Concordia Ale House

Concordia Ale HouseConcordia Ale House
Concordia Ale HouseConcordia Ale House
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

3276 NE Killingsworth St
Portland, Oregon, 97211-6860
United States

(503) 287-3929 | map
concordia-ale.com

Hours:
Monday - Friday: 11:00am - 2:30am
Saturday: 9:00am - 2:30am
Sunday: 9:00am - 12:00am

Brunch Hours:
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00am - 2:00pm
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.25
Reviews:
35
Ratings:
45
pDev:
11.76%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by sholland119:
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Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
We stopped in here on a Saturday afternoon for a pint or two. The place feels like a pizza place, at least at that time of the day. Rather bright, with about ten tables in the front and a 15 stool bar behind.

The draft list was very good, concentrated on NW locals. I enjoyed the Black Homoerectus I had. Bottle list was extensive. This was the first time I have seen a beer bible that was all pictures. It was easier to look in the coolers behind the bar as it turned out. This was the only place we went to in Portland that still had Dissident in bottles. I was happy to be able to pick one up before we left town.

Service was just ok. The bartender was pleasant but not knowledgeable and weeded even though there were 5 bar patrons. Or maybe she was trying to avoid the obnoxious clown who chose to sit next to us despite the rest of the bar being almost empty, in which case I can't blame her. Ah, well, can't pick your customers.

We did not try any food but would definitely stop back our next time in.

HV
Oct 29, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by slasich from Pennsylvania

May 16, 2020
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Reviewed by jjboesen from Maryland

3.96/5  rDev -6.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.5
The Concordia Ale House is a well-worn saloon, where locals and beer tourists gather to quaff from a superb selection (30 taps) of local drafts. It offers a comfortable and non-pretentious environment where you can enjoy some beer and relax.

Though a bit out from downtown, it is accessible via Portland's excellent bus service - Bus No. 72 from the N. Killingworth MAX Station.
Sep 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by MadHopster from California

Dec 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by SeeingMeansMore from Oregon

Oct 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by artoolemomo from Oregon

Aug 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by SickBrew from Washington

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

May 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by jtosch from Oregon

Mar 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Hobbit from Oregon

Mar 14, 2014
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Reviewed by brewtalthrone from Ohio

4.71/5  rDev +10.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25
Kind of a strange location, but I found that to be definitive of a lot of Portland establishments. You saw it on the cover of BA mag # 99. If you love sours (and you DO, cuz you're a beer geek), then this is a place you would happily die. Go, go, GO !
Mar 08, 2014
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Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

3.36/5  rDev -20.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3.25
Staying at the Kennedy School, the Concordia Alehouse was a no-brainer. It's maybe a three minute walk from the school! Beer, then sleep. Sounds like a plan.

This place is in a sort of mini strip mall, next to a Subway sandwich shop and other establishments. Inside, it is warm and neighborhood-y, less beer-nerdy and more homey than your typical Portland beer bar. It was far from lively when I visited on a Saturday at around 10pm. Lots of empty tables, some folks playing pool, bored employees... a bit sad, almost.

As I entered, they played "Reptilia" by The Strokes, one of my favorite songs. They get major points for that!

Their tap list is alright: Old Chubb, Green Bucket Triple IPA, Weihen Hefe, StormBreaker Opacus Stout, Terminal Gravity, Laurelwood Red Elephant, Elysian Espresso Milk, Barnyard Femme Fatale, Mad River 24th Anniversary... a variety of styles and lots of locals, but with so much beer goodness in Portland, Concordia falls a bit flat. I ended up getting a Woodford bourbon (only seven bucks!).

Not a destination by any means, but OK if you're in the neighborhood.
Feb 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by seanchai from Virginia

Dec 31, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by fitius5150 from Oregon

Dec 02, 2013
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Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

3.54/5  rDev -16.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.5
well, apparently little has changed in the 5 years since RedMedicine visited....

the outside patio looked promising, 4-5 tables, some people enjoying some IPAs in the sun... walked in to a huge L-shaped room, high ceilings.... dive-y, college bar atmosphere.... requisite Portland bar beer swag on the walls, etc.... pinball and I think a pool table in the one corner... bartop contoured the bend of the L, plenty of stools, quite a few tables spread out in the main front room... not much thought to style....

despite the curious atmosphere, they did have what I estimated to be 120-150 bottles in wall fridges - decent selection and mix - low prices in my book ($5 for Duchesse, hmm)... bunch of local stuff, bunch of hoppy beers, Belgians... actually more or less standard beer bar stock, they just have the space to store more.... tap list was a little boring/uninspiring, excluding 10 IPAs they were having a judging contest on.... it's easy to miss gems in a sea of hops, gave it a few once-overs - still not amazed

none of the bartenders (3-ish - 1 main, 2 floater/servers) seemed too (in a sense) professional - they were preoccupied with talking to friends and regulars only (and there was no more than 7 patrons in the whole place)... had 2 beers, 2nd of which, Anchor No. 2 Mild, was poured into a dirty glass, bubbles all over.... no one came back to ask if I liked either beer or the taco

the food menu seemed standard pub grub with a few standouts.... immediately went to the a la carte tacos, fish.... that fish taco - very dry, chili spice rub was alright, could've come w sauce.... the prices overall were just above reasonable, but not exorbitant

someone local who I mentioned this place to rolled his eyes and offered that they "don't know what they want to be". Understood. There's quite a few comparable spots here in South Jersey, and I'm sure more on the way all over - (former basic local) bars looking to cash in on this brand new "micro-beer" trend.... scary to think they opened with this concept and it hasn't evolved...
May 15, 2013
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Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
I was told that this place was one of the first bars in Portland to embrace the craft beer scene, but that they have in turn fallen a bit by the wayside as the scene has boomed around them. Nevertheless, I could tell this was a place with a lot of history, and I was definitely glad to visit. It was here that my wife and I decided to ring in the new year (2012), and while not the most glamorous of venues for such an event, we had to improvise, and kind of just picked it as one of the few places that was open until after midnight + that we had not gone to yet on our beercation. There was a band playing, so...blah. But otherwise, the place had a nice vibe: gritty and dark, but large enough to lose out on intimacy. The bar was fairly large, and there are plenty of tables and chairs, plus a pool room, and a shady video gaming lounge in the back. Service was spotty and the bartender was pretty aloof, but he was working on New Year's Eve, so what could I expect? A good selection of 20+ beers on tap, lots of local stuff, and plenty of crafts and micros in bottles. Food was decent, and prices were reasonable.
Jan 04, 2012
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Reviewed by PaulStoneAnchor from California

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I was lucky enough to stop in while I was in Portland last night. Concordia is a really cool spot for some great pool and games, and also not to mention that they have a pretty nice tap list to go along with the great atmosphere. While hanging out and having a couple beers I ordered the fish and chips which happened to be amazing. The food was hot, fresh, and tasty, and also reasonably priced. Overall, I am really impressed with the Concordia Ale House and their great food and tap list. If I was living in Portland I would be almost there every weekend because of the great environment they setup for their guests. This place was definitely a great find and a great place to stop in and enjoy a good beer.
Jul 20, 2011
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Reviewed by squaremile from Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Another of the legendary beer places in town, this one has less of a beer geek atmosphere than the others. Basically you get a carpeted large room at the front, and a dark, crowded, awkwardly situation bar in the back where people watch sports. The taplist is always pretty good, but I never like going to a place where I feel like I know more about beer than the people serving it to me. This was the case when they listed "Chimay Red" on the taplist and I asked how that was possible since Chimay Red has never been kegged. The server assured me that it was indeed the red and obviously came back with Chimay White. After I told her it was Chimay White she argued with me a bit and then realized it wasn't. The beer had been on tap for a few days already so that was kind of odd. Otherwise the experiences have generally been positive.
May 18, 2010
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Reviewed by djbreezy from Washington

3.9/5  rDev -8.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Awesome special events including the Beer Brawl give this place A+ marks for me, but during regular visits the service has often times suffered and brought down the experience dramatically, in addition to the on and off quality of the taps. That being said, I still frequent Concordia and I think they are a great ale house. I just think there are some areas where quality could be improved.

The food is decent pub food, and the atmosphere provides plenty of seating. I really like sitting out on the benches out front during the summer.

When the place has been incredibly busy, the service has suffered considerably. I don't want to bash this place on service overall but my experiences with the busy times have not been good. It has been hit and miss during other visits.

The bottle selection is a nice addition.
Feb 10, 2010
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Reviewed by LittleA from Washington

4.9/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
One of Portland's best places to grab a beer. Stopped by the other day with a few friends, one from Atlanta. The selection is nearly as good, if not better, than the famed Brickstore in Decatur, GA. The staff was attentive, but not too attentive. I had a variety of lighter beers as we were headed to a few more places that night, a Double Mountain Kolsch and a pilsner from Wild River. Food was excellent. We went to the Mash Tun amd Kennedy School Boiler Room and Detention Bar as part of our NE Portland pub crawl - a great little itinerary which I recommend!
Jun 19, 2009
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Reviewed by jdense from Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
Killing time on a Friday afternoon before a BB game at nearby University named after the bar:), I'd stopped in before but wanted to do a more thorough analysis this trip.

A bit miffed at the staff's lack of attention, the female barkeep seemed more interested at playing with her cellphone than taking care of the 4-5 customers. To give her some credit, the crew (with the exception of the gentlemen who was working on his day off) was a bunch of screw-offs until the owner showed up.

The help aside, the draft beer selection was quite a revelation. PtheE, St. Bernardus 12, and a pretty good selection of NW Micros, at pretty reasonable prices. Choice of size pours 12/16/20 along with liter and pitchers offered for most brews. Most pints were in the $4.50 to $6.00 range.

They also have a smaller cooler with about 120 brews, some hard to find, but no bargains except for some $1.25 Old German tall boys during happy hour. I inquired about a St. Feuillen Tripel and was quoted $15.00 for a bottle. Somebody came in and wanted the DFH WW Stout and paid $11. Talking with the guy working on his day off (very knowledgeable and helpful) he said they marked up 30% over retail with no discount for carryout.

I didn't try the food, but watching some compatriots chow down on pub-type offering, it didn't look that special. I'd just as soon order some 'cue from Cannon's Express across the street.

I echo the comments about the atmosphere-pool tables, a VLT room, pinball. what crowd are they trying to appeal to?

In the end, it's all about the beer, and from that perspective, this is one of the best places in town. Belly up to the bar, tune out the atmosphere (or lack thereof) and enjoy one of Beervana's best selection of tap offerings. If I was rating this place just on the quality of taps, it'd be a A-. Unfortunately, the lack of atmosphere hurts the overall experience.
Feb 10, 2009
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Reviewed by SurlyDuff from Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Nice little neighborhood bar/eatery, with a hell of a good beer lineup. Appears to be around 22 or so taps, a double fridge case packed with bottles, and resaonable prices.

If anything, I think the interior is a bit drab, just bland colors and basically no atmosphere. A huge wall mural or something might do them well. It's clean and smokefree though, with some pool tables and whatnot in the back corner.

The beer menu is very well done up in spreadsheet fashion, listing current beers, abv, kegs in queue, prices for 4 glass sizes, and short beer synopsis. Very nice!

Food is standard pub fare. Got a brie/shroom/onion and chicken sanwich, delious despite the epic oversized ciabatta roll that gave me like 10 bites of just bread and no meat/goo.
Dec 08, 2008
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Reviewed by frankm from Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I have hit the Concordia a few times in the past couple of weeks, and I've liked it.

They have 22 beers on tap. I found that MOST of the pints went for $ 4.25, and not the $4.75 that was mentioned in a previous review.

Furthermore you can purchase your brew by the glass, pint, Imperial pint, liter, or pitcher. If you choose to buy by the pitcher your price in most cases comes down to $3.75 a pint.

I found their draft selection to be a nice sprinkling of various styles. They had on a Chimay Tripel, Arrogant Bastard, Great Divide's Espresso Imperial Stout, Laurelwood Red, and Bear Republic's Racer 5 just to name a few.

On my most recent visit I had their Collaborator Doppleweizen, and then we split a bottle of St. Fullien Brune.

Their bottle beer selection was extensive with lots of Belgians. It was a good mix of imports and domestics. I spotted Skullsplitter, Iron City, Great Divide Hercules, McCewan's, Delerium Tremons, Boulder Cold Hop, Dogfish IPA, and Old Speckled Hen.

The nights I was there it was VERY quiet, ( however it was a Monday after MNF and a Wednesday ). We did not experience any service problems and for that matter the owner was bartending and we had a chance to engage him in a long conversation.

The food was good and reasonable. We had a 4 cheese fondue made with Chimay. It came with apples and sausage for $ 8.

It's located a couple of blocks from the Kennedy School McMenamins complex, so if you are in that area you should give it a try.
Oct 15, 2008
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Reviewed by RedMedicine from Oregon

2.75/5  rDev -35.3%
vibe: 1 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
First stop in Portland after Belmont Station on a recent visit. Not nearly as impressed as all of these reviews would suggest.

Atmosphere: Pretty dead. A few scattered people at the bar, a couple of people playing pool, one table full in the dining room. Set up and decorated (aside from some local art for sale on the walls) like a college sports bar. A guy yelling our "quizzy" (we call it trivia on the East Coast). All of the lights were also out, so I couldn't see a damned thing. I didn't get the impression that this was a well-oiled operation. Scattered newspapers/flyers all over the bar area.

Quality: I should not have to ask for my pint glass to be un-frosted. The waitress was scratching out finished taps on the beer menus as I walked up.

Service: Attentive server, lackadaisical otherwise. Bartenders were more interested in talking to their buddies than serving the people at the bar.

Selection: 20 or so taps, I didn't check out the bottles. There were a number of Imperial IPAs on tap - I would have appreciated seeing the ABV% on the menu so I knew what a little better what I was ordering. Very overloaded on IPAs and Imperial IPAs, which I can't complain too much about and I gathered it had to do with an event they recently had.

Food: Had a salad w/ pork tenderloin. Decent, but nothing spectacular.

Value: Reasonable, compared to what I am used to on the East Coast. $4.75 pints, and cheap "specials" for food.

Quite unimpressive. I can't stress the college bar comparison enough.
Jul 21, 2008
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Reviewed by benito from Oregon

3.31/5  rDev -22.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5
My friends and I went to Concordia after our pilgrimage to Horse Brass, so perhaps there was a little bit of comparative disappointment that makes me less enthusiastic about this place than other reviewers.

The ambience at Concordia is very nice--there's a spacious bar area, and the back room has free pool and several TVs. It reminded me a lot of Beveridge Place in Seattle, which is a good thing, and has the overall vibe of a sports bar that was overtaken by hipsters and beer lovers. Again, that's a good thing.

The beer selection--all twenty taps or so--was good; I had a Double Mountain India Red Ale, my friends got Mudshark Porter and the HUB ESB. One of my friends did point out that their selection omitted dark beers (with the exception of the Mudshark). Maybe we were there on a strange day, but indeed, the selection was made up almost entirely of pales, IPAs, reds, goldens, and other lighter-colored brews. The service was surprisingly curt and a little slow--at times the bartender seemed really drained by a request for another beer (not a sampler, but an actual pint).

Were I to live in Portland, I'd stop by Concordia for a second visit, but it's not worth a trip in and of itself for out of towners. Spend an extra hour or two at Horse Brass or Bailey's.
Apr 11, 2008
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Reviewed by GJ40 from North Carolina

4.09/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
I made my second trip to Concordia and it only reinforced my initial impression. I really like this place and it made me want to be a local. I could only imagine walking from the house over for beer and dinner (alone or with the family).

Concordia has a great selection of beer, both on tap and in the bottle. I had a Hopworks IPA this time around. The service wasn't great (I had to wait menu in hand for a while without much of a crowd) but I wouldn't let that hold you back.

The food looked great but I didn't have any. I hope to make up for that on a future visit.

You can't go wrong at Concordia.
Feb 21, 2008
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Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I always just missed going to this place on my other trips to Portland, so I was glad to make it their the last time I was there. This place is obviously a great beer bar and a wonderful resource for the city. Atmosphere was pretty nice up at the long bar, the rest of the place is a little empty and sterile feeling. They have a number of very nice things on tap, including some great taps of mostly local stuff which was what I was looking for. Also, like any great beer bar, they clearly knew and had some special relationships with many of the brewers in the area, which enables them to get the really rare and special stuff on draft. They also have a pretty decent glass fronted cooler behind the bar with a number of great bottles for consumption there or take out. Given that I was driving, this allowed me to have a couple at the bar and still take something great back to my hotel as well. Nice selection in here including lots of Belgians, locals, and things like Stone and Alesmith. Everything was top quality off the taps. Clean lines and fresh. The food was good, but not quite as good as a number of other reviewers have made it out to be imo. Basic pub food done well with some speecials that were maybe a little overambitious. Solid, though. So what's not to like. Well, I really like this place but not my absolute favorite pub. Besides the slight coldness of the room the only other slight kink was a definite local/insider vibe. If you weren't one or weren't wih one you felt a little less welcome, like you were slightly a chore to be waited upon. Also, there was a little weirdness wwhere the bartender dissuaded me from trying something that they had on tap because of philosophical disagreements with the brewery. Weird, and very Northwest. So I guess I'm saying that this place was great and a must try, and that I'll be back- but it just didn't feel like home.
Nov 30, 2007
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Reviewed by Metalmonk from North Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +8.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
In a nutshell, this place is frickin' awesome. Within walking distance of our great hosts, C.A.H. is very comfortable, not too crowded early on a Saturday evening, with an atmosphere that's neither upscale nor divey. A welcoming friendly neighborhood/smalltown vibe. Room is L-shaped with tables in the front of one entrance; bar and bottles/taps in the corner; and pool/pinball/big-screen TVs in the other section. (the pool table is free and the Pinball is Family Guy...very cool.)

Friendly service, maybe more friendly than if they were super-busy, but our server seemed as enthusiastic about their offerings as we were. And that selection, man, superb. Not the biggest in Portland, but with all 25 or so taps of high quality and variety, and same with the 100 or so bottles, there was no lack of choices. Well-known and obscure offerings spanning the globe, from US, Belgium, Germany, UK, France, Norway...choosing was tough, but enjoyability and quality was very high.

And the prices: $13 for a 750 ml bottle of Flemish Primitive Wild Ale. Not only did it make a great finish to the visit, but for a beer that costs $10-$11 in a store, paying just a couple bucks more at CAH says everything you need to know about their prices. Cannot wait to make another couple visits before leaving this insanely beergeek-friendly town.
Sep 30, 2007
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Reviewed by josiahschlender from Oregon

4.85/5  rDev +14.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
I don't know why it took me so long to get to this place. I had already seen a while ago that people raved about it, but hadn't ever known anyone that actually visited CAH.

Now it's quickly becoming one of my favorite Portland haunts. The funny thing is, nothing about it screams to me its quality as a bar, but everything taken as a whole adds up to a lot. It's a little off the beaten path for some, but not really that far from downtown or I-84 if you have to drive there. It's just down the road from the ever-crowded McMenamins Kennedy School. Go to the Kennedy if you want to watch a movie or be entertained. Go to Concordia Ale House if you want great beer, food and a more laid back atmosphere.

Just about everything is well-done. Decor is fairly sparse, but attractive. It almost has a little bit of a beer hall/open restaurant feel on one side, and a pool lounge on the other side. Normally it works great, but it doesn't offer any closed off corners or booths, if that's what you're looking for.

I've been very impressed with the service. The bartenders know their stuff, are friendly, and deliver great pours.

CAH has about 20 taps, many Portland and Northwest micro/craft brews, with a few notable, interesting international offerings on draft. I really like that they don't stick with the most basic, common beer out there. It seems like they get their hands on limited release/lesser known beers that are great quality.

Their draft menu has the current beers and often lists the upcoming kegs. I'm looking forward to Old Rasputin sometime soon. Their bottle collection looks excellent, but I have yet to peruse it much. Oh, another nice touch is that you have the option to order 12/16/20/32/60oz sizes of most beers.

Food is great as well...I can't hardly say anything bad about this place. The bathroom is even clean. You're missing out if you don't try it. Just don't ruin it for the rest of us.
Aug 12, 2007
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Reviewed by DaPeculierDane from Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Met up with BA MSUBulldog here for a few beers. Great Place.

Draft list of just over 20 beers. Most are local/regional: Rogue, Hood, Walking Man, Butte Creek, Laurelwood, Deschuttes, Lucky Lab, etc… plus a few Belgians and one or two Germans.

Expansive bottle selection (over 100 solid bottles): I drank a Fantome Strange Ghost (They also had Chocolate), a Krystalweizen, and an Ale Smith IPA. At least 20 of the current Best of BA list were available. Almost all the bottles were outstanding brews and many of them were rather uncommon. They also featured several imports from breweries I was entirely unfamiliar with, namely a Brazilian brewer that makes German and Belgian styles and Scandinavian brewer that produces a lot of American style crafts. I wish I had had more time to try some of these.

The new owner showed us a list she was putting together of all their beers. It was well organized and included accurate descriptions of each beer. I was impressed. She was very friendly and offered a sample or two from the taps.

I had a burger that was just to die for. It had perfectly ripened avocado and outstanding, butcher shop quality smoked bacon on it. I’m not a big burger person and usually stick to other options but this was really, really great.

The atmosphere was the only thing that wasn’t special but in a way that was almost a good thing. It let me focus on the beer cooler, which I stared at drooling for most of our visit to CAH.

Side Note: If you’re in Downtown Portland for just a few days don’t neglect this area over downtown. CAH is just a 15 minute cab ride or so from downtown and doesn’t really cost all that much. It’s also two minute walk away form Kennedy School and just a 4 or 5 minute cab ride from the Horse Brass/Belmont Station. Those 4 places make for a great afternoon of beer drinking. There’s also public transportation between all these places if you have time to wait for the bus.
Jul 06, 2007
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Reviewed by loren01 from Washington

4.21/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Pretty easy to find place in north Portland up 33rd Street, can't miss it on the left hand side of the road. At first I wasn't sure if I was in the right spot or not because it didn't look like a typical beer bar. Kind of fancy I thought, wasn't quite dressed up enough, however there are 2 entrances and the front door was a little more of a fancy restaurant feel, the back door is more of a typical beer bar atmosphere. Nice selection of some excellent beers on tap and it looked like a pretty good bottle selection as well (they were in the process of making a new bottle menu while I was there so I didn't get to see that). I didn't have any but the food looked awesome, huge portions. Staff was extremely helpful, bartenders gave me recommendations on what other brewpubs to check out close by. Maybe a little out of the way from some places in Portland but take the time and go there you won't regret it.
May 23, 2007
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Reviewed by pentathlete from Virginia

4.53/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Excellent little beer bar with two-entrances to its L-shape. This is at the corner of 33rd and Killingsworth. Parking is difficult at best. We parked across 33rd in the Walgreens lot.

Open area, two pool tables in one L and sturdy hardwood tables, chairs, bar, benches, and barstools. No smoking while I was there. People stepped outside.

Friendly staff, very knowledgeable, and not just from talk but from actual tastings. Two glass front coolers hold the high quality, eclectic mix of bottled brews. The taps poured some high end imports, a few big time American craft beers (Ruination, anyone?) and a cool little mix of PNW beers from breweries I certainly didn't know.

Food was very good. Large filling sandwiches and fine flavors in what we sampled (the philly cheesesteak and the turkey melt.)

I went in there hoping for the best and came out very satisfied. If I lived in this neighborhood, I'd be a regular there.
Jan 29, 2007
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Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
Loved this place, and it was a little too clean to be a dive bar (which I like), and it has a sort of "unconcerned" look to the decor. Tables, bar, all practical and meant to function, but they obviously work to keep it clean and neat. Counted 22 taps--I drank ST. Bernardus ABT 12, Ninkasi Fresh Hop, Walking Man Knuckle Dragger, and Bend Brewing Hop Head in my brief stop. Not a bad stop. I'm planning a trip to the Northwest with a friend, and this is at the top of my list to show him. Didn't get to the three coolers of bottles behind the bar.

Bartender was attentive and friendly, teaching dominoes to a waitress, but never missed seeing when my glass got to the bottom and he was there in an instant. The boss was at the other end of the bar, and was complaining about the sunny days and the lack of business there of. Evidently, rain means friends in the pub in Portland, which explains all the pubs and coffee shops.

I didn't eat, but the food looked very above average pub grub. One guy stopped in for a take out order and didn't have a beer--never a bad sign.

Take the time, make the stop.
Nov 11, 2006
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Reviewed by slander from New York

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
It's a new day and brunch is upon us. We're going to do some adventuring (drink) today before we get all airport bound. Jon's been talking Concordia for days now, pointing it out at least twice over the last 3 days as we've driven past it. Don't know why we never stop there but I'm just a passenger, meant to be seen and not heard, unless I's got something that needs saying, of course. Now suddenly, he wants to go there so I just don't know what his deal is. No, I don't think he was a-scareded this whole time, he was just workin' his way around town; we eventually got to where we needed to be...

It's part of a big group of pastel lime, brick, orange & brick buildings that roll around the corner. What I would call the front entrance in the seating area before the bar is technically on the side street and the side entrance to the back room is, well, you get the idea. 3 tables outside along the brickwork entrance area. 9 tables in an open room, the walls sponge painted dark orange at the bottom and growing progressive lighter to peach as it runs up and into the ceiling. Etched glass windows to both sides of the door, dark wood tables with mismatched chairs and small tin tubs with condiments, napkins and draft & bottles lists. Guinness prints between the long narrow windows with partial curtains on the far wall. Drop cone lighting above the tables and a watching & waiting bench at the end of the seating pen. Beyond the seating area is a raised bar area that runs and disappears around the bend. The "L" shaped bar seats a dozen and a half with a reverse bar counter seating 9. High ceilings, dark orange walls, wood slat floors and a nearby piano. The bar back is a pillared unit, with narrow shelves of booze and hobo prints to both sides of central mirrors. The back wall has a display of 5 shelves of tap handles. A fridge full of cold bottles sits over in the corner near the entrance to a back room holding a handful of bar tables and a pair of pool tables.

So, brunch. I had the 3 egg & pepper bacon breakfast. Came with marbled rye toast, it was all most superb. The draft list is 23 beers, roughly 2/3 of them local and regional offerings (Ninkasi, Terminal Gravity, Lucky Lab, Mt Hood, Rogue, Laurelwood, Pikes, Hales Ales, Walking Man, Butte Creek, North Coast, Lagunitas), the other 1/3 are imports; Belgians (La Rulles Summer, Gouden Carolus Classic & Tripel, La Houbilon Chouffe, Lindemans Framboise), and Germans (EKU 28, Reissdorf Kolsch). Drafts are priced in 12 ounce glasses, 16 ounce pints, 20 ounce impy pints, 32 ounce litres, and 60 ounce pitchers. There are some things you can't get in an impy pint or litre but you can get a pitcher of anything.

The bottle collection is extensive, a 100+ bottles, the list carved out by style. They do beers to go; Phil scapped the last 2 Artic Devils. Both the draft & bottle list offer up the disclaimer "Relax. The list is never current. That's why you like us".

Solid place, good food, great selection. Don't know why Jon held out on us for these last 3 days.
Oct 22, 2006
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Reviewed by Jem from Oregon

4.85/5  rDev +14.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I've been to Concordia at least 7 or 8 times over the past 8 months or so - and if I lived closer I'd be there every week like many of you who live in NE Portland.

The place is consistently FANTASTIC. Period. Great food - pub-ish but much more besides with great ingredients (I've tried everything from a turkey/avocado sandwich, to burgers & fries, to fish & chips, to pork loin, to sirloin steak and it's all been far beyond anyone's expectations of a normal 'beer bar' (Horse Brass, which is within 5 minutes' walk for me, pales in comparison in the food department.))

The service has always been extremely knowledgeable and pleasant, kind and helpful far beyond normal Portland-level service (ignore you or be irritated by your presence is the norm in lots of places around here.) The bar tenders pour samples, give recommendations, and generally are incredibly helpful. I've been there with everyone from BEER FANATICS who are in awe of the tap/bottle selection, to close friends in their 60s who love the food and rarely drink more than 1 beer in a sitting - and they're all as comfortable as if they were at home.

It's SMOKE FREE... I can't even begin to tell you what a godsend that is. There are tons of people out here who LOVE beer, but HATE smoke. Thank god someone finally noticed.

And, last but certainly not least, the beer is heavenly. Really. I've had La Chouffe on tap, more than 1 Walking Man offering, Terminal Gravity, Delirium Tremens, some fabulously smooth double IPAs, several different Belgians that I'd never heard of (I love beer, but I'm not yet an expert like the rest of you, unfortunately. Give me time....) I can't wait to get some more fantastic brew on my palette so I can come back to BA and try to start reviewing some beer!

In a town full of amazing beer options, my top choice is Concordia. Hands down.
Sep 22, 2006
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Reviewed by Dubbercody from Washington

4.88/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I love the Concordia Ale House. Not only do they have an AMAZING selection of 20 (ish) beers on tap, they've got hundreds of bottles, AND they have killer food.

This is not a place you'll walk away hungry or thirsty from. I love to come on Saturday or Sunday morning for breakfast and brew. It's not crowded at that time, and the breakfast/lunch follows suit with the rest of the menu, top noch!

The owners are really great people to chat with. If they don't carry something you want. Bring Matt in a bottle of something you've found in another part of the country, and if he can, he'll have it brought in and put on the shelves in the nice big beer cooler.

And if you needed any more reason, they've got pool x2.
Jul 14, 2006
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Reviewed by Matthew from Connecticut

4.86/5  rDev +14.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
I just moved into the area and man it is dangerous for me that this is so close to me...The atmosphere inside is really pleasant, well kept and simple and tasteful. There are a few Chimay signs, a St. Bernardus light and other random beer decor but not overdone.
Huge selection of bottles to drink there or to buy to take home, something like 20 taps and there is something for everyone in their selection. The bartender was incredibley nice and very knowledgable and very friendly. The prices were very reasonable considering some of the availability of some of the beers they had available...This is by far one of my favorite places I have been to....Highly recommended.
Jun 17, 2006
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Reviewed by PopeJonPaul from Oregon

4.72/5  rDev +11.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Another beer bar in Portland? Yup. Think this market is saturated? Maybe, but not if you open a place as cool as this place.

Stopped by on my last visit to Portland. Hasn't been open too long (a year maybe?), used to be a really ratty old "sports" bar, they really cleaned it up (but kept the pool tables, though they may not be the original ones). Looks a bit more like a cafe than a bar, still has a bit of a "new" look but I think it will age well. Food looks great, but will have to try it next time.

As for the beer - 154 bottles and 22 taps, and the list was growing. Big glass bottle fridge behind the L-shaped bar (actually, a lot about this place is L-shaped), lots of space to grow into. Had a Terminal Gravity served in a fantastic giant goblet. Other than a hefe, I'll take just about anything served in a goblet. Goblets just rock.

Service was awesome. The guy serving us (owner?) was all smiles and excitement, and looked kind of like a young Jerry Garcia. Everyone behind the bar wanted to help, everyone was chatty and happy, we got a water back without asking, and (as always with Portland) two beers were about $8.

Fantastic place - and within walking distance of my brother's house.

-Update- Had the food on a recent trip. The reuben as excellent...for breakfast...with a year-aged Laurelwood Imperial Red on tap...and one of us picked up two Arcitc Devils to go, with a 20% off-premise discount? Yeargh!! (that's the pirate voice talkin'...)
Jun 15, 2006
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Reviewed by bobbrew from Washington

4.9/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
I was one of the first to write a review of this place on ratebeer.com. Actually got to go there a couple of times before the place opened.

Synopsis - You can't do any better in the USA! When I'm in the Toronado, Flying Saucer Ft. Worth, Gingerman Dallas or Lucky Balwins in Pasadena I frequently find myself wishing I was back home at the Concordia Ale House!

Recent reviews say the place is usually very busy which could be my only knock against it. I'm selfish and like having most of the taps and staff to myself!

Other reviews kinda diss the architecture but none mention the countertops! The countertops are the truly unique feature at Concordia. Matt read a book, started mixing concrete and inlaying brass and fiber optics in it. Yes, fiber optics. Where on this earth have you seen dancing martini glasses and beer bottles inbedded in concrete? The teradactyle skeletons are captivating. The smooth cool concrete just yearns to be rubbed. I don't think I'm a wierdo but I just can't keep my hands off them except when I'm reaching for one of Matt's exceptional beers. ( I told him he could make a fortune in the countertop business, but he's not into making money - just serving the best the beer world has to offer.)

So if you want the best, you'll find it at Concordia. If you find yourself there the next morning, Matt's wife has the coffee shop across 33rd. Some of the best coffee and the friendliest coffee shop atmosphere anywhere.
May 22, 2006
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Reviewed by krberg from Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Finally made it over the river to the Concordia Ale House. God, the Norteasterners are lucky.

Has a nice neighboorhood bar feel to it. Lots of crowded tables with people having a great time. Some beer related art on the walls and the obligatory "locals art work" hanging around. Pool tables are off in a side room. Best of all, no freakin' smoke! I also don't recall seeing a TV.

The beers I had were fresh and served in the appropriate glassware. Too cold but a little time will warm them up.

The service was amazing. My girlfriend and I went about 6 PM on a Friday and the bartenders were attentive, chatty and knowledgable. They made us feel very welcome. I couldn't ask for better service.

Fantastic selection. Around 20 taps and maybe 100 or so bottles. Micros and quality imports only. For once I didn't the encounter the usually ubiquitous PBR.

The food is mostly pub food. Tasty burgers (both beef and veggie versions) and fried stuff. The portions were gigantic.

Good value overall. Both the beers and the food were fairly priced.

I will go out on a limb and say that this is the best beer bar in Portland. Great beers and good food in a non-smoking atmosphere, served by friendly staff... What more do I have to say? Stop reading this and go there!
Apr 17, 2006
Concordia Ale House in Portland, OR
Place rating: 4.25 out of 5 with 45 ratings