Horse Brass Pub
| Address: | 4534 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97215, USA |
| Phone: | +1 503-232-2202 |
| Site: | horsebrass.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 11AM–2:30AM 11AM–2:30AM 11AM–2:30AM 11AM–2:30AM 11AM–2:30AM 11AM–2:30AM 11AM–2:30AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
SO
Sol Armande
"Well Im the owner and youre in MY way." Was here attempting to watch the world cup today, and yes it was busy, this same owner told us standing room only...OK understood. Well after finding our friends, being harassed multiple times for being "in the way," of the apparently poorly placed and certainly full of static TV, and having moved our chairs out of the way multiple times and stooping behind a pole to ensure that all behind us could still see, the owner thought it was a reasonable response to a simple question: "Im behind the post as much as I can be, am I really in the way?" I would have been happy to move, was certainly not intending to be obscuring anyone elses view or intrude upon anyones experience...and any constructive input would have been gladly accepted. But the rude attitude and treatment, first from the all too entitled and rude patron at the bar and then from the owner herself makes me CERTAIN I wont be returning to this establishment in the future - EVER. Now I understand being busy, I understand trying to please your regulars, but I also understand tact and decency, none of which was displayed today at this wretched dive. Avoid at all costs if you value service, respect or any semblance of politeness as youll find none here - and clearly, reading the reviews, Im far from alone in this experience. Its not the first time Ive been in here and previously Ive had mediocre service, a decent beer list and what seems like OK food choices (for a bar, at least) but Im not one to care enough to review a "3," so I left them be...but this was abhorrent and wholly unnecessary treatment for someone who is very willing to please and accommodate even an unreasonably rude fellow patron. Make your way to any number of other establishments in the area, perhaps they will know what "service" means and value your business, as you can be guaranteed the Horse Brass will not.
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A Private User
I really like the horse brass these days. My first visit was before the smoking ban, and while I enjoyed it then, there were too many other good options in town that were smoke free, so I didnt return until later. Now its a regular stop for me. I love the atmosphere here. Its a dark, cozy, unpretentious, english style pub. While this bar is fairly large, its usually relatively full, with both customers and cheer. Most of the decor is vintage UK breweriana, with some older oregon brewery stuff for good measure. The quality for both food and drink is very good. While there are a pretty extensive number of taps, youll only find craft micros and imports on the list. The halibut fish and chips is my favorite in town (sorry hawthorne fish house!), and the daily specials never disappoint. On numerous visits, I couldnt help buy feel like I was eating a good hearty home cooked meal. The service here is generally pretty good, but when its busy, it can get a little slow. Any time Ive had a question about a beer, the bartenders and servers have been knowledgeable about the products their serving. The selection here is constantly changing, but is generally pretty good. My only pliny the younger was from the brass. They are the only place in town that got russian river publication when it came out. They had a deschutesapolooza event a few years back with an Abyss vertical and other vintage treats that was awesome. I already mentioned the food, but Ill go one step further. If Im on the east side, and want good beer AND food, this is usually my pick. I think the food is always solid, and you cant beat the prices on it either - leaves more for beer! That brings me to value. I think the beers are always priced right, and the food prices are even better. Combined with the atmosphere, quality, and service, Im never unhappy when I get my tab.
CA
Cassie Bryant
We were so so so excited to check out the Horse Brass Pub! We flew in from Dallas and are road tripping the Pacific Northwest with some friends and our two babies. We got to the pub after a cab ride to the amazing park nearby and then walked a mile to get some fish,chips and a beer. We arrived a few minutes before 6pm and there was a written sign on the door announcing a "no kids after 6pm" policy. Our hearts sank....we hoped that they would show some leniency since we had travelled and were excited to eat there. The pub wouldnt budge. This review is obviously not about the food or beer (Im sure both are great). Its more that their allegiance is to their policy rather than their patrons. I understand that it wouldnt have been appropriate for us to have our children in a pub probably past 8pm...but 6 is early and way before things get rowdy. If you dont have kids with you, then this might be the place for you...unless you prefer a place that cares for people that come to their establishment.
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Mike Perkins
Famous, traditional English pub on SE Belmont. Opened by publican and craft beer legend Don Younger (RIP) in 1976, it was a local hangout for many brewers and eventual Portland craft beer pioneers such as the Widmer brothers, who would frequent the pub and day dream of one day not only making good beer, but make a living doing it. Beautiful wooden architecture, big wooden tables and bench seats, old pictures, and beer signage adorn the walls. Big wrap around bar, and over 50+ beers on tap. Large whiskey and single malt scotch selection, as well as 2 dart boards in the back. Mostly traditional English pub style food such as sausage rolls, bangers, steak and kidney pie, and THE best fish and chips in Portland. Try out a Scotch egg (a hard boiled egg, packed in sausage, deep fried, then cut into wedges) served with chips and honey mustard. Service can be a little bit slow, and it gets extremely crowded on weekends, but if you can handle that its worth visiting this piece of Portland history.
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A Private User
This old style English pub is large and no longer smoky, and balances its larger size with still feeling like a neighborhood hole in the wall dive somehow. The beer menu here offers a lot of variety. Meanwhile, the English Ploughmans plate is not the size of a mere snack. "Cheese, apple, carrots, pickle and tomato, served with potato chips, bread and butter." says the description innocently. What they dont specify is that the cheeses are 3 hunks not pieces (two of them clearly go into the wedge category), theres like half a dozen pickles, a quarter of a loaf of bread, the equivalent of a bag of potato chips from the vending machine (but fresh!) and two whole apples sliced handily into wedges on a platter. The cheddar was a bit sharp (but it is a classic cheddar), and I really liked the stilton. Seriously, it was very authentic Ploughmans lunch! Great for soaking up the higher alcohol beer
XE
Xess Dx
The Horse Brass is in and of itself a Portland Institution and destination. It is dark, even more so in a nice, rainy Portland winter. It is an oasis of warmth in an area with little entertainment. You can come here to find the comfort of humanity, and a good draught. The taps are excellent, and they have been since the days before Portland was "beervana". The food is, well, English pub fare, Ive never been a fan, but their "traditional English breakfast" is a great hangover cure. What is really nice about this place is how genuine it feels. Ive never been to Britain, so Ive no idea how authentic it is, but you dont get that icky hipster feel you can find at so many other places in Portland when you walk in. Of course youll find football on the screen (thats soccer for us Americans), but mainly just a nice place to restore the warmth of the soul.
