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Reviews
Since 1995 we have been honored to be one of The Oregonian's Top 100 restaurants
"Diner
2006"
"Diner
2001"
"Diner2000"
"Diner1999"
Likewise the Willamette Week Restaurant Guide 2005 1998
Portland
Tribune 2002
David Barber Taste Maker
Jonathan Kadish's
Report
Chef David N. Barber may be used to the slick
kitchens
of Los Angeles and chic, city cuisine of Charlotte, N.C., but he's very
much at home in the friendly neighborhood of Hillsdale. That's where
Barber
slips into his chef's hat each day and creates the great grill and
comfort
food enjoyed at the Three Square Grill.
Until this year, Barber was on the culinary fast track. High-end,
high-volume,
high-profile dining was his modus operandi. Gourmet magazine in 1992
took
notice of Barber's talent as chef at the Red Car Grill in Los Angeles
and
gave him kudos for his style and menu. In Charlotte, Barber was in
charge
of 40 cooks and a 300 seat, high-rise restaurant, and well on his way
up
the culinary corporate ladder. But that all changed with a visit to
Portland.
In 1994, Barber and his wife, Barbara, a former sous chef, came to
see
Barber's sister and husband. The Barbers left with a business plan that
would change their lives. During the visit, they talked about their
vision
of the future, which included owning a restaurant together. It had
always
been a back-of-the mind fantasy for Barber, but after seeing Portland's
degree of food savvy and fresh local ingredients, it seemed like an
idea
whose time had come.
Today, Barber couldn't be happier. Three Square Grill became a
reality
in March. Barbara Barber is the restaurant's manager and David Barber's
brother-in-law, entrepreneur Doug Adler, is his partner. What's best
about
Three Square Grill is that it's a place where David
On the Three Square Grill menu is a sandwich called the Lexington
27292, which has been a popular item since the day the restaurant
opened.
Named after the city and Zip code of origin, this North Carolina-style
smoked and barbecued grilled pork sandwich is one of the tasty
souvenirs
Barber brought to Oregon from the South.
In Lexington, every corner has a barbecue joint with its own style
of
marinated pork sandwiches. Usually served in checkerboard paper boats,
the white, soft-bun sandwiches are piled high with paper-thin slices of
succulent pork and drizzled with additional marinade. Barber’s recipe
for
North Carolina-style Marinated Pork is his adaptation of this regional
favorite. Thinly sliced for a sandwich or served as a main entree, it's
a crowd pleaser.
Barber may cook what he pleases and what his customers prefer without
the pressures of a big-time operation. Whether it's Mac 'n' Cheese
Barber-style
with corn pasta elbows and a garlic crumb crust or his signature Red
Electric
Chili, in this intimate, 60-seat restaurant, chef Barber knows each
plate
and each customer's response, and that's just the way he likes it.
This is a school report by Portland 6th grade student Jonathan Kadish.
We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Way to go... Jonathan!
Three Square Grill
From the outstanding food to the beautiful
atmosphere, Three Square Grill is definitely the place to go for an
extraordinary
dinner. Located conveniently in the Hillsdale Shopping Center, Three
Square
Grill is a great place to have a quick easy dinner, or a long candle
lit
dinner.
The food is exceptional, with a large variety for any age. For kids, there is everything from hot dogs to pastas, and for adults there's everything from gourmet dishes and grilled vegetable platters to burgers. It is also very flexible. For example, you could order a dish and ask the waiter to add something or take off something and the cook will do it with no extra charge. The food is always made fresh with large portions that will fill you up and leave enough leftovers for the next day's lunch.
The "must try" meal at Three Square Grill is the Macaroni and Cheese. It's a large bowl filled with macaroni covered in warm cheddar cheese, then topped off with a dollop of goat cheese, garlic bread crumbs and minced peppers. It is one of the best macaroni and cheese dishes of all time! Other good dishes are the GardenBurger, and Vegetable Platter, but remember this is from a vegetarian's point of view. They also have many meat dishes. The food deserves a five star rating at Three Square Grill.
The Service is marvelous. As you sit down your table is immediately given complementary fresh bread and butter, still warm from the oven. The waiter greets you soon after you get seated and asks you if you would like a beverage, then tells you the specials. A few minutes later the waiter is back to ask you if you're ready to order. If you ordered an appetizer or salad, it comes within minutes, and shortly after that, the main course comes. Throughout your meal the waiter checks on you several times and asks if everything is okay. Your water is constantly refilled and is almost never empty. Throughout the night the manager and owner, Barbara, may come over and have a friendly chat, especially if you know her from having come to the restaurant since it opened. At the end of your meal, the waiter will pack up the remnants of your meal so you can take it home. The service is definitely a strong point of Three Square Grill.
The atmosphere at Three Square Grill is wonderful. It is not an elegant atmosphere like a fancy, expensive restaurant, but is nice and is more of a casual dining experience. It is not a huge restaurant but it is also not too small. At each table there are candles. There is soft music playing in the background and if you get lucky they have live music several times per month. The walls are covered with artwork. Currently the artwork is done by women trying to make a living in Zimbabwe, and Three Square Grill decided to help by displaying these women's artwork and thereby providing a place for them to sell their work. It is colorful and enjoyable to look at the artwork while you are eating your meal.
Finally it's time for dessert! The desserts at Three Square Grill are exquisite. You can have beautiful cakes, mouth-watering sorbets, or just plain old yummy chocolate chip cookies, all of which are great at Three Square Grill, although my favorite is the chocolate cake.
Now, after dinner comes the dreaded bill, but at Three Square Grill, you don't have much to worry about. Unfortunately it's not like McDonalds, where you can get out of there for ninety-nine cents, but it's reasonable for a family restaurant. For a salad, a nice entree and beverage you could walk out for ten to fifteen dollars. So, it's not the kind of place you'd go every night, but every once in a while it's nice to go out for a wonderful dinner at a little more expense than McDonalds.
Three Square Grill has many positive traits,
such as great food, friendly service, a wonderful atmosphere and
reasonable prices that will make you want to come back.
-reprinted by author's permission -May 2000
