Ringler’s Annex

I have been to Ringlers twice in the last month or so. After the first visit I thought I should give it another try. Sad to say that the service and drinks were the same disappointment. Service was indifferent and the bartender/​waiter was more focused on talking with a fellow employee rather than serving me. I had to ask for everything. I ordered the same thing… Stoly vodka on the rocks with a twist. The size of the drink was minimal… actually the smallest drink glass possible… like a shot glass. And it was $ 7.00!!! The drink took forever and was just sat in front of me. No coaster, no asking if I wanted something to eat or nibble on.
I will not go back and will tell others that there are so many other great places to grab a drink in that neighborhood.

Love this place for drinks and chill. Downstairs cavernous feel of the bar. Their take on the old fashion adds some vanilla extract and tasted delicious. And they are part of that Washington and Oregon restaurant and bar passport program. Bartender was great. Love the vibe.

Beautiful, if confusing building, and fairly accessible locale. The beer is great, the ambiance is unique, comfortable, interesting; everything you want from an Irish pub. The burgers are way above bar food standard fare and totally worth the price. I got the surprisingly affordable sampler beer platter and loved all except the ruby ale. Personal preference, of course. My one complaint was the bartender was inattentive and morose. Like, smile, man! It won’t kill you. Had a great time with my chums there and would happily go back, just hope the staff can wrangle some spirit!

This whole experience has been awkward mixed with uncomfortable topped with frustration. Our bartender, who somehow is a manager, has been so impersonal bordering on rude (walking away while I’m mid sentence asking questions, not asking if we’d like another round, hearing complaints about others orders, Etc) & all this after we mentioned we were in their establishment after some Portland cocktail week adventures, like we’re here, happy, & ready to enjoy your interesting concoctions. After her short replies and general disinterest I couldn’t even justify ordering a craft cocktail from her, just went for a beer. Keep saying I will not waste any more $$ on mcmenamins but I am appalled at the shitty service, ambience is good though and support staff was so apologetic in have them an extra star out of guilt

Stopped in while touristing around for a couple cocktails and beer with the boyfriend.
It was a lovely day outside so we decided to enjoy the weather and sit on the patio, which was very unique (and basically on the street).
Even though there were only 2 other tables seated, it took awhile for us to «be noticed». We were kinda thrown/​handed menus and then were on our own.
Though service was meh, the drinks were delicious! I had some sort of sangria and it was one of the best I’ve ever had! Not too sweet, and a lovely pink color. I’d probably endure lame service to have this drink again!
I’d be willing to give it another try, but next time check out the downstairs.

What a jewel. I found his place on a whim and it’s like stepping into another world as you walk downstairs. The bar tenders were super friendly and knowledgable of local twists on popular whiskeys and cocktails. I’m an old fashioned cocktail guy and I’ve had some fantastic old fashioneds. Ringlers has THE best old fashioned I’ve ever had, no exaggeration. When I was visiting, I loved the place so much that I came back 2 more times that week. If you’re looking for a basement bar with a rustic, prohibition era flair without the pretense, go to ringlers anex. Oh that posh whiskey bar with the wait down the street? Their old fashioned does not even come close to ringlers.

Sierra rose was really helpful and made us a few incredible whiskey-​concoction-​recommendations. (Smoking Sullivan is probably my new favorite) We had a great time people watching and realized that our one or two drinks had turned into three or four, we’d eaten some pretty tasty pizza, and had some awesome (and delightfully witty) conversation with our server. Wish Sierra Rose was still serving there, otherwise we’d probably come back.

Like most McMenamin’s concepts, the food is decent and creative. Takes a little long but at 11pm I’m just thankful that any place is still serving food. Tonight I had the falafel burger and truffle fries.
Wish I could say anything positive about the service other than the food was dropped off at my table. Have been here a couple of times and was hosted the same bartender/​server. First time was much of the same. She could use more training on basic Serving 101. After 5 minutes of sitting in an empty bar, while she was on her phone, I had to go out of my way request a glass of water and ask for a menu. It’s quite evident that she does not want to be here, nor does she want you to.

McMenamins Ringler’s Annex is a treat.
Overall: great spot for craft cocktails and free Friday night entertainment. They even have cold brew! Service is good — just delivered with attitude.
Drinks — 5 stars. Friend and I visited here Friday night. We got there earlier and the bar was pretty empty. I wasn’t sure what I wanted but noticed they had a variety of spirits so I told our bar tender after he asked what I liked to drink and his concoction of gin, St. Germaine, grapefruit juice, and sparkling was delicious. I was also very surprised and super happy that they had cold brew. This was perfect for the hot day and evening.
Service — 3 – 4 stars: The bar was nearly empty, yet as soon as we sat down to order our bartender seemed agitated with our presence. I take ownership that I asked lots of questions about selections but apologized for myself and even at one point made fun of myself as well. He seemed Ok? but in general just not a happy person. I’m not sure why the women also at the bar working with him are in the service industry. I only observed their interactions but all seemed really rushed with looks of contempt.
They also feature a free Friday night comedy show. Each comic performs for about 15 minutes which is perfect should some not have their best night.
Reading other reviews, their service of contempt and disdain seems to be the norm.

Great brew. And a great place to start out when checking out the Mcmenamins Crystal Hotel. The bartender had more information about the floor of the Crystal Ballroom than the person giving us a tour of the ballroom. (As an engineer, I desperately wanted to know how it «floated.»)

Was treated with the worst attitude I can ever remember having encountered!
I actually will return to this place because it looks so cool, especially Al’s Den downstairs.
BUT! The service we received by the bartender on Sat May 30^th, 2015 was the rudest ever!
We waltzed in to grab a beer and cocktail (group of 3, not very busy) and get our passport stamp. I cannot even describe the shock and confusion about the treatment we received. The only reason we didn’t leave was because it was like watching a slow-​motion drunken fight between bridesmaids at your best friend’s wedding… you know it’s gonna get ugly, but you stick around to see just HOW ugly.
Well she didn’t disappoint. Every interaction with her was unbelievable, we all just sat there staring at each other in disbelief.
Look, I know we all have our bad days, especially when serving the public. Let’s face it, the «public» are general can have unrealistic expectations. I get that, but this woman took it to a WHOLE different level.
Our first back-​handed blast to the face was when we entered from downstairs after checking out Al’s Den and getting our stamp. I approach the bar and comment on how cool it was down there. My wife then extends her passport and asks if we could get our stamp and order a few drinks. Without even looking or making eye contact she retorts back as snarky as humanly possible «you were just downstairs getting stamps and they stamp both places so I’m not sure what you’re wanting me to do» then walks away. Our jaws hit the floor. No freaking way, that did not just happen. She MUST’VE meant something else. We checked and sure enough, for the first time in the history of getting stamps, they stamped two locations at once. Well excuse us for not checking before we asked her for a stamp!
It went downhill from there. When she returned and asked what we wanted I made the FATAL mistake of asking what beers they have on tap (since they aren’t posted anywhere and you can’t see the tap handles). Oh gawd. I’m sure you can guess what happened; she reeled them off so fast and unintelligibly I only caught one name I’d never heard before, «copper» something, so I ask for that one and she tells me I’m going to have to wait until she returns from serving others. Facepalm. Really?! Ok now we know she’s just messing with us for some reason.
Regardless, we all just laughed and thought we’d stick around to see how low this would go.
In fact, now that I write this I may return just to see if it happens again. OMG that’s marketing genius right there! McMens figured it out.

«Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.»
You all know the saying. Well, this is my relationship with every McMenamins (excluding Edgefield). I continue to return to this establishment knowing that the service will be below average. Tonight was no exception. To begin with, I was served the wrong drink (typical McMenamins). I asked for a shot of whiskey with a coke back and I got a whiskey on the rocks. I couldn’t request a new drink because our server never checked on us after that. In fact, she didn’t even come back to take our food order, even after we specifically asked for a food menu when we first sat down. We left after one drink.
In all honesty, I will probably return to this and many other locations, but only because they are almost impossible to avoid in Portland.

If you like dirty dive bars that are a dime-​a-​dozen, then this is not the bar for you. The bartenders are really down to earth friendly, the drinks are top notch and the beer is from Portland. Live music here every night is what brings me in. The artists that frequent this place are incredible and put on great shows everyday. This is the bar that I’ve always wanted. If you like great music, a chill environment, and great service– then you might like this place. Thanks Annex

I’m a definite McMenamins fan, you always get exactly what you expect with your food and service and this place is no different. All of their venues are so unique and fun, this one is on a weird corner and underground with a divey feel to it. Evidently they have a pretty good whiskey selection as well and our bartender was helping one of the men in our party try out some good ones.

My friend and I met here for drinks and food before a concert the other night. We picked it because it was near by and one of the few McMenamins in the area we hadn’t been to. We were both impressed. The service was so friendly and attentive. At one point I accidentally spilled my drink (too much hand movement when I talk :)) and the waiter came over and helped me clean up and then brought me a fresh drink right away! I had their Moscow Mule, as did my friend. For food, I had the spinach salad and she had the cheeseburger. Both were great.
My favorite part about this restaurant is just the cozy feel of being underground with the candlelit tables and dim light. It is connected to Al’s Den, and there was live music being played there while we were there.
I was very pleased with the yummy drinks and amazing service!

Cute little bar that reminded me of Europe. It’s small, intimate, and the first floor/​front area has tables that overlook the streets. There’s a steep set of stairs that lead you to the basement which is where everyone was.
My roommates and I came here on a Friday night and it wasn’t too crowded, but had just the right amount of people. We were able to find a table quickly.
I ordered an ominous skies, which is their version of a dark and stormy. So basically, rum, ginger beer, and lime juice. IMO, the cocktail had WAY too strong of a ginger taste. :(I couldn’t finish my drink because my throat burned every time I took a sip.
It’s near Clyde Common and Pepe le Moko, so a great location if you want to bar hop!
Other than that, nothing too special about this bar.

We asked a guy at Powell’s for a Happy Hour recommendation. He suggested this place and another one that we popped in first, but didn’t care for the smell of it. Here we plopped down right at the bottom of the stairs and had a charming Server Gal, who was especially patient with me trying to decide what wine I wanted. I quickly learned that chardonnay is not a Pacific Northwest thing! Switched to a red and it was just fine.
Meanwhile, Husband went with a Bourbon Peach Sour for just $ 8 and liked it very much. For Happy Hour, they have a menu from Zeus Café upstairs. Having had enough fried stuff recently, we opted to forgo the tempura veggies for a Mini Smoked Brisket Slider and a Mini Water Buffalo Burger at the happy hour price of $ 4 each.
Good thing we weren’t starving because they took a really long time. About 25 minutes. When they arrived, I took one look at the brisket one with the fat hanging out of it and knew Husband had inherited it completely. He was happy to oblige, and let me have the mini burger to myself, which was quite tasty. He managed to do in the brisket but wasn’t thrilled with all the fat either. At least it was small.
Cool atmosphere, nice Server, but we were ready to move on.

The underground lounge area, was totally unexpected from the classic exterior of this place! It was so hip and red compared to the well maintained and old fashioned décor upstairs!
It’s a great bar lounge to be at! You have beers and cocktails to be sipping on as well as the norm bar foods, such as burgers and fries to be munching with!

I remember little of my trip here over 4 months ago. Drinks were okay but not particularly cheap as I recall. It is a Mcmenamens after all. But the menu is rather fancy and not typically Mc… fare.
The place is so very cozy that I simply had to love it and give it 4 stars. Down the steps in the middle of town into a funky basement — it has a real speakeasy feel. I had trouble locating it until I found it…
I definitely want to go back again — but I’m waiting for the right mood. So the stars here are really simply for ambiance!

I had a number of cocktails in mind that I wanted to try while staying in downtown Portland, but alas I am a lightweight and therefore must make hard decisions. The CHOCOLATE OLD FASHIONED won out and so the second stop on my recent 24 hour trip to Portland brought me to the Cellar Bar at Ringlers Annex. As the name suggests, this bar is subterranean. You descend down some stairs from the sidewalk and enter a cool space. Ironically, it was perhaps the loveliest of sunny Portland days and there I was hanging out with the bartender in the semi-​darkness. I arrived shortly after 3 pm and was the lone patron for awhile before a few other folks joined me.
Anyhow back to my drink. It’s made with Bulleit bourbon, cocoa nib-​infused syrup and chocolate and angostura bitters. It was excellent.
I also knew that this bar offered flights (another reason I chose this place). I went with the EDGEFIELD WHISKEY FLIGHT. Edgefield is an Oregon distillery so that also satisfied my desire to drink local. This flight featured their signature Hogshead Whiskey, White Dog Whiskey (Hogshead unaged) and Monkey Puzzle (malt whiskey with hops!). I really liked this flight and it’s a great way to sample this family of whiskeys.
The Cellar Bar is normally bustling, but I made this an early afternoon stop so I could enjoy some quiet drinking time.