WHY does corporate America seem to destroy everything? The Underground was hands-down the most…read moremagical place I'd ever been to see a show or to enjoy a mind-bendingly great meal. Well, that's just not the case anymore. The Underground is in The Monarch hotel, which was independently-owned until some corporation bought it, and the new ownership systematically destroyed everything that made The Underground unbeatable. I intentionally held off on writing any updates to my review because I wanted to give (new) staff a chance to work the kinks out under the new ownership. Well, nothing improved, and everything got worse: * The AWESOME lobster bisque? GONE * The mushroom medley served with the steaks? GONE * Freshly-prepared appetizers? GONE **NOTE: Some of my favorites were still on the menu, but they're clearly made ahead-of-time with far inferior ingredients and reheated before service *The amazing Jacobsen finishing salt lovingly and PERFECTLY sprinkled on every steak before service? GONE *The AMAZING staff that LITERALLY were literally more like family than wait staff? GONE (well, probably 95% of them anyway, a literal couple originals were still on-staff during my last visit, but they clearly weren't happy, and appeared to be under a LOT of stress). *Steaks that defy their relatively low price point? GONE **The steaks are still on the menu, but the prices have skyrocketed (seriously, some by as much as $25 per on my last visit), and the quality is and preparations are far WORSE than previous. The previous steakhouse menu has been added to with other non-steak dishes, but they're even worse than the steaks now are. Their web site shows that they're "closed for renovations" for two months, but I doubt I'll be back. I doubt it will be even remotely close to what it was before when they're done with it (who knows, they may just put a chain restaurant franchise down there). DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!!!!!

Food is delicious, they set the mood for a romantic evening, and they do well at table touching!…read moreWe've been pleasantly surprised with the consistency from each visit we've had.

If you're not sure if you're at the right place, you've made it there. It just looks like every…read moreother Portland house from the outside, but on the inside it's super classy speakeasy vibes. Some of the best cocktails I've ever had -and they're pretty generous with their alcohol. Overheard one of the bartenders saying they had been bartending for over 20 years, and it shows. Didn't get the chance to try any of the food. Seating looks pretty limited due to the size of the house, but I heard there's a patio out back. Definitely will be coming back soon.

Bible Club was such a fun and memorable stop during our Portland trip…read more The speakeasy vibe is spot-on -- unassuming exterior, cozy interior, moody lighting, and just the right amount of theatrical flair without feeling cheesy or try-hard. It really does feel like you've discovered something special. The cocktails were excellent. Thoughtfully crafted, well-balanced, and creative without being gimmicky. Everything we ordered tasted intentional and high quality. We also shared a charcuterie board, which was a great call. Perfectly portioned, nicely curated, and a really good pairing with cocktails. What stood out just as much as the drinks was the atmosphere. It felt intimate, warm, and conversation-friendly -- the kind of place you want to linger. It was exactly the vibe we were looking for for a relaxed evening out. If you're into speakeasy-style bars, creative cocktails, and cozy, hidden-gem energy, Bible Club is an absolute must when you're in Portland.

True speakeasy connected to the The Hive…read more This is a hidden gem in Oregon City and of course it should be, being that it's a speakeasy. I ordered a couple cocktails here and both were top notched. The bartender was busy but was still friendly. The vibe here is trendy and definitely a great place to bring a date. The night I came there was a live singer performing.

A group of seven of us (all in late 30s-40s) went to The Hardware Store on Saturday evening at…read moreabout 8 pm. We were visiting family in the area and had two people in our group local to the area who had been there several times in the past. We first went and checked in and were told there was a 10-15 minute wait. The hostess was very kind, took our number and sent us to the upstairs bar to wait for a table. We were greeted by a friendly bartender who took our drink orders (cocktails and wine) and we enjoyed our beverages while chatting by the bar. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with large velvet green booths, all new, updated and well done. The drinks were all great. The downstairs hostess came upstairs to let us know our table was ready, and we paid and went downstairs. So far, we were all really happy with our experience. The prices of the drinks were all around $15-20+ but we were all okay with it given the good service (thus far), high end atmosphere, etc. There were people in there but it was a pretty mellow Saturday evening. We were given a nice large area to sit and thanked the hostess. The waitress came and was clearly a little overwhelmed but took our drink orders. I mentioned a drink my husband had upstairs and asked if I could have it, but was told they had a different menu down here and I needed to order from that menu. I looked it over while the others ordered their drinks, and when she came back to me, I asked if I could go upstairs to order the drink I wanted, and bring it down. She said sure. I put in an order for a couple food items with her, and she left. My brother in law kindly offered to go upstairs and order the drink and was gone for quite a long time. We learned that when he was upstairs, he went to the bar and mentioned I wanted a drink from his bar. The bartender's mood shifted and he said he had 10 drinks ahead of my BIL, and asked him to go downstairs to order. My BIL informed him he was told the downstairs bar didn't have the ingredients, and was sent up here. The bartender was annoyed and asked my BIL to go downstairs for 10 minutes and come back again to order. My BIL replied that he was happy to wait at the bar instead and took a seat. After a long while, the bartender curtly said that my BIL would have to pay for the drink up here, which my BIL of course agreed to. My BIL said it was very uncomfortable and the bartender was being rude (a couple sitting at the bar also mentioned this). We are guessing he was overwhelmed and didn't handle it well. He brought the drink downstairs, no problem. We were all sitting for a while and noticed that my BIL never received the beer he ordered from the waitress downstairs. And after about 45 minutes I asked about the food I had ordered (she hadn't checked in with us at all during that time, and I should mention it was not busy at all - several tables open). The waitress said she forgot to put it in. That was it. No offer to quickly put it in, no offer to comp a drink, no real apology. We asked for the bill and split it between two cards. When we got the receipts and cards back, my husband found they had given both him and his brother (the other payer) copies of my husband's receipt-so he assumed he was double charged. He went to the front to bring this to their attention and explained how he was upset by the poor service throughout the evening. He received a quick response that they had printed the receipt twice (didn't charge twice) and were short staffed that evening. We are all understanding people and my sister in law ran restaurants for years, we all had food service jobs and are sympathetic but really just disappointed in this place. I'm writing this review because the employees there just didn't seem to care about the issues we raised. They had an acoustic artist playing that evening who was phenomenal. If you go there on a different day with different staff, I'm sure you'd have a great time. But for the price and ambiance, we really expected better service.

Coral Club is a fun lil hot spot in downtown Vancouver. During our rain months, this is the place…read moreto go! Bright, lively, good music, FANTASTIC food, EXCELLENT drinks, fun servers... yassss kweeen! We happened upon Coral Club at the recommendation of a friend about a year ago. We popped in for a quick snack but ended up staying for dinner. Their drink game is on point. I can't even remember everything we ordered but the answer to a drink is, of course, yes! Their food is solid. We've done the Shrimp Skewer, Lumpia, Coral Platter, and Lava Fries. They were DELISH! My gang tried the Spam Musubi... I wasn't brave enough, but they loved it! When the good ole PNW gets you down, give it a try. When the outside is grey and gloomy with just weeks of rain ahead, this place will put you in a perfect little happy Hawaiian mood!

I wanted to love you. I still do - but it was a huge miss for us…read more Came in around opening - noon. They are right next to my fave spot - the pinball place! We wanted a drink and bite before thrifting and going to the book store. One other couple was inside. Waiter was nice but not hospitable. The ambiance is amazing - 10/10 love the vibe and decor. I ordered a drink of the mixed drinks and my husband got a margarita. The drink was so bad - neither one of us could drink it. I don't think I've ever returned a drink I can't pound before haha. It was 10 minutes before I went home to the bar to ask for something different - no one came by to ask how things were. The guava choice I picked for the second - not good. Watered down flavors of who knows. The drinks at Wahi Hanna are amazing in comparison - especially with the Dole Whip vibe. The spam fries were $9 for half a can of spam cut up and put in the oven with a side of mayo? The loco moco was promising but tasted like something you'd get at Kenjis - not a Hawaiian spot. I feel like with a lot of tweaks in flavor - this could be a great spot.

Amazing staff and the male bartender was able to give me a tequila citrusy spicy cocktail…read moreconcoction that he made for me. Oysters were amazing and elote fries were good too! Love the setting and cozy but it can be loud here. Will be back for more drinks. They have a late night menu too!

It's labeled as a speakeasy. Hidden but accessible. However - there are less than ten tables. I…read moreestimate that they seat less than 35 people total. So show up early in the night! And also don't stay long - the menu is a few items (appetizers) and a few signature drinks. Don't be the table that camps out for 2+ hours on one round of drinks! It's a clean, upscale, intimate environment.

Good food and a great safe space for queer and straight people alike. The drag shows are fun, they…read morehave dancing and the owners support all of the shows that come through their stage.

Music karaoke dancing and good food! The staff is great and I feel so comfortable here.read more

We arrived in town early from Portland to go see a friends acoustic performance on 6/22. We had…read moresome time to spare and figured we'd go wine tasting. We walked through town looking at a few tasting rooms. Nothing really jumped out to us. Then Bamn!!! When we seen this place from across the street. It all changed our wine tasting plans. Let's go have a drink!!! It was a great decision. The outdoor area was set up very nice and welcoming. There's a lot of attention to detail in all the decorations. Not sure if the lady was the manager or owner that helped us. But her friendly service was top notch!!!! With us visiting from out of town. It made me and the lady feel like regulars. She gave us a recommendation on the Margarita. I'm more of a Bourbon lover. So I ordered the Traditional Manhattan and my lady ordered the requested margarita. Wow!!! Both our drinks were tasty and awesome. Hey bartenders great pour on the drinks!!!! Cheers!!!

Came here the first time for a class on creating and preparing cocktails my wife signed us up for…read moreon my birthday weekend. That was so informative and fun we made it back up for their Halloween party, was a bit chilly so we only stuck around for one drink that evening. This is such a great pop up spot, they all TRULY know the art of mixology and come up with a great variety of unique cocktails. Definitely worth stopping if you are in the area wine tasting or traveling.

Cute late night spot for tea lovers! Do use caution when you are female and alone visiting them in…read morethe late night hours! Super cozy intimate setting for indoor sitting so adjust your expectations when you have a passionately vocal customer and or staff during your visit. For us it was the staff, she couldn't talking about her cat and her partner with one of the customer and we literally had to listen to every in-voluntary during our entire stay. They do have outdoor sitting so perhaps that would help when the weather gets nicer and cooler. Kava is an acquired taste so be prepared if it's your first time. Limited selection of teas and snacks. Fun games and tarot cards for your entertainment at the tables. You have to enter a house like front yard to enter then walk upstairs to the main place. Free street parking. No toilet seat covers.

Phenomenal sober spot to chill in the afternoon/evening…read more Was looking for somewhere to get a mocktail or similar and read for a while. Nalu was THE spot - was able to relax in the greenhouse on the outside patio and read undisturbed while sipping kava and tokin' an herbal joint. Highly recommend.

I had a negative experience with the karaoke staff at Underbar. I signed up to sing before three of…read moremy friends, but they and many others were allowed to sing ahead of me. When I asked about the order, the male KJ was dismissive, and the female KJ repeatedly stated that I was lying about signing up earlier. Two friends confirmed to her that I had not been lying, but she continued to insist otherwise. I spoke with the owner to explain the situation. Later, after leaving Underbar and going to Tip Top, the same KJ arrived there. I approached her to express that I did not appreciate being called a liar. She then represented the interaction as if I had been harassing her, which was not accurate, as I had arrived at Tip Top before she did. Overall, the situation was handled unprofessionally by the karaoke staff, and the interaction was unnecessarily confrontational.

Y'all I love this place.. When you walk down the stairs the…read moreambience pulls you in but it's the people, wonderful food and fantastic drinks that keep you there... There's always a show or activity going and then trivia with some of the most fantastic hosts and performers.. The bartenders are fantastic at what they do plus the food is delicious! One of those rare places I can say I love it all right down to the owners! (Just the sweetest) Drop in and say hello, you'll love it.. I've included just a few pictures of amazing hosts and performers from events at Underbar