Welcome to another restaurant review here at Gluten Free Portland. We certainly took our time getting around to Grandma Leeth’s. For one thing, it’s kind of all the way across town from us. For the other, it’s very much a family restaurant. In that department, it’s like Old Wives Tales on steroids. They also try to cover a lot of ground. For example, they characterize their menu as “World Comfort Food.” They also have WiFi and several different flavors of childcare. For example, you can bring your 2 to 9 year old kids and have them eat in another room – with supervision by their childcare staff. They also (of course) have a kid’s menu.
The best way I could come up with to describe the atmosphere is sort of upscale Sesame Street. There is a main dining area which is separated from a large playroom by a red wall with variously shaped windows in it. In the back upstairs they have a smaller dining area which our waitress described as “a more formal dining area.” Generally, the place has a fun, energetic atmosphere and gives a person a nice feeling of being safe. (We arrived kind of early on a Saturday night so the restaurant was a little empty. It filled up later.)
The menu is a little confusing as far as the layout goes, but I can’t really tell you why. On the plus side, they mark everything for gluten free, spicy, and vegetarian so you can tell at a glance what is what. We got the Dravidian Dhal as an appetizer. I ordered the gluten-free Coconut Milk Curry and Sienna had the Quiche with Caesar Salad (which aren’t gluten-free.) Strangely, their child menu isn’t marked for gluten-free items—and really only appears to have one.
Here’s The Coconut Milk Curry.
Our server was friendly and awesome. She did a great job of talking to us about the gluten-free items and also had suggestions about favorites.
When it arrived, we both agreed that the Dhal was only OK. I think it needed some cardamom and salt. It also arrived luke-warm, which was disappointing. The Coconut Milk Curry was awesome and properly heated. Sienna was also very pleased with the quiche, but felt like the Caesar Salad needed some zing. The Dhal was much better the next day, so maybe they just need to let it stew longer.
They have one or two gluten free desserts. One is Sorbet (which is also vegan). The other on their menu is called Marronen and is described as “An Austrian-inspired blessing of chocolate + chestnuts covered in chocolate espresso whipped cream. Ice cream, or espresso shot?” We passed on the dessert because we had a prior plan to visit Pix Patisserie.
Some final things about Grandma Leeth’s:
- When we arrive the place was freezing cold. When we complained, they adjusted the temperature immediately. That was really nice.
- They have live jazz every Saturday. We visited on a Saturday and although we liked the band, we both thought the music was too loud. Maybe they feel like they have to compete with the kids?
- Did I mention that they have wine and beer?
Overall, we felt like the experience was nice, and we can definitely see why people would enjoy bringing their kids to Grandma Leeth’s. The food was good too.
We want to know: Have you been to Grandma Leeth’s? Do you have any favorite items on their menu? Let us know in the comments!
Times we have visited: 1 (So your experience may vary.)
Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price compared to “regular”: Same
Grandma Leeth’s Restaurant
www.grandmaleeths.com
10122 SW Park Way, Portland, Oregon 97225 / 503.291.7800
