EastBurn Tap-Patio-Grill: 2 of 52
Week 2: EastBurn Tap-Patio-Grill, Portland, OR
2 of 52
1800 East Burnside Street
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 236-2876
Rank: #1 of 2
Type of Establishment: A public house with a full menu complemented by bar and table service
BEERS ON TAP—-> 16 rotating taps! You can always check their website for a picture of their updated tap list, but to name a few on at the moment…
Picture courtesy of http://www.eastburn.com. Thanks!
FOOD OPTIONS: EastBurn’s owners and the head chef, Jeff believe that “Great Food Deserves Great Beer” and vice versa. This motto has led to an amazing menu full of choices beyond your average “beer bar.” Although we did not get the chance to indulge in one of the chef’s creations, here are a couple spotlight items: for dinner- Slow Braised Wild Boar Paprikash (wow), for lunch- the Über Sondvich – Char-Broiled Carlton Pork Medallion, Potato Pancake, Scallion Sour Cream, Caramelized Onions and Bourbon-Apple Chutney on Grilled Ciabatta and when its getting late and your hungry yet again- Grover’s Mackin’ Cheese- Mackin’ with Pepper Bacon and Roasted Tomato. The EastBurn has plenty of options for vegetarians, beer and wine lovers alike. 5 delicious options (including smoked trout cakes) are available for $5.00 between 3 and 6Pm and 10PM until 2AM EVERYDAY!
STAFF OPINION: We had the pleasure of finding a bar seat next to executive chef, Jeff Pagel who has been with the restaurant since 2007. He was informative in explaining the goal of the restaurant: preparing delicious food for beer and wine lovers (can’t go wrong with that). Our passion for beer and his passion for this public house/restaurant was a match made in conversation heaven. The bartender was very attentive to our drinking needs and informative about the selection of taps.
AN AFTERNOON AT THE BAR……
We had a plan – make it to the Blazers v. Cavs game at 5:30, just before tip off. The Cleveland Cavs were in town for a sold out showdown with the suddenly injury prone Blazers. But, with the game not beginning until 6:00 PM – we had some significant time to scour the Northeast neighborhoods of Portland.
After grabbing a breakfast at Horse Brass, a long trip to Upright Brewing for a bottle release event, and a brief tour of Green Dragon Bistro for a Calapooia Simcoe IPA – we headed back down to Burnside. Heading east on Burnside, we sought out this intriguing establishment. We had read several wonderful reviews about the atmosphere, comfort and exciting tap list at this bi-level bar and bistro. It was time to make a stop.
Upon entering, you are greeted to the left by swing chairs – a novelty – but very cool addition to the front of the bistro-themed upstairs. This area screams amazing people watching. We headed to the bar to check out the tap list. After being in PDX for a couple of days, we were already in tune with many of the beers on this list. To our delight, the bartender informed us that the basement portion of the establishment had its own independent tap list, filled with 8 different brews. We B-lined.
After tracing back to the entry, we found a set of stairs to the basement which was a masterpiece. A dark yet comfortably lit space filled with ample bar seating, ski ball and a projector television made us feel right at home. On the tube, the Packers and Cardinals were winding down what would finish as one of the best playoff shootouts in recent years.
The bartender is a good man. Though he is from Boston, he actually agreed to serve my Yankee accomplice. After busting her balls (or whatever she has to bust) a bit, she was served with a Alameda Black Bear XX Stout. This is one of our faves, though we hadn’t sunk our taste buds into a batch of this year’s offering. I took way too long to order – this is a good thing, as choosing between several options was a quandary. After sifting through my palette, I settled on a Deschutes Hop Henge – its just too damn good and with a return to Seattle in the cards, I might not see too much more of it.
We settled in, tapped glasses and turned our attention to the surroundings. Fortunately, our timing was impeccable, as we had situated ourselves next to Mr. Jeff Pagel – the executive chef. Jeff was a native of Seattle and so we had much to reminisce over. We also talked about our love for New Orleans and its wonderful food culture. Much to our delight, a flavorful gumbo makes a regular appearance on the menu!
The crowd at Eastburn was incredibly welcoming, overtly happy and comfortably communicable. Besides our Boston bartender, another regular Yankee fan hopped on the Boston-bashing that my companion boozer had begun upon our arrival. It was a smile from start to end.
After watching Aaron Rogers toss away the game on overtime’s second play, we were able to really soak in Eastburn. We liked it – we liked it a lot. This is the type of place that I could see myself regularly visiting. The tap list includes brews from Cascade Brewing, Lucky Lab, Vertigo, Terminal Gravity, Fort George and other smaller circulation Oregon breweries, while also harboring Firestone Walker, Dogfish Head and other micro favorites.
We want to go back. We need to catch a “recess” – Eastburn’s version of happy hour. On Tuesdays, Eastburn has $2 beers – everything on the list!
EVENTS ON THE HORIZON
We are definitely returning for the next Beer Belly event. What is Beer Belly? Its a 5 course meal, cooked on the outdoor grill, enjoyed on the 4 seasons patio – centered all around beer! (5 brews to be exact) Each month Eastburn works with a brewery to bring a Beer Belly event, which includes copious amounts of grog from the local brewer. Next on the docket: an evening with Full Sail, and their brewer John Harris. The event begins at 6:30 on February 12, 2010. You can obtain tickets online here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Eastburn is throwing a benefit to raise funds for the people impacted by the recent disaster in Haiti. The “Weekend for Haiti” event begins this weekend, with proceeds favoring MercyCorps. The event includes brew specials, live music and a charity auction – all to raise funds for the people of Haiti. Go if you can.
To sum up – we love this place. Its warm, welcoming and overall – simply a good time.
If you have anything to say about Eastburn, leave us some notes below!!!
I love this place too. I was always curious of how they manage to sever to two facades: restaurant and bar. but they do it so well! I once had a Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin here. Love that beer!