Underrated Bars
November 3, 2009 - 3:36pm
There's a group of bars here that receive a ton of our attention and praise, both in the Interverse and in print media. It's pretty clear that no one has heard too little about Beaker & Flask, Laurelhurst Market, Clyde Common, Teardrop Lounge, etc. This is all deserved; these places have exceptional bartenders and are in many cases attached to some of the best kitchens in town.
Lately I've been struck by visiting a bunch of bars that get less attention as they aren't the shiny new toy, but are definitely worth more kudos than they currently receive. In some cases, for the exact same reasons that the superstars above get all our collective jizzery. I'm not talking about neighborhood shot-and-a-beer places that we all love and frequent as locals. Unless you want to come out here and hit the Cider Mill with me. Bonus: There's take-out fried chicken next door at Friar Tuck's. (take that, every other bar besides Reel 'M Inn.)
Anyway, I'm sure there's about 20 underappreciated gems that warrant writing about. I'll start with three easy ones that I often end up at:
Ten 01 - Lost in the considerable press of the Jack Yoss departure and Ben Parks taking over the kitchen was the fact one of the best bartenders in town remains a constant: Kelley Swenson. That and the fact that you get a killer cocktail list paired with a great bar menu coming out of the kitchen, and I submit that the Ten 01 bar is underrated. When the crowd at Clyde is overflowing out of the doorway and you'll need a good 30 mins to get a drink at Teardrop, it's pretty crazy that you can often walk into Ten 01, snag a table and place an order in right around 3 minutes. In fact, never mind. Stay the hell away, please.
PROTIP: The Hot Buttered Rum at Ten 01 puts all the artificially-sweet-horror-shows you've had before to complete shame.
Carlyle - I think two things keep the bar at Carlyle off of everyone's radar: One, it's located way down on the ass end of NW Thurman and two, it's mostly known for being one of Portland's more upscale dining rooms. Both of those are true, but Carlyle also has the same two things going for it as Ten 01: One of the most talented and knowledgeable bartenders in town (Jacob Grier) combined with a very first rate kitchen. It's a small bar, but you'll often have it to yourself if you get there early enough for Happy Hour.
Oh, the Happy Hour Menu. While $14-$16 for a burger and a drink is not cheap, here's what you get: The best burger in town (nope, not even a IMHO there) and a craft cocktail that's equal in quality to the best bars in town. It's very much worth the short hike north from downtown or the Pearl.
Secret Society Lounge - It's not secret at all right before a show at the Wonder Ballroom, or when things have gotten so completely out of hand at Toro Bravo that the crowd on the sidewalk moves upstairs. But when it's mellow, it's one of the few bars in town that combines really good cocktails with a chill scene. Details. Hands down the best place to stumble into out of Toro Bravo or after a show if you can snag a seat. Best drinks in that Nopo area, although I haven't had a chance to eat here (EaT and Toro Bravo are tough to pass up for me).
There's less fancypants cocktail tricks going on at Secret Society (tinctures, homemade chipotle raspberry treebark foams, etc) and more of an emphasis on a solid spirits list and a well thought-out group of classic cocktails. Also the best place to do an absinthe flight, if you're into that sort of thing. One of the best cocktails I had over the summer was here: The Kentucky Mule - A Moscow Mule subbing bourbon for vodka, with ginger beer and lime, served in the classic copper mug.
I'd love to hear what other people's underrated faves are.
November 4, 2009 - 8:24am
#2
Some of my new favorite bars aren't under-rated per se, they seem to get plenty of business from the local crowd. They are just never mentioned in the blogs. Most of these bars leave me saying that I would be a regular would they were in my neighborhood. These are not shot-and-a-beer places, but they are definitely neighborhood places. And no, they are not on a caliber with Ten 01; they just IMO warrant a mention.
The Observatory http://www.theobservatorypdx.com/ Located way the fuck out there on SE 82nd, this is one I would happily drive to again. I loved the atmosphere, the service, the food, and, the cocktail list too. They are unique takes on classics. Oh, yeah, huge bowls of mussels too.
The Slingshot Lounge http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-slingshot-lounge-portland Located way the fuck out there on Foster/Powell. The first couple times I went I got a distinctly dirty hipster vibe from the place. This last visit was really great. They have got an excellent tap list and make a mean Manhattan. The food was pretty good too, though limited to pub grub. And even though the clientele tends to hipster, the service rocked. One bartender waited on our entire table of ten plus the entire bar, and I did not go thristy!
Tanker Bar http://www.tankerbar.com/ On Hawthorne at 48th. The Tanker definitely is a hipster bar, but as long as I have one of their tasty beverages in front of me, I could care less. You would think that with more than 20 types of tall boys here, I would have my hand wrapped around a big cold can. But Tanker does the purist in all of us a solid with nitro taps. They've got several to choose from, including one of their very own.
NePo42 http://www.nepo42.com/ Located way the fuck out there in...I have no idea what that neighborhood is called. Man does not live on Fernet alone. On a hot summer day, schwag beer is in order. And not some fancy pants "Banquet Beer" neither. NePo42 has, every single day, $1 cans of something schwaggy. On our last visit that was Old German. Add to that tasty fried foods of every variety including wings and you've made me a happy camper.
November 4, 2009 - 10:48am
#3
Have to agree with Secret Society. I think they have the best value in the drinks department in town. I hope this place stays secret though. It's cozy size is one of the main reasons I like it so much.
I have high hopes for Alu--their space is beautiful and the drinks are very creative.
Cassidy's has great drinks, but their food is where they really shine. It's nice to be able to have both instead of having to choose one over the other.
Have to put in a little plug for Night Light--cheapest happy hour where there's also edible food too. SE 21st and Clinton. If we could only get them to turn the music down...
November 6, 2009 - 2:35pm
#4
Visited two bars last night that I think are quite underrated, one quite newer than the other. On the older end, there's Brooklyn Park Pub on SE Milwaukie with its nice (though disorganized) selection of whiskeys as well as multiple TVs set onto Setanta Sports. The food here won't win any James Beard awards, but the BLT and tater tots are all pretty tasty, and will help you stay strong as you fill out your whiskey card.
At the newer end (and in a different part of town) is Branch on NE Alberta. Like BPP, it's also a whiskey bar, but feels a bit more upscale. The food options are better, too, and its proximity to other Alberta St bars makes it a perfect addition to any crawl. It's the kind of place where I can start with some Upright before moving onto Four Roses.
The aforementioned Cassidy's and Carlyle make my list of underrated places, as well as Gilt Club. I'll need another visit or two to confirm, but for me Park Kitchen is trending toward underrated as well.
November 6, 2009 - 6:03pm
#5
I am going to throw out two spots that are well appreciated, yet do not seem to be on everyones tongue.
Bailey's Taproom gets my vote for the best, most well curated tap selection in the city. Sure, there ain't any booze or food here(unless you count the sketchy ass Mexican place across the street)but when you just want to go drink a few new beers(the taps rotate with such regularity that I had to take their Twitter feed off my Phone! it simultaneously made me very thirsty and bogged my text in box down.) with fellow beer geeks, this is your best bet.
Metrovino gets a nod from me for having the best selection of wines by the taste/glass, hands down! Of course, that should be pretty simple for them since they have space for about 75 bottles in their wall O' Enomatics. The food here is no slouch either! If Metrovino were, say, where Clyde Common is, it would be the darling of the city wine-bar wise! Its very easy to see why D.F. had problems there!
November 7, 2009 - 11:09am
#6
I absolutely love both of those bars and reccommend them so much I know their street addys by heart!
Bailey's--it's just a fantastic pub. The beer selection is so freakin' awesome and I can walk to it! It is such a gem.
November 7, 2009 - 1:15pm
#7
I enjoy a jukebox with a varied selection of rock and roll gems. Binks on Alberta was my favorite spot when I lived in N and NE Portland. Before I became encumbered with family and age, I spent many a lazy Sunday afternoon playing pool, smoking cloves by the fire, and feeding dolllar bills into the jukebox while watching the bartender make personal pizzas in a toaster oven.
Slow Bar brings the awesome when it comes to their jukebox. Great burgers and a surprisingly good ceviche are icing on this cake.
In my younger days often I found myself at the Bonfire on Stark (next to the Goodfoot Lounge, where many a booty were once shaked). I loved the early AM vibe in this place.
I am a sucker for the old school bar, the kind with high mirrored shelves and lots of wood. Paddy's, the bar at the VQ, Jake's all fit that bill...the bar at the 2nd Ave. McCormick and Schmick's as well, but alas it has closed.
Also old school is the small bar area at Dan and Louis. The bartender there is a complete pro--she's been doing it all her life---and matches strong pours with a saucy attitude. I've enjoyed dozens upon dozens of oysters at Dan and Louis. Over the years it has served as a great respite when I've seen shows at Berbati's.
January 8, 2010 - 2:40am
#8
polloelastico,
you may also enjoy (Clyde's) Prime Rib on NE Sandy, Wilf's at the Amtrak station, Cowboy Bill's on Woodstock, Sayler's Country Kitchen (bar) way out NE (Glisan?), The Pink Feather WAAAYY out east (can't remember addy), and if you smoke cigars, the Shilo on Canyon Blvd. Upstairs, The Sports Den, is the cheapest place to drink beer and smoke cigars for no entry charge. Wing back chairs, sofas, TVs, etc.
these are the bars I thrive at. I do enjoy hip and trendy places of quality. But it's not for irony that I genuinely feel comfortable in the old style clubby places that can teach a thing or two to the newbies in town for service and cost.
January 8, 2010 - 12:32pm
#9
The Sports Den is great. The only downside is that, since it's a DirecTV setup, they don't get the Comcast Sports channel and thus might not have the Blazers on.
January 8, 2010 - 1:44pm
#10
I wholeheartedly agree. I drug (dragged? drugged?) Sauce here the other week to watch Chicago beat Minny and hand me a Fantasy Football title. I had not been in almost a decade, and was pleasantly surprised to discover it all over again. Why?
-Closest approximation to a Vegas sportsbook room in PDX area. Minus the ability to actually wager, of course.
-A distinctly weird vibe, like it's a small bastion of middle america smack dab on Canyon Rd.
-Nice prices on whiskey and cigars, so it's more affordable than say...El Gaucho's cigar room.
-Close to Chicago's Windy City/CKR/Yuku/JCD/Du Kuh Bee/Spring/B'Way Saloon/Best Baguette/New Seoul BBQ/DJK/Five Guys/El Pollo Loco/Stars/Dolphin 2 etc
CONS:
-This stretch of Canyon Rd. is Satan's purgatory before he sends you on your way to Beaverton proper
February 26, 2010 - 6:12pm
#11
We love checking out new bars in our area. SE close in. The problem we have is the lack of interaction with the bartenders. We love the old school dive bars for that reason...sadly the drink masters come up short on creativity and there are not many dives in this trendy area. Come ON SE Portland bar keeps...engage your customers in your world.. we would love to hear your views!
just sayin' parchment farm was our place for many years...
I had an overwhelming need to reply after seeing Cassidy's and Underrated Bars one after the other in recent posts.
Too funny.
In my opinion Cassidy's is one of the most underrated places in the city.