Alana "Muscles" P.'s Profile

Pros:
One of the best video stores I've ever been to, including everything I went to the entire time I lived in NYC. The staff is consistently personable and helpful. The selection is amazing and they're always open to suggestions. Not many things would make me cancel my Netflix subscription, but this place did.

Cons:
Used to the 'flix, I rack up late fees like there's no tomorrow. But--a pro, still--they'll hook me up a bit to mitigate the hurtin' placed on my wallet.

Notes:
Guys, get a better shelf for the Criterions. I'm no good at elbowing the ever-present "spinebrowsers" out of my way.

Pros:
Food is great, in general--a little pricey, but you have to pay a little more for local ingredients. That just the way it is, and that's fine with me.

Enjoyable and low-key place to grab a drink (lounge-esque) with a late-20s to mid-40s crowd that I would normally attribute to the "hipster trash" a previous [clearly unbalanced] reviewer referred to. It used to be a lot easier to get a seat if all you want is booze, but now the bar fills up pretty rapidly. I would recommend getting there earlier in the evening if you'd like to snag something other than the church pew by the doors.

Cons:
I've had a few problems with Local 188 making significant errors when running my card; actually with paying in general. Once, it involved triple-charging a friend $100+ when her bill was $15. Another time, a clearly tipsy bartender came up to me several times insisting that I hadn't paid for my drink and apologizing for "embarrassing me in front of my friends". He eventually located the cash, which another bartender had picked up, and failed to apologize for basically creating an incredibly awkward situation for no reason whatsoever.

Additional thoughts:
It's too bad that John left [for the Grill Room], because he's a peerless bartender.

By far, the best espresso in Portland. I mean: not bitter, or burned-up tasting, or stale. It requires no dilution to be enjoyed. This is rare! Every other joint in town has espresso that moonlights as battery acid.

Homemade toast and friendly/knowledgeable baristi also serve to make it my favorite cafe. It can be crowded, but is so convenient to downtown that taking your drink to go is definitely NO BIG~