NWIPA

You can almost hear the pre-​opening discussion between the owners:
«What décor should we go with?»
«Décor? Who needs décor? Let’s just open the place as is!»
Really, «minimalist» or «spare» are understatements. This is sort of like drinking in your friend’s garage. Except your friend’s garage probably has better service.

This is my kick back spot to enjoy a beer. Not just any beer some great tasting IPAs that constantly rotate. If I have a question I simply ask the friendly bearded dudes while they are sorting through their collection of vinyls. The two guys here can always help describe what they have on tap. They usually even have some ciders on tap and in the case to satisfy the sweeter side of things. I’m glad we live around the block cause after a few IPAs you need a little fresh air so be safe, but if you need something to soak up some alcohol they have a small menu. I haven’t tried anything but I watch it go by somedays wanting to snag a bite.
There is plenty of room inside and some picnic tables to hang out on. I’m always taken aback by the building itself. The long wood bar, the hardwood floors, the old feel you get inside. Stop in and grab a beer, take a bottle with you to go, and even grab a pint of Salt and Straw to go but stop in.

Ron and I were in the neighborhood checking something else out. He raved about a beer he loved and said it was served right next door at NWIPA. They also served hard ciders to accommodate my taste. He opened the door and I walked in and so glad I did.
The bartender/​owner greeted us right away. Ron’s fave beer was not available at the time, so the bartender spent quite a bit of time helping us make some good choices. He gave us each samples of the good stuff and once satisfied pulled those drinks. Ron had a beer pretty close in taste to his favorite (very hoppy), and I had a cider called X-​17 that was a beautiful pale gold and had a character and taste a little close to champagne that made me very hoppy. We then ordered food from the menu at the bar. There were about five or six menu items (with a special on burgers to come at 6 p.m.), and Ron recommended the meatball sandwich. You will soon find out if it was a good choice!
When we first walked in and fueled by the need for beer and cider, neither one of us had taken much notice of the spare interior, but once we looked, we were impressed. Of course, the bar is the centerpiece and there are a few tables scattered around it. This place is clean within an inch of its life and sparingly decorated with a few well-​chosen pieces of artwork. I liked the simplicity a lot, very relaxing really, and we also noticed not only the cleanliness but also the care with which everything in the bar was placed and taken care of. For example, they use picnic tables for some of the seating, but these aren’t your mama’s picnic tables and seemed more like fine furniture. They had been sanded down, sealed, and beautifully finished.
By the time we were ready to receive our sandwiches, a crowd had gathered at the bar and having a lot of fun. I appreciated they were having fun AND being courteous of the rest of us already there. Good choices of music were in evidence and not too loud. Those of us at the tables could converse easily. Now to the sandwiches. I almost never order meatball sandwiches because to me they are most of the time big and sloppy and heartburn inducing. Not these, no sir. They were served on some substantive and delicious french bread with not a drop of tomato sauce in sight to be dropped on my blouse. The meatballs were more like Swedish meatballs, a little smaller and sliced, and never once flew out of the sandwiches. Seasoning was perfect. Some sliced, not-​too-​hot pickled peppers were placed on the sandwich and added the perfect punch. I’m still thinking about that sandwich even while writing this review.
I hadn’t been over to this neighborhood for years, even though I have several cousins who live in the area. The FoPo neighborhood is coming right along as evidenced by establishments such as NWIPA. If you haven’t been over in that neck of the woods for awhile, head on over to NWIPA, visit, have a beer, and try one of their delicious items on the menu. I have a feeling you just might like it.

I la la la la love this place. I mean, yes its in walking distance from my house, but I would totally still check them out if I was across the water. So… this place has been open for a while now and they have been doing little changes here and there.
Inside is pretty nice and they have that picnic table motif going on and have decent seating outside. This bottle shop is a little different because of the guys who own it. They choose some really good beers to have on tap and I have never been let down by their suggestions or what they have in the coolers to take home or open there. PLUS I love IPA’s and dark beers and that is what they cater to. Don’t let the name fool you, they always have a cider on rotation and other options for those not into IPA’s. They rotate the taps out frequently and have beers not just from the NW. They play homage to a GOOD BEER regardless of where it comes from. They also have salt&straw ice cream to take home and have some small eats to enjoy that surely look good; I haven’t had a chance to try them just yet. I recently saw them cooking on the grill outside and you can sometimes find a food cart parked in front if something is going on. You can always bring food in and there is Foster Carts just down the road if you want to eat some tasty food from the carts. They also have a decent collection of records, yes VINYL, playing that has me bobbing my head or swinging my foot.
Basically, if you like beer, come here. Check these dudes out, they know what they are doing. If you have gown down Foster, I know you have seen this place. Stop. You won’t be disappointed. I think they are under rated and we need to get more people in here and spread the word.

Good beer, good (but unhyped) food, and good collection of records playing. And on sunny day or warm evening, a brilliant spot to sip on a tasty beer outside whilst watching the Foster environs.
Could have been five stars if it weren’t for the blah energy/​décor inside and somewhat snooty bar tenders.

The name says it all, and they do it well! Nice spot great music. They have a great record collection, great ipa selection and if you want the best ipa on the menu just ask one of the beertenders and they’ll serve it to you.

Great bar if you enjoy a good IPA. They have a limited menu for food but at the time we went they had some amazing oysters on the menu which I would definitely recommend. The atmosphere is great and I really enjoyed that they had board games to play while we drank good beer.

These guys do it right. I’ve lived all over Portland and now having a house in the FoPo/​/​Tabor area is so refreshing to look into the past the way downtown and SE «was». It’s places like this that make Portland special without having to be right downtown – you feel like part of the neighborhood.
We had good local IPAs (girlfriend is gluten-​free and found Groundbreaker here always a plus!). They served up oysters and an excellent meat plate with mustards and pickles veggies.
Service was everything you want: small staff easy to talk to, friendly, and not beer snobs (although they know their trade well).
Glad to call this place my neighborhood bottleshop/​growler fill/​bar.

I really wanted to like this place, but after dealing with the pretentious snobs that serve beer, I won’t be back. I’ve been there about 5 times and got attitude every time and the beer is overpriced.

Excellent selection of beer for a bar. Everything from excellent IPAs on tap to a good selection of bottled beer. Nice art posted on the walls
Food: small selection with good tasting food.
Service: good overall service from the bartender

I have been here several times and always have e been less that enthusiastic about their service but yesterday was the worst/​or perhaps best example of how not to serve people. The servers/​owners of this place seem to think that snobby indifference and a short attitude is they way to go. I can assure them that it is not. Their beer selection is ok not stellar and their food is pretty good but not worth being snooty about. I will not be going back after being told ‘we don’t do table service’ by the server in a really surly manner. Not to mention there was no table to serve. There are many, many better places to get a beer and a bite where you are not treated as an annoyance for ordering something.

This place is the best. We lived in the neighborhood for a year and would walk over all the time. A perfect place to meet friends or study with a beer. They select some of the best IPA’s and the menu changes all the time so there is always something new. The crew knows their beer!

I love NWIPA! The menu, while not huge, always has tasty and unique items. And, as an IPA lover, there is no beer I wouldn’t like here, except perhaps a few of the bottles in the cooler. I highly recommend it! Wished I lived nearer.

Rad place that always has a good selection of brews on tap and even more in bottles. It’s simple layout is warm and inviting without being over the top like a lot of other places in PDX. The only thing that could make it better would be a patio that isn’t just the tables out front. Check it out!

Over priced place for standard beer to be sold to you by a guy that doesn’t care about anything. Sometimes business PPP up and you think «some kid just got access to his trust fund and thought that this would be fun». This is one of those poor attempts at running a cool business. There was that time that three dudes behind the counter couldn’t figure out how to accept cash as payment. That was painful. Then there was the time that the guy was a jerk about my beer choice. I only go here when someone says «meet me at NWIPA, we’ll figure out where to go from there «.

So I totally get what they are going for here… I am a beer geek I get it… however after a visit I was really disappointed… not by the establishment but by the staff… the sadly ironic hipster in a trucker hat that seemed annoyed to have to help us yesterday afternoon was a first turn off.
Grumpy Beardo McTruckerhatz Hipster was exasperated that I asked him about a beer and what style it was (yes I understand they are all IPA’s but what kind? session… double…etc??)…I was really wanting to like the place but turned off. It got even lamer when said employee informed my friend that he couldn’t get a fill of growler from one of their taps (Barley Brown Pallet Jack)…and then went on to inform him that, «no one does fills of the Browns»…I smiled as had one pint and then drove 5 minutes from NWIPA and left with a fill of Barley Browns great beer elsewhere.
Didn’t try the food or anything else. Seems like big open and empty space with just a few lonely taps that weren’t all the interesting.
Perhaps the ode to NWA in the name really does fit…

I love local beer! I love IPA! I love 80’s metal, both on the walls and on the air! I only like NWIPA.
On paper, I totally get the concept. However, the ratios are all off. I think they’re losing business by catering to the 25 – 45 year old Fo-​Po hipsters living in biking distance of the place.
Don’t get me wrong, I was drooling over the stack of vinyl beside the bar. I wondered if the Danzig we were listening to was on a record player. I also love the concert photography and at a glance can name most of the artists.
If I wear an Iron Maiden t-​shirt it’s supposed to be ironic. I’m making fun of the fact that, «I’m a rocker through and through.» I think Joe Dirte can explain my problem with their business model best.
Joe Dirt: You’re gonna stand there, ownin’ a fireworks stand, and tell me you don’t have no whistlin’ bungholes, no spleen splitters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker doos, hoosker don’ts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers, with or without the scooter stick, or one single whistlin’ kitty chaser?
Kicking Wing: No… because snakes and sparklers are the only ones I like.
Joe Dirt: Well that might be your problem, it’s not what you like, it’s the consumer.

First off, the bar is beautiful. I love the wood and the whole place visually. I stopped in to buy a growler and take a peak at maybe a good little spot for dinner /​date. I will most likely update my review of this place when I am slightly drunk and have eaten their food.
For now lets just say I am pleased with there selection and the option of buying and leaving for later! Tar Benders seemed pleasant. Not much of a dive feel more hipster feeling but its okay because I like that portland feeling.

A jewel in the Foster-​Powell neighborhood! The beer selection, while mainly limited to IPA, is very well selected. These guys do their homework. And while you won’t find every IPA, you will find that every IPA they have is good. As the same with the bar menu; small but well selected. It is a truly curated experience.
The atmosphere is pleasant and clean and the music is almost always enjoyable. I can firmly say that this is one of the best places for a beer snob to get a beer in SE PDX.

Hey, do you like IPAs? If so, there’s a place on Foster made just for you!
But um. I, personally, wouldn’t know an IPA if it hopped up and bit me, so I’m super glad they also have some drinks for the sweeter set, such as thoughtfully-​selected white and pink wine and several ciders, not to mention smooth scoops of Salt & Straw ice cream (just one easy step away from a crazy decadent cider float, hmm…).
On top of the ice cream — well, technically before it, but same dairy overload — I had myself a cheese plate, that featured everything I love about a cheese plate: blue cheese, jam, some figgy love, and some lovely toasted como bread to pull it all together.
And you know what else? The owners are WAY nice! We initially went on a super hot day, and all three of them were kind and accommodating, even going so far as to move a big hunka table from the back to the front so our group could get a little breeze.
In their first week of business, I asked if our adult scout troop (Portland Badgers represent!) could meet there, and they were 100% game, and did a great job of getting all of us served up right. The space is open and airy and nicely appointed, and the bar is one you’ll want to caress.
I’m excited for this place and I’d love to see it do well. It’s just around the corner from my hood, and enticing enough that I can maybe draw my friends out in my direction. Extra stars abound. Foster, man. Get out here.