The On Deck Sports Bar is located in the heart of the Pearl at the corner of NW 14th and Lovejoy. On a nice day their deck is a great place to catch some sun. From their website (www.ondecksportsbar.com): “The Pearl’s Original Sports Bar. We offer all major sports TV packages. Watch your favorite sports team on the 68″ plasma TV or one of the 25 flat screen TVs. With the largest outdoor deck in the Pearl, we’re the hot place to hang out!”

910 NW 14th St.
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 227-7020‎

The Reviews:

[singlepic id=29 w=320 h=240 float=right]This is a sports fan’s dream. Large, flat screens inside take up nearly every bit of wall space. If there’s a game happening and it’s not on one of them I’d be surprised. There was only one burger on the menu, which my counterparts ordered. The meatloaf sandwich caught my eye so I ordered that. At $8.00 it wasn’t bad. It was nicely seasoned with spices and peppers and came served on sourdough bread with melted cheese. The toasted sourdough was a little greasy and the sandwich itself not as thick with meatloaf as it could be. It also took a heck of a long time to be served. Look at my happy face.  If the weather wasn’t so nice and we weren’t sitting outside I would have been a little upset with the service. ‎
3 out of 5.
[singlepic id=27 w=180 h=220 float=right]Much like the Paragon Restaurant I reviewed a few weeks ago, On Deck Sports Bar and Grill has just one burger on the menu, so I ordered that one.  Looking at the menu right off the bat I could tell this burger was not for those in the cheap seats.  Starting at $8.25, for a plain single, I would have the option to add 5 different toppings (hickory smoked bacon, cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms, and guacamole) each for an additional dollar, which I HAD to add each item.  What?!  Yeah, that puts my burger at $13.25 before I ordered my Diet Pepsi.  Ouch.  But here’s the catch, I asked the waitress if the manager might knock a buck or two off if I ordered all 5 items.  The manager agreed and they cut $3 dollars off my bill.  THANK YOU!  But will they do that for everyone?

Aside from the value not being there, we also waited a VERY long time for our food.  I’m not sure we timed it but it was over 30 minutes, for sure, from the time we ordered to the time the food hit our mouths.  Good thing my kids weren’t with me, I might have walked.  I know things are tight in this economy, but one server and one cook (assuming one cook) is just not ok for a lunch crowd in Downtown Portland.

There’s no doubt the On Deck Burger tasted great with all the trimmings, nearly a home run, but the overall experience and costs give this review a strike out.
3 out of 5
I had high hopes for On Deck since they were a sponsor of the Portland Lumberjax last year.  I had heard really good things about the food and the experience.  However, for my experience, I was less then impressed.  Granted, the nice weather and view from the deck was great, but the service and food was marginal at best.  The server was very nice, and was a pleasure to talk with but she was the only one working, it seemed, and it took over 30 mins to get our food.  That being said,  you can see the excitement on my face with this picture that Chuck took. I have since read some other reviews and spoken to some other regulars.   I guess the key is to call ahead, make a reservation, and order your food before you get there.

In terms of the food when I got it.. It was ok.. nothing to shout about and I would agree it was a little high-priced for the service and food quailty.  I’m ok with paying more for a exceptional experience and ok food, but when neither are anything to shout about, I have to give it a 3 out of 5.

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