McMenamins Courtyard Restaurant

Went there with a big group
Not sure what the problem is with the older guy server with medium long grey hair but he was full of attitude
Everyone in our group was very nice to him and we were understanding that our group is a little bigger and we were trying to make his job easier
However, unfortunately, this is probably one of the worst dining experience I’ve ever had due to his serious attitude
The drink was good and other bars in the school are cool with good drinks and good service but personally I won’t go back Courtyard Restaurant in the future

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 1

We are hotel guests and were provided with information on how to order room service from this restaurant. I called three separate times and waited on the line until the call disconnected, with no answer. Not sure why they’d even bother to advertise this service if it does not exist!

Service: 1

If you're in the Portland area, this place is a must to check out. The architecture and repurposing of a school is awesome and the decor is really cool. The food was pretty good, but a bit pricey. I had the "El Diablo" sandwich, but it was not very spicy. The wait staff was great and prompt. The bar they had looked really cool and was in the boiler room.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sandwich

Went here on a Thursday night with a large party. It was surprisingly loud, which made it difficult for us to talk. Also, because of the large group, service was slow, and it was hard to get our waiter's attention.

The food and drinks are the quality you would expect from a McMenamins location. Good, but nothing groundbreaking or exciting.

Parking: The parking lot is not directly next to the Courtyard Restaurant, but it is a large lot. There are lots of signs inside to help you navigate through the large building to the Courtyard Restaurant (or any other location).

Wheelchair accessibility: The parking lot has wheelchair accessible spots, and there are several ramps inside the building for accessibility. There are accessible bathroom stalls, but the large doors make entry a bit difficult.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 3

We went here last week, about 9pm. Our server was nice, just not very attentive. My son’s pasta was pretty bland, even after adding seasoning and steak to it. My partner got the veggie burger that was supposed to be on the happy hour menu but we were charged regular price. Only complaint on my dish was the croissant was so hard it was difficult to bite into.
The ambience of the restaurant was amazing. The decor is beautiful and the lighting is wonderful. Maybe it was because it was a Wednesday night and it was 9 PM. But service was not great. Our waiter was gone for the majority of time after we got our food. It was pretty hard for us to track down our check or get boxes. Normally, when I go to McMenamins, I have a great time and the food is great. We’ve been to other McMenamins restaurants like the one on the Columbia in Vancouver. And we have superb service , hopefully this was an isolated incident .

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 2

It's a convenient and lovely neighborhood place. Has a wide range of food and eating areas both inside and out. Also offers an interesting variety of programs to attend. Good for adults or families with kids.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

I'm going to start with the good. Food was delicious. I ordered one of the pizzas. Nice crust, flavorful sauce perfect amount of toppings. My sister got one of the burgers which was huge and cooked a perfect medium rare.
Now for the bad.The service was terrible. I ordered a lemon water and soda to drink. Our food came before my drinks ( which took about 30min) and I had to ask for those as they were completely forgotten about. I ended up only drinking water and not getting a soda but was charged for one, had to ask for that to be taken off my check. Had to constantly flag down our server to ask for water refills and or check.
They need to work on the service, we got there before the big dinner rush so there really wasn't a reason for it to be so bad.

A good meal and a good meet-up with an old friend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

As always, every McMenamins seems to have great food. Their beers are less varied and delicious so I recommend ordering a beer from a different brewer. And generally skipping wine. Excluding their fortified wines which are quite good. So choosing carefully this is a very nice place for a good meal.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Gaucho Steak Soft Tacos, Small Cajun Tots Small McMenamins Fries, Aztec Salad

We came in at a busy time so we had to wait a long time, and the options for fast dishes while we waited for our food were not good, but once the burger came, it was delicious!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

What a very cool place. Traveling from Indiana, the friends we were visiting were trying to explain what this place was. An old elementary school converted to restaurants and bars, maintaining the ambience of the school. What? Hell yes, I have to see this. So we went and chose the Courtyard Restaurant and sat outside. How nice is that? Cool breeze, plants all around, great food, and amazing mood. We had such a great time. So fun to see an old elementary school (we all went to one) converted in such a fun, clever way to be enjoyed like this. The creativity and execution was spot on. We loved it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Service was lacking. The burger was basic.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 2

Went in looking for brunch, walked out with a history lesson. So unique being inside an old schoolhouse. Awesome experience and friendly people.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Traditional Benedict

Really cool indoor and outdoor seating options. Great food! We stuck with a couple of sandwiches that did not disappoint. Couldn’t complain about anything during our time here. I can see the issue with waiting for service according to other reviews. We didn’t get speedy service, but not unbearably slow. Would definitely come again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Sandwich

Not a place to go if you want good, attentive service (unless you sit at the bar top) - 0 stars. My sister and I came on a relatively calm Wednesday afternoon. The staff needs to be trained better, and/or needs a morale boost.
Things that should have but didn’t happen:
Within first 5 minutes of sitting down: menus and water / drink order
3 - bite check: when food is delivered check to see the table has everything they need (we did not have silverware and empty water glasses for over 15 minutes, I had to go get them both myself from the bar after asking the food runner who also did not get these for us or tell anyone).
I watched all of the staff just chatting at the server station, clearly not overwhelmed. My “server” even saw me walk out from the bar with waters and silverware. (If he was special needs I really apologize for this whole review idk).
But he didn’t even check on us after this!
Refill waters!!! It was a hot day like what the heck.
Empty plates/finishing up: ask if they need check or boxes (we literally could have walked out it took so long & he probably wouldn’t have even noticed).

I left so annoyed lol I’ve worked in the industry and that was pathetic even for someone’s first day. Sorry for leaving this review but please train your staff.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 4

Service: 1