Portland, Oregon Pubs, Brewpubs & Microbrews

Portland, Oregon is a city full of pubs, brewpubs and microbreweries. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it offers a few, of many, places to start for any beer lover visiting the Northwest. Instead of brewery tours, Portland has a number of friendly brewpubs where you can drink directly at the source.

McMenamins Hillsdale Pub
1505 SW Sunset Blvd, Portland, OR 97239

This was the first brewpub to open in Oregon, in 1985. Now, decades later, the McMenamins chain is familiar to any Northwesterner. The food and beer is nothing to write a ballad about, but it upholds a decent, consistent quality, and the pub is worth mentioning for its historic nature.

McMenamins also has several hotel locations around the area that are all atmospheric and have reasonable prices. The McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale, the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove, and Kennedy School in Portland are some examples of their lodging. They feature inexpensive bunks as well as fairly priced rooms, and host several bars and restaurants. A list of McMenamins hotels.

Laurelwood Brewpub
1728 NE 40th, Portland, OR, 97212
5115 NE Sandy, Portland, OR, 97213
& 2327 NW Kearney, Portland, OR, 97210

The first brewpub I ever visited in Portland -- before I was even old enough to drink beer, since the Laurelwood is also a restaurant and allows minors. The Laurelwood Public House locations are all great family pubs with homey characteristics. The 40th Ave location now serves pizza and fancier fare, while the Sandy location mixes up high quality, inexpensive pub food. As for the beer, the active brewing tuns sit proudly in a glass room in full view at the 40th Ave location, and the Tree Hugger Porter and Free Range Red both come highly recommended.

Bridgeport Brewpub
1313 NW Marshall, Portland, OR, 97209

Another historic location in microbrew history, the Bridgeport Brewpub first opened its doors in 1985 shortly after McMenamins, when the law changed to permit its existence. Bridgeport also has an Ale House at 3632 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR, 97214. My beer picks: Ropewalk amber ale and the dark, delicious Black Strap Stout.

Lucky Labrador Brewpub
915 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR, 97214

Located in an old warehouse, the Lucky Lab is a local institution. They have a patio so bar-goers can bring their dogs. They also have two other pub locations: at 7675 SW Capitol Hwy in an old masonic lodge, and 1945 NW Quimby, another reconverted warehouse. They serve their beers from several kinds of specialty taps, and what's on tap always changes.

Hawthorne Fish House & Corbett Fish House
4343 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR, 97215
& 5901 SW Corbett, Portland, OR, 97239

The Fish House restaurants, Hawthorne Fish House and Corbett Fish House, offer good old fish & chips plus fish tacos and a few other favorites. Their batter-fried fish is gluten-free -- and so are some of their beers, which makes this a landmark on any beer map of the Northwest, even though it's not a brewpub. Bard's Tale and Redbridge gluten-free beers are offered, $4 a pop, which makes this restaurant approachable to any beer lover with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. They also have a standard selection of local microbrew favorites.