Alameda Brewhouse

MilwaukeeCrusher

Wisconsin

4.34/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

I stopped in here on an quiet afternoon. The ball game was on and a few people were in there... the place had a good local vibe to it. I liked the service and the beers were pretty solid, but I really liked their Black IPA especially... I had to buy one on the way out. I did not try their food as I was trying to do the Portland food cart thing at the time. They had good selection, and one beer that was very unique that had a spice in it... I can't recall if it was garlic or something like it. I appreciate any effort like that even if I'm not crazy about the beer. If I ever get in the area again, I would be more than happy to stop here again.

10-19-2011 06:34:49 | More by MilwaukeeCrusher

RedDiamond

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5

The Alameda Brew House is a neighborhood brewpub serving a dozen or so house beers and some very decent food. Look for the huge hop cone outside facing the street -- can't miss it.

This is not a tavern. There are no pool tables, video, or neon. Instead the Alameda sports an industrial chic flair with exposed mash tuns, cinder blocks and roofing trusses. Conditioning tanks are visible through windows behind the bar. The decor is simple and refined with bright wood, clean lines, and lit candles in abundance. A small selection of wine and mixed drinks are available.

A friendly staff was eager to hook me up with beer samples. They even placed the TV remote in front of me -- a gracious gesture but I never touch the stuff. While sipping ale, I munched on a plate of beer batter onion rings that were crisp and flavorful. The "small" serving was a meal in itself.

This is a nice place to take a date, a business client, your parents, or your well-behaved friends. It's not a loud joint by any means. Not a place to watch a ball game. Visitors are advised to seek Alameda’s Black Bear XX Stout, a distinctly world-class ale and my favorite stout in Portland. Their other offerings failed to strike me as similarly charmed until I discovered Mean Old John’s Barleywine and Klickitat Pale. These three charmed ales keep me eager to return and sample their next batch.

02-26-2004 05:02:13 | More by RedDiamond

jjboesen

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Outwardly looking like your average storefront, Alameda Brewhouse is set up with a small bar area, several brewing tanks placed in a corner, and several tables, including a line set along the large windows looking out onto NE Fremont.

Though located some distance from the downtown core - it's actually closer to the airport, it can be reached via Portland's excellent public transit system (Bus 33 goes right past the door.)

During my visit, I tasted: Klickitat Pale Ale, Turk's ESB and their stout Black Bear XXX. I enjoyed my visit; twas a comfortable and relaxing beerhall environment well worth the trip.
Two beer-covered thumbs up!

08-17-2008 00:40:06 | More by jjboesen

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I really enjoyed myself at Alameda. I went to three brewpubs with a couple of friends and this place really welcomed us in.

I found the location to be not easy to find coming from out the area, but once we entered we got settled and were forgetting that quickly. The rugged cinderblock and burlap intererior had a certain charm. There were booths with honey colored wood that had black and white pics of hop fields. The booths were also backlit with sunny yellow lighting that added to the ambience.

We were greeted quickly and the drink order was taken within minutes. There were organic and nitro tap options as well as seasonals adding to the overall selection score. I enjoyed the fact I had a choice that made me think about my next brew. The quality was very good - food was brought to us fresh and hot. I had the lemon pepper chicken fingers which really hit the spot.

I found the value to be reasonable with good portions and the merchandise available wasn't overpriced either. This was a very good choice. I would recommend Alameda to anyone checking out Portland for the first time.

07-21-2007 00:17:01 | More by Slatetank

benito

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev -6.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Alameda Brewhouse, not Brewing Co, is sort of the middle child of Portland brewpubs. While their Black Bear Stout gets much love on BA and around town, their other beers fly mostly under the radar, as does the brewpub itself. There was a thread a while back on BA that discussed why this might be, and there was no strong consensus: in general, folks seemed to find that Alameda is a perfectly fine, respectable brew pub. I concur; yet I also know that I wouldn't put it at the top of my list to re-visit. And I don't know why.

Here's what I do know: Alameda is in a large brick building in NE Portland in a commercial strip surrounded by residential neighborhoods (welcome to Portland, right?). The interior is exposed brick/faux industrial, with cavernous wooden booths and several large TVs. I stopped in on election night 2008 to get a growler and have a little food.

They offer about six or seven beers and seem to have a pretty fixed line up. Their mainstays include the much-lauded stout, a wheat, IPA, porter (made with juniper), and a pale ale. The stout and IPA are both solid--though I don't know what all the fuss with the stout is about. They also had two seasonals on when I visited--a brown and an old ale, both of which were enjoyable as well. The real winner in their lineup, though, is the El Torero IPA. It has a whopping bitterness and bite, and what it lacks in balance it makes up for in flavor. Style-wise, it's probably more akin to an "imperial pale ale" given the unrepentant hop grandstanding, and it is tasty. I've occasionally seen this on tap around Portland, and if you can't make it out to the brewpub, it is worth grabbing a pint of this next time you see it.

The food and service were both dutiful and unremarkable.

It's rare that I find a brewpub to be just fine. Nothing either exceptional nor dreadful, though the IPA does come close to the former. I'm sure I'll pass through Alameda again and enjoy my time when I do.

And now I realize why this is so troubling. I want my brewpubs to be a little more controversial and edgy than Alameda. Only brewpubs with exceptional, I mean really exceptional beer can get away with being otherwise unremarkable (Imagine if HUB had bad beer...). I want something to ignite my passion; maybe I should just drink more of the IPA.

See if you have the same experience.

12-22-2008 00:48:56 | More by benito

jdense

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Visited 8.12.2010.

Located in PDX Fremont District, close to Beaumont Market, Alameda operates on a relatively small 5-barrel system with plans to expand in the near future. All their house brews are of high quality with their award winning Stout their signature brew. However, the addition of several pub-only offerings (including a tasty CDA) and their latest addition to their bottled products, Yellow Wolf DIPA, only increase the allure of the brewery. While I didn't have any food, they have a significant menu with generous portions from what I saw on my visit. The help, including both the barstaff and the brewers, was friendly and willing to help. While I don't hang out in this part of town too often, I will be sure to stop by to check on their pub-only offerings in the future. A worthwhile stop after filling your cooler at Beaumont Market.

08-21-2010 18:13:56 | More by jdense

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Cool place that served as a nightcap for a long day of great beer, great food and great company. Dessert choice? XX Black Bear stout, on nitro tap, which was an excellent choice: creamy, robust and chocolately. Only saw their own beer on the menu, about 6 regular brews and one seasonal (an amber that was described as an altbier).

Service was good. A bit surprising that is was sparsely populated at 9:30 PM on s Saturday night. Atmosphere was interesting (a mix of arty cafe and high-ceilinged warehouse). Didn't stay long enough to get a sense of the general crowd that frequents the place, the consistency of service or food quality, but what I did soak in was cool. Would definitely go again just for another XX Black Bear.

09-30-2007 15:44:56 | More by Metalmonk

PopeJonPaul

Oregon

4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Take a page from German minimalism\industrialism and mix it with Pacific Coast hardwood and you have the unique atmosphere of this place. The brewing machinery and work areas bleed into the stainless steel and unvarnished hardwood bar and restaurant area; you really are hanging out in a "working brewery" and not just an appendix restaurant.

They had 9 of their beers on, two of which were on nitro (ISA and Black Bear XX, which was really good.) They bottle one seasonal, which they also had on tap (Papa Noel's: on the way back from the restroom I some bearded lumberjack guy through a window near the tanks sealing bottles of it with a hand capper.) They had a full bar too, the Bud and Coors Light guest taps were a disappointment though (what fool in Portland would drink macro guest taps in a Brewery? Maybe tourists I guess.) Staff was friendly, had just ate lunch at Laurelwood so didn't try the food but the stuff that passed by looked good. Worth another visit next time I'm in Portland...especially since it's less than 3 miles from my brother's house.

02-12-2006 17:10:14 | More by PopeJonPaul

SurlyDuff

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I would put this in the top 3 brewpubs to visit if you're in Portland. First of all, it's incredibly easy to get to/find. Lots of streetside parking available.

Atmosphere and achitecture are really neat. Sort of industrial simple post-modern somethingorother. Burlap bags and concrete have never gone so well together before.

By all means, get a sampler. There wasn't a beer on it I did not enjoy. There's a nitro, and atleast one organic.

Food menu is real nice. Reasonable prices too, you won't be dissapointed. Can get a bit crowded during dinner hours, but i think only during weekends. They have a couple tables outside, preferable, but not usually available.

02-16-2008 01:15:22 | More by SurlyDuff

freed

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5

Blending in well with the urban revival that has graced the Beaumont District, the Alameda Brew House is decorated with externally with a gigantic hop cone. A sure sign that you've arrived.

The inside is somewhat reminiscent of a Belgo; no attempt to hide the previous life of the building, and decorating in a way to flatter it. The tables, booths and bar are styled with a danish influence, light woods with definite edges. The booths, by the way, are constructed in an amazing fishbone weave, and are surprisingly comfortable.

One side of the building displays the working brewing equipment, some fermenters in a modified shipping container. The bar is quite sizable, and the selection of non-beer is pretty good. There are a fair number of single malts, whiskeys, and other standards.

The beer selection is limited to house beers. There were a couple taps that I couldn't identify, but there isn't any need to venture out. The beers at Alameda are stelar, which was just confirmed by several medals from GABF and WBC.

The food was terrific, and there was plenty more on the menu that I must try at some point. We had shellfish, and it was perfect. Sadly, our service wasn't the greatest; we didn't get napkins or silverware, but the waiter was honest about food choices, and was definitely right.

05-01-2004 17:55:15 | More by freed