Portland Itinerary

I just got back from a 3 day trip of Portland. Here's my perspective, from a fellow visitor:

Don't miss Upright. This was the single best place we went in the city. Great people, great beer, SO cheap. I will miss that basement dearly.

Places you shouldn't feel bad about skipping: Hair of the Dog, Belmont Station.

Places you really should go: Bridgeport (food), Bailey's (FUN), HUB bike bar (beer is great, area is awesome).

 

There needs to be a Beer-cation thread on here to post pics from trips. I would love to live vicariously through your pics of HotD and Cascade.

Have a GREAT trip!

 

Are you saying that you would rather go to Bridgeport and HUB instead of Belmont Station and HotD? You might find yourself alone on that one.

 

I know

I'm speaking from a visitors perspective with limited time. Bridgeport had the best food and beer combo of the trip, so it's an excellent dinner stop. HUB also had great food, and the beer was better than HotD... plus the area around HUB is MUCH better than HotD (we were walking). Belmont Station was just nothing special: a pretty good bottle shop with a decent bar attached.

 

when I went a few months ago I hit up Upright, Cascade, HOTD and DeSchutes brewpub in one boozy Sunday afternoon - DeSchutes was probably the most disappointing - the rest were fantastic especially the Adam From the Wood on draft at HOTD

 

Recommend Bunk's for sandwiches. Several locations,has been featured on Food Network,Travel channel. My nephew is a chef+ partner. I'd have to hit Deschutes,Ninkasi,HOD

 

I would skip HotD on limited time too.. the service is kinda slow and shoddy. The beer is good, but you can find it anywhere here

 

Dude no offense but I strongly disagree with your advice here. Seriously, HotD is a must visit. Where else can you get From The Wood Beers on tap?

 

There are a lot of places, imo, with better beers on tap or in bottles, with equally good or better food than bridgeport. Simply pick any restaurant with good food and chances are they have beers that are better than bridgeport, not saying they will have something crazy, but better beers.
Apizza scholls, portobello (i think had some good beer), blossoming lotus, horse brass, pok pok, roscoes, the farm...

 

That is only true if you're talking about drafts (and they don't have anything special tapped). Part of the appeal of HotD is that they have a list of impossible-to-find vintage bottles like Adam and Fred from the Wood, Matt, etc. For most people, they will never get another chance to try many of these (and to me, that's the point of traveling).

 

I find the employees to be quite nice

 

On the bar side? Been 3 times, and same aloof, standoffish, elitist asshatedness each time Ive been. Was with different people and have heard many similar stories. Perhaps I just like my beer served with more smile and less jerk.
Ive never felt that way at beermongers, apex, cascade, hotd, roscoes etc...

In the shop they are awesome!

 

You've got yourself a good list there. I doubt you'll leave PDX unhappy regardless of whether or not you hit them all. That said, count me as another vote for skipping Henry's & Bridgeport. I mean, those places are fine, but if going to one of them means skipping something else on your list, they're not worth it.

...Grain & Gristle, Ned Ludd, Hop & Vine, Bunk Bar, Beaker & Flask, Interurban...

And HotD ALWAYS has a "from the wood" beer on tap now. You're pretty much guaranteed to find something on that tap that you won't find anywhere else, ever. I don't go there a lot, but the last 3 times I've been there I've had Maple Bourbon Fred, 2008 Fred from the Wood, and Michael from the Wood. So yeah, I'm in the camp that believes HotD is a "must visit." As for the service there, I've never had a problem. But I always sit at the bar, so it's possible it's worse if you're at a table.

The important thing is HAVE FUN! I'm sure you will...

 

Agreed. Any HotD "from the Wood" >>>>>> Any Bridgeport beer

 

For a non-beer place, I think Powells Books is a must hit. Enjoy your Seattle/PDX trip and post up thread with pics of your trip after you get home!

 

A few more weeks of sunny weather would be nice