RingSide Steakhouse

I went for happy hour after 9:30 at the bar and it was great prices, but I got food poisoning from their seafood I won’t be going back again.

Portland’s Oregon best steakhouse with impeccable service and attention to details. Yum.

For as long as I can remember, The Ringside has been an icon of what a steak house should be… those were the days and now those days are gone. Food was mediocre at best, but service was top notch. I found that my mom’s prime rib was rubbery and when we asked the manager about it he said it was supposed to be that way because of the rub. What?
«James Beard once said the onion rings were a don’t miss item» that was true for the 1990’s
Now, it’s all hype and poor quality. Service was mediocre at best and after everything I doubt I’d go back.
Sad…

Over-​hyped Ripoff
Most people go to Ringside for 2 reasons: 1. Corporate /​business dinners 2. Special occasions
This place has been hyped up so much over the years, that nobody will say anything about their crappy food after they have been there:
Kind of like — when you come back from a vacation or a cruise, you don’t tell your friends how bad the hotel was or how crappy the service was or how horrible the food was — you want to impress people with good stories and post it on facebook…
Same thimg with this overhyped Steakhouse — say a business acquaintance takes you to dinner there — are you going to say it was crappy even if it was ?
I would never spend my own money to eat here. I was there 2 weeks ago because I was invited by a client that my company does business with. There were a total of 8 people at our table. I ordered a medium rare ribeye — it must have been the worst steak i have ever tasted, Tough and no taste. I cook better steak than that on my grill or on my skillet at home. A $ 15 grass fed ribeye from Trade Joes on my skillet tastes a million times better than the «charlatan steak» they serve at Ringside.
Of course, everyone said how great everything was during the dinner, but later at least 4 of my co workers confided in me how disappointed they were and what a ripoff it was…
Yes, I have eaten at high end steakhouses like Peter Luger in New York, etc They are hyped up too, but at least heir steaks taste much better than the poor excuse of a steak they serve at RIngside

After four visits over the past 6 months, this place very much deserves the 5 stars.
Service:
Drive up valet that is not charged upon arrival (remember to keep cash on you to tip them when you collect your car). Flawless every time. They are ready and waiting, even if there is a line on a busy Friday night. You feel at ease due to the professionalism and experience when handing over your car keys.
Wait staff was, and always is excellent. These are top notch service professionals that take pride in what they do. The atmosphere is relaxed and elegant, never pressured to look through the menu or decide as soon as you sit down. Throughout dinner our server collected items we were not using for the meal, any plates that we had used but set aside and water was always full. All of them (since we have been here multiple times) have been on point with every step in the dining experience.
Experience:
Amazing. When we go out for our anniversary, birthday, holiday etc. we want to go somewhere where we know we will be taken excellent care of for the money that we spend. This specific location has never let us down, not in the bar or in the dining room. Happy hour, and dinner alike.

Had a steak for Fathers day. The service was of course outstanding in all areas from hostess, to sever, to a manager checking tables.
Service– 5 stars
Food– Prime Rib was bland tonight, but the salad and Shrip cocktail was on point.
Drink– Old fashion (Woodford/​Makers) very good on each drink !
Vibe– Always high class and relaxed :)
Price $$$ Well worth the price !
Love this place :)

Again, I am terribly disappointed in the Ringside on Burnside. I had not been there for 6 months as I was traveling. I just recently returned to Portland and I popped in tonight for a glass of wine before heading home. Knowing that it was happy hour in the bar after 11pm, I assumed the glass of wine I ordered would be an appropriate pour and cost. After I had to ask for the check, I was flabbergasted at the price of my 6 or 7 ounce glass of wine.
$ 18.00
Yes I said eighteen dollars for a Glass of wine in the bar during happy hour. After 11pm. Really??? I have travelled a lot and even New York City doesn’t charge that much!
Ringside… Time to get a clue… You are alienating the people that have paid your way for many years.
I am planning a birthday dinner for my two sons and I had thought about spending it like we have for many years at your restaurant. Not going to happen…
So very disappointed!!!

Dined on Sunday May 22 2016 at 5:30 pm.
Very disappointed in this once great Portland restaurant. Came here to celebrate a big birthday and graduation. While the staff has been very good in the past out waitress was a flake. Took forever to order and we had to ask a couple times for bread and waited about 45 minutes to get it finally from a busboy. Yes this is true.
We ordered the seafood platter to start. It was awful. They should be embarrassed. There was more ice than fish. And not only that they forget the crab legs! We had to ask for them and she had to check. And she finally brought out the crab legs 30 minutes later. Want to know what they offered for trying to pull a fast one? Get this! One whole onion ring with each of our steaks! Oh gee thanks Ringside. Insult to injury.
What’s the deal Ringside? For $ 100? We got some slimy shrimp and dried out smoked salmon from a can. Give me a break. I was embarrassed in front of my guests for this special occasion. We got shorted some food that wouldn’t pass snuff at long john silvers.
And I don’t know where they source their meat. I’m guessing Sysco. But the quality of years past is gone. If you want a steak in portland you have to go to Mortons or RC.
My family has been going here for decades. I wanted this to be a special occasion but it absolutely sucked and it dampened the mood of the whole evening.
I will not be going back and am very upset. I live just up the hill so it was always convenient. There are too many good restaurants in portland to put up with lousy food and service.
I hope management contacts me about this but I won’t hold my breath. Is there even a manager or maitre de here any more?
Probably okay for the bar only but I would never pay to eat here again. I honestly felt like I had been taken. I don’t mind paying up but I expect the restaurant to do its part.
Sincerely,
Disappointed and embarrassed.
Oh and thanks for charging us for one extra dipping sauce. When the bill is $ 600 for 4 people I expect a little help. Especially with the lousy food and service. What is this burger king? Probably

My expectations for expensive steak is quite high, as my all time favorite steakhouse, Peter Luger, is less than 10 minutes from my home. Having said that, let’s dive in.
I was a little intimidated going in, as I was dining by myself at 1030PM on a Wednesday, but I decided to take the plunge and as soon as I walked in, I was greeted very warmly. I sat at a table by the bar, and was immediately taken care of by the waiter with a menu and a water. I have to say, the service in this establishment was fantastic, and that really goes a long way.
Ambience was cool. I can only speak for the bar area, but I liked the vintage boxing gloves hanging from the low hanging wooden crossbeam ceiling, and other sports memorabilia hanging on the walls.
The bread to start was really amazing, the way it was prepared; garlic flavor and soft. I ordered the baked onion soup to start out, and that was a top notch soup. Different than traditional french onion, but still really delicious and fresh.
Now, onto what we really came here for; the steak. I order the 20oz bone in dry aged ribeye. It was about $ 62, which is definitely on the pricier side for dry aged steak, in my opinion. It was good. It was really really good. At 20oz, I thought it would be bigger honestly, but it was more than enough. It was very tender, and cooked perfectly to the temperature I requested (medium-​rare).
They even gave me a complimentary glass of wine to go with my Ribeye. Love the hospitality here! If you’re in Portland, I would definitely recommend checking this place out, as it seems to be one of the best steakhouses in Portland.

Ringside provides a great selection of steaks aged in-​house. Their wine selection is extraordinary and their staff is knowledgable and friendly.

What is there to say not already said and reviewed! Go for steak aged a minimum of 4 weeks. We had surf & turf with garlic mashed potatoes and a grass fed rib eye with wild rice. Both excellent tasting! Do go for an order of their deliciously crunchy deep fried onion rings. Go for outstanding crème brûlée. Impeccable service and comfortable, exquisite dining to make an evening memorable.
Same owners for 70 years have it dialed in for one of the best steak experiences in PDX! Lots of celebrities dine here, as many of their autographs hang on the walls – I particularly liked the autographed posters of Clyde Drexler, Michael Jordan and Bill Walton. Ringside will treat you like a «star» too – they did us!
In my opinion, organic and/​or sustainable sourced side dishes would put Ringside in another stratosphere of culinary excellence! More grass fed steaks would particularly appeal to my appetite and benchmark of restaurants I prefer to dine at – including Ringside Fish House downtown!

The food here was spectacular. My daughter and I went for my birthday right before the Timbers game. We didn’t have a reservation but they got us in anyway. Great location! Wonderful service!

I was always afraid of coming here and burning a hole through my pockets, but boy is it worth it! I was so happy to see them on this year’s Portland dining month! It was immediately on my list as one of the places I wanted to go.
Everything was absolutely delicious from the baked onion soup, the steak medallions, to the crème brûlée! The steak was so tender and perfectly seasoned (I thought I knew how to season a steak but I must bow down to this place). It was perfectly cooked just how I liked it. Instantly forgetting all of the other places I wanted to go to for Portland dining month. I most definitely will be coming back!

Overall, the food was good and the service was ok. For the price I wouldn’t go back.
I arrived and was promptly greeted by the hostess. I asked her if the bar was open seating, and it was, so that was where I sat.
The restaurant is very dimly lit and the bar is low to the ground.
The bartender was too busy to greet me when I sat down and instead just handed me a drinks/​bar menu. I got his attention a little while later and asked for the full dinner menu.
After I requested the full dinner menu he then gave me a water and some silverware, and asked what I would like to drink (while not even looking in my direction or making eye contact). I placed my drink order and a few minutes later I again had to get his attention and tell him I wanted to order my food. He did make sure that one of the servers got me bread before my meal.
The food came out in a reasonable amount of time and the server delivering my food was friendly. I was on my phone a good amount of the meal, but again the bartender never asked me how my food was. He did clear my plates when I was ready and also took my check promptly. He never once asked me how my experience was or thanked me for coming in.
Perhaps the bar is a different experience than sitting at a table, but I really don’t feel it should be that drastic of a difference. And at $ 48 for a beer and surf and turf, I think part of what you’re paying for is the service. Again, I would not go back.

Had a solid dinner at this old school Portland joint. Our reservation was for 7:45, but we had some time and arrived about an hour early. We planned on sitting in the bar, but it was completely full. And, they keep it DARK in there. It’s sunken off to the right as you walk in, and to call it cozy is an understatement. It gets tight in there when it’s full, and it was most certainly full on this Saturday. The bartender wasn’t super friendly, but he was very busy, in addition to the seats being filled, there were people waiting for drinks. So, I’ll give him a pass on the lack of friendly chit-​chat.
We finally found 3 seats and had a couple of drinks and the famous onion rings while we waited for our table. My friends I was dining with told me James Beard proclaimed Ringside’s onion rings the best he’d ever had. So, we had to go with the onion rings. They are served with standard ketchup and a sort of thinner version of thousand island. A large order is LARGE, there were 3 of us and we left at least half a dozen rings. So, for less than $ 12 I would say they’re not unreasonably priced. The breading is thick, but not overly so, and adheres well to the large slices of onion. I found they needed salt, I don’t think our order was seasoned at all. Are they the best I’ve ever had? I don’t know, I figure you can only take the battering and frying of an onion so far, and I’ve had plenty of onion rings (admittedly probably not as many as James Beard). But, they certainly were well above average, and I would order them again.
The hostess came to get us promptly at 7:45 for our reservation. We sat in a cool wine room that felt very cozy and intimate. We were surrounded by bottles of wine and the ceiling is wine barrels. There were 2 large parties near us, and they were loud, which sort of hurt the atmosphere. But, it’s certainly not Ringside’s fault that it’s popular and it was a Saturday night. Our server approached us immediately and was fantastic throughout, as was every employee (other than the very busy bartender) I came in contact with.
The wine list is large but not overwhelming, and it offers a nice variety of by the glass options. Importantly, it offered a lot of pacific northwest wines. We had 2 bottles and I found them both to be reasonably priced. Additionally, I had a dessert wine after dinner. There were several bottles under $ 100 at Ringside, but if you wanted to get fancier you certainly could.
To eat, I went with the dry-​aged bone-​in ribeye. The table shared brussels sprouts and fried oysters as sides. I wanted the crab agnolotti, but they were out. I can appreciate this, if you prepare fresh product, you are bound to run out of something at some point. You get your choice of potato or rice pilaf with every steak, and at the recommendation of our server, I went with the garlic mashed potatoes.
It took about 20 – 30 minutes for our food to arrive, which was fine because we were not in a hurry and were enjoying the evening. While we waited, we received gratis bread service. It was fine, but not particularly memorable. The steak arrived and it was cooked to an appropriate medium rare. I was disappointed that there was virtually no crust on the outside of the meat. That being said, the deep flavor you get with dry aging was evident. It was a good quality cut of beef. It’s served on a very hot platter, which kept the steak warm throughout the dinner, but didn’t cause it to be overcooked (I’ve found the serving of a steak on a super hot plate can have undesired results at times). The garlic mashed were very creamy, not gummy at all, and seasoned well. They were a great accompaniment, but didn’t overpower, the star of the show.
The brussels sprouts were tender but not mushy, and seasoned very well. I can’t recall everything that went into this side dish, but it was well composed. The table polished it off. The oysters were not as big of a hit. The breading was slightly soggy in spots and needed seasoning. Additionally, the jalapeño remoulade didn’t land with us.
Ringside is a more classic steakhouse rather than a new school joint. They don’t do anything flashy or revolutionary, but for the most part, what they do, they do very well. Although it’s very nice inside, it’s not fancy, and you’ll feel comfortable. I can see why this place has done well in Portland for many decades.

My boyfriend and I went here to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. We came to do the 3 course Portland Dining month menu. At Ringside that included a choice of onion soup or salad, beef tenderloin with choice of mashed potatoes or baked potato, and crème brûlée for dessert.
We had a 5:45pm reservation but arrived closer to 5pm — oops! No problem, they were able to seat us right away. Our waitress was wonderful! Nice, friendly, informative, and attentive. We had brought our own bottle of wine but we also opted to order pre-​dinner drinks. I settled on the negroni and by boyfriend went for the old fashioned. We both were very satisfied with our choices. He said it was one of the best old fashions he has had. Next we decided to share the bone marrow appetizer. Both of us were intrigued because we had never tried it before. Our waitress also spoke highly of it. WOW! It was fabulous! Fatty, flavorful, and complex — my taste buds were very happy. Once we had finished our drinks we uncorked our wine — a Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington.
With the three course dining month we both went for the salad starter. It was good — pretty basic (it’s a dinner salad people). The tenderloin we ordered medium rare — a perfect choice. It was tender and cooked well. It wasn’t the best steak I’ve ever had, but I didn’t really expect it to be, considering it was part of the dining deal. Mashed potatoes were scrumptious though! Good amount of garlic flavor. The crème brûlée was phenomenal! Some of the best I’ve had — made with Madagascar vanilla: D
This was a wonderful establishment for us to celebrate our anniversary. I will definitely return to try some of their more iconic (and hopefully flavorful) steak offerings. Thanks, Ringside!

This place is such a throwback classic steakhouse. It seems to be out of place in Portland which is all about down to earth food. Being from Chicago though this brought me back.
Service was spectacular. Food was decent. Came with a large group
Onion Rings — can’t be beat, classic and delicious
Shrimp Cocktail — good
Lobster — well done but not outstanding. Had that old school feel, taste
Brussel sprouts — done with beets, so good
Mushrooms — TAsty, a bit on the salty side
Desert — was some type of old-​school mousse thing. My least favorite thing of the night
Overall, again food was decent. But for the prices there are lots of other tasty eats in the city. If you want a super fancy dinner tho this will definitely give that feel!

After not being able to have a nice medium-​rare steak for the 9 months of my pregnancy, I was super excited to have a steak and finally try Ringside. My steak was flavorful and cooked perfectly, and a generous portion. My husband had the fried chicken and really enjoyed it as well. The chowder was delicious, I look forward to trying the French onion next time. We tried a couple cocktails, both were well made and had a fair amount of alcohol in them (I hate weak drinks!). We appreciated the nice environment and friendly service, and will definitely return. The only downside was the incredibly large amount of garlic in the garlic potatoes– enough to ward off a whole family of vampires.

Omg amazing birthday dinner…
It took me almost an entire week to pick the perfect steakhouse.
I have not one complain, compliments and omg service and food. I can’t I’ll update the long Verizon in a bit.
They also participate in the Portland done month. With an amazing price of $ 29 for a three course meal. Worth every single penny and more.

Rather glorious Ringside Steakhouse is a wonderful restaurant. It’s atmosphere, food and service is all endearing. They serve American food with moderate portions. And they serve it with plenty of precision.
What amazed me is that they didn’t have to do it. They could have settled for good old name recognition and location like Jakes Famous Crawfish, but they took the higher road. I was seated early for my reservation in the midst of Portland Dinning Month. My bread was like bread ought to be. My French onion soup was authentic. My fries were crispy and my steak tender in its lovely mushroom sauce. The crème brûlée had a Midwestern custard feel at the bottom. All this was thirty dollars a person, not including beverage and the tip. My cola was refilled constantly, the table scraped and so on.
This is for the ages.

I love to remind myself why this is a favorite of mine in Portland now and again…
So, we are finishing a movie and are pretty hungry… its on the way home… oh look, reservation made 15 minutes from now for a table for two on my phone… Valet parking with two gentlemen holding umbrellas and opening our doors with a smile.
We are prompted almost immediately to our table… and then greeted by sweet Jessica. We did the Portland Dining Month special… and Ringside never makes you feel cheap or skimps out — we were given huge portions that were all perfect! Our sweet server even inquired about us having tried their onion rings previously to which we said yes but she brought us some suggesting we try them dipped into our onion soups… ummm yeah — RIDICULOUSLY GOOD! This is the service you get there. Connecting with diners like that is just above and beyond.

Good food. Just know that the shredded white stuff presented on top of kale, served with your primerib is not rice pilaf. It’s fiery hot horse radish. Ugh. Dim lighting. Ruined my dinner experience. I hate horse radish and took a whole mouthful. Couldn’t eat anything else and left an almost complete prime rib untouched. Disappointed they tried to fancy up horse radish and disguise it as a side dish, rather than serve in a traditional dipping dish so I’d know what it was. Blegh.
My cut of prime rib had a ring of crispy whatever that I couldn’t even get a steak knife through!!! Tried to eat as is. Good grief, trim the meat before cooking or serving!!! It was like thick masking tape burned to a crisp all along the edges.
Service was great. My meal… not so much.

As a frequent Happy Hour go-​er, I realized I had never been to the RingSide for regular dining. That changed last night.
We had a reservation for 4 at 7pm. We arrived separately and were seated immediately. The service was great the entire night.
We started with a large onion ring, which is never a let down. These are never on happy hour but are worth getting anytime you’re at the RingSide.
I had the surf and turf which was more than enough (the remains will likely be my dinner tonight). The steak was ridiculously tender and well flavored. Honestly, I wish that the prawns hadn’t been deep fried, but that’s just me. The garlic mash on the side was perfectly done, too.
I was underwhelmed by the dessert options and didn’t order anything. What kind of place doesn’t have a standard chocolate cake option?
When you come here, you’re paying for the quality of food, service, and the ambiance. They delivered on all three. The only complaint I have is the bathrooms– they are teeny (due to the age of the building) and were too dirty for use. That’s why they lost a star from me.
I still prefer happy hour simply because steak bites are the same quality meat for ¹⁄₁₀^th of the price BUT it’s nice to know their main menu delivers just as well.

How does a vegetarian survive a steakhouse? See below!
I’ll admit I had some severe trepidation about eating here. I had seen mixed reviews, and steak places are notorious for being unkind to non-​meat eaters. However, when the offer came to join in for a meal here, I decided to be positive and see what they could do. As my best food buddy told me, they’ve got to please the vegetarians or the meat eaters won’t be back, i.e., your veggie spouse will never let you forget it!!!
The Ringside is a dated affair with no apologies. It’s one of those places with no windows, private valet parking only, and when the big red door opens, it’s like walking into a Mad Men episode. For nostalgia freaks like myself, I love these kind of places. You glance over and practically expect to see Don Draper half sloshed over martini’s and canoodling with some starlet. The waiters are in traditional tuxedos, it’s decorated like a wine cellar within a cavern, lots of dark colors, and a wave of another era floats over like a cloud. It’s sad more customers don’t respect that. Lots of people in jeans and flannel… hey it’s Portland baby!
The menu isn’t as dated as the atmosphere however. You get a sense that the chef has plenty of creative license within certain parameters. There’s all the usual cuts of beef done many ways, and if you’re a meat eater, a place like this is one of the best. For a vegetarian like myself, it can be challenging. I spoke with the waiter and without hesitation said the chef generally prepares a nice dish of seasonal vegetables with choice of starch. I jumped at this and opted for the wild rice pilaf to round things out with one change. I had seen a wild mushroom side done in butter and garlic, and they happily included it for me.
The plate came very well presented. The pilaf, seasonal squash 3 ways (baked, sauteed, candied), sauteed spinach, and plenty of fresh foraged mushrooms cooked to perfection. While lacking a serious protein, they more than made up for it and I wasn’t the least bit hungry. Fresh baked rolls and whipped butter hit the table, and the service is impeccable for the most part. At a place where an entrée and an adult beverage will set you back $ 100, you come to expect certain things. A waiter that knows his menu, a restaurant that caters to more than it’s base customers, and the value of getting your money’s worth.
A few slight things keep this from a 5 star review however. The wine menu is rather dated and old school. We’ve moved on from needing a lot of dry Bordeaux. I would have liked to see a healthier arrangement of local Cabernet, and for a place specializing in bold flavored aged steaks, I expect to see some full bodied wines like Shiraz on the menu. I had a Syrah that was a pretty nice bouquet however.
The other thing, albeit minor is that for a place such as this they have really small restrooms at the front of the restaurant. I know space is limited in a restaurant that’s seen a lot of action since 1944, but with 3 – 4 remodels of the dining area within that time, some thought should be put into the facilities. I was there on a Tuesday evening, and the place was very busy. We couldn’t get a reservation until 8:15. Being such a small restroom it got in trouble quickly with water everywhere and paper towels on the floor. Some hourly attention is needed here.
Overall a very fine experience and I wouldn’t hesitate to eat here again. It’s one of the oldest restaurants in Portland, and has been a staple of the dining scene even in the lean times. You do that when you don’t sacrifice quality and keep the service at boom time levels of care for your customers. Ringside, you have won me over, great experience and a great meal. After all, there’s a reason your Granddad took clients here in 1965. The good old days haven’t completely gone!!!

Drinking and getting Merry…
I will know more about the chi chi chi sheesh food in awhile… no reservation… but when has that ever stopped my noshing in a timely manner?

So, so, so disappointing. The RingSide I remember was a time capsule steakhouse with a great late night happy hour. The RingSide I experienced a few days ago is not in line with my memory.
My three strikes against Ringside are as follows.
I decided to order lobster mashed potatoes, which sounded not only delicious but also decadent. I took my first forkful and tasted lobster butter that left a coat of grease in my mouth. The mashed potatoes were so lukewarm that the butter was starting to solidify. Back to the kitchen it went.
My husband’s prime rib eye was full of gristle, which is not a trait of rib eye, whether it’s prime or not. Rib eye should be nicely marbled, not a piece of meat that you have to gnaw on like a dog. Plus, $ 50 for a piece of steak that has no characteristics of what a rib eye should resemble is just plain robbery.
My friend ordered a Manhattan, which tasted on point, but was served in a glass with a huge chip on the rim. Now I can excuse a small hairline chip in a glass that may have gone unnoticed, but this chip was large, and could have taken out someone’s lip. Unless robots are behind the bar making the cocktails, there’s really no excuse for that.
Sorry RingSide, you seem to be on a decline, which makes me sad because old school steakhouses are few and far between.