Bagdad Theater & Pub (McMenamins)

Bagdad Theater & Pub (McMenamins)Bagdad Theater & Pub (McMenamins)
Bagdad Theater & Pub (McMenamins)Bagdad Theater & Pub (McMenamins)
Bar, Eatery

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, Oregon, 97214
United States

(503) 236-9234 | map
mcmenamins.com

Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 12 midnight
Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Sunday, 12 noon to 12 midnight
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.8
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
16
pDev:
12.11%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.51 by andypeters1971 from Georgia

May 21, 2019
 
Rated: 3.69 by Epicfail97081 from Oregon

Sep 07, 2015
Photo of donnierickles
Reviewed by donnierickles from Michigan

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.75
First off, its a great place to have a pitcher and catch a flick. The food is decent and they serve their own beer, which is also decent. The theater though, is amazing. Great memories here.
Jul 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by 2beerdogs from California

Sep 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by dshansen1184 from Washington

Sep 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DuaneKing from Oregon

Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by tylerstravis from Colorado

Jun 05, 2014
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Reviewed by squaremile from Oregon

2.86/5  rDev -24.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3
I should just cut and paste the same review for all the McMenamins places. Same formula: remodeled cool building and average beers. This one is a theater that shows nice late night movies (classics and second run stuff), and the corwd is always pretty dynamic since it is in the Hawthorne neighborhood. The beers however are pretty tame and non-beer people will be fine with them. The reason this one gets lower ratings than the others is that there is a very limited space in the theater to get a beer, and the line can take forever. Out front in the pub is a different story, but with the Horse Brass and Belmont Station nearby, why would you ever go there?
Jun 01, 2010
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Reviewed by vince4953529 from California

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
Stopped here for a two-nights stay in Portland. It's located in a bustling area with many interesting stores nearby.

Great atmosphere, I've heard of a lot about this place before coming here. High-ceiling, dark lightning, and a bit quiet when I was here during a Saturday afternoon. A few people were playing pools, and a few others are drinking at the bar. The tables are a bit empty, and on the big screen they were showing the Blazers game.

Good service, efficient and courteous, that's all I need from a bartender. The beers are good, not exceptional, nonetheless decent. The stout is tasty, the IPA is above average, yet not bad for a joint like this.

It's a good place to chill if you are with some friends. But if you are serious about amazing beers and wide selection, this is not the place to be.
Apr 12, 2010
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Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Throughout all of the art that I saw at the many McMenamins locations I visited on my last trip to Portland, the one that adorns the Bagdad t-shirt was my favorite, and so I bought a t-shirt!

But overall, I think that this is one of the better locations. I mean, Edgefield is stunning in its size, and Ringlers is cool with lots of funky stuff, and the Chapel pub has a great vibe to it, but where else can you sit and watch people go by like you can on Hawthorne? ???

Beyond that, it's basically the same beers, and mostly the same food - it's just that it's in Hawthorne! Oh, and they show movies too. Pizza and beer and cheep flicks. OK!
Oct 01, 2009
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Reviewed by waldowin from Washington

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Old 70's beach boys tunes play in a long, rectangular room, covered in paintings and architecture vaguely hinting at the mid-East.
The in-house brew was alright (I tried their Terminator Stout), a bit thin and a bit over-roasty. Definitely a stout, but not a very good one.
Service was excellent, waitress was at our table probably no less than five times throughout our meal, and very helpful.
A decent selection of appetizers, main courses, drinks, and desserts, but the food both of us ordered came across as a bit bland.
I might go back sometime to try a different brew, and see if my experience was atypical, but probably after I've visited all the other bars I'd rather try first.
Oct 09, 2005
Photo of Thrasher
Reviewed by Thrasher from Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
Well as you already know this isn't just a pub, but a movie theater. The adjacent pub is really its own separate entity, about which more later. As for the theater, the atmosphere is great; this is an old, huge movie house, I think it seats 700 after the fact that every other row has been removed to accomodate tables, and with the huge balcony it's probably bigger than any movie theater you've been in for the last 20 years. And the decor is cool; faux Turkish although if the lights are down you can't really tell. Choice of 7 or 8 McMenamins ales plus a handful of other outside beers. You can grab a slice of (not great) pizza if you're so inclined, or you can order a full pie and they bring it to you. Each row of seats has a table in front of it so you don't have to worry about putting the pizza in your lap, or resting your pitcher of beer on the floor and accidentally kicking it over. As far as projection and sound quality goes, this place is far behind the curve, and both flicks I've seen there have begun a few seconds or minutes into the movie proper. The plus side of this is no previews, commercials, film studio logos etc. but film purists take note and lower your expectations accordingly. It's the decor, the beer, and the low admission price ($3) that makes this a worthwhile visit. As for the pub, it's a typical McMenamins pub, if a bit smaller, with windows looking out on Hawthorne. Good for people watching, but as the evening grows later, the central Hawthorne area gets surprisingly quiet. During a weekend afternoon, though, you can sit out on the sidewalk and watch all the preppies, bums, tourists and weirdos. Food is an abbreviated McMenamins menu with a Hawthorne hippie twist, so there aren't beef burgers, for instance (only veggie). Beer selection seems to be the same as in the theater, maybe one or two fewer selections. Good daily specials and interesting paintings. When the flick is over, you can slide comfortably into the pub, or go around the corner to Greater Trump's, a McMenamins port and cigar bar.
Nov 18, 2003
Photo of weefisheads
Reviewed by weefisheads from Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
More than just a bar to go and have a few drinks at, this place is an old theater where you can go and catch a cheap movie ($2-$3) while enjoying a few adult beverages.

Besides having an excellent location - in the heart of the Hawthorn neigborhood, what makes this a great place is not just that it's an old theater, but its a really neat, really huge old theater. Even the foyer is kinda wowing as it feels almost like an old castle. The theater itself has very high ceilings and is resplendant in ornamentation that any other movie plexes are completely void of. And instead of row after row of just seats, there are a tables set up for many seats so that you can enjoy your meal while taking in the flick.

And, speaking of meal, what's nice about movies at McMenamins (besides the beer) is that you can also enjoy some food instead of just snacks. Of course, you can still have popcorn and some candy, but you can also order Pizza and more, so you're not limited to crap.

The beer is, well, McMenamins, which has been reviewed quite thoroughly. In my opinion the quality of McMenamins beers aren't up to some of the other offerings in Portland, but still a very enjoyable drink - especially their Ruminator (Ruby + Terminator). The selection is quite nice as well, as you can choose not only from about 6 or 7 McMenamin beers, but there are some guest taps as well. And if you don't want to get up and down in the movie to get your beers, you can also choose a bottle of McMenamins wine.

Though a few of the McMenamin locations are also movie theaters, for movie experience this is the creme de la creme.
Nov 17, 2003
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Reviewed by WaywardSeaman from Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
More cities should have theaters like this...places where you can see a good second-run movie and drink a pitcher of brewpub beer. I thoroughly enjoyed the Bagdad, though my studies kept me from frequenting it on a regular basis.

I never tried the food, but the beer is typical McMenamins quality. The place is definitely a Portland landmark...and seeing as it's within walking distance of the Horse Brass and the BridgePort Ale House, there's no excuse not to visit.
Aug 24, 2003
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Reviewed by freed from Oregon

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This is a really cool old theater that's been taken care of, and re-invented as a Brew & View. Its a typical theater entrance, with a box office, but tickets are only $3 or less, and as you approach the concession area, you start seeing all sorts of goodies. Naturally there's all the standard theater faire; popcorn, good & plenty, red ropes, but there's also a selection of maybe 10 beers on tap. Probably 7 of McMenamins' own brews, and a guest ale or cider, and usually PBR. There's also a red and white wine from Edgefield, another of McMenamin's lodges. Pizza and other similar fair (that's quite good) is ordered in the mezzanine, and is delivered to you in your seats. The seats are old and comfortable, with tables in front, so there's lots of leg room.

Once the movie is over, you've got a great Hawthorne neighborhood to play in with several other cafes, an ale house, and numerous other options.
Aug 02, 2003
Bagdad Theater & Pub (McMenamins) in Portland, OR
Place rating: 3.8 out of 5 with 16 ratings