Secret Society Lounge

Great place for an intimate cocktail. Small with a dim speakeasy atmosphere and drinks to match. Service was prompt, polite, and attentive. Drinks were refreshing, well crafted cocktails. Great ambiance.

We arrived early last night for a show at The Wonder Ballroom and wandered upstairs to this bar to have a cocktail and kill some time. Pleasantly surprised and looking forward to going back. Small, dark, intimate, classy, loved the red walls, dark wood and high ceilings. The bartender was very busy but very efficient. Cocktails were great. Atmosphere was intimate and cozy. Busy and popular place with people standing and waiting. Didn’t have food so can’t comment on the menu, but the lights snacks coming out of the kitchen looked good. We will definitely go back.

Nice ambience. Just had a basic cava while waiting for Toro bravo. My partner had a Manhattan and seemed to enjoy it. Laid back and nice ballroom right by the bar.

Love this place! It is such a quiet, elegant, and cozy place for a date night.
We came here before dinner at Ox, so we didn’t try any of the food, but it looks really delicious.
The cocktail list is extensive and creative, with seasonal specialty drinks. They also have a solid roundup of beers on draft, wine, and champagne. Come during happy hour, as they have good discounts on select cocktails and their wines/​beers/​etc.

Great drinks and atmosphere. Limited seating so you may have to wait. Great place to grab a drink before or after eating at one of the restaurants near by, like Toro Bravo.

Service was poor to mediocre (slow and unattentive waitress) but the drink is fantastic, and the atmosphere is amazing. The lounge seemed like 200 hundred years old European lounge. The place is nice, small, cozy. Best Lounge I have been to. Highly recommend.

A-​Maze-​Ing-​Ly coooooool. And I’m not talking hipster cool, or Portland cool, or Millennial staying in your mommas house until you’re 35… ok that’s not even remotely cool. This place is class. And I mean classy in all the right ways.
Hand-​crafted drinks, incredible small bites to eat and a really retro and welcoming atmosphere. Not to mention only paying $ 7 to see three bands! Who does that in Portland???
Just take a walk up the stairs just past the Wonder Ballroom and you step into a speakeasy from the past, 1907 to be exact. Mirrors and dark wooden walls, old brass light fixtures and an array of liquor bottles. And that is just the bar area. The back room, a former fraternal lodge meeting hall, where the bands play is a bit larger and more open. The stage isn’t all that high so the bands are right there with you and it’s an intimate crowd. They have a table set up at the rear to create some of the great cocktails or to get yourself a pint of the beer that they are offering for the evening.
I had set up a little UYE for this show because I wanted to see if I could do it. Three of us enjoyed some great music and the rest just plain missed out. It’s good to get out and see music with Krystal F. and Vinnie B. I was there for one band, a local act here in Portland that I started listening to when I first saw them two years earlier. The Sentiments. I’ve now seen them six times and I’ll keep seeing them as long as they continue to play that great stuff. Really talented 50s-​60s era ska music. The other acts were a Mod band and and 60s era Quincy Jones type of musical group.
I did mention the food. We got a couple of small bites. We got popcorn with olive oil, black pepper and parmesan. We also got pickled deviled eggs. Those were something unique and special. We wanted to order more of them they were so good. As for the popcorn, the bowl was huge and it took the three of us most of the show to finish it off. My drink of choice for the evening was the classic Old Fashioned, and OMG did they do that right. It was the most incredible one or two that I’ve ever had and thanks to winning a bet with Vinnie (Eagles beat Dallas) my drinks were free!
This is a great small venue to see live acts. I’d like to just come back for happy hour and to enjoy the bar area and see what the recording studios look like. This place is legit! I’ll be back soon, definitely in January to see The Sentiments!

A little cramped. By this, I mean that you’ll end up elbowing people every time you try to take a sip of your drink while standing around awkwardly behind people who are seated, and maybe tripping over someone’s bag that they’ve placed awkwardly on the floor, for lack of any other options.
I’ve been here twice for drinks, and twice for the Moth. Drinks were fine, pretty run-​of-​the-​mill Portland cocktail scene fare in a dark, classy bar. The Moth is always a great experience, but the seating situation really detracts from it. If you don’t have enough places to have each ticketholder either sit or have a table to stand semi-​near and place their drink on it… don’t sell that many tickets.

Pretty much an a-​ok cocktail bar. I like the atmosphere and history, but otherwise there isn’t really much to talk about. The hostess was inefficient — the entire time I was there there were open bar seats yet numerous parties outside. I don’t think she was actually using the list outside since we were pretty far down the list when we wrote our name in, but were called second (not complaining).
The cocktails themselves were decent, but nothing special. I wish they had a more innovative menu, with a few unique ingredients. Basically nothing worth raving about, but not a bad place to stop in if you’re in the area.

This was a totally amazing experience. Read all the previous reviews – its amazing. We popped in whilst waiting one hour (8−9pm) on a Tuesday night for a table at Toro Bravo. It was well worth it! Jess was probably the best bartender/​conversationalist I have ever run into; he poured some amazing libations and was a kind, cool dude. We ordered the «8^th Ward» and a bubbly cocktail. Then got the Moscow Mule in a copper cup which was very satisfying for a voddy drinker.
Bottom line is that this is one of the best bar/​cocktail/​lounge experiences you will ever have son come here and enjoy yourself and enjoy life!

At the time I am writing this review, over 30% of the recommended reviews mention Toro Bravo — an unaffiliated restaurant. This is entirely appropriate, given that Secret Society is the de facto waiting area for Toro Bravo customers. In fact, I can say with confidence that I never would have come here if if it hadn’t been for for the popular tapas joint downstairs.
Secret Society is an excellent little cocktail lounge in NE Portland (just above Toro Bravo). The building is steeped in history and still resembles what it must have looked like when it was built in the early 1900s and housed a couple of fraternal organizations. The lounge portion of the business is a single, dimly lit, high-​ceilinged room with a full bar. The building also features a ballroom and recording studio.
As far as I’m concerned, cocktails are the reason to visit Secret Society. The cocktail menu is extensive and sorted by base alcohol. Check out the Monkey Gland, made with Gin, Absinthe, Orange Juice, and Grenadine. Be sure to also check out the board for seasonal drink specials. Beer, wine, and cider are also available in more limited selection.
If for some reason you’re not waiting for Toro Bravo, they do have a full menu of food. I don’t know anything about it. What I do know a little something about is their happy hour menu, which is available from 5 – 7 and again from 10-​close (not on Friday/​Saturday). This has lots of great appetizer-​esque offerings that can help tide you over if you’re waiting for a proper dinner. During happy hour, specialty cocktails are just $ 6 and all draft beer and wine is $ 1 off.
I’ll undoubtedly be back. When I’m back, it will once again be because I’m waiting for a table at Toro Bravo. This place is great, but not great enough to get me to drive 20 minutes just to come here.

Great atmosphere in this cozy venue. Terrific drinks, limited food menu. Had a great champagne cocktail that I will order again, on my next visit.
Great place to experience intimate musical performances. Wish the sound system was better so you didn’t have to hear the background buzz. That’s why I am withholding the fifth star.

Fun and intimate lounge with awesome cocktail options. Not much seating, so be prepared for a wait.

Ventured upstairs to wait for a table at Toro Bravo. Would come here again just for this place!!! Excellent drinks and appetizers!

The selfish side of me wants The Secret Society to stay a secret. Though, judging by how busy they got on a Monday… I’m pretty sure everyone knows about the splendor of this spot.
I came in with a friend and lucky for us it was happy hour! We snagged a spot at the bar and weren’t rushed once to leave. We sat for almost two hours, drinking, eating and just enjoying the atmosphere.
Secret Society Lounge is small. Really small. I’m thinking less than 50 people small. The space is incredibly pretty and has an olden time feel to it (without the olden time smell, haha). Service is impeccable and you definitely feel like a valued customer.
I wasn’t drinking and the bartender made me a drink based off of my desire for the cayenne pepper infused orange juice. I think she said there was also ginger beer, honey, and bitters in it. I don’t know what it all had but it was amazing and I ordered a second pretty quickly. My friend ordered one of the specials and loved it, he kept trying to get me to taste it and despite my desire to, I restrained (which I’m pretty bummed about). We also ordered the green beans and the mozzarella, fennel and artichoke panini with orzo pasta. The sandwich was really good which is saying something because I don’t often order sandwiches. The green beans weren’t bad and the orzo wasn’t terrible but there was too much feta and olives in it for me, my friend loved it!
I already know I’m going to be spending a lot of time here. There’s a lot of street parking which makes it even better!

Met a friend here after work; glad he suggested this place. It is located upstairs over Toro Bravo. It is an old style jazz bar with great cocktails. Lots of choices. My friend got two and both were well made. Me, I am a softy for prosecco and this was a good one.
They have food; we settled on the antipasto plate. it was a good choice. There are lots of appetizers and entrees. You can snack; you can eat. Jazz starts early. If you enjoy local jazz, good cocktails and good food, this is a great place to come. Glad we did.

Conveniently located above Toro Bravo!
We came here to wait (2 hours) for our dinner at Toro Bravo and I don’t think I would’ve found this place otherwise. I’m new to Portland, so I’ve never heard of this place.
It’s pretty tiny and there’s limited seating, but they have a large selection and variety of special cocktails!
They also have a food menu :)
Early Happy Hour is Sun-​Thurs from 5−7pm. $ 6 cocktails that are written on their chalkboard above the bar and $ 1 off wine and draft beer.
Late Happy Hour is Sun-​Thurs 10-​close. $ 1 wines, beers, and moscow mules!

Awesome Atmosphere? Check
Great Cocktail? Check
Awesome super duper Service? Check
All in all this place is amazing. Placed in an old Woodmen of the World Meeting Hall, the place is secretive and amazing all at the same time. There is a waiting list for you to sign in when you get there for the lounge and a small waiting area where the waiter will come and take your order.
The bartender here makes one of the best Cosmo’s that I ever had. It was smooth and tasty. My husband also remarked that it had the best Old-​Fashion he has ever had.
We definitely would bring someone here just to introduce it to them.

Came here for HH while waiting for a table at Toro Bravo. The ambiance was mellow and welcoming. You climb upstairs and there’s two entrances, one to the bar and another to the ballroom?
Our bartender, Sadie, was really nice. She gave us really good pointers about where to go next in Portland… the NEXT time I visit Portland (which will probably be May-​September). Haha. The HH at this point was holiday centered so the drinks reminded you of what Christmas/​Thanksgiving was like.
Overall enjoyed my drink here and would definitely come back to say hi to Sadie!

Love that their kitchen is open late! We flew in at 10:30pm to PDX and needed drinks + dinner. This was a great choice.
It was fairly empty inside (about midnight on a Friday). There was a show going on in the room next door — looked like some fun lively jazz. But we stayed in the lounge to be able to catch up with our friends.
MUST-​HAVES: Parmesan Popcorn, Bee’s Knees (gin cocktail).
BITES:
* Bob’s Red Mill Popcorn (w/​olive oil, black pepper, & parmesan. $ 4 late night happy hour) — 4.5 stars
pic (remnants of an amazing bowl):

This comes out in a huge bowl, and the parmesan is delicious! Definitely went fast.
SANDWICHES
* Oregon Albacore Tuna Melt ($ 7.50 late night happy hour) — 4 stars
pic:
Not sure if it’s because we were starving, but this was pretty good. Crispy toasted bread, tuna was fine, and the chips were thick and well seasoned.
HOT DISHES:
* Steak Bites (cascade natural beef fillet w/​horseradish blue cheese butter & roasted garlic mashed potatoes. $ 9) — 4 stars
pic:
Surprisingly, the beef was very tender. The mashed potatoes were rather homogeneous and bland.
GIN COCKTAILS:
* Bee’s Knees (aviation gin, orange blossom honey, lemon juice. shaken, served up. $ 8.50) — 4.5 stars
Really nice! Well balanced — I’m not a big fan of gin and its flavor wasn’t too overpowering. You get a lot of subtle floral hints.
WHISKEY COCKTAILS:
* Blood and Sand (scotch whisky, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth, orange juice, orange twist. shaken, served up. $ 10) —
My bf got this and loved it. He describes it as earthy with a strong taste of orange, a bit sour & sweet.
Late night happy hour: