Lightbar

We ate next door at Nostrana, but the Lightbar was full of happy-​sounding people. Certainly not closed. This was Saturday night, March 7, 2015

The first thing you notice is that chandelier thingy made out if what looks like a bunch of reindeer but overall it’s just an ok spot. It’s a good space but not very busy considering I was there with my girlfriend and we were the only two in the joint. The drinks were mediocre at best but the food was good. Not one of those memorable spots but maybe I’ll give them a second chance but it’s worth a visit.

I never would have known that this place was here unless my friend had mentioned it, but I’m glad she did! I am surprised there are so many reviews because when we went, there was literally no one there except our group and the bartender (OK, it was 4 in the afternoon, but it was a Friday!) I got a Moscow mule (in a copper cup), which was really good. We also got 6 of the plates to share among our group of 4, and they were all respectable. I don’t think that the lamp at our table (which supposedly mimics the sun) did anything beyond glowing softly, though I appreciate that they are trying to get sun-​deprived Portland some vitamin D.

Read over the other reviews before I wrote mine, to get an idea what was being said.
I’ve had the food, the Mac n cheese is amazing. The dishes are made smaller to encourage a group to get lots of dishes, hence the deal when you buy three.
They make their own Bloody Mary mix, as well as flavored vodkas. They have good alcohol, many from this area, versus the cliché brands found at normal bars. I have never had a bad drink from any of the bartenders.
I like the light concept, it’s soothing to have them slowly change colors. I enjoy being able to see my friends without flashing stroke inducing lights all around.
Overall, I’ve been there many times and I will continue to go. Sure they had a rough start but all new business do. Give them a first second and third chance. They’re worth it!

Oy vey. Where do I even start? How about we start with #1…
1. The drinks were miserable. My friends ordered vodka gimlets… horrible. The bartender used granulated sugar rather than simple syrup. This made for a drink gone all wrong. My drink was the Ol’ Blue Eyes (think Moscow Mule, but with bourbon). It was… «meh» at best.
2. We ordered food (off the VERY limited menu) with our second round of drinks. After 40 minutes of no food arriving, I inquired. Bartender says (after looking over some mysterious piece of paper for about 30 seconds) «it should just be another few minutes». It became very obvious to us that she never put our food order in. I would have actually been okay about this if she would admitted to making the mistake of never sending our order to the kitchen. Had she said something along the lines of «I am so sorry but I never got this to the kitchen. I will get this out to you guys right away», it would have been appreciated. Any type of explanation would have been appreciated. But nope, she just smiled and said «it will be a few more minutes». It took 10 more minutes. Which brings me to the next topic…
3. The food. Nooooooooooo!!! What is happening in this place??? Meatballs = frozen. Hummus = dry and lumpy. The bread was good, but who serves loaf bread with hummus? It was odd. We waited 50 minutes for this? I wouldn’t even stand in line at Salt ‘n Straw that long, and they serve up gold in a cone!
4. Light therapy? This is how they marketed themselves on
. This is why I bought the voucher. This is NOT what I experienced. Do they have lights and electricity? Yes. Guess what? So does everyone because it is 2014. There is nothing unique and special going on here. It just all seems thrown together. (Caveat: The chandelier is pretty amazing and the best thing about the place but apparently not actually made of wood).
In the bartenders defense… I don’t blame her, I blame the person who trained her. Her drinks were all wrong, but according to the other bartender (who seemed to know his poo), she was trained by the manager and was not quite trained properly. I do believe in second chances, however I don’t think I can bring myself to spend money in this place again. I feel like they have been open long enough to have worked out these kinks.
Fix some things Light Bar! Read your reviews, and fix some things!

Disclaimer: I came here with Living Social coupon for two drinks and a food item. I got it from a friend, never used one of these before! I tipped generously at the beginning to avoid looking like a total leech.
The bartender was a tattooed guy with a vape pen– lol cool. I ordered The Resplendent, one of their house cocktails. It tasted nice but wasn’t mixed well, and the bottom was a pool of honey sweetened Crème Yvette. Bleh.
For food, nothing really jumped out at me – super standard Portland bar food – so I asked the bartender what he recommended. He was pretty enthusiastic about the Chipotle Pork Ribs so I took his suggestion. It arrived in good time but was dry and tough. The meat itself was pretty bland, instead relying on a spicy but disappointingly flavored and textured chipotle sauce. I ate most of one rib and picked at another but I just couldn’t eat it. It was really bad. I pushed my plate away from me.
The other bartender was nearby and I ordered a martini, which tasted good. This bartender asked if I was done with my food and I said yes. He took it away and that was that. Didn’t bother to ask why I didn’t touch half the food.
The first bartender came back and asked if I was still waiting on my food (there’s literally only 3 people working, how is your communication so bad?). I told him that I’d gotten my food and that it wasn’t very good. He offered me a replacement but I felt bad because of the dumb Living Social coupon but he was nice about it so I took him up on it and ordered the grilled cheese. It was pretty good, nice pickle. Menu didn’t specify what kind of cheese was used but it seemed like «multiple.»
Pros:
Bearded dude seems chill
Nice lighting
Martini didn’t taste outwardly bad
Grilled cheese was pretty decent
They let me break a rule
Cons:
Staff should communicate better
The pork ribs aren’t good
The Resplendent is meh
Overall going with 3 stars on this one, but I would probably not go again.
Note: My original review said that my martini was served in a margarita glass. The owner /​bearded+tattooed vape dude /​Jason messaged me on here to clarify that it was a «coop glass, a classic 5oz. Martini glass.» I’ve personally never heard of a martini being served in ANY glass other than a cocktail glass, but okay if you say so. I removed that criticism. Jason also noted that they do not have margarita glasses at all, so I wonder what they serve their margaritas in! Also champagne coupes, maybe.

This place is a disaster. We were given 2 dirty wet menus with a few offerings crossed out and allowed to seat ourselves. Unfortunately, there are only 2 small booths that have the SAD lights in them, and they were already taken. It doesn’t seem like the mood-​improving lights are a focus anymore.
Although I think I saw 3 employees, 1 person was handling all of the front of house work. He was unable to offer much insight into the cocktail menu because this was only his 4^th day on the job. This was a little disconcerting given the fact that he was also the acting bartender.
The service was slow, and the couple next to us never got their food before they left. I felt badly for the waiter/​bartender as it seemed he has been put at the helm of a sinking ship. We ordered the chipotle ribs, which were nice and tender, but very spicy.
I can’t imagine this place will be open much longer unless something changes.

The concept of the «Light» bar is pretty nice. They have light boxes at each table so you can sit and eat your meal while catching some Vitamin D. Each table feels like it’s own bungalow with the top covered and intimate setting. I ordered the ice cream and cookie meal which was pretty good, my friend had the pizza as well.
However this place is pretty much out of the way, and there is nothing special about it. And for some unknown reason they switched the music from low to some super loud meditation crap, so much we couldn’t hear each other. Um, no thanks.
Also this place is crawling with hipsters, so you’ve been warned.

Calling all hipsters, please report to Lightbar. That’s the type of scene you’ll be in if you go to light bar, solos reading books, and big groups of hipsters crowding the small little place.
The happy hour menu was weak, and I don’t know if their regular food tasted this way but it tasted like microwaveable instant pizza, macaroni and cheese, and sliders. The price is decent, but it looked like play food when it came out, I’m not talking about «expensive plating food, like pâté, cheese or cavier, it’s like food that’s been packaged and frozen.
They seemed really understaff and they had mentioned it, which is something that happens, but the food was just too sad not to make note of.
The drinks were pretty inconsistent. My friends drink was stiff while mine was watery. The drink concepts seemed promising but ehhhh…
I would say this place might be okay if it allowed 10 people in at a time, that way the staff could attend to the customers with quality care.
The one thing that is soooo great, is the lighting and decore, but perhaps they should invest their money and energy on a better food spread.

Really cool concept, semi-​awkward execution.
I went with a few friends to get drinks one night and as soon as we walked in about 12 people turned around and stared at us from the table riiiiiight next to the door. None of us had been there before so we kind of looked around where to go. There was one open booth that we sat in. The booths are really cool looking but the little clock/​light on the table had an alarm that kept going off.
Overall I think the place is pretty cool but it’s sort of an awkward set-​up and there are only a few tables.
I didn’t try the food but I might go back sometime to give it another try, I really wanted to like this place but I wasn’t too impressed.
(Side note: we asked the server for our check and she never came back… also the grenadine is alcoholic, what?)

As someone who has frequented several gay bars with rainbow LED walls and the like, I was like… rainbow lights for a bar with food and actual sit-​down tables? Wouldn’t that get obnoxious?
But don’t be fooled – this is not your average bar. The space is really beautiful and very classy! The lights change slowly (no seizure risk, which is always good). They have these cute nooks with their own personal UV lights so you can turn that Portland frown upside down.
Drinks? Amazing. Gorgeous long menu with lots to choose from. I got the Big Nose Goes to Mexico, AKA the drink that they light on fire. What drink isn’t made better by lighting it on fire?
This place would have earned itself a big fat 5 stars, but… they forgot our food. And not just an «oh, we must not have spoken up” – we very clearly put in an order, the server acknowledged it, and… no food. I don’t know what happened, but we were somewhat disappointed at the lack of hummus action.
Hoping for better next time! Until then, I’ve bookmarked Lightbar as an adorable spot for a well-​lit drink.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Bar, How I Wonder Where you are. This place is perfect for that nice intimate bar date with that special someone. he light effects are enough to visit this bar. Theres this cozy, warm feeling you got while relaxing with a variey of their tasty drinks. The ambiance here is just what you need if you are trying to be low key for the night. Totally worth checking out, for drinks, AND for food. Tasty for «bar food». I mean for being a small place, they will shock you with the tasty treats they offer. The Hummus was way yummy!

Lightbar has a super cool business concept using simulated sunlight as the center piece of the bar (this is especially appealing in Portland weather). It’s beautiful inside and the décor is very inviting and relaxing. The light fixtures and chandeliers are amazingly stunning and I want to steal them for my future home. The staff is super friendly and the drinks are good. The food menu is limited but everything sounded great.
They have a DJ coming in nightly and I can see it becoming a very popular weekend spot. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a cool new place to have a few drinks with friends. It would also be a really great place to take a date (hint, hint guys).

The atmosphere at Lightbar is amazing. I can’t really tell what they’re going for — a mix of modern art pieces with antique wood features along with the changing lighting. Whatever it is, it works, very chill vibes and the light therapy must be working because I left feeling much more relaxed and happy (combined with the effects of alcohol, of course). They were projecting a movie on the wall («The Descent: Part 2») and a guest DJ, Josh Romo, was performing that night also. Pretty solid music!
They separate their drink menu by spirit, which is an easy way for you to narrow down the loooong list of cocktails. I opted for a tequila choice dubbed «Big Nose Goes to Mexico» — tequila, rum, 151, guava and lime juice served on the rocks and lit on fire. There was a bit too much ice so it made the portion really small, but other than that it was a delicious drink.
The bartender was doing a location series showcasing wines from around the world, including Argentina, Spain, and Italy to name a few. He was kind enough to let me taste a few, and I went with the table wine that he suggested. I didn’t get the name, but it was a very light and fruity red, I would definitely get it again!
Food-​wise, it was all good but nothing truly memorable. We shared 3 plates for $ 15, and had the short ribs, the pulled pork sliders, and the flatbread pizza. Portions were also small, but I don’t expect much more for bar food.
The ambiance and the wonderful bartender won me over. As a sun-​loving girl in Oregon, I’ll definitely be back for some good times!

This space is so nice! The cocktail list is long enough to have variety but exciting enough to make you want to attempt to try them all. Nice selection of liquor… even saw some Tito’s on the shelf. Also the staff was telling us about the barrel-​aged that were done on site!
The light therapy must be working in this place because everyone smiles in this place.
The staff is super friendly in here and know how to take care of their customers. They were so attentive and there were plenty of us to keep them busy.
This is a small place but long enough to keep people moving. Did notice there is only one bathroom which can pose a problem if there is a line and you’re at the end. That really is a tiny problem because it’s probably not a very recurring problem! :)
I cannot wait to go back here and sit under the canopy and enjoy a wonderful drink. Come pull up some booth.

I cannot wait to go back here!
First off, the ambiance here is amazing. So many interesting changes with the lighting and it really sets a great mood. I also loved the fabric canopy over some of the seating, making it more intimate.
I had several cocktails here and they just kept impressing me. I had a classic Moscow Mule, which was mixed to perfection. I also had a Bee’s Knees, which had several ingredients, but the gin and honey stood out. Yum! They also made me a vodka lemon fizz, which was so refreshing and just the perfect amount of each ingredient.
We snacked on the flatbread pizza and meatballs. Both were good, but the flatbread was to die for. I couldn’t figure out what ingredient it was, but something made it pop and brought all the flavors together!
Employees were great. Seriously, can’t wait to return!

Lightbar, you’re alright, bar!
I’ve been here a handful of times now and have had great experiences. It feels like they’re still working out some kinks here and there, but the food and drinks are excellent and the main bartender is TOPS. The first thing I ate here was a grilled cheese sandwich, and it quickly hit the list as one of the fanciest and yummiest grilled cheeses I’ve ever had.
Things I have experienced here, on different visits:
— Our adult scout troop had a meeting of about 20 people & projected our slide deck onto one of the walls. The music was a little loud, but the place worked out alright.
— I had a featured molecular gastronomy experimental gelatin sculpture «cocktail.» It was fas-​cin-​A-​ting. If you see something like that, I mean, you have to try it, right?
— A random fella asked me out and I totally started dating him.*
Depending on the night & the lights, the environment can vary significantly. I’ve been witness to Irish music, jazz, electronica & lighting schemes that shift from green to red to yellow to blue to purple. It’s interesting, but can occasionally drive one to distraction.
There’s more to be said, and it’s kind of a ya-​have-​to-​decide-​for-​yourself kinda thing, but in general: interesting space, lovely people running the place, yummy food & great drinks. So there’s some gold at the end of this rainbow, for sure.
*results not typical

Be weary of some of the low reviews here. While some rate this spot low yet give 5 stars to Starbucks and yogurt spots. I think the confusion exists in that this is a bar, not a restaurant. There is no table service here and the plates are on the small side. It’s not a dinner spot, it’s a bar. The drinks are good. They offer plenty of beer and barrel aged cocktails. It’s really nice inside with something unique that sits outside of the Portland cliché and run of the mill. It’s not a suit and tie place, it’s not a hipster joint, it’s a spot for cocktails and a cool environment. Check them out, come as you are and support a new idea.

I went back to the Lightbar for my third time and now I am the Duke it says. This is the first time I ate there though. I noticed a 15% off Unilocal checkin special that sure is nice.
I had found this place a couple of weeks ago and got a happy hour beer for 3 bucks. (they call it golden hour)
Luckily they were still open at 9:30 and I took my cousin there who had just arrived from Denver. The vibe is really nice there and they were playing her favorite artist on the very nice sound system. She ordered a fancy cocktail which was very very good. We ordered 3 different dishes and ate family style. All people agreed that these dishes were some of the best they had eaten. We got the Quinoa and cabbage salad (11 bucks), the avocado and spinach panini (8 bucks) and a special non menu dish that was baked mac and cheese with homemade sausage (9 bucks). I gave them all 5 stars, but would have given the mac and cheese 6 stars if I could.
I usually eat pretty cheap, but really this place is only like 1 buck more than a food truck and for that buck you get a lot of carefully selected local ingredients + a place to sit down and chill. I totally feel like this place is a great value.
Also it does take an extra couple of minutes to whip up these dishes because this isn’t like McDonalds where they have the food already in the window. So when you go here keep that in mind.
The staff was super nice and we had been celebrating and it got late and I am sure we lolligagged and blathered on talking to them, but they were all really nice and made us feel welcomed.

Um… what is this place? I happened to be in the neighborhood the night they were having some sort of grand opening. The place was really busy, and there was a DJ. The crowd was a really strange mix of people, which pretty much matched the strange mix of elements going on at Lightbar.
It looks like they’re setting themselves up as some sort of coffee shop or bistro, but then what’s up with the crazy lights and DJ? The menu looks like fancy salads and sandwiches (from what I saw), so it looks like they’ll generally be a more intimate setting to grab a bite and a nice cocktail. Food and drink prices were high, and they were having a hell of a time processing credit cards on the night I was there.
I did hear from somebody that the food is really good, so it might be worth a second look. The beer selection was very small, though, so I’ll probably take my chances elsewhere…