Belmont Inn

09/12/09

Thanks for ruining my birthday

by Squiggle

I turned 22 tonight (bad enough that my birthday is 9/11!) The pool tables are the most inconveniently placed tables in the entire city. The staff are all completely incompetent morons. I got ID'd THREE times within a 1.5 hour period. Took a glass of water into their back smoking table and had the bartender (Dave I believe) literally SNATCH it out of my hand without a coherent word said, just inaudible mumbles under his breath to explain his actions, leaving all my friends asking "what was that about?". After we had our cigarettes, we returned to our table (7 minutes tops!) to find that they'd cleared our tables with two drinks 3/4 filled and a couple about half-filled. I don't drink outside the house much, but when I do I've always gone here and brought family from out of town and friends here in the past, but never again!!! I've never been so embarrassed in my life or felt as guilty for inviting others out as I have tonight. And their drinks are the weakest I've had in Portland! By the way, all of my friends were quiet, courteous, purchased drinks, nothing to warrant such horrible service. Thanks for a terribly awful end to a birthday.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: Service and drinks

08/18/09

Excellent Food!

by AndrewPortukalian

Their 1/2lb burgers are the best deal in town by far for a starting price of $5 at lunch! I did have to ask the bartender why he was charging me $7.25 for $5.50 cheeseburger lunch specials, but he did quickly fix it upon my pointing out that my bill should have been around $15 instead of $19.

• Pros: Great food

04/20/08

Good time any night of the week

by luvey13

When I go out I always find myself at Belmont's Inn. The Bartenders and Staff are excellent: friendly, quick, attentive! There is a good selection of beer on tap. The crowd that gathers is a good mix of friendly folks also. Conversations with strangers are typical here. It is a good spot to play pool or pinball. I have had a good time every time I visit the Inn and easily call it my favorite bar. It is a casual place that doesn't require you to dress up or wear uncomfortable shoes to have a good time. I typically take a deck of cards with me and often times wind up playing cards with new people. Belmont Inn is a good time all the way around. If you want a good ol' time with chill people this is the spot for you.

• Pros: Great staff, good every night, great crowd, chill

08/29/07

Couldn't have said it better!

by stumptowntrnsplnt

The last reviewer summed it up nicely but I just wanted to chime in. I moved up from the Bay Area 3 years ago, love hanging at Belmonts and think the "frat-boy" comment hilarious (obviously she has never been to college because she knows nothing about what frat boys look like..."side-ways mesh hats"???).

Not only is it one of the most diverse bars in Portland, it is a lot of fun and a welcome change to all of Portland's "I'm just too cool" lounges with the pretentious drinks and even more pretentious staff. Obviously the girl who wrote the two bad reviews belongs at one of these colored-cardboard-esque joints with their low light and techno music...hence the Aalto reference.

REAL people hang out Belmont's who drink REAL drinks and discuss REAL topics. If that's not your scene, the Aalto is right across the street.

• Pros: It aint the Aalto
• Cons: You have to be into diversity and not into judging!

08/19/07

A Portland Favorite for 35 Years

by puddletownace

I had to write this after reading the previous two reviews. That guy obviously doesn't get the point of the Belmont. First off, you order your drinks at the bar, not at the table. There is sometimes a waitress, but only at peak times, like on Friday nights. The service at the bar is blindingly fast, no nonsense, and the drinks are cheap and stiff. If you want to get stroked and coddled at your table, go somewhere else, and pay the extra money. Belmont's is a rowdy, fun, loud, down to earth bar for younger people, and that's the way it always has been, 365 days a year, for about 35 years now. They must be doing something right!

• Pros: Quick service, good looking young people
• Cons: It ain't Applebees

07/27/07

BAD service.

by portlandmoneymaker

A bunch of us went to the Belmont Inn on a Friday night for their "legendary" burgers and pool tables. Not only did the servers ignore us but the pool tables were monopolized by the typical jocks and fraternity boys in sideways, mesh baseball caps ALL night. It was such a cruiser atmosphere that we left after too many unwanted solicitations left us nauseous and we decided to go across the street to the Aalto instead.

• Pros: none
• Cons: all

07/27/07

Bunch of apes.

by pdxconsumer3

Don't go to the Belmont Inn unless you want to be harrassed by frat boys and the like. The food is similar to that of a truck stop and the service couldn't have been worse than if the servers were blind and deaf. The only value that this place holds is as a meat market for jocks and their willing damsels in drunken distress.

• Pros: great if you're a frat boy.
• Cons: not for the thinking crowd.

12/05/06

Hip Scene, good looking people and so much fun

by portlndgrl

My girlfriends and I went there and had the best time! Bartenders and management were absolute rockstars. Food was tasty and great mixed drinks. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for fun and entertainment

12/03/06

Worst service ever

by innersoutheaster

I wrote this review once and my computer ate it... but it's worth writing again! Went here on a Sunday afternoon for burgers and football. Waiter was terrible. He left us with our menus for 20 minutes. We were about to leave and go to the Bonfire (their fries are better anyway) when he finally showed up. After that, we didn't see him again--someone else brought the food, and we left $20 on the table.

Here's the thing: If they want you to order at the bar, then they should say so, or post a sign. Don't stick us at a table then ignore us. I felt unwelcome on someone else's turf. Oh, and this isn't the first time it has happened! I'm a glutton for punishment because it's so dang close to home. Won't be trying it again.

• Pros: Hamburgers, beer
• Cons: crappy waiters, filthy tables

Ixnay on the scensters: This is a regular-Joe bar.

by Contributor

In Short
There's no live music or DJs at Belmont's--just rockin' tunes coming out of a jukebox. There's a full bar with 24 beers on tap, a luxury among places that offer hard liquor. The friendly crowd leans toward young, collegiate types who come here to hang out and play pool. Its wooden walls, tables and floors, as well as its appropriately dark atmosphere, make this place a real gem in an increasingly gentrified neighborhood.