Happy Hour of the Week
Red Star means “abundance”
Posted by: John Chandler on Apr 09, 2010 at 11:00AM
6 Comments
This should come as a surprise to no one, but I’m a dive bar guy. I like dark rooms, shady characters, and cheap drinks—places where my lack of manners and fashion sense pass, for the most part, unnoticed. In other words, I drink econo.
However, this does not apply to Happy Hour. When I’m unchained from my galley oar at the end of a monstrous day, driven to the brink of madness by multitasking and Kafkaesque office politics, I need comfort. Abundance. Service sans sneer. And most of all, I need the time to enjoy these amenities. Though it’s a trifle on the posh side (it’s attached to Hotel Monaco) for my moth-eaten wardrobe and mangy friends, the Red Star Tavern and Roast House provides these necessities at a fair price for four luxurious hours a night. That’s right, Happy Hour at Red Star runs from 4-8 every weekday. This in itself is no big whoop, but the superior spread of chow and bevvies makes it a crucial stop on any after-work itinerary.
For a measly $3 you can tuck into four different varieties of sliders (two on a plate). The ham and brie with green mustard on a fresh-baked roll is delicate and delicious, and the meatloaf with spicy ketchup can put a decent dent in the pre-dinner munchies. There are also four kinds of tacos (two on a plate), a pair of decent-sized salads, and nearly a dozen hors d’oeuvre options.
The rich and robust popcorn drizzled in truffle oil justifies your daily fat intake in a way that humble butter never could. The french fry nachos is comprised of french fries (duh!) covered in cheddar cheese, onions, and slow-cooked roast beef. This is a dish that should be scarfed in great haste for two reasons: your tablemates’ roaming hands will be all over them, and after 10 minutes or so, the beef gravy reduces the potatoes to a sad, soggy pile. Don’t be shy with this one!
To wash down this array of groceries, Red Star offers $3 wells, $3 wine by the glass, and a formidable selection of craft pints for (you guessed it) $3. Among the taps were regional favorites like Ten Barrel Black Ale, Hopworks Lager, and Ninkasi’s Total Domination IPA. And for the well-heeled sophisticate there are cocktail classics (martini, manhattan, cosmo, margarita, lemon drop) for $5.
Bonus: The Red Star’s high ceilings reduce crowd clatter considerably. I could actually hear and comprehend everyone at my table without reading lips.
My only beef was with Red Star’s lack of group accommodations. The regulars start showing up at 4:01, and by 5 there’s no place for your posse. Eight of us did our best to cram our behinds around a tall table for four, but it still required some of us to take turns standing from time to time. It was kind of like that Hitchcock film Lifeboat, but thankfully the stakes were considerably smaller.
Tags: Happy Hour Southwest Dining Cheap Cocktails Craft Beers
Sounds tasty! I’m with you; I’m most comfortable in a dive, but it’s nice to class it up a bit every once in a while, especially at dive-y prices. Hopefully hungry vegetarians can order those french fry nachos sans beef, because they sound DELISH!
you and your sliders. you should do a slider round-up!
Yummmmm – wish I’d been there, scruffy and all!
I’m so happy that this job of ferreting out all the good eats is actually your job. I would be fatter than the Hotel Monaco if it were my job. How do you keep your gazelle-like figure? Hat’s off to you BP.
Meat.
Thanks for the reminder Bar Pilot, I’d let this particularly pleasant venue slip my mind. Given the state of my budget I’ll have to add it back into the rotation.
@ Little Bird, I remember there being quite an array of veggie friendly choices on my last visit – from the popcorn (the truffle oil really does elevate it from snack to appetizer status), to house roasted honey cashews?, a fancy olives bowl, a couple of salad choices & (non meaty) fries. I’m not sure what their current menu is like but it may be worth a call, esp since their Lemon Drops were above average and the service was impeccable- even at Happy Hour. When was the last time you said THAT in PDX?!