Rogue Brewpubs - Big Disappointment

[Grannyknot]

This is a bit of a rant, but I am curious if anyone has the same experiences and opinions.

I'll keep the boring bits brief. We recently traveled around Oregon. First off, the state laws about minors in bars is weird to me. We peeped into the door of tugboat brewing in portland one afternoon. Bartender yelled "NO MINORS"...we had our infant son with us, asleep, strapped onto my wifes chest. Ok cool, whatever. But even the places that do serve enough food to allow minors herd you off like cattle into the most unwelcoming corner of the building. Whatever.

So the Rogue brewpubs. I was excited to be able to taste the full array of brews. So one night for dinner, we went to Rogue in Portland. Waited around for a table, because the "bar area" apparently had the restraining order against us. Finally got seated. The place was cramped and somewhat messy. I think I could have found a full plate of food on the floor. They did have a rather large beer selection, so I started asking questions. The server knew nothing....and I mean nothing....I mean what? Its Rogue, one of the most famous craft breweries in the world...wouldn't they at least try to give their employees some product knowledge? Eventually, she handed me some sort of beer info 3 ring binder. That helped a little. Most of the pages had been torn out. Had to change the baby's diaper in the bathroom. It was disgustingly dirty....beyond description. The food was absolutely horrible. The kitchen must have been a countertop with a deep frier and a microwave.

Ok, maybe the Portland location is run down & known for being poorly ran. We'll be on the coast in a few days and will visit Newport.

Thought about going to the brewery tasting room itself, but really couldn't find much info on the internet, except that some dude went by there at 5pm on a Saturday and it was closed. Plus, for all we knew, some Oregon hipster was going to yell NO MINORS at us as soon as we pulled into the parking lot.

So we went to the Newport location downtown, by the fishermans wharf. Walked in, terrible atmosphere. 5 o'clock and the place was nearly empty. Smelled. Server brought us a sample of their new Pilsner. All this good beer and you bring me your version of BMC?? Ordered a nitro stout....ok, I think somebody forget to hook up the nitro. We didn't waste money on food, thank god. Had to change the kid again in the bathroom. Oh Gawd. Did somebody puke in here? WTF?? So nasty. Oh, but the server did give our little boy a free frisbee.....which was left at another table and had kids meal served on it. Thanks, but there is ketchup all over the underside. Ooops.

What gives? Are these just well known dives?
I mean, I can't even bring myself to buy one of my favorite Rogue bombers at the store anymore. Tell me the brewery is where its at. Please.

 

[Punity]

Chalk It up to a bad experience I've never experienced a bad time at the Newport pub been there every year when we travel down the coast. I like the binder lets me read and take my time while not wasting the servers time. The place is supposed to have the old timey grungy feeling you did walk around the rest of the port it's all like that.

I've never been to the Portland one but I also surmise it was probably not the norm.

 

[todd_k]

I've been to the one in San Francisco and it was a great time. AHA discount too.

 

[RobertRGeorge]

The great Michael Lewis teaches in his seminars that a brewpub is not a brewery that sells food. It's a restaurant that makes beer. People come in at first for the beer but they come back for the food.

Sounds to me like Rogue does not get that. But hell, this is a company that thinks bacon-donut beer is a good idea, and has launched a project to make beer out of the brewmaster's beard.

I've drunk very little Rogue in my time, and I reckon I will drink very little in the future.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Rogue is so 1990's.

There are numerous kid-friendly places in Portland.

MC

 

[cardinalsfan]

I had no issues at the Newport location. Got an awesome tour, had some great beers and checked out their distillery!!

 

[wuilliez]

The brewery in Newport (the actual brewery, not the bay front restaurant) is pretty good. It gives me a chance to try their beers that I normally wouldn't see in stores, and their samplers allow me to try their questionable beers without blowing 10 bucks on a bomber. The food was meh, much better places to eat in Newport. Overall my experiences are fun. I'd recommend that over the other places from the sounds of it.

 

[sa1126]

That is a total bummer to hear. I will steer clear if I am ever in the area.

 

[Punity]

That is a total bummer to hear. I will steer clear if I am ever in the area.

Don't off of one Persons experience go find out for yourself.

 

[SpentGrains]

Well OP, if it makes you feel any better, trying to enjoy a meal out with your family only gets harder when they learn to talk and walk.

Good luck.

 

[Grannyknot]

Don't off of one Persons experience go find out for yourself.

Very true. It does appear that I just managed to go at a bad time for both locations. Good to know they are well respected establishments.

 

[45_70sharps]

I went to the Portland one a week ago.
Me and my buddy were well over 21 ( well over double for me ) so we sat at the bar.
The regulars in there were "interesting" folks, but the bar tenders were nice and helpful. They seemed to know a bit about the beers.
We drank many many many of the smaller sample beers, paid for maybe 2/3's of those.
Other than the voodoo doughnut bacon maple beer, mostly good stuff. The mead tasted like apple cider, I assume because they use that to sweeten it and save some money over using enough honey.

The place was as clean as a bar would normally be, but I didn't go into the dinning area. They did have a bucket on the floor catching water from a leak in the roof, but that's just the way things are in an old building. They get a leak and you put a bucket there while you wait to get it fixed.
I had a good time there. Not sure I would go back. Between the parking down town, the odd people, the cost of hanging out in a place like that and the fact that it's a 3 hour drive home it's just not worth it.

It was fun though.

 

[Kittyfeet]

We've always had good experiences at Rogue in Portland and Newport. Beer is good, food is good, servers are ok. I don't recall the places being dirty or unkempt.