Delightful restaurant in a historic house overlooking a beautiful park offering wine by the flight, glass & bottle as well as beer, cocktails and a full food menu. Willful Wine Co. is a small, woman-owned, urban winery in Portland. Owner/winemaker Pam Walden has been making hand-crafted, well-balanced wine in Oregon since 2000. We offer Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, a range of Pinot Noirs, Red Blends, a Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon and Bubbles. All wine is available for retail purchase and food can be taken to go. Private event spaces available for rent. Email [email protected] for more information or check our web site.
Tee Divine
My friends and I decided to stop in because we had been walking around at the fort and built an appetite. The host gave us weird, cold energy but I brushed it off because I thought I was overthinking it until I read the reviews. We bought $22 gnocchi pasta only for it be in a tiny 12oz container not filled all the way (see photo for reference). I also asked for a side salad and the host repeated it back to me only to not get it. The ricotta stuffed peppers we ordered only came with 5 and were cold along with the bread. The food is mid at best, especially for the amount you pay and the amount you get. The fancy feeling atmosphere in the restaurant feels like a facade for the service you get, the amount you pay, and the flavor of the food. $111.56 was the totalz
… moreSG
$22 for a basic tomato sauce & pasta dish (no seasonings used in the building apparently) to come out barely warm and maybe 16oz total is crazy. You’d expect it to at least fill a plate, maybe even have leftovers, but definitely to be warm when you wait for it to be “cooked”. The bread you have to pay for and it comes with a couple of cold chunks and served with a rock of butter for $7. If paid bread is cold then you’d think they’d serve with an olive oil & balsamic situation but it’s apparent they’re not thinking too much about what they’re serving or how they’re serving it. There’s clearly no culture or culinary experience anywhere to be found. The gnocchi was breaded in the size of an easy mac container ~15 pieces for the $22, the $9 peppers appetizer is better out of the Whole Foods accoutrements bar, you get five of the tiniest peppers, one starting to go bad, and plain out of the tub ricotta inside (again, not a single seasoning). The desserts were grocery deli quality at best (could have been from the grocery deli, who knows). Actually you’d get far better desserts at the grocery bakery. And your money’s worth. The judgy cold service sealed the deal for a 0 star rating if I could give it. You’d be better off at Olive Garden or a small business that actually cares about any part of what they are doing. They even missed part of the order although it was repeated back. I regret not reading through the reviews beforehand as is typical, because this is clearly not a singular experience. Infuriating waste of time and money and waste of space of the historic building site.
… moreTravelgirly89
We just recently had my dad’s celebration of life in a private room at Willful Wine. Pam was very helpful, extremely responsive, and so nice throughout the whole process. The appetizers turned out great and we had plenty of food for our group of 40 ish people at a reasonable price. The service was lovely. We were able to decorate as we pleased and they even had a TV to play a sideshow or his pictures. We would definitely recommend this spot for anyone looking to do an event.
… moreGlenn King
My wife and I enjoyed the charm and nostalgic ambiance of Willful Wine at the Grant House, especially with its unique location inside historical 1850’s era building on Officer’s Row at Fort Vancouver. The hostess was very welcoming. Staff was very friendly and helpful with our wine selection. My wife and I ordered their sharable charcuterie board, a house salad, and wine as a mid-afternoon refreshment after attending a historical presentation at the Visitor’s Center. Everything was delicious. We were pleasantly surprised to have beautiful live piano music serenade us both as we enjoyed sampling their wines and cheeses. Willful Wine has a good selection of pinot noirs, red blends, and other wines served by the flight, glass, or bottle. They also offer classic signature cocktails. As a scratch kitchen, there is limited selection. We look forward to returning to try other menu items.
… moreTami Hasson
We experienced the High Tea today for a birthday celebration with a party of two. The historical Grant House building is beautiful and charming, providing a lovely and inviting atmosphere. However, despite the elegant setting, we left feeling hungry and disappointed.
At $60 per person, we expected much more than what was offered. The selection included just one tea bag, three bite-sized finger sandwiches, a biscuit, and three tiny, one-bite desserts. While the desserts and biscuit were delicious, the portions were incredibly small for the price. To add to the disappointment, they ran out of our chosen tea, so we only received one serving each.
The service was average and did not enhance the experience in any meaningful way.
Overall, while the beautiful setting at the Grant House is undeniably charming, the experience felt extremely overpriced for the minimal amount of food provided. We left feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied.
… moreAshley Shively
Went here on a whim with a friend as we were on a walk and had the most amazing time. They are dog friendly, and the staff was extremely welcoming. We even got a chance to meet the owner, and she is delightful must try out their wines and the arancini!
… moreJack Keegan
A great experience. Food is very good. The owner very friendly and visits with the guests. All the wines are from our vineyards. Personally, I don’t think you can go wrong. Enjoying a meal there. Prices ran between 20 to $40 a meal.
… moreJohn Rater
Our visit today made us feel like we were on vacation, but we were only minutes from home. What a great idea to combine this wonderful winery with a fantastic menu in a beautifully decorated space within a historic home in such a gorgeous setting. After hearing glowing reviews on social media, we decided to stop by today, and it was such a magical visit: sitting on the wraparound porch of the Grant House surrounded by beautiful gardens, trees, historic buildings and a gorgeous view of Council Crest and the West hills, sipping flights of truly amazing wines and munching on delicious nibbles… it’s hard to imagine a better way to spend the day. I wish we hadn’t eaten before we came, because the menu looked incredible. The wines were incredible on their own, though (we enjoyed an order of fresh bread and olive oil while we drank the wine). Now that I know how good it is, I’m looking forward to coming back soon and exploring what the kitchen has to offer…preferably on one of their live jazz evenings! I feel really lucky to have this place so near.
… moreChristopher Wanamaker
Amazing Bistro Cafe restaurant at the old Ulysses S. Grant’s House across the street from the Fort Vancouver parade field with a wrap around patio deck that overlooks the parade field. Amazing atmosphere and very high quality creative food. They also provide a 10% military discount, having seating inside and outside, have a handicap assistance parking and ramp in the back of the building, and even have a single snack menu item for dogs because that’s a great area to walk ones dogs and enjoy a bit of living history!
… moreJane Leo
Absolutely enjoyed our wine tasting on the front porch of this historic property overlooking an expansive front lawn and field. We sampled the flight featuring an Oregon style Chardonnay and Rose; added a 2 oz pour of their “Bubbles” which is lovely and dry. Although the Charcuterie Board is sparse it has some tasty treats such as cherries in a balsamic reduction.
… more