Happy Hour of the Week
Warming up to the Bonfire
Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 18, 2011 at 01:00PM
8 Comments
Yes, I am listening. When I ask friends, family, and weirdos I meet on the bus about Happy Hour, I take note of their responses—and I’m always asking. Seriously, I was considering "Where do you go? and “What do you like about it?” as facial tattoos in order to save time. It is because of my manic insistence on due diligence that I approached the Bonfire Lounge on SE Stark St with mixed feelings. It’s definitely a popular spot—but not for everybody, apparently. “Oh, it’s full of insufferable hipsters,” was the litany that was repeated to me with the frequency of a Buddhist serenity chant.
The Bonfire Lounge is a hipster haven. This is not a matter of opinion. During my initial visit I couldn’t help noticing that all six of the other customers were at least 20 years my junior and I was the only one present without a bike messenger bag. Not only that, but one of the chaps at the bar was reciting dialogue from the debut episode of Portlandia, a new TV show about—what else?—the quirky nature of Portland bohemian culture. Is it just me or is it getting awfully meta in here?
Even so, I didn’t feel conspicuous or out of place, and the bartender/waitress was both sunny and swift. Besides, Happy Hour there is a whopping five hours long from 2-7 daily, with food and drink options aplenty. And anyone feeling alienated by the current face of youth culture would do well to spread out a little, since there are four distinct areas for your lollygagging pleasure. The picnic tables out front are usually occupied by animated small groups and loners with dogs or bike helmets. The bar area is for the FOTB (friends of the bartender) crowd, where conversation topics include current events (who hooked up with who) sports (what they did after hooking up), and the whether (whether or not they’re still at it). There’s also a slender dining nook and a game room with pool tables and a few video games. The tomato-soup walls keep the interior suitably dim, and the black-and-white checkered tile gives one the impression of being a sentient chess piece on the way to the restroom (especially after a few pints).
The Happy Hour items aren’t especially brilliant or innovative, but a hungry fellow can do quite well here for under $5. The menu features a pair of zesty chicken verde tacos (jerked pork and ahi tuna versions also available for a little extra coin), hummus and pita, chicken or cheese quesadilla, gyros, and a perfectly serivceable hamburger for $3.50 apiece. The latter was reasonably sized and quite tasty (neither a slider nor a behemoth) in its own humble bar burger fashion. When I asked the waitress where the meat was sourced, she looked amused. “It’s just basic beef,” she explained, as if I was the winner of the World’s Biggest Schmuck competition.
Beer is a buck off during Happy Hour which means $3 pints of local libations such as Alameda Wheat or Hopworks DOA strong ale, along with Trumer Pils, Terminal Gravity IPA, and Red Seal Ale. For more proletarian tastes, pints of Miller High Life are a mere $1.50. So for $5 you can have a burger and a pint. When the good Lord created lunch, this is what he had in mind. And if you’re in the mood for a stronger spirit, there’s usually a featured brand for a dollar off, in this case, it was Basil Hayden’s bourbon, always a good call. I selected a Hoté Maté ($7) from the hot drink menu and was rewarded with a potent pick-me-up (yerba maté tea serves as the basis for this cocktail) that sports a shot of house-infused cinnamon and vanilla rum. All good except the vanilla. Taste-wise, it just didn’t belong in such heady company.
If you’re really and truly freaked out about bending an elbow with the young ‘uns you can, of course, seek your pleasures elsewhere. But as a well-intentioned geezer myself, I tell you this: I will be back. The duration of the Happy Hour is generous and $3 pints are a big fat bargain. Besides, it’s imperative in these uncertain times to keep the cross-generational lines of communication open. How else are we supposed to learn anything? Get over yourself and get over to Bonfire Lounge.
Tags: Happy Hour Craft Beers Cheap Eats Bonfire Lounge Portlandia
I’ve been raving about this place for years because I didn’t want it to close. Now that they’re solid I don’t tell anyone! I sent a couple of 60 year olds there several weeks ago and they raved. Very good pasta, burgers and salads for a reasonable price.
How lame that you brandish the hipster label. While the demographic may skew a little younger, the mere presence of youth and messenger bags do not a hipster make. Bonfire is a comfortable, reliable, and wholly unpretentious neighborhood Portland bar.
I’ve always thought this place looked cool from the outside. And I think they have bands, right? Anyway, great tip: It’s close to at least two bus lines and on the way home for a whole lot of people without many other options.
I love, love, love Bonfire. It’s the wife’s and my neighborhood spot, owing largely to its proximity and great selection of vegetarian options. And while it is true that the crowd skews a bit hipster, I’ve never caught a whiff of attitude here from anyone, server or patron, and my wife and I are as non-hipster dorky as they come. My only complaint is sometimes the lighting inside feels a little too dark. Our preference during non-winter months is always to grab a table out front, but if you get there much after 5:30-6:00ish, availability will be hit-or-miss. Oh, and Ringworm, no live music at Bonfire that I know of. But they always play killer music over the PA.
@Mike: I agree with everything you said. It is indeed a comfortable, reliable, and wholly unpretentious neighborhood bar. It’s also full of hipsters. I’m happy to entertain alternate terms. Twentysomethings? Bohemians? Creative class? Hipsters resonates, but that doesn’t mean we have to like it. I encourage more discussion on this matter.
Dorky is the new hip. xoxo
vive le hipster if that’s what helped them get their footing. so glad they’re open for lunch now.
hey john!
its dan (the old photo intern). Im glad you finally got to Bonfire! I love this bar and not just because it is 4 blocks from my house. go back and check out the Spicy Ruben sandwich. it’s amazing!