Rontoms

600 E Burnside St.
Portland, OR 97214
503/ 236.4536

Located in: Southeast Portland & near Northeast Portland - Visit Website
horns upWiFipatioWheelchair Accessiblelate foodnon smokinghappy hourhipstersliquor

BarFly's Review of Rontoms

The vintage rumpus room vibe is the draw here, with garage-sale chairs and sofas creating little islands of conversation that help to offset the impersonal warehouse ambience. Rontoms is best suited to boisterous groups, since the bar iPod is usually cranked on the weekends, effectively squelching conversational nuance. Plenty of homegrown hootch on the drink menu (Aviation Gin, Clear Creek Brandy and New Deal Vodka, among others) and the bar staff is friendly and competent. Dig into a grilled cheese sandwich and zesty tomato soup combo during Happy Hour, or just clog your arteries entirely with a pot of cheese fondue. There’s no sign out front, so keep your eyes peeled for the elusive front door.

Happy Hours

  • Monday - $3.00 menu, $3 wells, 4:30-6:30pm
  • Tuesday - $3.00 menu, $3 wells, 4:30-6:30pm,
  • Wednesday - $3.00 menu, $3 wells, 4:30-6:30pm,
  • Thursday - $3.00 menu, $3 wells, 4:30-6:30pm
  • Friday - $3.00 menu, $3 wells, 4:30-6:30pm,

Reader Reviews of Rontoms
Long Island

I ordered two long islands tonight. The first tasted okay. The second tasted disgusting. When I asked the bartender what that extra flavor was, he said it was a "standard long island." He then said that he put whiskey in his standard long islands. When I told him that there is no whiskey in a long island, he condescendingly insisted that I was wrong, even though I know this beverage like a best friend. I also found out that the first long island made by another bartender, though it didn't have whiskey, was missing the shot of tequila that is in the recipe for a long island. So it was a shot short of the drink I paid for. If they're going to charge $8.50 for the drink, they should learn how to make it. And never put whiskey in a long island unless you're trying to make someone puke. I couldn't even finish the drink (and that says something)!

Reviewed Safely & Anonymously (pussy) by Ez on April 14, 2008, 12:58 am
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Hipster Dillweeds.

I showed up at this place at about 10pm on a sat night for a friends b-day get together. First impression; I loved the decor and ambiance. You can't smoke but they have a pretty nice patio to accomidate us smokers. Several of my friends had ordered some food and said it took a while to get it but it was pretty tasty. However, there was nowhere to sit and the whole place was packed to the gills with obnoxious-ass pretentious hipster a-holes, and their vapid little sqwacking hos. I could only stand it for like a half an hour. Maybe it's not always like this. Maybe there was a convention in town, I don't know. But it was enough to keep me from wanting to going back.

Reviewed Bravely & Awesomely by ky on March 19, 2008, 4:51 pm
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Yes, sit at the bar

I've been here twice in the last month or so and enjoyed it quite a bit. Nice atmosphere, good drinks... Of course we sat at the bar both times so our service may have been better?

I like the set-up, place seems clean and well-maintained...I imagine the huge deck out back would be pretty nice spring/summer.

Reviewed Bravely & Awesomely by beav on November 19, 2007, 11:39 am
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Service Sucks

My wife and I stumbled in to Rontoms tonight and had a poor excuse for beef stroganoff for dinner and a couple of drinks. Our waiter brought us one drink and never came back, we got a second round after dinner with our desert. Our waiter had the personality of Paris Hilton, but at least he thought he was cool. We recommend the chocolate chip bread pudding, it's very tasty, and we really liked the atmosphere, a very contemporary take on an old wherehouse with a sweet log burninng fireplace. I would never take anyone there for the food, but drinks at the bar maybe ok if you don't mind waiting to get served.

Reviewed Safely & Anonymously (pussy) by DeadlyNightshade on November 17, 2007, 8:46 pm
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to cool for a name

The service was bad. Took our order, gave our order. That is the extent of our attention from the server. Never came back to see if we needed another drink before we had to chase her down for our ticket. Even as we approached her at the bar, she made obvious attempts to not make eye contact with us.

Reviewed Safely & Anonymously (pussy) by jessi on November 1, 2007, 4:15 am
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Sevice bites

I went to Rontoms on a Saturday night, and with hardly a person in the place no servers came to the table to take an order. So, nearly 10 minutes later I went to the bar and stood waiting for several minutes while 3 bartenders stood around doing nothing until 2 other people who couldn't get service at a table came up and were acknowledged by a bartender after waiting for a few minutes. A couple of minutes later another of the bartenders asked "who's next?" All this for average drinks, and a pretentious vibe- who the hell has black drink menus in a dimly lit club?

Reviewed Safely & Anonymously (pussy) by Al on September 2, 2007, 12:07 pm
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Beautiful Soup!
PrincessHikaru

I had the tomato soup and sandwiches, which apparently is their claim to fame, since this is the third time I've heard how damn good that item is--well, fourth, if you count me telling myself, "This soup is fucking awesome!" (Can I say "fucking" when I'm writing a review? I hope so, because I just said it.)

I thought the staff was friendly enough...and I think the drinks were priced well. Will definately be going back there when I'm in that part of town.

Reviewed Bravely & Awesomely by PrincessHikaru on April 19, 2007, 11:39 pm
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damn good place

Rontoms is an absolutely amazing space- great furniture, nice lighting, open patio and of course, the easy on the eyes waitstaff. Not only are they gorgeous and witty, but they provide perfectly attentive service without being annoying. They have an array of liquor and good wine to satisfy your libation desire.

Reviewed Safely & Anonymously (pussy) by Kaila on April 19, 2007, 12:37 pm
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BAD Service

There were - Maybe - five people in the place and we sat at the bar and waited 10 whole minutes to be served! The three, albeit hot, dumbheads behind the bar were just f'ing around and took their sweet time to even acknowledge us. We were sitting less then five feet away from them! So we took our drinks to a table and watched as everyone in the place sat waiting to get a drink refill, when we decided to go next store to the Bside. At the Bside friends knew all too well how bad the service was at Rontom, I was preaching to the choir.

Reviewed Safely & Anonymously (pussy) by JJ drinkie pooh on April 14, 2007, 6:02 pm
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It's good

I like Ron. I like patios. Rontom's has a big one. The bartender is cocky. I hear he's a model. They get like that. The food is good. I like the caeser dressing. I like the grilled cheese and tomato soup. All 3 make for a tasty little meal. I wish they had more beers on tap.

Reviewed Bravely & Awesomely by AmyJean on April 12, 2007, 12:12 pm
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A-OK!

I was with the reviewer the night he visited, and had to suffer through the horrid death metal that was deafening the entirely disinterested crowd. I've been back many times, and have since heard only cool tunes coming from the BTs' iPods. So give 'em a break there.

The servers are friendly (rare!) and cute (a bonus), the deliberately retro food (braunschweiger paté, devilled eggs, etc.) are tasty enough, the fürni is cool (and definitely not garage sale quality or aesthetic), the mixed crowd generally friendly and non-obnoxious, and I don't find the place "wearhousey" at all--a large, wide-open space is fine when the furniture is properly arranged, as it is.

Reviewed Safely & Anonymously (pussy) by Aitch on February 8, 2007, 3:44 pm
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