McMenamins Kennedy School

Excellent food and service. What a really great location. I wish the bay area had a place like this. I wish I had time to see a movie after dinner.

Kennedy school is probably the coolest drinking establishment in Portland, Or. It’s an old high school with 5 different restaurants with a soaking pool, movie theatre, smoking room and brewery. They did an amazing job restoring it and setting themselves up for success!!! I suggest goin for happy hour 3 – 6 for some of their wings and dollar off micros. They pour some of the freshest beer I’ve event had in my life. If you have any guests checking out Portland this is the spot.

The best McMenamin I have been to! Place has so much to offer; pubs, theater, hotel, resturtant and other fun stuff. I love this place for hang outs and birthdays :)

Awesome atmosphere! Whoever thought up this idea was brilliant. School still has a lot of original memorabilia. Several different bars like boiler room, detention room, cypress room. Minors are allowed on grounds, but not in all bar rooms. Even if you’re not a drinker, this place is worth the visit for the experience!!!

I ended up maxing out the characters in my last review of this place and had some clarifications to make. It was partially my fault that I got what I got. Although I looked at the front page of the McMenamins at Kennedy School website prior to the trip, I never thought about looking any further. I trusted that all the rooms had the same amenities — even if I wasn’t planning on using them. And as for the desk and TV, I never thought I’d have to dig any deeper to find the information that was clearly displayed (after the trip, I went back onto the website and found this clearly displayed).
This place still earns the 4-​star rating as I previously gave it. Between the lights that were out and their attempts to find out more information from me about the room situation and them seeming to be incessant on waiting there until my arrival back at the room… this all bugged me.
Now I know what to expect, so that if our group ever returns to another McMenamins in the future, I’ll know just how well I“ll have to look to find the information I’ll need or need to obtain from asking other questions.

Too cool for school! This used to be a school! They’ve turned all the classrooms into hotel rooms and bars! There are four onsite bars, a restaurant, a gift store with an espresso bar and frequent events! They have live music and things like that but also will host special events, there was a wedding going on while we were there.
We actually went here twice. Once on Saturday for several hours in the afternoon. We went again on Monday because we had to drop off the rental car at 1:45 but our flight wasn’t until past 6pm so we ubered there (less than a mile). My favorite of the bars is the boiler room. Tons of antique piping that’s repurposed as art. Super cool. I also enjoyed the bar ‘detention’, mostly so I could say ‘I’m going to detention.‘
They have their own whiskey, wine and beer. Actually the brewery is located on site! You can peek at it! Oh and they have a movie theater! Also a heated outdoor salt water soaking pool! They have a library as well where they host private events. It can comfortably seat about 15 people.
At the restaurant they offer a wide variety of foods; appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, salads, etc. I wasn’t very impressed with the menu but I wasn’t disappointed either. Besides, I don’t think people necessarily come here for the food. The décor at the restaurant is really cool. They have a ton of different mismatched chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and boasts plenty of tables and booth seating plus a bar. We weren’t very hungry so we ordered a small barbecue chicken pizza to share. It was average at best.
McMenamins Kennedy School is a truly unique experience. It opened in 1913 with only 29 students. It feels like stepping into the past. Highly recommend!

I always love exploring the Kennedy school! Each room offering something different. Wander around and you’ll find a bar to a movie theater to a soaking room.
The food here is pretty good. The happy hour is great! The weather is warming up, so take advantage of the outdoor seating. I’m not a huge fan of beer so I feel like I can’t really leave an input on that. The flights are pretty fun if you feel like trying a little bit of everything as far as beer goes. It’s a good place to catch a cheap movie, have some good food that’s not at sky rocketing prices and good drinks! It’s been awhile since I’ve been here to watch one but I loved how unique the couches were. The bars are rather fun, stumble from one to the other. There are so many things to find here.
The murals are a little eerie. Legend has it, the eyes on them follow.

Oh McMenamins, you are so good at what you do.
Kennedy School has been a fun place for me:
1. To celebrate a friend’s birthday with twenty or so of her very closest.
2. To get together with about fifty people who I don’t yet know.
3. To soak in the hot soaking pool with a ton of people.
4. To soak calmly in the soaking pool with one pregnant friend and just a few strangers.
5. To listen to an interesting lecture about race.
Frankly, I don’t want to describe in detail how much I love the soaking pool, because when I go back I don’t want you to be there. No offense, but it’s more peaceful when it’s less crowded. Just be sure to check the hours, bring your own towel, and expect to pay an entrance fee.
I would love to stay overnight there sometime. I bet it would be uh-​maze-​engh.

This is a really cool place. I really enjoyed being able to wander around and check it out.
We stopped to have a drink in the bar. The service was wonderful. The only thing I would say is that the drinks are a little bit pricey, and the location is a bit odd.
Overall, this is definitely a place to check out.

RESTAURANT ONLY REVIEW:
I really, really want to like this place. The atmosphere is lovely and relaxing. The décor is gorgeous. The greenery outside the windows is lush and soothing. The servers all seem friendly… and to be moving in slow motion. And that is where all my positive thoughts pretty much end.
Where I think the restaurant is suffering is possibly in kitchen management. Twice in the last month, we’ve been there when the restaurant was not busy, plenty of open tables and staff to cover them, many parties already had their food. And yet, we experience things like this: 45 minutes to receive a Cobb Salad.
No. No McMenamins, there’s really no excuse for that. Coming from a culinary background I can safely say with confidence that it does not take 45 minutes to grill the chicken which tops the salad, much less to assemble the whole thing. Every ingredient of that salad should have been prepped before opening, including pre-​grilling the chicken (if that’s how this kitchen operates), but even without the pre-​grilling 45 minutes is ridiculous for a salad. Period.
The visit prior (almost exactly a month before) we were seated in a dark corner and forgotten for at least half an hour before being offered the chance to order. That was not the kitchen, of course. But once we *did* order, it took… that’s right, about 45 minutes to receive COLD SANDWICHES! No. no. no. Still not okay.
Look guys… this is not super complicated food you’re purveying. It can be pretty tasty when you’re on your game, but it’s not like you’re cracking open sea urchins for this stuff. Please, be respectful of your customers and pick up the pace a bit. And if your dishes are going to take a long time, please have your staff alert the guests that a wait might be imminent for their meal and give them an opportunity to choose something more readily available. Not everyone has all day to wait for their meal.

This is great. It’s unique and clever at the same time. Who would’ve thought a ran-​down building of any sort could turn into either a bar, hotel, restaurant, etc. And still maintain it’s classic identity? I’ve never seen anything like it.
There is a room for everyone! A theater, a soaking pool, a community room, a couple bars and restaurants, a cigar lounge, etc. it’s a Portland resort!
I stayed in the detention room where I was greeted by Rachel! She’s knowledgeable and super friendly. I had a Maduro cigar while sampling ESB and Stout. It was a nice session! Their cigar selection isn’t as big or even great BUT it’s enough for what it is. A few good brands/​kinds I should say.

Ten things I loved about our stay at Kennedy School:
1. Rooms with character
2. Free movies with comfy couches
3. Could buy fat pretzels and beer to take into the movie
4. Felt safe in hotel
5. Friendly staff
6. Courtyard restaurant for dinner and breakfast
7. Walk around the beautiful surrounding neighborhood
8. New Seasons grocery store and deli just a block away (also good for breakfast and dinner)
9. Cool artwork in hallway
10. Nice gift shop

Oh my god!
When I saw this place when we were making reservations for Portland, it just spoke to me! I’m enamored with buildings that are originally something else and then made into homes — or in this case a hotel!
How awesome is it to stay in a old elementary school? Extremely if you ask me!
Yes, it’s slightly out of downtown Portland but I actually liked that it was a little out of the way! We were able to see some of the neighborhood surrounding Portland! Just love all those Victorian and Craftsman homes! :swoon:
There is a bungalow — now named the English wing — where all the rooms are relatively new and all the rooms are named after a book (and there is an excerpt on the walls as well as a couple paintings inside as well). Also, on a side note, there are no tvs in any of the rooms! So bring a book to catch up on!
Although on a side note, there are some rooms in the actual old school too!
The front desk is the actual school — complete with all the banisters and lots of paintings/​mosaics/​murals on the walls that are vintage and many from the old students or repurposed in some way!
There are also several bars on the premises if that’s your kind of thing, and a restaurant as well (although with so many places to eat in Portland and so little time — we didn’t get a chance to check it out)
The soaking pool — a very shallow and warm salt water pool with jets — is free to the guests and open later for them the general public — until 11pm. I recommend checking it out! It was so relaxing and we had a lot of fun!
It was a great place to stay and I just fell in love with the city of Portland! It’s so green and beautiful! Can we live there?! I can’t wait to come back!

This 5 star rating is specifically for the baked goods, coffee, and the courtyard bar wait staff! Fantastic! Had the apple walnut scone, my family is jealous!
When eating lunch here I’d rate the place probably more of a 3.5 stars. I’ve been to quite a few McMenamins and the wait, service, and food quality is not as high as some others.
The facility itself including the ambiance and movie theatre are a good 5 stars!!!

This pub is definitely different than any places I’ve been to in SoCal. There were different rooms with different pubs with different themes. It’s a pretty cool experience!
It was a little confusing finding everything at first, but there are signs on the walls.
We ended up getting some drinks at the Boiler Room. We had the Purple Haze and Hammerhead. The Purple Haze was really great! The Hammerhead was a little too hoppy for our tastes, but it wasn’t too bad. It’s their number one selling beer.
There’s a separate parking lot here, which was nice. There’s tons of parking.

Our last experience with the Kennedy School was brutal, but after working with Mel, she offered another opportunity to come in and give it another shot. I am always more than happy to reevaluate a place if the management cares enough to reach out and address my initial concerns. We took Mel up on her offer and made it over today for lunch and we were incredibly pleased with our experience. Our server was gracious and accommodating, we were greeted (and seated) right away and the staff was very friendly. Food was great — tots for appetizer and a burger with a side salad for entrée. You can tell that they make their dressings in house and I will almost always come back to a place that takes the time to do this. My husband got the special which was a jalepeno/​cheddar biscuit with ham and egg — WOW. I was PB and jealous of meal and wish I would have gotten the same. I will absolutely be back!

Fun place with a lot of interesting artwork and an interesting history.
The theater was spacious and the seating (couches) was comfortable. There are three different bars, a gift shop, two restaurants, and theater snack bar on site. If you’re visiting Portland, I would recommend you make time to drop by for a movie.
We grabbed drinks and hot pretzels at the Boiler Room on site. The atmosphere there was tenebrously warm. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Met a friend here for a few drinks the other day. First time in.
Had a difficult time finding the bar he was at, as there were lots of bars and side rooms all over the place. But I asked a staff member and they were friendly and helpful. But then, later when I had to pee, it was another task wandering around the labyrinth of halls to find a bathroom.
THAT SAID, the atmosphere is interesting and weird like all the McMenamins places I’ve been in (notably the Edgefield). Murals cover the walls and there’s weird art hanging up all over the place. And most rooms are themed. We drank in the Cypress Room which had a reggae theme. Traditional ska played on a LP over the speakers. The beer was great, as usual. Had three of the IPA’s and they were sweet-​tasting and I was buzzing by the end of them.
I heard there’s a movie theater and a soaking pool in there too. I’d love to come back and check it out again. It’s a nice destination for a relaxing Sunday.

I came here specifically for the cigar bar. I was completely disappointed by the experience.
The space was small, but comfortable and well-​appointed. The pot-​belly fireplace and the rustic/​vintage décor made for fantastic ambiance. The bar tender was incredibly friendly without being unprofessional, and the man really knew the in’s and out’s of his scotch. No complaints there. But, I didn’t come for a bar, I came for a CIGAR BAR.
The selection of cigars was pitiful. An anemic selection (liquor stores in Metro-​Detroit have nicer humidors) of petit coronas and sugary-​sweet cigarillos. Two or three robustos from «well drink» brands at «top shelf» prices… Nothing in a Churchill. The bartender cut my cigar without asking, a major faux pax since I prefer a punch he replaced it for me with a sincere apology, but still… That’s like catching your waiter with his thumb in your soup. The bartender told me they only have a cutter, no punch or other option. Luckily I carry my own, but still…
I’m so disappointed in this place. If they would improve the product available, it could easily be a five star.

This was the coolest place! I wish I had more time to look around at all of the rooms! Such a neat idea and will be going back for sure.
We were in the boiler room with a pool table. There was a long table along a wall which was perfect for our big group.
I ordered the Terminator Stout and I had a Moroccan Coffee (a little sweeter than an Irish coffee) but were delicious!
I also ordered the Cajun tots. I’m pretty sure I ordered the half order. If so I’m curious how big the full is because it was a huge serving! I definitely shared and they all disappeared. They had peppercorns in them and the ranch was great with them. Some of us dipped them in the pretzel cheese which was also a good idea.
Hope to go back again!

I’m not too keen on McMenamins, as they normally have the same feel as going to a Red Robin. Although, Kennedy School is different. Several different bars spread out throughout an old school, with original creepy paintings hanging in the halls? Beers under $ 5? Fried, fatty food? It’s an experience to have at least once. You can even stay in the hotel they have on-​site if this is really your jam. By the way, it’s totally haunted, so have fun with that.
The barstaff are a lil crusty and don’t want to serve your group what they deem to be «too many» drinks, i.e., two at a time.
Go and say you did because people will seem to keep asking you if you’ve been.

McMenamins is such a fun, cool, historically awesome concept — an old elementary school, repurposed into a delightful location that is chockful of:
+ Bars/​pubs (including one in the boiler room!)
+ Restaurants with courtyard dining
+ Soaking pool
+ A movie theater
+ Souvenir shop
+ Housing (it’s a hotel, too!)
It’s funky and eclectic and feels rather awesome walking around a school with a cocktail in hand. McMenamins was a warm, friendly oasis on a cold, rainy day, and was well worth the journey.

McMenamins Kennedy School is where I learned to play (and kick my partner’s butt at) shuffleboard, where I go in the summer to catch live music, where I eat far too many tots year round, and where I can see a movie for $ 4.
The theater is one of the best, if not most enjoyable, deals in town. They play movies I want to see, second run. My partner and I stopped by on movie, pint, and pizza night, a bundle deal for $ 12per person, but we instead opted for a regular ticket each and cajun tots delivered to our seat. We also grabbed a chai and an americano (with soy milk) from down the hall, at the Kennedy School Gift Shop. The service was fast and friendly and the drinks were perfect.
Going to the Kennedy School Theater last night was the «most crowded» I’ve seen it with maybe 30 other patrons. I only had the entire row to myself, rather then the entire theater. Among the rows of couches and love-​seats, my partner and I snagged a couch to share with room to spread out. I don’t think I appreciate enough that the theater was once an elementary school auditorium. McMenamins Kennedy School is the perfect adult playground, especially on a rainy Portland day.

Again… it’s MeMenamins. And it’s the Kennedy school. I would take away a point for the sameness of all the locations/​food and general doucheness that seems to accompany the M name in these parts. But this place rocks! The first show I saw here was about 7 years ago with my ex on halloween. It was a rough night but I sure as shit liked this place even then.
I have been here many many times. Bands, dinners and soaking. Never stayed here — but would love to try it. Like Edgefield but on a much much smaller scale, you can roam around the halls, checking out different bars, nooks, parties, shows. It’s SO cool. I’ve also attended the storytelleres guild meetings in one of their community rooms.
The service is ok. The food is ok. Again — it’s Mcmenenamins (or however you spell it). But man this is an awesome space. Often there are interesting people and groups coming through since visting folks may be playing or staying there. The soaking pool is lovely and large and you can bring your drink in with you! You will be soaking with starngers — but depending on the day, it may not seem crowded at all.
This is one of Portland’s gems. Even going out for a smoke is a pleasure as they have little patios and such to sit in. I’ll be back, and back.

This place is so quintessential Portland. An old school transformed into a hotel/​theater/​restaurant (s)/bar (s). My friend who grew up in Brooklyn said it best — there’s nowhere like this in New York. I haven’t stayed at the hotel, but with everything else they have to offer I definitely would.
The theater consists of comfy couches and end tables. All the comforts of home, and they even have food & drinks to go with it.
Their courtyard restaurant is my favorite and it’s open all day. Good beers, good outdoor space, perfect for a sunny day happy hour.

I tend to think that chain restaurants and breweries are always A-​OK and McMenamins in general have not impressed me very much. But Kennedy School is an exception. Their food is typical bar food but with a twist and I especially enjoy the fact that they do not overseason their foods. In fact, I had order Cajun Tots at another McMenamins and I was not very happy about the fact that the tots were way too salty. But at Kennedy School the Tots were seasoned perfectly and they are even better as leftovers the next day!
Of course at every McMenamins they have their own special brews and they are always amazing. But what’s cool about Kennedy School is their Honor’s Bar and Detention Center. You can go and put your name on a list to be seated on a busy day and then wonder over to one of the bars to order drinks before you get seated. You can also wonder the hallway with your beverage and enjoy the history that is the Kennedy School.
I thought the whole place is pretty amazing and we have repeatedly brought out of town guests to visit here and they all enjoyed the experience!

I am member of the McMenamins cult, a Tripster to the core. This location is in my neighborhood and I would rate it in the top three of my favorite McMenamins locations.
The art is fantastic, the incorporation of the property’s history is always fun and educational!
The service is McMenamins style — generally with a bit of a snarl and some ‘tude, but overall efficient and adequate.
The food is what you would expect from McMenamins — pub grub and pretty good pizza.
I am a big fan of the distilled liqs and the beer. They make pretty mean Blackberry and Pomegranate ciders too. Half Ruby and half Blackberry cider, or a Ruberry as I call it — is the bomb. I am pretty sure I invented this drink at the Anderson School opening #Ruberry.

I loved the food but the wait staff was very, very slow!
Went here with a large group for dinner. I ordered 3 different small plates. After about 45 minutes, I got two of the three plates that I ordered. After about an hour I asked if I was going to ever get my fries. The waitress got them to me about 10 minutes later. It’s fries! How long does it take to get fries?!
Also, the waitress didn’t split the bill. So we all wrote our names next to what we ordered. Yet she still over charged us!
I loved my fries once I got them! Also I had a burger slider which was delicious! And I had the black bean hummus, yum!
We saw a movie after dinner. Unfortunately since dinner took so long, there was a huge line to get into the theatre. We were able to get decent seat still. The couches and chairs were very comfy!

Woah how cool is this?
The Boiler Room bar is definitely my favorite in terms of neatest looking spot, with a bar and pool tables and a legit boiler room feel.
I ate at the Courtyard Restaurant for dinner, and their fare is pretty standard. Tried the pulled pork pizza, which was decent, and the steak and mango salad. The steak on the salad was dry and the components didn’t exactly fit well together, but it was presented exactly as listed on the menu and I ordered it, so can’t really complain there.
They have a decent variety of beers and when you can’t choose, it’s hard to go wrong with a sampler. The outdoor seating is very dimly lit, so prepare to use iPhone light or squint.
There are multiple fireplaces you can huddle around to keep warm.
McMenamins is a unique venue in itself, and I have never seen anything like it before, so it was neato burrito to explore as an out-​of-​towner.

Wow wow wow!!! One of oregons BEST!
We wouldn’t have found this place if the lady didn’t recommend it as her favorite go to spot. Apparently there are two more converted buildings but this one by far kicks them in the dust! (Is that the right phrase? Hahaha)
There’s a lot to see here and get this, you can even stay overnight! You get complimentary theater tickets and popcorn. What???
All of the rooms are utilized. Whether it’s a gym, pool, dance room, dinner rooms, bars, bathrooms and a brewery!!!
We had the greatest opportunity to stay for dinner and they did NOT disappoint.
We started off with the BBQ wings. They are to die for! I’ve never had wings like that. It had a chipotle spiced bbq sauce and the wings were still a bit crispy. It had plenty of wings to go around! The portion could feed 4. It also came with this delicious buttery ranch sauce. I could not get enough! I highly recommend.
I saw the lobster pasta plate and I felt like I wanted to try a taste of Oregon seafood. My bf was caught between the surf and turf pasta and the ny steak I believe. He chose the surf and turf.
What I expected was that my lobster pasta would have really small chunks of lobster in it. Oh boy, did they prove me wrong! They put the whole lobster tail, shell and all a top a bed of pasta and prosciutto! It was so rich, and creamy. The prosciutto was still nice and had a bit of crunch and came in thick chubby baby rectangles. The lobster was cooked to perfection! I didn’t even need butter, salt nothing! I loved eating it by itself. I have never had such a perfect dish. And mind you, this was my first dish in Portland!
I was wondering how my bfs pasta would come out. Surf and turf? Would the sirloin and scallop be on the side? I also felt the scallop would be really tiny because it was a bay scallop. I must have gotten used to being jipped in SF!!! When the plate came out, it had slices of sirloin mixed in the pasta. The bay scallop was much larger than I thought! About half the size of a large scallop! That must be what real bay scallops are hahaha. The pasta dish didn’t look like much but it did make up for in taste.
The drinks arent but for me, not enough alcohol in it. At least we get that right in the bay. So I think I’ll pass on those but definitely splurge and go for the wings and pasta!

Not much I can write here which hasn’t already been covered. This spot is a must-​see during any Portland visit, as it encompasses much of what Portland is loved for: funky art, new-​meets-​old, repurposing spaces, breweries, bars, comfort food, cocktails, «Cajun» tater tots you’ll pretty much inhale, and hotel rooms just down the hall which you can stumble back to without even leaving the same building! It’s truly a unique space, having once been an elementary school, but turned into the kind of fun hangout McMennamin’s is expert at.
Definitely stop by this place, wander around, explore, talk with the staff/​bartenders/​servers/​front desk, and you’ll see why I’ve enjoyed bringing friends and coworkers here for the last 7 years since I first discovered it!