Sunshine Tavern

Sunshine Tavern joins the ranks of «places I love because they have a maragarita slushie machine.» Their concoction is admittedly strong and less sweet than I typically like, but it is a formidable margarita, and for that I am grateful.
They serve a totally respectable pizza, especially their squash and Brussels sprouts version with garlic oil and gooey cheese. The only downside I have experienced on a couple of occasions here have been children, running around the shuffleboard table and entirely unaware of the «indoor voice» concept. I maybe wouldn’t mind so much if this place had a singing rat and whack-​a-​mole. They don’t.
Solution: See paragraph one above.

I am giving two stars because of the food. The food is expensive and quite honestly very poor. I ordered nachos. On their menu the price states 13 dollars for a small and 16 dollars for a large. When asked how big they are and if a small is big enough for two people to share the response was, «they are the same size except the large comes with our homemade salsa and the small does not». Hmmmmm, in my world of ordering nachos salsa ALWAYS comes with them. They also were NOT nachos. My friends gravy was horrible. The waiters were very nice but the people that go are typical hipsters that have taken over Portland. No thanks. Won’t be going back.

Oh my god the food is so so so good! Like way too good. Like mouth wateringly great! My company rented the place out for our holiday party and it was amazing. The fried chicken is so moist you could not believe. Also… Hands down the best Brussel sprouts I’ve ever eaten. Basically everything that I put in my mouth was incredible. Their cocktails were also insanely amazing too. Everything was amazing. Eat here.

Nice atmosphere, great service, varied and unique menu, and decent beer & cocktail selection.
My friend and I started with the brussel sprouts as an appetizer. Which were the MOST DELICIOUS brussel sprouts I’ve ever had. Ever. I could eat them every day!
We then shared a monte cristo sandwich & fries between us. It was a good call to share it, because it was a large portion. The monte cristo was tasty, especially with the marionberry jam, but I prefer a better bread-​to-​meat ratio in my sandwiches. WAY more bread than meat/​cheese/​filling in this one.
I’d give 5 stars for the brussel sprouts alone, but gave 4 stars due to the cocktail my friend ordered — it was *tiny* for $ 9, and then there’s the aforementioned bread-​to-​meat ratio issue.
I’ll certainly be going back, because I must have the brussel sprouts again.

Prices have gotten insane! $ 7 for a cup of frozen yogurt you get for free at most family restaurants. $ 7 dollars??? Oh yeah, and that’s how much the chips and salsa are as well.

Cool tavern vibe and food was creative yet total ‘comfort’ style yummy.
For Sunday Brunch the two of us shared the MonteCristo, Fries, Brussel Sprouts, and Pancake.
Sounds pretty basic… but each were done so well… it was decadent.
The MonteCristo is deep friend with an egg on the side. Brussel Sprouts are cooked in mint, chiles, and a good bit of butter. Pancake with chunks of dark chocolate.
I’m usually a bit of a health nut… so the only reason I don’t give it 5-​stars is that they make it impossible to go there and not be ‘bad’… but this was worth falling off the wagon for!

Was looking for a nightcap and came here since it was close. Prompt service off the bat, then the server went outside and took his sweet time coming back which made us feel ignored. Ordered a couple cheap canned beers with our friends. $ 3 for an artsy 16oz can of beer is tough to beat. Played shuffleboard — give them your ID to get the goods — and lost on the last damn slide. Everything was just so-​so, nothing really stood out. Felt like a place you wind up at, not a place you choose to go.
I noticed the couple next to us ordered a ton of food and didn’t eat much, which could mean something.

A «tavern» with gratuity! We came with a group (5 separate tabs) 4 of us left and closed our tabs. our friends who were the last to leave were stuck with a $ 27 gratuity. All the while everyone closing out before hand tipped well over 20% gratuity (we’ve all been in the service industry!!!) No one was notified of the gratuity by our server when we closed out. The managers response was unprofessional and ultimately made me feel obligated to write this review. We won’t be back. Get off your high horse sunshine!

What can I say about this place!!! If your majority of your menu is FRIED, then of course — it will taste AWESOME right? Then you checked out their food prices and you’re thinking to yourself, «Ohhhh man, I bet they give you LOTS of food for what they’re charging!!!» immediately feeling excited…
So I asked our waiter what is good here. He immediately told me two things: 1) Fried chicken with Waffles or 2) Fried Chicken with biscuit. Well, heck… if their TOP 2 items is Fried chicken… well — how can I mess it up? Thinking to myself, «I’m so lucky!!!»
Finally, I decided on the Spicy Chicken waffles. When it arrived, I literally lifted my plate up to see maybe there are other pieces of chicken stuck underneath the plate. You figure for $ 15, I better be getting half a chicken (from neck to half of the butt line)… WRONG!!! Just two tiny itsy dark meat. Could it be Cornish hen they’re using? Disappointed with the amount of food, I used my knife and cut into the chicken. GREASE & OIL came charging out. I was only able to eat one chicken piece because I immediately felt so gross. When I got home, I felt so ill. I couldn’t sleep as I was constantly feeling a pint of oil and grease just sitting there at my throat!!!
Also, if you come here with 6 or more people. On their menu it says they charge 18% gratuities, but when the bill came. They put 20% which we confronted our waiter and he acted as if we were being CHEAP by saying if you have an issue I can change it back to 18%. And I never really understand this «FORCE» gratuities. It’s not like the service was «OUT OF THIS WORLD»… It’s principle so I am damn sure never to come back here.

Nacho week? More like Nachos WEAK! (See what I did there? Clever, I know. You’re welcome.)
We went in there a few days ago and got the nachos. It was a small portion, anchored by what may have been their house made take on Doritos. Glop on a small spoonful of carnitas, a dollop of sour cream, cheese, and some sliced serranos. $ 12 bucks, please, plus $ 3 for some average salsa. Really, shouldn’t nachos just come with salsa?
It’s annoying how they nickel and dime you on things most restaurants would just throw in as part of the dish, like their «spicy lacquer» for chicken for 2 extra bucks. Overpriced and underwhelming.
(Except for the gravy fries. Just get the gravy fries.)

Great ambience, and the server was amazing. I really liked the food we ordered– burger with fries and gravy. The sever advised us of that. I often ask for RC cola and was shocked when he said– «1 royal crown cola coming right up». Pretty blown away! Cant wait to come back to this place.

Sunshine is a good choice for world-​class new American cuisine if you are in the mood to wear shorts and and a tee to dinner. For this review, it would probably save me time if I listed what ISN’T good at Sunshine: nothing. Double-​negatives aside, I’ll list out some of my favorites. Spicy chicken sandwich is incredible. Pork sausage sandwich is Oktober-​tastic. And the chicken and waffles may be some of the best in Portland, which speaks volume in a town that is known for its great C&W joints. Lastly, the bartenders mix up some mean concoctions. Frozen margaritas are STRONG, so make sure you have a cab lined up if you plan on drinking more than two.

Had large group of bicyclists and so we needed a nice spot that accommodated nearly ten bikes. Attended by two nice servers and food arrived promptly. Aroma of juicy fried oyster and fresh fries with peels made my mouth water. It was my first time I ate a whole burger — I was full but didn’t want to stop! Buns were soft and veggies had white dressing combined with crunchy texture that just made each bite little different. Aside from few fries everyone completed their meal. Clean plate is a good sign! Soda also contained blueberry pieces and it was more tart than sweet. Everything was top notch! Music was little loud as we were right next to a speaker but many nostalgic songs played and it didn’t inhibit out ability to converse. I’m coming back for biscuits and gravy next time! :)

I’ve driven and walked by this place quite a few times previously. Then the other day I was starving for lunch and I wanted poutine. So I searched Unilocal for poutine and Sunshine Tavern popped up.
The inside is smaller than I thought it was but it was really open. Looking at the menu, I already knew what I wanted. Gravy fries and chicken and waffles. This meal was delicious. The chicken had a spicy glaze to it which was nice as the waffle was sweet. The waffle had a surprise in the middle and I thought that was awesome! The gravy fries were perfect, I could’ve just had a meal where I ate gravy fries.
The staff was extremely nice and it was a really relaxed environment. Always refilled our waters and checked in at the right times.
I’ll definitely go back for my gravy fries and chicken and waffles craving.

It’s probably not fair to base a review on one experience
But I’m going to do it anyway.
My girlfriend and I went to Sunshine a while back. It wasn’t bad. My fried chicken sandwich was good, a solid 4 stars. Her burger was way too salty, maybe a star and a half. The service was ok but the bartender (we were seated at the bar) was a bit distracted, talking to some folks he knew.
All of that was forgivable so we gave it another shot. Nightmare! We were seated right away. The service was good, the food was bland.
But what really killed this review were the 10 or so kids in the place who were completely out of control. My god. Had their parents tricked them into thinking they were at a Six Flags? They were running around like it was fucking recess. This is not an exaggeration. They were like farm animals, bumping into tables, sneezing over other people’s food, etc. This is not how we conduct ourselves in a civilized society, friends and neighbors.
I don’t hate kids. I have one of my own! But when she was little, she was taught to sit in restaurants and run in plagrounds. Do I blame the parents? Yes! If your kids can’t sit still and you don’t have the nuts to tell them to, there is a place just for you. It’s called Chuck E. Cheese. Do I blame Sunshine? Absolutely! Set some boundaries for how humans act in your place, folks.
If I got drunk and started running around your bar like some goddamn lunatic, you’d throw me out! But shave off 30-​some years and I’m just a kid being a kid? Come on.

We went here while waiting for our table at pok pok, but after all really wish we ended up just staying here.
The place is just cool with cool staff. Drinks are good; we didn’t order food as we were waiting for our dinner reservation.
All in all, place worth visiting for fun.

I wish I could say I’ve had multiple dishes here and can provide a well-​rounded review
I cannot.
I am SO addicted to the crispy oyster sandwich here that there is almost nothing else I can think about from the time its deliciousness pops into my brain to the time I walk into the doors of Sunshine Tavern. It is amazing: the perfect balance of oyster and fennel on a nice fluffy bun. It is so craveable.
Sunshine Tavern changed my perception of ‘tavern’ which I usually associate as a dimly lit dive bar that serves food. This is, in fact, a restaurant with excellent food. It has a small bar, a perfecty quaint number of tables and great local beers to choose from. They also have a very knowledgeable and accomodating staff that will put on the Blazers games when requests come in — and as long as someone else isn’t already watching something else.
Luckily, for this reviews sake, I’ve been in the company of others who’ve ventured outside of the oyster sandwich (and who are comfortable sharing).
The squash /​pear /​blue cheese /​brown butter pizza is also very very good. Though it may sound like an odd combination, the ingredients go very well together and leave you feeling satisfied and excited for trying something new and loving it so much.
Another craveable dish (that I’ve had the chance to try through the hands of others) is the fried egg sandwich with arugula, cheese and spicy pickles and is a great recommendation for lunch if you’re not feeling oysters.
I did not like the fries with the gravy all over them — they were too just too much. I’d recommend the regular fries or a side salad instead.
The only other qualm: sometimes we want to eat there at 10 or 11 but have to wait until noon for it to open.
Sunshine Tavern is one of my favorite casual restaurants in all of Portland.

great service and lovely portlandy atmosphere! but.
maybe we just ordered the wrong kind of food. overall it was wayyy too greasy. (including fries)
i woke up feeling like… grease…
we had the chicken n waffles and monte crisco? which is basically a deep fried thanksgiving dinner. in a sandwich form… it was interesting… but soo heavyyy.
and their prices were a bit on the high side. chicken n waffles for $ 15? ehhh.

Great lunch at Sunshine Tavern!
We went to lunch today with a fellow Portland friend, returning to Sunshine Tavern on Division. We were seated immediately by a very friendly young man. We were the first to enter as the resturant opened at noon, but filled up quickly soon after we arrived. (reservations not accepted). The Crispy Oysters were «other worldly!» Our friend and my wife had hamburgers which were perfectly cooked, as were the delicious French fries. Nice bar and beer selection, casual ambience, great wait staff!

I love this place and you should too! The skirt steak and salad are cooked to order,
the place is welcoming and casual but they have killer drinks and great food. You can bring children, or not and it is one of those rare establishments that exudes comfort and caters to all ages without being pompous or intimidating. The wait staff have been kind, prompt and genuinely care about your experience (or else they’re really talented sadistic liars but I doubt it) so go and fight for that parking spot and have some wine and free shuffleboard.