The Tannery Bar

One of my favorite spots in PDX, neighborhood place with probably the Best Burger in town, steak Frites is great to… These guys actually care about what they are doing, which goes a long way in my book!

I got the Tannery Burger there and didnt want to finish it– for the sheer fear of ending such an amazing experience! Haven’t had any other food there, but that burger makes it to the top end of my 5 favorite burgers in Portland. Every piece of what outs that burger together is pure perfection. Try it out!

The Mt. Tabor area has some really nice bars and restaurants. The Tannery Bar is a tiny, dimly lit bar with an upscale feel. It has the perfect ambiance for a quiet date night. However, it is not quite the right place to go with 6 of your friends.
My friends and I had a 45 minute wait for a table at Tabor Tavern, so we decided to kill the time getting drinks just down the street at The Tannery. There were enough seats for us, but just barely, and it felt like we might have ruined the date of a couple seated directly next to us.
The drink menu has a lot of good options, but I really liked that there seemed to be something for everyone. That something for me was the shot of Rebel Yell whisky and Rainier beer they call «The Usual.» A shot and a beer for $ 5 would probably be my usual at this place. We ordered some fries for the table, and they were crispy and delicious, and they came with a tasty garlic aioli.
I will probably stop back in here if I’m in the area, most likely if I’m needing to pass time waiting for a table at Tabor Tavern again.

It’s like Goldilocks trying all three beds in the bears’ house but liking all three of them at the same time. The place is really small, but also very cozy, the food options are few but they’re really good and the beer options are unusual but delish (especially the Schwartzbier).

3 stars
+ tasty beet salad
+ super cute
+ friendly staff
— over priced drinks
— limited bar space

My friend Matt and I were talking on the phone the other day, agreeing about things we enjoy, as we tend to do. Matt mentioned how these days he disdains going to loud, hip, crowded bars, how he much prefers a nice «wooden-​looking» neighborhood spot where he can be out of the house, get one drink, and promptly return.
That’s what the Tannery Bar is to me. Although the aesthetic is more «plaster and brass oil lamp,» I think it bolsters the essence of Matt’s wooden-​looking establishments. Cozy, dim, and very, very small, the interior wields the warm asylum of a beer hall with a competitive seating environment. The latter sounds somewhat irritating, I know, but for me one of the biggest deterrents to going out is the idea that you could be sitting and drinking with the same group of people in a living room or breakfast nook, in the same arrangement, for much much cheaper. When you are forced to load coasters around half an oak cask next to a coat rack, tectonic shifts may occur. Who will split off and linger by the bar, or go out for a smoke? What sort of new alliances might be forged? Whose social anxieties will reveal themselves? It’s a guaranteed curveball!
In a more bustling, central neighborhood, the size would be a serious issue, especially since the bartenders really know what they’re doing. A cocktail will cost you, ($ 9 for a Manhattan) but the quality is worth it, and if you’re going by the aforementioned model of drink-​convo-​leave, slow down and treat yourself! But they still offer a Rainer and a shot of bourbon for 5. They aim to please.
I can’t speak for the food, but it’s expensive and looks it; however, the open kitchen layout lends an «all hands on deck» vibe that’s really appealing. And that’s a minor miracle: Tannery Bar offers a gourmet menu, bound in a little black leather book and typed up in 7-​point font, without coming off as pretentious. This unpretentiousness might be the most admirable aspect of Tannery. They are a neighborhood bar first, then a hipster cove — and a humble one at that, not an impenetrable bastion of coolness. There are no silent era films projected on the walls, no cheeky bathroom signs, no photo booths, no towering walls of vinyl. Only a skinny guy or two in the back, navigating a chest of records and a double turntable, and the music is eclectic and groovy and just the right volume. They look like they’re having fun, too, experimenting with their collections, gauging the night’s climate, unlike the DJs at The Liquor Store or Dig a Pony, who hold half a headphone to their ear all night and pretend like they couldn’t be replaced by a Spotify playlist. Smile for once, you dorks.

Cool little bar. We headed out to the tannery on a Friday night, per a friends request. I love the décor and the cozy factor is at an all time high here!
Our bartender wasn’t too inviting, it wasn’t crowded yet (maybe 3 people in the place?) so I couldn’t figure out the weird vibe she was giving us, but who knows! The service industry is a tough place and we’ve all got our bad days.
Drinks were great, shared a communal table with a few other folks towards the later half of the night. A DJ spun some funky records, we vibed a bit and then headed back down Burnside.
Maybe this is just a local neighborhood spot, we felt a little unwelcome and out of place. But other then that, it would make a totally romantic date night spot!

I have never been to the Tannery and not absolutely adored everything I’ve ordered. Their cocktails are unique and delicious, and the food is basically reimagined pub fare that is ridiculously delicious. They rotate out the menu frequently, so while it’s sad that a dish I’ve become attached to goes away — the replacement is always equally delicious.
The space is tiny, so it can get a little crowded and loud on busy nights — but its a laid back atmosphere.

Two very cool and calm guys were running the whole show: taking orders, making one drink at a time, cooking, bussing, and washing dishes. The place was quite full on a Wednesday night, so they definitely could have used one extra person, two on staff was innefficient.
The order line (no table service) backs up when ½ of the personnel does mixology. We were there on a semi-​warm night — not on one of the sweltering 90+degree days, and were sweating. So while the ambiance is nice, the air temperature SUCKS! I kinda looked forward to standing in line as their was a small AC vent that blows down on you.
…the fries were awesome, Belgian style. The Burger, Cauliflower and Monte Cristo above average. The Steak Frties for $ 20 was too rare, there were pieces we didn’t finish.
The vibe seems to have changed, before it was more low key, low light and subtle. Now it’s loud music and lots of 20-​somethings pounding canned Tecate beer.

It was almost to time to close and my date and I were on the hunt for a nicer bar near home that wasn’t packed on a Friday night. This was our first official date night and the first date I’ve been on in years where I didn’t pay for every bit.
I was passing it when I told him I’ve always wanted to go there, it looks beautiful. So we turned around and parked near by.
It’s beautiful, it’s candle lit and charming wood finished bar. The counter is low and filled with spices and ingredients. It almost reminded me of what I imagine a tavern in old world would look like.
I’m sad to say I forgot the gals name… Melody
My date asked what her favorite drink to make was,
She had the best response.
She likes making whatever makes her customers happy. She replied more in depth then that, but that’s the gist.
I think the whisky was called Old Timmer, but the bottle was unmarked, had blue tape around the spout.
She served us with a orange peel and a large ice cube… The cost was not your well whisky!
But the Taste was lovely and it was 25 mins to close. We sat along the bar top facing the window outside…
Music was almost a charming industrial… Not heavy but modern.
We wanted another but they had closed and there was another party in the room…
The bartender was kind enough and filled our cups with another good taste of the same drink.
It was a romantic ending.
Thank you for living up to being what I thought it would be.

The White Russian tastes just like a chocolate milkshake! Absolutely delicious and I would definitely recommend this cocktail. The bar was a bit loud so it was hard to converse with my group even though we were sitting close together, and for that reason I dropped a star from the review. FYI: The size of the bar is small, so patrons who were unlucky in finding seating inside had to sit outside in the cold.

Marrow bones. Not something one gets to enjoy regularly, or ever. I can count on one hand the amount of times I ever had them and I can exclude my thumb and pinky. Most times when something like that is on a menu you’re going to be shelling out the bucks to get it. But at a local bar one block from where I live?
The Japanese use the term umami. I agree. Salty, peppery, vinegary, sweet all in one plate. The bones were roasted in balsamic apple vinegar with some black pepper that gave it a little zing at the back end. A little parsley and salt to finish it and the unctuous marrow spread easily on the crusty bread that accompanied the bones. I squeezed a little lemon over the marrow to add yet another layer of flavor. You know you want to try this now. Only $ 10.00. That’s the shocker. A high end restaurant downtown would easily charge five to ten bucks more. I guess it’s good I live in North Tabor. I had a couple Occidental Dunkels to make things seem alright.
A very friendly staff, 50s and 60s music playing, dimly lit, wood everywhere, rain outside and an incredible selection of bourbon. I am so glad to have finally come in here. And I live a block away. This could be good, this could be bad.
Enjoy.

When you pay $ 7 for a plain waffle — which just so happens to be half of the iron they use — it should be a good waffle, yes? To spell this out for your every time they pour batter into the iron and take out a set of waffles they’re making $ 14. That’s crazy talk. Perhaps it wouldn’t be if they were delicious, moist, flavorful or perhaps with a bit of fruit or compote. But this $ 7 waffles is none of those things. It doesn’t even come with that much butter! It’s hard, crumbles, lacks compelling flavor, and falls apart when you try to cut it. I would gladly trade in for an Eggo. I’ve tried it three times now — shame on me — hoping each time it will be different. The Gluten Free version is likewise Crumblecity USA. Much like the failed waffle the chicken friend steak was cooked to death making it too tough to enjoy.
When I first came for brunch it was totally empty and was wonderful. As time has gone on, people have figured this place out and it seems to have fallen victim to it’s own success. The kitchen is tiny and keeping up with brunch demand and bringing out a consistent product seems to have become a challenge. Now you can have a disappointing brunch stacked next to someone at community tables. For $ 30ish dollars (for 2 people) you can find a better place to enjoy your morning.
$ 5 will get you 2 slices of bacon which I will say are delicious. I’m happy to pay for a good, locally sourced product — just not a crappy one. The croissants are great and come in regular, almond and chocolate. Coffee is consistently bitter.
I’ve had an alright happy hour here. Service is fine. Cocktails are quality. Charcuterie plate was nothing to write home about.
I was a huge fan of Skin and Bone, the restaurant that was here prior, however it seems to have become a sad shadow of what it once was.