Imbibe
2229 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR 97214Phone: (503) 239.4002
Located in: Southeast Portland
BarFly's Review of Imbibe
Elegantly discordant fusion of southeast faux-bohemia, and the encroaching Pearl necklace of antiseptic nightclubs, boasting genuine talent for sorta-stylish-should-you-squint young professionals. Imbibe has the dramatic lighting and creative cocktails to serve as de facto house-bar for neighboring Castagna, but with the addition of a bevy of musical instruments - patrons are encouraged to play during impromptu jams.
It's a cozily attractive spot, the musicians' dreamscape living room as imagined by yuppies, with an inventive menu and infused liquors, but the space resists true lounging - cartoon quarter-notes may appear at any moment to kick shins and abusively inquire upon your 401K. Now open for breakfast!
Hours:
7am-1am Sun-Thurs
7am-2am Fri & Sat.
| Imbibe's Happy Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday | $3-6 menu, $3 wells, $3.50 micros, $1.50 doms 10pm-close |
| Tuesday | $3-6 menu, $3 wells, $3.50 micros, $1.50 doms 10pm-close |
| Wednesday | $3-6 menu, $3 wells, $3.50 micros, $1.50 doms 10pm-close |
| Thursday | $3-6 menu, $3 wells, $3.50 micros, $1.50 doms 10pm-close |
| Friday | $3 menu, $3 wells, $3.50 micros, $1.50 doms 3-6pm |
| Saturday | Alas, no happy hour today. |
| Sunday | $3-6 menu, $3 wells, $3.50 micros, $1.50 doms all day $3-6 menu, $3 wells, $3.50 micros, $1.50 doms all day |
Vincente's V-Room
We ate the halibut with wild mushroom ravioli and the sliders with french fries. Completely disgusting. The fries were so soggy that they wilted. My young son commented that the sliders tasted just like burgerville. Granted, I like burgerville but I can drive through for that . The fish was a thin awful puck that had most likely been thawed in the microwave after we ordered it. The ravioli was bad too. I would imagine the only reason to some here would be to get drunk. Don't waste your time or money. I feel sick right now...
I have been going to the Imbibe for years. If you sit in the bar area, you will most likely get great service and a nice, stiff drink. The bartenders have never let me down! The food used to be great until the new management added asian items to the menu a few years ago. The menu used to have original and inspired Northwest dishes, but they have been replaced with greasy, generic, small-portioned and very over-priced asian food. Don't go for the food. Do go for the bartenders, drinks and music. Take note...they make a perfect spanish coffee!
As a close neighbor, I have to say that the staff at Imbibe is what keeps me coming back. Great drinks, very accommodating service and other neighborhood regulars that show up regularly to help with the crossword or dish over baseball scores at the bar.
You seem to not have a good word to say about food/service/style/managment, anything for that matter.... and what the hell did Gresham and Mall 205 ever do to you? You need to take a Prozac and lighten up. When you buy your bar you can run the perfect place until then maybe temper your anger a bit! By the way Gresham has the coolest Martini bar that KYLE needs to get out and review!!! **hint ** hint** On the whole Imbibe thing...it isn't my favorite place by a long shot, but it isn't an Applebee's or a TGIF. My drinks were strong as hell by the way, so I think maybe the other reviewers may not tip well enough or be kind enough. Each time I have been (3-4) I have had to wait for some ice to melt to really be able to guzzle my strong drinky!
First off, the musicians and their music are great at Imbibe. You can't ake anything away from that.They are why I go back. On the downside: Spotty service, poorly mixed drinks, creditcard fuck ups, tab over charges, the two menu system, high turnover staff, the corporate feel of a multi-owned business whose vested partners can't get it right lends me to believe that Imbibe has no soul. It needs one owner, someone there who knows the business, the neighborhood and the customers. Definitely not a neighborhood joint, more like an Applebee's or a TGIF. Better suited for Gresham or Mall 205.
It would take me too long to go into all the details of why this place sucks so much, but a few are voiding our ticket 3 times for accidently adding extra entrees. That is not Tiramisu and what the heck is up with the banana flavoring. Try Rum next time. The comment at the end had me screaming inside "you're thru here thank you, we've already settled up" no we are not you overchared us and I've been trying to flag your ass down for 25 minutes. Spinach Salad with cranberries and hazelnuts; expect like 3 berries and maybe 5 nuts. I tried this place one other time over a year ago and had my menu casually thrown onto the table, then the waiter turned his back and didn't ask us if we wanted a drink. The worst service ever.
The waitress was an absolute snotty bitch and seemed to be appalled when we asked her for a menu, made drinks wrong and could not focus on shit. This place sucks and is way overpriced!!!!! Mid age hippies dance like stoned zombies!!!!! We have spines, please use them.
If you are planning on dining at Imbibe, save yourself some time and money and go ANYWHERE else. Based on my own dining experience I can report the following: The waitress who served my co-diners and I appeared to have a blatant hatred that she projected on patrons, we were one place setting short the whole meal (due to the lack of attentiveness from said waitress), the stapes shattering DJ music made me cross eyed while i ate my over priced entrees of over salted tofu. I did enjoy my alcoholic beverage though. I am afraid that this is the worst dining experience I have had in my 15 years of living in Portland.
Not so much. Salty, over-cooked, small portions.
The drink... overpriced, underboozed, small portions.
Live music... really f'ing loud and unenjoyable.
Sorry, Imbibe. I wanted to love you.
