Oven And Shaker

It's still a good place to get some tasty wood fired pizzas and sides when in the area and in need of something good. We had the mushroom and the Margherita pizza this time. The mushroom was a bit better than the Margherita, in my opinion. We also had the Arugula Salad, which was very good and also shared the spicy meatballs and burrata.

Food was good, the pizza crust is VERY good and the meatballs were flavorful. Their house red wine is also lovely. The SERVICE is what I came here to review because I feel as though restaurant service has been on a decline but this place was great. Waitstaff was attentive and kind. I would come back just for that!

Oven and Shaker serves up some excellent and unique pizza, but don't skip on the salads, either! The arugula salad was a surprise and smash hit at our table- wonderful vinaigrette played beautifully with the bitterness of the greens, and there was a LOT of salad there. I usually regret ordering a salad but find myself trying to replicate this recipe because it is just that good! The pizza, of course, is why most people come. Oven-made right there and delicious flavors with just the right amount of crust to carry the toppings make this a go-to for a good time- good drinks, good food, good service, what more can one say? A worthy and gratifying stop on your portland food tours!

I often look for nook and artisan establishments when eating out. Oven and Shaker is the definition of Artisan wood fired pizza. Many people do one of two things.. eat food to live or live to eat food. I am definitely the latter of the two. Other reviews complain about "raw" or not firm toppings. This self proves that they eat food to live and do not know Artisan basing reviews on places like Domino's or Pizza Hut. Those that know, know the curl up of a Pepperoni means they use real Pepperoni and the "raw" is where protein meets cheese. Let me divulge my experience with my other half and his brother. We started with drinks and Arancini and spicey meatballs. The appetizers were refreshing and definitely made to order. The word "Dry, gooey, raw, or bland.. we not in our opinions of anything we had". We then decided to order 4 different pizzas, to try the assortment and accompany them with some drinks. The drinks, especially mine, are one of the freshest I've had from any top bar and not overly strong. Of the pizzas, that natural burn spots on the crust are classic signs of not only fresh wood fire, but also fresh made thin dough. The ingredients were all fresh and of the spicey Salami, Italian sausage, seasonal special, and Pepperoni... we could not choose a favorite as we enjoyed all of them. We had about 6 slices each and were pleasantly full, not stuffed by any means or left with the feeling of bloated like you would from most pizza places or thick crust remnants. We finished with a couple desserts, a creme (I don't remember the name) and the mint Gelato. Both, are as of 5 star quality. Especially the mint Gelato.. never have I been to a place that took the time to make and use fresh mint essence in Gelato. Let me tell you, Gelato with fresh mint is by far Paramount in flavor to any other made. It's details like that that make a place elevated and unique. Oven and Shaker will definitely be the place that is recommended by me when people ask for unique artisan places to eat in Portland. Not only was our bill evenly matched to all we ordered, the wait was not long and I was more than happy to give a generous tip of over 35%, which is rare for me. It is a well deserved and much deserving resteraunt of 5 stars with top pic of recommendations.

Picked it up and went to the hotel rooftop nearby. Fantastic pie with tons of flavor from the ingredients. You end up taking more time to capture all the flavors. Honestly worth savoring every bite while you strap in. I thought the pie would be small but it's much more than you think with the crust. Only visiting but with the amount of flavor that you get with a short wait for the high temp, quick cook time, I'll probably come back!