Huber's Restaurant
Categories: Lounges, Wine Bars, Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, Downtown411 SW 3rd Ave
Portland, OR 97204 (503) 228-5686
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
28 Reviews for Huber's Restaurant
Ok, I am beyond happy to have a place to get a turkey dinner that I don't have to clean up.
I've had other items on the menu, but the traditional turkey dinner is my favorite. The desserts are wonderful as well.
Drinks are strong and of course, everyone loves the Spanish coffee, including me. Who doesn't love all the fancy flames going on!!
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the real trick here is the happy hour. the ambience is merely ok--40's cafe style: nothing to write home about. the service was merely decent, and we were the only ones in the place. the happy hour menu was not particularly interesting--you won't find any words you don't know on the menu, and you won't find a "new interpretation" of any old classics. old interpretations maybe. but nowhere else in town are you gonna find a decent $3 cheeseburger with fries, a sub-$4 plate of mussels, or other happy hour fare that is totally full-sized portions all for less than 4 bucks. and it's all remarkably good for being so straight-laced and non-weird. and the coolest thing about their happy hours after the food is that there are TWO of them every day! 4-6, 9:30-close. this is no Ritz; this is calm and collected, laid back and quiet, until...
...you order the spanish coffee, and an impeccably dressed and extremely suave fire performer comes out to your table, and juggles fire in front of you as he enchants you and decants your poison. it's an expensive drink, but finally, there's one that earns its keep in entertainment value alone. no $9 martini that leaves you wondering where the other half of your alcohol went and why you don't feel cooler already.
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The best part about Thanksgiving is that aroma you get as you walk in the front door at grandma's house. But that aroma is best left to once a year, in that one special place. Not your local eatery. Don't get me wrong, it didn't smell bad. But if all you're coming in for is dessert or drinks that last thing you want to be reminded of is a gut-bulging meal.
As a group, we sampled the fruit and cheese platter . . . an excellent choice, but could have used some more cheese. And I sampled the Creme Brulee', which was quite good.
Overall a yes.
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I used to go to this bar occasionally with my mom. It had a classy, relaxed atmosphere. The bar is beautiful and the drinks are fine. I have always had good service here. I have never eaten here other than some light night bar food that I don't really remember well enough to rate.
I have avoided it however in recent years as it has becoming overly trendy and crowded with people who seem to take this classic old bar (and themselves) way too seriously.
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Umm...they light your drinks on FIRE.
What part of that doesn't deserve at LEAST 4-stars?
(maybe the $9 part? ok...one star off)
FIRE, people...fire.
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Lovely mellow bar to go for drinks. I loved their ginger nectar infused drink that included fresh squeezed orange juice in it. And it was quite a large drink at that! Served up in a martini glass with the rest of the shaken glass on the side that makes for at least three pours in all. ($13). I've had their spanish coffee there years back. Friends enjoyed their drinks, too.
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Three stars? I'm pretty sure I'm going to be shot for this.
I'm just not feeling it. I don't get the hype. Sure it's got that old school vibe, but it just doesn't draw me in. Dare I say kind of stale? The style and creativity that goes into preparing the Spanish coffees is entertaining, but it wasn't a mind blowing cup of coffee. I swear I had the equivalent (or better), but twice the size, for half the price at Chesterfield's happy hour. Sad but true. I just wasn't super impressed.
I haven't had any of the famous food, but I have no real desire to go back. Maybe it's just me. It usually is.
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Last night's review:
Spanish Coffee is good.
Would I return for another... maybe.
Tonight's (more sober and from work) review:
I'm going to have to go with Michelle H on this one and say that I wasn't as impressed with the place as I think I was hoping to be. That gooood buzz I had going must have been where the fourth star came from last night. Don't get me wrong, the coffee was tasty and watching the preparation of it was interesting as well however it wasn't enough to bring me back for a second go round. The atmosphere made me feel like an extra in The Shining where the bartender tells my main man Jack, "Your money is no good here sir" and to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about that. Part of me really likes it though it could just be that I really like The Shining. The other part of me, not so much.
The staff wasn't the friendliest but I'm going to fault that to us. Making them wait, adding orders, changing orders, splitting the bill a few times, being the lound drunk group in the side of the bar and professionalism-smile-killing-comments like, "stop talking and just give me my coffee" *coughkristatcough* (HAHA!)
ANYWAY. I can't vouch for the food but 3 stars
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I hadn't been here in years until recently. I liked now, what I liked then. Those damn Spanish Coffees and those damn people who make them. I'm knockin a star off because I know damn well no one in that place would take me downstairs into that speakeasy that I saw on TV. Wuddup with that. I bought mad Spanish Coffees in this place and always greased y'all proper. Can I get a witness?
But seriously....the SC's are damn good. The service is top notch. The crowd is always mixed for being such a nice place to sit. Come one. Come all. Come On Eileen....oh I swear...this place is sweet. Oh, this moment...your Spanish Coffees mean EVERY-THING.
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I didn't know nuthin' about Huber's until I got bored in the hotel room and watched the tourism tape loop over and over again of the local businesses to check out in Portland. I've never heard of a restaurant that specializes in old-fashioned turkey dishes, so what the hell...
Huber's is what you would call a Golden Oldie in Portland. It's been around since it was a saloon back in 1879, and it has been in the same location since 1911. Now it's run by two Chinese-American brothers, the Louies, whose great-uncle was the cook here. He worked his way up and bought the place, and there's a painting of good ol' Uncle Jim Louie carving up a lot of meat above an American flag. They still call him an "Oriental immigrant" in the history section of the Web site. If that isn't a Horatio Alger story, I don't know what is.
It's the type of place that's all dark woods and brass fixtures. There's a smallish restaurant space, but next door is the cavernous bar area with arched stained-glass skylights capping a really tall ceiling. That's where Jamie W.and I were seated given this was our first time there. The space is kept pretty dark at night, but it's also kinda loud. I think the curvature of the glass runs havoc with the acoustics, so much so that we could hear this partying, cosmo-swilling bimbo complain loudly about the lack of "real men in Oregon" from clear across the dining room. It was like an episode of "Taxicab Confessions".
Very friendly service here. And sure enough, all their specialties are indeed turkey and ham, though they offer steaks, seafood and pasta like anyone else does. We first went for a couple of appetizers - the decent $5.95 Artichoke and Spinach Dip with Tortilla Chips (nothing you couldn't make at home with a box of Knorr's mix) and the intriguing $4.95 Deep Fried Olives. They came in a sundae glass and were shaped like big olives. Inside each breaded ball was a finely chopped olive with cheese. They were tasty in a TGIF's jalapeno poppers kind of way.
I shied away from a regular turkey dinner since Thanksgiving is next month after all. Instead, I went for the $14.95 Turkey Piccata, which was a couple of good-size turkey cutlets breaded with panko bread crumbs and pan-fried. The sauce was ladled on thick...ti was a lemon caper beurre blanc. And of course, it came with sides of rice pilaf and butter-sauteed carrots. It was delish homestyle cooking. Jamie W. had the $14.95 Big Bang Turkey and Prawns, which came with chunks of carrots, broccoli, snow peas, celery and onions, all stir-fried in a Thai peanut sauce. It also came with the rice pilaf and was downright exotic compared to the rest of the dishes. It was pretty good if rather bland, so no great shakes as an entree.
The capper was having the house drink, Huber's Spanish Coffee. It's really just Kahlua coffee done up as a magical David Copperfield extravaganza. A really tall waiter came by and started mixing the Kahlua, Bacardi 151 and Bols triple sec together into a sugar-rimmed wine glass. I think he lit the alcohol and then poured the coffee into the glass from a fair distance so we could see a ring of flames from the coffee pot. He then finished it off with whipped cream and nutmeg. I tried to capture some of this act in the photo gallery.
Oh yeah, it was tasty, like a very strong version of what I used to order on prom night in high school. In fact, the whole evening had a nostalgic feel to it, and one of the Louie brothers came by to see that we were happy diners. Yeah, we were.
FOOD - 4 stars...good heart homestyle cooking, stick to the basics when ordering
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...like an old saloon that turned into a train station...All Aboard!
SERVICE - 5 stars....here is where they stand out, for sure
TOTAL - 4 stars...a Portland institution...or at least that's what the narrator said on the tape loop on the hotel room TV.
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After having a disgusting Spanish Coffee the other night (hmm, maybe I should be reviewing the place that made me that instead...), I was oh so excited to have an AMAZING one at Huber's.
The presentation is impeccable. I have to add the talent of making a Spanish Coffee the way our waiter did to my list of things to do before I die. Shooting the alcohol in from far away, lighting it on fire, etc...I was like a kid at Disneyland! Very impressive!
The staff didn't seem incredibly personable, but I'm not going to ding them too much because they put up with repeated requests to change orders, wait a few more minutes, etc.
The crowd wasn't much of a lively bunch, which made our lively bunch just seem obnoxious. Granted we were talking about scabies, but who are they to judge?! ;)
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As I understand, Hubers is an institution in Portland: it first opened in 1879(!!), and moved to its current location in 1911. The pub has been very well maintained and has retained all its charms: check out the stained glass ceiling (see pictures), beautiful bar and old-school cash register...
I went there in the afternoon with my bf after a few hours of shopping downtown and had a great time. You HAVE to order the spanish coffee: I'd never heard of it before (and I've never seen it offered in NYC). If you don't know what it is... here's a recipe: dip the rim of a glass in lime juice and sugar. Add 151 rum and triple sec, light it and swirl the glass to caramelize the sugar. Add Kahlua and coffee. Top with with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg... I'm salivating just thinking about it. They go for $9, which is hardly cheap, but totally worth it (I had two of them and left with a very nice buzz). So delicious.
Hubers obviously also has a full bar... including a nice selection of Portland microbrews on tap (I recommend Bridgeport IPA). And if you have a fat wallet (which I don't... darn it!), you can even indulge in a $125 shot of Louis XIII cognac (yes... you read it right... $125 for one shot of cognac!). They also serve pub food.
Friendly (and cute) bartender. And funny that this place has been owned and run by a Chinese family for the last 80 years (if you're lucky you may even meet the current owner, Mr Louie, himself).
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Wait - am I at Portland City Grill? Oh. I'm not? Then why are there all these dirty old men slobbering all over me and the ladies I'm with? I'm real confused. The bartenders are refined gentlemen looking (=gray and handsome) and the atmosphere is certainly sophistocated. Hmmm, the spanish coffees are to die for and the show they put to on to produce them is not to miss. But why does it just feel icky? Oh. I know. Its because we can't finish our drinks without getting interupted by a dirty pick up line. Yuck.
**note: four stars cause the spanish coffees are really good and the people watching is hilarious!
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I am with Michelle H. on this one. It is a nice place but a bit it felt a bit too much of like an institution/tourist trap. Do not get me wrong the Spanish Coffee was great but priced on the high side and the flair with which the waiter made them was entertaining the first time. Nine coffees later I was thinking it was a bit much and could he please just pour them.
I guess it seemed like a one trick pony type of place, even though I could be wrong since I only had a drink here.
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Two things you need to try here - The deep fried olives and the spanish coffee. The deep fried olives are just addictive and wonderful. The spanish coffee provides a nice little show (okay, so $9 seems a bit steep .. but still, a little entertainment goes a long way).
Everything else on the menu is up to you .... lotsa Turkey stuff.
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So it was another night of drinking and a tale to tell. It started off as a quest to find a new bar that my friend H had not been to as of yet. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful in the quest but the night turned out to be a good one none the less. Some how we made our way to a familiar hang out and took refuge after admitting defeat.
After a couple of rounds we met up with another friend and some how wound up following him to this place across the way from the Lava. Huber's had a nice up scale feel to it but was surprised to find my self in the middle of a cougars den. the prices were a bit steep on the food and the place was very packed but it was Saturday night. As I looked around I knew I would like to come back one day but that night was not the night I should explore.
Although I did how ever enjoy the drink that I got it was a well balanced drink not to much of anything. So as this place may not be the most inexpensive it did have class and the crowd was a bit more mature than that of the normal dive bars I go to. So it is definitely worth checking out and as I myself revisit my opinion may change.
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yes hubers is great for spanish coffee but really you go there for the entertainment factor. the drinks were crazy strong for me but then again it is not too often that i drink coffee mixed with 151 but hey, they've created a successful business around these drinks so they must be doing something right. its how they make these fancy totties that amused me most. its extremely flamboyant and mesmerizing. ask rick or matthew (aka the human ken doll) to serve for you and it will be worth the hangover in the morning
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As a disclaimer I will admit that I've only been to Huber's late at night and I've never eaten more than a few appetizers there.
With that said I enjoy Huber's. It is definitely the place to take out of town guests for drinks. They have the great Spanish coffee display that never lets down and the coffee's will knock you on your ass. The bar is actually quite historic as well and has beautiful architecture.
The only food I've had is the fried olives which I protested over and over again, not being an olive eater, but sucked down when they arrived. They were very good.
At times it can be quite crowded and a wait is to be expected on the weekend, but it's worth it.
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My parent's always make it a point to go to Huber's when they're in town. Drawn by the history (Huber's lays claim to the title of Oldest Restaurant in Portland), delicious turkey dinners, and Spanish coffee, this is an impressive old restaurant and a good place to bring out of towners.
Although I passed on the legendary turkey, their deep fried olives with hot cheese might be my favorite appetizer ever.
Ordering a Spanish coffee is an event in and of itself. Skilled coffee-masters pour the liquor into the glass from over their head and set the whole thing on fire.
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Huber's is beautiful and has the best Spanish Coffee...not only that but Thanksgiving dinner 365 days/year is awesome.
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I visited Huber's with a group of friends for lunch while on vacation in Portland. We had the cheese stuffed fried olives as an appetizer - and ended up ordering more because they were so good.
I had the Half-n-half ... turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable melange. There was also homemade bread with butter. It was like a Memorial Day Thanksgiving feast.
The ham was honey glazed with a pineapple chutney on the side, and the turkey was tender and perfectly roasted. The mashed potatoes were real with melted butter on top. The stuffing was a bread stuffing - which normally I don't go for since I'm used to cornbread stuffing - and was full of flavorful herbs. The gravy was obviously made from scratch and very tasty. The homemade bread was very tender and slightly sweet. It was a very satisfying meal.
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Huber's has been around since the late 1800s, and seemed to hit its prime back when Clyde Drexler was on the Trailblazers...you do the math! Huber's is dated, but in that cool retro way that gives you a glimpse of Portland's past.
If you go to Huber's you must order the Spanish coffee, but be prepared to lose a bunch of gray matter because those drinks are strong! And if you have a hankerin' for some Thanksgiving grub and you are nowhere near November, Huber's makes a mean turkey dinner with all the trimmings that puts Mama's cooking to shame.
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Huber's is the place to go in downtown Portland for Happy Hour. There is no better Spanish coffee presentation around. The first time I went there, I was intimidated by the flaming display, but after a few of them you'll have no more worries. The appetizers are also very good and inexpensive at Happy Hour.
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Before I went to Huber's, a friend had recommended it to me as "the best burgers in Portland". I haven't yet tried many burgers in Portland, but I hope to god that that isn't true. The burger was okay, but totally not "the best". I went to Huber's at lunchtime. It was pretty empty, and the waitress who attended us was a hilarious semi-grumpy old lady. Such a gem. She congratulated me for finishing my burger. If I come here again, I am not eating a burger. Hopefully I will come here sometime at Happy Hour, because yes, the menu did look cheap and appealing.
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One of my favorte Happy Hours in Portland. The food and drinks are dirt-cheap (seriously -- $2 a plate). While there aren't a lot of vegetarian-friendly stand-alone entrees (though the Caesar salad is actually veg), it's pretty easy to get a couple of big items (nachos, spinach and artichoke dip) and share them with your party.
I agree with most of the other reviewers, Huber's is best for a drink, a Spanish Coffee, to be exact. Trust ole Mark In the Dark, get a Spanish Coffee and tip the waiter who makes it, a dollar each will do! It's also important to hang out in the old part of the restaurant, so be sure to ask for seating in the old area.
If you're also up for food, I would suggest their specialty, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The Spinach salad is also excellent. They have other food items, but I think the Turkey dinner is the best. It's great!
This is one of the oldest places in town, over 100 years, so do check it out! They have a big after work crowd, so time your arrival carefully.
I was pretty disappointed with the food, which I found mediocre for the price. To be fair, it could have been what I ordered, which was a turkey stir-fry with Thai peanut sauce (probably my fault for assuming a restaurant like this could handle peanut sauce correctly). The sauce was overwhelming and I could eat only a third of it. My husband ordered a seafood dish which was edible but not that special. I also tried the Spanish coffee out of curiosity. The tableside fireshow was entertaining but the drink contained way too much alcohol for the lightweight that I am.
This place, supposedly Portland's oldest restaurant, does turkey-lots of it. Most people don't come here for the meals though, which are pretty good, but for the drinks and atmosphere. They have a happening bar scene, but that usually leads to a bunch of yuppies, which this place has a plentiful supply of. That withstanding, Huber's is a nice place to go to for a couple drinks. Not a lot of drinks, just a couple. If you're on the tail end of barhopping rainy night, there's nothing better than having a spanish coffee made tableside. It might be the most addictive drink ever made and will still leave you with a nice warm buzz.
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