Review: New Brew Venue
Hawthorne has a Hophouse
Posted by: John Chandler on Nov 16, 2010 at 11:00AM
13 Comments
Be advised that Hawthorne Hophouse, the new Northwest-centric beer bar on SE Hawthorne, is a kid-friendly venue. The presence of children in pubs is a thorny issue among the Portland suds set, i.e., whether or not beer-loving parents have the right to subject their fellow pub patrons to a rampage of raging rugrats. There were at least seven youngsters on the premises last night and I didn’t hear a peep out of them, so for the time being it’s not an issue (although I’m a dog owner so I’m used to ignoring unprovoked yowling). However, I did feel some subtle pressure to keep a tight rein on my use of profanity, which tends to increase in direct proportion to number of beers consumed—so there’s that.
The Hophouse is located in that tiny strip of businesses at 41st and Hawthorne, where approximately 84 Thai restaurants have opened and closed over the last five years. With the arrival of a bustling New Seasons market right across the street, the lure of freshly poured beer should exert a powerful pull on harried yuppie shoppers—especially those that have been driven to the brink of madness by the demands of unruly offspring. The space is small, antiseptically clean, and welcoming; a veritable oasis of regional repast.
The food menu is fairly “McMenamin” (burgers, fries, salads, sandwiches) in appearance but they do have a Happy Hour between 9 and midnight, with an assortment of $4 goodies like poutine, chicken satay, wasabi deviled eggs, and a chicken and cheddar sandwich. The real hook at the Hophouse is a rotating cast of two-dozen Northwest beers on tap. This includes pours from nano-breweries like Natian (their Lumberjane Stout provided a jolt of bitter coffee-roasted charm), Vertigo, and Mt Tabor Brewing in addition to more familiar names like Deschutes, Hopworks, and Ninkasi.
There’s simply no room for brand loyalty here, because kegs come and go like summer lovers. There are two excellent solutions for those looking to experience the yin and yang of available flavors. On Sundays, in addition to an all-day Happy Hour, beer-curious patrons can take advantage of $3 glasses of local-beer selections. Before anyone can work up a serious gripe about 12-ounce glasses for $3, it should be known that our teeniest, tiniest breweries typically sell their product for a little more scratch, since distribution is usually limited to kegs delivered by “some guy with a truck.”
On Monday evenings, at least for the rest of the month, six, twelve, and twenty-four glass sampler trays are half-price, which allows for some serious exploration. My friends and I ordered up a twelve (2 oz) glass flight for a measly $6.50, with each of us selecting three beers from the menu. We then passed them around, exchanging such brilliant tasting observations as, “Roasty and toasty!” and “surprisingly citrus for an IPA.” And presto! You’ll be a beer geek before you know it.
In terms of finding a comfortable niche, Hawthorne Hophouse is the right business at the right time. Upper Hawthorne (above 39th/Cesar Chavez) was a land sadly bereft of beer diversity, unlike lower Hawthorne which is awash in a variety of worthy brews. The arrival of the Hophouse has improved this situation dramtically.
Tags: Happy Hour Family Fun Bar Openings Craft Beers Southeast Ninkasi Brewing Hawthorne Hophouse
If every bar in town were kid-friendly, that would be a problem, but as long as there are still many adult safe havens, I’m OK with places like this. If they can put up with my inappropriate Cream Ale jokes, I can deal with their sippy cups.
The kid thing didn’t bother me, but then again I rarely feel any societal pressure to curtail my more inappropriate tendencies, so there’s that. And anyway, the excellent beer selection more than compensated. One thing I dug about this place (and which, in my opinion, is a near must for any establishment with pretensions towards serious beer geekdom) was the beer menu with details and descriptions of each brew. I like to be an informed consumer.
Kid-friendly bars make about as much sense to me as whisky-friendly day care centers. But I have a hard time getting all riled up about it. And if the beer is as good as it sounds, well, that really trumps all lesser considerations anyway.
Does this joint have any gluten free beers? Or, other spirit options for gluten free folks? e.g. wine, cocktails, etc.
@Question: Yes, they have cocktails and a wine list.
Yeah, I agree that kids make it hard to, well, act like adults. I’d go back if every other place along that corridor (41st to 50th) is crowded. HHH’s beer is certainly better than the selection at Angelo’s or the Space Room. But I’d still take the excellent jukeboxes/people-watching/overall vibe at those haunts over kid-friendly any day.
I heard there was going to be music?
What’s the scoop on that?
As a young father I’ve developed a work-around for this kid-in-pub problem. I’ve taught my kid the word F#*k! A bit by accident, but I’ve taught him when it’s appropriate [when he’s pounding beers with me at home] to say the F-bomb while in the pub to better fit in with kid-less 30 & 40-somethings. There! Problem solved, drink on! ;-)
Don’t even try to go here for lunch — because they’re not open. I tried to go Hawthorne Hophouse last weekend, but found out the hard way that they’re not open for lunch, not even on the weekend! So when you say have happy hour pricing all day Sunday — well, it’s not really all day, because they don’t open until 3:00 p.m. Kid-friendly but not open for lunch — how odd. They should really add their hours of operation to their website. I’m still eager to go and try the beer and food. It looks like a promising addition to upper Hawthorne.
@Lisa: Looks like mostly Saturday night live music action. No cover charge. The Pagan Jug Band played there recently. More info at http://www.hawthornehophouse.com/untitled2.html
I went last Saturday night. There was music, but it was super loud. My friends and I could barely hear each other across the table. The music was good, but the atmosphere would have been a lot more social if they’d turned it down.
I am the chef at the hawthorne Hophouse and I would love to know what the author of this article ate at our establishment that prompted them to compare us with McM’s. Our food is “leaps and bounds” better than our competition. We make EVERYTHING from scratch. We use a half pound of all natural Angus beef for our burgers. We get a delivery of fresh baked bread from Grand Central Bakery every day. And hand cut and blanch our fries. We feature a cheese IMPORTED FROM ENGLAND for god’s sakes. So I ask;WHAT DID YOU EAT!!!
@Chef: A couple things. Leah, the co-owner also emailed me on this very topic, i.e., “But what about the food?!” As I explained to her, the old economic model of the food/drink reviewer with deep pockets who visits every eatery multiple times, methodically sampling each item on the menu before writing anything, is sadly no more. It’s simply not financially feasible on my budget to do that. I live in the neighborhood, and I will be back, never fear, and I will try to be more food-focused. But after all, the name of your establishment is Hawthorne Hophouse, so the beer is always likely to get top billing from harried food writers.