Rose’s Deli & Bakery

Really disappointed. Rose must be dead. If not she would sue these people for calling themselves by her name. She made thick juicy delicious sandwiches. These guys must make a profit. Everything is skimpy from the thin sliced toasted not grilled bread to the paper thin meats. Really was looking forward to a real deli sandwich. Safeway or Albertsons could do better. Sorry this review was for the wrong address. The one on 5^th and the Vancouver one deserve this – the one on 23^rd was better

I had a blt it was really good the Bacon was cooked perfect. It could have used more Bacon I took all the Fixings off ½ and put it in the other ½ and it was perfect.
To bad they are no longer at this location

My husband used to take me to Rose’s back when we first got married and they had more locations around town. I was not from here, so it was novelty to get to see the giant sandwiches and cakes.
A few years ago, we went to this location and the food was just okay, we’d ordered sandwiches, coleslaw and potato salad, both were very warm, and we didn’t come back until today. We went in strictly for a sugar high. We got our fix all right. We hit them about 45 minutes before they closed, they were still busy. I got the orange creamsicle cake and my husband got the lemon roll.
The guy waiting on us was great. My husband was joking around with him asking if he was getting the last piece of the day and was it stale and was it discounted? We were all laughing, but when he brought it out to us, he told my husband he knocked $ 2 off the $ 5.99 price because it was the last piece. It always tastes better discounted.
Like sugar junkies getting our fix, we dove in. The orange cake had the perfect orange flavor and it had the perfect amount of icing. You want a fix, not an overdose. you have to live to fight another day.
The only bad thing I might say about Rose’s is the place was kind of dirty. It looked like it was in dire need of a good sweep and mop. The bathrooms were very dirty.
It is amazing what good cake will make you overlook, because I’d go back for more of that cake and I am not a dessert eating person. Good thing they are far from the house.

The food: I love the banana cake here to death! It’s the best banana cake I have ever had and for the last five years, my family and I have ordered the cake from here for our birthday celebrations. Unfortunately though, I believe the price of the cake doubled in price the last time my little cousin tried to order for her birthday and for the size and price, the utilities dwindled. This is minus 1 star. I have sat in and tried the other deserts and food on the menu and it was a 3.5÷5
The location: It’s a great location if you can find parking but most the time, I’m usually parking about 5 blocks from this place and this is after circling around for 15 minutes.
Anyhow, this place is a small business and I want to see it stay around forever — but I hope they would fix the pricing for ordering a full size cake.

They seemed a little swamped while we were waiting for a table, and the table we ultimately sat at was in the middle of an aisle, so people kept walking past, but the fish and chips were super tasty and the hash browns really hit the spot. The rum ball was good, too. Definitely worth a stop if they aren’t too busy.

I really want to like this place. I really do. I used to. Very much. Now… not so much. Over the years this went from my favorite all time deli, to my okay breakfast spot when Beesaws is slammed, to my only get the Rueben deli.
I came here today for the Traditional Pastrami Reuben. I’ve had it several times here, and though it’s not my favorite Reuben in PDX (the Old Virginia Café was) I hoped it would fit the bill. Not so.
I don’t know if my order got lost or what, but my Reuben came out SOGGY! not just a little soggy… the bottom of my sandwich was as if it had been soaked in water. I“m sorry but that is just gross…
I tried to get the attention of our server, but the place was slammin’ busy, so I just shrugged and took off the bottom layer… very disappointed. The Pastrami itself was lean and tasted fine, but not as much meat as there used to be in a Rose’s Reuben, and about half the amount as shown in their menu photo.
I took a photo of said sandwhich, but unfortunately from the angle I took it you cannot see how paper thin the dark rye got as the result of getting soooo soggy… I’d go back again to recreate the experience, but I’d rather not…;P
On a good note, the potato salad was very good. Funny, because my server tried to talk me out of it ??
p. s. 30 minutes later, and I’m sick as a dog :((

I guess this is a chain in Portland. I wanted to have breakfast in the Alphabet District, so I took the Portland Streetcar to NW 23^rd Avenue. After perusing the neighborhood, I was surprised that there were few places open for brunch on Sunday morning. The place that stuck out to me was Rose’s, so I headed inside.
As with the moniker, it is a deli slash bakery. Décor is kind of like Broadway meets 1950’s styling. Fare is standard American classics with a few New York deli style items thrown in like matzo ball soup. Of course, the bakery is a big part here. There are some gorgeous cakes along with an okay selection of other goodies like brownies and cookies.
But I was here for breakfast. Pretty standard breakfast menu here. I decided on the corned beef hash plate ($ 7.99) which comes with toast, potatoes and two poached eggs. I got coffee to accompany.
Service is nice and friendly. Though I wished the breakfast was a little better. The corned beef hash plate was fine. It was not really hash though. More like corned beef chunks. It threw me because I got confused initially if I was given the wrong order because corned beef sort of looks like ham. The order was right, but it was not like I expected. Still, prices are reasonable here and the food is fair.

I came here for a breakfast. It was sub-​par. I didn’t enjoy any of it. Bland food prepared without joy.
It says that this place has been around for a long time. They did a very poor remodeling job sometime in the near past, so its hard to tell for sure. They tried to give the place a 1950’s feel, but its very generic.
Like the food and atmosphere, the service was blasé. I would skip this place if I were you based on my breakfast experience. Its definitely not going to be open for another 50 years based on what they’re serving up now.

Holy crap, those are some huge balls.
Seriously, I’ve never seen such huge matzo balls in my life, and I grew up with Jewish food. If I didn’t know they were made out of matzo dough, I’d think someone injected steroids into them. size of your fist! Upon first sight, I was in love.
As normal, regular matzo ball soup, it was good. It was very salty, but I like that. I was a bit bummed because there was nothing else in it. no other vegetables or fun stuff, just the huge whopping balls and the broth. It came with a roll and crackers though, so definitely carb heaven in a huge serving.
Also got the pastrami fries which were incredibly yummy. Sauerkraut, pastrami, and thousand island covered well-​cooked french fries. an idea I had never come across. Delicious.
Service was cute, friendly, and prompt. No problems there. seated right away, all that good stuff.
I lol’ed at Neil W’s review, comparing the décor to Denny’s and an 8 year old girl’s bedroom. he’s kind of right. When I first walked in here, I had this unsettling feeling of doom. The décor isn’t cozy or welcoming at all. Though I liked the service, I’ll probably get my order to-​go next time.
The menu really does look extensive and awesome, though. I’ll definitely give it another go. but there are about 26 more Jewish delis around the area I am going to try first.

went here for dessert after a wonderful Valentines Day. (Yes, it took me a few weeks to get to writing this review) We walked in and were seated right away. Hubby wanted something before dessert — so he ordered up a plate of Ruben French Fries. (Basically everything that is on the sandwich is on the fries… I have never seen this before) He liked them ok — but commented that they were very salty. I ordered a slice of the Banana Cake… it was great… if you like banana bread this is a shoe in. Prepare for a HUGE DESSERT. Hubby ordered a slice of the Orange Creamcicle Cake… I stole a bite and let me say this — IT WAS AMAZING!!! ORDER THIS CAKE to eat there and then order another slice to take home and rub all over you — it is A-​Freaking-​Mazing.

Rose’s Deli & Bakery serves very home-​style food with very generous portions. The service is great and the food comes out very quickly. The menu is huge with so many things to choose from. They have a big selection of deli sandwiches and such, but I thought I’d try the house specials. For appetizers, there was one thing that caught my eye. Move over pollo asada fries, you’ve got competition! I loved the pastrami fries here. I would never think to top off fries with Swiss cheese, pastrami, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing, but it works.
For lunch, I got the stuffed cabbage rolls with a side of the matzo ball soup for only $ 2 more. I’ve always wanted to try this soup because I’ve always been curious about the matzo ball in it. Well now I know, it is more about the soup and less about the egg-​like matzo ball. It was quite delicious, but portion was huge so I ended up finishing less than half. The cabbage rolls were steaming hot, but the meat was a little bit hard overdone. The best part of the meal was actually the side of mashed potatoes and vegetables. It wasn’t as much about the mashed potatoes as it was about the gravy. It was more on the gelatinous side, but very savory and crazy delicious. I ended up eating all of the gravy and leaving the mashed potatoes when I was full. I also have to rave about how delicious the steamed vegetables were. Never had I had such delicious broccoli. It was so flavorful, but then I realized the secret. After I scarfed down all the vegetables, I saw the golden yellow pool of melted butter. Ah, butter makes everything better.
After I was done, I was way too full to try any dessert or anything from the bakery. There were way too many things to try at this place and too little time (and stomach space). I was pretty tempted to get the all-​you-​can-​eat fish and chips on this Thursday, but I resisted. Oh, I did try the strawberry lemonade and it is on par with the freckled lemonade from Red Robin.

I wish I could say «this is the best deli ever!» because I want to. It’s not. I love the matzo ball soup and the sandwiches aren’t half bad, but I am confused a little. It comes off like a NY deli and a Denny’s all at once. The décor SUCKS! Who ever came up with it should be fired. It’s like going into a 8 year old girls bedroom. They should have the best pastrami sandwiches in town, but they taste like the ones at QFC; good, but I want better than good. The meat is too thin. It needs to be thicker and not fried on the flat top grill, just warm. I would also like to see a half sandwich option. I want matzo ball soup and a pastrami sandwich.
This place has potential, but refuses to grasp it!

I really like this place and have found it to be the perfect place to take my family when they come to visit. Kid friendly, inviting atmosphere with good service. The kids like sitting near the counter so they can stare into the baked goods display cases.
The food is pretty decent… not spectacular but enjoyable non the less. I like the regular ruben and my Dad always gets the meatloaf sandwich that is good too. The BBQ Pork sandwich is good and I like to get the coleslaw, which is just ok on its own, but yummy when stuck it on top!
—-
This was a real gem for 23^rd :(

I’ve been to Rose’s twice. The food is average and the service wasn’t memorable. I think they could be awesome if they would just put some flavor into the food.
The matzo ball soup was pretty good, maybe a 4.1 out of 5.0

You know one of those overhyped places that people from the suburbs frequent on those «expeditions» they take into town? Well, this is that kind of place. The sandwiches here are mediocre at best. I could easily make what they have to offer in my own kitchen for less than $ 11.
Also, sitting outside is service demise, you get forgotten! The lovely thing about dining on 23^rd is to sit outside and people watch, but not if the wait staff forgets you exists, sad.
And the deserts are really disappointing. Especially since the cake slices are gargantuan but once you take a bite you realize that they’ve been sitting in that glass case for a few days, it’s a huge bummer.
Overall, Rose’s is a bit overrated and nothing to special, but if you want a simple sandwich, go for it.

I NEED a pastrami reuben. I become aware of this need the instant my eyes open, this particular day. I attempt to explain my suffering due to lack of Pastrami Reuben to HG, in my half-​incoherent state; he smirks at me. (Some day, O yes, this will happen to you, Goatness, and I will laugh cruelly at you. So there.)
HG drives. Visions of rich and tender pastrami mounded sky-​high, tart crisp sauerkraut, creamy Thousand Island dressing, crunchy toasted pumpernickel bread and gooey cheese dance across my sight. I drool. HG continues smirking. Heartless bastard.
Lovely smells waft across the black and white checked floor as we enter the Deli. Beautiful baked goods flutter their eyelashes at me from within the shining pastry case. I am immune to their charms; I smell PASTRAMI.
We request, and are granted, a table outside. I already know what I want, and tell the hostess so. HG chooses within a minute. We wait.
Eventually (i.e. not soon) our waitress arrives, bearing water, and asks us for a drink order; we give her one, and tell her we’d also like food, know what we want. She tells us she will return for the food order, and leaves. Time passes (more than I would have liked). My drink arrives. HG’s does not. We place our orders.
Lots of time passes. The water glasses get refilled, then we don’t see our waitress. I’m beginning to feel lonely. I enter the premises, and remind — someone — that HG’s drink never arrived. I go back outside.
HG’s drink arrives with the food. The water glasses have been empty for 15 minutes (it’s a warm day). I am suspicious that the outdoor tables are the Cheap Seats.
The Pastrami Reuben is not as sky-​high as I seem to recall it being, on a previous visit. It’s still a substantial sandwich, and mighty tasty. Crispy, chewy, juicy and deeply, densely, richly flavorful. I devour it to the last crumb. HG does likewise.
The water glasses have remained empty, and the salt of my gluttonous orgy is wiping me out. I head for the restrooms, wash gooey hands, drink from the tap. Then I return to the table to wait for the check.
We wait. The back of my neck is beginning to sunburn. I want to go home. I run out of patience and go inside to pay; run into our waitress on the way in. She gives us the check; I whip out the credit card and try to hand the guest check folder back to her, but she’s moved on. I return to the table and our previously scheduled conversation. The check disappears, returns… unchanged. No line to sign, no evidence of the credit card having been run.
I give up, leave cash, and exit the premises. The waitress is nowhere to be found. All that lovely, succulent meat, and no service. What a tragedy.

The server was friendly and helpful. The broccoli-​cheese soup was OK, but the salad was just about a boring as they get and rather small, especially for the price. I’m glad I didn’t order more, not because I was full or content, but because I hate spending money on mediocre food.
Friends and I used to go to the original Rose’s in the early 80’s. I have such fond memories of those times; the food was good, especially the desserts. Today was pretty disappointing.

Pretty decent diner food, but when I’m eating diner food I would prefer to be in a diner and not to be paying overpriced diner food.
The service is okay, but not great. The dessert look good, but one of the cakes looked really dry; can’t imagine how good that tastes.

This place was so commonplace and forgettable, I nearly forgot to review how poor of an experience it was.
Really, for what your getting it was terribly overpriced. Onion rings were the highlight of my meal, but everything else was either generic or soggy.
Wait was excessive considering the place wasn’t excessively busy. Our server was not impressive.
Definitely not even my 100^th choice for food in Portland of all places.
These guys needs to step up their game.

To Rose or not to Rose: A short analytical essay.
Rose’s has nice, spunky wait staff.
Rose’s has tables.
Rose’s has a turkey sandwich with one tomato and one leaf of lettuce.
Rose’s turkey sandwich costs $ 6.99.
Rose’s has checkered floors.
Rose’s has dessert.
Did you feel this review was good, but uninspired? That’s how I feel about Rose’s.