Horse Brass Pub

Just overheard a server shut down 2 older men who were trying to coerce him into a joining their super racist conversation. Bravo! 5 stars Lazerbeak tshirt server.

Still love. We do much prefer sitting at the bar than at a table because the service is better and it’s more our bag. Bumping down a tad because table service just isn’t as speedy as I’d like, otherwise, great selection, great atmosphere, amazing fish sandwich.

It’s kind of cool that the Horse Brass wound up being my 100^th review. Why? I’ll tell you why:
The first time I went here was in 1994 and I was a young lass and newbie to Oregon. I drank a few beers, threw a few darts and smoked a bunch of butts… inside. Back then it was a smokey haze — that’s why the walls are yellowish-​brown folks. I’d bet my bottom dollar that the original paint was white.
Belmont Station bottle shop was right next door. Man that was exotic at the time. Now we all expect such a grande selection anywhere we go but really it’s a new phenom in the last 10 – 15 years for us to have so many fabulous beers (let alone local) to choose from.
Scotch egg! Ohhhhhh yeahhhhh.
Order it. Eat it. Dip it in the mustard… learn it… know it… live it.
I have a great dear sister friend who worked at the Brass for a few years and I also spent a lot of time here because… here are my top 10 reasons in nooooo particular order:
A) it’s comfortable dark wood
wth history
B) the staff are nice and non judgmental
C) they have 4 solid dart boards
D) scotch eggs!
E) weird tunnel to the back parking lot and on a frequent bus line
F) Don Younger (Don…if you can hear me… yes I do agree that drinking during the day is decadent xo)
G) the more things change the more the stay the same. True.
H) soccer (futbol) games in the middle of the night.
I) cloth towel roll in the ladies (I love hate that thing)
J) pasties!
Cheers pals :)

I live in the area and every now and then we come by for their yummy beer and food. The fish and chips are always delicious and I’m partial to their burger. We would probably come more often if the service was better and the chairs more comfortable. It usually takes a little while to get initial service, but after that you have to use smoke signals to get another beer. Also, for a 5’11″ chick and a 6’2″ dude, their little tables and chairs make us squirm throughout our meal. I understand this is suppose to be an English pub, but maybe make better accommodations for us bigguns? Overall, good food and beer, I just wish we could put up with the uncomfortable seats and long wait to try more of their selection.

So this is one of the best bars in Portland, or at least it used to be. My girlfriend and I had been looking forward to coming in and are here now coincidently-​which is why I’m writing this review.
So we go in and find a spot on the backside of the bar where there happens to be a House Democrats «gathering». We sit at the bar and the bartender is busy and it takes him a couple minutes to acknowledge us which is totally fine (I work in the industry) but when he comes to greet us this lady comes up to us at the bar and talks to the bartender and says «this whole area is reserved from the post down» in a very rude and aggressive way, when she could have easily told us while we were sitting at the bar «I’m sorry we have an event here, would you mind moving to another place» — which we would have had no trouble doing, but she didn’t. Which prompted me to tell the bar tender that we have no trouble moving spots but the lady was so rude and she could have gone about the situation in a much more pleasant manner, at which point the bar tender tells me she’s the owner.
Apparently you lost your customer service skills a long time ago. As any employee of an establishment I would be embarrassed to have you as a member of MY place of business, but the fact that you are the owner and this is how you operate one of the longest tenured and best bars in this city really turns me off. We don’t come in often but have always had great experiences with the FOH staff but you have to look at who your money is going to as a customer and this owner will make me think long and hard about ever coming in again. I don’t like these platforms to crucify people on but this is really a shame

Good place with an old British pub décor. Halibut fish and chips are good along with an extensive beer list. Good service too. Would definitely come back.

Very cool pub! And that is definitely what it is, a Pub. The true definition of it! It doesn’t look like much form the outside… the door is kinda janky and it is a quiet part of the street. But once you enter in wow is it lively inside! So cool! We didn’t go far in but there are a few different rooms for the restaurant but it is seat yourself. And then in the back area it looks like they have room for watching sports on TV and maybe some games like pool.
Our waitress was very nice took our orders and helped us pick out some good brews from the menu. Which the menu has so much to choose from! Even a mead! (Which they were out of but I bet they will have another at some point!) She was great the only thing was that she took one of our orders of food to the wrong table :(So we didn’t get it till the end of the meal and we still got charged for it.
The food? Bangers and mash good. steak sandwich good, veggie pastie ehhh, and fish sandwich BOMB. haha The Drinks? Beer? Great. Cider? Great. Liquor, not so stiff…
The place has so much cool stuff on the walls that it’s super cool to check out. Very much a pub in that it has that grimy feeling on all the furniture and tables, but it’s not disgusting. haha

Great beers and superb chips (fries).
I really like the 10oz pours available if you’re not interested in a full pint.
Best to come before ten pm as the kitchen shuts down the fryers if you’re interested in the fish and chips
One of my Favorite pubs!

Great beer selection – lots of European-​style (you know, the people who
really know how to brew beer). The food is good but pretty expensive. My
problem with the place is that it seems old, tired, and kind of dirty. 70s chic,
old paint, evidence that it was once a smoking place. They
make a lot of money. They need to shut down for a week and remodel.
And I would be hesitant to take a tour of the kitchen – could be a nightmare.

After days of eating doughnuts in Portland, it was time for me to eat something a little bit heartier. And not packed with sugar. When I spoke with the lady next to me on the plane (who is a native) said that aside from the sweets, I must try their seafood — specifically their Halibut. Which is how I came upon the Horse Brass Pub.
This place takes me back to my times studying abroad. It’s one of those classic-​style pubs offering simple dishes and GREAT beer. This awesome spot is kind of hidden but totally worth the trek. When I walked inside, I just smiled. There was the Guinness signs, candle lit low lighting, wooden tables… so reminiscent.
Horse Brass Pub has a surprisingly lengthy list of craft beers in bottle and on tap. Naturally since it’s the season, I order PumKing which was excellent. For dinner, I heard stellar things about their Fish and Chips and they certainly lived up to expectations. It comes with 4 solid pieces of battered and fried fish, coleslaw and a nice portion of french fries. They’re very traditional here and provide malt vinegar as well as «brown sauce» which IMO, no one really knows what’s in it but it just pairs great with the seafood.
The fish was cooked to perfection — super fluffy and had a solid crisp coating. It was just the meal I needed and wanted.

Great casual environment with tons of beer! I personally got a Moscow mule which was also very good. Also, the veggie burger was pretty bomb. We sat at a communal table that got very crowded but it definitely felt like we were in Great Britain! It seemed like it would be a good place to get a beer and watch a soccer match.

Met up here and got introduced to a group of strangers who then spent the rest of the evening making me feel very welcome. I feel like it could have happened with any group in the bar, and loved the environment, tap list, and experience overall.
Will definitely be back here!

The Horse Brass is a fantastic beer bar with a massive number of always-​rotating taps. It’s hard to review the beers here, since they’re constantly changing and always good, so this review will focus on the atmosphere and the menu’s set-​up.
Every night, the Horse Brass has upwards of 100 beers on draft, ranging from the palest lagers to the darkest stouts, from established classics to experimental infused brews. Most of the beers on draft are from West Coast microbreweries, but you’ll usually see some British, Belgian, and German ones on there, too. There are always a couple ciders on draft, too. Naturally, the seasons affect the menu as well as what happens to be being brewed in the area, so colder weather will bring darker and stronger, while warmer will bring lighter and mellower, but no matter what the season, chances are you’ll find something you like here. They’ve also got good deals on liquor, too (particularly scotch), but I can’t imagine why you’d order it here, considering how awesome their tap list is. Beer is the thing here.
Most of the beers here are served in 20 ounce Imperial pints, so keep this in mind when ordering. You may pay a little more, but you get another quarter beer for a much smaller increase in price. Only in a few, very notable exceptions do the use the 10 ounce glass, usually for something very rare and very strong (over 10%). If you’re looking to try as many as you can, though, you can always order 10 ounce pours of anything else on tap, and the price is cut in half, accordingly.
Intimidated by the massive menu? The Horse Brass’s barkeeps and waitstaff are beer experts and would love to make recommendations or explain options. Their degree of institutional memory is such that they can even make suggestions based on beers they’ve had in the past (e.g. «I like this particular pale ale and don’t see it on the menu, what’s something like it?»). Very impressive.
The atmosphere reminds me of some of the best pubs I’ve been to in London. Lots of old posters and militaria, dartboards, flags, and things beer-​related fill the patinaed walls. The dark wood floors, pillars, and paneling reflect the warm, dim light of the Christmas lights as if the bar were lit by fireplace, while the tan plaster walls make it feel like home. Yet everything here is old and established and genuine enough to feel right, not like some awful, Disneyfied imitation pub you might see elsewhere.
The Horse Brass is one of the best places for beer to go to, period. If you’re looking to try a good variety of brews, love a good pub, or both, it should definitely be on your radar.

Huge tap list, 20oz pours, and a great pub menu.
I always forget about this place, as it’s kind of out of the way for me, but it’s totally worth the trip.
Tons to like about this place, especially the Birdie (meat pastie). mmmm…

Step inside and The Horse Brass will transport you to England for a short while. Tucked away in a residential neighborhood, it is very authentic and is quite the find. Thanks to some local employees at a fish shop who unanimously recommended this spot for fish and chips.
We came in for the fish and chips and they were even better than what we’ve had in England, actually some of the best we’ve ever had. This will be a favorite spot to return to when we make it back to Portland. Wished we had some extra time to play a quick game of darts.

The Horse Brass is a true classic. I has been the nucleus of Beervana since 1976, but manages to stay relevant despite the exponential increase in competing craft beer bars in Portland.
Let’s talk about beer. Horse Brass claims to have «over 50 local, regional, and craft beers.» In reality, they have much closer to 70 brews on tap at any given time. The menu is divided loosely by style, but the knowledgeable wait staff can certainly help you find the right beer for you if you can’t figure it out for yourself. Expect to find lots of Oregon craft beers, as well as a handful of big name California breweries (Russian River, Firestone Walker, Stone, etc.) and a nice international selection (Belhaven, DuPont, Pilsner Urquell, etc.). They often have 3 – 4 cask conditioned ales tapped and a couple of ciders.
The food is decidedly British, which is to say that it’s fairly bland in both taste and appearance. Order an English classic like Fish & Chips, Bangers & Mash, or a Scotch Egg. Bonus points if you can accurately predict what your food will be based solely on its name.
The space is dark and has a certain «your grandparents’ cellar» vibe. In truth, this just adds to the British Pub feeling. Décor is authentic, in that it has authentically accumulated over a span of nearly 50 years in a chaotic sort of way.
If you have a chance to catch a soccer match here, by all means do it. They often show Timbers games as well as noteworthy European league and international games. Check the events page on their website to confirm what games are being shown at the pub.
When it’s all said and done, I love the Horse Brass and I will be back again and again. It is a fixture in the history of Beervana, and continues to be a spectacular pub for those of us living in the present.

One of my favorite Portland alehouses; I try to get here at least once on every visit to the city. A dark, cluttered room oozing with beer-​geek ambience. A limited menu, with some British-​pub emphasis – Scotch eggs, shepherd’s pie, and such. I went for their Reuben sandwich, on marble rye, served with potato chips, a dill spear, and, oddly, carrots.
Large, constantly changing beer list, with the emphasis on regional drafts. I sampled:
— Stickmen Brewery, Lake Oswego, OR. Don’s Dry Wit. 5% ABV. Almost clear medium gold, light head. Almost no nose. Dry, malty, with not much of the usual witbier citrus and coriander notes.
— Baerlic Brewing Co. Portland, OR. Baerweiser Beechwood-​Aged Cream Ale. Medium gold, light head. Little nose. Mild bitter-​hop front against a strong malt base.
— Worthy Brewing Co., Bend, OR. Eruption Imperial Red Ale. 7.6%. Clear red-​amber, medium head. Moderate malt nose. Strong, bitter/​floral front against a sweet malt base.
— Evil Twin Brewing Co., Brooklyn, NY. James Beer Berliner Weissbier. 3.5%. Served in a goblet. Cloudy medium gold, medium head. Tart aroma. Intense sour taste. Said to be made with strawberries and olive juice (!), but I was unable to detect them.

3.75. Great beer selection, service was a bit dodgy, didn’t even consider ordering food. Played some darts and connect 4 without a connect 4 board.
It’s weird, I don’t remember much about this place, and we started the night here. I guess it couldn’t have been terrible or I’d have taken notes. Just ‘meh’ I guess. I’ll have to go back but the fact that it was so bland I don’t remember any real details about the place itself is unusual.

I got a burger which was good and it came with potato chips (crisps). It was good and satisfying.
My wifey got the fish and chips… OMG…This was cooked perfectly with a light beer batter which was not greasy. The pieces of fish were thick chunks. The fries were thick cut, which I don’t particularly like, but in all fairness, that is the same way they were prepared when I visited London a few years back. The cole slaw was made with horseradish which gave it a nice kick.
Nice atmosphere with nice people and above average bar fare. You have my vote!!!

I really wanted to like Horse Brass pub and I loved it. The bar itself is a beautiful, exposed wood beam type of bar you would imagine would be in England. The walls are covered with memorabilia and advertising. There are many brass accents and small lights inside the dark pub. The food I found to be outstanding, a half order of fish and chips with a creamy yet crisp coleslaw ($ 9.95) was delicious, i should have gone for the full order. I will next time.

Had my first Scottish egg here, so I will always hold it in high regard. The rest of the food was okay, but so greasy that it got in my bangs. I don’t like having a visual representation of what is happening to my arteries all in my hair.
Back to other good things: darts, beers on tap I had never heard of, hot dads hitting on me.