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Breakside Brewery
Categories: Restaurants Gastropubs Food Breweries Gastropubs, Breweries [Edit]
820 NE Dekum StPortland, OR 97211
Neighborhoods: Northeast Portland, Woodlawn
(503) 719-6475
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 3 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
121 reviews for Breakside Brewery
Review Highlights
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"I had the pork belly sandwich which was very nice." In 9 reviews -
"The SWEET POTATO WAFFLE FRIES are a yes yes yes." In 4 reviews -
"Kids had some chicken strips and mac & cheese." In 10 reviews
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121 reviews in English
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Review from Alissa K.
5/18/2012
I spent a nice sunny afternoon here. Breakside is a really chill place. The servers were all really nice and helpful, the outside table space was relatively plentiful, and the hoppy amber was better than most of the IPAs I've had lately around town.
The food was expensive for what it was, but they have a carnivore mac n cheese. I'd go for that alone! -
Review from Brian R.
5/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
They do a good burger and waffle fries; mostly what I come here for. Some unique beers too.
Neat looking place, outside seating on warm days. Staff has been cool the times I've been here; it does get crowded and sometimes, seem to get turned around.
Many places to lock a bike and on a bike path.
Regarding the waffle fries: I've gotten a big, beautiful whole waffle fries and some what-cha-ma-call-ems, (which tells me they use the whole potato, end pieces may not cut and fry as pretty, but still end up on the plate if within reason). I'm not fussy about this but I can see some, who expect whole waffle fries and get bits, getting annoyed. Breakside, if your reading this, cut the end off the potatoes and make some cheap doggie bag, eat and run, side out of em'.
All in all, I do like this place. -
Review from Chad S.
Portland, OR
5/2/2012
Man, I so wanted this place to be my go-to brewery, a shining example of how there can be a brewpub with both good beer and edible food in Portland. My first visit in February was great, the beers I tried on the sampler had more than one standout. Particularly recommend the Aztec and the Black ale offered a few months ago.
Return trip was a whole bunch of fail. .Why is it so hard to get some decent brewpub food in this town? My bar is just not that high, give me a balanced beer and a juicy burger and I'm singing your praises. Service was tag team, i frankly had no idea who our server was and I don't think they knew either. By number of staff I could not tell if they were understaffed or just inefficient, but it was pretty C- service, even grading on the hipster curve.
Food, I am really disappointed about. It took 30 minutes to get a couple of pretzels (burned) and a well-down burger that was ordered mid rare.
The beer selection was fine, but come on. Step up the game on the service and food or your crowds will only last until the next flash in the pan comes along. -
Review from Frank L.
4/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
What brought me into Breakside was their offering at the Portland's Cheers to Belgian Beers Festival: Heet Blond. Sadly, they didn't have any of that delicious stuff on tap, but they had plenty more to offer. This place is only a couple of miles from my house. Why haven't I been in before?
I would give these folks five stars just for the beer. I love a good craft brew and the brewers at Breakside clearly have it down. I had the Aztec, the Hoppy Amber and my lady, who prefers lighter beers, got the "A Good Problem to Have".
The Aztec was wonderful. Brewed with cocoa and serrano and habanero chiles, it has a nice, spicy bite--but not so much that it gets in the way of the flavor of the beer. The Hoppy Amber is a tasty Northwest ale that is excellent in every way. I could knock back quite a few pints of the stuff. My wife enjoyed her pint of A Good Problem to Have. She finished it, which is a big indicator right there. It's a light, golden ale and, although not really my style, I certainly wouldn't turn one down.
The food was great, too. I would say a definite notch above your typical pub grub. Our only problem? We got WAY too much of it. Seriously, these are NOT the tapas style servings you find at a lot of places nowadays. My Reuben was huge and came with a mountain of waffle fries. I highly recommend ordering one plate and sharing, unless you are ravenous.
I really, really like this place and I LOVE the beer. I'll definitely by back often. I see several other reviews complaining about the service. That wasn't our experience. The waitress and the brewtender were both very friendly and appropriately attentive.Listed in: Good Beer Here - Portand…
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Review from Brian D.
4/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Breakside is a splendid place to spend a sunny afternoon. This brewpub has a nice neighborhood bar feel to it. Very warm and welcoming. There's lot of outdoor patio seating, if that's your thing, as well as two different levels of seating inside. They have one of those garage door walls that opens up on nice days. Very cool. We sat upstairs and enjoyed a nice breeze.
The beers here are all quite interesting and excellent. The most interesting and excellent was perhaps the Aztec, a 10% strong ale made with chilies and cocoa. It is spicy. They also make a lovely dry stout and, when we were there, had a golden ale on made with ginger and kaffir lime. In short, there is some fun and creative brewing going on at Breakside.
We didn't eat a full meal here, but did order to hummus and vegetable place. At the risk of exaggeration, this was one of the best things I have ever put in my face. The platter features two kinds of hummus, marinated olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and fresh pita bread. A-mazing.
Alas, I only wish that this were MY neighborhood bar. -
Review from Jenna P.
Portland, OR
5/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is one of my favorite breweries in Portland, and that says a lot considering how many there are. The food was great and the atmosphere is chill. Great atmosphere. The only reason as why there isn't five stars is that the wait staff can be a little pokey at times.
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Review from Robin S.
Vancouver, WA
5/25/2012
We first experienced this Brewery while on the Brewvana brewery tour bus. Stopped here for lunch. I am so glad we did! This is a fantastic place all around. Great open atmosphere with some tables outside, friendly staff and fabulous chef's! Not to mention some really great beers, especially the IPA, my favorite and goes very well with the BEST MAC AND CHEESE EVER....the Carnivore Mac and Cheese is a must try! Yes, it's filling, but worth every bite! Well done! We have since added the Breakside to our regulars list and have visited often. Highly recommend!
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Review from Marcos J.
Portland, OR
4/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Damn it! I really liked this place. I really did. I thought the IPA was fucken delicious. The Pork Belly sandwich was good even though I threw it up. The fries were crap! The misses detested this place and after thinking about our experience I see why! The service was crap.
Actually it was nonexistent. They were impersonal. They were lethargic and rarely checked on us. As everyone else has mentioned, if you sit upstairs be ready to be ignored. I didnt initially notice the lack of service and its a pet peeve of mine but I was too busy singing with Elton (John) to notice. I was buzzing so didnt care. Upon recalling the experience though I remember why I barely left a tip. The waitress was barely there. She didnt even say hi or explain the menu. When asked what beers they had on tap she said read the chalk board. I was like WTF? Oh well, been there done that, wont be coming back. Goodbye Breakside and your delicious IPA. -
Review from Jim E.
Spring, TX
5/17/2012
Great beer selection and the cuban sandwich was delicious. Close to my hotel. Cool mix of local crowds. Staff was very knowledgeable about beer selections.
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Review from Rosetta S.
Vancouver, WA
4/7/2012
I love their beer! I had the Aztec, amazing complex flavors, with a sharp finish. Others at my table had the Dry Stout, and the Bourbon BBL Tripel. Everyone loved their beers! We had the waffle fries, pretty plain, but good. And I shared the Mac & Cheese with veggies. It was nice and cheesy, but not amazing. The service took forever, and was sparse, but super friendly. I think they could do with another server or two. Despite the service the beer is soooo good!!!
I'll be back for the beer. -
Review from Erin T.
Westminster, CO
5/22/2012
So sad the French Dip is no longer a regular on the menu. It was the best french dip I had ever had when we had last visited. This trip it was the Cubano and Mac and Cheese. The Mac n Cheese was excellent. The beer was just okay this time but I might have been channeling my sadness over the french dip. The service was the least hospitable that I have ever had in Portland.
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Review from Ron G.
Placerville, CA
5/11/2012
I like this place! They always seem to have interesting brews which rise above the rest. However, with that said, I have also experienced empty taps here, but that was a while back. Appetizers are good, and service (at the bar at least) is good as well. Will definitely return to this one.
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Review from Betsy S.
Portland, OR
3/21/2012
I don't do a lot of 5 star reviews. Last night's dinner at Breakside was definitely a 5 star experience, at least as far as burger/pub joints go. The place was packed at 5:30 on a Tuesday, giving testament to the popularity. We were lucky to be seated within about 10 minutes.
Service was ok, but not very warm or friendly. It was the low point of the dining experience.
We ordered the jalepeno poppers, which were NOT your average deep-fried cream cheese-stuffed tidbits. These were packed with chorizo and topped with melty bubbly cheese. They were DELICIOUS!
I got the signature Breakside Burger. It really is the "Cadillac of burgers". I seriously have not had a better burger ANYWHERE. It was so good, it was like having dinner and dessert at the same time!
Their signature waffle fries did not strike my fancy, but they were ok. Maybe with the blue cheese they'd be better, but I wasn't sure I wanted a blue waffle that night.
Everyone else in our party enjoyed their food as well.
We will definitely go back! -
Review from Pete H.
2/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
I can walk to Breakside in 5 minutes from my house, so why did it take me so long to try this place out? It's terrific!
INCREDIBLE BURGERS.
Saturday night, we braved the rain and wind to hoof it over here. Even though it was Saturday rush, we only had to wait a few minutes for a table. It was really nice we got a table with a full view of the semi open kitchen, because I could check out all the dishes as they went by. I WILL be getting the nachos next time, BTW. They look incredible and many many people were ordering these. Two different kinds are available.
However, this night was about the burgers for us. We ordered a sampler beer tray for starters. Which was 6 nicely sized mini glasses of our choice. The waitress helped us with ideas and choices and we ended up with a very nice sampling.
Then girlfriend ordered the Breakside Burger (which, by the way, truly IS the "Cadillac of burgers") and I had the Blackened Chicken Burger.
Let me start with the Breakside Burger. Although the girlfriend ordered this, I swear I probably ate most of it. I can happily say this is among the top 3 things I've had in my mouth this year. The inside has blue cheese built in, along with mushrooms and onions. My mouth is watering just thinking about it again.
This could be a new favorite for me.
But what I ordered, the Blackened Chicken Burger, was great, too. I love "Blackened" anything, and will usually order something blackened when I see it available on a menu. Which unfortunately is not often enough for me. This burger had bacon and avocado and spicy jack cheese on it and was just a taste explosion. Had a great spicy kick to it. I would definitely order this again, too.
Their fries were really excellent waffle cut style.
Very friendly staff.
I look forward to returning to this brewery as soon as possible.
*They also have nice outside tables for when the weather is nice. -
Review from Misty S.
1/23/2012 3 photos
Beer = Awesome. They have a selection of their own as well as other local beers. I prefer to drink the beer of the brewery I'm at, but that's just a personal preference. Your choices from Breakside were several all year brews with a few special/seasonal options. You're sure to find something that will appeal to you. I was very impressed with our selection of special/seasonal beers we tried Friday night.
On Friday evening, they were busy but we were able to get a table right away and the service was attentive. The food. Oh the food. I love food... but I don't think the cook was on his/her (A) game that night. We ordered the calamari for an appetizer. The seasoning and sauces were great, but it just wasn't cooked properly. Most of the pieces were clumped together, which I think is really just an issue of technique.
My husband raved about the burgers from a previous visit and told me they were perfectly cooked at medium rare (The menu says it's cooked medium rare). I ordered the Breakside Burger which sounded amazing. The waitress even asked me if it was ok if the burger was medium rare... I said yes. My burger came out well done. Juicy but well done. So sad. What's the point of having a Kobe beef burger if it's well done :( ?
I got a side of soup, just to try it out. It was a chicken curry. Odd combo, I know, but I just had to try it. I'm glad I did. I was pretty yummy.
My husband's Carne Esada was good. Everything looked pretty fresh and he seemed to enjoy it.
Overall - We had calamari, burgers, carne esada, and chicken curry soup. I think it's safe to say, they have an eclectic menu. Very tasty but might have some issues with cooking technique consistency. However, since it's a "brewery" the most important part of my review is my opinion of their beer, and the beer ROCKED MY FACE OFF. I will be going back.Listed in: Beer
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Review from David K.
The brewer guided a group down to brewery, which is in the basement under the restaurant. It was really small - this is basically a cellar brewer.
Like - local dudes who like beer making bunch of brews and experimenting.
Could be better - my impression was that it's "old" and not edgy like some of the cooler brew houses in the area. Stepping inside and looking around the furnishings and layout, I had more of the feeling that I was at Applebees than in a cool brew house.
Outside seating is street-side and limited. -
Review from J L.
Portland, OR
Updated - 4/22/2012
I have been here 3 or 4 times and every time I love the food and beer. The atmosphere and neighborhood are great too on nice days. My go to item is the blackened chicken sandwich. They have interesting beers too, such as the pineapple-chile belgain golden ale they just submitted for the belgain beer fest. Service can be lacking sometimes.
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Review from Jason B.
Lebanon, OR
3/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had much higher expectations for the Breakside, based on all of the good words I had heard. The beers were OK, but the service was very spotty. We sat in the upper level, and it was as if you literally had to flag a server down to get a refill. On the plus side, they're getting a 3rd star for their fantastic beer glasses! Smooth, solid, and heavy, all at the same time! I must get some of those glasses for myself!
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Review from Michael M.
Portland, OR
1/20/2012
One of the better Breweries in PDX.
Unique & creative brews.
Its great to go to a Brewery and drink a beer that you have never tasted anything remotly close to it anywhere else. I always welcome new experiences.
My Faves Stout is solid, Hoppy Amber is a crowd pleaser. The Beach Saision summer time (2011) was amazing.
Appetizer portions are huge on some dishes. I was amazed to see how many Mussels came out. Nachos are pretty big too. Wings are tasty. Deep fried Pickles were a hit as well.
Its all about the waffle fry here folks. Get them! Especially the sweet potato ones they are exceptional
Breakside Burger Add bacon Med-rare is one fine tasting burger!!!
Lovely Pork Belly Sandwich is awesome
Lambwich is very good.
Spicy Grilled Cheese is very tasty.
Kitchen can get backed up when there is a crowd (I heard its small)
If you want to open your horizions to uncommon styles of Beer and have some great food. Check Breakside out. -
Review from Chris M.
3/19/2012 3 Check-ins Here
The food is awesomely adequate bar food. However, the layout is rad and the beer selection is first class. I really want to check this spot in the summer when the open the windows and I can get daytime drunk with a nice summer breeze.
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Review from Jennifer M.
Berkeley, CA
3/26/2012
+ 1 for decent food, + 1 for well priced happy hour deals.
0 for overall service/atmosphere.
The bar is set up so that the location of the last two bar stools (or first two, depending upon how you look at it) on the far left is also the area where the bartenders / waiters & waitresses gather to relay orders, pick up food to deliver to tables, and stand around and chat. I understand they need a place to do all of those things, but maybe don't have it so that a customer is able to sit right there - I felt like I was in the way, and you'd think the staff would be more cognizant of how they talked/acted knowing that customers were within earshot and sitting less than a foot away from them. But no, we learned all about their grocery shopping trip, their favorite cereal, and even got to see them eat cereal directly out of the box with their hands. I used to work in the service industry so I understand that it's hard to be "on" all of the time - but if you want a space where you can just chat and shoot the breeze with co-workers, don't put bar stools in that area so that you don't make customers feel awkward and uncomfortable.
Also, a bartender, on her way in to start her shift, put her bag down on my then empty seat next to my boyfriend while I was in the bathroom, which is totally fine, but when I came out of the bathroom, she was standing there with her stuff on my seat, and my boyfriend very politely said that I was sitting there (my boyfriend is a very nice, non-intimidating guy, and would never ever be rude to a stranger, especially not wait staff), and her response was "I was just putting down my bag" and then walked away. Rude! Not an "oh sorry" or "sure no problem, i'll get out of your way!" but a defensive "I was just putting down my bag...." Her tone was extremely rude. Well, that made us both feel super awkward, so we couldn't really enjoy ourselves for the rest of our time there. We ended up leaving before I could finish my mediocre beer because the atmosphere just wasn't doing it for us. This was a huge disappointment, as I had high expectations after reading all of the positive Yelp reviews.
I would like to reiterate that the entire visit wasn't all bad - like I said above, the food was fine, and the happy hour specials are well priced. Also, the first bartender who helped us (a guy, but we didn't get his name) was very nice and helpful. The pros, however, failed to outweigh the cons, which is why I can't bump this review up to 3 stars. -
Review from Corrie H.
Portland, OR
3/24/2012
I love Breakside so much that it almost pains me to write a review. I don't want to share. I want it to be mine, all mine. We were there opening week, and ever since then, it feels like our own personal paradise.
First of all, the beer is amazing. Breakside specializes in rare and delicious forms of beer. Even before their own beers were on tap, they had a carefully curated list of guest taps that never failed to please. Now, you can get their own beers, which are, without exception, delicious. Every so often, they open something truly special and amazing. A double Aztec? Don't mind if I do. A fabulous witbier? Why, sure!
The food is great, too. We think they have one of the best mac 'n' cheeses in the city, and we have to admit that we are pretty snobby on the mac 'n' cheese front. Happy hour passes in a delicious haze of Bavarian pretzels and mini nachos (well, they're called that, but they're kinda huge). And this was the first (and, alas, last) place we ever had bacon chocolate cake. Oh.... bacon chocolate cake. We still dream about you.
So, there's our secret. Enjoy it. -
Review from Annette D.
Olympia, WA
4/2/2012
Best food I have ever had at a brewpub. The Breakside burger is outstanding as is the curry fried chicken. Great atmosphere, great location and great food. I plan to eventually try everything on the menu!
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Review from Leon A.
Portland, OR
12/14/2011
Perhaps I will have to give them a break, it was Friday evening and I was part of a large-ish party (14 people) so maybe I did not get them at their finest moment. But my personal experience of Breakside: nothing to write home about.
The space is beautiful. Somewhere between a barn and a 1987 cover page from architecture digest lies the design intent of Breakside, an open split level wood and dark steel environment is warm and comforting yet quite modern.
The front of house/floor service was sparse, scattered, and inconsistent. I received misinformation about if my party was there and when it came time to order food, get another beer, and pay my check, our server was nowhere to be found.
The food was pretty good, even partially breaking through my cold-war-esque wall that had been erected by my service soured pallet. The Happy hour mussels were copious, warm, and delicious, paired with the waffle fries, Hot-damn I wish you weren't so far away. Unfortunately the dish I was looking forward to... the "The Lambwich" (insert drums, smoke, laser lights, palm fronds, and doves) was just alright. Well cooked? yes. Fresh soft bun? yes. But here's my deal (with most restaurant burgers), either put the lettuce and tomato on my burger or leave it off the plate... you succeeded in put the other toppings on why relegate the veggies to some version of culinary time out to weep all over my, what were once crispy and majestic, fries.
Oh and the beer... really good. Nice combination of house brews and local finds that can please almost every level of beer drinker. That's what pulled Breakside back up to three stars. -
Review from Rani S.
Portland, OR
3/31/2012
Breakside brewery is awesome. We found this brewery during the most recent Zwicklefest. We were really impressed with the knowledge and obvious passion of the owner and brewmaster during the tour they gave. The beer was really good too!
The service was nothing short of excellent, the food was really good and the atmosphere was great. My husband and I went on a Friday night about 7 and only had to wait a few minutes for a table. While waiting we each got a beer at the bar. I had the East Coast Pale Ale and my husband had the Bourbon BBL Tripel. Both were very good. Looking around, the attention to detail that the owner put into the restaurant was evident so we knew the food would be good.
We ordered the soup of the day (some Italian medley) which was amazing. For dinner my husband got the Breakside Burger with fries and I got buffalo wings. Everything was delicious. The fries were excellente! The wait was very minimal considering that the restaurant was packed. Again, the service was excellent throughout the whole experience.
The menu was very reasonably priced for the portion sizes and the quality of the food being served. We liked that they put information on the menu regarding where they get their ingredients.
We will definitely be going back and are glad we found a great brewery with excellent food in North Portland! This is a good place to go for 2 people or a group.
Cheers =) -
Review from teresa m.
Portland, OR
5/14/2012
we were on the parkways event, and stopped for a brew and lunch. we began with a stout, a pilsner, and an ipa for the 3 of us. next i had the veggie wrap, and my friends had the lanbwich and small nachos. very delicious and the beer was good. the server was friendly and efficient.
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Review from robby f.
Longview, WA
1/15/2012
Its a pretty cool place. Very clean and friendly. gets 4 stars because, well nobody is perfect.
Id say they have a very well rounded menu and really good food. we had swordfish tacos and mac&cheese, excellent. For an app we got jalapeno poppers, not my favorite and prob wouldn't get again.
Beer was fantastic. We tried a few different ones and were very pleased.
service gets an A+. Super friendly and helpful.
overall, was a great experience and looking forward to our next visit. -
Review from Melissa L.
Portland, OR
I have three crucial words for you: Get. The. Lambwich.
Okay, maybe another three: Get. the. IPA.
Both of these are utterly delicious and well-made. The staff were friendly and on top of things.
They seemed to be at the center of some kind of Take Your Screamy Toddler To Dinner Day, but that's not the servers' fault.
[Note to parents: Seriously, if your rugrat gets squirmy during a meal in public, the solution is NOT to *tickle* the little tyke until he screeches, repeatedly. This does not endear you to your fellow diners, so stop looking surprised when they're shooting you the hairy eyeball across the dining room. ]
I only wish that Breakside were closer to home, I would be a regular.Listed in: Portland's best beer spots
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Review from Windy S.
Real cool space, especially on a nice day. Awesome beer selection that is constantly changing. I had a White IPA that was real good. They also carry really good Guest taps.
The menu has quite the variety. I went with the Swordfish tacos. The swordfish came out as a whole filet and it was a "Build your own taco" type deal. I found the swordfish to be a bit dry and I was a bit disappointed.
My sister in law had the Mac & Cheese which looked really good.
I've gotta give the food another shot, but Love the beer and space! -
Review from Rich P.
10/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great beer and good value. I had the 6-beer sampler which is 6 five-ounce pours of pretty much any of the beers you want. Well, they kind of want you to have their four flagship beers in their, but you can definitely pick the remaining two. My favorite was the Aztec and the Cascadian Dark Ale.
The only food we tried was the deep-fried pickles. I was expecting sliced pickles, but they were pickle spears dusted in a seasoned cornmeal mixture. Came with ranch and chipotle dipping sauces. Not too greasy and perfect with beer.
Though it's way-the-hell-far-away from where we live, we definitely want to come back here again to have a proper meal and I want some more of their beer!
Growler-fills are $10 (plus $5 if you want to buy a growler). -
Review from Anthony B.
Portland, OR
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you're reading this, love beer, and live in Portland, stop and take a moment to realize that you're a lucky bastard. But just when you thought things were great how they were...you should know that your beerspective on life has improved.
Why Breakside rocks:
- The beer was creative and tasty (Great Pale Ale)
- The food is good (pulled pork! and Reuben Sandwich!) and the menu is full of things that I want to talk dirty to....After our server said they might scale down the menu, I begged her not to.
- The venue is very comfortable and laid out in a funky way.
Check it out
(minus one star because it took a long time to get the food) -
Review from Rachel H.
Portland, OR
9/26/2011
Oh hell, no. I don't think I will ever go here again.
My second visit was with family on a Friday night about 9pm. We were seated immediately, but left waiting for our food (even the nachos) for an hour or more. Server barely paid us any attention; we were seated in the upper level and he spent most of his time downstairs. I'm guessing they may have been understaffed at the moment, but it was one of those places where the food was meh and I left feeling like I overpaid and overwaited for an extremely unsatisfying experience. My husband enjoyed the beers and we all enjoyed the nachos when they eventually showed up, but our entrees were just ok.
I would have probably been more satisfied personally if they had better salad options -- there was what seemed like the equivalent of an overpriced basic salad with grape tomatoes or a "warmed spinach salad" with goat cheese and overcooked prosciutto - that was strange and unappetizing.
Sigh. I want to like this place, but it's just.... meh. -
Review from Michelle H.
Portland, OR
6/7/2011 5 Check-ins Here
Solid, solid, solid, solid, solid!
They make their own brew [obviously], and everything I've had so far has been great--the Bramble, dry stout, lavender fudge dessert stout [omg, heaven], and sips of the Sazerac and IPA. Their guest taps aren't anything to snub either--hello 8% cider and Lagunitas! They rotate often, and I love that. I'm not a hardcore single-beer kind of girl. I like options. Their rotations make me happy.
I love the space--outside, dog-friendly seating [albeit uncovered, shaded in the afternoon, and sorta small], a loft dining area where the kitchen is and the main floor is the bar, complete with barrel tables. It's spacious and open, and I love when they really open the place up and let in the fresh air. The servers and bartenders are super friendly [and occasionally busy, so sometimes it can get slow] and make rad recommendations. They have TVs in the bar so you can get your sports fix.
The menu is all kinds of awesome. Think bar food, but way better. Blue cheese waffle fries? Check. Deep fried pickles? Check. House made soups? Check. Huge portions of cheesy mac with herbi/carni/omnivore options? Check. Blue cheese stuffed burgers? Check? Pulled pork? Check. Pork belly? Check. Homage to all things buffalo chicken? Check.
You get the idea.
I have yet to have anything bad. The portions border on too much of a good thing, but I'd rather have that than walk out hungry. Besides, if you're still hungry, hit up another beerListed in: North Portland and I? We're…
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Review from Pdxeye G.
Portland, OR
6/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Last Monday we received crappy service all the way around. It took a long time for someone to acknowledge us and another 15 minutes to take our order. We had to go up to the bar twice to remind them a party of 6 was nursing their water. We were 1/4 into our beers when at 9:45 they told us it was last call. Their sign/website says 11ish. Thats a big ish when there are still several tables occupied. After that they just cleaned up stood around waiting for us and ate nachos and patted themselves on the back for the being able to take up that much space and do it all before 11.
It could have been so much nicer if the woman who finally did wait on us was not blaming the person behind the bar and saying "I'm new here she didn't tell me" We sat right in front of your computer station and YES I think you know what good service looks like PULeeezh!!
Get it together Breakside good beer DOES NOT make up for bad service! -
Review from Cindy I.
12/30/2011 4 Check-ins Here
My new favorite pub. Fun atmosphere with lots of beer choices. I really enjoyed my burger, it was juicy, not burnt and flavorful. If I'm in the mood for a casual burger this is my go to place.
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Review from Nick D.
7/25/2011
I went against my continual crave for burgers and opted with the Mac & Cheese "Herbivore style" (+sausage, bacon, asparagus, zucchini). It was simply awesome. I've been looking around for good gourmet cheesy mac for a while and I finally found a place to be stoked for.
The beer is great.
IPA, of course. Pale Ale, of course. Stout, yes already.
Grisette? Gose? Chili Beer? They had a few 'seasonal' beers that I had never heard of the variety, which included a hopless beer (0 IBUs!) and "table beer for kids." I was very impressed with the quality of beer here. They had some interesting, good tasting, uncommon beers.
Thank you! -
Review from Carol M.
Vancouver, WA
4/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great experience! We tried the mac & cheese (omnivore...might as well go for it!) as an appetizer for three of us and it was yummy...and had leftovers for doggie bag! The pork belly sandwich was tasty...and the suggestion on the sweet tater fries was the right one.
And I appreciated not getting "frowned upon" for drinking cider instead of beer...Fred was a good guy :) -
Review from Nicholas V.
Portland, OR
6/23/2011
I was so pleased almost a year ago when I found out a brewery was opening its doors a mere 10 blocks from my house. But when they opened, they didn't have any of their own beer! Oh, but the guest taps were still good. I remember evenings when I could only find Gilgamesh's Black Mamba on tap at Breakside, and I was delighted in that moment; I felt like I was let in on an intimate secret.
As the months went on, a few beers popped up. Not too bad, but then came the Aztec. Brewer Ben had created something truly tasty -- a spicy lager boasting a hoppy aroma, full body, and ~9.9% ABV.
Then weighing in at 6.9% ABV is their IPA. It's fresh, not too heavy, and can rank up with any big brew. The Hoppy Amber is also pretty, pretty, pretty good.
The staff are also very friendly and attentive.
Finally, there's the food. The food is why, unfortunately, I cannot push this review to 5 stars. I have had problems with the pork belly sandwich (being nothing but fat, and it was cold), their burger is a pretty nice size, but it's way too expensive, and they have no appetizers for less than $7. Granted, the blue cheese waffle fries are insanely delicious and rich, but I would never order it alone, and sometimes you just want a $4 plate of pickles.
I've been to this bar at least 25 times, and I'll continue to go, but it's too bad that I can't justify spending my money on their food -- I'd rather making something at home or grab a bite at Good Neighbor. -
Review from Bob B.
Redmond, WA
8/12/2011
Beer is a 4
Food is a 3.
This seems like a quaint little brew pub with some mighty interesting beers. The Summer Gruit is an hop-less wheat brewed with a number of spices. Definitely worth a try. I ended up enjoying the Gose so much I took a couple bottles home.
The food was okay but seemed to try to hard to match the uniqueness of the beers, and fell a bit short. I tried the lambwhich based on other reviews. Unfortunately, it came out rare inside so turned me off a bit and once recooked made it hard to truly evaluate. -
Review from Kelly E.
Lynnwood, WA
11/12/2011
Relaxed atmosphere, good food, good beer. We went for dinner, I ordered the waffle fries with blue cheese as an appetizer. That dish could have fed the 4 of us. Large portions. Everyone in my party really enjoyed the food and I will definitely go back next time we are in Portland!
