Blue Moose Cafe

Their soup is out of this world. Everytime I go to Portland, I try to make it over here just for the soup.
Having said that, their breakfast burrito is also delicious, as are the home fries. They make awesome smoothie drinks as well.
I like the atmosphere, and the outdoor dining is interesting. It’s somehow attached to someone’s home. When we were eating, the people were sitting on the steps smoking a cigarette and bickering. Thaaat was a little off putting, but I was thoroughly amused nonetheless.
The servers are always super friendly, but the service so SOOO SLOOOW. Like… SLOW. I made the mistake of coming here before heading to the airport to catch a plane. We had to inhale our food.

I’m not sure what I was hoping for, but when they advertise «gluten-​free options», I generally assume they mean they’re going to have at least one bread (or bread substitute) option, and a larger overall menu selection.
They do bring one samples of the soups, which generally have at least one vegan option, which is nice, but the service is slow and seems to be plagued with the «hipster than thou» attitude; that is, if one is not sufficiently cool, the order will come out incorrect and lukewarm.
I’ve tried it on a few occasions and found the only winning grace to be their cashew-​cheese nachos, which are only an occasional special.

It’s in our neighborhood and we love it. Nothing fancy or complicated. If you need all-​star service, linen cloths, and top-​notch anything, move along. If you need delicious vegetarian and vegan foods, this is your place. From juices to pancakes to polenta to homemade soups each day, you can’t go wrong. In fact, I haven’t had anything I didn’t like. The pancakes with fruit are to die for. It’s simple, easy, comfortable, and delicious. Lots of veggies, tofu, polenta, brown rice, tons of sandwiches and salads… and you can do nearly any combination of things you like. And don’t get hung up on the vegarian issue — it’s a fantastic place for anyone, not just vegetarians.

Date Visited: Monday 8÷3÷09 (Lunch)
My friends and I stopped at Blue Moose Café en route to Mount St. Helens for a day trip. It was either this or Vita Café and since none of my party had ever been to Blue Moose, now seemed like a good time to try them out.
I thought we might be in a little trouble when we walked in and were told it’s cooler outside than in. While there’s seating outside (which is where we ended up eating), an air-​conditioned room on a warm afternoon is always appreciated.
Okay, so we sit outside and encounter the resident dog. I’m okay with this since I like dogs, but just not sure it’s a good thing overall. After struggling to narrow down our choices, we finally ordered. My fiancé had the equivalent of a vegan egg salad sandwich. Our friend had the burrito and requested chips instead of tortilla and asked for no sour cream or hot sauce. I had the breakfast burrito with sour cream.
Not sure my fiancé’s meal was very substantial compared to the other 2 meals at the table, but I never heard complaints. Our friend loved her burrito bowl. I enjoyed the potatoes in my burrito though I wasn’t totally sold on it as a meal. It was certainly enough food and probably more than I should have eaten on this day, but I probably should have stuck to a salad.
Our food was served in a timely manner. I guess Jim is the owner (?) and served us. He was very friendly and sociable.
The initial 3-​star rating was mainly because it was a hot day and I really needed a cool and inviting restaurant to stop in. I also have memories on my first experience there where the restaurant was unexpectedly closed, which apparently was due to the cook just suddenly quitting. Anyway, I will allow them a few more opportunities to earn a 4-​star rating in cooler weather and with another food choice.

I’ve been to Blue Moose three times now so I feel I’ve given them a fair chance. Today was by far my worst experience. My partner and I were the only people in there and the service was slow at best and when we did get our food half the order was wrong. On top of this the food was quite bland.
They keep popping up as a good gluten free place but they have very few options to choose from. You’d be better off going to Old Wives Tale or the Vita.

Another staple of my Portland food-​trip-​going-​whatchamacallit. It only sucks that this place is closed on a random weekday.
I enjoy just about everything on the menu, sampled from all departments. The appetizer of hummus is huge, more like a meal, and great for groups. They bring you samples of the daily special and oranges while you wait, which also really do help fill you up.
The food isn’t dainty but full sized portions and exactly how you want it.
The waiters are sweet and the owner is usually hanging around. I’ve gone once and a guy was sitting on a stool playing guitar. Biscuits are offered for your dog if you tie them up outside whilst you eat.
Sometimes when it’s busy it’ll take longer to get your food, so it’s def. not a «quick» place to eat. Be prepared to take some time to sit down, enjoy some food, have a good conversation, maybe read a book, and really have some great veggie food.

Maybe I had too high of expectations after looking at the menu. It was alright, but I’ve had better. For me, soup is the perfect gauge to see how well I’ll like a restaurant. And if your soup is bland, then I probably won’t be a huge fan. Not sure that I’ll be giving this place another shot.

What to say about Blue Moose…
At first I was pretty into it, because I like a good salad or sandwich every now and then. But then I started going more and I realized that whoever was making the food had no concept of flavor or seasoning whatsoever. Everything was so bland and I always had to put so much salt into the soup.
The base of the food was good but it could be so much better with just some dried spices or herbs.
So I stopped going because everything they served would take a sinch to make at home, for less money and have more flavor.
Months later I returned after hearing the café was under new ownership.
A fellow I once met was working in the kitchen now and he told me that there might be a menu change in the future with the new owner being in charge. I am anxious to see if they will change the entire menu or just improve whats there.

So i recently decided on Blue Moose Café as my Friday night meal out after realizing I wanted:
A. Something not wrapped in a Tortilla.
B. Somewhere not too pricey (I have a whole weekend ahead of me)
C. Some place not terribly crowded.
Oh and D. Something good.
I chose wisely.
The food was excellent. I had the Children of the Corn (essentially a burrito in a bowl + polenta). It was delicious and not wrapped in a tortilla! It was also filling without being heavy. So done and done to both A and D. My guy had the Easy Being Green sandwich which he described as being equally delicious but not as filling. Oh, and the free soup samples were extra tasty.
The prices were decent. Not too bad, depending on what you get. My meal was adequately priced– my guy’s was not. B. Hmmm… Check.
Finally, I was absolutely thrilled to find that for a Friday night, the restaurant was not too crowded at all. We got a table, we didn’t wait forever to get a waiter, and we had prompt service. I hate waiting, have zero patience and so I couldn’t have been more pleased. C. Check.
So there you have it. The Blue Moose Café totally fit all the requirements I laid out for this recent Friday night meal.
Bonus points for the décor being relaxed and down home without being ugly, and for the wait staff not rushing us out the door even when our meal was running into their closing time.

Blue Moose is literally blocks from my house and my first experience, about a year and a half ago, left me with a less than stellar impression of the restaurant. Recently, looking for a vegetarian/​vegan option as I endeavored to go meatless for the few first months of my new years resolution, I wandered back into the restaurant as an easy, local option. What I found was that a truly amazing chef, Jake, works there Friday, Saturday and Sundays, whipping up the most AMAZING specials. I actually look forward to my weekends now because of him! My first dish was a tofu and chickpea curry masala that was so addicting I actually ate it two nights in a row. Even my omnivore husband, who would prefer to eat nothing but meat 24/​7, loves his dishes.
Walking into the restaurant, it’s a comfortable, quiet, neighborhood establishment, unpretentious, with a collection of mixed local art and moose knick knacks. The soup and specials of the day are hand drawings on paper posted above the cash register with thumb tacks. Clearly a grass roots establishment, the owner, Jim, has incorporated some nice touches to the service including small samples of the soup of the day as you arrive. It’s nice to sip a few spoonfuls as you peruse the menu.
Blue Moose Café has a small selection of beer and wine, along with your usual assortment of teas, coffee and espresso. The menu isn’t expansive, but it definitely speaks of homemade goodness with thought and care to those who choose a diet lifestyle that does not include meat. I also appreciate that they are open every day from 9 AM to 9 PM. My husband and I often call ahead and order take out — especially if Jake is cooking.
If you’re looking for a casual, family friendly neighborhood establishment that is easy on the wallet and consistent in quality, be sure to try out Blue Moose… regardless if you are a meat eater or not!

I was taken here today by a good friends who was trying to humor my vegetarian tendencies. She saw the sign one day that said «VEGETARIAN!» and must of thought …“I will take Ashley there.“
Well, upon entering I wasn’t sure what to expect. It sort of looked from the outside like a coffee place with sandwhiches. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The place was small, unassuming, and comfortable. Upon sitting, our super cute and nice waiter brought us soup samples that were specials of the day, which were fantastic…(although we opted not to get them.)
My friend and I got the Tempeh Sabrosa special which was excellent and well spiced. It came with delicious rice and beans and was topped with a great vegan mock spicy cream sauce. Her boyfriend ordered the breakfast burrito, which was enough for two people and looked amazing.
After ordering a coffee, a delicious moose juice, and my tempeh dish I managed to spend a measly $ 12. The service was great and so was the food. I will definitely be back for more lunch adventures in the near future.

I just moved to a new place 1 block away so I’ve been here a lot lately. They recently underwent an ownership change, but the food is still as excellent as before.
One cool thing about this place is that you are given samples of their 3 daily soups without even having to ask. The soup is one of the best things about it.
The employees are always friendly and attentive. Last time I ordered take-​out over the phone and the waitress recognized me from my voice.
The prices are reasonable but recently they did have to raise them (slightly) due to the difficult economy.

I just tried the Blue Moose Café today for the first time and am in love. Very friendly and helpful wait staff (they gave me a sample of the day’s soups), great tasting food, and it’s healthy.
They also have free bread ends, so if you’re like me and wish that you could buy a loaf made of just bread loaf butts, this will make you happy.
Great outdoor seating, and free WiFi. Does it even get any better than this?!
Blue Moose is also donating a gift certificate for the Portland Walk for Farm Animals 2008 edition, so that earns them stars I can’t add here.

We’ve all had awful polenta before. The rubbery and/​or chewy and/​or dry and/​or gritty and/​or just plain bleah polenta that makes you never want to eat polenta again, even though you eventually do.
I am happy to say that the polenta at the bottom of my burrito in a bowl (a.k.a. «Children of the Corn») was SOOOOOOO good. Perfectly moist, wonderfully flavorful, and a great base for the burrito part of the dish… which looked a little elementary when she put it in front of me — haphazard layers of burrito fillings topped with sour cream piped into a thin swirl — but I’m not one to judge a burrito in a bowl by it’s cover so I stirred the burrito part all together, loaded a forkful, topped it with a hunk of polenta, and the end result was YUM. Great flavors, great tortilla on the side, and seven hours later I’m still full but not in that greasy burrito way.
BONUS: I got two small tastes of the soups (lentil something and corn chowder rosemary something) as soon as I sat down. Without even asking. I liked this new and unusual presentation of the specials, and had I not been in the mood for a burrito (ish) lunch I probably would’ve gone with soup & sandwich — both tastes were excellent.
I’m trying to reserve five stars for places I’ve been more than once, so I look forward to upping this rating soon…

I love, love, love the Blue Moose. So much that I probably don’t venture to other places as much as I should. It’s a haul from my place in NW PDX, but totally worth it.
Awesome soup — check
Yummy burritos — check
Ability to order a side of avocado — check
Pancakes that you can order ala carte — check
Wait staff’s ability to be nice to my Midwestern mother when she visits and asks questions such as, «Now how in the world do you make a pancake without any dairy?» or «What the heck is nutritional yeast?» — check
Chocolate chip cookies that are almost as good as mine — check
I have my standard orders. Cup of soup (depending on the soup that day) and a multigrain pancake. Or if I’m really hungry, cup of soup and the small «Mideast Peace Platter» (hold the olives please). Breakfast is the time for the breakfast burrito with black beans and potatoes and fat free sour cream.
I’m heading «home» to Detroit today where there’s a Coney Island restaurant on every corner so I’m pretty geeked about that. But I’ll be detoxing from the nitrates at the Blue Moose when I get back to my new home in good old PDX.

We love this vegetarian restaurant. They opened maybe about 2 years ago-​it used to be called Leaf & Bean. The service is always friendly. The owner knows our names and always makes it a point to say hello when she sees us. Everyday they have 2 homemade soups which they bring you a sample of when you sit down. They also have a tofu scramble of the day which may have brown rice, pasta, polenta, or whatever they feel like concocting. Everything we have is very good and great portion sizes for the $$. They also have good homemade muffins, cookies, and other treats.

I am a die hard carnivore. But my girlfriend introduced me to this place and its GREAT! The soups are always awesome. I love the breakfast burritos. The food is always filling but never leaves you feeling bloated or over full. Just right.
The staff is really knowledgeable about the menu and are always helpful and laid back.