Stopped by The Mule Bar and had a good time. Friendly service. The burger was good though it definitely fell apart and got pretty messy by the end. Still worth it. The waffle fries were also solid -- crispy, well-seasoned, and a perfect side. It's a 49ers bar, on game days if you're a fan (or don't mind being surrounded by them!). Overall, good food, good vibes, and a spot I'd come back to for a casual bite and a game. read more

The Mule Bar - The Special Burger - Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

A cool spot located in NE Portland off of Fremont St. I believe this used to be the old Stanich location. The place has a nice inviting atmosphere that makes you think you are not in the city. The area is pretty open and not brightly lit. We ordered the reuben sandwich and it was tasty. The waffle fries were also good. I would like to come back and try some other items here next time. read more

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Food is Three Stars, not negative, just okay. I liked the bartender, good service, but I can see why some have issues with him. Old school burger, old school quality and ingredients, fries are meh. One and done, but wish them well. read more

The Mule Bar - Average - Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I had not been to the newly, remodeled Mule Bar as of yet, so decided to come out and cheer the Niners, and enjoy "The Special" burger. I had come to Stanich's often as we lived in the area many years ago. I will state first...I will be back. Upon entering, Paula, (one of the owners) enthusiastically greeted me and gave me a tour of the renovated sports bar. Wow, so much cleaner and updated for their guests. I also had the fortune of meeting Mark, Paula's husband. It is obvious they really care about the Mule Bar, the guests, and most importantly the staff that is working. Allie was tremendous. Her timing and friendliness was perfect. She even showed me her new 49er hoodie. Love it. The service and the attention to detail by all is not unnoticed. There is a great level of service that never existed at Stanich's. I came for the food, not the service) And of course the burger. The best. It is as good or better than Skyline, Helvetia, or the many others that are mentioned as having a great burger. The menu is new and they even serve breakfast items on Saturday and Sunday. I will be back. read more

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Ahhhhhh!!! "The Special" burger was the "World's Greatest Burger" started by George Stanich decades ago. Since then Stanich is no longer in business until The Mule Bar took over and continues its tradition. It fills my stomach nicely. The Server was friendly and welcoming. The cook can make it the way it is the "Stanich's" way. Good job there!! The inside is still the original look which was left by the Stanich. Nice to see bunch of old banners and frames of old news of where it started. Thank you for giving me the chance to get me that burger for the first time in years!! Yes.. give it a try when you go there!! read more

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Must have been a changeover or a different server/bartender than what others have complained about. I went for lunch on Friday and was greeted and served immediately, super nice dude. Got the burger, waffle fries, and $5 Modelo on draft. Not disappointed at all aside from the slightly inflated price, but hey, gotta keep the lights on and open more than the last spot here! Obviously it's not the same exact recipe as the OG Stanich's burger, but a pretty close impersonation. The bar itself has been made-over beautifully, but still has the aesthetics of the old spot minus the "dinge". Definitely coming back for a game or two once football season starts. read more

The Mule Bar - Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Friendly neighbor bar with good bar food! Happy hour snacks are great! Friendly bar tender. Nice patrons read more

The Mule Bar - Small bites and Happy Hour - Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The service is Excellent! I like what they have done with Stanich's. It appears very clean. They have removed most of the pennants from the walls and ceiling. There are still a significant number, but not overwhelming the place. We tried the mushroom Swiss burger and it was very good. It's a little slower than the old Stanich's, but they have half the staff and are still gaining their footing. I'm happy this place is back open and hope they have a successful business going forward and into the future. read more

The Mule Bar - Interior - Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Great food and friendly staff! Highly recommend if you're looking for a chill place to hang and play pool or watch sports.

Haven't tried the food yet, but we've stopped in for drinks a few times since The Mule opened. I love the warm coppery vibes, fireplace, and wood cabin feel. I did try one of the mules (as in the classic ginger drink) before and it was very good! This time, I'm just having a beer. read more

The Mule Bar - Fireplace - Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Cozy spot with sweet staff, quick service, a perfect burger and some very irresistible waffle fries. Great place to post up and watch hockey. With just-dim-enough lighting and a cozy fireplace, its my comfort bar when I'm on Fremont Street read more

Pretty good taste meat to burger ratio pretty off one burger patty in this burger and the pickles are almost as thick. You don't taste it what so ever as you bite. For the price I was disappointed in the quality. read more

The Mule Bar - Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great service, good food. Was looking for the old Stanichs special, theirs was actually a bit better. Only way to make it better is to use sweet pickle relish! The place was clean and bathrooms usable which hardly ever happened in the past with Stanichs. Will be going back again as. Not every place in Portland has to have more vegan options then meat options. read more

For those of us who loved The Special at Stanich's, when we were young, go to The Mule Bar. They saved many of the pendants, cleaned the place up and make a damn good burger. Actually, today's burger exceeded my memory The Special. Everything was there, although I think they use a better quality of beef. I also think the grill is cleaner. Now you can get fries or onion rings. They serve a wide variety of beers. My Crux Pilsner was wonderful. The Olympics were on. Just what we needed for lunch. If you have not been in, give The Mule Bar a chance. read more

Burger was ok. An attempt to preserve the tradition but the tradition is unquestionably questionable. Service is an assault by possibly the bartender with the worst personality ever affected, particularly by one who is ostensibly there to serve. There is no question: you are there for their benefit not your own. It is an insult and an affront. Go if you like to cringe while you're being abused. read more

So glad it's back! Knocking out those "Specials" as good as they used to be and dare I say... even better. Also cleaner and friendlier. Only one small point, the fries were overly salted and I may have had a minor hypertension event. Maybe ask for no salt and add it yourself to your liking. read more

Great burger, service was prompt and efficient. Same ambience as previous establishment. Highly recommended. read more

Don't waste your time going to this restaurant the guy at the bar who was also one of the servers is one of the rudest restaurant workers I've ever come across. I really wanted to try this place, but after walking in and seeing how rude this guy was to me and then watching him be rude to other patrons. It was just unacceptable so I left. I really hope they can work on their customer service skills. read more

My husband and I finally got to try this place out and had the best time!! Service was awesome, food was amazing and prices were great! Can't wait to be back! read more

They do have a "Special" but it costs TWICE as much as when Stanich's offered the exact same menu item. Why?? Has inflation risen by 100% ? I'll see when I stop in later today to see if it is as good - or better - than the original "The World's Greatest Hamburger." ----- I stopped in today at about 3 - 3:30 pm. Had the "Special" (formerly, when it was Stanich's, "The World's Greatest Hamburger"). Sat at the bar and mentioned the cost increase (from $9.25 to $17) to the one bartender/waitress that was there. All she said (over her shoulder, as she walked away) was, "I've heard that from a lot of other people. It's due to inflation." Yeah, right. If she didn't know (and she obviously doesn't), inflation is way down from last year. And The Mule Bar has only been open since January, 2024. And the $17 charge is due to inflation?? IMHO, it it was way over priced. Was the "Special" good? It was edible, but not especially good. Not like Stanich's "The World's Greatest Hamburger." I expected a sorta greasy burger that tasted fantastic. This, did not. It was a little bigger then Stanich's. But tasty and a bit greasy like the Stanich's? No way, Jose. The bun was similar to McDonald's in the way it held together. What I expected was a more crumbly bun that split up into various pieces, given that I hoped it was like Stanich's burger. Alas, it was not. I didn't even have to lick my fingers. Like another Yelp reviewer said, Nic Stanich should stop in and teach them how to make The World Greatest Hamburger. The fries were less than Stanich's too. The Mule Bar, over all, is nice. They have installed new booths and tables. They have redecorated the interior. They have a much larger selection of tap beer (I had an IPA). They also have cocktails. And they do other foods too, like Fish & Chips and a Reuben. It's nice, but no longer a dive bar (see the Willamette Week article: 'The New Incarnations of Five of the City's Iconic Dive Bars, 3/26/2024). Maybe they no longer wish to be a dive bar. Well, they aren't one any more. Sadly. read more

Great cheese burger and fries but waited 55 minutes. Almost walked out. Too busy at 1:00pm to only have a grill cook and the bar tender. No heat lamp to keep food hot . Bar tender kept touching her face and hair. Never saw her wash hands before delivering drinks and food to tables. Restaurant 101, Don't touch your face or hands and if you must, wash up! read more

Very disappointed. The $16 burger was all bun and the meat had no flavor. Frozen fries deep fried and meh. Won't do a repeat. Too many other places to have a good burger and beer. read more

If you've been, and perhaps you were disappointed, in the Mule's rendition of "The Special," not quite the same incredible (in my humble opinion) burger as the World Famous Stanich Special; order The Special, as medium rare as they can get it, with a double patty, and extra sauce. I think you'll be a happy camper. I truly was. It was a "yes, THIS is what I wanted!" for me. The woman from Boise running the place was absolutely great, just like Michael holding down forty was the first time I came in, but this time... ... ,,, the burger put a you-know-what-eating-grin on my face. No ka oi. read more

DO NOT ORDER THE $17 SPECIAL BURGER This is so unfortunate... Ordered the $17 Burger (The "Special") in hopes of fixin my craving. The burger was not the same! The sandwich was way way smaller, not juicy and didn't fix my craving of that Stanich Burger feeling. The burger was not wet like it use to be, it was also very small. For $17, go to the Ritz. The fries also seem healthier but have a weird back of throat effervescence as if they are pre-frozen. Okay spice but odd taste. Similar atmosphere, great staff. Good vibes, but the food is definitely not the same and for $17, is extremely overpriced. I will not be returning for a burger, but will enjoy a beer and game. read more

sorry, I only gave you three stars. You actually deserve more. the remodel is five stars for sure. was very excited to see what a beautiful job you did on the remodel Was a little confused, coming in the front door. No one to greet me. or to instruct us on how to order didn't know if we should just sit down or find a table or wait for a hostess after waiting a few minutes, somebody did approach us and explain to us how things work I think it might've been the owners daughter very friendly, very helpful after reviewing the menu, I decided on a cheeseburger which I always ordered in the past from Stanich's. Rather than the special one of the best cheeseburgers I've ever tasted so I ordered up the old cheeseburger Service was great all the servers were very friendly and polite, very accommodating Well, here is the disappointing part not that it was a bad cheeseburger, but it was nowhere near the flavor of the old cheeseburger no mustard mayo on the bottom bun no red relish french fries were frozen buns were not toasted if your open for some advice, my recommendation would be get a hold of Nic, Stanich and have him show you how to make a good cheeseburger in the restaurant business. It always sounds easier than it actually is. Trust me. I know. Good luck to you guys and congratulations on a job. Well done I will be back. read more

Loved it! Great service, tasty food, awesome atmosphere. Not too dark or too loud, great place to enjoy the company of friends. Kept all the fun flags, but the place overall has a newer feel to it. Will be back again soon! read more

Had lunch with a friend we remember Stanish's. They have kept a little of the past and brought in the new look. I liked it a lot. I'm going again, hopefully soon. read more

Great food, superb service and low key atmosphere. Highly recommended. Not exactly a Stanich burger but very good

Absolutely the worst experience I've ever had in a restaurant. Server if that's what you call him was horribly rude. I wanted to give the Mule a bit after they opened to work out the kinks as I was a regular when it was Stanich's and fully didn't expect it to be the same experience and really wanted to try the "Special". My wife and I came in around 9:30 and were told to seat ourselves we scanned the code and downloaded the menu, my wife has celiac and is allergic to wheat, I was pleasantly surprised to find they offered a Gluten free bun. When the so called server came over to take our order he seemed annoyed we were ordering food and not just drinks. My wife ordered a cheeseburger with a Gluten free bun, the server then said they are out of Gluten free buns, so she just said she would have just the burger without the bun. He then returned and asked what kind of fries she wanted and as she was telling him she has Celiac wanted to know if the fries were done in a different basket he just started being rude and questioning her allergy. I then tried to explain in a more stern voice that she's allergic to Gluten and then preceded to call me jerk and saying I didn't have to be so rude. I then said to cancel our order as that's not the way to treat customers. He then again kept repeating that I was such a jerk and how rude I was. As I was leaving I told him it is not his job to question a customers allergies and he didn't get to decide if the allergy was legit or not. On another note don't offer food on a menu if you're not stocked with the appropriate food (Gluten Free) nor should I have to call ahead and ask if they have certain foods that they list on their menu in stock. Sadly, I didn't get to try the Special and probably won't as I won't be going back and will be recommending others to not go there as well. It just don't see it lasting in this neighborhood with this kind of service. I'm hoping Mark and Paula don't condone such behavior and I'm really hoping it wasn't Mark who was the server that would be bad. Good Luck!! read more