Ox

This is always a must stop in all my trips to Oregon. The skirt steak is heavenly, this trip I tried it with the tripe and octopus app.
The appetizer was heavy and delicious. This is a winner in my comfort food books, tripe was chewy and braised for a while, paired with soft chunks of octopus. It was also stew like, OMG I was mouthgasming hard.
Skirt steak put me over edge but couldn’t finish it.
I love this place!

I really enjoyed Ox. We had the Tripe, Chowder, Skirt, Short Ribs, Chorizo, Morcilla, Sweetbreads, Foie and Mushrooms, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes w/​Aioli, and the Little Gems Salad. My favorite dish was the tripe, and the Morcilla was particularly excellent. The service was considerate and thoughtful, although the timing/​spacing of the dishes was a little less than ideal. We were a party of two and shared all of the above, along with 2 bottles of wine for under $ 200, so, considering the size of the portions, it’s a great value.

Best food in Portland for steakhouses.
Hands down they cater to their patrons. Oysters are perfect.

Best meal I’ve had in years. Great service and experience too. Well curated wine and beer but don’t let that keep you from ordering a mixed drink.
Sit at the grill and watch the masters work.

We had a phenomenal dining experience at Ox. Everything we ordered was delicious and very rich, but it was worth it. I know this place is a steakhouse, but we decided to order mostly starters, and I’m glad we did because we got to try several different different things on the menu. My two favorite dishes (and I highly recommend them both) were the fried oxtail terrine and the fresh clam chowder.
The outside of the terrine was fried to perfection and accompanied with a creamy feta ranch sauce, grilled broccoli and roasted beets. As soon as I took a bite of the terrine it literally melted in my mouth and it tasted soooooo good.
The fresh clam chowder was served with a smoked bone marrow. We scooped the marrow out and mixed it with the broth and it took the chowder to a whole new level. The broth was rich and creamy, with a slight kick from the jalapenos. In my opinion, this is the best clam chowder I’ve ever had.
Service was friendly, unpretentious, and very informative. Our server was very attentive to our needs and was excited that we enjoyed the food so much. Ox have their own parking to the side of the building, but it’s a tiny lot so you may want to get there early or look for street parking.

Save the best for last. We all know that saying. Sometimes, I intentionally save the best for last. This time, the best ended up being last, but not intentionally. After eating my way through Portland, Ox was the last meal I had in my favorite foodie Mecca. Maybe the universe instinctually knew to save the best for last, because we had tried to dine here the night before and it just didn’t happen. Why not? TWO AND A HALF HOUR wait. Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. By the time we arrived (8:00 pm on a Saturday evening) the wait was 2.5 hours. Could I have waited 2.5 hours to dine at a restaurant that was highly touted as one of the best in Portland? Maybe. But you do the math. At 8:00 pm, 2.5 hours from then would put us at 10:30pm and by the time out food would arrive, it could well be 11:00pm or later. Granted, it was a kidless weekend for me and we had no schedules to abide by, but even despite the fact that I had been stuffing myself with delicious food and coffee all weekend, 11:00 was still a TAD late to be enjoying dinner. This 2.5 hour wait just fueled me even more to HAVE TO come back and experience Ox. To many, this would have been a huge turn off, but my crazy reasoning went something like this: IF portland is foodie Mecca and has literally hundreds of amazing places to eat and the foodies choose to eat at Ox which causes there to be a 2.5 hour wait, THEN, I MUST TRY THE OX! So the next night, on my very last night in foodie Mecca, we went back to Ox, at a much more reasonable time of 5:45pm, and low and behold it was a 2.5 hour wait again, but this time putting us at a still early time 8:15 pm. And in actuality, we were seated mimics earlier than that. But remember that old time saying of save the best for last? EVERY BIT TRUE. Ox was the most amazing meal I had, out of many amazing meals and treats while in Portland and I’d wait THREE hours to do all over again!
With such a long wait, luckily you can pass your time at the Whey Bar a few feet away from Ox. Set in a re-​done garage, the Whey Bar offers oysters, bar snacks, cocktails and candlelight. The oysters are delicious with spicy sauces and my favorite «bar snack» was the truffle salted pistachios. Good lord, those were addicting. I wish they sold them by the bag. The setting is very romantic, with cheesy love songs and all. Sitting at the Whey Bar can be a night in and of itself.
Once we finally got our table, we ordered a couple of entrees and several different sides. The fresh calm chowder with roasted bone marrow was the best chowder I’ve had in my life. It was perfectly creamy, hearty and rich without being too overpowering. The clams in the shell were generous and the roasted bone marrow gave the chowder crunchy bits that just added to the overall awesomeness of this soup. Potatoes with horseradish aioli and dill were PERFECT. It was crispy warm on the outside and moist on the inside. I highly recommend ordering the large portion, because you will devour it all and still want more. The highlight of the sides however, was the pan seared cabbage with chestnut cream, duck jus and poached quince! I would have never thought purple cabbage could taste SO good, but this dish was the winner of the night! Crispy edges and soft, tender cabbage with awesome sauce. Yes, I said awesome sauce! The main event however, is the fire grilled meats. This is what makes Ox special, with their hand cranked grill that allows the chef to cook the meats with intense fire heat or less intense fire meat. The pork chop was juicy and tender while the skirt steak was a little raw for my taste, but still delicious.
The service was personable and accurate, and though our wait was 2.5 hours, the host was very friendly and communicated with us through text. If you have a party of 6 or more, you are allowed to make a reservation but if you are like us, a party of 4, then take your chances and just be prepared to wait. And technically, I waited a total of 24 hours to dine at Ox, and I would do it all over again. It was THAT good. Ox, thank you for being my last great meal in Portland. It was meant to be, save the best for last!

Décor: check. Ambience: check. Extraordinary service: check. Food: check, check.
If you’re ready to be blown away by a dining experience, then get dressed and get to Ox. The entire wait staff was attentive, thoughtful, and skilled. Our server not only gave great recommendations and brought out each dish with intention. She did not miss a beat.
We started our dinner with an amuse-​bouche of mushroom soup, compliments of the chef. A great way to start off the meal. Next came the foie gras terrine– delicate and sweet. This was followed by Ox’s renowned clam chowder, which was served with a perfectly cooked bone marrow. As we scraped the delicate marrow– per the chef’s recommendation– we realized we were on the brink of an Ox-​cellent dinner.
When our server proposed that for our main course, we take on the challenge of the epically sized 36 oz ribeye, we accepted. The outcome? We finished Every. Single. Bite. The perfectly cooked, melt-​in-​your-​mouth meat was brought to life by the delicately charred outside.
5 starts in every category.

I didn’t know if there would be a restaurant that would knock «The Farm Café» off as my favorite restaurant in Portland. Ox managed to do that! I can’t say enough good things about this restaurant.
My wife and I came for our anniversary dinner, and were told that it would be about a 30 min wait for a table. We went and had a couple of drinks in the bar in the converted garage. I’m not a big mixed drink guy, but had what was arguably one of the best drinks I have ever had. It was made with Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, and was amazingly good!
When we were seated our server was amazingly helpful and friendly. She had great recommendations and went above and beyond in taking care of us. The whole meal and service was not rushed and was spread out, but we were totally fine with it. Our server took great care of us, and I felt that the pace of the meal is part of the experience.
The food was incredible! From the appetizers, the salads, to the soup taster, and finally the main course. We did the «Asado Argentino for 2». It was so good, and a ton of food! The only thing I wasn’t the biggest fan of was the blood sausage. It wasn’t bad, I’m just not a fan of blood sausage. I can’t say a bad thing about any of the food though.
I can’t recommend this place highly enough! Amazing ambiance, service, drinks, and food. Well worth the price!

One of my new favorite restaurants in Portland. Ox is definitely a place for a special occasion. The prices are expensive for Portland, but so very worth it. I came here on my birthday and it was an overall awesome experience.
They don’t take reservations for smaller parties, but there is a bar attached to the restaurant and Secret Society is right down the road if there is a wait. Once you do get seated, the staff is great and the staff very helpful and friendly.
The food here is bomb. The clam chowder with bone marrow is not to be missed — it is incredibly rich and flavorful. We also ordered the Asado for two, which came with salad, fried potatoes (topped with spectacular horseradish aioli — tip: order extra aioli on the side to dip the meat in!), and bread — it was enough to feed an army… although my husband and I were hungry and devoured all of it :-). This meat was perfectly cooked medium rare. For dessert, we ordered their torte (topped with a birthday candle), which was like a warm, butterscotch party in your mouth — SO GOOD!

I’ve had my fair share of clam chowder and living near San Francisco, I know good clam chowder. But recently people have been tagging me in Instagram about a clam chowder that has bone marrow. Well, you had me at bone marrow. This was my second trip to Portland and I made sure this was my first meal. Of course with any hot spot in Portland you’re going to have to wait, but I’m always willing to wait for two things: good food and a good haircut.
We waited next door at the sister bar so it was no big deal. Read my review of the delicious shrimp ceviche at Whey Bar. I’ll keep this review like all my other ones, straight and to the point. Started with the complimentary mushroom soup. It was a mushroom forest in a cup. Next was the clam chowder which was beyond words. It’s its own chowder as it has the traditional clam chowder taste but on a whole different level. It was like a unicorn and a pink elephant had a baby. Being an argentine based restaurant, we had to have a steak. American rib eye grilled right in front of us with a parsley butter sauce was, well you just have to visit this place. Awesome service, food, and vibe.

Been wanting to try this one for awhile.
While it wasn’t perfect, I was not let down.
We had the Lamb Heart Flatbread and the Clam Chowder before having the Asado Argentino.
Only issues I had were:
1.It seemed as if there was too much cumin in the Morcilla (although I am no expert), at least for my taste.
2.The Chorizo had fennel in it which I found surprising and I did not care for.
The salad was fantastic as were the potatoes. They were perfectly fried little nuggets topped with a horseradish sauce-​perfect. The skirt steak was beautifully cooked and tender. The sweetbreads were very very good. Tender, complex and sweet, they were probably my favorite part of the meal.
I will be back, but as a ribeye guy I will not be doing the sausages next time. I think I’ll just stick to the steaks.

The food was amazing, the service was amazing, and the drink selection was good.
Food:
App– Lobster Clam Chowder — They added some spices to give it a kick, but it was a super rich flavorful chowder. I like my soups this style so it was good. But it was definitely beyond rich.
Dinner — We did the 2 person platter which came with salad (ok) potatoes (awesome) skirt steak (very ender) rib (only two pieces but WOWOWWOWOOW) and sausaces (blood…was…not…very good).
Sides — Caramelized Onion — so ridiculously good.
Service:
We showed up about 15 minutes before Ox opened and there was already a line. However we waited in the bar and got seated by the time doors open. Staff was all amazing especially our server. She was super friendly, attentive and just made the experience awesome.
Drinks:
They had San Diego’s Alesmith Speedway Stout. Enough said.

This place came highly recommended from our Portland friend — we had tried to get a table for dinner on our first night in Portland but was, sadly, turned down since we didn’t plan ahead and walked in during dinner rush hour. The following day, we followed our friend’s advice and semi-​starved ourselves so we could head over here for a super early dinner to minimize wait time.
We made the first wave and was seated right when the dining room opened for service. Our waitress was very nice and attentive the whole night. We didn’t want to eat way too much since we didn’t eat much the whole day, so we decided on one entrée (grass-​fed Uruguayan beef ribeye) and some sides to share (smoked marrow bone, sauteed mushrooms/​foie gras, & the house seasonal salad that had a Mediterranean take on it).
The sides were absolutely amazing but I had the biggest problem with the steak. It came basically looking raw (even though we had asked for medium rare) and I immediately felt distraught and couldn’t really bear eating another bite from the steak. We asked the waitress to take it back for longer cooking — she tried to explain that it should look more red than usual because of the nature of the meat but we weren’t convinced since I literally was chewing on the steak nonstop since it just didn’t feel like it was digested enough to swallow. We finally got it back from the kitchen but it returned fully cooked to well done (even though we had asked for medium rare).
We ended up finishing the steak anyway since you can’t «un-​cook» a steak. We were left very disappointed and not sure if we will be returning again.

This place was on my list from before I moved to Portland. When I surveyed multiple people at work, it was pretty much unanimous that this was where I should have my birthday dinner! I was totally satisfied with my choice. My friend and I met here at 6 and only had to wait a few minutes to get a spot at the bar. This was great because we could watch the magic happening at the pit! Everything that we got was amazing, from the old fashioned, to the butternut squash soup amuse bouche, the dunganess crab bruschetta, skirt steak with chimichurri, carrots with chèvre and pistachios and brussels sprouts. I was initially going to order the brisket, but the waitress informed me that it was more fatty than traditional briskets, so this was very much appreciated. Do yourself a favor, and go here!

One word: chimichurri! The green delicious sauce that you can dip with anything! Well mostly bread and steak. I could fill up on just the bread with chimichurri, but there also other delicious foods to have. Please do yourself a favor and order the clam chowder with fresh clams and marrow bone. The soup comes with marrow bone, you scrape the contents of the marrow bone into the soup. It is the most delicious soup ever created! We also had the ribeye, which was perfection! Next time I want to try the grass-​fed Argentinian ribeye-​which is leaner than regular marbled ribeye. We did not care for the mitake mushroom with sea salt — but then again it could be the type of mushroom, but it tasted a little too earthy for my taste. Other dishes include: The potatoes were crisp and tangy! The salad we had was not really worth it, maybe we ordered the wrong kind. It was just buttered lettuce some crostini slivers and creamy dressing. I would like to go back and order some other sides and maybe I’ll pick all winners next time! But the soup will be ordered for sure! ! Also the service was great !!
Fresh oysters! yum!
And they don’t do rsvps. Do go on the weekday!

Like so many have said, Ox is a Portland gem and a real treat. This was on my bucket list in my entire time in Portland (a measly 3 months) and I’m so glad I was able to go. It’s quite pricey, so it wasn’t somewhere I wanted to go alone, like my usual restaurant rendezvous. I dragged two girls there with me (well, didn’t have to try to hard to convince them) and here’s a recap of our night:
— There were only 3 of us and we still waited over an hour for a table. Waited happily though. They have a neat, rustic bar they own right next door. It’s pretty neat because you walk outside to get to it. There you’ll find a typical bar like atmosphere on crack — there’s a guy shucking fresh oysters for ya, a beautiful bar and a place to take a seat, relax, throw your hands back, and have some drinks before your table is ready. We did so. I had the Pillow Fight with White Rum, Campari, Elderflower syrup, grapefruit and ginger beer. I’m a sucker for grapefruit drinks and Moscow Mules are my jam, so gingerbeer was a lovely addition. My friend had the Ox Blood, made with beet syrup — it was interesting to say the least. Kind of bitter — not my favorite. All this to say they are pretty creative for their cocktails. We also got some oysters to share. They come with three difference sauces and are DELICIOUS.
— Once we were seated, we went crazy with deciding on food and wine. They actually have a few pretty delicious wines for $ 30 to $ 35, which is quite reasonable. We ended up having two bottles — I believe we had the Spanish Grenache. Very good and delicious with all the meat.
— Now for the crux of the meal — we split the Asado Argentino (meat plate with short rib, house chorizo and morcilla sausage, skirt steak, sweetbreads, and the most amazing fried potatoes I’ve ever had). We also split the grilled eggplant plate, the baked house ricotta with grilled bread and the spaghetti squash. YOu guys — I was the fullest I’ve ever been in my life but it was such a happy day.
— My favorite was the spaghetti squash, go figure! It was SO GOOD with lots of melted goat cheese, garlic and lemon. Sometimes, the simpler the better. The eggplant was a little more charred than I would prefer — I loved the idea with tahini and pomegranate — genius combination. I would have liked it to be a little softer so I could taste allll the flavors. I still ate them all anyway.
— The MEAT — um amazing. I’m more of a veggie connoisseur than a meat one, but they were all so perfectly cooked with SO much flavor. Especially the short rib. And the skirt steak. I died and went to heaven.
— AND THEN, we still ordered dessert, because it was one of my fine friend’s birthdays. This was seriously one of the best desserts I’ve ever had, and I’m a sweet fanatic. We got the Tres Leches with vanilla bean cake, roasted banana and cocao nib ice cream with little banana chips on top. I kind of hoarded it because it was so good.
All in all, we spent 3 – 4 hours at Ox. Make time for it and go for a special occasion because it is truly a dining experience that you don’t want to miss. The service is absolutely impeccable. I think our waiter’s name was Eric? and he was so on top of everything that I wish I could have him for every meal of my life.
Thanks Ox for the wonderful experience for this foodie and Registered Dietitian to be. I hope to return someday soon!

I came to Ox for their clam chowder, which Willamette Week brands as one of Portland’s 12 «Food Wonders.» I’ve eaten a lot of chowder over the years but never had it served with clams in the shell and with a piece of bone split to expose its marrow. The results were delicious. Harry tasty.
I also ordered some meaty beef ribs served with Argentenian chimichurri sauce. They were spectacular and the sauce was superb.
A couple seated next to me at the bar struck up a conversation and shared some of their food with me. The chorizo sausage was excellent while the blood Morcilla sausage is an acquired taste.
The staff was friendly and attentive.
While a bit spendy, Ox is perfect for a special occasion or when you want to splurge. Great place.

Time sure flies and after a little over two years, I finally made my way back to Ox. And Ox, you took full advantage of your second chance. You’ve redeemed yourself.
Being used to extended wait times at many of my favorite Portland restaurants, the adorable Whey Bar that sits several steps behind the restaurant entrance is a great way to spend the wait. It’s dimly lit and had good music in the background, very easy for conversation. After a short wait, the evening began with an amuse bouche and a Netarts Bay Oyster with a thai flavored oil. Then followed by the creamiest and most satisfying Baked House Ricotta.
Our server was attentive, the dinner courses came out in perfect succession. Next up, a Sauteed Mushroom and Foie Gras dish. I had to be alone with the first bite, at least in my own head. The table was momentarily quiet in thorough enjoyment of this dish.
This Unilocaler is a proud carnivore and the Asado Argentino for Two… mind blown. Four bold tastes to tempt you. Each were tender, having their own unique flavor and yet all worked well together on one plate. Braised Short Ribs, Skirt Steak, a House Chorizo and the highlight for me… Morcilla Sausages. Not to forget, the Sweetbreads were a delicate and tender inclusion.
With no room for dessert, we happily departed with our left over Asado Argentino. Which by the way, made the BEST hash the next day.

Some important things:
–no resys so arrive early and grab a drink next door at The Whey Bar while you wait
–when it says it’s $$$, it’s really $$$ — pricey, pricey
My sister and I had an early dinner here. Space is nice and open, seats are a little close together, so I can’t imagine how long it gets when it’s a full house.
We ordered the following:
–smoked clam chowder, smoked bone marrow, spring onion + jalapeño ($ 14): Broth was smokey and unlike any other clam chowder I have ever taste. The addition of the jalapenos gave the broth a kick. That alone should have been enough. I felt the addition of the smoked bone marrow didn’t really add any depth or layer to the dish — it didn’t melt into the broth, but instead, you are simultaneously eating marrow and clams. Nice combination? But again, only added intrigue rather than flavor.
–smoked beef tongue en vinagreta, horseradish, ensalada rusa, topped with sweetbread croutons ($ 14): This plate was substantial. Beef tongue was divine. Thinly sliced, it soaked in the smokiness. The toppings added a nice texture to each bite. Favorite dish of the night — order this if you like beef tongue.
We also ordered the asado argentino for 2 (grilled short rib, house chorizo & morcilla sausages, skirt steak, sweetbreads) — $ 70. The order came with a side of their potatoes and a green salad. If you’re tight on stomach space, you should order this dish because it gives you a good sample of what they’re known for –meats. Favorites: shorts rib, the blood sausage, and skirt steak. Good flavors and textures in each cut of meat.
Dinner was expensive — $ 112 with the addition of 2 drinks, but well worth it if you’re looking for a good, fine meal.

WOW!!! SO DELICIOUS!!!
All the steaks were AMAZING! Even the fish was seared to perfection! The tripe appetizer was incredible! They gave us complimentary cream soup, which was very rich but super flavorful! I’m running out of good words to describe the food at this place!
I’m a huge fan of this place! I love the food here! There’s only a couple of cons to this place.
1. There is an incredibly LONG wait to get seated.
2. The food is EXPENSIVE! Expect to put a dent in your wallet.
3. I can here to celebrate a friend’s birthday and they didn’t offer anything special for my friend! Only a little candle on a dessert that we had to pay for! If we didn’t buy a dessert he would have gotten nothing! :(
Otherwise, I’m a huge fan of this place! Can’t wait to come back!