Our “Plan A” was “Plan B”
When Dieselboi emailed me yesterday afternoon with an invitation to an impromptu afternoon meet-up with friends I was expecting Green Dragon on Rontoms. I was taken aback with an entirely new suggestion (well “new” to me), Plan B. Located on the corner of SE 8th and Main, it’s not the location that first comes to mind when I think outdoor patio BUT I reluctantly hopped on my bike for the short 5 minute ride from my office.
I was greeted by a cavernous space (what was it in its prior life?) decorated with oddball paraphenalia and a kick-ass soundtrack of old and new school punk played at a “just right” volume. Outside a very large parking lot converted into a patio awaited. Long picnic tables were all our group needed to spread out and get down to an evening of catching up and filling our guts an interesting and unusual pub menu.
Asides from the usual suspects that one would find about town (nachos, quesadillas, frings) they serve up a decent Reuben that is generously sized and quite juicy. The real standout here is the brat on a bun. I commented to Dieselboi that it was a “really good brat” not knowing why it was so crunchy and digdogittydelicous! It was wrapped in bacon and don’t quote me here but here but I believe it was deep fried. However it was cooked is not of that much importance. It was wrapped in bacon which in my book makes anything taste out of this world. And for those that a meatless/free the vegan nachos were heaping and topped with a large helping of avocado wedges.
A full bar, tap offerings from Ninkasi, Deschutes and Lagunitas and “to the point” service make this SE spot a pleasant change from more obvious choices in the area. Give em a try!
ps. They have 4 pinball machines including all-time fave Adams Family
Plan B
1305 SE 8th St
Portland, OR 97214
503/ 230.9020
and the best part was that those dogs were kosher! so tasty!
Bacon is the nectar of the gods.
“What was it in it’s prior life?” Well, not so long ago, it was the Acme. Before that it was the White Horse. Before that, I didn’t live in the area.
But I’m still sad it’s not the Acme. Allow me to shed a tear.
Can someone who’s been to Plan B since its change over from Acme (and who has also been to Acme) compare the two? Are the changes notable or subtle? Improvement?
The biggest noticeable change: the horseshoe bar that used to extend into the room has been removed and replaced with a long bar that runs down the entire back wall.
Service has always been hit or miss - sometimes, they have patio service. Sometimes, they have more than one bartender on duty. We used to do MB meetups there last year & I’d always call ahead to let them know to expect a crowd so they could be prepared staff-wise.
Last Friday, the looooong line at the bar during Beer & Blog weren’t great - so much so that Beer & Blog is back at Green Dragon this Friday. On the other hand, the Legion of Tech’s inaugural Legion of Talk series (tonight at Plan B) has already put the word out that Plan B will have extra bartenders on hand to accommodate the expected crush.
And thanks for all the “food on a stick” suggestions! I will provide a full report after the 4th on the results.
I have read some “not so stellar” reviews of Plan B, thankfully not until after I tried it out. Restaurant and Bar owners would be wise to stress the importance of the blogosphere to their employees. A visit to Yelp or Citysearch is enough to keep a less than adventurous diner away from hit-or-miss joint with a great menu but lackluster service. Case in point; Montage. I have always had acceptable service and their mac-n-cheese is quite tasty, BUT take a look at their infamously bad reviews and it’s easy to see how the less initiated would not realize that their surly service is their schtick/trademark.