John Barleycorns (McMenamins)

 

Thirteenth stop on the Great 2017 Beer Trek. Just down the block from Fly Boy but open till 1am. Late Thursday about 10:15 pm.

Sat at the large copper U shaped bar. Seating for about two dozen but only about 8 seats taken. Tap list is the standard Mcmenamins lineup, decent but not particularly outstanding. I had the Thundercone Fresh Hop Pale Ale which was a bit better than their regular offerings.

Full bar and food menu as well.

Nice quiet place to have a nightcap.

 

 

 

 

John Barleycorns has been around off of I-5 since the mid 90's when I think it was converted from an old barn house. They have a nice half shaded patio area during the summer and during the winter a stoked stove going. Very high ceilings reminds you of being in a church.

The quality of their beer is excellent. They have been here in the Portland area since the craft brew revolution in the late 80's, early 90's. At least that is when I noticed them coming about. The Hammerhead is an excellent beer as well as the Chris Kringle during the seasonal period during the winter.

Good selection of beers as well as food. You can get burgers to salad to chicken. It is reasonably priced and you should leave satisfied. You only need to remember that service has never been their best suit. So if you know that going in you will be happy with your trip.

This is an odd building that clearly stands out from the wholesale and manufacturing buildings around it. A nice garden encloses a terrace outside, but doesn't do enough to hide the freeway sounds. So we sat inside. The inside is dark, the kind of pub you select for that reason. A mix of eclectic art and German street signs decorate the walls, and a large cathedral ceiling sits in the middle of the building. There's a somewhat norse feeling to the main hall which is somewhat confused by the polynesian-style tiki hut over the bar. A mix of tables and low-backed booths provide seating. A somewhat tight mix of tables suggests that it could be quite loud if filled.

There is a standard selection of McMenamins' brews on tap along with a couple of the local beers. Both locals we tried were good, though served somewhat cold. The food was also standard McMenamins' pub fair, though not really up to par with many of the other locations. Service was pretty good, though I took half a point of for getting a strong ale served at 40F. Certainly worth visiting again though.

Nice place. Its in an odd location, kind of surrounded by a bunch of wharehouses. But they have really made the place look nice. I didn't spend much time inside (we ate outside) but its has some really interesting woodwork done on the inside. Plus a nice outdoor eating area. The service wasn't all that great, they messed up my order, but no big deal. Good beer, spirits, and wine all served at this location. Overall a good place to go catch a bite and hang with some friends.