8230 SE 13th Ave
(503) 235-3571
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Okay, I've been totally charmed by the Black Cat Tavern. It's so old Sellwood! It looks like a dive from the outside, and it is a bit of one. It's smoky even in mid-afternoon, and there's this crusty, cranky aura, which seems both friendly and irritable at the same time. When we walked up to the bar, we were warned not to try the stock ale on tap. So of course, we had to ask for a taste... and it was awful. Thanks, bartender!
So, of course there's beer (Terminal Gravity IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale, Widmer Hefeweizen, Fat Tire, and Guinness, among other things). Pints are $3.50 (Guinness, natch, is more). They offer free WiFi, video games, video crack, pool, and shuffleboard(!), as well as a spacious and excellent beergarden, open noon to dusk. I mean, I wish my backyard looked this good. And, you can reserve it for your party, and/or bring your own grillables, which is great since the food there is limited to snacks.
Oh, and need to take away some beer? They're licensed to sell beer to go.
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May 9, 2006 |
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10 NW 12th (12th & W. Burnside)
(503) 227-5320
henrystavern.com
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opens 11am everyday til 11pm weekdays, 12pm weekends
When I heard about Henry's the first time, I thought, right, 100 beers on tap—how likely is that? I had all sorts of expectations that it would be suburban and sportsy and not serious. And you know, I was totally & completely wrong.
The bar has several different levels, including a lovely outdoor patio. You can watch sports on the huge flatscreen tvs, or, you can sit so you don't even know that there are giant flatscreen tvs. The volume is on mute, anways. It's a classy place, and hooligans are asked to leave immediately. Really. I saw some guys come in who were obviously already inebriated, they treated a waitress badly, and several managers went over and helped them out.
You can sit well away from the bar, but if you're serious about beer, you want to sit at the bar. They have a cool ice ring to set your beer on, and their bartenders know the beers well and serve them in appropriate glassware. (The wait staff haven't a clue).
Be sure to ask if the beer is old, and if you can have a taste. Somethings don't move so fast at Henry's.
For your friends who don't get beer: there's mixed drinks. Though I wouldn't know anything about that.
I wouldn't expect a lot from the food (this is a Pacific Coast restaurant, so solid but unexceptional chain fare), but if you order during happy hour, at least it's cheap.
filled under taverns, bars, taverns with megataps
September 26, 2006 |
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