Perfect for a healthy grab and go lunch option. Staff is friendly and prompt.Vegetarian options: All bowls can be made vegetarian and vegan at your request.Dietary restrictions: All bowls can be made gluten free, vegetarian and vegan at your request.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Bowl 16 Oz Fully Loaded
Ceder Rowe
Bowl of the gods is life!
Natalie
Unexpectedly SUPER delicious! Needed a little something, and this was beyond! Great place and staff!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beth
They make one thing, and they make it very well. The magic sauce is especially good. The bowl is vegetarian (with a "veganize it" option) and gluten free, but you're not thinking about dietary restrictions because it is so satisfying. Lots of yummy beans.We noticed that my husband's big bowl seemed to have a larger proportion of brown rice than my bambino bowl. He wished he'd ordered the bambino because the big bowl ended up being too much for him to finish. We also got an order of chips to share, which was nice but not necessary for enjoyment. The available hot sauces are a nice touch, even if they're all pretty mild to me, an admitted spicy-food fanatic.This is just a stand. The area where you order and wait for your food is covered. There is a small uncovered bench in front where you can sit and eat, but if the weather is bad, do take-out.Vegetarian options: The bowl is vegetarian. You can also ask them to "veganize" the bowl.Dietary restrictions: All bowls are nut free and gluten free. It's easy to "veganize" the bowl, which would make it dairy free as well.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bambino Bowl 12 Oz Fully Loaded, Nate's Oatmeal Cookies
Tony Powell
40 dollar grease ball cheese burger here. 32 dollar pad see ew with a 40 minute wait time there. where can you get lunch in slabtown without returning like the village drunk to work? Whole bowl. Whole bowl is where you get lunch. 11.50 out the door for a big bowl & chips. I rolled my eyes when I first saw “like eating a hug” all over their stuff, but after eating I can confirm it feels very similar to a hug.Great spot, cheap, delicious, healthy & quick. I recently recommended whole bowl to someone who lives 4500 miles away. so good I forget my geography.
Phoebe*
$9-16oz vegetarian bowl (vegan on request, no vegan cheese, no vegan sour cream, just extra avocado). Their homemade sauce has a curry-ish taste and is orange so prob is an ingredient.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Sydney Blissick
If you’re wondering if you should get a bowl, stop pondering and do it. Idk what magic they put in to the sauce but wow it’s so delicious.Dietary restrictions: Gluten free, vegan
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Bowl 16 Oz Fully Loaded
Michele Marlene Swisher
The best!! I feel so healthy eating it!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elle Teslik
Please taste the rice before you serve it. The rice today was undercooked and also inedible. Would love a refund.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Cynthia Norris
Always a delicious quick lunch option!! I’ve never had a bad bowl. Always consistent & delicious. I grab a bowl here for lunch probably once a week for the past year and customer service has always been great and all the employees are always pleasant.Vegetarian options: Also have vegan options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bambino Bowl 12 Oz, Big Bowl 16 Oz Fully Loaded, Chocolate Chip Cookie Gluten-Free
After a few years, I finally had a reason and a moment to dine with The Whole Bowl and their amazing takeaway. I have to say, The Whole Bowl still has it. Easily one of the best quick lunches in PDX, this is ideal for anyone looking for flavor, the feeling of being happily full, and a moment outside. While prices have slowly increased from the former glory days of $5 bowls, this is all normal, given the shape of our world. I love this bowl. The custom and secret sauce goes a long way to connect all of the flavor profiles together. I normally ask for more olives or cilantro since I like a punch of fresh flavor. My only recommendation would be that adding roasted tempeh or tofu would set this place a bar higher. I am always searching for more protein. For customers short on time, you can expect not to spend more than 5 minutes in line and 5 minutes waiting for your bowl. Definitely add some of the spicy sauces if you are open to spice.
Allie S.
These words are not meant to be merely a review, but rather an account of my obsession of The Whole Bowl. I lived in Portland for a year, and I frequented the Whole Bowl at least once a week. It's is healthy, hearty meal packed in a to go bowl: Brown rice layered with black beans, avocado, salsa, olives and sour cream (I opt out of those two), and topped with cheddar cheese and cilantro. The secret though? THE TALI SAUCE. This yellow sauce is the most uniquely addicting flavor with a chickpea base and a blend of spices like mustard powder and tumeric and at least five more that I can't name. The taste is hard to describe in words, but its the better version of its rival Cafe Yumm (also a PNW staple). I've tried to recreate this sauce in my kitchen at home, but it's difficult to perfect. The bowl is simple, inviting and wholesome. If you're looking for a satisfying, repeat lunch spot, The Whole Bowl is for you. And if you visit once, I predict you'll also become a regular. --- Fun anecdotal overshare: Once I was stopped by TSA in the PDX airport for bringing 10 Whole Bowls through security (they used to have a Whole Bowl food truck at the airport, but no longer). TSA opened every single one and concluded that the ingredients were non-threatening. I successfully enjoyed the bowls for a week after in California.
Kelijah Warren
The bowl is delicious and very filling. Like there's no way you will still be hungry after eating a big bowl. One of the best bang for your buck food options in portland. It's relatively healthy, tasty, filling, and priced affordable. They have an assortment of sauces and condiments so you can enjoy yourbowl to your hearts delight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Bowl 16 Oz, Tortilla Chips
Daniel Read IV
The Whole Bowl is so delicious and healthy.Daniel Read
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eddie C.
The whole bowl my mother and my brother loves it they are really healthy and really good
Perfect for a healthy grab and go lunch option. Staff is friendly and prompt.Vegetarian options: All bowls can be made vegetarian and vegan at your request.Dietary restrictions: All bowls can be made gluten free, vegetarian and vegan at your request.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Bowl 16 Oz Fully Loaded
Bowl of the gods is life!
Unexpectedly SUPER delicious! Needed a little something, and this was beyond! Great place and staff!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
They make one thing, and they make it very well. The magic sauce is especially good. The bowl is vegetarian (with a "veganize it" option) and gluten free, but you're not thinking about dietary restrictions because it is so satisfying. Lots of yummy beans.We noticed that my husband's big bowl seemed to have a larger proportion of brown rice than my bambino bowl. He wished he'd ordered the bambino because the big bowl ended up being too much for him to finish. We also got an order of chips to share, which was nice but not necessary for enjoyment. The available hot sauces are a nice touch, even if they're all pretty mild to me, an admitted spicy-food fanatic.This is just a stand. The area where you order and wait for your food is covered. There is a small uncovered bench in front where you can sit and eat, but if the weather is bad, do take-out.Vegetarian options: The bowl is vegetarian. You can also ask them to "veganize" the bowl.Dietary restrictions: All bowls are nut free and gluten free. It's easy to "veganize" the bowl, which would make it dairy free as well.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bambino Bowl 12 Oz Fully Loaded, Nate's Oatmeal Cookies
40 dollar grease ball cheese burger here. 32 dollar pad see ew with a 40 minute wait time there. where can you get lunch in slabtown without returning like the village drunk to work? Whole bowl. Whole bowl is where you get lunch. 11.50 out the door for a big bowl & chips. I rolled my eyes when I first saw “like eating a hug” all over their stuff, but after eating I can confirm it feels very similar to a hug.Great spot, cheap, delicious, healthy & quick. I recently recommended whole bowl to someone who lives 4500 miles away. so good I forget my geography.
$9-16oz vegetarian bowl (vegan on request, no vegan cheese, no vegan sour cream, just extra avocado). Their homemade sauce has a curry-ish taste and is orange so prob is an ingredient.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
If you’re wondering if you should get a bowl, stop pondering and do it. Idk what magic they put in to the sauce but wow it’s so delicious.Dietary restrictions: Gluten free, vegan
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Bowl 16 Oz Fully Loaded
The best!! I feel so healthy eating it!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Please taste the rice before you serve it. The rice today was undercooked and also inedible. Would love a refund.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Always a delicious quick lunch option!! I’ve never had a bad bowl. Always consistent & delicious. I grab a bowl here for lunch probably once a week for the past year and customer service has always been great and all the employees are always pleasant.Vegetarian options: Also have vegan options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bambino Bowl 12 Oz, Big Bowl 16 Oz Fully Loaded, Chocolate Chip Cookie Gluten-Free
Restaurantji Recommends
After a few years, I finally had a reason and a moment to dine with The Whole Bowl and their amazing takeaway. I have to say, The Whole Bowl still has it. Easily one of the best quick lunches in PDX, this is ideal for anyone looking for flavor, the feeling of being happily full, and a moment outside. While prices have slowly increased from the former glory days of $5 bowls, this is all normal, given the shape of our world. I love this bowl. The custom and secret sauce goes a long way to connect all of the flavor profiles together. I normally ask for more olives or cilantro since I like a punch of fresh flavor. My only recommendation would be that adding roasted tempeh or tofu would set this place a bar higher. I am always searching for more protein. For customers short on time, you can expect not to spend more than 5 minutes in line and 5 minutes waiting for your bowl. Definitely add some of the spicy sauces if you are open to spice.
These words are not meant to be merely a review, but rather an account of my obsession of The Whole Bowl. I lived in Portland for a year, and I frequented the Whole Bowl at least once a week. It's is healthy, hearty meal packed in a to go bowl: Brown rice layered with black beans, avocado, salsa, olives and sour cream (I opt out of those two), and topped with cheddar cheese and cilantro. The secret though? THE TALI SAUCE. This yellow sauce is the most uniquely addicting flavor with a chickpea base and a blend of spices like mustard powder and tumeric and at least five more that I can't name. The taste is hard to describe in words, but its the better version of its rival Cafe Yumm (also a PNW staple). I've tried to recreate this sauce in my kitchen at home, but it's difficult to perfect. The bowl is simple, inviting and wholesome. If you're looking for a satisfying, repeat lunch spot, The Whole Bowl is for you. And if you visit once, I predict you'll also become a regular. --- Fun anecdotal overshare: Once I was stopped by TSA in the PDX airport for bringing 10 Whole Bowls through security (they used to have a Whole Bowl food truck at the airport, but no longer). TSA opened every single one and concluded that the ingredients were non-threatening. I successfully enjoyed the bowls for a week after in California.
The bowl is delicious and very filling. Like there's no way you will still be hungry after eating a big bowl. One of the best bang for your buck food options in portland. It's relatively healthy, tasty, filling, and priced affordable. They have an assortment of sauces and condiments so you can enjoy yourbowl to your hearts delight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Bowl 16 Oz, Tortilla Chips
The Whole Bowl is so delicious and healthy.Daniel Read
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The whole bowl my mother and my brother loves it they are really healthy and really good