pambiche

this place is hard to miss with its brightly colored painted building. there is usually a short line here at dinner, but breakfast and lunch there isn't. they have the best happy hour prices i have seen!lovetheir beet and avocado salads.

the atmosphere is vibrant! ilovethe bright colors, fun art work adorning the walls and the cuban cuisine. brunch was as tasty as their dinner options. the cafe con leche was a wonderful coffee option and my "cubanito", a rum-based bloody mary was really smooth. the "picadillo cua cua" (cuban eggs and hash) was laced with green olives and served with rice, plantains and avocado. the "revoltillo de chorizo" a cuban scramble with potatoes and sausage was served with a garlic toast. both breakfast options were great. the server was friendly and i am excited to return and try other brunch option.

pambiche has an incredible cocktail menu — absolutely worth the trip just for a drink! the food is great too — plenty of flavors and varieties to choose from. ilovethe adobo beef (ropa vieja, i believe)!

tasty and affordable. this small dining room is steaming with conversation and delicious aromas. the staff are friendly and mostly efficient (the food has been a little cool a couple of times but i don't know if that's because it sat around or it was never heated--not always easy to ask someone to warm it up). the fried cow dish can be one of the most delicious things ever if the beef is hot and crispy. the salads are fantastic. ilovethe beans and rice ops. the desserts are much better than you'd expect.

i've mostly had great meals here but a few near-misses. the thing is, when you spend $20 for a meal that's just aright it's different than spending $50. you can try it again and that's what i'd recommend.

dang... ilovethis place. .... dang...
ilovethis place. went there for the first time this week. wow. i had the plato cubano, a pork dish and a can of iron beer (soft drink). meal was very tasty. i'd go back in a heartbeat.

i have wanted to go eat at this place since i found it. so i talked my friend to coming with. it was a beautiful summer day so we didn't mine the wait. we were super hungry and decided to eat inside. why the hostess put us by the service door since there was another table i am not sure, but the door keep randomly hitting our table. ok i am going to cut to the chase, the waitresses where rude, my personal favorite was the rolling of the eyes. we felt invisible the service was super slow even after people left, and the food was bland. now ilovecuban food because we are a dominican family the flavors are close cousins, so i do know " sabor" this was lacking!!! i could make better food in my kitchen on a bad day... my friend must have been reading my mind because she told me the same thing... if you like authentic food don't waste your time and money. not worth it!! i left disappointed and with a headache from the crappy service. my friend suggested maybe i should have spoken spanish and we may have had a different experience.. i told her no excuse for bad service and that would not fix a bad cook.

welovethis place!. cuban food can be a little daunting to the average american palate, but i've really learned toloveit. and there's nothing like the heaping plate of cuban comfort food like you'll get at pambiche. the meat is slow cooked in rich sauces that really make the dish. the atmosphere is cozy and relaxed, though i do agree with other commenters that a cocktail menu would take this restaurant to new heights. the only other thing i'm not impressed with are the moros y cristianos, which seem to be cold and dry everytime i order them. the other sides are great, though, and the desserts are brilliant-- best tres leches in town!

ilovepambiche. i think that's okay to say now. it's most definitely in my top five. and it's been in my top five for more than three years.

yum. small and crowded, but the food is great so well worth it!lovethe decor as well.

unusual, but without complaint.. i fell inloveyears ago with cuban food and since then i've taken every advantage to eat it wherever i am, so pambiche was a natural choice.

got the ajiaco, a particular favorite. this was the oddest ajiaco stew i've had. i can't say if it's traditional because i'm not cuban nor have i been to cuba, but one way or another, it was good. wasn't a lot of meat to focus on, but what was there was just excellent. the broth was seasoned so well my tongue did cartwheels. corn bread was left in the soup, strange to me, but made a nice accompaniment.

saving my pennies to come back here again. i drive by this place so often and cannot look at the vibrantly-painted building without salivating like one of pavlov's dogs. immensely happy that portland has good cuban fare.

jamon croquetas. warm and cheesy (*hmm. are they really cheesy or does my memory trick me? menu does not mention cheese) and filled with savory ham. for me, portion control is imperative with these things. i simply adore them. comfort food, for sure.


-----17 jul, 2011-----

ensalada de remolacha. perhaps my favorite dish at pambiche. ilovebeets, period; this beet salad is beautiful and refreshing, mixed with lovely watercress. the diced red onion is perfectly unobtrusive and the aliño criollo (olive oil and sour orange vinagrette) is light so that the candy-deliciousness of the beets shine through. i am glad they offer a spoon with this dish, as i do like to scoop up the liquid in the bowl. and what a pretty word--remolacha. almost makes me wish portland would have a hot, bright day. a great dish for cooling down.

love, love,loveit.. every bite i have had at pambiche has been wonderful - and it's affordable. luckily i enjoy this restaurant with many of my friends... we all share bites, so i have been fortunate enough to sample many of the wonderful meals from their large menu. everything has been amazing. i'll be back many times!

my favorite restaurant in portland!. it's hard to review a place iloveas much as ilovepambiche. i'm going to list a bunch of stuff that comes to mind because i can form them into coherent enough sentences while i imagine the food in my mouth:

sensational
zingy
savory
comfort
satiating

yeah...that'll do for now.

start with an empanada. for entree, something with prawns, the ox-tail, or the ropa vieja are all fantastic. i hear the tres leches is great for dessert, but i've never had the will power not to stuff myself with my dinner so i haven't made it to a third course yet in 10 tries.

i grew up in fl andlovecuban food. we had pork and chicken w/ white and yellow rice both very good. we split the coconut cake...it was moist and terrific. and finally we ordered two cuban sandwiches to go...for lunch the next day...well i don't miss fl anymore. viva la pambiche!

pambiche.lovethe cuban food, minus the painful long lines.