Happy Hour/Light Dinner PDX

[dylinw]

I'm planning a bachelorette party in PDX for late February and am looking for a place to get drinks and food (in that order!) for eight people. We're staying downtown and to go somewhere that's fun and not too formal. We would like to be able to get appetizers or bar food (not along the lines of chicken tenders and nachos) with some drinks and be able to sit and/or stand comfortably with eight people.

I am considering Clyde Common, but have two concerns: 1) I'm unclear of their menu options, as I can't get the menu tab on their website to work and 2) I am not sure if it will accomodate 8 of us comfortably enough on a Friday evening.

Any feedback would be much appreciated. Alternative locations/ideas are also quite welcome! We're pretty adventurous eaters and like good cocktails, nice wine selection, and yummy food. We don't want to spent too much on food (not looking for formal $20+ entree location - unless they have a bar w/ smaller plates), as we're planning a lot of other meals out during the weekend.

Thank you!

[ErinElise]

I can tell you that 23 Hoyt has great food and great drinks. Even their non-alcoholic drinks are great. The mac and cheese on the happy hour menu is to DIE for. They can seat parties of 8 and even have a space upstairs that can be curtained off for privacy. I am actually going to dinner there on the 17th with a party of 9, including 2 kids. I have taken my 1 1/2 year old there and they have been very accomodating.

I had my bachelorette party at Saucebox. I haven't been there for years, but I like the atmosphere and the drinks. The food is very snackish, not really a meal and is asian fusion. Tasty but not the highlight. They have a whole menu of cocktails with fun names so it can be a delight.

Good luck and have fun!

[MyNextMeal]

Bar Mingo would be my recommendation. http://www.barmingonw.com/home

[AlbertaHound]

Clyde Common is way too crowded. It would be a nightmare, IMHO. For a bachorette party, Saucebox seems like a good choice. Teardrop too. But unless you like large crowds at close quarters with deafening noise, you'd do well to skip the overly trendy Clyde Common - Food is great, but at a cost of conversation and convenience.

[MichaelG]

Saucebox seems to be exactly what you're looking for. It's right downtown. Great drinks, but it's a drive or bus ride across the river.

[Leonardo]

I don't understand. They are staying downtown. Saucebox is downtown. They are both on the same side (west) of the Willamette. No drive or bus ride needed.
That being said, I think Saucebox has gone way downhill over the years and I wouldn't recommend.

Take the streetcar to 23 Hoyt!

[nkeane]

And I am totally MEH about 23Hoyt. its like a rudderless ship.........

agree about Saucebox. go for drinks(and stick to classic drinks, some of their concoctions can be alarmingly conviluted and weird). the food forgettable.

I cant Recommend Clyde Common or Teardrop enough! awesome cocktails and really, really great food. CC is a gastropub, while Teardrop is first and foremost a cocktail lounge(which serves some amazing small plates and appetizers.)

[Leonardo]

Teardrop is awesome.

[dylinw]

Thanks for the recs everyone! I spent some time looking at these places online and they definitely all sound great. I think the front-runners are Clyde Common, Teardrop, and 23 Hoyt right now based on location and menus. Do you think all three of these places could accomodate a group of 8 in the bar? Do they take reservations? I know we don't want to make a reservation and end up sitting in the restaurant ordering a 2 - 3 course meal since we'll be doing that Saturday night elsewhere, but if they take reservations for the bar area, etc. that would be excellent.

Thanks again!

[Nettie]

I don't think you can make a reservation at CC--although they do reservations for parties of six or more, they don't do them on Friday or Saturday. You can drink at the CC bar, but I don't think you could really do food there. The bar is not separated from the tables, really, at least from the community tables on the first floor. If you're there on a busy night the bar crowd seems to spill over onto these tables, so you certainly wouldn't feel like you'd have to order a full meal there. I'll second (or third--I've lost count) the recommendations for the food!

I can't speak to Teardrop as I haven't been there. I haven't been to 23 Hoyt either, but they just had a major shakeup in the kitchen with the head chef leaving. Maybe it's OK, but maybe not, and do you want to take a chance with an important event?

[nkeane]

no reservations at Teardrop, and you can most definately do food at the bar at CC! I have had countless meals there and have never sat anywhere but the bar. If you get there at prime time it may take a while to lay claim to enough bar for all 8 people though!?

[Mallory]

Let's not forget Ten-01... personally out of all these it is my favorite

[dylinw]

That's where we're actually going for dinner on Saturday! :)

I think we're going to have CC and Teardrop on our list and just see which one we can fit into better.

Thanks everyone for the great recs!!!

[MichaelG]

My bad - I meant to write that Bar Avignon was on the other side of the river. Apologies to Leonardo and everyone else who was confused.

[2piggies]

happy hour at 23 hoyt is quite good, and when i was there i noticed that they had set up a happy hour table for about 10 people. there's a good selection of happy hour cocktails as well as a happy hour wine.

[zoogrrrl]

Our favorite bar is in SE Portland: Bar Avignon. It sounds right up your alley!