Tasy & Alder
503.621.9251
580 SW 12th Ave.
Portland, 97205
The best biscuits and gravy I’ve had
A few months back we visited Tasty & Sons on Williams street and knew there was a second location closer by that we would eventually find our way to, but it wasn’t until we were driving down 12th street that we saw just how near it was to some of our other destinations. Past experience taught us there would be at least a 40 minute wait so after putting our names on the list we took a walk around the block with the intent of stopping in at Blue Star donuts for a couple of sweet appetizers. About 45 minutes and two sweet treats later we were seated at the bar in front of where all the delicious treats were being prepared inside Tasty & Alder. We were seated with our backs facing the restaurant which made it somewhat awkward to place our order with our waitress but it was a minor issue that certainly didn’t detract from us enjoying our meals. Carly picked a tasty roast beef melt and I chose their special of biscuits and gravy with a side of fries just to make sure I would be clogging some arteries. The waitress let us know that the plates would be brought out as they were prepared rather than all at once which was fine by us since bar space was somewhat limited. Previously I had ordered a Bloody Mary at their other location that was phenomenal but I decided to stick to coffee this time but I did see quite a few Bloodys go in and out of the bar as we waited. The plate of biscuits & gravy showed up a few minutes later and we hungrily forked in. At first I was a little disappointed by the rather small size of the biscuits but one bite of the fluffy baked goods along with the super succulent sausage gravy made me focus on the quality over the quantity. Carly’s sandwich arrived along with our fries a few moments later but were still distracted by the amazing biscuits to the point where I almost wanted to order a second plate. We sopped up the bits that remained and then moved onto the next plate. The fries were skinny and crispy and the sandwich was moist and tall and stuffed with flavor. I had spied a side of baked beans on the menu and requested that as well since I didn’t want to steal too much of Carly’s sandwich and the fries weren’t going to quite satisfy my hunger. A little tiny cast iron skillet arrived about 5 minutes later sizzling and popping and topped with crumbled cheese and sprinkled with bits of pork. If only I hard ordered the biscuits with the beans and topped with two over easy eggs I might have found the worlds best meal. Next time.
GALLERY
SERVICE
Present but not hovering plus since we were sitting with our backs to the restaurant we had to wait for her to come to us most of the time.
AMBIANCE / DESIGN
Nice unfinished open space with surprisingly comfortable metal seating.
MEAL
Never had a bad bite, and I wish we had ordered a few additional items.
Portland Breakfast Club 