh on the menu, all the dishes felt way too heavy, which I guess what happens when you go to a French restaurant. Unfortunately, the appetizers were ordered for me, and I really didn't like any of them. I was frustrated, as nothing looked good to order for dinner -- there are no light fun options. The dish that I settled on was just not that good. I like interesting, light food when I go out, and this was simply not. My recommendation - look at the menu before you go! The atmosphere is great, and the staff friendly enough, but I would not recommend it based on the menu.

This is classic example of a Portland restaurant trying too hard. Just stick with what works. Food wasn't bad, service was great, ambiance superb.

Food is always good...great preparations and flavors. Solid cocktail program and extensive wine list.

My waitress was friendly, efficient, and attentive--providing me with extra bread when she noticed I had finished what she served. I had a delicious salad, a goat cheese spread on bread, and a dish containing mussels and clams that was very tasty.

St Jack is actually rather small but can be loud due to hard surfaces like concrete floors. Don't let that deter you. There are few times when you get a meal so good that you want to savor each bite which is exactly what I did. After each bite I put my fork down and enjoyed the moment of fantastic flavors and textures that were memorable. I had trout on a bed of lentils. The serving was large but I couldn't resist eating the entire entree. My husband had the duck which was equally terrific. There is also a large bar on the other half of the restaurant separated by a wall. In fair weather there are outdoor tables

Wait staff at the outset was snobby (this improved over the evening). Wait for main courses was well over an hour after arrival of appetizers. One of our dishes was Steak Frites ordered medium rare. It arrived a deep red color.

Nestled in a cute city suburb, this Northwest District restaurant was by far the best in Portland. The service was not only friendly, but also knowledgeable. The food was just WOW and the drinks were out of this world! If you’re visiting Portland, be sure to stop by this place. Plus the surrounding community has quaint little shops to explore, so come early enough to enjoy that as well.

It was our first time at St. Jack. We were with new found friends—first time for them also. We expected a bit more ambiance than a dimly lit, rather dismal space that was excessively noisy. We arrived at exactly the time of our reservation and were seated immediately. Ours was the closest table to the kitchen bar and was perhaps why the room seemed so noisy. Jason, our server, was very busy, but took good care of us. Our Martini's were great and generous and the butter lettuce salad was good. The signature lamb entree was not to my liking as it contained a lot of fat and difficult to chew. My partner's Steak Frites was excellent. All in all, just an okay experience.

Great food but just a little over priced. The steak frites (fries) and grougeres were amazing. Drink was beautifully crafted. The waitress was very helpful. Will go again!

We had a great meal here with 4 guys and we all had something different. It was all excellent...good wine and drinks. A fun night.

Our ladies dinner group went here for my birthday and it was truly special! I had the COQUILLE ST. JACK, which is scallops in a heavenly sauce - I could seriously lick the plate to finish this sauce- followed by the rib eye steak, which was prepared perfectly. The food was a bit slow to arrive. This normally wouldn't be a problem, but one of the ladies in our party had an appointment and had to leave just about the time her food arrived, so she asked to have it boxed 'to go'. The manager came to the table with the boxed food, apologized for the slow service and comped her meal. Really a class act! My friend wasn't at all expecting anything of the sort, she wasn't upset about the speed of the service. She knew she was the one leaving early. St. Jack definitely went out of their way to provide superior service! Perfect food, perfect service. Loved it!

I was truly disappointed in this restaurant. The tables were packed tight. The noise level was as high as I've ever heard in a "fine dining" restaurant. The service was slow and spotty. Mixed drinks were exceptional, and the wine list was not precisely to my taste. It took forever to get our entrees, and the noise level was such that conversation was only barely possible. Might be fun for the 20 or even 30 something crowd, but if you're any older, I promise you'll find this place annoying!

We came here for my birthday and it was everything we expected for a perfect dining experience. Waitstaff was friendly but not overbearing and the food was delicious. Will definitely return with guests.

French cuisine in a cozy open kitchen environment. Service was attentive. Portions were on the smaller side (which isn't bad). Prices were on the higher side. Delicious factor was good.

This is a nice cosmopolitan bistro with quite good food, wine and service. I enjoyed octopus salad which was prepared almost like a cerviche. I followed that with their lamb alla Greque, which was very tasty and quite an ample portion. After that just some coffee was all that I could deal with. We had a chardonnay from Eyrie, which was excellent. The service was excellent, but the noise level in the restaurant was so high that it was even difficult to communicate with the waiter, who did his best to hear us. This is a very good place for a very good meal, but not recommended if conversation is an important part of your dinner plans.

This area of Portland was heaving on Saturday night, we had no reservations and stumbled on St Jack. Beware, it's noisy - that desirably trendy noise agreeable to some. The restaurant side was full but they we're finding us a table on the bar side - great staff & attitude. Then a table came up on the restaurant side and we took it. Eureka, fresh oysters. Beautiful. The ribeye steak was cooked to perfection. But woe is me, what did they do to those moules mariniere? Flakes of chilli & too much garlic totally drowning the otherwise nicely done mussels. Excellent, friendly service.

We typically go to Chef Aaron's St Jack once a month while we continue to explore other notable PDX restaurants. This is not fine dining. The main dining room can (is) noisy (why we always sit at the chef counter). There are more expensive and fine dining restaurants in PDX - and these are excellent. There are more 'spicy' Asian style restaurants in PDX - and these are excellent. There are more 'cutting edge' restaurants in PDX - and these are excellent. But for us, we find the St Jack take on Lyon comfort food to be a main stay. We love the house specials and Chef Aaron's suggestions to be spot on (often times our meal is completely 'off the menu'). So we continue to love Chef Aaron's take on Lyon style French cuisine and still keep this as our 'go to' PDX restaurant (which is hard to do in a place like PDX where there are so many great chefs and restaurants). Oh, and we really love some of the creative cocktails (PDX tradition of course) and the wine list is also very good in that it has some of our favorite OR wines (not pinot). With 2 cocktails, 2 wines each and multiple shared starters and small plates and a main, we are easily only around $50 a piece for an excellent dinner.

Just passing by, six of us decided to eat dinner at St. Jack on a Wednesday eve. They were full in the main dining area (We thus suggest reservations are necessary) but offered to set us up in the bar area. Ultimately, we took a table outside, which was perfect. The bar menu had many excellent choices. We shared most of the dishes including marinated baby octopus, steamed clams, oysters, roasted bone marrow, chicken liver mousse and three delightful cheeses. The wine selection was excellent, bread warm and delicious. The waitress was friendly and helpful in food selection and local tourist advice. Five of the group were from Chicago and felt that this meal was one of the best they have had recently.

Tried dinner here, some of the best food I have ever had. Flavors jump out at you. High quality items. The butter lettuce salad melts in your mouth, and the soup was mouth watering. We were here during dining month, so the menu may have been designed just for that. That said, the food was fantastic. Our servers were so much fun, and great overall. Ice cream for dessert--give me more please. Good drinks too.

My wife decided to surprise me for my birthday and take me to St. Jack, which I have been wanting to go to for the past two years. Well, I was not disappointed. First of all, I actually kind of felt like I was in France as it has a great vibe, small boutique type restaurant and not too stuffy. Our server was Jeffrey and he was outstanding, great recommendations and eager to please. The restaurant is in a nice neighborhood with lots of cool shops and places to check out. But the food here is outstanding and I will definitely be back. I also thought that the prices were extremely fair for the quality of the food. We had two glasses of champagne, two glasses of wine, one delicious plate of chicken liver mouse, two large entrees, and one dessert for less than 100 smackers, which to me is pretty dang good. Anyway, go check it out and you will not be disappointed. A+

Three of us came during Portland restaurant dining month, but when we got there, other items on the menu intrigued us more than that prix fixe menu. We chose trout, oxtail bourguignon, and onion tartin entrees. All excellent! Nice wine and liquor selection. The shrimp appetizer was amazing, the sauce that came with it was different from what I've had before and was delicious. The French bread and butter are to die for. We sat in the smallish dining room, very nice ambiance. There is also a separate bar area that looked inviting. Service was knowledgeable and appropriate. We took the streetcar and had a short 3ish block walk. Another person drove and easily found street parking.

My husband and I sat at the chef's table on a Monday evening. Place was packed. I started with a fabulous mixed green salad and then had the cream of tomato soup baked in puffed pastry. My husband had steak tartar and then a selection of 3 cheeses with bread and a pear puree and persimmon slices. We split the apple tarte, Everything was delicious and the service was great. It was so fun watching the chefs work.

A lively, lovely room, or rooms, showcases terrific food. The foods we tried and loved include: Cervelle du canut, salmon tartar, agneau marrocain, tomato tarte tatin, and don't skip the profiteroles! The wine list is French with a few, a very few, local exceptions. In spite of some slow service, this was one of the best meals I had while visiting Portland.

My husband and I enjoyed our dinner here. We had the foie gras appetizer, quail for my main and lamb for his. It was my first time trying quail and I was delighted. I usually stayed away from birds because I had bad experiences with pigeon, but this one at St. Jacks was awesome. It was sitting on a perfectly baked pastry and stuffed with foie! Oh, how delectable. Dessert was almond tart, which paired well with the Macvin Blanc. I made reservations a week before, and when we got there we had to wait 30 minutes for our table. We sat at the bar area that was not as packed. We could have eaten there but not all dishes, like some entrees, are available. The bar tenders were very attentive though. They even served us some bread while we waited. Service at the main dining area was also good. Our server knows her wines. Of course! This is Portland after all.

Ia colleague and I took two of my favorite clients to this great restaurant!! It did not disappoint! The four of us shared multiple items off of the Frommage menu and had some of the best frommage I have ever had and I LOVE cheese! We then moved on to Pate’ and Foi Gras and again, I hate to sound like broken record but it was divine! The table ordered steak and frites and the steak was cooked to perfection with a delicious au jus and a buerblanc, the Brussels sprouts were crispy and came on a bed of yummy sauce - they were the first to go... They had a great Whiskey and wine list and several gourmet cocktails to choose from. I am gluten free and on Keto and usually have to give up some items but not at St. Jack it was incredible. Make reservations and enjoy!!

Visited with colleagues during a conference. There are other restaurants in Portland which have more interesting rooms but this was the best food.

We joined a couple of friends here as it's one of their favorite spots. We, however, were not as impressed. My steak frites was average, nothing wrong with it, just ok. My boyfriend's meal was also fine. The restaurant was crowded, and there was next to no room to maneuver. In addition, it was difficult to hear one another.

Wife and I visited St Jack for the first time since they moved to new location. The food , once again, was fantastic and the service warm and inviting. There is something new on the menu each time we've visited and we have never had a bad experience. The pork rinds are very unique and wonderful. The only potential difficuty with the new place is that parking can be a problem so allow extra time.

The Host was rude and acted as if they really didn’t want anything to do with us. The food was good but not as incredible as it used to be. In fact one of our entrees was cold. A real shame - the staff used to be amazing and now it feels like they really don’t care.

We stopped and grabbed a table outside for happy hour. The oysters are a great deal but give the liver mousse a try - outstanding.

First off, we walked in, a party of five, and the hostess made an extra effort to get us a table, even though it was a busy dinner hour. I doubt this happens often, as seats in this place are quite in demand. The waitress couldn't have been friendlier and more helpful. Her suggestions ranged from wine to dessert and everything in-between. These staff members, as well as the very friendly bus staff and servers made the evening for us. Of course, the food was outstanding. Among the five of us, there were two who had the tomato tart, a festive array of heirloom, fresh tomatoes on a pastry base, over arugula and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. I had the steak, which was perfectly prepared in a medium rare that was actually medium rare, instead of too far on one side or the other, as I've often found to be the case when dining elsewhere. A companion had the lamb, which although was very good, was not strongly as Moroccan flavored as he had expected. Whether this was a problem with the lamb or his expectations, I'm not sure. Lamb is always a tricky dish, in my opinion, but I'll let you decide. The fifth person in our entourage tried the pan-fried rock cod, which, on the West coast can be anything from cod to red snapper. The fish was delivered whole, and elegantly displayed, curved around the plate, as though swimming across it. The very light fried coating flaked off with a fork, revealing a tender, white flesh that was delicately prepared and seasoned. The desserts that we tried, and we only tried minimal orders, as we were all pretty stuffed, were tasty, but not flashy in appearance. We shared the pot de creme, which was interesting, but not to my taste layered with a mousse and a raspberry granita--I didn't find the cold icy raspberry a good match with the silky chocolate. But, we also ordered a selection of three cheeses, and those were outstanding. In fact, I would consider ordering a larger selection next time as all three of the cheeses were interesting and subtle. This is a somewhat pricey dinner, so you should be prepared for that. But, the only downside was the noise level, which is amazingly loud. St. Jack also has a large bar area on the other side of the same space. The bar space, much more casual, also seemed like it might actually be a bit quieter, surprisingly, than the main dining room. And, you can order food there. We plan on trying the bar space next time we are in the NW neighborhood. Again, the staff was amazing, the food was way above average. Pricey, but worth it. The interior is charming and the wine selection is fantastic.

I really wish i could honestly post a better review. We dined at St. Jack on a Friday night and it showed a bit. The kitchen got behind and struggled. I had the lamb chops and they were excellent. Well seasoned and prepared. Unfortunately, my wife order the special Sand Dabs and they were far below what was expected. The server urged us to consider the Dabs since there was only an order or two left (at 6:30 p.m.). After a very long wait (with apologies from the server) her order arrived. First, it was tepid, indicating that it had been sitting for quite a while. Second, the fish was overcooked, burned even. They plated the fish with the overcooked side down, a rather obvious attempt to hide the miss by the kitchen. There was no point sending it back since they were already sold out on the offering. In addition, we would have been sitting together but dining separately. We have eaten out a enough to know that the kitchen does not always get it right. The plate should have never left the kitchen and she should have been offered an alternative with apologies. We would not be inclined to retun.

Working long days and living in eastern Oregon, getting to Portland for a dinner out is special but rare. So when a date wanted to treat me for my birthday, I chose St. Jack’s. Been wanting to try it for a few years now. I was blown away and rather embarrassed for my date about the ridiculously high prices and what you get for that price. The short pours of glasses of wine were disappointing. My date had what was tagged as a smoked oyster Caesar salad, and basically nothing about it resembled a Caesar at all. We ordered banana bread pudding for dessert and Madeline’s. The cookies were dry and blah, and not worth eating, so we didn’t. We thought we read white chocolate was part of the banana bread pudding and when it came it was slathered in dark chocolate. I do have to say the oysters on the half shell were wonderful, my duck dish was tasty, but barely warm. Service was fine, staff was nice and our initial waiter seemed knowledgeable about all of the dishes, but he vanished mid- meal, never saw him again, and no explanation for it. But we continued to be served well by the hostess and the gentleman who I think was a food expediter. It’s just seems like they were trying to be pretentious about the food, but then staff are dressed in random street clothes. Just didn’t gel with me. In a nutshell, the food was mostly marginal or not what I expected for those kinds of prices. It was a memorable experience but unfortunately not in a good way. Just under $200 without a tip for a modest dining experience, and just felt kind of taken by the whole experience.

Love it from opening to closing. Having two happy hours one early, one late, with great food and cocktail choices keeps this place busy with crowds of all ages. It's exciting to be here late night and see the variety of people tucking into liver mousse and mussels.

The search continues for a restaurant that offers very fine food and service AND dining ambiance that permits easy conversation. St Jack has the former in spades but, like so many new restaurant spaces in Portland, has hard surfaces on walls and floors and an audio system that is usually cranked up high enough to force persons at a table for four to lean together--practically touching heads--in order to be heard. That isn't fine dining. Sorry. To the credit of the management, they dialed the volume down substantially when one of our party asked, but during dessert the volume came right back up to the previous level. What is it with our restaurants in Portland? Do they think they are dance clubs? The pluses are definitely the food (among the best I've eaten--and the others agreed), excellent, helpful waitstaff (wine samples before choosing a wine by the glass), and management that tried to help with the noise level. The minus is the noise level. We were in the center of a full dining room, so experimenting with tables or booths at the perimeter (or outdoors) would probably help a bit. Too, as the room began to empty around 8:15 or so, the noise level dropped considerably.

Located in NW Portland St. Jack is a wonderful restaurant with lot's of accolades for both food and service. Busy but not overly noisy this is a great ambiance to share with friends. Lot's of good French wines from which to select and the servers are very knowledgeable in helping with choices. The older building and décor offers a glimpse of France cuisine.

We ate at the restaurant at their former location and tried their new NW Portland location last night with two foodie friends.l The French bistro menu was wonderful...and not timid: escargot , mussels, tripe, sweetbreads, oysters, etcetera The food is all well prepared and very tasty! The service is very professional. The prices are fair and a good value including the drink and wine list. Okay...so what disappointed us? The noise level was truly unacceptable! We could barely have a conversation at our table of 4 people without almost shouting ....and we had trouble healing each other. The owners need to put in some elements which will dampen the noise level to something acceptable. We loved their former location as far as ease of holding a conversation. Next...and this is almost a deal killer.....the cooking odor and smoke coming from the open kitchen is totally unacceptable in the dining room. Cry wife's eyes were actually burning from the level of smoke. It however is not a problem if you eat at a table in the bar room or outside. In the dining room, if the owner still wants everyone to be able to see the action in the kitchen...then install a wall with large picture windows.....and install a better high efficiency ventilation system in the kitchen to eliminate kitchen smoke and all the cooking odors filling the dining room. When we got back to our home we had to air out our clothes from the cooking odor and smoke from the restaurant. We just spoke this morning to our friends and they too immediately took off their clothes and put them in the laundry. Overall reaction...the restaurant is great and the chef is very talented and they do not shy away from putting wonderful Classic dishes on the menu that might not be something everyone would order....but we loved the diversity of the menu!

We stopped in St. Jack for wine and small bite. Lucky for us it was Happy Hour and our two glasses of wine and order of mussels was a mere $20.00. The server was excellent, the atmosphere wonderful - like sneaking in to a hidden five star Parisian restaurant in the late 19th Century -- complete with Absinthe makers on the bar. We will eat a full meal next time we're in town, but the Happy Hour at St. Jacks is splendid!

The hubby and I have been twice so far, and despite the slight air of hipster snobbery, we are hoping third time's a charm for my birthday next month. First Visit: late night snacks & nightcap after the ballet - We live in Alberta Arts and are never on the West Side, so we took advantage. Love the feel of the bar space, however the bartender took forever to get to us and barely gave us a second glance once we ordered. I forgot about his attitude with one bite of the mussels though. Seriously, I am still dreaming about them and craving them. Second Try: While I've had some mediocre prix fixe meals at otherwise excellent restaurants, St. Jack NAILED it on NYE. The rib eye with foie gras with truffle jus is about the best steak preparation I've had in my life. (And I'm from Chicago.) Something as simple as a butter lettuce salad was perfectly dressed and presented and the pork rind thingy was sinful. Admittedly the WORSTnight to experience a restaurant on its own merits, our server did have a slightly better demeanor and sense of humor than the bartender. And My only complaint this time was that they weren't serving mussels that night, hence why we're going back for a normal dinner at a normal hour to be able to fairly decide whether or not this is my new favorite restaurant.

Had dinner there on Tuesday night and able to book a table same day. Dinner with my wife - menu and food excellent - great wine selection also. We had the escargots appetizer (we shared) and we tried the steak and albacore. Both dishes were really nice and of the right portion. They also have tables outside which are likely more intimate We will come back

Always enjoy eating there, the bar side is my favorite place. The skinny French fries are really French. Meat is cooked to perfection! The bartender very creative....great for an intimate dinner

When I think of a French Bistro, some words that come to mind are charming, cozy, laid-back, great food. Well, St Jack's did not meet these expectations. The restaurant, while very nice, seemed a bit pretentious. The food was simply average. I had the veal chop, which was served lukewarm and well done, even though I ordered it medium. Others at the table had the Waygu steak. Both ordered the steak medium, one came out rare, the other well done. So not sure if the kitchen had a off night, but it was surely not what was expected. Sometimes, the service can overcome some deficiencies in the kitchen, but that was not the case. The staff seemed very stuffy and reserved, not very outgoing. So I would not venture out of the city to visit St Jack's, as there are other options nearby.

We weren't terribly impressed with the food at St. Jack. They definitely fall in the "precious" category of restaurant that I want to avoid. The food was fine, but didn't warrant the price. For instance, how do you end up underwhelmed by a Lobster and Uni Bucatini? Over cooked lobster, for one. But that is just emblematic of a meal that should have been a homerun but only hit a double. Another example - Escargot braised, instead of served in the traditional style. This is the second time I've been served braised escargot with bacon in the sauce. The bacon overwhelms the escargot...and frankly it tastes like hot dogs with escargot. It's not cute. Our wait staff was very nice. However, I found the dining room too crowded and loud. We won't return for dinner, but might try lunch...

Really nice restaurant. Great ambiance on either side of the restaurant. Either at the bar or at the restaurant itself. I was lucky enough to get a chair at the counter facing the kitchen. The food is very good and have a choice of plates that changes from the usual restaurant. I had some roasted bone marrow and rabbit boudin. You don't see that everywhere. The chef Aaron to whom I had the pleasure to talk while he was putting final touches on every plates going out is very creative easy to talk to and call out the order with a voice that if not a cook he could be an opera singer. I highly recommend to reserve especially on weekends. Great place to eat.

Having spent a lot of time in fabulous French restaurants, and heard a lot about the excellent Portland cuisine, I greeted the suggestion to visit St Jacks with interest. It's not very much like your average French restaurant - it's more 'stripped back urban chic' with pretensions of classic French cuisine whilst trying to remain true to it's Portland location. To me it wasn't a fusion which worked well. The menu was varied, but at the same time limited as it included a number of dishes I would never touch; tripe and blood sausage among them. This would normally not be a problem, but I really struggled to choose something and ultimately selected the only thing I was remotely willing to eat....... this is a very rare occurrence as eating out in good company is one of the great pleasures in life and I can normally find something good to say about anywhere we go - whether in Europe, Asia or the USA. Here portion sizes were small, and the meals came without vegetables which would be a crime in France! The desserts were an improvement, but not good enough to raise the meal to the quality one would expect based on location and price. On the bright side the service was good and friendly without being annoying. If the place could drop some of the pretentious attitude, increase portion sizes and come up with some more accessible dining options then I might go back, but for the time being I won't be darkening the door again.

First, the good points: a superb selection of cheeses, a well-chosen wine list, a good baguette, and friendly (but slow) service. The disappointing parts: my wife found the lamb to be fatty and tough, my sweetbreads were over-salted, the pot de creme was so-so, and the noise was absolutely ear-splitting. We had hoped for better.

St Jack is a classic French Bistro on a tree lined street surrounded by shops and restaurants. We went on a warm day and they had the windows open creating a warm atmosphere. Parking is limited and a little difficult. We had to walk a couple blocks. The menu features what you’d expect from a French brasserie: oysters, charcuterie, steak and frites, mussels, and more. I had outstanding oysters, a mediocre bucatini plate (should have stayed traditional) and cheese ice cream to finish. My other guests loved their meals. Service was slow as and slower as the evening progressed but we didn’t mind. Cheese ice cream might not sound great but it is great

We really enjoyed our dinner at St Jack, a small French restaurant in Portland NW. A restaurant where you can actually talk to the people at your table. It’s not as noisy as some other restaurants in Portland. No loud music, just a friendly and relaxed atmosphere where you can enjoy your meal and a good conversation. But let’s start talking about food: we ordered goat cheese as a starter - sooo delicious!! And the baguette? It actually tasted like real French baguette. Fantastic! As a main course we both ordered steak frites. Medium rare Bavette steak with French fries and bernaise sauce. A suggestion for the kitchen: why not offering steak with pepper sauce? (Steak au Poivre). That would be a great option for people who are not too fond of bernaise sauce. We shared Madeleines for dessert. I highly recommend ordering them!! (Madeleines are very small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape acquired from being baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions). Warm madeleines with powder sugar - we loved them. The one thing that annoyed me: St Jack does not offer Espresso. Which is very weird for a French restaurant. I wish St Jack would offer espresso! Please start offering Espresso. Reservations highly recommended.

We ate here twice in 3 days, the first visit was quite different to the second and totally an outcome of the wait staff. In our first visit the waitress bent over backwards to help us, offered us local tips, gave us wine samples before deciding....you know, just really made the night. Second visit 48 hours later and we got a 'I'm at work and I don't really give a shoot' waitress and it was no where near as fun. I left feeling disappointed.

If you have the urge for French cheeses, wines, and perfect flavoring of your meat, St. Jack is your "slice of Paris" in NW Portland. The food was outstanding with great flavors, cooked to perfection and they take their time and do the cooking "to order". The new restaurant space in NW Portland is very warm with interesting candles and other French decorating details. Worth a visit when you want great French food!

Nice room, great wine list, and the duck entree was fantastic. Unfortunately, the foie gras was a disaster, it was a greasy, syrupy mess served on soggy toast in a bed of more syrup. I couldn't eat it, my husband polished it off as it would have been a tremendous waste, I wish we had sent it back as it was terrible.

I absolutely love this restaurant. The servers are awesome, and they dress in a European style that is perfect! Their drinks and food are so amazing. Usually when I go to a restaurant, I stick with pretty much ordering the same thing. Here, I always order something new and it never fails!

I've been to St Jack twice and only during late happy hour (HH). I think I'll continue to go during late HH for two reasons: it's MUCH quieter than dinner (but people are still around) and you get to know the bartenders who like to make their own recommendations and they're just great people to know. My usual is the Blanquette sparkling wine, an order of pomme frites (which taste like they have truffle, but don't - and they're just THAT good), and when I'm feeling decadent, I go for the burger (served medium well). After indulging, I will have only spent $20 at the most. During late HH, service is really personalized which is really nice especially since I live in the neighborhood. If you're visiting PDX or live in the neighborhood, I would definitely recommend St Jack

I've been to St Jack several times over the last year. Their cocktails are consistently good, and when it's just the two of us, sitting at the bar for drinks and a meal is just fine. I've also walked into the restaurant several times, during prime dinner hours, and was able to be seated without too much of a wait. The food varies between good-enough and good, and the service in my experience has been acceptable/pleasant. I have had almost predictive service at the bar, them knowing what I want before I actually order it -- attentive staff listening to our discussions of what meals and drinks we're considering. You might think it's intrusive, but I didn't feel that way, since it seemed limited to them just paying attention to give you great service. At the bar, esp for happy hour, I frequently have the fresh oysters and/or steak tartare. For dinners, the Trout and Sweetbreads are good.

Can't fault St Jack and it's a nice French Bistro with good cocktails and some decent Irish whiskies to boot. Would also recommend the nearby Pope House if that's your tipple. Slight disappointment that we were kept waiting for our table despite our reservation. However, to compliment the staff, we were each then offered a glass of champagne on the house. Good oysters and hanger(onglet) steak. Can't say we were blown away by the food but it's good and St. jack is worth a visit for casual dining and good lively arhmosphere

We had a wonderful dinner. The service was great, and the food better. We only regretted not getting the pork rinds, which looked amazing.

I've been to St. Jacks several times bringing out of town guests. It's in my hood so convenient to walk to. The steak frites is a good option albeit nothing special. Last time we went we ordered the duck. It was so salty we could not eat it. We each had one bite. I mentioned it to the server but it was shrugged off, like it supposed to be like that? As others noted, the atmosphere is loud and it is difficult to carry on a conversation without shouting over the din. I believe I'm done with this place.

went for happy hour and had oreilles, mussels, hamburger, blood sausage, profiterole, and madeleine. mussels in rich broth were great, but overly sour probably from lemon after several bread dunks. the rest of the plates were just average. we shared a jack's manhattan and army&navy drinks. when we returned home several hours later both of us burped a lot. i suspected the bitters, flavoring in the drinks did not agree with us. no fault of anyone. planned for dinner, but we were already full. total was $80, two drinks came to $28 to help pay for those fantastic sliding glass doors. relocating here has changed the attitude, texture and clientele. the building looks similar to william-sonoma and restoration down the street but without dedicated parking. curious if loyals from old location would come here. overall rating would have been an average, but the plainness, cost ratio and not recommending to friends resulted in a poor overall rating.

Loved the old location, love the new one even more. And same great food. Also a wait staff that knows their wine list. Tres bien.

A group of us recently had a fabulous dinner at St. Jack in Portland. We had sea snails served with a fabulous sauce, pommel frites with aioli and a haricot vert salad to begin with. Our entrees were duck in a great cherry sauce, veal t-bone, raviolis, and lamb confit. All were excellent. The people that work there are jewels! Do Not Miss a change to Eat There!

Went here 2 couples and enjoyed it thoroughly. Food was good and service was excellent. Nothing really stood out as truly exceptional but there is attention to quality all around and no weak links.

First, I would like to say that the restaurant is a great space with an open kitchen. The decor is rustic and interesting. But, the noise level was totally unacceptable. We had a drink in the bar and couldn't even talk it was so loud. We then went to our table for dinner, we had to shout at each other. This just doesn't make for a relaxing dinner. The hostess was great and attentive. Our server was excellent and recommended a nice wine who seemed knowledgeable. The menu was quite interesting with a good variety. We ordered oysters which were extremely fresh. Also, the steak and frites, fisherman's stew and a salad. All the food was flavorful and good. I did think that this restaurant was overpriced for what you get.

We enjoyed our meal. We especially liked the salade frisee with lardon which is hard to find in Portland. Two people at our table had the mussels and said they were excellent. The baguettes are the best I have had in the United States. We were told they were from Ken;s Bakery. Efficient and friendly service. Nice atmosphere

Went here for my birthday. I’m not a huge fan of French food, but this place has it all. We ordered a terrific beet salad,mussels, and my companion had a burger and truffle fries. Burger was too rich for him, but good. Mussels were pricey but good. Large order, but expensive. Restaurant and bar are loud. Wine list interesting and by the glass options are solid. Beer selection limited.

We went to the bar side for a late-night snack and a drink. We had the salmon tartare and the frites (fries). Both were delicious, as were the drinks. The atmosphere was nice for a neighborhood bar. Can't speak to the restaurant side, but would definitely stop in here for another drink or a glass of wine and some food.

Ordered Butternut Squash ravioli. Delish! friendly staff. Loved the Mom and Baby sitting in the next booth. Very neighborhoody and warm on a cool day.

Went there for an early dinner with the wife and our young toddler. As part of Portland Dining month, the three course meal was delicious. They were very flexible, bringing out the dishes very quickly and packing up our dessert to go.

With our infant granddaughter in tow, our family arrived at St. Jack late on a weeknight. We sat at a table just off the bar area. This is a perfect place to take young children-the noise level is so high that a crying child can't be heard. Our server was inconsistent. She brought our drinks right away, but then disappeared for a long time before taking our food order. We noticed her outside smoking when we left, so I suspect that is what she was doing during our meal. My husband had the Steak Frites, which he said was excellent. I wanted something light and was delighted with the tomato soup and butter lettuce salad. Our son ordered the mussels and it was a huge serving. We had the Madelines for dessert, which were delicious and very generous. All in all, it was a decent meal and a good place to go with a child.

Very loud ambience, and this kind of spoiled an otherwise impeccable evening. Service is excellent, food is very very good and they have a reasonably prices, rich wine list. We were just unlucky, as ended up close to a table of spanglish speaking very loud guys...

Even if everything else at St. Jack were perfect, and it isn't, we would not return simply because of the noise level. One of the pleasures of a nice dinner with friends is conversation. We could not talk to each other without almost yelling because of the relentlessly deafening noise level in the restaurant. By the time we left, we had gone from being annoyed about it to being angry about it. You had to be there to believe it. The service was prompt and friendly all around. The server was knowledgeable about both the food and wine menus. The only glitch was a long wait for our bill. The chicken liver pate was excellent. Two of us had the cassoulet main course -- a major disappointment. The essence of a cassoulet is that the ingredients are all cooked together slowly for a long time to allow a blending of flavors. We were not served a cassoulet. We were served a plate with a sausage, a piece of pork, and beans so undercooked that they were crunchy. Beans that have simmered for a long time in a cassoulet pot with the other ingredients are not crunchy. In themselves, the sausage and pork were OK -- just sausage and pork. One of us had the king salmon. It was significantly overcooked. Were we not with friends and reluctant to create a scene, we would have sent it back. One of us had the tomato tatin. I didn't taste it, but the two people who did said it was excellent. So one of the four of us got a good main course. I had a plate of 3 cheese for desert, mostly to avoid having to worry about the quality of the cooking. Our friends shared an apple tarte which they described as good but not exceptional. Wine prices are on the high side. In the end, we asked for the house red and got an explanation we didn't understand as to why we would get something else instead, but just went along with it. The wine was OK. Nothing more. There was one other problem with the setting. Every time the exterior door opened, we got a blast of cold air. When the exterior door was closed, very pungent cooking odors would waft over us from the kitchen, which seems not to be properly ventilated. The smell of food being cooked can be wonderful, but here, it was just overwhelming and distracting. We will not be back.

Have had three exceptional meals at St Jack. The latest an extraordinary bass with corn and puree. My companion had steak. The service is excellent, there are two menus depending on where you sit although they are mostly the same. Love the butter lettuce salad.

Portland OR has a great reputation for awesome restaurants but on 23rd Avenue, just up a hill from an industrial part of the area it’s totally restaurant row! Blocks of all manner of eateries from American classics to Laotian/Viet Namese, French cuisine and tapas joints. We settled on St. Jack, only because it didn’t have a line clear out to the sidewalk. There was, however, a bit of a wait inside but we lucked out when a couple at the bar left. So glad we waited...the bartender was super friendly, knowledgeable and an absolute delight. We shared a half dozen oysters, a butter lettuce salad that was a work of art, and a variety of olives joyously displayed in a mismatched teacup and saucer. Such fun! Be OK about waiting to get in, especially if you hit it in a Saturday like us, but it’s worth the wait!

We've wanted to try St. Jack way before it moved to trendy NW. Service was very good. Bread not so much for a "real" French bistro...cold, doughy sourdough...not the light, crisp baguettes we're used to in our hometown of New Orleans or even those we've had in Paris or Provence...no sourdough there...entrees lamb and steak just OK...way too pricey for the quality. Chicken liver mousse was delicious. Felt this supposed "Real French Experience" was way over-rated and over-priced. Place was packed though, so maybe we were missing something. Won't return. Way better experiences in the neighborhood...Cafe Nell & Serratto for instance.

We had dinner here on a Saturday night with another couple. The place was packed for our 7:15 reservation, but we were promptly seated. The noise level was quite high, with only minimal attention given to sound absorption and the tables pretty tightly packed. Decor is simple. There is a separate room for the bar next door to the dining room. Parking in this area on a weekend night is a bit of a challenge, but not impossible. Our waiter had a good command of the menu and provided a detailed description of the dishes. Overall service was pretty attentive, except during the long wait for our entrees when no one really checked in. Our party had entrees of beef short ribs, roasted halibut and wild mushroom bucatini. While all were good (and quite rich), the prices of $39, $37 & $31, respectively, I feel were on the high side of what I would expect, as was the $30 corkage fee for the bottle of Burgundy I brought (the highest I've experienced in Portland). Overall it was a good experience, but will not be at the top of my list to come back to.

We had an excellent Bastille Day dinner at St Jack. Service was excellent - we did not have the experience that some reviewers have claimed (we also did not try to order food piecemeal). The food was excellent and the portions were generous. Steak frite was an impressive amount of meat and fries (and tasty béarnaise). Mussels were lovely. Etc. We really liked the madeleines for desert. It is expensive - especially if you order a bottle of wine - but the quality was good.

A fantastic , genuine, Bistro - we loved the very comfortable decor which had a really cozy, but elegant feel. The menu was classics French bistro - steak was great and vegetarian options fantastic. Extensive cheese selection. Service was attentive and really friendly.

There is fish, there is rabbit, and there is a vegetarian option. Food is very good, not out of this world, but really good. Not cheap. The atmosphere is "Portland casual". Good wine list. No espresso, which is much worse than no parking. The latter is a problem for Beaverton/Tigard moms coming to shop on NW 23, but lacking espresso is a nonsense.

Menu was interesting-sounding French bistro foods, but delivery and presentation were average at best. Great bread however. Serb ice was slow and the music was way too loud and strange (French rap, etc)

St. Jack is a quintessential French bistro, walking a thin line between cozy and cramped, buzzy, dimly lit and serving standards like oysters in mignonette sauce, foie gras, steak frites, and some hard to find cheeses, including a few from unpasteurized cheese, which is about as risqué as the menu gets. We ordered several appetizers, including foie gras, bone marrow and heirloom tomato salad, the latter being the surprising standout. The bone marrow was a little too fatty and not mineral-y enough for my taste, and foie gras was overpriced for what it was, no doubt capitalizing on the deceptive mystique of the duck liver. For main course we ordered halibut and steak frites, both of which were excellent if unspectacular, though the halibut was by far the stronger entrée on the balance of taste and originality. The quality of service was somewhere between French and negligent, requiring active signaling to get things done, but once summoned, our waiter delivered every time. All in all, a nice evening with predictable, but highly satisfying food in a vibrant atmosphere with a slightly distracted service.

I try not read other reviews, but it's always surprising to see a place criticized for both being too French or not French enough. Forget that distinction. The food is very good quality for Portland, the town that seasoning forgot. We ordered the excellent butter lettuce salad with the best dressing, I've had in years. The duck was good, if served a bit colder than I'd prefer. The chicken liver mousse and octopus appetizers were both fantastic.

St. Jack was rated number two in Portland for best new restaurants. We loved it. We went with another couple, and all of the dishes served were among the best preparations we had eaten... anywhere. From the mussels to sweetbreads, and salmon to the chocolate mousse…it all pleased us greatly. The wait staff were terrific too. It is rather noisy, but hey, it's a fun bistro!

The selection and creativity of each dish were top notch. I went twice while in portland and loved everything I ordered, in particular the foi gras and bone marrow. The hostess was a gem and made sure to note my preferences for dishes on the reservation. The only drawback to the entire experience is how loud it is inside.

Fun spot, love the vibe however had a hard time reading the menu and finding something that sounded really good. Swung by late in the evening and it was pretty empty. I know this is a go to spot for many people but I wasn't really feeling it.

Please note, this is a neighborhood restaurant in Portland and not a fancy French restaurant in NYC. I've eaten here many times, not just once. The food here is consistently good, the service is fairly fast and friendly. Yes it's noisy, I find that if I need a quiet night, I'll just order in and stay home! That being said, I can't think on one restaurant worth visiting in Portland that isn't noisy because they are, gasp, busy! The food here is standard French bistro fare. My favorites are the Oysters on the half shell, the Chilled Prawns with Curry Aioli and the Steak Frites. Also worth mentioning is the perfect Butter lettuce salad with radishes, avocado and crunchy house made croutons. If your looking for some pleasing French fare in a relaxed environment then I recommend this place for you! If your expecting the French Laundry, then look elsewhere. Bon appetit!

After spending over $400 on a client dinner, the hostess asked if we could vacate our table to make room for other diners who were waiting for a table. Our jaws dropped. We were chatting, contemplating another bottle of wine, when we were asked to leave if we weren't going to buy anything else. Dining with clients, we couldn't share our feelings as bluntly as we might have otherwise but my wife coldly told the hostess that she was uncomfortable being rushed out. The hostess apologized and came back to say that she managed to find room for 4 in the bar if we wished to relocate. "You're kidding, right?" We don't want to relocate. If you have room in the bar, great, folks waiting for a table have a place to grab a drink. We've all been forced to wait for a reservation when tables don't turn as fast as the restaurant expected. As the hostess hovered over our table, we told her that she was being rude. Now she started backpedaling, paraphrasing.... OK, you don't need to leave. We'll find another table. You can stay. Of course, at this point, the damage was done. We were with clients, who were, thankfully, very understanding. We agreed that we would wrap things up. We left the restaurant. The hostess followed us out the door, apologizing profusely. She asked if we wanted a gift card. What?! No, thank you. She asked if our clients would want a gift card. Before we could decline on their behalf, the hostess ran over to our clients and offer them a gift card. Talk about pouring gas on the fire. They declined too. We all agreed that we would not be returning to St. Jack. Other small signs that St. Jack simply doesn't care about hospitality: 1) They refuse to serve ketchup with hamburgers or fries, ahem, frites. They explained that French restaurants don't serve ketchup. Hmm. Really. Tell that to Paley's Place. 2) St. Jacks offers profiteroles for dessert. We asked how many profiteroles were in the dish. Three. We asked if we could be up-charged for a fourth profiterole, since there we four of us. The waitress said she would check but that the kitchen generally doesn't allow changes. Without explanation, we received 3 profiteroles. If you want better French food with gracious service and genuine hospitality, go to Paley's on 21st. We will NEVER go back to St. Jacks.

The only thing colder than the restaurant was how they greeted us! Very RUDE hostess!!! My husband and I were shocked at her first words — snotty and plain rude—and we had just arrived. The loud jarring music was not conducive to enjoying the meal. The oysters were good, however the mignonette was way too acidic and overbearing for the subtle flavor of the oysters. The chicken liver mousse was the best thing we ordered and was superb. We won’t go back. First time dining out since pandemic and was very disappointed.

Can you tell I didn't enjoy this place? First, they do a sort of "team" service. Sounds good, right? But the outcome is that you are ignored for long periods of time, then interrupted every three minutes by someone new. Interrupted isn't quite the right word, since it is so noisy, so over-packed with tables, so full of people bumping into people - that it isn't possible to hold a conversation. There are dozens of much, much better places to visit.

The four of us--old friends-- spent and amazing evening here a few days ago. A cozy rural french environment with an energetic, but managable noise level made for a relaxed mood upon entering. That was not so much a surprise as the mouth watering meals we all had. My seared duck breast was the best meal I have eaten in two years. Our servers were very well informed about the menu and wines--and very personable. St. Jack has it all and deserves to be on all of the best Portland restaurant lists, which it is.

St. Jack prepares genuine French cuisine in a comfortable setting on Northwest 23rd in Portland. Tripe and blood sausage for the adventuresome, steak frites for the more cautious. Everything is delicious. For a special treat, try the crispy pork rind with maple syrup. The Lyonnaise salad is also excellent. If you still have room for dessert, the Madeleines are outstanding. The chef also prepares superb food at La Moule in southeast Portland.

The entire meal was fantastic and memorable. We started with the pork rinds and spicy maple dipping sauce, yum. Then foie gras with apricot, brioche and tobacco jus, which was just heavenly. We also had the roasted bone marrow and steak frite. Superb meal and extra points for a very good and reasonably priced wine list. The service was excellent. I am still dreaming about the meal we had at St. Jacks and it was 2 months ago. Seriously, I'm on vacation in Spain, eating terrific food and I'm dreaming of St. Jack. Don't deny yourself, it's even reasonably priced!

Had a very nice dinner with a group of friends. Had some amazing oxtail Bourguignon. Some people had mussels Provencal that also looked delicious. The restaurant boasts quite a wine list. We had some amazing reds and whites with our dinner. Nothing but praise for the chef and all who helped us have one of the best meals this year so far. Highly recommend!

Went for dinner. Had clams, oysters and scallop. Friend ordered the pate en croute and steak frites. Loved everything. Service was a little slow, but we can understand as it was full. Will definitely return.

First of all the positives, The appetizers were wonderful! Desserts were also very good. Now for the negatives. The service was actually timely,however it was not friendly by any stretch of the imagination. Kind of set the tone for the entire meal. Everybody said they enjoyed the meal but that the service was not friendly or welcoming. For example at the end of the meal, one of our party ordered desserts for everybody and no coffee or after dinner drinks were offered and the check was placed on the table when the desserts hit the table. They were simply going through the motions. and clearly did not feel like they wanted to be there or wanted to enhance the dining experience. If this was not a fine dining experience it would not have bothered me but at over $120.00 per person gratuity included I was underwhelmed. Maybe being a larger party over six and knowing the gratuity was included they just didn’t care. Not even a thank you upon departure.

we came here about a month ago, 12 of us on a Friday night. The reviews promised a great dinner. The food took ages to get to the table, the noise was so loud you could not hear your neighbor, the french-fries came right out of a commercial bag, the price was outrageous and the staff was impatient. our table was way too small for that amount of people, dishes and cutlery looked like someone picked them up at a flea-market and just dumped on the table trying to create a retro scene- poorly executed.all in all a noisy, expensive, bad experience and a place which we all agreed not to try again. The cocktails are great but the house wine they served with the meal was terrible.

The food was ok- certainly not amazing. Seriously, it wasn’t disappointing but it was just another restaurant. It was loud, crowded and the food was good, not terrific. The service was perfunctory, not top notch. The wine was good. We won’t be back. There are so many good restaurants in Portland. This one doesn’t have parking. And although we had a reservation we were not seated right away in a tiny foyer. Just not worth going to again.

We had a wonderful dinner at St. Jack. We ordered the butter lettuce, escargot en coquille, the lamb and the steak. The escargots were plump and tasty, the sliced steak was flavorful, and the French fries that come with the steak were the best ever - thin and crunchy. For dessert, we ordered the madeleines; they were bite size and warm, delicious with its accompanying cream. The wine recommended by the waiter was so good that I ordered a second glass. Great service and food!

A lesson learned in why not to pre-judge ANY FOOD before experiencing it. Oh My Gosh, watching chefs actually tasting their creations before it gets plated, watching each mouth-watering plate of cuisine be detailed before being whisked off. The fire, the passion of the chefs and kitchen staff. And the dazzling display of the most flavorful, succulent mind pleasing tastes and textures you hadn't even imagined.

St. Jack was recommended to us by a local realtor. We stayed nearby, so it was nice to be able to walk to dinner. From the moment we entered we loved it - great dining room, terrific service, and really good food. The butter lettuce salad with classic vinaigrette was the best rendition of that salad I've ever had. I loved my steak tartare, and my husband's mussels with cognac cream were fabulous. Not to mention the pommel frites dipped in that cognac cream sauce! The waiter was extremely helpful with wine suggestions as well. My only complaint is that we don't live close by - this would be a once a week restaurant for us if we did.

After visiting the Audubon Art show (wonderful) in Portland, we dropped into this delightful place. We thought perhaps it was named after the 70's book and movie of the same title but a helpful waiter gave us the true story. The owner's grand mother was Josephine (pronounced the French way) and wanted to honor their relationship by naming the restaurant after her but alas he did not want people to struggle with the pronunciation. Thus the restaurant become St. Jack instead. We enjoyed the happy hour hamburger with yummy crisp fries - delicious with champagne. The were the perfect combination. I was not thrilled, though, with the pickled vegetables. A bit too experimental for me. The restaurant is comfortable and open 7 days a week with happy hour from 3-6. I plan to return for dinner.

Was there for a company party so we had a limited menu. The food was ok but for the price and given the hype of this place I was expecting much more. Trout was good but was very simple just fish and lentils. Not even a vegetable. Presentation was not a focus and service was not special either. Perhaps I need to try on regular menu but not sure I will do that given high prices and other options all around.

Nice atmosphere with open kitchen concept. I started with Creme of Tomato Soup which was comparable to the best I’ve had. For dinner I went with the Mussels & Pommes Frites. The mussels were plentiful, nice size, and delicious sauce. Came with nice portion of bread for dipping. Family really enjoyed and I’d recommend as a nice, casual dinner with French touch.

We ate at the bar because we didn't have reservations - I'm so glad! The atmosphere in the bar area was casual and relaxed with jazzy music in the air. The dinner menu had the choices we wanted so we were really happy. The chicken liver mousse with prunes was tasty. The butter lettuce and heirloom tomato salads were fresh and zesty. Steak and frites were cooked just how we like them. Congenial server and friendly ambiance made our evening complete.

We had supper here and found the menu to be quite modern and adventuresome. The steak was very good and the staff efficient. It was very noisy so having a normal conversation was difficult.

This restaurant is listed as one of the shining stars of the 23rd dining scene right now. I'd been here before for cocktails before, but not dinner so I booked a table for our group of four. The mussels were very spicy, and there was a strong mustard flavor to the sauce. Very high quality seafood, but the sauce was almost inedible. No one asked me how my food was, and I had to request water to receive more for our table. My dining companions didn't seem overly enthused either. Overall the service was below par for the pricing, and so was the food. I'm giving it three stars for decor, ambiance, and presentation.

A very busy place and hard to get a reservation - so start early! From being greeted at the door and seated - to our wonderful server to the food....an excellent adventure in a new (to us) restaurant. The tables are very close together (and thus we learned the couple right next to us were married the same day/year - 22 years ago! :) The butter lettuce salad was excellent; we'd pass on their escargot - too spicey/couldn't see the escargot and we like the old fashion garlic/butter serving way better ; the oxtail "stew" was EXCELLENT. Too full for dessert but they brought us a lovely sauterne as their gift to us on our anniversary. We'll go again FOR SURE!

We went to this place for dinner and it was really a bad experience. I had mussels and my husband had something else. His dish was pure red pepper. Even if he was Mexican, he would have find it difficult to eat. He asked the waiter to have it replaced by another dish. Meanwhile, I started to eat my food and it was... PURE PEPPER!!! Red pepper cut into small pieces but the dish got reddish from so many peppers! I was shy to ask to have my food replaced so I kept with it. It took a while for the restaurant to prepare another dish to my husband and when his food arrived I had no appetite anymore. Terrible place. You don’t taste the food. You only taste red pepper.

We returned to St. Jacks to celebrate our marriage anniversary. Instead of being a highlight of our evening this dinner left us feeling very dissatisfied. The stake tartare was the worst I’ve had. I should have sent it back because it was poor quality steak, no egg and covered in processed fried onions. The bone marrow was covered in out of a can processed corn and the marrow flavor was lost. The salmon was a tiny 3 oz portion and it was also covered in canned corn. They advertised black truffle, Where are the Black Truffle?

Had dinner here. A little noisy but not too bad. Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. Had butter lettuce to start and think they may have left out the Dijon mustard in the dressing as it was very acidic. Next was bavette steak and frites. Steak and sauce were very tasty but had problem with the fact that everything on the almost cold plate was not hot just warm. A pet peeve of mine. Dessert was the tarte aux amandes which was good but tasted like a vanilla cream flavored with a lot of almond essence. Overall would probably not go back.

Recently relocated from a tiny house in Southeast Portland, St. Jack on NW 23rd is now our go-to place for a a great meal and warm, lively environment. Unlike another post, we have never felt pressured to leave a table here; in fact servers have gone out of their way to accommodate a seat for an unexpected addition to our party. It's Portland, so the waitstaff and bartenders are passionate about food, attentive and friendly (no snobbery here). We actually often prefer to dine at the bar (beautiful!) just to watch the bartenders artfully craft the cocktails.

We understand the pandemic has taken a toll on restaurants and we were pleased to support st jack, one of our favorite pre pandemic dining spots. Unfortunately they have thrown out all standards and turned themselves into an undesirable experience with sour and rude front of house staff. The hostess looked like she just rolled out of bed. Literally no effort made in her appearance. We had made a 5pm reservation and were there 7-10 minutes before 5 as that is also their opening time. There were a few other guests waiting. We all got seated in their temporary outdoor seating. All good. Other tables all got their cocktails ahead of us even though we were first to order. We ordered the famous and delicious pate and two burgers. We were eager for the pate. 47 minutes after placing our order we received our two burgers from the same hostess but no pate. She told us it would be out shortly. We had her cancel as we were anticipating our starter before entree. The attitude from this person who just repeated she would pass on the feedback was not on par with the restaurant this once was. Shame. We’ve seen many restaurants adapt their services and experience and we get it. But we did expect a dining experience with great service when paying their $40+ for entrees and $14+ for cocktails you can’t serve me looking like you fell asleep on the couch before your shift and treating me like you really cannot be bothered. So many restaurants need the type of outdoor seating at jack has and value every customer. Really disappointed to the degree we won’t go back.

My Highest possible recognition (A JBF / Michelin) goes to ST Jacks restaurant. 1st. The service here is 5*. We arrived on time for our dinner reservations, Celebrating my wife's special day, B-Day and we were greeted with professional kindness and cheerful smiles. This French Fare restaurant delivered a fantastic 5 coarse meal. We started with the SEARED FOIE GRAS* CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLE DARK RUM JUS. also TOASTED BRIOCHE PICKLED SHALLOT MIGNONETTE appetizer and a champagne toast. DUCK CHOUCROUTE sausage Provençal celery root purée, Bacon GRAINY MUSTARD jus entrée and a Manhattan cocktail. STEAK FRITES* shallot & red wine demi glace pommes frites, béarnaise entrée and a Grove & Galley cocktail. ICE CREAM DU JOUR 7. SERVED WITH AN OAT AND BROWN BUTTER TUILE This meal was excellent. I also must give a nod to the Servicers. I mentioned, on OpenTable comments, that we were celebrating my wife's b-day and she was treated like it was her special day. Our waitress did a fantastic job explaining and recommending the perfect choices for us. The open kitchen, so you can see the chefs perform, is great and makes the candle lit tables and the city view shine. The ambiance is off the chart (Great).

I dropped in, starving, when I was unexpectedly delayed overnight in Portland. The staff were kind and responsive, food was prepared quickly and oh so tasty. The oysters were fresh as with the mignonette accentuating their flavor. It's always a treat to find matsutake on the menu, and the crepe did it justice. Also nice to be able to buy a half bottle of wine. Would totally recommend and come here again.

The food was very good. The house Manhattan was uniquely tasty. The wine and aperitif selections are first rate. I think I only had one criticism: the leeks en vinaigrette, which were fine but my idea of leeks is, you should have long spears of leek, rather than chopped, and there is no need for anything extra. Well, two criticisms -- the oxtails Bourgignon are served atop pureed potatoes. I'm sure some people like this, but I prefer to *not* have the sauce smother the potatoes and not have the potatoes detract from the mushrooms and vegetables that go with the dish. Now the advantage of being a regular is, you could probably insist that the potatoes be on the side. And if you and your partner like the coquilles "St Jack" you could order three instead of two scallops. One and a half per person would have been perfect, and the sauce was as good as I ever tasted. We both had the pot au creme dessert. I loved it even though I usually prefer a darker chocolate. It was noisy even in the dining room. But a few glasses of wine take the edge off the noise.

Had some friends in town for bday/anniversary celebration. Told them to pick the restaurant. St. Jack was the pick and off we went. Our server was very knowledgeable in wine service and that was a pleasant surprise. French Food was authentic and well presented. Our server was very attentive and actually seemed like she cared. Beautiful Dishes as well. happy to go back

We went to St. Jack for Dining Month. We first got wine and cheese at the bar; their house red was VERY good. We let the kitchen determine which three cheeses to serve us and they were all excellent (served with a baguette and butter, apple slices and very sweet apple butter that tasted more like apple sauce to us). So far so good.......then we moved to the dining room for dinner. There are special menus for dining month, we understood this in advance. My friend and I are both picky eaters in different ways, so we carefully pored over the menus before deciding on a restaurant a couple of weeks before the reservation. So when we sat down for dinner and were told they had changed the fixed menu options THAT DAY..... it was disappointing. I wound up ordering the salad, onion tarte and madeleines. The salad tasted very good, but was extremely peppery. Even after I stopped eating it, my mouth was tingling. The tarte was good.....the layer of chevre combines well with the onions. The madeleines were good and fresh out of the oven, but were more cake-y than cookie. I'm not an expert, maybe they're supposed to be that way? Unfortunately, my friend also ordered madeleines for dessert but they only brought us one order...... All in all, the restaurant isn't terrible by any means, but really didn't live up to expectations and ultimately isn't anywhere I'd like to return.

I took a group to St. Jack last week and we had a marvelous time with absolutely delicious food. They prepared specialty cocktails that were really innovative. We had some of the freshest oysters ever ( and the owner was doing the shucking!). Tomato soup to die for and the heirloom tomato salad was truly delicious. Kate, who arranged the private dinner with me was so great to work with and they truly want to make your experience as unique as possible.

This is our favorite restaurant in Portland. We returned just before Thanksgiving and enjoyed every single bite, including fresh oysters, stunning tomato soup, a perfect green salad, steak tartare, steak frites (can't get enough beef @ this place!). Felt as though the bar has expanded; great place for a late evening bite. Service + ambiance are terrific.

We were there on a Friday night recently. Slowest service I've had in a very long time. Surprised, as the reviews are very good. Also - very expensive. It seems like you can't go out in this city for dinner for two without spending at least $100 - $150. And we paid more than that. The food was good, but not worth the price in my opinion.

We spent eighteen months in London and would go over to Paris every month or so. We ate in so many bistros and brasseries but none compared to Saint Jack . The servers were so friendly and welcoming and even gave us the name of the best pizza and bread inn town. The food was true bistro food cooked to the highest standards. The rabbit and the sauce are not to be missed . The steak pomme frites was accompanied by the best bearnaise. It made me want to go back and make it - I have not done that in decades. Our starters were creative . The endive salad cannot be recommended enough. We had one night in Portland and how lucky we were to eat at Saint Jack. Maybe they should open a bistro in Paris!

Love this place. Once of my favorite restaurants in Portland. French dining experience. Enjoy the oysters and the bright crab remoulade and also the roasted bone marrow dressed in caramelized onions and gooey gruyere. Great service. Been here to celebrate a birthday of some close friends.

You do need a reservation so make plans but it is worth it. We've been able to get in and sit at the kitchen bar and we loved it! It was romantic and delicious. Watching all the action in the kitchen, seeing the food being food prepared it made the evening feel really special. The bone marrow melts in your mouth and is amazing, try the duck or the oxtail both prepared perfectly! The menu changes but the desserts are always fantastic and you just don't want the evening to end.

What a wonderful dining experience! All different kinds of tastes starting with appetizers and then a fromage sampler with an amazing bread. I had the fisherman's stew which had a variety of tasty shelled fish in a very nice broth. The desert menu was amazing as well. The crème brulee is fabulous as was a homemade rhubarb sorbet. For those that drink, the wine and liquor list is extensive. This restaurant is a treat and the service was excellent.

Went on a Sat. evening. In spite of it being very busy our server was very (but not too) attentive. She made great suggestions for cocktails which turned out to be tasty and refreshing. BF and I started out with a cheese plate with the cheeses chosen by the chef. They were very good. Especially loved the brie. I followed with the butter lettuce salad with fines seasoned dressing. Was delicious. I don't like fish or seafood so my choices for the main were very limited. I had the small steak with frites. It was done to perfection and the frites were wonderful. BF had the lamb steaks with bone in. I got to taste. It would had been a very good alternative to the beef steak. Also very good. I made my own selection for my second cocktail. I picked the strawberry panache. It was not at all what I imagined it would taste like. I thought it was terrible. When our server came back around I told her that I didn't care for the drink. She took it back and brought me back my second choice which was the army vs navy. It was really good. The dinner was pretty spendy but even so I would come back again.

I was pleasantly surprised by the menu--dishes one would find in France. From Steak Tartare to Gratin d'Escargots for starters to Mushroom and Foie Gras stuffed Quail. The Beef Cheek Bourguignon was tender and flavorful; my companion had the Duck Cassoulet and raved about its flavor. Can't go wrong!

We visited St Jack during Portland restaurant week, got there a little early and had some delicious oysters and a massive crispy pork rind with maple syrup that we also spread with the house pate which is oh so good. Everyone was super accommodating as we hadn’t decided if we were staying for dinner but did have an early reservation. Well, we did stay for dinner because bar food was so good and had an incredible gnocchi with subtle turnips and green spring sauce and fall of the bone ribs with veggie mash. Nice wine list, really friendly awesome service. Fun time.

St Jack offers a uniformly excellent dining experience--nicely mixed cocktails, a well-chosen selection of wines by the glass and bottle, delicious entrees that are attractively arranged on the plate, and desserts that provide a perfect ending to the meal. Service is well-paced and attentive, and though the noise level can be loud when the room is full, the high quality of St. Jack's food makes it one of Portland's very best restaurants.

Went for a pre-theater meal. Bar was full, so ate at the counter in the restaurant. Chose small plates, including cheese selection. All were wonderfully prepared and really tasty. The baguette included with the cheese was also excellent. Highly recommend St. Jack.

Super friendly service. Steak tartare, utter lettuce salad, cervelle de canut, daily fish special, steak frites and a bottle of wine. Heaven.