McMenamins Kennedy School

Recommends

meta218

Joined 4 years ago

funky bar/restaurant. I'm fron Southern California, and it's been difficult finding good eats in Beaverton. I went out to this restaurant/bar/movie theater and was pleasantly surprised! After we got through the long wait, Friday night, ended up ordering dinner from the bar, and having it delivered to us at their theater located in the same building (you can imagine how big this place must be). I even had wine while I was having dinner. Not the coziest seating, but definitely different from California. Love it! Can't wait to take my friends who'll visit soon.

Doesn't Recommend

Oregonjaybird

Joined 5 years ago

Come On In and Wait For Awhile!. If you pop on in to the Boiler Room on any given Friday or Saturday night be sure to bring a patio lounger! I swear to God and all creation, McMenamins must mean "neat places with horrible staffing and boring food" in the Irish dictionary. This place is not only under-staffed, but the help they do have seems more interested in their second-hand-store fashion than getting things out quickly with a smile.

And for the record, the french fries at ANY McMenanmins are the most horrible tasting potato products you will ever put in your mouth. The fascinating thing is that they've always been that way. Always. And the rest of the food is so sub-par as to be considered filler. Surely a public taste-test would reveal what everyone already knows: that no one goes to McMenamins for the food.

People go to McMenamins because they either want to show an out-of-towner "how cool" it is, or because their establishments are usually crowed and so want to feel their group is part of something bigger going on.

Come for the beer and decor, but do not expect more.

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PdxAboutTown

Joined 4 years ago

Great time. Stayed for a night with my wife both had a real great time. What could be greater than a fun afternoon of playing games going here going out to dinner then watching a movie followed by a stroll. I know getting to not have to drive home plastered and staying right there were it all went down.

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danofvan

Joined 4 years ago

Best experience. The service was great, the waitress took our jokes with a wonderful spirit, was very professional, the food was great (complements to the chefs), the drink was great and the sweets were amazing, the whole atmosphere was very nice and encouraging, we were there on Cico de Mayo, the only things if they would just have longer happy hours until 7:00 or even 8:00 because by the time we leave our offices and drive there the happy hour will end so help us out here guys, we love your place but we also love the Happy hour ;) it was a great experience and I loved it, for sure I am going back there with my friends, family, everybody and his dog, it fit for all.

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punshine

Joined 7 years ago

Love this place!. I usually eat in the Courtyard Restaurant. The menu has lots to choose from. The quality of food is consistently good. Service is always attentive. The drinks are wonderful, my favorites are the Ruby beer or their Lemon Drops. The atmosphere is extremely appealing. There is something for everyone here. I've gone for drinks with adults, movies with friends, dinner with the family (including little kids). This place is good for small and large groups. The desserts look good, but I'm always too full to try them.

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blakehup

Joined 5 years ago

I wish I still lived in Portland!. People who live in Portland have no idea how amazing a place like McMenamin's is. The fact that you can watch a movie AND get a beer for under $10 is amazing. Every time I visit Portland, I go to a McMenamin's and catch a movie. Also, while on my soap box, Portlanders also take for granted they are spoiled with some of the best beer in the country, no sales tax and a climate that is way better than people say (I still tell people I meet that it rains every day in Portland so they won't move there and make the traffic worse). Portlanders, drink an amazing micro-brew for me!

Your jealous friend in San Diego.

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littlewings

Joined 5 years ago

Lets go to the Movies.... I have eaten at the restaurant a few times and it is just ok, but I really love watching movies here! Couches+beer+good movie = fun

Doesn't Recommend

t0adman

Joined 11 years ago

Neat but the horrible food ruins it!. User pancakesthebunny's review is exactly spot on. I usually like to go into more detail but I'm not sure I could do a better job. In summary, the food is miserable. Our breakfast was barely warm at best and quite terrible. The coffee took forever to arrive and sat empty for quite some time once it was poured. Please tell me how you can screw up breakfast? Is there an easier meal to make than scrambled eggs and sausage? It seems to me McMenamin's is resting on their reputation and letting complacency take the lead. Very cool building and theme but huge disappointment in the restaurant.

Doesn't Recommend

pancakesthebunny

Joined 6 years ago

why so popular?. McMenamin's pubs enjoy more popularity than they should. The buildings are fascinating - especially the Kennedy School, which is almost like a freaky haunted house. The soak tub is a neat feature, but it closes at 10pm. And the movie theatre is affordable, comfortable (with couches!) and usually has good movies, especially the movie afternoon for moms with kids.

However, the food at the Kennedy School is severely lacking. I can't stress that enough. The salsa is like flavorless ketchup - how do you mess up salsa? The only decent menu item is the tater tots. It should be noted that the McMeniman's at Edgefield has equally bad food - serving overcooked (possibly previously frozen?) shrimp and cold chicken at $20 a plate. Drinks are interesting but overpriced, and the bartenders I've had there couldn't mix a decent mojito even with my explicit (but friendly) instructions.

Overall, it's a great place to go once or to take your tourist friends, but the food, drinks and prices make it a one-time thing. It's "cool" and "trendy" but every time I hear someone say that it's "the way to get to know Portland and Portlanders," I cringe.

Recommends

evexo

Joined 6 years ago

local art, local beer, local flair. My husband and I often choose Kennedy School for low key evenings out. As many others have mentioned, the food is not particularly stellar, (burgers are rather cardboard, but toppings are lush and tasty), but you can't beat the funky, homey ambiance. We arrive early, and wander through the fun, art filled halls, checking out all the murals, mosaics and frivolous artistic flourishes that can be found everywhere, along with copious amounts of school memorabilia. McMenamins employed local artisans, and the witty Portland aesthetic pervades the building, which is just a beautiful elegant structure to begin with. We order food at the restaurant and bring it into the gym to settle into a comfy couch for the film. Very homey, with fun and no cooking or cleanup. A great cheap date. We always seem to get lucky with street parking