Where is the Best After-Work Bar in Portland, Oregon?
I’ve lived in Lake Oswego for 35 years and while Portland has tons of options to choose from for knowledgable diners, we have had very few here. I had been to Five Spice a couple times before, but not since the latest change in management and menu. Frankly, I think the Pan Asian theme was better than the current more mainstream approach.I took my wife and mother there last night (a Saturday). We were greeted downstairs at the door as I dropped my passengers off by the hostess. The restaurant is still beautiful inside, and the bar has been given increased importance, although the multitude of large format wine bottles setting around seemed an overt attempt to impress. The place is well-staffed in numbers, though we seemed to get the junior waitperson, who was pretty tenuous. He managed to break off the cork on the bottle of ’96 Rhone wine I had brought from my cellar. Still, service was pretty attentive.The wine list is fairly extensive, with a $35 – 2,000 range, though not va
I hosted a MJ themed birthday bash in October for 20 friends and every single one of them loved the Agency. I booked the room two weeks in advance for free and reserved the Wii system for my party. When I arrived I had my own private room, Wii set up, and was able to get my MJ playlist played into my private room. Service was fantastic as my party had its own waitress. The manager was extremely helpful and understanding with our volume issues. My only complaint would be the “club” downstairs. I’ve only been to the Agency three times, but to me it gets extremely crowded and at times you can barely walk to the bar, let alone dance. I highly recommend this establishment if you enjoy sports, Wii, or want to have a private party.Pros + Free Event SpaceCons – I think the downstairs room gets a little too crowded
My husband and I stayed in Portland recently and picked Dante’s for their Saturday Night show – Subterranean Caberet. There was a Seattle group playing, and we found both the music and show to be very entertaining! It was my birthday and we were so lucky to wander in! The musicians, dancers, MC, and crowd were all upbeat and the atmosphere was friendly and in party mode. There was a very diverse crowd – all ages and style of dress from jeans and sweaters to short black dresses and heels. No baseball caps. Two drinks were 11.75 plus tip – pretty typical.I have two cons that I want to share with readers. The first is that the service at the large bar was horrible. I thought my husband was exaggerating about her rudeness, so I attempted to order the next round with no luck. She wasn’t busy, just leaning and chatting. Order from the small bar!Second, we decided to stay for the second show and all patrons staying were told to leave their coats at the tables (or lose your table) a
Been to Saucebox a number of times, but always late night . Love the atmosphere, but drinks can be pricey for my usually low brow range. Finally able to catch their Happy Hour before a show, and I was so impressed.Well priced drinks ($3 Sapporo), and a fantastic food selection, $4 (!) each for a fantastic Miyako Burger and Pork Spring rolls. The Khao Soi was meh, but everything else made up for it.The service was prompt and friendly. The place was full, but the atmosphere was calm and we got our food in about 10 minutes. We came downtown for a show and I expected to be rushed. But the staff was so efficient and friendly, we had enough time to relax and enjoy a well-made Sazerac. Great experience. Will be back soon.Pros + Fantastic, reasonably priced Happy HourCons – Khao Soi not so great
