Radar

Came here for happy hour and was pleasantly surprised! The food and service was spectacular, especially the special of the day, which was the tasty elote as well as the fried cauliflower. Will definitely be back :)

I’ve been here twice now – once when they first opened and yesterday. The food has changed a lot – talking about brunch. The French toast and Bloody Mary was a great combination, and I probably will come back to this place because their brunch menu has a lot of things that capture my palate’s attention. The French toast portion was big, hearty and filling. It was very eggy and not too sweet. The cocktail was a bit strong – flavor-​wise, not alcohol – but after letting the ice melt a little bit, it was perfect.
The service is great and it’s in a cool location.

This just became one of my favorite places in town! The menu is brilliantly built and the service is superb. Normally i don’t paying that much attention to an open kitchen but this team is really fun to watch. Its really incredible to watch two people bang out this much food with the level of skill and attention to detail that they display.
This is an out of the way, but can’t miss spot for foodies visiting Portland!

Came here just for a drink, and ended up ordering as well.
The drinks… were fresh and super seasonal. Unbelievably good.
I had the fish for dinner. It was light, and beautifully prepared. The restaurant has a great vibe.

Recommended by an employee of Mr. Green Beans across the street, Radar was my surprise restaurant of the week. Although I wasn’t planning on eating here, I’m glad I did as everything from service to food was wonderful.
At first when I read all the Unilocal reviews, I was a bit dubious for dinner as most of the reviews were for the brunch. However, our waiter was adept at recommending items for us on this very warm weather evening and we enjoyed everything he recommended.
Fried Green Tomato Salad with Bibb Lettuce
Chilled Sweet Corn Soup with Oregon Strawberries (it works)
New England Gnocchi with Manila Clams
Oregon Rockfish with Herb Pistou
Cocktail: No Name, Yet — Earl Grey Whiskey, lemon, cucumber, aquavit
Draft Beer — can’t remember name
Dessert: looked good, but we had no room left
My only caveat: because it was a warm day, we chose to eat outside in order to have a breeze as the inside felt a bit stuffy; however, motorcycles riding down the street definitely make a statement which can be unbearably loud.

Best restaurant in Portland.
I wish I could give them ten stars…
«Delicious» is defined by every plate at Radar. Presentation is always done with care, while every bite has a legacy in flavor.
Try the home made chocolate ice cream… hot and complex, an amazing experience and way to end your epic meal.
Being pregnant, I tried their house ginger soda instead of their cocktails – it’s strong, amazing, dry.
We were so satisfied and happy when we left, I basically hugged the hostess, whose husband is also the chef. She was so friendly and cool, and the waitstaff SO NICE and good looking. There’s no snobbery at Radar: just delicious food and good people.
A jewel of a restaurant and not to be missed.

Will have to come back to try other dishes we didn’t have room for… Food, cocktails and service were wonderful. Braised pork over the cheese grits are a must.

I’ve returned home from a blissful weekend in Portland even more smitten with tiny, independent restaurants such as Radar. We got here right on the dot at opening for brunch and immediately noticed that within 15 – 20 minutes the restaurant was full. Our waiter was quick, super nice, and knowledgeable about the menu for food allergies. I ended up with a grapefruit mimosa and the frittata of the day. The frittata was packed full with cheese, sausage, and caramelized onions; definitely tasty, but not super mind-​blowing. In hindsight I wish I had gotten the smoked fish hash just for a more unique experience, but I’m counting on being back in Portland again soon!

Fantastic brunch in one of my favorite Portland locations. We walked in on a busy Sunday and got seated immediately. The service was friendly, professional and thorough. The atmosphere is on the verge of being cramped, but the high ceiling and huge sky lights keep it comfortably in balance.
The bacon was a treat, thick and perfectly cooked; it was a good contrast to the lightly dressed greens and roasted root vegetables. My tangerine mimosa was my only misstep in ordering – I wanted more juice than the blush colored champagne provided. It was okay, but next time I’ll pass.
My husband’s scrambled eggs and chorizo looked well prepared, and he said they tasted good. Still, look at that plate – it’s pretty sparse; no friendly fruit or veggie in sight. He wanted less juice in his grapefruit mimosa, but we both appreciated the twist on the usual choice (pun intended).
I found the prices high here – $ 12 for my bacon, salad and veggies; $ 20 for the two mimosas; $ 14 for the scrambled eggs. It all seems $ 2-​$ 3 high. That won’t keep us away, but it will help us pace ourselves.

We didn’t anticipate brunch when we headed out to Mississippi Ave on an errand this morning, but the allure of a delicious bloody Mary was simply too strong to resist. In a lucky twist of fate, my husband and I found ourselves in line at Radar a few minutes before opening (10 AM on Sundays).
From the moment we stepped in the door and were greeted by the incredibly sweet hostess, we knew we were in for a treat! Without a reservation, we were directed to the counter and because we were one of the first patrons– we had our pick of the counter seats. Initially, I was less than enthusiastic about a counter seat however, I quickly realized these are some of the best seats in the house!
We were able to watch all of the delicious food being prepared while we sipped on an incredible bloody Mary. The team was in sync and everyone we saw interact, did so respectfully and with a smile– a rarity in the majority of workplace environments these days!
After we finished our delicious brunch, we were leaving the restaurant when the hostess, who was having a conversation of her own, stopped mid-​sentence to touch me on the arm and thank us for coming in. As relatively newcomers to the area, the entire experience made us feel like we were home again. I loved our visit to Radar and sincerely believe this place is incredible on all counts!

My husband and I ate here and right off the bat we told the hostess about his having Celiac. Not a problem, she literally whipped out a pen and circled every item he could eat and then put stars next to the items they could modify for him. She then asked him if it was an intolerance or Celiac (I loved that she knew the difference). THEN, she communicated his dietary restrictions to the waitress AND the kitchen. The waitress made it a point to tell us what foods I ordered that could be shared and what couldn’t. I felt 100% comfortable eating here with him, something that really only happens at purely gluten free restaurants.
After our horror stories at other restaurants, that alone would have given them five stars. What put them over the top was the food (and the drinks). What I’m about to say may gross some people out (I get that) but, their bone marrow scramble with toast is one of the best things I’ve ever had in my life. I don’t know how else to write that. It was delicious. Scrambled eggs are kind of the same wherever you go, but NOT here. They were buttery and soft and fluffy and filled with unicorn sprinkles. And bone marrow is bone marrow (which is delicious).
Unilocal needs to expand their star listing to go beyond 5 — this place deserves it.

I had Bookmarked Radar for its famous weekend brunch, but my first visit to this restaurant was actually for dinner. I was in Portland only for the evening to visit a friend, and she suggested this spot. Parking is hard to find, but we managed to snag a spot in the neighborhood and, fortunately, it was really close to the restaurant.
My friend made reservations for 7:30 p.m. and it’s a good thing she did, since the place was bustling. The area was packed in general, since it was Mardi Gras (and we had forgotten about that).
Radar features tapas-​style dining, so if you’re going in a group, your best bet is to get several plates to share so everyone can try a little bit of everything. It took us a few moments to peruse the menu and decide what we wanted, but we ultimately chose one dish from the «snack» section, one from the «small plates» section and three entrees to share. We were warned that the entrees weren’t actually that huge, so we decided we had a good assortment.
The seating at Radar was slightly claustrophobic, since we were at one of the smaller tables by the main walkway. I did like the contemporary vibe of the place, though it was slightly hard to see since it was dark and they used lamps/​candles. Service wasn’t the fastest, as it took a while for our plates to arrive, but the staff was really friendly and even moved us to a larger table once the restaurant started clearing out, since we ordered several dishes to share among the three of us.
The food was delicious and the presentation, unique. I would definitely return to Radar, as there are other dinner items I would want to try, but first, I would go for brunch. Here’s what we ordered:
«Pork Shoulder»: I had seen countless photos of this «snack» dish and knew I wanted to try it … simply because it not only featured pork shoulder, but it also had grits. Deep fried grits. What could get any better than that? The plate consisted of three small grit cakes topped generously with a scoop of pork shoulder, which was smothered in chile purée. For the size of the grit cakes, the amount of pork shoulder given was substantial. The meat was flavorful and tasty, and I loved the texture and consistency of the grit cakes. If I eat grits, it’s usually in its soupy, traditional, oatmeal-​like form, so this was a nice twist on the Southern staple. This was my favorite of all the snacks/​small plates we shared.
«Brussels Sprouts»: The Brussels sprouts came with bacon and a mustard seed sauce. Normally, I’m not the hugest fan of Brussels sprouts, but if I do eat them, it tends to be at a restaurant setting (not at home!). But, I actually really enjoyed the taste of these veggies. The ample amount of bacon was the best part.
«Striped Bass»: This dish was served with beef tartare, pistachio, grapefruit, parsnips and caper berries. Even though this dish didn’t say it contained shellfish of any type on the menu, my friend’s boyfriend immediately got itchy after one bite of this dish (he’s allergic to anything with a shell), so my friend and I devoured this plate. I liked the bass in of itself; it was moist and super flavorful. I didn’t even know what I was eating, in terms of the rest of the entrée (all the brightly colored berries), but everything tasted good. My friend polished off the beet tartare, since I’m not crazy about beets.
«Cassoulet»: This entrée featured brisket, pork, shallot, thyme, tomato, beans and torn bread on top. It was similar to a hearty stew or casserole, and I think my favorite part was the huge croutons on top that were moist and soft (made from chunks of bread). I think the soupy mixture was slightly too tomatoey for my liking, but I did enjoy the beans and chunks of brisket and pork included.
«Bone-​In Pork Chop»: Of the different entrees we ordered, this was definitely my favorite. The bone-​in pork chop came topped with apricot bourbon glaze, escarole, sweet potato mash and caramel corn. It was an interesting medley of flavors, but it worked for this dish. The pork chop was succulent and tender, and the apricot bourbon glaze added the perfect hint of sweetness. After several bad experiences with apricot, I was rather doubtful about this glaze, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it matched the meat. The flavor wasn’t overwhelmingly apricot; I enjoyed the fresh taste and perfect amount of sweetness. The sweet potato mash was moist, melt-​in-​your mouth and savory, and that caramel corn … man oh man. It featured the consistency you would expect from popcorn but a slightly sweeter taste from the caramel glaze. It added the perfect amount of crunch to the meat and left the perfect aftertaste in my mouth. Every bite was an explosion of flavors and I would highly recommend this entrée to anyone visiting Radar for the first time.

The biggest draw for me was their scotch egg which they serve during brunch. Radar calls it a 6 minute scotch egg so you get a lovely runny-​ness in there. I loved the egg but found the sausage portion to be very very salty. It is served with some greens though that help cut the salt.
I ordered the bone marrow, which is relatively new to their brunch menu and not posted online yet. It was unique. I felt the bone marrow was cooked nicely though I don’t have too much experience to base this on. I liked that the scrambled eggs were soft, not overdone and had a ton of marrow flavor to them. The toast came already buttered or oiled or whatever and I could’ve done without the extra fat.
Some other food items I tried were the bangers and mash, cotija grits and french toast. I personally didn’t like the pork sausage in the bangers and mash but the mashed potatoes were nice and fluffy. I am a sucker for grits and the cotija (a type of cheese) grits were awesome. The french toast was also solid. Also, I highly recommend the house made ginger soda! Super gingery and super delicious.
Final remark — absolutely make a reservation for brunch. It’s super easy through Unilocal

The food here wowed me.
We started off with happy hour wine $ 5 a glass for a nice selection. They gave us some delicious fried chick peas to nibble on while we decided.
The menu is really meant to offer lots of options that can be shared from the apps to the entrees and desserts.
We shared the cauliflower fritters and pulled pork to start with. Both really tasty.
I had the rainbow trout which was served with crispy skin. So delicious.
My friends had the pork cheeks and braised beef. Both were amazing. Such different sauces and fresh flavors in every dish. That’s what really impressed me the most.
You know how some places you go, every dish kind of tastes similar? Like they only have X amount of different ingredients or spices to use? Not his place. Very unique and good sized portions too.
We were too stuffed for dessert but it all sounded delicious and different. Truly enjoyable staff throughout.
It’s not a big place and long and narrow so I do recommend reservations and best for small groups or ideally just two of you. I will definitely be going back to try more of their offerings.

We joined the crowd outside at 9:45am, awaiting the 10am opening time. We’d been wanting to try this place, yet had failed to make reservations. Getting there early, we still snagged a table (which, while tight, are preferable because they’re more spacious than the elbow room at the bar). The place was completely full in minutes, with people waiting outside. Definitely a brunch hotspot, so get there early or have a reservation if you don’t want to wait! Service was friendly and prompt considering how busy they were. We had fresh squeezed orange juice and a bottled Coke (cute touch) to drink, and my husband had a chorizo dish that was a bit spicey for me but he really enjoyed. The radar standard was fun– you pick 3 items and get a nice serving size of each– I had the potato cake, Swedish crepes and bacon and really enjoyed them, especially the potato cake. I’ll definitely be back!

I am starting to hate Sunday brunch in Portland due to the ridiculous waits but, the best thing about Radar, you could make a reservation! Located next to Gravy, it’s a small, narrow space with tables that could accommodate 2 – 3 people along the wall, some bar seating, and two larger tables up front. No wait with a reservation, one of our party was running 10 – 15 minutes late but they went ahead and seated us.
The menu consist of traditional English-​style breakfast and brunch food – it’s not a huge menu but the options available could leave you very indecisive because it all sounds good. Luckily, they have the Radar Standard and you could choose three options from a list, which allows you to try a smaller portion of different menu items. I ended up settling on the beef brisket, Swedish pancake, and two eggs over-​easy. The brisket was very tender and had good flavor, not overwhelmingly barbecue tasting. Swedish pancakes were light and the berry compote provided a wonderful acidity to the rest of my plate. It was definitely a hearty breakfast.
Spotted Don B. eating at the counter while we were there – must be good if Don B. gave it five stars and is dining there again. The food was delicious and service was great, we never felt rushed even though there were people waiting. Making a reservation is so simple, you’ll probably find me back at Radar.

Went with the family for weekend brunch. We sat outside on the sidewalk, which was fine. A few bugs don’t bother me and it’s nice to see the street atmosphere on a sunny weekend morning in late summer. The service was pretty good. They kept waters filled etc even though the place was packed.
Selection of liquor looks good but I didn’t try any as I started the day with a headache anyway. They had several brunch cocktails on the menu, most of which (those without Ranier in them) looked edible.
Food was pretty good. Boy liked the bangers and mash and the herbed French toast was good as well. Portions are reasonable. I’m getting too old to eat 2000 calorie breakfasts now, and I appreciate reasonably sized meals.
If I’m in the Mississippi district for brunch again, I think I’ll give them another go. I liked it.

We got discouraged by the line at Gravy for a Sunday morning brunch, so decided to go to Radar which two doors down. We waited 15 mins for the four of us and baby which is nothing!
Ambience: Small cozy space with tables on side and bar on the other. Brick walls and a darker interior gives it a nice look.
Service: Perfect! The lady managing the house was very friendly and the servers were very pleasant.
Food: Not your usual run of the mill pancakes, benedicts, etc. They have some unique brunch selections some vegetarian friendly too. All our dishes were good (beef hash, herbed omelette, bubble and squeak and flatbread).
We got the Spanish tortilla which was quite unexpected since we never heard of it before. It’s authentic Spanish and served cold and we didn’t like the idea of cold brunch on a rainy day. But the server was so kind and changed it for us with beef hash.
Drinks: Very unique Beery Mary. I like beer and I like Bloody Mary. this combined both and I was happy! Coffee is pretty good too!
PS: they are baby friendly too :)
Then why 4 stars and not 5? Because the food was good but not not mind blowing. I have experienced better in Portland.

Radar makes a variety of incredible brunch dishes. There’s no theme here, and it doesn’t need one, either, because they manage to do everything very well.
The coffee is good and strong here, and needs neither cream nor sugar. The waiter told me that it came from a small local roaster, but I don’t recall which one. I can also vouch for the Bloody Mary. It’s simple, but effective, and has the right ratio of garlic, horseradish, tomato, and hot sauce to work with the vodka. I appreciate that you can also order a mini one here ($ 4). Next time I come here, I may substitute aquavit, which I saw on their well-​stocked bar.
As for the food, the smoked trout hash was quite good, and very hearty. I like how it had big chunks of fish and potato, unlike the delicate shreds you sometimes see in other hashes at other places in town. The trout was savory, smoky, and tender, while the potatoes were coated in a nice blend of herbs and salt. The eggs were poached just the right amount, too. My friend’s croque madame was also great. Topped with just the right amount of creamy béchamel sauce (so it’s soaked, but not soggy), it was rich and comforting. Just like with my hash, the egg fried atop it was done to perfection. As my friends and I sat eating at the counter, we watched the chefs at work in the open kitchen facing the counter and bar, and each of us noted how skilled their craftsmanship was as they cooked. It was a busy day, and each chef made handling multiple simultaneous orders almost look easy.
Radar isn’t a big space, so you may expect a wait, but it’s worth it. I’d recommend a table if you’re in a group bigger than three, though, as my two friends and I had a hard time hearing each other over other people’s conversations and the noise of the open kitchen. Still, the ambience is as friendly and uplifting as you’d want for a breakfast place, between the bustle of the kitchen and bar, the free-​flowing coffee, and the sunlight streaming in.
I tend to be indecisive when I’m feeling like brunch. What’s great about Radar is that it has incredible variety (Spanish, Scandinavian, British, American, Mexican, and French influences can be found among the dishes here) and talented chefs who can make everything good. Come here if you’re not sure what you want. Seeing the menu and the chefs at work will inspire your choice, and no matter what happens, you can’t choose wrong here.

I’m still not too sure what to think, you see, I like you, I just don’t know if I really really like you…
eats and drinks:]
cauliflower fritters in brava sauce– so so, battered and fried up cauliflowers served along side a ‘brava’ sauce, i was expecting a paprika tasting aioli sauce much like that served with traditional patatas bravas but the sauce tasted more like a romesco sauce, either way the veggies needed a little salt and the sauce was a bit bland.
roasted radishes– I have been on a radish kick for the most part of this year, I want them on everything, crunchy, peppery, and sliced thick or thin, I just can’t get enough, so when I had seen them roasted on the menu I had to try! must say I really liked them, soft and hanging out in butter. yum! a nice addition to myalready heavy on the vegetables order.
daily oysters– now I have this thing about oysters, I want to get to known them, I don’t know if i even like them or hate them, so when ever I can get near some oysters on the half price I have to order them. on our visit I ordered two, each being from different areas of water/​land and I could taste a difference, I can’t remember which one I liked the best but I was happy and sided with what the server had recommended!
set up:]
right on the Mississippi ave. between bar bar and sidecar 11. bar seating and a few small 2 seater tables for cocktails and a few larger tables, not the best place to host a large party over 6 persons.
dinner is monday — saturday 5p-​10p, happy hour from 5p-​7p tuesday — sunrday, and weekend brunch from 10a-​2p.
so yes I liked my foods and the atmosphere but I just don’t have anything thing that made me yearn to go back, maybe i’ll be back for more oysters because this was the only place that I had them and really liked them!