Blueplate was a
lunch counter and
soda fountain at the intersection of Third Avenue and Washington Street, in
downtown Portland's
Dekum Building.
Karen Brooks of
The Oregonian called the restaurant a "tiny, adorable outpost of apothecary chic", and described an "old-fashioned" counter with swivel stools and shelves stocking powders, "potions" and other "mysterious" liquids. Similarly, the newspaper's Roger Porter said Blueplate looked "like a combination old-timey lunch counter, soda fountain and apothecary from the '40s", with
lollipops placed on each of the six tables, a row of green stools, a tall wooden cabinet with decorative
flagons and "fluorescent-colored" liquids, and a counter with jars of
chewing gum and
hard candy.
Willamette Week Mike Thelin called the restaurant an "old-school"
diner. The newspaper also said, "Blueplate forgoes the typical cheesy retro-diner decor (there isn't enough room inside to pull it off, anyway), allowing the nostalgia to originate in the taste buds." The interior had a gold-molded archway, decorative columns, wood furnishings and wainscot
panelling, Leah Rendon of
USA Today said Blueplate was "child-friendly".
Menu The menu had
American-style
comfort food such as burger
sliders,
French toast,
hot dogs, The restaurant also served brisket
pot roast, roasted chicken with mushrooms and buttered noodles,
meatlof,
Caesar salad, and
chicken and dumplings. The meatloaf sandwich had lettuce and tomato, and was served with
mashed potatoes. Blueplate was among the city's only in-house soda fountains. The house-made syrups had cane sugar,
natural flavors, and "offbeat" ingredients such as lemongrass and
kaffir lime. The Painted Desert had honey,
pomegranate, and saffron, and the
absinthe-inspired Toulouse Lautrec had anise,
coriander, and mint. The diner also sold
banana splits,
egg creams,
milkshakes,
sundaes, a
peach melba with marshmallow
whipped cream, and coffee. Milkshakes were served in "traditional" ribbed glasses and used ice cream from Eugene-based Cascade Glacier; varieties included Chunky Strawberry, Frosted Orange (reminiscent of a
creamsicle), and Arctic Chai, which had
green tea ice cream and chai syrup. Brooks described the chocolate-filbert milkshake as "deep, thick and pebbled with nutty micro-bits". Blueplate also had seasonal options, including
pumpkin pie and
candy cane milkshakes. == History ==