Hutch on Holgate

4515 SE 41st St. Portland, OR 97202
Phone: (503) 774.1822

Located in: Southeast Portland
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BarFly's Review of Hutch on Holgate

 

It’s been several changes of ownership since anyone quite understood what we meant by the old Olde Towne Cryer.  The notion that a Colonial-themed family restaurant once thrived this forgotten corner of southeast now seems as unlikely as Early American cuisine itself, and the tenor of the previous clientele (tweakers, Reedies, and the elderly) didn’t exactly enable regulars.
 
Surely, the current masters of the Hutch On Holgate – franchising the dubious allure of their upper-market-dive jewel in the crown Hutch On Glisan – hardly provide any context for a Revolutionary War lounge motif featuring woodcuts, rustic fireplace, and restroom doors that reference John Alden and Priscilla.
 
One hopes their next reclamation would be a similarly time-lost bar for aged queers; management shocked to find that Hutch On Starky’s attracted lip-locked young men of flowing locks, muscle cars, and brown leathers.  
 
Suppose we should simply be happy that they’ve largely ignored the surroundings while drastically improving the formerly dismal menu (not that the tweakers complained) with distinct and tasty renditions of burgers, pizzas, and tad pub grub.  Weekend nights, intergenerational crowds drawn from across the city perform karaoke with unselfconscious ebullience equal parts delightful and terrifying, the sheer daftness of the interiors forging a more perfect union.

Shanrock's Triviology every Wednesday @8pm

Karaoke Thurs 8pm, Fri/Sat 9pm

No Bars nearby
Reader Reviews of Hutch on Holgate
Hutch on Holgate has 13 user reviews.
U LICK!

I thought it was fun as fuck!

Reviewed Anonymously by BASTARD SQUAD on July 25, 2009, 11:45 pm
Never know

Good food....cook is squared away, OK beers, a cute staff member freaked out on a guy at the bar one afternoon however. I thought I should leave so did. Was told by this woman she needed some cock, but I got too stoned and was alergic to her cat.

Reviewed By BarFly User Case on July 9, 2009, 12:17 pm
i had fun

well i went to the hutch on holgate last wednesday and had a pretty good time! it was a bit quiet but the bartender was nice and the drinks were good, not to mention they have a late night happy hour on wednesdays now. totally helps w the pocketbook.

Reviewed Anonymously by chesty larue on July 23, 2008, 2:07 pm
Good Beer & Karaoke

The 2nd time I stopped into this basement bar, I ran into a childhood friend of mine who was celebrating having his first child with some buddies. Needless to say, I joined/crashed the party and smoked most of a cigar! I had 4 or 5 rum and cokes and was only mildly buzzed by the alcohol. The cigar added a much needed kick. (I quite smoking over a year ago. The smoke was noticeable when I first walked in. To me this is something for non smokers to put up with for only another year, so who can really complain about it?) It's funny, because I've read about burnt pizzas in reviews here, and my friends got one as well. They were given the moderately burnt pie for free, and another was brought out after that was just fine.

I went back tonight - Saturday, and the karaoke was in effect. KJ was a nice guy with a soft spot for the Beatles. They could have used a few more song books to distribute amongst the tables as there were only 3, but truly, the crowd was nice and I'm sure anyone who needed to view one could have asked to borrow with no problems. Myself, I chose to sit out the karaoke. I was busy chatting up the girl who came up to the bar where I was sitting to order, and then with attempting to hit on the bar manager - a very nice and very pretty red head.

Notes:

I live within walking distance, which is always a bonus. Food was available until 11 or so and the menu went beyond pizza. Beers on tap included a Blue Moon of some sort, Copper Hook, Total Domination IPA, an Oatmeal Stout, Bud, Bud light, several other decent quality brews, and there's a full bar, though the mixed drinks were light in my single experience. Definitely bring your ID if you look young, as they are consistent about checking.

I'll be going back, for sure. Nice staff, though at peak hours they might be a little slow. Video crack and pool if that's a concern.

Obama 2008! I admit I have a problem with what many bartenders tell me is a rule - no talking politics at the bar. Good night!

Reviewed By BarFly User Vang'Mar on May 4, 2008, 12:23 am

I love the Hutch! The KJ is fun and has a fair rotation, the drinks are stiff, and the food is really good. The staff can be a little abrubt and grumpy, but once you chat them up a little bit they are super friendly. I wouldn't recommend going on a Saturday night though, it can get a little popped collar frat boy-ish up in there.

Reviewed Anonymously by Moarbiscuits on April 25, 2008, 4:19 pm
never again no no

they burnt my pizza the first time, told me to come back later for a free one. when i got there, the free pizza was sitting by the bartender for 2.5hrs. i asked how long it had been sitting there and they said 3hrs. ho thats just wrong so i asked them to make a different pizza. they guy went to the kitchen, sprayed some cheese on it and said here yu go-fresh pizza- true story. i knew it was the 3hr pizza because the crust was hard. that was just unethical and full of b.s. i will never go there again if i were yu i wouldnt go back because they may even spit on yure food if yu complain. its never good to eat from a place whose ethics yu dont trust.

Reviewed Anonymously by nathalie on April 20, 2008, 10:24 pm
Just bring cash then?

The new KJ (Shawn) is far better than the last KJ (Ryan), because he doesn't get trashed and only let his friends sing. The rotation can sometimes suck (2-3 hours), but that's only when the douche-bag beacon is flipped on upstairs and the place gets packed.. and how. Shawn is also an amazing singer and gets even the non-karaoke-crowd involved. Fridays and Saturdays sees this little dump generally packed, 50+ people.

The drink prices went up pretty steep in recent months, which could be understandable if anything had been improved in the bar. The food quality overall went down but their pizza is epic.

It's still a fun place, when it's not super busy. Happy Hour PBR is only $1.75, though. It sucks to say, but they treat you better the more often you show up there. Best way to get your drink fast and chat up the bar staff is the tiny side-bar between a pillar and the ATM. Take the initiative, talk to the staff, make a friend, get a better drink.

Reviewed By BarFly User aphexduo on March 26, 2008, 11:47 am
Not Again, again

Couldn't agree more w/ the previous review. I was on my bike and making my way back home from watching an Oregon hoops game during that brutally cold spell we had back in December. Decided to stop in here to warm up & grab a pint, so as to make sure my blood-alcohol level didn't drop down to a dangerously low level that might impair my riding ability. The single PBR I'd ordered was gonna wind up costing $4 though (pre-tip), owing to that silly credit card surcharge, and so I gave the drink back to the bartender and did The Gladstone instead (or maybe it was one of the 6 zillion other places in town that gladly accepts cards- I don't exactly remember offhand.)

Reviewed By BarFly User belmontsledgehammer on February 13, 2008, 3:28 pm
Not again

Welcome to the year 2008, Hutch. Accepting credit cards is a fact of life. The minute you decide to pass along a $1.50 charge to my credit card because I only ordered one drink, that's when I never go to your bar again.

Seconded on the watered-down drinks. There's not enough space at the bar to be able to either sit down or enjoy oneself on a Saturday Night. If you live in this neighborhood, there are many other enjoyable bars to go to instead.

Reviewed By BarFly User Crowgod on February 5, 2008, 12:12 pm
might be in love with the new kj

so i loved grandma's! and after this was bought I went here a few times, and swore to never come back. However, the new kj has a special place in my heart. Although he doesn't rival john and rockin raymond, he is pretty awesome. and he sings wham, you really can't go wrong there.

the owner is still an ass, who allows people to get waaaaay to drunk and still serves them. I saw a girl throw up on the table 5 times last week. The owner watched and did nothing.

And i am a bit of a germaphobe, but still went back. However, I will never touch a karaoke book again.

Reviewed By BarFly User charQ on February 4, 2008, 7:09 pm
The Hutch sucks ass

Well drinks: $3.75 for mostly ice, some juice/mix, very little alcohol. $10 minimum credit card purchase! You do the math. THIS PLACE IS A F****ING RIPOFF.

It used to be great when it was Grandma's. The new owners are obviously out for only one thing: to take as much of your money as possible by serving weak drinks and overpriced food while having rude help that is forced to wear company T-shirts. And all they ever put on the TV is ESPN, even in the background while people sing karaoke to Queen. IT JUST ISN'T RIGHT. DON'T GO TO THE HUTCH, IT'S LAME AND FILLED WITH LAME PEOPLE!

Reviewed Anonymously by Jon on January 19, 2008, 1:14 am
Well.....

I was a regular at Grandmas and now I have to find a new place to hang out. The first problem with "The Hutch" is the bartender chick, she's a total b@#$&. You would be hard presses to find a less-friendly person around. The guy bartended is great but it seems like he's hardley there. Second problem with "The Hutch" is that you can't order food past like 9:00pm, I have the luxery of living near by so I can walk home and eat and then come back. I guess now they have added cold sandwiches, whoopie, I ask what is a bar without Nachos? Or Burgers? And finally my third problem, they close at like 11:00 on weeknights. All in all this place sucks now, not to mention the food (when they do have it) is way overpriced. You should look eles-where for a good time.

Reviewed Anonymously by Definitely Not Jen on September 20, 2007, 12:53 pm
No longer worth the drive!

Grandma's used to have the best KJ and his sidekick Rockin' Raymond. It had a great feel.

New management is sub-par. The new KJ sucks and has no selection. There were 2 guys that were so drunk that they couldn't actually form words, and grabbed other patrons asses and boobs on the dance floor. The owner and staff saw the whole thing and not only did nothing, but continued to serve them.

Reviewed Anonymously by charlene on May 7, 2007, 11:40 am
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Overall Rating of Hutch on Holgate

Absolute boozer heaven
Pretty freakin' nice
Could be worse
Exemplifies mediocrity
Ugh, shoot me.

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