Visiting Bend OR. Tips?

Not a whole lot has changed since this: http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-bend-sunriver.190266/

As for places to eat, almost anyplace will have at least a few decent options.

 

I'm not a Bend expert by any stretch, but Jackson's Corner is a good option. Lots of bottles and 6-8 good draft choices if I recall correctly. Plus, it's about 2 minutes from Boneyard, although that might not be an option with the kid in tow.

Also, if you're a breakfast / bloody mary fan, hit Chow for brunch on Saturday. They probably have beer too, but I didn't look when I was there last. Kid friendly, great food & outstanding bloodies.

 

Jackson's Corner and Riverside Market are both great options with kids. Boneyard isn't kid friendly, but it's not like you'd be in there for more than five minutes.

 

I stop in for cheap fills and have a taste, but I'm literally there for less than five minutes.

 

I am not a Bend expert, but I have a few standbys I like to go to. I second the Chow recommendation for breakfast. Great spot, great food, but ive gotten spotty service there a few times. I would also recommend Spork. Small but nice tap list. Food is awesome. Also, if you are into very good coffee: Lone Pine Coffee Roasters is a must stop.

As for bottle shops and tap lists, I may or may not recommend Crows Feet Commons. I am still undecided on how I feel about them.

 

Oh hell yes. That place was one of the highlights of our recent trip.

 

I also spend a great deal of time helping out at Crux when I'm in Bend, so a quick walk over to Boneyard is always nice.

 

The Project Board at Crux is one of my most satisfying things I've ever eaten at a brewpub.

https://foodstudioblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/dsc_3242.jpg

I have dreams about the bacon jam and the pickled strawberries.

 

Don't know what your schedule is like, but this place gets my highest recommendation: http://www.highdesertmuseum.org/

 

They have a neat "Culture of Beer" exhibit running right now. Education-wise, it's probably nothing that most BA's don't already know, but it's kind of cool to see the various pieces of equipment, cans, and bottles that were donated by Oregon breweries.

Your 2 year old may be a bit young to appreciate it, but they have a reptile "show and tell" thing at 11am (I think) every morning where they bring out various tortoises and lizards that you can touch. Oh yeah, they also have a tame porcupine that they bring out for a show and tell session as well. Watching the guy actually pet the thing without getting stuck full of quills kind of blew my mind.

 

Don't know if it happens this time of year, but they also had a raptor presentation with the birds flying right over the heads of the audience.

 

I think for a first-time visitor to Bend, it's definitely worth checking out the Boneyard tasting room. If anything, just to see where the "magic happens". Probably not worth multiple repeated visits, but every beer traveler should make the pilgrimage at least once.

 

That's sort of luck of the draw. Some days you might be "unlucky" and it's only RPM and Hop Venom. But they also rotate through lots of small-run stuff. Plus, at this point it appears to be the only place where you can get a growler fill of Notorious any more.

 

...and if you're lucky they'll go in back and pull a sample of Suge Knight from the tanks so you can try that too.

 

Tried Sunriver Brewing's Vicious Mosquito for the 1st time recently on tap in Portland. Was really impressed. Maybe the best IPA I've tried in a while. Very Pliny like. Keep an eye out for that wherever you end up or go straight to the source like the Bend page suggests.

 

I'll 3rd the Spork call - that place was dope. Had a RPM too