Poor Richard’s Restaurant

Poor Richards is closed? Dang. I ate here once. The french fries taste like fish! Tried to have a drink in the octogenarian bar once, but I seriously was the only one under 80 in the place, so I backed out slowly and went on my way. The whole business model is a throwback to a bygone era for NEW Holleywood. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.

What is the deal with this place. It feels like a time warp. The night that we went there was a big football game so we were one of two couples in the dining area. The lack of people made it feel extra strange. The food was OK but only OK. the portions were huge. There is a great fireplace in the dining area and the entire décor looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 60’s I think it caters to Much older people.

I have been going here for over a decade now, I recognized the servers. The restaurant is divided into two sections, the restaurant itself and the bar. I tend to go for the two-​fers of sirloin steak. I always order the hardy beef stew, it is very delicious. Complimentary garlic bread is brought to the table. My plate filled with fresh cooked green beans, rice pilaf, and steak. Towards the end we got complimentary ice cream with our meals with chocolate syrup on top.
The bar area has different alcohol daily specials; the drinks are cheap and good. I always enjoy myself here.

Been coming here since ’86. Same quality, quantity and service as always. A Puddletown Hollywood standard.

Poor Richards has closed its doors. A piece of history gone forever… gone the way of the Pagoda in NE Portland. Tony Starlight tried to work a deal out with Bank of America, but they couldn’t come to terms. Sad :(

Poor Richard, i think it’s time to change things up here. Improve your steak, drop your prices, or close shop and move on.
I came in for dinner with my father, he felt this place would be a nice place inside judging from what he saw on the outside. The place is fine, if you’re looking for the old way of doing steak. over cooking it, under seasoned, and plainly boring.
one of my biggest pet peeve is when i ask for medium rare and i get medium well. I would love to send it back if my server would have dropped by to ask. Instead i was sulking and eating my overdone beef. The price, and yes i am spoiled here but for 20 bucks i could get 3 steaks from a «questionable» place in town that actually makes it medium rare. And when they don’t do it, they actually take it back and get me another one.
If old fashioned way of having steak done is your kind of thing, go here. If you’re looking for something more exciting, there are plenty of places in town that can accommodate you.

Wanted to check this place out as I’ve driven by it many times. Looks old school with a «grandmas recipe» type of feel. Finally ate there and got the chicken pot pie, my wife got the «grilled tuna» sandwich. Also split the clam chowder and onion rings to try some different items.
The chicken pot pie was a one-​and-​done meal, one bite and I’m done. Not good at all, pretty much just gross. The tuna sandwich was far from grilled but not far from a can, pretty much like everything else we had. The fries were tasty but I will not be eating here again. I would go have some happy hour cocktails and fries though.
Honestly the worst meal I’ve had in like 10 years.

What can I say? I’m a sucker for an old school haunt. Sit me in a booth in front of a big ‘ol fireplace, show me a menu that has a «two-​fer» section, dinners come with salad, bread AND delicious soft-​serve ice cream, the baked potatoes come with one of those little condiment carry-​all things (sour cream, dried chive, etc.), they know how to properly cook a steak, and the service is REALLY good — I’m sold.
The lounge side is the place to be. A great place to catch a game (HUGE flat-​screen that’s easily viewable from every seat in the lounge) where you won’t be bothered a typical ‘game-​watching’ crowd, you’ll be able to get a great meal at a great value and maybe even a martini or two made by a guy who’s made more than a martini or two in his life.
Please, Poor Richards, don’t ever leave me.

Dark, but friendly atmosphere. The waitress was chilling with some customers during midday lull, and the conversation and atmosphere felt like cheers. (people walk in and everyone knows their name). Come for the drinks or happy hour.

* If you want to go back in time, please step into Poor Richard’s.
* If you want affordable steak meals, order the Two Fer… your meal will come with appetizer, entrée, and soft serve ice cream. Mmmm…
* The best thing about Poor Richard’s is their Garlic breads. It’s delicious to the very last bite.
* Happy hour menu is pretty happy. The spinach salad with grilled chicken is the winner of the food menu. They also have drink specials daily.
* Service was good and they have fireplace in the bar area.
* Don’t expect five stars quality restaurant food here, just expect nothing, and Poor Richard’s will deliver a good solid meal.

I like Poor Richard’s because it reminds me of the family-​friendly restaurants my parents used to take us to when I was a kid, and I have fond memories of those times.
Hubby and I went here a few months ago for the 2FER tenderloin special, where you receive two complete steak dinners for a very low price. We both ordered the 6 oz. tenderloins, which came complete with a tossed salad (you can also choose soup or cole slaw), garlic bread, choice of starch (we ordered baked potatoes), coffee or tea and vanilla ice cream.
We were both very happy with our meals. The tossed salad was generously-​sized, very fresh, and came with a bunch of veggies, the garlic bread was yummy, our steaks were surprisingly good… nice cuts, and cooked perfectly, our baked potatoes were very good and came with all the fixins, we both had several cups of tea, and the vanilla ice cream was perfect for a light dessert. With a total bill of $ 28.95, plus tip for dinner, we could not go wrong.
Service was friendly and surprisingly attentive for a restaurant with such affordable prices.
As Poor Richard’s is a casual, family-​friendly establishment that serves good, home style American food at low prices, one cannot go here expecting a fine dining experience. If you enjoy a friendly, nostalgic dining experience, home style food, and a great deal, it is not likely that you will leave here disappointed.
The menu contains good old American fare… a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, salads, burgers, steaks, chicken and pork, and seafood options. The dinners (served after 4PM) are considered value meals as they come with your choice of starter, garlic bread, starch, coffee or tea and ice cream. There are a bunch of different 2FER specials to choose from… different sizes of steak, as well as chicken, fish and pork. Poor Richard’s also serves lunch.
Poor Richard’s has been here since the 50’s and the cozy interior has probably not seen much updating since it opened fifty or so years ago. To me, this gives it a nostalgic feel. In spite of its age and lack of remodeling, the restaurant is clean, well-​kept kept and very pleasant.
I enjoyed my time here and will surely return.

If you are a meat ‘n’ taters kind of person, this is the place. An old school, «Elk’s Lodge» kind of feel. Atmosphere family style; cozy, yet open.
General American menu — Steak & potatoes, or rice, salad, soup. They serve up only two soups, although both are daily. Hearty Beef & Vegetable, and their Clam Chowder is just plain awesome! They also have sides, appetizers, happy hour menu in the bar. Entrée’s other than steak are pork dishes, chicken, and seafood.
All the staff are friendly, so there’s not much I can say about this place other than always a positive experience. Once in awhile my steak is slightly more rare than I prefer (I like Medium Well), but generally always happy.
Rory, the bartender — what a sweet lady.

MG, I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this place. Great place to come with a friend for an old school steak dinner with all the trimmings. The «two-​fer’ steak dinners are amazing deals with salad, baked potato, garlic bread and, desert and tea or coffee… .amazing

I have been meaning to update for a long time. I planned and held my birthday dinner at this restaurant last week. Many people were committed to coming out to celebrate and I decided this place was the spot. We had a quarter of the restaurant to ourselves and away from other guests. About 16 – 17 people showed in total and the server we had took care of us very well.
Once I recognized what server we had, I knew we were in good hands since I have had him many times on previous visits. He was very patient with us as we waited for other guests to arrive. We just had drinks and socialized for about an half hour. Once the last of the guests arrived, we took our order. Here is a little tip: on the website, you can print a coupon for a free appetizer up to $ 5.95 value. Many of us had coupons printed out and the server knew we were getting separate checks. He honored the coupons with a smile and they were the first thing to arrive at the table.
Drinks were refilled promptly and once I mentioned to have garlic bread at the table, they arrived in no time. My friends and I munched happily on the addictive carbs. When the appetizers arrived, we were pretty impressed. The potato skins were not the typical ones made at other chain restaurants. These had mushrooms with cheese topped which I liked a lot. It was different. The onions rings were definitely improved too. The rings were thicker than they have in the past with a crisp bite to it. There was so much food on the table we didn’t know what to do with.
The soups and salads arrived next and we felt like we were treated to a multi-​course extravagant meal. The clam chowder is still creamy and not runny or bland. The hearty beef is also a popular choice too. The main entrees arrived and the sirloin steak was tender. I got mine medium rare and arrived the way I like it. I was definitely quiet for a few minutes while I devoured my plate filled with fresh cooked beans, rice pilaf, and steak.
Towards the end we got complimentary ice cream with our meals. Chocolate syrup definitely makes it more special. After the b-​day song and blowing out the candles, the server separated the checks with no hassle and we tipped him greatly. For as many people as we had in our group, the execution was flawless in terms of quality and service. Some of my friends were very impressed with the service and the food. They always tell me they drive by all the time but have never made it over here before. This old school restaurant is still one of my favorite places to go and as long as it exists, I will continue to support it.

Atmosphere is a subjective thing, but I think it’s safe to say the place has a kind of depressing feel to it. It seems that retired folks are their main customers.
My wife and I gave the place a few chances and each time we’ve been disappointed. It’s not that everything is bad, but rather so mediocre and bland. There is a remnant of a musty smell, as if the place was a big smoking establishment before the state ban. We’re not going to bother returning, there are too many really good places in the neighborhood to eat.

Good bang for your buck at this place. Can anyone say Two-​Fer? You can bet your bippy that I did and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Took Dad here for Father’s Day. What says Father’s Day like a steak and salad and vegetable and fries and vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and coffee or tea? Sure. Having a BBQ is always a good idea, but if you can get someone else to cook your steak for you, more power to you. We went that latter route.
We went with the 8 oz tenderloins on this trip. You can also get 4 or 6 oz cuts as well as sirloin in those portions as well. I was expecting a bigger piece of meat, but it was tasty. I also should have ordered mine medium rare instead of medium because mine was good at the beginning, but got a bit overcooked as I was eating it. Dad’s was nice and pink throughout. Next time I’ll go with my gut and hope that it is pinker and therefore juicier.
Service was good, décor was straight out of the 50’s. Place has been around since the 50’s so they’ve got that going for them.
A good place to go if you want a good meal at a good price and a side of nostalgia.

If you don’t find a soft spot for this place you are stiff just like their drinks.
A hotspot for local alcoholics and keno players at night, Poor Richard’s serves delicious eats along with libations.
The steaks are really good. I don’t know if it is because of the quality of the meat or the use of MSG, all I know is they taste damn good.
To really appreciate this place you have to let go of any pretentious tendencies. Close your eyes. Ask yourself: does this taste good. Answer: yes.
The décor is about 20 years back. The Ben Franklin theme is kitschy. But good is good, the service is reliable and the prices are fair. I always go here when I am up in town. Its nostalgic and delicious. Try the onion rings — really good. They also give you free garlic bread, its over buttered yummy and it flows freely.
Also this is the home of the two-​fer. Two steaks sold together at a reduced price. It may not impress your girlfriend but it saves money and fits right in with the old time feel of this place. This place is honest and consistent, old décor, stiff drinks, and the gimmicky two-​fer. I love it and you should too.

The year 1959:
–The United States formally recognizes the new Communist Cuban government of Fidel Castro
–The Barbie doll is introduced
–Alaska and Hawai’i are admitted as the 49^th and 50^th states in the Union, respectively
–The Saint Lawrence Seaway is opened by President Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II
–Poor Richard’s Pub & Restaurant opens on NE 39^th & Broadway in Portland, OR
The year 2009:
–Castro, though no longer the President, remains as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
–West Virginia Delegate Jeff Eldridge introduces a bill to «ban the sale of Barbie dolls and other dolls that influence girls to be beautiful» within the state
–Alaska and Hawai’i remain the last two states admitted to the Union; and the most recent presidential election pitted the AK governor vs a native son of HI
–Both the Saint Lawrence Seaway and QEII are still in operation; sadly Eisenhower passed away in 1969
–Poor Richard’s is still open in the same location, and not much has changed!
A half century is a long time to stay in business for a restaurant, especially when catering to the fickle tastes and trends of the day — in the past month I’ve tried to go to 2 restaurants in town, both of which were out of business (one had been open less than 6 months, the other less than 6 weeks!)
For a restaurant to stay in business for 50 years, they’ve gotta be doing something right — and what Poor Richard’s does right is a menu featuring hand-​cut steaks and straight forward, no frills American food on the cheap!
You won’t find tapas, Pan-​Pacific Fusion, foie gras, or tofu frittatas (vegetarians/​vegans, you’ve been warned) — but you will find sirloins, rib eyes, and tenderloins, as well as chicken breasts, salmon, and halibut fillets, accompanied with ‘taters (baked, mashed, french fried) or rice pilaf. They do have salads, fried fish and shrimp, and sandwiches and burgers — but don’t expect anything too exotic here — this is about as basic as it gets.
Un-​adventuresome though it may be, the execution is skillful, consistent, and reliable. Their steaks in particular are good cuts of bovine tastiness, cooked accurately as ordered, and come in a variety of portion sizes — all choices are available in 4/​6/​8/​12oz cuts.
All entrees also come with your choice of soup or salad, AND garlic bread (surprisingly good, even though it’s just garlic-​salty-​butter drenched then grilled white bread), AND a starch (pick potato or rice), AND cooked veggies or slaw, AND a soft drink, AND vanilla soft serve with chocolate syrup. DANG, that’s a meal!
And almost every entrée is available as a «Two-​fer» — where you and a companion order the same dish (prepared differently if you desire and with whatever accompaniments you want) for one discounted price ($ 35 gets you 2 x 8oz Tenderloins)!
Service is fast and fair; nothing fancy, but you will be taken care of. Depending on your age you’ll find the ambiance either reassuringly authentic, pleasantly (and unintentionally) kitschy, or horribly dated; I lean towards kitschy. The lighting takes a little getting used to as it is simultaneously dark and bright — dark as the inside of a cat above the fixtures that hang low above each table, blindingly bright bulbs if you look up into the bulbs hovering right above you.
There’s something charming about a place actually looks like what it is: a restaurant that opened up when I was negative-​sixteen years old, and likely hasn’t been redecorated since I was in pampers.
Poor Richard’s is an honest to goodness time capsule of a restaurant that serves really good food at really good prices. And they take care of their old drunks too, with house Martinis and Manhattans for only $ 3.75 (all hours) and some surprisingly decent draft beer options (Laurelwood, Widmer, Racoon Lodge, New Belgium, etc) for just $ 4.
But for some of the best deals on adult beverages, check Poor Richard’s out on Tuesdays when they serve $ 1 glasses of any wine in the joint!
Poor Richard’s is a Portland institution, that’s been doing things their way, without regard for trend or fad, since the Vietnam War started, and hopefully they’ll continue doing so long after the War on Terror ends.

Two-​fers.
It’s a bit like a step back in time, yes. But for Twenty buck for 2 steaks that are really quite good. you can’t go wrong, because you fill your belly, and live in the past when I eat there. But for people that are looking for a truly amazing dining experience, I would say stay way. Keep Poor Richards, Poor Richards. That’s why I like it. It has not changed in 20 years.

It was cold and I was hungry and driving around and came across Poor Richards.
I am still finding my favorite places in Portland, so I thought «lets go for it!!» The boyfriend had heard of it before but had never been.
Walking in was like a step back in time… but not in that classy way that you hope for but in a super tacky «we dont care about taking care of this place anymore» kinda way…
The waiter was not great… the only highlight was my martini. The whole thing just felt cheap.
Dont get me wrong, I love a greasy spoon or hole in the wall, but this place was lacking the charm and quality that is needed to make it actually good.
Overall, I was just really disappointed.