Jinx Kitchen & Lounge

I go there on Friday and Saturday nights. If you love a more intimate setting, excellent progressive house/​trance, well dressed and beautiful people then this is a great place! There’s never a cover but always an excellent bouncer who will even open the door for you if you flash him the right smile ;). The drinks are your average uptown drinks, nothing to crazy special about them. I go there simply for the love of the music they play on the weekend. The dj’s a resident locals who play the most current hits, new and innovative, and oldies in their genre. There is a tiny area to dance but it’s mostly a lounge type place where you go to enjoy friends, music, drinks, and well dressed sexy people.

What a surprisingly fun little bar. Great drinks with surprisingly awesome food. Loved the small cozy atmosphere. I had the bacon fried rice, cause why wouldn’t I! It was yummy. Fries were great too!

We really wanted to like this place but it was such a disappointment. We had the chicken skewers which were not bad tasting, but overly chewy and not tender or juicy at all. They couldn’t do any rice dishes due to some issue with their rice cooker which limited us because the menu is small and we could not order the green curry nor the fried rice. We like drunken noodles too though so we ordered that.
What we got was soooo weird. It came in a bowl, not a plate, which is unusual but fine if it tasted OK. The noodles were vastly different from the yummy noodles in the drunken noodles I’ve had in the past. They were a different kind of noodle it seemed, and were undercooked, rubbery, with no flavor. Also, they smelled yucky, I can’t describe it, but it made me sicky when I’d take a whiff. The sauce was runny and unlike any sauce I’d ever had in this dish flavor wise. I have had drunken noodles many times before so I know what they are suppose to taste like. All we ate was the chicken and peppers inside which wasn’t too bad, everything else we left, which was most of the dish.
The service was just OK. We asked for no ice in our drink but got it anyway. We weren’t asked why we left 90% of the dish behind and we didn’t really want to start anything.
Back to the many Thai places we already go to and enjoy, we need to not experiment so much, too risky.

Really wanted to like the place, the new owner is trying very hard… But it seems like they don’t have things quite figured out yet. The drinks were great (lychee gimlet was fab), food was… Eh.
The slider was super (but $ 4 for 1 during happy hour), pad thai was not «good» but edible. Ordered beignets, a couple weren’t cooked all the way through.

Never ate here, but this is my go to spot when I hang out in downtown Portland.
They play electronic music, mostly trance, which I love.
Always a good time at Jinx!

I used to really enjoy this place. From what I recall, it sort of had a semi nice and classy feel, strong drinks and hoppin atmosphere. More recent visits, albeit less induced alcohol, I couldn’t help but notice the place seemed rather physically on the dirty side. The bathrooms are filthy and in need of repair. I hate to say it but the music was ear throbbing annoying, and due to the crowds simply standing at the bar even after having ordered a drink, it was increasingly difficult to order a beverage! Really how hard should it be to get a drink? More than once I have come here, gave up, and migrated next store to Vault for better drinking luck.

THAI RESTAURANT by DAY
&
RUSSIAN TECHNO BAR by NIGHT (with thai food)
Cooks don’t know the drinks and Bartender don’t know the food. Know what to expect so to avoid any adverse surprises.
Event tho I was already standing at the bar, I was totally ignored by the Asian bartender who was more attentive to the white customers coming up behind me for their drinks (i’m asian). I don’t expect special treatment but First Come First Serve?

Came for the happy hour. Good prices, variety, portions for the happy hour food.

This place is always crowded and too loud. I can never hear anything or see anything for that matter.
However, always a good time and if you are a girl, you will always get hit on, no fail! We even got a whole bottle of champagne sent to us one time. Although the down side to that is there’s always this one creepy old doctor from OHSU hitting on the girls there…
I very much dig their H1N1, not too sure what is in it, but guaranteed you’ll be in an extra fun mood after. ;)

The service was slow, inattentive, and apathetic. That said, the thai food was excellent. I had the summer rolls and the pad thai and found them to be both delicious and very fresh.
I understand that this place is a bar first and foremost, and the bartenders care more about slinging drinks than remembering your food order, but still, a little bit more attention to detail and better service would go a long way here.

Another hip little spot in the Pearl District. Nice atmosphere and the window seats are a good location for people watching.
Not many customers when we were there so the wait staff was very prompt.
The happy hour food is ok. Not really a true Asian flavor to the dishes I had. Rather pseudo-​Asian. (Asian wan a-​be).
Will have to try a different menu item next time.

Jinx is a very trendy lounge. It’s the type of place you sit on cushions very close to the ground, very dark, and order a cocktail. I do think they may have been trying too hard with the interior decorations, but not at all with the service.
The Thai food here was just alright. The service was weird. Our server kind of ignored us and didn’t know English (or the menu). She just kind of stood there. The bartender eventually took care of us but clearly had no knowledge of Thai food whatsoever.
The food was still alright and I enjoyed my beer. The prices aren’t bad either. It wouldn’t be my first choice of places to eat out though.

Jinx is cool and unique. The cocktails are amazing and there are lots to choose from. They incorporate tasty flavors and fresh juices such as mango, lychee, blackberry, pineapple and other tropical fruits. It was tough for me to choose an entrée because everything sounded good. We ordered a mixed appetizer and the coconut shrimp were especially good — warm, crunchy and coconutty.
The only thing that I think Jinx could improve upon is their lighting and atmosphere, I could barely see our food (the candles helped a lot) and the music got increasing loud towards the end of our meal (around 8:30pm on a weekday). Since Jinx is considered a lounge, I understand why they want to go with this kind of ambiance however I feel they could do it in a more elegant manner.

We went to Jinx on a Tuesday night and decided to seat at the bar. We started with cocktails and I ordered the mango paradise, it was great. It was so good that I finished it really fast and wanted to order another one! The chefs are Thais so I assume their food is semi-​authentic. I had the spicy basil rice with tofu and it was very tasty.
I would come back for drinks next time when I’m in the pearl area.

High-​jinks, shenanigans and side of debauchery are complimentary with any order from happy hour on to the wee hours.
The vibe changes from day to day hour to hour… early on in the evenings on say a Thursday, Jinx is a chill and laid back venue to sample some of the interesting cocktails and try some of the great happy hour food. The regular menu does not disappoint either. I love to pair a spicy noodle dish with the Deer Hunter, a kick-​ass, spicy vodka cocktail.
Friday night and Saturday night after 11PM it’s PARTY time. The place is packed and the DJ really plays great mixes that inspires dancing. As there really isn’t an official dance floor, you will need to carve out your own dance floor where ever you happen to find space…
Suffice to say, I am loving Jinx more with every visit.

Life is funny sometimes. When you want happy hour in this part of town and the previous week you get a Unilocal e-​mail all about happy hours in this great town and lo and behold there is a place that sounds really good in the part of town you are looking to have happy hour in. Are you as confused as I am? Possibly.
Sue and I had plans to meet up after work on Monday and I figured we might as well do happy hour. There are so many great happy hours in this town so why shouldn’t we take advantage of one? She met me here and when I walked in the place was pretty much empty. Ok. We were there a bit on the early side. I thought it might pack up being that the happy hour is really good. It never packed up. I think aside from us, the most it got packed was with 3 other people. Not sure how these places stay in business, but I have to imagine they do better business on the weekends. This is the Pearl after all.
We each ordered a beer and a few menu items. Off of the $ 4 I had the Gyoza (5 come in an order) which are crispy chicken dumplings as well as the Tom Yum Soup which is spicy and sour lemongrass soup with mushrooms and onions and your choice of chicken or tofu. I had the chicken. This soup was really good and the portion for $ 4 was very generous. I would definitely come back here for this soup.
Service was a bit spotty, but I also don’t mind if the server isn’t always around. You would figure that if there really wasn’t anyone here that the service would have been quicker, but we initially waited a while until he came back to take our food orders after having already ordered drinks.

I was blown away by this place for a number of reasons. Let me tell you about them!
1. DANCE CLUB. My friend took a group of my homies and me here on a whim, touting it as his «first date spot.» He talked up the Thai food and the laid-​back atmosphere. What do you know, we arrive and there, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a stage, no it’s A DJ BOOTH. Wait, what? That’s right, a DJ booth above the bar and cozy, low-​to-​the-​ground tables. Appropriately high up so we can worship the music-​making from afar. I could tell it was going to be a good night.
2. TRANCE! Listen, I know all the cool kids are listening to dubstep now and I will admit my fondness for said genre after I’ve had a couple of drinks, but hey now — dubstep is not the only genre of electronica out there, mmkay? As a club kid raised in the naughty augties, I appreciate a throwback to danceable trance now and then. And when I’m not expecting it? Even better.
3. FOOT-​BREAKING BEATS. No joke, you guys — I danced so hard here I BROKE MY FOOT. First we’re all sitting around the table having a classy cocktail, next thing you know we’re all getting up to get down. My friend moved the tables out of the way so we could better get down, and after a couple hours of that I got cocky, decided to show off and came down hard on my foot, twisting the crap out of it. Now THAT’S a party.
Now for the reason (s) Jinx gets four stars instead of five:
1. If you’re going to have a DJ booth, you should have a dance floor, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. My friend should not have had to move tables out of the way to make room for dancing. A tip for restaurant/​bar/​club owners everywhere: Is your music so loud you can’t hold a conversation? If so, put in a dance floor or move some of your tables after 10 p.m. Duh. Don’t want a dance floor? Don’t have a DJ.
2. If you’re going to have tables, have table service.
3. While I was busy playing off my injury like it warn’t no thang, my roommate was busy procuring ice for me. I didn’t know it was broken so I thought I could ride it out and dance some more. She returned after about 15 minutes, complaining that the bartender gave her a weird look and was cranky about having to provide ice. Listen up, everyone — when your customers ask for non-​alcoholic items — either because they’re designated drivers or they’ve SUFFERED A PAINFUL INJURY that will probably land them in the E.R. — don’t throw ‘tude. You’re not cool, you’re just a douche. Would that I knew the bartender’s name that night so I could complain.
The basics:
The food was pretty good, although nothing to write home about. The drink menu was nice ‘n’ varied. The atmosphere was, indeed, excellent for a first date, and/​or a party, depending on the day of the week and the hour.
Conclusion: Diggable. Would attend again. …once this foot heals, of course.

The thing I love about Jinx? Their Happy Hour. It goes until 7 pm! Even on Saturdays! Yes. (note: they also have late night HH Tues-​Th and ALL night on Mon)
The other thing I love about Jinx? Their cocktails. Uh Mah Gah. The price alone is worth it during HH (how can you beat a $ 5 cocktail??). But the fact that they have amazing and interesting drinks for that price? Dude. This is the place to be.
I had the Wicked Gimlet. Vodka (or gin), muddled Thai basil and fresh lime juice served up. I *think* I had three of them… although people kept ordering rounds and I don’t remember much after we left this place. Job well done. I’m going to come back to try some food. That may bump this place up to 5 stars.

I ate Grasshopper here. Yes, they have them. Only $ 5. Why? might you ask? Um, cuz we had been drinking? The server laughed as I stared in horror at these little fried buggers. In all, they didn’t taste terrible. Word to the wise however, is DO NOT EAT THEIR LEGS! Holy crap I cut my mouth trying to chew them up! Their legs have sharp points on them that can easily draw blood. Not cool.
Anyways, it’s a nice dimly lit litte bar with OK pricing for the pearl. Their food is good for ‘bar’ food. It’s Thai which is cool. Their salad rolls were a bit bland, but decent. Their drinks could have been a bit better in my opinion. My Spicy Mango was a bit ordinary and not very spicy. The music was a bit loud and I couldn’t hear my friends talking but it’s cool they have a DJ booth that sits above the crowd!

Five of us had a great time at Jinx on a Friday night. The happy hour lasts until 7, and the fun, creative cocktails are a steal at $ 5 a pop. We indulged in a few Stiffler’s Moms, which essentially amounts to a Long Island and still manages to taste delicious. The Deer Hunter and the Charo, both with habanero vodka, are spicy hot and yet still manage to be refreshing. I love the drink names — clearly no one takes themselves too seriously around here, which is unheard of in the Pearl. It’s a fun, casual environment that still manages to be upscale, but comfortable.
We did have a snafu with the food. We ordered the Crying Tiger but received some sort of Thai sausage deal. Upon bringing this to our server’s attention, we were allowed to keep the Thai sausage dish and put in the correct order. The sausage dish was quite tasty — sweet Thai sausage, peanuts, salty anchovy crackers and prawn crackers — although not very filling, which makes sense as it was described as ‘drinking snacks’. We were super excited for the Crying Tiger, which was supposed to be steak strips with a tamarind sauce, but what we received was more similar to… meat gum. The ‘steak’ was all gristle — I can’t imagine where they found a cow with meat that tough, and what sort of chef would serve it to unsuspecting customers. We gamely tried to eat a few bites, but quickly gave up and sent it back, deciding to stick with cocktails instead.
Jinx is a great place to kick back and drink a few delicious cocktails after work, but I would take care when ordering food. Nobody likes meat gum.