Yes :-) Jennifer's review (Jul 3rd 2006)

I love almost everything about Picabu Neighborhood Bistro on the lower South Hill. The modern sleek interior is comfortable yet minimalistic. It is so stylish Picabu Bistro could just as easily be part of more contemporary neighborhoods such as Seattle’s Queen Anne, San Diego’s Gaslamp quarter, or Portland’s Hawthorne district. The open kitchen, purple and mustard green walls, and window-side pub tables are gorgeous. And little details such as bedazzled drink menus and stainless steel hanging baskets personalize the entire space.

The service at Picabu Bistro is just as slick as the decor. A friendly host promptly meets guests at the door and causually offers any seat in the house. Beverage orders are taken and delivered almost as quickly as main dishes and desserts. I was truly flabbergasted by how quickly food makes its way out of the kitchen. Somehow Picabu Bistro manages to effortlessly staff just the right number of servers and cooks morning and night. Not too many to make diners feel claustrophobic, but enough to make the restaurant work.

And for quality pub-style bistro food, the prices at Picabu Bistro can’t be beat. I’d be hard pressed to find another restaurant in town with similar dishes at the same price point. I don’t think there is an item over $15 on the menu. Simple salads and burgers tend to be just under ten dollars while heartier entrees are just over.

However, here’s where the hard part starts. Even though I love almost everything about Picabu Bistro, the food is really hit and miss. At breakfast the complimentary beignets were heavy and oil laden. The oil in the deep fryer honestly needed to be changed. The roasted red breakfast potatoes were tender and flavorful but my scrambled eggs and smoked ham were inedible. The eggs were served flat, completely brown on one side, raw and runny on the other while the ham was extremely dry. I was befuddled by the plastic cup of ketchup accompanying every breakfast plate.

At dinner, the server didn’t flinch when I asked that my jerked Ahi tuna special be prepared closer to rare than medium-rare. It arrived perfectly seared on the outside. However, for a jerked dish, the rub and sauce were very mild and the plain jasmine rice and very-barely-gingered slaw didn’t add much to the entire entree. I appreciate a quality piece of fish so I wasn’t bothered by the plainness, but the sides should have had more oomph.

Despite the food, I know I’ll visit Picabu Bistro again and I’d fully recommend stopping in for a weeknight meal. I’m confident a restaurant with so much else going for it will eventually work out the kitchen kinks. There’s potential here and many of the menu items were enjoyable. Remi’d be the first to tell you he enjoyed his chorizo breakfast scramble and the fire pasta.

And it’s no secret I adore the neighborhood restaurant concept and Picabu Bistro is bravely continuing the trend in Spokane.

Yes :-) Paul's review (May 23rd 2006)

Where to start? The beginning of course, and by begining I mean appetizers. Picabu offers several at a time, the mezza platter one of the better values on the regular menu. However, there is usually a special to choose from as well, from fresh piping hot sweet potato fries to various seasonal skewered things. Yum. Entres are varied from burgers to pasta, and a grilled steak sliced on the bias which is an excellent value too. The single best salmon entre Ive ever been served in Spokane was at Picabu, a stellar example of everything that 99% of the fine dining restaurants in Spokane fail to achieve. The salmon was, are you ready for this: pink in the middle. Yes, this is how fish is properly prepared: seared medium rare. An imposing filet was served across a dome of sticky white coconut rice with a green curry sauce. Fresh tropical fruit dusted the top and a few spears of brocolini finished the plate. And all this for an incredible $14.95. I had dined at Luna the night before and can assure you they should be ashamed of the dried out puck of a salmon filet they served me for $23. “Fool me once . . . can’t be fooled again.”

Before going on, let me digress a minute. Dining out is all about your expectations. A place that postures to be fining dining better damn well deliver at a higher standard or risk harsh judgement. On the other hand, the the expectation is adjusted accordingly wherever such pretentions are absent; you don’t expect a perfect quiche at McDonalds, but oh, the fries, you know they will be good.

So, Picabu has in its short history established itself as a bit of a Spokane anolmaly. The food is consistently very good at the basic Bistro level, think upscape pub food. And once in awhile they get something so right that they just decimate the fine dining establishments in both execution and value. Need I say more. Try it and decide for yourself.

Picabu is open daily at 11 a.m., closes at 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and at 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Yes :-) Shawna's review (Dec 9th 2006)

I went to Picabu for breakfast and ordered the Tofu Skrizzle. I am in love. I love the atmosphere, the friendly service, and being able to order amazing vegan food in Spokane. The skrizzle is awesome- it is a very good blend of flavors, has lots of good quality tofu and fresh veggies and comes topped with a yummy tahini gravy. The portions are very large, so I took half my breakfast home and ate it later for lunch. I’m so glad I tried that place out.

Yes :-) m's review (Dec 15th 2006)

Everyone has something different to rave about with this place. For me? I’m all about the dessert.

The peanut butter pie was recommended to me and was the sole reason I sat through my meal, and ohhhh was it good (I’m not into exotic meals and so don’t need to elaborate).

See what has been said about the place and it’s staff, and raise you one for dessert.

Yes :-) Kristine's review (Mar 4th 2007)

Picabu reminds me of a bistro you would find in San Francisco. For appetizers, the winners are the calamari or the cilantro hummus. For an entree the Caesar salad is super garlicky and bold and just fabulous! I love this restaurant. Even the water is better tasting than the average restaurant water! Very nice environment. Perfect for a night out with friends or a dinner for two. Probably not the best restaurant for rowdy kids.

Yes :-) Brenna's review (May 9th 2007)

Wow! This restaurant is great. The service is fast and friendly and the atmosphere is warm, cozy and inviting. But what really stands out at the Picabu Bistro is the food. It’s so hard to find restaurants that use spice for flavor rather than fat and the Picabu Bistro does it flawlessy. For an appetizer I definately reccomend the cilantro hummus. It’s delicious and is served with grilled pita wedges(made in house) and grilled vegetables for dipping. You’ll notice that anything from the grill has a soft smoked flavor. As for an entree evertything I’ve had there has been amazing; pasta, seared chicken with polenta, chili, chicken gyro, even their hamburgers are great. Oh and if they are serving the salmon chowder, Get it!!! You won’t regret it. I agree with the above poster that this would not be a restaurant to take a bunch of small, super energetic children.

Yes :-) jenifer's review (Jun 24th 2008)

Consistently above average. The food is always done perfectly. THe summer salad menu has a great selection of fresh greens, or pick your own. The best Ruben in town! a real Ruben, not a variation. The potstickers are house made and are a meal in themselves. A small but good selection of beer on tap and same with the wine. A winner all the way around! Oh, did I mention the rotating local art displayed on the walls?

Yes :-) Dri's review (Sep 24th 2008)

This is my absolute stand-by for dining out. I can walk to Picabu’s from my house, and it manages some of the best ambiance to be found anywhere in Spokane—in spite of being located in the Rosauers parking lot. I tend to over-order the Pad Thai (it’s soooo good), can’t go a month without their fruit cobbler, and truly the only thing I miss after becoming a vegetarian is the Picaburger. Yum yum yum!

Yes :-) Margaret 's review (Nov 12th 2008)

After four years of living in Spokane, I’ve settled on Picabu as my FAVORITE place to eat.

The curry bowl is amazing. Try the seasonal crisp for dessert. YUM