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Categories: Nightlife, Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, Old TownMon. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Tue-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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My friend and I stumbled in here because she's from London and her ID got refused at the place next door. It was an interesting little place and the outside area is a great place to meet people because the bouncers will not let you hold your drink if you're standing up hahahaa. One must quickly find a table to put their drink on and thus, meet new people. It's actually a great system.
I enjoyed this place, I didn't give it 5 stars because the music (it was a shitty DJ) was terrrrrible. But i danced the night away regardless. The drinks were incredibly strong which was both good and bad. hahahah mostly good. We had a great time and there were so many different types of people there it was great. I will go again soon I hope!
My friends and I came here for dinner after a stop at Voodoo Donuts. I was really hungry at this point and open for anything.
This place is more like a bar than a restaurant. No hostess to show you to your table, which means It's first come, first serve. If you want to eat, you need to ask the bartenders for a menu and since there are no waitresses, you put your order in at the bar as well.
I got a falafel, hummus with pita bread, and a pint of Fat Tire. The falafel came with fries and for $5, I thought it was a good deal. Overall, the food itself was just okay.
This is a great place to hang out with friends during happy hour especially at the outdoor patio. If you just want to sit down and eat, go elsewhere.
I started out at the bar. It was happy hour at the time. The deals were pretty good and so was the food. I had hummus and Greek fries. I wasn't crazy about the beer selection. The bartender was kinda meh as well. The show venue part of it was pretty good, though a bit confusing to navigate at first. There was also this part where you couldn't bring your drink. WTF? It's a bar and a 21+ show. Also, whoever's idea it was to book one of the openings band needs to be fired.
PROS:
-The last time I went here, they were playing Eddie Murphy's "Party All The Time." Please and thank you.
-When Miller High Life was putting out their product in the camo-cans so that hunters could drink them whilst slaying animals, they served them here. Classy.
-Lots of space.
CONS:
-The "dance floor" is tiny, plagued with creepers, and uninspired.
-Well shots of whisky are five American dollars. Five! For wells! Inconceivable!
-Nothing about this bar makes me actually want to come here with a burning, insatiable desire.
I have to counter the overwhelming 3-star notion of this place with a solid 4-star review.
Yes, I know the bar/restaurant side is kind of a smoke filled divey bar, but the staff is friendly, the drinks are strong, and they have pool tables. $2 super-stiff well drinks don't make for a bad happy hour either. The overall smokiness keeps me away, but in about a week or two, that will no longer be an issue. :)
But my 4-star rating is really for the venue side of Berbati's. The sound is usually pretty good, the dance floor is smoke free, the drinks are stiff, and the space is intimate. These are all things I look for in a concert venue and they are all present here. I have seen numerous hip hop shows at Berbatis, as well as some other random off-color acts. Each and every show I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
There are tons of venues in PDX that have major issues in my book... too big, bad sound, smoky, etc. But I am never disappointed when I learn that a show I want to see is going to be at berbatis.
There's nothing quite like getting your swerve on to Lyrics Born (live band set) in an intimate venue with decent sound. That's good stuff.
A guy walks into a bar and says "Ow."
That joke ate at me for a while after the first I heard it. I just didn't get it, nor why everyone else was in stitches over the pain of some guy after clumsily walking into...
...ohhh wait. I see what you're doing now... haha... Yeah that's kind of lame actually.
And now that I think of it, Berbati's gets the same reaction out of me. I get that semi perplexed, not really sure if this is a venue, or a pub, or a pool hall, or a traditional bar kind of look on my face as I try to figure out how to order a drink. Is there waiter service or does one order at the bar? (I've had both.) You guys are friendly and crack jokes, but it takes a while to grab your attention... I'm super stoked that you have so much to offer, but really... it's almost too much.
That being said, it's an alright place to hit early for a simple beer. Not really recommended for prolonged periods, late at night, or during events. I can't totally knock it because it's reliable and can take a big group if you're with one... but at the same time, there's certainly other worthy stops in the area.
Maybe my new line should be:
Jenny walks into this bar and says "Eh."
What's there to say about this place? Is it fantastically the best experience of your life? No.
What it is....cheap drinks at happy hour ($2) and decent bar food. Fries dressed up with seasoning salt, olives, and feta cheese. Calamari with the same. All for a pretty decent price.
So, hold your seats because I have a great and simple word to describe the allure...
"Burp."
See I only see food here. This bar is the kind you can get some great happy hour grub, maybe goof around with your friends and get some great shots of them chowing down... but I never once made a friend here.
I really like meeting people, but here everyone was closed off in their own corners. I felt repelled!
My advice: Go with a group. Go during happy hour. Go if you want to go somewhere else afterwards (locations great, so kudos), but don't go if you are a social barfly like me!
This venue is often too large for the bands it books. You could get lost between the restaurant and the stage area. Plus, they are one of those places that opens whenever the f*&% they feel like it so you can't depend on their hours. This is hard when you're from out of town- what to do, what to do?
It's a conundrum, you don't want to stand outside and look like a raving maniac as you press your nose against the glass, but you also don't want to wander the streets of Portland in the dead of winter.
Open your doors at least 45 minutes before your shows, Berbati's!
Seeing Nada Surf was the only redeeming factor for showing up here. It's small, which can yield a certain intimacy, but when you're ultimately being suffocated by a stuffy blanket of heat, you can't help but be a little more than turned off. You sweat just thinking about it. It was horrible. It was like that before the set even started, so the place wasn't even crowded yet. I was so hot I didn't even want to move to the bar to get something to drink. It was that bad.
All it yielded for me was the desire to get out of there and into the shower. The saving grace was someone taking pity on us and opening one of the emergency exits. You could tell the instant it was shut again though. You might as well have closed off my source of oxygen.
Everything else was decent, but in the future, unless I really really REALLY need to see the band in question. I think I'm going to pass.
Venue Review:
Well what a pleasant surprise. The venue space is truly the yin to the bar sides CRAPPY yang. Too bad the venue isn't that great either. It could be rad, easily. Wanna know how? AIR CONDITIONING. Heat stroke is eminent in this place. From time to time the side doors are opened and a huge fan that you'd likely see cooling down a warehouse environment is used to pump in some new and cooler air. This suffices for awhile... until they close the doors again to keep passers by from viewing the show for free through the opening. Ticket sales are important and all but damn. I'm sure the entire audience would pool some money together for the exterior spectators in exchange for the doors to remain open. Sweat shouldn't pour off you while standing totally still with a drink in your hand.
Other than that, the sound isn't bad but it's nothing to write home about and the drink pours fall in line with how they are on the bar side. Light.
"I used to enjoy this place but I've gotten really burnt out on it" - Chuck S.
I liked this bar in…
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Solid happy hour. Extensive menu that's a dollar off their already affordable prices. The lamb gyro at $3.00 USD is so affordable, it'd seem like getting two lap dances for the price of one. Very tasty and filling; it doesn't seem like HH fare. Add french fries for a dollar more and you've got a super happy, orgasmic meal. Well drinks at $2.00 USD a pop is hard to beat that it's actually cheaper to drink the hard stuff than hitting the pints. Put it this way, I had a full stomach plus six adult beverages for under $20.00 USD. Plus free pool on Sundays, which totally helps if you suck at it. And now that it's smoke-free, it's like a new dive bar for you to discover.
The concert I saw there kicked butt, however it was incredibly hard to dance when my feet were stuck to the floor. They get a star for a decent selection of beer on tap (namely, Newcastle, a big fav of mine). The place gives that creepy basement feel without actually being in one! Also I had to say that it made me feel dangerous that the place was so dirty I felt I could get tetanus and an STD just by breathing.
All joking aside, they get two more stars for being a fantastic, cozy, dark place to rock. I wouldn't go there to chill, but a concert there is pretty cool.
Berbati's has always been a bar where I felt I could be myself and not try to impress anyone. The bartenders are friendly and makes some really great strong drinks. I do get the dirty look when I do not make a regular visit. The food is not bad, the hummus is delicious with fresh and hot pita bread. The fettucini alfredo can be a hit and miss depending on who is making it. Happy hour did have that excellent $2 beer and well drinks, but recently raised it to $3. All food items are $1 off too. Free pool during happy is a plus to spend time with friends and brush off those tricky shots. It is best to come with friends, it can be hard to get a table during the weekend nightlife but somehow I do get lucky too. The music is great and no cover too unlike some other clubs that charge a fee during late night on the weekends.
I drove down to Portland from Seattle with a friend to see GZA perform at Berbati's. We arrived in town early enough to walk over and have some dinner before the show. This is a smoking bar (something non-existent in Seattle now) so expect to leave smelling like an ashtray. The bar is large and the art is forgettable. They have a few pool tables and some pinball machine in the back. There was a lot of open space for large crowds to loiter in.
We grabbed some menus and were skeptical about the Greek selections. I opted for the calamari and my friend got chicken skewers with a salad. We ordered at the bar instead of waiting on someone to come to us and the food was delivered swiftly. I will say that Berbati's has the BEST calamari I've EVER had. I basically licked the plate clean and was grunting in satisfaction with each bite. My friend's chicken and salad were perfect. Big fat fresh veggies and juicy grilled chicken. Both were served with a generous amount of tzatziki.
We started with some beers. Fat Tire is Fat Tire. We moved on to Long Islands that were so strong it made us drink slowly. We were both bombed after two.
The venue section is very roomy and is dirty looking. It was very dark and my shoes definitely stuck to the floor. We had no problem getting a decent spot to view the show and I never felt too hot even though the place was packed. Good sound too.
If I lived in Portland I would go back for shows and happy hour. It's not a total dive... but definitely on the brink. Next time I'm in Portland I'll stop in for more of that delicious calamari!
They raised their prices to $3 for wells/beers during happy hour.
Happy Hour is the phrase of the tease. It makes us poor twentysomethings feel like we can go out,… Read more »
Berbati's is a small step above a dive bar, with better food (try the kalamari, it's actually really good!), better music, and decent drinks. I rather liken it to the Marathon, in some ways.
Sometimes they have a DJ spinning in the front room, so you can hear the music on the patio on sunny days. I highly recommend sitting on the patio for happy hour, it's great! The happy hour menu has many choices and, although I've only tried a few items, they were tasty snacks.
The mixed drinks are usually weak, but not too bad. They even serve mojitos, which is cool. It's also conveniently located to grab noodles at Shanghai next door or run over to VooDoo for a donut after way too many cocktails.
It can get crazy crowded on weekend nights (duh), so I go then if you want to flirt and, likely, if you're in your early 20's. Otherwise, go on a weeknight for happy hour (say, 4-5pm). The service is friendly and usually fast, but obviously, when it's packed, it can slow significantly and you may find yourself waiting at the bar for an eternity. Even when it's not busy, though, don't expect to get waited on right away. Just go to the bar yourself. On the other hand, I find that my food orders come out promptly.
Overall, I enjoy it most of the time and I make it a regular spot to cruise through when I'm hanging out downtown.
I don't really enjoy hanging out anywhere in this area, but I spent NYE 2008 at Berbati's. They threw a Michael Jackson vs. Prince battle. That was cool. I remember being obsessed with the Prince impersonator's guitar and grabbing its neck at on point (the guitar's, not the wannabe's). What sucked is that they only provided one tray of champagne, in clear party cups. Luckily, I got one.
That was on the venue side. On the bar side, it's just a dirty, spacious bar with weird art on the walls. They serve greek food here? Seriously???
HOT AS BOLZ in here. I guess you have to split it up into two sections when evaluating Berbati's. That being true, I give it 3 on both sides...the concert venue and the restaurant/bar.
Concert Venue - I bounced around a bit towards the end of the show I saw last night. I can honestly say, there really isn't a bad place to stand...you can see the stage pretty good from damn near anywhere. Points. To mirror some of my Yelp counterparts' sentiments...yes...again...IT'S HOT AS BOLZ IN HERE. Not as bad as Holocene. Perhaps a little worse than Roseland during a sold-out show. Wonder or Crystal Ballroom are practically freezers by comparison. They did have some huge fans blowing though...I've been through worse and I wouldn't trade the stuffiness for say...an outdoor concert in the Gorge during August. The staff was cool. No nutgrabbin' security *cough...Roseland...cough cough*. Entry was quick and efficient. Leaving was damn near as easy. Sound was decent albeit far from spectacular. I won't cringe the next time I get tickets to see a band at Berbati's....on the other hand, I'll be far from psyched.
Restaurant/Bar - A highly mediocre experience. Service ranges from painfully indifferent to "I'll be there when I feel like it...for real relax man". Yet...never overtly rude. Strange. When you finally do get some service, they are always pretty cool. I've had a couple Makers here before...and indeed...the pours are nothing to write home about. Not as bad as a shitty mini-lounge at an HGI either though. Beer selection is minimal but decent. I had the calamari once...decent but not exactly destination-calamari. Like everything else...it's pretty average. Good enough.
Good enough. That's Berbati's in a nutshell. Too bad really. I think it could be so much more.
Oh yeah...I know this won't be relevant for much longer, but the venue side is non-smoking...puff away in the bar....until '09 at least.
I was surprised by the low stars for Berbati's.
After bar hopping with the girls last night for my birthday, this was the last stop and we finally got to go crazy and have fun. Interesting music selection, but everyone was dancing, which is more than I can say for most of the other places we went that night. I only had water, so can't say much about the quality, but we were served really fast. It kind of got a little meat-market-ish after a while, but stick with the group you came with and look for the less creepy guys and have fun.
I can see how this place would get old after awhile, and it definitely draws a younger crowd. Almost, almost reminded me of McFadden's, but for some reason I could tolerate it here much better.
I mean, it's Berbati's you know?
Hasn't been the same since Chantelle stopped booking there.
Or since two of my best friends stopped working there.
And it has nothing...er...it has ALMOST nothing to do with the free drinks.
Berbati's is SUPER old school and it's a family-run business that will totally sacrifice good service and employees for giving their 21-year-old slacker nephew (or what have you) a job.
eh.
I actually really like the venue. It's fairly intimate, but holds a lot of people. Home to some of my favorite shows I've seen in Portland. But now they book lame bands (well, sorry!).
Infamous for overpriced, underpoured (is that a term?) drinks, the bar side is not really so hot either. They DO have a pretty good happy hour, the Feta dip is super delicious, but the patrons are yucksville on the weekend. Unless you like to get hit on by dorkyass out-of-towners.
So far, this is my favorite venue in Portland. It's in kind of a slightly sketchy area. It's kind of dank. It's kind of skeaezy. Who could ask for anything more from a music venue? The sound is so much better than Crystal. The little platform in the back-left corner provides a nice view of the stage. The venue is intimate and lovely. Deal with heat people, it's a small price to pay. Extra points for being next door to Voodoo.
I used to really enjoy this place, but I've gotten really burnt out on it. To me, it seems like a "poor man's" club scene on a Friday or Saturday night. It's like I'm surrounded by a bunch of broke-ass wannabe ballers.
The drinks are so-so, they're not too strong but they cost a little bit more than I'm really stoked on paying.
I like the vibe I get when I walk in. Good lighting, the artwork on the wall is kinda interesting, the pool table section is cool, but my buzz gets killed being around a bunch of stuck up people who, in all reality, shouldn't really be stuck up.
You'll probably catch me at the Pan a few more times in the future, with a frown on my face, and my concentration on text messaging somebody to try and find somewhere else to go.
Worst service in downtown.
With that said, it has a large, mixed crowd that is always a good time. It has some really good live acts. It also has some really crapy hipster acts. Berbati's is truly a roll of the dice.
After dinner we headed over to Berbati's Pan. We obviously did not eat. We were there to see a regaee band called Groundation. The band was really good and the drinks were really stiff. There was a lot of room to dance in the main room and was filled with young hot women! I was shocked to find out that it opened up to another huge bar with pool tables. This place is enormous. We really didn't stay that long because we were off to a burning man party in a warehouse under the freemont bridge. Which was basically off the charts krazy. My legs are sore from dancing since I've gotten home to Oakland.
I came here on a saturday night after 10:30 for my brother's 25th birthday. I had a lot of fun. A mixed crowd ranging from hipsters, preppies, old people, hippies, dbags, you name it, they were there. It didn't feel like a meat market at all. It's a small space and can get cramped so watch out for people bumping into you and spilled drinks galore. I witnessed this while being thankful I wore my knee high boots. Another thing I witnessed, ordering up a drink takes freakin forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Half of the people are just leaning up or posing against the bar- not actually needing drinks cuz they planted themselves there the entire night. So half the time my friends were there, was spent waiting for a drink. I cannot speak for the prices because luckily my drinks were bought for me left and right that night. (From people I know, not strangers) The music played sucked ass.. they played 70s and 80s all night with Fergilicous randomly played in between the decades. My mommy woulda loved that since they played Xenadu.. I know it cuz my mom loves Olivia Newton John. Another fun thing is witnessing the horrid dancing on the teeny tiny "dance floor" by white people. It was pretty awesome. Other than sucky music, and slooooooooooooow bar service (there were 3 bartenders that night) I still enjoyed myself. Maybe it's the company I keep? Eh, I wouldn't cringe so much if I was brought here again.
The restaurant side of Berbati's Pan offers one of the best happy hour's (4-7 m-f) in Portland with $2 pints and $3 gyros, hummus, and tatziki dip (amongst other menu items). They also have more complete Greek dinners for really great prices. The venue side of Berbati's is one of the few non-smoking clubs in Portland, and I love them for it! Many national and local acts have played this stage, and the sound is always great. The capacity of the room is quite large, so you usually have a pretty good shot at getting in any big show last minute.
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