The Bent Brick

We held our wedding here in their upstairs private dining room. The staff was excited that it was their first wedding; and it showed. The team bent over backwards to make sure that everything was perfect — even to adjusting the lighting in the front for a few photos.
The food was amazing! We had Duck Fat JoJos, which were divine! So fresh and crunchy.
The Ember roasted carrots were all anyone could talk about for a week after! I don’t like carrots — but these were so delicate. The carrot flavor was perfected! Even if you don’t like Carrots I highly recommend trying them!
For the mains we had sablefish and Schnitzel — both fantastic dishes. We had way too much food, and all left full. The staff boxed up the leftover Schnitzel in several boxes so we could give the leftovers to the homeless, which we were glad to do!
This is in the top 10 dining experiences I’ve had in my life — the staff was delightful and couldn’t do enough to help; the food was six stars good, and the upstairs private dining hall was the perfect space for a small wedding!

Smoked butter = mind blown. Don’t dismiss it until you’ve tried it. And the drinks! We’ve been twice and the cocktails are as good as any we’ve had at Pepe Le Moko /​Teardrop /​Expatriate. Plus the bartender is great. A quality experience all around.

Horrendously overpriced pretentious yuppie spot. Nice patio does not compensate for insultingly small portions, pretentious service full of attitude, and a general unwelcoming uppity atmosphere. Avoid this place unless you’re some BMW driving douchebag.

5 of us went here on a Saturday evening in Nov 2015. We had drinks and starters, no mains. Some drinks tasted good and some did not, though they were all nice and potent.
Three of us ordered the pumpkin soup starter and were all disappointed. There were maybe 5 spoonfuls of soup. The waiter brought the soup bowls out with garnishes inside the bowls, carrying the actual soup in what looked like sake bottles. Odd thing was that we ordered three soups and he only brought two bottles that he poured into the three bowls. None of us understood why he didn’t bring three bottles of soup for three bowls.
Other starters that were good, and worth the cost, were the mussels and chanterelle mushroom salad. The orysters and octopus starters were a joke, two tiny oysters and a very thin sliver of squid.
All in all I get that The Bent Brick is trying to be unique and maybe appeal more to high society foodies, however i doubt anyone in our party will return.

Came here for a work event and the food was a delight.
Especially good was the risotto. The steak was also perfectly cooked. The sea bass was delicious. And the chanterelle salad was amazing — especially because I love mushrooms! Everything was on the salty side but overall extremely delcious.
Special shout out to a very smokey butter that came with their bread! And the servers were all very friendly.
We had a some type of chocolate dessert and the ice cream was AMAZING.
Definitely need to visit here again!

My wife and I stopped and met some friends here on our way to Bend this past Friday. There was 7 of us, we started with decanters of Old Fashioned. (it’s that kind of place) We ordered the chefs tasting menu for the whole table. The food just kept coming, the presentation was top notch, the food tasted great was perfectly seasoned and hard to pick a favorite. We switched to a really nice Oregon Pinot mid meal. The restaurant was very rustic, and the service was excellent. I wish we had restaurants like this in SoCal.

Bent Brick is one of the best kept secrets in Portland! The atmosphere is cool and sophisticated. The menu is unique and delicious. The cocktails are always on point! The seasonal shrub never ceases to amaze me. We’ve tried everything on the menu at one time or another and never been disappointed. Why there isn’t a line out the door every night amazes me.
In the summer you can sit on their beautiful patio and enjoy your meal or some beverages in the sun. It’s owned by the same chef that owns Park Kitchen (James Beard nod) and cooked at Michael Mina’s Aqua. He does not disappoint!

Small but creative food dishes. Full on flavor. Happy hour all day Sunday was a plus. We tried oysters, artichokes, bow and arrow cocktail, and smoked halibut snacks.

We dined here with our brother and sister-​in-​law from Boulder, Co. The service was top notch. My SIL has decided to pursue a gluten free diet and the waitress did a spectacular job of helping her choose items to suit the diet. Both SIL and I had martini’s that were good. My hubby wanted Scotch but they have a ‘domestic bar’, so no Scotch. We thought this was a little weird… but oh so Portland! It will give our Boulder relatives a good story to tell. Hubster decided to try the red wine flight and thought it was great. We tried the oyster shooters — wonderful! The octopus terrine — yummy, but I felt like it should be on a crostini or something. SIL and I each had the beet salad — perfect. We had 4 different entrees and felt that each was done to perfection.
The chairs were super comfy, I really appreciate that for a long luxurious meal. It was a beautiful warm night and they opened the ‘garage’ door to let in the fresh air. It was really lovely, like dining outside without any of the down side.
I really recommend this place.

Wow! I have been here twice — once for drinks, once for dinner. Both times were fantastic.
Last night we went for happy hour. Had the old fashioned on tap; husband thought it would be watered down (it wasn’t); I had several drinks made with a shrub (drinking vinegars), one was green pea (oddly delicious) and the blueberry tarragon. We split the meat and pickle board (prosciutto) with cornbread and pickled onions. Delicious and so fresh! For dinner we both had the house-​made kielbasa (smoky) — also really wonderful. We will return!

We did the chef’s menu at Bent Brick. It was excellent. So many courses and so many memorable ones. The halibut was perfectly done. The octopus was excellent. I’d highly recommend the place and the food.
The Bay and Brine cocktail was also excellent.
Eat here. Order the chef’s menu if you can.

I absolutely love Bent Brink. The bartenders are amazingly quick, the beer is always great, and the cocktail selection is about as diverse as it gets. Plus the kitchen gives out free little samples sometimes!
Everyone there is always super friendly too. And the atmosphere is incredible. Whoever did their interior decorating deserves a raise. This place is my cozy little secret ;)

Here is what you need to know:
–Happy hour ALL DAY Sunday!
–House made tonic for your G&T
–Super cute little patio for sunny days
–Great service
–Good food
Next time you want a little Sunday Funday head on over.

Loved this little place.
My family went after First Thursday. It wasn’t packed, but had a nice feeling of joyful patrons.
The little Chef’s appetizer spoon was a lovely way to start our experience.
The gnocchi was simple and wonderful with fresh flavors.
Ken’s bread!
The prawns and fresh Netards oysters were a hit.
The service was excellent and we never felt rushed.
I will return!
Wonderful!

There was a lot to like about the Bent Brick.
— Bar like atmosphere throughout
— Attentive and knowledgeable service
— Excellent food. The braised beef cheeks with horse radish sauce were worth going back for.
— Sweet slow jams while you dine
— They have Old Fashions on tap! I was a little weary, but it tasted great. **the Unilocal check in offer was half off the Old Fashioned, but there was some confusion and I think it was a mistake, so act fast!

Had a wonderful dinner for 2 here. We had a 3 course meal for about 65.00 so the price is great!
Appetizer — The JoJo’s
Plate #1 — Pork Shank on a bed of cornbread and veggies
Plate #2 — Sablefish that had a fantastic veggie and sauce mix with sauerkraut tots
Dessert — Ricotta donuts with a Blackberry preserve
You get fresh ingredients, great music and ambiance, and the staff is attentive and very friendly.

Sat at the bar and really admired the interior space. From vinyl covers on the wall to an open kitchen to nice touches of openly displayed spices and glassware, I thought the place seemed very inviting. The bathroom has an assortment of menus from other notable restaurants hanging on the wall — an interesting and nice touch that makes perfect sense in a place that tries to appeal to the experienced foodie.
The upstairs is used mainly for private events, and the downstairs slowly fills up on a weekend night for happy hour (until 6pm) and dinner. Service is friendly, there seem to be some regulars, and we saw a couple of families with children. The girl behind the bar was fantastic.
The best thing we had the tagliatelle with rabbit ragu. I also really enjoyed the marinated prawns and especially appreciated the skewer of fried heads. So rarely do you find a non-​asian restaurant that serves what I consider the best part! The duck fat jojos were okay, I felt they could be a little more flavor forward with salt and garlic. The only item I wasn’t crazy about was the carmen ranch tartare — both the texture and the flavors weren’t as good as other places that serve a similar dish — and the beet chips were had a natural sweetness that didn’t work for me.
The biggest gripe I have about this place is the prices are just too high to make it part of my regular routine. $ 5 house wine for happy hour and $ 6 cocktails including an old fashioned — I can get down with that but the food prices make it tough to stick around for long. I like to eat. Perhaps the tasting menu is where the value is, and I’m willing to come back and give that a try sometime.
Unilocaler Tip: Check in for a couple bucks off your duck fat jojos!

I just dont know why I went here. Wait every other place was packed and had a half hour wait. This place had no wait. Should have been the first sign. Second sign was our happy hour is great. I wasn’t there for happy hour. Salt seems to be the favorite ingredient. Everything was doused in it. My lamb was actually the most succulent lamb and least gamey I have ever tasted. Hence the two stars. The lentls were salted with a salty cheese olive king of salt ball. The meatballs were you guessed it covered in a salty sauce. The beet salad was accompanied by a salty cheese with sea salt and vinegar in case I didnt get enough salty flavor. The red beets were mouse and had a salty sweet flavor. Overall an expensive dinning out experience with little following

We missed out on this place’s restaurant month special, but that didn’t stop us from checking it off our to-​visit list. A friend was in town from Finland so we thought that a perfect opportunity to show off some local grub, and this turned out to be the perfect place for that.
First, they take reservations, so that was awesome. They set up a long table with plenty of room around us, and weren’t annoyed at all by our usual disorganized arrivals and out-​of-​order orders.
Second, the place has atmosphere — it’s a little Woodsman Tavern-​y with restrained dark wood, soft Edison bulb lighting, a bit of tasteful kitsch here and there. It manages to pull off open & airy and warm & cozy all at once, which is pretty fantastic.
Third, and finally — the food and drinks were amaze. The old fashioned on tap is a must-​try. Seriously, go try it. If you are a fan of cocktails in general, old fashioneds in particular or even just plain ol’ drinkin’, this is the drink for you. It will set even the crankiest, rain-​drenched winter’s day right, I promise. If you prefer a simpler, spirit-​plus-​mixer drink (or are a rare breed of teetotaller), they also have house-​made soda in interesting flavors like pomegranate and vanilla.
Onto the food! You have to order (yes, I am telling you what to do here. I am pushy like Jill Abramson, ok?) the duck fat jojos. You won’t regret it. Other things I tried included the halibut, the beef cheeks and the octopus (there were seven us; we share, OK?) — all were equally spectacular.
To top it all off? They have salt & straw ice cream to go with their yummy, just-​the-​right size, well-​curated desserts. I love this place!

The Bent Brick is close enough to claim as a neighborhood spot, but far enough away that I won’t spend my whole paycheck there. Which would be hard to do during happy hour (all day Sundays), given the tasty plates you can get for $ 3, $ 4, or $ 5. Not to mention the killer on-​tap Old Fashioned or the G&T with house-​made tonic. For $ 5.
TBB is a sibling spot to higher-​end Park Kitchen, and I love the perfect mix they’ve hit on here of upscale creative entrees and inventive small plates served up without pretense or a high price tag. Their menu alone stands out for its spaciousness: truly, there’s something for everyone on it, and so many interesting options from large to small plates to salads to the most lovely squash soup ever to on and on. Walk in any degree of hungry within almost any budget, and you’ll find just what you want and need.
That doesn’t even hit on the bar menu; there are several $ 10 wines on tap (the best way to serve them), and wonderful domestic-​spirit based cocktails. As mentioned, they make their tonic in-​house, and there’s a half-​dozen shrub varieties to choose from. For anyone unfamiliar with shrubs, they’re an old yet quickly-​being-​rediscovered bar delight: a mix of macerated fruit, sugar, and vinegar. The syrup is vibrant without being sweet, and TBB creates combinations from beet-​tobacco to lavender-​lime to cranberry-​thyme, depending on their current whim. I’m a huge shrub lover, given that they go so well with gin or vodka; they’re also perfect with soda water for anyone looking for a non-​alcoholic yet festive drink.
I’ve been in with just my man, and with a group as large as nine, and on all occasions the staff is unfailingly professional, polite, and expert at juggling a tableful of orders (and bringing separate checks without even being asked!).
And I love the food. Little tender nuggets of fried beef cheeks, deep orange squash soup with pesto oil swirls, sablefish brandade bursting with lovely depth of salty fish, pork loin — deliciously tender — floating on little pools of purees, kale all crispy and full of thick anchovy slivers, icebox cake with a little pot of Salt & Straw malted buttermilk ice cream (made specially for TBB)…And yes, I could go on.
I can’t end my review without mentioning what made me fall most in love with TBB: the bathroom. Specifically, the wallboard with dozens of menus that functions as a timeline of delight and a litany of locations living and dead: Chez Panisse, Tapeo, Alinea, wd-​50, Zuni, Aureole, Dahlia Lounge, and on. For someone whose most vivid memories involve meals — for me, they are love and community — it’s a historical record I want to read and re-​read while imagining myself there.
It’s only the beginning of what I hope to be a long culinary love affair.