Our food was excellent!Parking: They have a parking lot behind the building; go down the narrow alley to the left when facing the restaurant from the street.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Roman Hudgins
Some guy who works here blocked the driveway to the parking lot with his car. His girlfriend got out and tried to talk to me like I was in the wrong. Bad vibes overall. Got food here once, it was alright. Not going back though. Actively turning customers away? Super unprofessional especially considering they were in the wrong.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Michelle
The menu was varied and interesting. The tapas selection was fun and unexpected. The paella was overcooked by about 4 minutes..the rice being a bit brittle and the shellfish dried out. The steak was delicious!The service was good but the waiters on two occasions brought us different wine selections than we had indicated, one we corrected and pointed out the mistake, the other we were told was one thing but on the bill it was listed as something else. So the bartender or the server or both made some mistakes.
Jonathan McCray
A bit high end. But then again I go here for a a good drink and great company and relaxed enviroment.
Horrible waitress. We were there for 2.5 hours for dinner, and not by our choice. After ordering apps she never came back for us to order main course, had to flag her down. We didn't order the paella we went there for as it had 45 minute cook time and we were over an hour into our experience without being able to order or main course. We sat there for long periods of time with no drinks, water, or food in front of us throughout the meal. Eventually when we had finished and the waitress brought the check... she never returned to run the card through. I had to find someone else to do it. Additionally, at one point someone came over to clear away dirty plates and started to clear our full drinks and gave us attitude when we asked to finish them. Garbage service, food was average, not worth the overpriced bill.
JeremyM
What a gem this place is! We've visited twice now and each time have had a different item on their menu so we can try out unique offerings. The portion sizes are pleasing but not overly stuffing, the cuisine is exceptionally well done and not anything like we've had at other places, and the service is just as awesome as the artsy space they've created here. The wait staff is fun and vibrant with a modern vibe, quick and responsive service with a genuine smile. Be prepared to spend about $60-75/pp plus tip depending on your appetite and drink choices. HOWEVER, make yourself aware that there is free parking located in the back parking lot for the restaurant. We hunted high and low for a street spot the first time we went, not realizing this!
CatF
I'm a little bummed we were not made aware of the menu changes. While I am willing to try just about anything, I do have friends that wanted specific menu items. Holidays are hard eating at restaurants because you never know what changes will be made to the menu due to the traffic, I just wish it was advertised. Drinks were inconsistent, one drink served in a small glass jar, ordered a second of the same drink that came out in a glass twice the size, same price for both? Service wasnt great - again understanding of it being a holiday and staffing issues, but for what we spent the food and service could have been better. Bummed because the vibe is everything you could ask for.
FormerBostonians
I was delighted to return to Local 188 and again have a near-divine course of their Seafood Paella. It was just as incredibly savory and delicious as the first time. Love their cocktail menu and mix of tapas style appetizers. The other diners in my party loved the risotto. Although the restaurant is dimly lit, as most restaurants are these days for dinner, the space between different dining table was generous. Kudus also for providing great value for a tasty varied menu.
Randall Norris
What a fantastic find. Had a super meal and the open kitchen keeps it fun. Risotto was awesome!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melinda Gauthier
Love Local188 overall but this time…It wasn’t very busy and the service was lacking. Slow drinks, condiments forgotten and the eggs (all 7 of ours) were very very salty.
We are fans of Local 188. This dining experience was only good, not great. We had a later reservation because we had to drive from a distance to arrive in Portland. We love the small and changing menu, but we were disappointed that many of the menu items were sold out for the evening. When we expressed this, the staff suggested we come earlier. We would have it we could have-it would have felt a little better if there was some empathy. The quality of the food we did have was very good, and we will dine there again. But note if you are dining at 8:00pm, you take your chance to not have items available on the menu.
JoleneM
The server was lovely but she could use a bit of training. Having worked in several restaurants over the years, these are somethings I would share with her: never scrape food in front of a customer. Never ask if we want dessert when we are not finished our meal. Always bring extra plates if we are sharing a meal. Always bring 2 steak knives even if we are sharing one steak. Other than that, great food, comfortable room.
Ashley P.
The first exclamation I ever made at Local 188 was "I can get deviled eggs here?!" I was elated. It was all smooth sailing from there. I have gone for dinner a handful of times and it was pricey but great. Where Local 188 really shines though is brunch. For starters they have a good selection of bloody Mary's and other amazing brunch drinks. When you get past your excitement about that, then you have amazing brunch options like a picodillo hash, biscuits and gravy, eggs quarantine (Benedict), and the never disappointing breakfast burrito. Everything is good. Now for the short list of negatives: you likely are going to have to wait to get a table, especially at brunch. Sometimes if you don't get there early, what you have your heart set on is sold out. (It's a pretty big bummer in the moment, but not to fear, you will find another item to be excited about!) If you go for dinner, have your wallet ready, especially if you want steak. It's definitely (at least for me) a date night restaurant.
Danielle V.
Went here for brunch the other day. They have a large inside and a bar area. We got right in on Saturday morning which is hard for Portland. If you have a big group I would also suggest going here cause they have large tables. They have lots of different bloody marry drinks and lots of different options for food. The food was good but not amazing. The service was okay until she brought our check when we just got our food and then never came back to ask if we wanted more water or anything. I have been to dinner a while ago and I remember it being decent as well. I will have to come back to try for dinner again.
Moose
Went to Local 188 for dinner as we usually go there for breakfast/brunch on a weekend and truly enjoyed it! Cocktails, service and food were all perfect. Easy parking, nice atmosphere made for a perfect evening.
Our food was excellent!Parking: They have a parking lot behind the building; go down the narrow alley to the left when facing the restaurant from the street.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Some guy who works here blocked the driveway to the parking lot with his car. His girlfriend got out and tried to talk to me like I was in the wrong. Bad vibes overall. Got food here once, it was alright. Not going back though. Actively turning customers away? Super unprofessional especially considering they were in the wrong.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
The menu was varied and interesting. The tapas selection was fun and unexpected. The paella was overcooked by about 4 minutes..the rice being a bit brittle and the shellfish dried out. The steak was delicious!The service was good but the waiters on two occasions brought us different wine selections than we had indicated, one we corrected and pointed out the mistake, the other we were told was one thing but on the bill it was listed as something else. So the bartender or the server or both made some mistakes.
A bit high end. But then again I go here for a a good drink and great company and relaxed enviroment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Deviled Eggs, Charcuterie Board
Horrible waitress. We were there for 2.5 hours for dinner, and not by our choice. After ordering apps she never came back for us to order main course, had to flag her down. We didn't order the paella we went there for as it had 45 minute cook time and we were over an hour into our experience without being able to order or main course. We sat there for long periods of time with no drinks, water, or food in front of us throughout the meal. Eventually when we had finished and the waitress brought the check... she never returned to run the card through. I had to find someone else to do it. Additionally, at one point someone came over to clear away dirty plates and started to clear our full drinks and gave us attitude when we asked to finish them. Garbage service, food was average, not worth the overpriced bill.
What a gem this place is! We've visited twice now and each time have had a different item on their menu so we can try out unique offerings. The portion sizes are pleasing but not overly stuffing, the cuisine is exceptionally well done and not anything like we've had at other places, and the service is just as awesome as the artsy space they've created here. The wait staff is fun and vibrant with a modern vibe, quick and responsive service with a genuine smile. Be prepared to spend about $60-75/pp plus tip depending on your appetite and drink choices. HOWEVER, make yourself aware that there is free parking located in the back parking lot for the restaurant. We hunted high and low for a street spot the first time we went, not realizing this!
I'm a little bummed we were not made aware of the menu changes. While I am willing to try just about anything, I do have friends that wanted specific menu items. Holidays are hard eating at restaurants because you never know what changes will be made to the menu due to the traffic, I just wish it was advertised. Drinks were inconsistent, one drink served in a small glass jar, ordered a second of the same drink that came out in a glass twice the size, same price for both? Service wasnt great - again understanding of it being a holiday and staffing issues, but for what we spent the food and service could have been better. Bummed because the vibe is everything you could ask for.
I was delighted to return to Local 188 and again have a near-divine course of their Seafood Paella. It was just as incredibly savory and delicious as the first time. Love their cocktail menu and mix of tapas style appetizers. The other diners in my party loved the risotto. Although the restaurant is dimly lit, as most restaurants are these days for dinner, the space between different dining table was generous. Kudus also for providing great value for a tasty varied menu.
What a fantastic find. Had a super meal and the open kitchen keeps it fun. Risotto was awesome!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love Local188 overall but this time…It wasn’t very busy and the service was lacking. Slow drinks, condiments forgotten and the eggs (all 7 of ours) were very very salty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
We are fans of Local 188. This dining experience was only good, not great. We had a later reservation because we had to drive from a distance to arrive in Portland. We love the small and changing menu, but we were disappointed that many of the menu items were sold out for the evening. When we expressed this, the staff suggested we come earlier. We would have it we could have-it would have felt a little better if there was some empathy. The quality of the food we did have was very good, and we will dine there again. But note if you are dining at 8:00pm, you take your chance to not have items available on the menu.
The server was lovely but she could use a bit of training. Having worked in several restaurants over the years, these are somethings I would share with her: never scrape food in front of a customer. Never ask if we want dessert when we are not finished our meal. Always bring extra plates if we are sharing a meal. Always bring 2 steak knives even if we are sharing one steak. Other than that, great food, comfortable room.
The first exclamation I ever made at Local 188 was "I can get deviled eggs here?!" I was elated. It was all smooth sailing from there. I have gone for dinner a handful of times and it was pricey but great. Where Local 188 really shines though is brunch. For starters they have a good selection of bloody Mary's and other amazing brunch drinks. When you get past your excitement about that, then you have amazing brunch options like a picodillo hash, biscuits and gravy, eggs quarantine (Benedict), and the never disappointing breakfast burrito. Everything is good. Now for the short list of negatives: you likely are going to have to wait to get a table, especially at brunch. Sometimes if you don't get there early, what you have your heart set on is sold out. (It's a pretty big bummer in the moment, but not to fear, you will find another item to be excited about!) If you go for dinner, have your wallet ready, especially if you want steak. It's definitely (at least for me) a date night restaurant.
Went here for brunch the other day. They have a large inside and a bar area. We got right in on Saturday morning which is hard for Portland. If you have a big group I would also suggest going here cause they have large tables. They have lots of different bloody marry drinks and lots of different options for food. The food was good but not amazing. The service was okay until she brought our check when we just got our food and then never came back to ask if we wanted more water or anything. I have been to dinner a while ago and I remember it being decent as well. I will have to come back to try for dinner again.
Went to Local 188 for dinner as we usually go there for breakfast/brunch on a weekend and truly enjoyed it! Cocktails, service and food were all perfect. Easy parking, nice atmosphere made for a perfect evening.