Silly’s

After living in Portland for about a month I finally made it to Silly’s for brunch! Took about 30 minutes to be seated because we came late morning on Saturday but it was well worth the wait. The menu (for both lunch and brunch) are very elaborate and it took me a while to decide on what to order. Options ranging from crepes to sandwiches to egg dishes — anyone (including vegans) can find something they’ll thoroughly enjoy. I ordered their gluten free chickpea flour crepes with sunflower seed butter and banana which were good but a little too dry at parts. We also ordered the bowl of bacon (written as a «serious commitment» on the menu) and out came the biggest serving of bacon I had ever seen. The second time I went I ordered the «EggCeption» with tempeh sausage, 2 fried eggs, and potatoes, which absolutely hit the spot (although I took some home because it was too much to finish). Overall a great place for a hungover brunch or a lazy morning but it may take a while to be seated — I advise you look through a copy of the menu while you wait to make the ordering process quicker.

One of my favorite restaurants, they’ve got something for everyone. Wonderful staff, great atmosphere, and a huge menus with lots of options. Whatever you do, make sure to get the sweet potato fries, they literally chop up a whole sweet potato & deep fry it — it is spectacular!

What a fun hidden gem! Amazing service and adorable back patio make this a great little escape for a weekend afternoon. The fish and chips were just OK but the sweet potato fries were out of this world! The sangria was delicious and fresh. All The portions were huge! Will definitely be back

Great comfort food, vegan/​vegetarian friendly, milkshakes, homemade cakes, great bar. The service is ⁵⁰⁄₅₀. I’ve had over the top service and below average service. Don’t park at the 7/​11, even if you’re running in for a split second to pick up food. The tow truck drivers are not friendly and get overly excited about stealing your car then drive away waving and laughing.

If you go to this place it’s going to be because of the atmosphere and hipster scene. The place was cool and unique and the service was very good with nice people. But from an eaterie stand point everything from sitting space to the menu was busy. The food was good but not great though some of my friends absolutely loved it (brunch) and some absolutely hated it (dinner.) I wasn’t impressed but wasn’t disappointed either. This was a dinner review for me.

Food: 1 Star
Service: 4 Stars
I came for dinner and not the «famous brunch» — but here is my issue with this…
Breakfast/​Brunch to me is really hard to mess up, but it can be challenging to make it stand out. If a restaurant does not specialize in breakfast/​brunch the way Bintliff’s does (only having hours 7 am to 2 pm with mainly breakfast/​brunch options) then I assume it is a restaurant that will provide a delicious dinner meal like any other restaurant. I expected this from Silly’s.
Anyway…
On Unilocal,Silly’s is rated great, so I was excited to grub on some good food. Came with a party of five. Place was packed — good sign. Wait staff was working hard trying to accommodate. We waited a decent amount of time before we were seated. I was hungry. I knew based on Unilocal reviews this place was going to be legit plus being hungry was going to make the food taste even better. I was so wrong.
It was hard to decide what I wanted because the Menu is so damn busy. There are so many items on the menu which should have been a sign of quantity over quality.
I ordered a Slop Bucket which was simply bad. Someone must have poured the entire bottle of rosemary in my plate. Visually it looked like I was going to chow down on some good BBQ pulled pork but when I bit into it — it tasted like a damn Christmas tree. My taste buds were so confused. Way too much Rosemary which I don’t think Rosemary actually fits in this dish. I couldn’t finish it because it simply did not taste good.
Other members in my party felt the same way about their meals.
My vegetarian friend ordered the Bio Diesel and she didn’t even finish it. There was no flavor; the tofu was dry and tough. Poorly prepared and cooked. One half of her sandwich fell on the floor and she didn’t even bother getting another sandwich because she was so turned off.
My boyfriend ordered the Zombie burger and couldn’t finish it either. I honestly thought his was the tastiest out of what everyone ordered, but it was simply the best of the worst. He actually got sick that night after eating it. I doubt we’ll ever go back again.
The other dish was a $ 13 Bleu Swayed Cue which was just a hamburger. Nothing special. The meat itself was just cooked ground meat.
When I say a huge disappointment I mean a HUGE disappointment. While we were waiting for our table we saw the cakes at the counter. We were for sure going to get a slice, but after such a disappointing meal we honestly just wanted to get out of there.
The service was excellent. Our waitress was awesome. The food was simply not good.
A part of me is still curious about the brunch they serve on the weekends, but even then I end up asking myself, «Why?». There are plenty of other breakfast/​brunch options in the sea.

We were on vacation in Portland and we stopped in for breakfast. It was my first time being there, but everything was so good! I got some kind of berry stuffed French toast and it was the best breakfast I’ve ever had… Maybe ;) the drinks were also pretty damn good. Definitely going back!

Silly indeed. Seems like nobody working here has a clue about food. All the positive reviews must be from the throngs of loud drunks who frequent this greasy diner. It is RIDICULOUSLY loud. Vegans beware, since the kitchen apparently doesn’t know that dairy isn’t vegan or the waitstaff cant communicate well enough. Just zero common sense and zero customer service. Avoid at all costs. We felt sick after eating here.

Just had the most amazing meal at Silly’s. My partner and I sat at the bar, yes, you do have to be seated by a server/​host, but if you know that, and you’re going there for a meal, you appreciate it. You also appreciate the «tastes» of beer they offer while you choose the one you ultimately order.
I had a veggie burger and it was cooked perfectly, the pickles, lettuce and tomatoes were all fresh… the pickle was pickled, but not over pickled so fresh, the bread was lightly toasted and delicious. The fries are, hands down, some of the best in the area. That’s saying a lot, we’re in Portland. Silly’s continues to earn it’s stripes as one of the best vegan/​vegetarian joints in town, too.
…and for the carnivore — my boyfriend had the Greek Havoc, which is a lamb and pork burger with calamatas, tomatoes, feta, and dressing all smashed between a toasted bun. Again, perfectly cooked and paired with the to-​die-​for fries.
We took a piece of the vegan strawberry cake, with caramel-​ish frosting home for dessert. We ate it immediately and it was moist and delicious! Could have been more strawberry flavor, but we still didn’t feel like we missed out.
The service was good. It was busy, but we were still tended to as frequently as we wanted to be.

Funky is an overused descriptor but seems the only appropriate adjective for Sillys.
Reminds me of Portland Oregon in the late 90’s,
Alternative, everything is homemade, edgy AND funky.
The aesthetic is dead on. Kitchenette tables, mis-​matched chairs, salt, pepper and napkins in vintage lunch-​boxes. Chris our waiter was awesome!
Food was fun. Menu is all over the place in a great way. Nachos to pizza to stir frys. Everything made from scratch.
We will be back next trip to Portland.

Yay! I’m a fan… because:
Well the vegan options are endless and friggin satisfying if you are in the mood for comfort food. Overwhelming and down right fulfilling. I had the «I Mush» and whoa. couldn’t finish it. Insanely rich and filly. I also had a vegan cake ice cream (rice) shake. OMG. so rich and delicious. An old-​fashioned milk shake. Wow.
The service was on point. except the waitress was a bit too cold to me and warm to my dad. I didn’t mention it, thought maybe it was all in my head. My dad mentioned it and said yeah she definitely knew I was paying (joking of course… sort of)!

I heard that I just had to try the milkshakes at Silly’s so I came back for another try and it was a total disaster. Seriously Silly’s, just cut the menu in half. I ordered a coffee milkshake and it was warm. Not even just kinda melty but actually warm to the touch. Do they not even know that you can’t just dump hot coffee into the snake machine? We had to ask several times for silverware and napkins because there weren’t any in our weird dirty lunchbox at our table. I just don’t get why people are into this place. The fries were soggy, the falafel is really bland… nothing good to say about this place.

Felt like crying after my last there visits. I have been coming for years and always bringing out of town friends here. The past four times have been terrible. Service still good but quite slow (never really bothers me) but the food was just bad. Had nearly an entire egg shell in one breakfast burrito. Half my party did not want to eat more then a couple bites. Sad to lose what was once an excellent place to eat.

Sillys has disappointed every time I have been back since my previous review.
I received an unprofessional email from the owner which left a bad taste in my mouth– but not as bad as the food that I have had.
The last veggie burger I had was mushy, stale and topped with an old piece of tomato and onion which had definitely seen better days. The zombie burger was topped with canned jalapenos and pineapple. It was a disaster. The vegan coleslaw sounded good but was swimming in syrup. The menu is so large that NOTHING HERE IS FRESH.
I even threw out the last piece of cake I had. Who throws out cake??? Sillys cake is worth throwing out. It must have been sitting on that counter for way too long.
The atmosphere has gotten on my nerves with tables that are so wobbly you could rock a child to sleep. The place is also always swimming with screaming children.
Needless to say, will not be coming back.

I wanted to find a fun spot with my daughter with great food and Silly’s was the perfect spot. Such a cute, quirky place with amazing outside seating. The temps were just right for a dinner outside. I tried the zombie burger and was blown away. I love spicy foods and to be able to get something that is typically reserved for meat eaters was too much to pass up. I am so used to restaurants either being fun, or good. Silly’s hits both marks.

I love so much about Silly’s! It’s a fun, (silly) local favorite! They have quite a large menu for such a small place, with many options for vegan/​vegetarians. Don’t worry carnivores — there is plenty for you too!
Silly’s is good for brunch, lunch, dinner or dessert! They do it all very well! They’ve got a full bar, good craft beer selection, and lots of fun drink options. The waitstaff are super friendly, accommodating (for allergies and preferences), and generally willing to do multiple checks.
One thing for sure is you can never really get bored of Silly’s. There are so many fun options to choose from, and they shift the menu a bit yearly. There are flatbreads, salads, wraps, sandwiches, burgers (and veggie burgers), noodle dishes, and more. I like to bring out-​of-​towners here to show them the Silly Side of Portland! They have lots of vegan dressings, so you can fell just a touch less guilty when gorging on a v-​burger and fries! Have I mentioned the cakes? SO. Good. Huge slices, you can share with your whole table! Also great to take home and enjoy for a day or two!
I have so many good things to say about Sillys — but the lack of five stars comes for the following reasons:
— I get that you want to be funky and fun, but the seating sucks. None of the tables/​seats are comfortable or can easily accommodate more than 2 people so we are always squeezing together. Outside seating is great when available!
— The little water cups? Can I just get a real size cup please? I drink like 15 of those little things, and still get thirsty.
— Serving the beer in tin cups is cute, really cute. But it makes the beer taste like tin. Not having pint glasses available makes that an annoying issue when you have such great beer on tap. Just get real pint glasses, we’ll all be happier! (And drink more!) Note: If you get pint glasses you could also use those for water (see above).

WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE THIS AMAZINGESS, it can only be communicated in ooh’s, ahh’s, mmm’s and a chorus of the other involuntary sounds that escape your lips as you read over the menu, or watch the plates come out of the kitchen and past your table…
There is something for the glutton in everyone — whether your indulgence is buffalo tofu, fried chicken and waffles, boozy milkshakes, or stuffed french toast. Vegans, vegetarians, and the rest of humanity — rejoice, for this is your promised land.
Not only does Silly’s offer an insane variety of incredible food, but it also has a pretty unbeatable atmosphere. If you dig the Portland (read: Portland, OR) scene, colors, kitsch, outdoor spaces, creative planters, and Alice-​in-​Wonderland… then you’ll love sitting at Silly’s.
The one possible critique is that the staff can be a bit snarky or aloof — they’re generally pretty hipster, which matches the general vibe of the place. I dig it, but someone like my mom might not.
Note: They won’t seat you until your party is complete, so tell your friends not to be late! Though, there’s generally plenty of outdoor seating on a nice day because the patio space is so vast, and still expanding.
Secondary note: if you’re like me, you may feel tempted to make a healthy choice and get a plain salad or vegetables… Don’t do it!!! 1) health food is not their specialty, and 2) you’ll be hella jealous.

This place is fun! Our waitress was really, really nice. We sat at the table with the Christmas Table lamp. My boyfriend got hash something or other and he seemed to like it but not be wowed by it. I got the Seize the tempeh! It was good. The peppers were still a bit raw and it was a mess to eat but very tasty, especially the sauce! Oh and we started with the vegan fried pickles and WOW! Definitely get those. I don’t even like pickles!!! A lot of options — maybe too many! It was so hard to choose. Wouldn’t it be cool if they just had a buffet Sundays or something? That way you could try a little of everything. Hint hint hint hint…
I know it sounds like I really like this place and I do buuuuut…
Okay so the reasons for the three stars:
1. It’s pretty pricey, surprisingly so, and I’m used to New York prices.
2. It seemed kind of out of the way?
3. THE WORST PART: My boyfriend found a hair in his hash :(But not just IN it, like COOKED INTO the potato and I’ll be honest, it was short and wiry. We told the waitress and there wasn’t much she could do, obviously, especially since he’d already eaten most of it. She did take the pickles off the bill but we just wishes that maybe there wasn’t a hair in the food instead…

Even though I’ve heard countless good reviews about this place, I was skeptical to try. I’m not much of a hipster, and this place screams hipster. I don’t recycle much, and I like meat, big trucks, guns, and I generally vote Republican. So as you can see, this place kinda clashes with my style… but thanks to the meatless Fridays of Lent, I decided to give this place a try
First off, everyone was friendly: the hostess, server, and cook who brought out everyone’s food personally. Then, I was blown away by the huge menu. As I stated above, I like meat, but the many vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu had me intrigued.
Then there was the drink menu. More important, the milkshake menu, which was HUGE. (Spoiler alert: I ended up getting a milkshake to go since it took me forever to decide on one)
I ended up getting an iced coffee (brewed in-​house) and zombie burger with fries. It was amazing (see picture). I forgot I was eating a vegan dish. I also acquired their house hot sauce, which tastes like habeneros but isn’t super spicy like habeneros. I totally recommend the house hot sauce as well.
And lastly, I got a cookie and butterscotch milkshake. They make their butterscotch (and many other milkshake ingredients) in-​house. (Also, if you get bacon, you get TONS of bacon, just FYI)
So, in short, I was able to set aside my non-​hipster ways and totally enjoy this place. I highly, highly recommend coming here.

Silly’s is the best! The atmosphere is funky and eclectic. I always find something new to look at on the walls. I strongly recommend that people visit here in the summer and take advantage of sitting outside. There are plenty of tables and a lot of shade plus a bathtub planter. You can’t go wrong with that.
I’ve never had bad service here and I’ve visited a ton of times. The servers are always super helpful, down to earth and just plain awesome. They suggest their favorite items on the menu and will happily discuss milkshakes flavors with you. You must try a milkshake unless of course you’re lactose intolerant and then things might go badly for you.
The menu is big and includes wraps, pizzas, salads, sandwiches, bbq, etc. Everything has a punny or wacky name so it’s helpful that they give a brief description so you know what the heck you might be eating. I also like that they have a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu that are noted with a «v» and gluten-​free items labeled as «gf.»
My top three favorites:
1) Gravy Danger: hand cut fries with gravy, bacon and scallions. No duh, right? I can’t get enough of fries with gravy on them. I don’t know how I made it through life before I discovered this magical combination.
2) Fried pickles: pickle chips in a crunchy batter with a spicy dipping sauce are the perfect appetizer to share!
3) Pokey Pig: a pulled pork sandwich piled high with pork and coleslaw and slathered with BBQ sauce. It’s so messy that I always go high brow and eat it with a knife and fork. Pinkies up!
Honorable mention: Sweet Potato of Mine. This pizza sounds very strange on the menu but it is so delicious. Crispy thin crust with spinach, caramelized onions, sweet potato, garlic, almonds and drizzled with a balsamic glaze that is sweet and tangy. It doesn’t have sauce, cheese or meat so it’s perfect for either the vegan or vegetarian!
I highly recommend this place! My biggest tip is to get their early on weekends in wintertime because it’s small inside and almost always packed to the gills.