Trifecta Tavern

Four of us had dinner at Trifecta Tavern, so we got to taste a wide variety of their dishes. All of us loved the food! Yum! The service was great, too. The prices are reasonable for this type of upscale food. It was pretty noisy, but a real winner other than that.

Got there well before 5 on a Saturday and it was packed already. Two seats left at the bar though… yes please! Thank you.
Happy hour till 5. I usually don’t pay much mind to that but man, this hh seemed worth the slight rushed feeling in ordering. $ 6 cocktails (that might b about double $ otherwise) as well as lots of dollars off food… many choices too.
So…
We shared the double burger (got no cheese and sos), chicken liver toast, salad, deviled eggs and half doz oysters… man o man everything was delicious.
Bartender was so very personable and professional. Top notch guy, very attentive.
Pics might paint a prettier picture than my words in this review. We will go back to try other things. Top notch. Top.

I went back and forth on giving the Trifecta Tavern 4 or 5 stars, but went with 5 even though I wished I had ordered something else which I will explain later. That being said, this is definitely a 5 star worthy restaurant.
For starters the atmosphere is great for a date night, or going out with friends. It is a little darker throughout the restaurant, with the open kitchen kind of in the middle. Overall the restaurant is a little loud, but not so bad that you couldn’t carry on a conversation. I was really a fan of the setting and and style of the place.
Our server was great and right with us. She was able to give us great recommendations on the wine and food options. I definitely recommend getting the bread and butter to start. It is really good!
My wife ordered the cheeseburger, which is very unlike her at a place like this, but the description was amazing. I was going to order the same thing, but a the last second went with the mussels. The cheeseburger was AMAZING! My mussels were really good, but I the cheeseburger was so good that I regretted not ordering the same thing.
I definitely recommend the Trifecta Tavern! The atmosphere is great, prices are reasonable, service is amazing, and great food to boot! My kind of place!

I went for happy hour and was very impressed by the selection. Oysters, deviled eggs, a cauliflower salad I have been craving for weeks and great cocktail prices.

Nice atmosphere and edgy flavors but execution is slightly sloppy and lighting is a little too much on the dark side. Food is portioned slightly on the frugal side.

We were out of towners excited to eat here until we were rudely greeted by the host. The food was average at best but maybe that was after our greeting. Restaurant please hire someone that will reflect better on your establishment than the gentleman working the front at 6pm this Friday night.

The whole family went in for dinner yesterday and nothing was less than fantastic. Baked oysters, Old Fashion, even the bread and butter. Look forward to going back.

Had a great dinner last night. Ordered the pan seared cod with basmati rice and preserved lemon & pepper relish, and it was delicious!
Ended the dinner with pear & brown butter tart, and that too was awesome!
Nice ambiance, reservation suggested, though our wait was not too bad. The worst part is finding street parking!

Saturday night arrived without a reservation, was given a choice of 45 min wait for a table or 15 for the bar, so we somewhat reluctantly chose the bar as we were hungry. You know how you often have good beverage service but spotty food service at the bar? NOT HERE. We had the best service of any restaurant in Portland tonight from our bartender/​server Bryan. Take note Ken Forkish! You have a gem of an employee! Promptly got a lovely bread plate and an IPA and one of the seasonal cocktails. I knew we were in for a good night when Bryan answered our question about one of the cocktail ingredients by pouring us a taste and saying it would allow us to distinguish the different flavor notes in the cocktail better. Next great thing that happened: when we were having trouble deciding on dinner choices, he asked what else we had eaten that day, then deftly pointed us towards the menu items that would be most appealing. At other restaurants I don’t know that I’ve ever been asked what sorts of things I enjoy eating and never what I ate earlier in the day before the waiter made a recommendation. We got the roasted cauliflower, which was truly unique and complimented by radicchio, sour cherries and barley and some vinegar and aioli saucyness. Main courses were the special of the day cod with basmati rice and a lemongrass ginger seasoning, which was cooked really well (crispy and tender inside) and the pimento cheese double burger, which was possibly a bit too rich but delicious for the first 2/​3rds. Dessert was the pear tart with salted caramel and bourbon buttermilk ice cream. Other than the burger (might work better with a pickle side and a slice or two of butter lettuce to offset the fats), the dishes were all well balanced and interesting combinations of flavors. During our meal Bryan checked in regularly to see if it was all working, even overhearing us talk about the food to each other and offering to make it good if we weren’t pleased, or commenting on why the food combination worked, and offering interesting conversation to fill the gaps. People around us seemed to also be enjoying their food and drinks and the overall restaurant vibe was very congenial. The only negatives I would mention are the limited number of regular tables (a reservation would be a good plan if that is a priority but then you wouldn’t get Bryan as your culinary guide) and I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to someone on a gluten free diet. So saying, the staff was super helpful when I called a few weeks back about a friend who can’t eat gluten, going so far as to say that the prevalence of flour due to the bakery would make it risky. And oh you really do want to eat their baked items!
Thank you to Bryan for making our evening extra pleasant, thank you Ken for some careful taste combinations, and we will be back. Bonus points for being next door to a fun karaōke bar!

I really enjoyed my chef-friend’s referral to Trifecta when I was on a business trip in Portland. The neighborhood is a bit seedy for a single woman walking, but it’s Portland, so not so heavy. This hip, happening restaurant and bar had well-​prepared food and great cocktails. I love a drink that surprises me, and my mustached, tattooed, suspender-​and-​denim wearing bartender brought tears to my eyes (the good kind) with the two cocktails I ordered — one, a favorite of mine (Pisco Sour) and another that was an invention of the house. Great fun watching his care and precision in applying the flavors and even colors to the drinks. I had some simple eats including a salad and their roasted carrots which were perfection. I would go back again in a heartbeat. Hoping for another trip to P’land to enjoy it! Though I might get sidetracked by the karaōke next door…

¹⁰⁄₁₀
Had the best old fashioned and everyone working there is hot af. I love the layout/​interior design. Food was amaze ing, I plan to return and eat their dope burger.
PS Happy hour is awesome, get the oyster sliders

I had a very nice time here last night. The hostess was friendly and seated us (four of us) as quickly as possible. I saw her prepare the table for us, which for me showed me that she cared. We were seated very close to the front of the restaurant, near the front windows.
The complimentary bread was excellent, especially the walnut bread. We had two baskets of bread, and probably could have eaten another one! Super good.
I asked the server to give a recommendation for a not-​too-​sweet, but also not-​too-​bitter cocktail. She advised me to try the clarified milk punch (I think this was the name), and it was superb. It was one of the best cocktails I have had in a long time.
For my dinner, I ordered the lamb bolognese. Although I was full from the bread, I still was able to eat a bit, and it was quite good. My boyfriend had a beef sandwich and commented that it was rich, but he thoroughly enjoyed it and ate the entire thing. Our friends shared a crispy pork shank (which looked amazing– tender, fall off of the bone, tender) and a cauliflower dish, which they finished entirely. You know it’s good food when everyone is finishing their plates!
I would recommend this restaurant for a night out with friends, or even for a romantic date. The ambience was cozy and inviting. My server (I wish I remember her name) was efficient, kind and eager to give recommendations on what to try. I also like that a growler of water is left at your table; this is great for people like me, who drink a lot of water. Overall, I had an excellent time and I will be back– to try that pork shank and another cocktail from their menu.

Visited trifecta with a gift card from coworkers. The night’s specials included housemade burrata and tomato salad. So good, and absolutely beautiful. The bread and butter is divine. The star of my dinner was hands down the forest mushroom ravioli. Seriously one of the best dishes I have ever eaten in Portland. Service was fantastic and paced so well.

The Greatest Place! We’ve been in several times, even on busy nights, we’ve been able to get in. We often sit at the bar, we like the bar, so that’s ok with us. The bartenders have been fun, entertaining and yet knowledgable the food and drinks for the evening.
We’ve not had anything that didn’t exceed our expectations. Check out all of the pictures, the food is amazing. DON’T SKIP DESSERT!

We went here with a group which I don’t really recommend. Maybe 4 people tops, make sure they are cool with sharing plates because that is really what you need to do here.
I tried their flat bread and tuna on crackers (can’t recall the actual name of the tuna dish) and for my meal I had their double cheeseburger. All of it was delicious and worth the price. My friends had their baked oysters which I was told tasted great (they looked like they did.)
Not a great seating arrangement for our group of 8, just a little snug. The food was great though and the service was as well.
Dessert was shared with the birthday girl we took here. They did a rum cake, poured the rum on it in front of you. I’m not a rum cake fan, but as far as Rum cakes go, this takes the cake. Pun fully intended.
Also, they give yo a caramel with your tab. They make this in house and they are really, really good! Seriously, they are awesome.
Highly recommend for a date spot.

There are so many wonderful choices in Portland, and came to Trifecta on a recommendation of a local friend — with the instruction that the burger was not to be missed.
The space was lovely and stylish. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. We ordered the Summer Smash and the Kaffir Daiquiri — both were a nice pour of booze, and refreshing. For food, we decided to share everything and ordered a plethora of options. Overall, the food was good. Highlights: the ham & hot rolls (I think our favorite), the street corn, and the cauliflower. The bread and hand churned butter was delicious. The pickles, and cheese grits were good, but not great. We both agreed, the burger can be missed. The meat was good, the bun was good, but it was too much. It wasn’t bad by any stretch, but we wished we would have skipped the burger and tried the pimento cheese toast instead.
Worth a visit for sure.

Their burger is damn good. I’ve had far too many delicious burgers in town to not be easily impressed. But the combination of their soft, fresh bun, two perfectly cooked, delicious patties and pimento cheese, is rather delicious. Add to that the savory, spicy, crispy french fries with garlic and chili. Solid cocktail menu. The deviled eggs weren’t anything world changing though. For desserts, the blueberry buckle and the baba au rhum are absolute must haves.

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Trifecta’s food since they opened a while back. I get in about once every other month or so, and every time I dine here it’s pretty damn great. From atmosphere to food to service to drinks, it’s all good.
Ken Forkish is kicking ass with this establishment. The menu is full of fun smaller plates, a variety of proteins, some vegetarian options, and various tasty sides. It hits a sweet spot between offering a lot of diversity but not reading like an over-​thought novel. The mix of fish, land meat and veggies is at an almost perfect balance. And the flavors of the food match the menu descriptions. Some stand-​outs from past visits include the steak frites, pork shank, razor clams with Old Bayoli, and many various seasonal veggie dishes. And you’d be crazy to skip the house-​made bread and house-​churned butter.
The drinks are top notch as well. For a long time they had this amazing Navy-​strength gin martini on the menu, and they currently have a Spanish gibson with house-​cured pearl onion that’s divine. The other cocktails evidence a nice mix of dangerous, fruity deliciousness and classic drinks.
Service has always been on point here. Friendly, smiling, not bent on weird, annoying rules. Just good service the way it’s meant to be done. Love the space too — long, dark enough but still open, great booths, plenty of elbow room. It feels great.
Oh, and they take reservations. This new revolution of restaurants that take reservations has really brought Portland dining forward. I much prefer planning ahead to waiting hours for my meal.
Well done, Trifecta!

Perfection!
One of the very best meals I’ve ever eaten… ever.
Went out with friends to maybe the most epic complete meal I’ve ever had. A foodies dream.
It was like a concert when the headliner comes out and they play all your favorites songs and get right to business. Straight up serving you gems and the biggest hits non stop.
We started with Fire roasted asparagus… amazing.
Then we had a plate of pickled veggies and ferns. Who would have thought ferns can be great.
Then we got to business… with crazy variations of the following:
Lamb shoulder
Roasted chicken with Grits.
Ham with Buns
Salmon on Sauce and beets.
Then a poppy seed cake with the tastiest strawberries on earth.
Obviously there was an extreme amount of attention given to the food here and nothing lags in anyway.
The drinks were good too… as was our server.
Reservations were required, but we got there about 45 minutes early and were seated within 10 minutes.
Next time I want my head to explode during a meal I’ll drive to Portland and eat here again.

For our last meal in Portland during our mini vacation and also for my big birthday dinner celebration with my husband, we opted for Trifecta Tavern. I easily made reservations online the week before, so that was a plus.
We arrived fifteen minutes early and when we arrived, we were seated in the very back at a super size booth large enough to fit at least six more guests.
They provide complimentary bread that they baked in house, but if you wanted a side of their labor intensive, house-​made butter, it would cost you three bucks. We got the butter.
I’ve been on a deviled eggs kick lately, so when I saw it on their menu, I wanted to try it out. It came with four halves and the egg was very creamy. It didn’t have much of the texture that I’m used to with deviled eggs, but it was okay, just not the best. I did enjoy the smoked salmon two of the pieces were topped with while my husband enjoyed more oysters before the other food came out.
We were still full from our late lunch that we decided to pick on smaller plates and share an entrée. Along with the deviled eggs, we ordered the house made Coppa (Charentais melon, blackberries and arugula) and the BBQ Baby Back Ribs both listed on the special menu.
When the ribs came out, it looked good, but my first bite in wasn’t supposed to leave me with a sour face. I guess I’m not used to a heavy, vinegar based marinade with my BBQ, this entrée had an abundance of it. I didn’t really enjoy this meal at all actually and was bummed out that it didn’t wow me. Oh well, different strokes for different folks I guess.
Service during dinner was great, but I was taken aback when we were at the bar prior to moving to our table when I ordered my drink first, but my hubby was served his before the bartender bothered making mine. Oh well, ho hum.