First National Taphouse, Portland

After months of walking by and peering at the construction, finally the Eugene outpost of a taphouse in a bank has come to Portland, although the Portland location is not in a bank. It still carries over the official looking lettering in money-looking gold, as well as the First National coin symbol (with its slogan “In Beer & Wine We Trust”, which you can also find on the tables.)

The First National Taphouse in PDX at 1962 SW 5th Ave, is a welcome addition to the area by Portland State University, where so far the main beer drinking options have been a McMenamins Market Street Pub, Rogue Hall, and if you wanted to go upscale, the bar at Higgins, or a few nice selections at Raven & Rose.

First National is just right, filling in with a wide variety of brew options (as well as wine and cocktails and food) that is more than any of these options, offering some great food just like Higgins, but at a price point that is more amenable to those who would dine at Market Street or Rogue.

And, First National has a big space, one that would be great for groups, be it professionals relaxing at a happy hour after work, or a group of friends needing a break after some time studying. And, the decor is on par with a restaurant – no worn carpets and sticky tables like a brewpub, though admittedly it does have the volume of one.

Garage door windows give them the option to throw them open so everyone feels like they are dining al fresco in good weather, the front feels like a bustling restaurant with a view of the many pours going on at the bar and 3 large screen TVs.

Meanwhile as you head towards the back, it’s a bit more romantic with an area that can be curtained and with light fixtures made from various liquor bottles.
 

I personally like the peaceful vibe back there with the liquor fixtures the most. Don’t worry, there’s even still a view of the TV here, if you need it, without the bustle by the bar area.

Similar to Raven & Rose, First National seems to want to support special events as well. My first visit was when Breakside Brewery was having a special Farmhouse/Wild Ale tasting night. They offered 8 wild ales and saisons from Breakside, of which each guest could get a tasting paddle with your choice of four 5 ounce pours, and if you bought a flight, you got a $1 any pint. There were also some selections of cheese from Steve’s Cheese, though we did not partake.

During that first visit, we kept it small for food, sticking to the appetizer of Irish Rarebit, which is basically a beer cheese spread on bread and then broiled to melty goodness. It’s vegetarian, so satisfied both F and I.

We also indulged in a dessert after our waitress mentioned twice how good their desserts were. She did not steer us wrong, because by the time she came back to ask us how the dessert was tasting, we actually were already done eating it, haha. This is the Taphouse Bread Pudding with vanilla custard, brioche, raisins, and whiskey crème anglaise. The waitress, F, and I heartily recommend it.

For our second visit, we tried a different menu- a pairing of food and beer in 5 courses. They even had a vegetarian version, so F could have the same fun as me!

For our first pairing, while I enjoyed a Prawn Boule with Brunoise Vegetables, Prawns, Brandy Nosh in a Potato Roll with Wild Ride Brewing Whoopty Whoop Wheat beer, he had a smaller sample of their regular main dish, a Baked Acorn Squash with grilled seasonal vegetables, goat cheese, and sun dried tomato tapenade with that same beer. The beer is a hefe style so had some yeastiness, but also some sweetness with a tinge of tart, though not as much citrus tone as I would have liked. And clearly, both these first courses are eye pleasers.

For our second course, we both enjoyed Artisan Cheese Terrine with Brabander Goat Gouda, Taphouse Ricotta, Ancient Heritage Hannah, Asian Pear and a baguette, paired with Duche De Longueville Cidre Antoinette. A jar of cheese you say to eat? Yes please. The cider was also wonderfully refreshing and tart, balancing the cheese but also carrying its own hint of funk that also worked well with the cheese. I don’t know if it was a one off cheese dish for that evening, but it was tasty.

Next, we enjoyed Honey Root Vegetable Boxty with parsnip, carrot, yellow beet, Irish potato pancake, and spiced honey paired with Elysian’s The Great Pumpkin Imperial. Again, these were visual delights full of autumn color, and when they placed our plates down the aromas of the spiced honey was intoxicating. First National offers boxty as part of their brunch, 5 different ways varying from with Irish Whiskey and Granny Smith apple and ricotta to with Smoked Wild Salmon Candy… something to consider for a future brunch possibility. At dinner, the boxty comes with an Irish Whiskey Pepper steak. In terms of pumpkin beer this one by Elysian, the Great Pumpkin Imperial, is all right but leans more towards cinnamon and nutmeg than any pumpkin flavor.

Fred had been tempted to order this soup of the moment on our last visit, so was happy to see that his next course was the Cannellini Bean IPA Stew with Irish Cheddar, scallions, and fried onion straws. Meanwhile, I enjoyed a smaller version of their regular dinner plate of Irish Whiskey Pepper Steak with my course of Irish Whiskey Pepper Steak Frite with pepper crusted hanger steak, Irish Whiskey demi glace, and microbrew fries. Both dishes, all meat and vegetarian, were paired with Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s IPA on Nitro.

For our last course, F saw cocoa glitter for the first time with our desserts of Chocolate Porter Ice Cream and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout Foam with a side of hazelnut brittle paired with Young’s Double Chocolate Stout beer

Besides the 30 taps, there are supposedly some 400 some bottles of beers and ciders to select from. The bottle prices you see in the cooler are to go – if you drink them at the restaurant, expect a $1-3 corkage fee, depending on the size of the bottle. We were impressed by some of the bottles in their selection- they are ones we haven’t seen at other bottleshops in Porltand.
 

First National Taphouse also has a happy hour everyday 4 – 6:30 PM, and serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 9:30AM – 2PM. Brunch includes several Boxty topped with eggs (a boxty is an Irish Potato Pancake), such as the one I tried below with smoked wild salmon, poached egg, capers, tomato, and touch of  Hollandaise.
 

Mine was ok- I think the tomato ruined the experience for me because I had to walk through the Portland Farmers Market to get to brunch, and knowing the delicious heirloom tomatoes available there, this regular beefsteak tomato was unappealing and flavorless when it could have really made the dish. I didn’t take a photo of it, but after saying he wasn’t sure how hungry he was, F completely polished off his Oat Grouts with Irish Oatmeal, Fresh Barries, Spiced Honey, Candied Walnut and Maple Cream. Also on their brunch menu are several hashes (including a salt roasted beef or a duck confit). There was a vegetarian version of the boxty and hash as well, and I appreciated that thoughtfulness to think of vegetarians for every section of the menu.

Various sandwiches such as a triple grilled cheese with marscarpone, white cheddar, and Cashel Blue, a Cannelini Bean Rarebit, Mushroom Barley Burgers or Kobe Beef Burgers, Country Ham Scones and other savory selections round out the brunch menu. There are also two versions of a bloody mary- a regular one with Vodka, Tomato Juice, Tomato Consome, Veal Stock, Lemon, Aardvark Hot Sauce, Cerignola Olives, House Pickled Green Beans and Smoked Salt. There is also a Vegan Bloody Mary with Vodka, Tomato Juice, Shitake Kombu Dashi, Bragg’s Aminos, Aardvark Hot Sauce, Horseradish, Lime Juice, Castelvetrano Olives and Giardiniera Relish. There are 4 other brunch cocktails as well.

Pours from the draft depend on the size as you would expect, but there are also two tiers depending on the beer (a regular and premium price point) , though I can’t quite ascertain if it’s based on difficulty to get the keg or price of the keg or what. I suppose more investigation might be necessary…

First National also offers a full bar,  including cocktails and wine. Cocktails include those named Banker’s Manhattan, Frank Nash, The Greenback, Cat Ballou, and Bonnie Parker.

With the 3 tvs at the bar playing different games, it’s not a bad place to cheer with other fans while enjoying a wide variety of selections, but other customers also included an age range of students, work professionals, and those who live in the area so it’s not just a sports bar or for the twenty-somethings. With seating for probably 100, you’re likely be able to easily get a seat and start enjoying. The only caution is though it would be fine for a casual date, since it can be a bit boisterous except for on the back or for brunch, it may not be suitable for a romantic rendezvous.

Welcome to Portland, First National Taphouse!

Disclosure: Thank you to Watershed Communications, as one of the four meals was complimentary, but the other three visits I came on my own and paid for myself. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.