MoonBrine

I LOVE MoonBrine pickles! I just started being a big pickle eater about a year ago. I formally didn’t think I liked pickles that much, but I decided to try one and kicked myself for missing out on them all these years. However, most supermarket pickles have unnecessary ingredients like high fructose corn syrup. Trying to remove HFCS from my diet, I started to panic that I wouldn’t find a good pickle that could fulfill my drunken cucumber needs. Enter MoonBrine.
MoonBrine is a small shop in Portland that sells both dill and spicy pickles. I’ve tried both and find them both tasty. They use a good mix of spices in their ingredients to give the pickles a bit of a kick as well as some crunch. The best part is the list of ingredients are small and stick to the basics. No HFCS!
I now buy them at New Seasons near my house. They are slightly more expensive here than they are at the actual store, but they are just as good.
Only negative? They seal the jars tight! You’ll have to use some elbow grease to open the jar. Other than that, these are pickles the way pickles were meant to be.

We were on the search for half sour pickles and so happy to have found them! Half sours are common on the east coast but a rare find here in the west.
We emailed Stew (pickle maker extraordinaire!) to ask if he might have any by the time we arrived in Portland and he said he would. We found him in the basement of the Ford building and picked up three jars of these amazingly bright green, crisp and crunchy half sours. We also picked up some other pickled vegetables. He currently has cauliflower, turnips, radishes, carrots and green beans as well as other cuke pickles (dill, spicy). $ 5 a jar for anything and you can do your mix of veg in a jar too. Those jars of pickled vegetables in the supermarket don’t even come close to what you can get here!
Stew was very nice — gave us samples of everything and also a lot of helpful food tips about the Portland area.

I’ve been a loyal Moon Brine pickle purchaser for a few years now and I just realized I’ve never left a review! That is a wrong that I intend to w/​rite today. First of all, the Ford Building is a really cool, architecturally fascinating building – there are loads of great businesses here so a pickle stop need not be the only reason you come here. Secondly, the owner of Moon Brine is a super nice fellow – he’ll talk to you about all kinds of things… last time I was here we talked about my garden and how I could add some of my homegrown fennel to leftover Moon Brine pickle brine. Delish by the way! My go-​to pickles are the Super Dill but I’ve also bought the pickled cauliflower and carrots – everything is absolutely delightful. I don’t know what his secret is but this man found his calling – I’ve never had better pickles in my life. Know what else is cool? Sipping the brine after a night of over-​indulgence. It’s the perfect pickle pick-​me-​up! Pickle down Portland!

This place is amazing. The owner was super friendly and offered samples. We got the super dills and a mix of carrots and cauliflower and both are just delicious. The prices are very reasonable and it’s just a really great place!

Don’t wait, go now!
The pickles are fermented which means they are a great source of probiotics, they are always refrigerated, meaning extra crunchy, and free from preservatives. At only $ 5.00 a jar, they are a total steal.
Moonbrine is in the the basement of the Ford building, which has a fun history, and more importantly, excellent air conditioning. There’s a café upstairs to pop by if you are need of coffee.
I came at about 2 on a work day, and had no problem finding street parking on the closest side street. About a 3 minute walk. This is a high recommendation coming from me, as I can barely parallel park, but I had no problems here.
Stu, the proprietor is super nice, and was cool with my wild and squirmy toddler hanging out while we chatted. I will return soon, and am contemplating how I can incorporate these jars into gifts. Christmas pickles for everyone!

Ummm hello? They are pickles! What more do you need. Oh, they are GOOD pickles. And not just pickles, there are other pickled veggies available but so far the Spicy version are the ones I enjoy. Ate two without even thinking about it and the fact that you can get them here for only $ 5 versus what the local food stores will charge is a perk. There are also some hard sourdough pretzels you can get as well. Occasionally there’s also a half sour/​sour pickle you can get too, but I haven’t seen those yet. Cucumber season is a bit tough right now.
Make your way to the basement of the Ford building. Kibbitz with a fellow east coaster who spent time in NYC and where this all started. These pickles are worth the trip down Division.
Enjoy.

A small basement shop with some amazing hand-​crafted pickles. Check this place out for sure if you are a pickle devoted person. You can also get the pickles at New Seasons, but the owner is so nice and samples let you pick your favorite before buying. Prices are reasonable st $ 5 a quart. Cash only.

I’ve had Moonbrine before (and devoured them in just a couple days)! I was so excited to receive a jar for Christmas yesterday! The pickles, dill and spices are really well balanced and the brine is excellent as a marinade for chicken! Keep up the awesome pickle-​making goodness!

I am a Jewish Girl, and these pickles are just like my family’s secret recipe. They are in the basement of the Ford Building, and I haven’t been there, but I was lucy enough to pick up one of the last bottles at the counter of Shut Up and Eat.
The brine, a the jar says can be used for cocktails or dessings too!
I am in lurve!

Love the pickles. Stu spent a lot of time visiting with us which was fun too. My only source for pickles from now on!

I am on the MoonBrine picklewagon. These are everything you remember from that first delicious bite of the wrapped pickle from Lindel’s Deli on Katella, in a quart jar.
Not too dill. Not that perversion called a Bread and Butter. Just the crisp, half-​sour, naturally-​brined pickle of yore. (And you can also find pickled radishes and picked turnips and pickled green beans and pickled cauliflower and picked carrots.)
Bring cash or check and be prepared to carry home at least two jars (because you’ll have pickle insecurity if you only buy one).

I have never been a huge fan of pickles, but when I first tried a MoonBrine i was blown away! Not overly pickly, and theperfect amount of crunch. They are DELICIOUS in Bloody Mary’s! The half-​sours are my favorite, and I recommend them to everyone. The only problem is they can be hard to find, I have only seen MoonBrine at New Seasons and the MoonBrine store in the Ford Building. Oh, and at the MoonBrine store, it is cash only…

I feel like I am a sales person for Moon Brine because I recommend these to EVERYONE. Even if you don’t like pickles there’s cauliflower, carrots, relish, etc. The pickles don’t last a week in our house! We’ve been in search of a good pickle for a very long time and this is IT! The brine is delicious especially the hot pickles, we like to snack on the onions in the jar, as well. You will not be disappointed with the anything
Also a tip if you’re into fried things, the White Owl Social Club does fried Moon Brine Pickles. YUM!

2 jars of pretty hot pickles — first jar consumed that same day. Yes, they are that good.

My wife brought home a jar of these pickles for me the other day. She’s thoughtful like that. No one else knows me well enough to be hipped to the fact that I’d be thrilled with a gift of pickles.
My pickle present was of the «Pretty Hot» variety, and they were pretty hot. Not El Scorcho hot, but spicy enough that you know you’re not eating your average grocery store pickle. The brine is full of tasty bits of deliciousness. These are quality pickles.
Good stuff! I would recommend these tasty lil’ nubbins for stocking stuffers, well for me anyway.