Libbies Restaurant

I’m a local resident here in Milwaukie. I’ve read all of the reviews below and have to say if you were inclined to give Libbie’s a 2 or less star it’s obvious you have no clue about this restaurant. I would surmise it’s been here since the downtown was built however many years ago and has been a fixture since. It’s understood to those of us who come here on regular basis — this is not fine dining. And why anyone would expect it to be is a clueless mindset to me. 2 Star, 1 Star people you should look at yourselves and wonder what’s wrong with you. The rest of us know how Libbie’s works and have grown accustomed to the service, the food, the ambiance, and the prices. «Curt» — that’s a boy’s name not a signature for those who are employed at Libbies. Just thought I’d clarify for those reading mine and others’ reviews.
The prices are fair. The food is good. Yes, I’ve been to fine dining establishments and I can tell you if you want to be filled up — then eat everything on your plate. My favorites are pot roast, ham, turkey, gyro, steak sandwich, shrimp salad and so forth — the general fair most diners and dives like this restaurant serve. I love that the soup is fresh and homemade, the salads have those nearly impossibly crunchy croutons and that they refill your ice tea sometimes without you even asking.
Yeah, sometimes I have to wait for the server to bring our drinks or take our order. It’s not like that’s never going to happen, but the Mrs and I can pass the time talking (you know that thing you might do if your cell phone is turned off) or playing the trivia game with those trivia pamphlets on each table. The service is always friendly, always apologetic if things take awhile and always appreciative for a good tip.
So here’s my good tip for you fine folks — if you want a good home cooked meal, down home charm and a lumpy but comfy booth to park yourself in — head on over to Libbies. It’s not fancy, it’s not spendy — it’s homey, it’s neighborly and its a good meal with a fair price.

Don’t go here if you’re hungry. The first time we went, we ate in the bar and it took almost an hour to get our food after we’d ordered. We also had to go hunt down the bartender each time we wanted another drink (3 people in my party). Second time, we sat in the restaurant. Waitress greeted us and we never saw her again. Left 40 minutes later and starving. Won’t return. Prices make it not worth it anyway.

I really want to like this place. I tried giving it a second chance, but both times I’ve been here I left feeling ripped off. The food is of poor quality, poorly prepared and way overpriced.
The first time I came here I ordered the lunch fish and chips, which ended up being two small pieces of fish and ten french fries for $ 12. I asked the waitress of I could have a few more fries and she charged me for a side order without telling me.
The second time I was here I ordered the NY steak (cooked medium) and eggs. What I got was a thin layer of overlooked hash browns and a steak that was practically still alive. I sent it back and I got a new steak that was cooked right but almost half gristle.
Service here is good, but the kitchen and management are about a as bad as it gets.

My wife, son and myself have had good food and service here before but today was horrible. We went there for lunch and the special was fish & chips for $ 7.95 so my wife and I ordered it. When it came it had two pieces of fish that were not any larger than a fish stick and coleslaw that looked like soup. The fries were OK. Now you think that this is worth that amount? No way, this alone will keep us from going back. I can’t stand feeling screwed like this.

Just here to update my review. I just came here and got to order coffee from the waitress who was never to be seen again. After twenty minutes with no coffee and every other waitress passing by, we got up and left. Disappointed

It’s amazing when management passes by you trying to put on jewelry and does not help you. sat here for 5 minutes no hello nothing… then we get to order drinks and it takes another 7 minutes to get them and management passes us 2 more times fixing her jewelry. We were going to have breakfast but it probably would if taken an hour. 4 people in bar.

Best Bloody Mary With Breakfast. New favorite place. Feels just like home. The service is excellent!

Cool place. Don’t go when you’re in a hurry. Otherwise enjoy! Drinks were in the $ 5 range (we both had lemon drops) and chips were $.75. News played in the dark bar side. The place is huge and labyrinthal inside. Choose your mood and relax.
I liked it wasn’t a fancy place to be seen. Just a regular watering hole with good drinks. Tall boys of PBR were $ 2.50, someone near me ordered one. They also advertised Prime Rib for under $ 10 on their special board. We didn’t eat, just hung out and watched the news. Good times. Go Milwaukie!
They take cards but there’s an ATM. You can drink or eat whatever you order anywhere in the establishment. Also some outdoor seating.
And the AC felt heavenly.

Stopped by for breakfast. Was told to take a seat anywhere. Only two other people in the restaurant. Waited 15 mins for menus. They never arrived so we left. Good luck!

Later on a weekday night after a long day of moving. A friend brought me here. I knew Libby’s was considered a Milwaukie «institution» but had never been. Out of «diners, drive-​ins and dives» I would say Libby’s in somewhere between a diner and a dive. Restaurant was e-​m-​p-​t-​y which I found odd and the front of door area outside looks a little sketchy. Then my friend told me there are three parts to this place. one side is a «lounge» which serves hard alcohol, the restaurant in the middle and the «bar» on the other side with beer and wine. I had no idea there was a difference between a «lounge» and a «bar»! She had the friend chicken, fries and cole slaw. Haven’t seen real fried chicken in a long time and there were four huge pieces for $ 9.95. I ordered the halibut fish and chips, which I never do because it is always terrible. My pal assured me it was good, so I took a chance. It was excellent! Not at all greasy, perfectly done, they did something very yummy to the fries too. I wouldn’t go back here alone because it feels like they have a lot of regulars in the other «two thirds» of the place, but I would come back for fish and chips for sure. Wish I had a picture. Oh real lemonade too. The waitress was also quite educated and took the time to chat and the place was clean. This is a five for food which is what I came for.

I always forget how much I don’t like this place. Seems like once a year we forget how bad the food is and come anyway…
The pancakes tasted like everything on the griddle. The food is boring. It’s always freezing in here too.

I regularly treat myself to breakfast at Libby’s, but this morning’s service was completely awful. I joined three friends there for breakfast, and straight away our waitress was downright weird. One of my friends ordered a screwdriver and she didn’t bring it, explaining that she was brewing a fresh pot of coffee (?!). When she finally did bring one cup of coffee (three coffee drinkers are sitting at the table…) and Screwdriver reminded her of the drink that he ordered, she responded by sloshing coffee over the table top, and then «rushing» away to serve the next customer. After we cleaned up the table and waiting a good long while, she returned to take our breakfast orders, but was irritated when my boyfriend changed his side to home fries instead of hash browns, making a big show of erasing his original order and writing in the new side. My third friend waited until breakfast was served to be served his first cup of coffee, and at that time Screwdriver requested a second drink. She said «Really?» as if she were serving a minor at AA meeting rather than an adult at a bar on New Years Day. As she walked away, she hissed a «Shhhhhhshhhhhh» under her breath, as if she had personally bailed him out of jail the night before — impossible, it was Screwdriver’s first time at Libby’s and probably his last time there based on her service. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely going to go back for breakfast. Not because I am a glutton for punishment, but because Libby’s has delicious breakfasts, especially their home fries and omelets, and the service from their regular wait staff is excellent — friendly, attentive, and fast. But I will definitely call ahead to make sure that Terri (Terry?) isn’t going to be our server. I’d rather stay home and eat a Jimmy Dean’s frozen breakfast sandwich than pay for her «service» again.

Found this place by happenstance when my destined location was closed. Being New Year’s day, I didn’t mind a change of plans and went with it.
Walked through the door to an empty diner when the waitress comes through the bar curtly asking if she could help me. For a few seconds I felt like I had made a mistake and perhaps the «Open» sign had accidentally been left on. «I was hoping for breakfast???» She nodded her head and told me to sit anywhere.
Ordered the corned beef hash (it’s $ 1 to add onions and bell peppers) with scrambled eggs and sourdough toast. Best sourdough I’ve had in quite awhile, even if it was doused in butter. I had to scrape some of that off. The hash is a greasy mess. However, they do use real corned beef and nothing canned. Waitress was hard of hearing and even though I asked specifically for the ‘green’ Tabasco, she brought me the original. So after she went to the kitchen, I just got up and got my own bottle.
Will say this, she kept my coffee mug filled until she ran out of coffee. That’s always a plus.
When I was on my way out, I saw they had a truffle case of yummy looking chocolates for $ 1each. Asked for the mint one (one would assume the chocolate with green pattern on top would be mint) but she handed me a plain looking chocolate instead. Those were some old truffles. :(
Breakdown:
Food was ok but greasy. Nothing spectacular and pretty pricey.
Coffee was good.
Service was fare.
Décor…nothing fancy.
Would I return? Nothing about this visit wowed me so I will continue my search for a good breakfast place in Milwaukie.

We came here because my father says they have the best and only halibut fish and chips around. There are two parts to this business, a bar and the restaurant. We had excellent service both at the table and out of the kitchen. Sure this is a dinner, nothing fancy, but we were very pleased. It was a Tuesday evening when we sat down and there was fun live music coming from the banquet room. Prices from their seafood menu were comparable to others and our halibut fish and chips for $ 13 was great.

Yes I gave it a 5 Star Rating but finding a place that serves Razor Clam is worth 5 Stars; they used to be another Pal Shanty back a few years ago!
My Favorite was Razor Clams with over medium eggs and hash brown; Hog Heaven for an Irish Man!
My reviews are like the Guy Fieri type but my proprieties in taste run from Dives to Michelin Guide 3 Star which I have visited the majority of them

Three stars. In every dimension. Which means it’s ok, and not necessarily great. This is one of the few, if not the only, diner of this genre in Milwaukie’s old downtown.

Home of comfort food. If you want some Hashbrowns and gravy, piled so thick you’ll likely eat yourself into a food coma, this is the place.
The sandwiches are good, too. I generally have a BLT, and get a soda, and that’s not too bad for lunch.
Libbies is a diner; a joint; a cut-​above a dive. The food is good, real food, and the place is clean. It’s most likely stuff you’d be impressed with if you were camping, or seven years old.
The prices have always felt slightly high, especially for a diner in Milwaukie.
All-​in-​all, a good place. Go there for breakfast sometime. It’ll make you feel warm inside.

Food is fine, but I haven’t been wowed by the service. The lady behind the counter is a little curt and I could feel my hair turning gray. Sliders are pretty tasty, though.
Coupled with the high prices (about 25% higher than they should be in the area), I’m officially not a fan. Might do in a pinch if you’re on foot and in the mood for diner food.

It seemed I was served by Libbie herself this morning while I enjoyed a leisurely weekday breakfast. The nice lady was exceptionally friendly and courteous. More importantly, she kept my mug of decaf filled. It is clearly an ‘honored citizen’ hangout in the mornings, where everyone seemed to know one another. At most places, service is tantamount to customer satisfaction.
The usual breakfast fare riddled the menu. I opted for their Philly Omelet. At $ 9.75 USD, the omelet was huge so you immediately feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. Unfortunately, Libbie’s version of this omelet meant dumping a whole brick of cream cheese into the mix, completely overshadowing the sauteed mushrooms and ham that the omelet (allegedly) also came with. To consume the monstrosity, I had to squeeze out nearly a third of the molten concoction onto the plate, and pick the ham and mushroom pieces out of them.
Because hindsight is always 20/​20, if I could do Libbie’s all over again this morning, I would’ve chosen their «Sunrise Special», which, at $ 4.50 USD, you get two eggs any style, your choice of home fries or hashbrowns, your choice of protein (ham, bacon, sausage), and toast. It certainly would’ve been a satisfying meal at a good value.
If I’m ever in bustling downtown Milwaukie again during breakfast time, I know I’ll stop by Libbie’s. Full bricks of cream cheese aside, it seems a decent joint for good old-​fashioned eats.

I love little hole-​in-​the wall diners and really, really wanted to love this place. The thing kept me from that was the prices… and the service.
$ 10 for a hamburger and fries? $ 10 for an omellete? WTF?!
Okay, so I have no problem paying that kind of dough for something that’s gonna knock my socks off, but both items were just okay. Alright, so the fries with the burger were pretty damn tasty but that was the only thing on either plate that was extraordinary.