01/09/09

Great pub with good food & live music

by kenhometales

This is a great pub. All the food I, and my guests, have had has been very good. We think the fish & chips are some of the best in town. As others have indicated there is a sign at every table letting you know to order at the bar. Usually only 1 person working the bar and taking orders but it all moves along just fine and we've never had anyone give us any 'attitude' (as some other reviewers have objected to). We have always enjoyed ourselves and think it is a great place to hear groups. Recently went for the Rite of Spring and Tom May show and it was a fun night of great music and great food. One person with me had never been to the pub before and she will definitely be going back for other occasions as she really enjoyed it.

Highly recommended.

Only Con was a women talking too loudly in the back during the music. She quieted down after several people looked around to see who was making all the noise during the good music. She apparently wasn't there for the music so she really should have been visiting in the bar except that she was talking with the owner! He should have hushed her up before she bothered those that were there for the music.

• Pros: Great venue for small groups, you're practically with the musicians
• Cons: One women was talking too loud and the owner didn't quiet her quickly though she was talking with him at the sound board.

12/09/08

Some of the best music around

by PandaHat

I have seen some great touring folk acts at the Alberta Street Pub: Bruce Molsky, Bohola, Niamh Parsons... and some of Portland's greatest: The Stolen Sweets, Lara Michelle, Kate & Steve Einhorn (former owners of Artichoke music), Trashcan Joe, & lots of others.

The quality of service depends entirely on who is behind the bar. In the past, I've seen some bad attitudes, but lately everything's been fine. I like the veggie lasagna.

• Pros: music

11/03/08

Great music and great beer prices

by Angela1276

I first started going to this place because several bands that I love to hear play here sometimes and have grown very fond of it. It's one of the few places left in Portland where you can still get drinks for reasonable prices and hear some great music at the same time. And the patio out back always offers a wonderful retreat if it gets too crowded inside. I've always gotten descent service at the bar although the staff can be a little overworked at times, especially on busy nights. This is probably not the place to go though if your looking for a dining experience, it's a bar, not a sit down restaurant and the service would seem to really lack something if your expecting a restaurant. Personally I'm not a big fan of their pig themed decorating that's been way over done(there are everything from piggy banks to flying pigs on every inch of the bar and scattered around the whole place, some of them kind of creepy looking) but that may just be my personal taste.

• Pros: Great music, beer prices, covered patio
• Cons: Crowded at times, creepy pig themed decorating

10/18/08

Horrible food, horrible service

by ptownakgirl

I went to the Alberta Street Public House the other night and had the worst food and service I have ever had. The bartender was incredibly rude, rolling her eyes and huffing under her breath when we ordered. The hamburgers and nachos came out freezing cold so we had to send them back and she blamed it on us because we "ordered at a bad time" and "probably didn't pick our food up from the window right away" (even though we picked it up less than ten seconds after she set it down.) I have never felt so disrespected as a customer. I won't go back there for food again and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. The only pro -- the live music was great.

09/21/08

How Rude!

by frontrowjoe

So, never been to Alberta Street before- Going to hear some music- Check them out online.

Reviews say "Lousy Service" Good food....

That is exactly what we got when we entered the door- Couldnt belive how rude the barmaid was. How long has she gotten away with this? Customers were clearly just a pain in her as*. This woman must get a great hourly rate because she surely doesnt live on tips.

Food was OK? Nothing special- Music was OK, nothing special- infact a little weak- Sound system consisted of two speakers, mounted high- considering the size of the room- it kinda worked.

The only reason I would return here is if it was the last place on earth that I could hear some music that was important to me.....If the music is in Seattle or Eugene- I'd rather drive than return to Alberta Street Pub.

08/05/08

And for what?

by jasonthelee

Maybe I picked a bad night, but it was really horrible. It was an hour wait on a club sandwich, the one waitress (should have been more) was rude, the organized twenty minute line that stretched outside the main door for a beer was a complete mess so instead of getting a beer when you reached the head of the line, you waited instead for another 15 minutes. The bartenders moved incredibly slow considering how long the line was. Probably the first time in my life that I didn't tip. These guys are the worst, which is too bad since it had the potential to be a really good spot.

• Pros: The price was good. And I liked the wooden decor.
• Cons: The service was worse than loose baby stool. And slower.

05/12/08

Great Pub

by BarbarellaGrrrl

I have been to this pub hundreds of times and have never had any problem with service. The staff is not rude. I have no idea what you people are talking about.

as for the person who's diabetic friend ordered rum and diet, wtf? is your friend stupid? Rum is made out of sugar. I agree with the bartender.

Besides that, they have great french fries, a heated patio, its non smoking, and just generally great.

• Pros: cozy, nonsmoking
• Cons: service is slow. not bad, just slow as there is usually one person working

02/26/08

boycott

by hobovampire

I AGREE!!!! this place is awful!!!! it isn' t hard to order at the bar, it is just unacceptable to wait 15 minutes to get a beer and deal with the rude employees. these must be the coolest people in town. i mean the coolest poser hipsters. neo corporate punk rocker wannabes seems pretty accurate to me. it's corporate neopunk because it's a look that died in the 80s and is now marketed and sold to identityless hipsters like you by huge corporations. isn't tipping based on service? i'm paying you for food and tipping you, but you can't walk 10 feet to give me my food? i will never spend another cent here nor should you. you know a place is desperate when it's own employees have to review it. the old irish guy is obviously too old to be running a successful business. spend your money somewhere that appreciates your business!!!

02/13/08

learn to wipe your own butt

by Shitbomb

This is a response to the other reviews: the service here is fine. If you think it's bad it's probably because you are expecting somebody to wait your table. This is a bar, so you have to know how to take care of yourself when you come here and you'll have to learn to order a drink all by yourself. There are signs on every table that say "please order at the bar" so don't feel ignored by the staff when they don't come up and kiss your butt. Blaming it on their attire is just too easy and a cheap shot. "neo-corporate-wannabe punk rocker"? That doesn't even make any sense, you just end up sounding really insecure. If you don't want to be around people that don't look completely normal then you shouldn't hang out in the trendy "alberta arts district" because most artists are poor service industry workers. the owner is a really funny, charming old irishman who is friendy, funny and very entertaining. The pub is non-smoking, and there's a quiet, heated, sheltered patio outside for the smokers. I agree that it gets too crowded here at night so the best time to come is during happy hour for the restive atmosphere and to strike up a cheap bite to eat and converse with the goofy staff or listen to the free entertainment. Best happy hour on alberta by far. There is one rude bartender but she only works a couple days a week. Hey, every bar has at least one rude bartender, right?

• Pros: outside smoking patio, great happy hour
• Cons: too crowded at night sometimes

01/27/08

In response to the colorfully named,

by billybadly

Couldn't help myself, just had to jump in here. Listen, folks, I'm not looking for an ass-kissing, nor table service (though, let's face it: as a server, when it's slow, you can jack up your sales, and consequently your tips, by jumping out from behind the bar and offering some table service. That's standard); my vehement griping is a result of the surly disdain I've experienced on my 3 visits, whilst ordering from the bar (I've never received, nor asked for, table service). Perhaps the owner is a jolly Irishman with a delightful brogue and a gift for conversation, but as I've never seen the guy, I'll base my judgment solely on his employees, and they are uniformly unimpressive. I don't like to be treated like an a sshole for choosing to give you my money... that just doesn't make sense.

You know who's nice? The people in that Alley Way bar down the street- they're actually trying, and I like that. Check them out.

• Pros: Good for people named shitbomb
• Cons: not good for the rest of us