There Be Monsters

Walked in and waited about 10 minutes without even being acknowledged. There were maybe about 10 people in the bar. Waiting with IDs and cash in hand the bartender served the guy right next to us who had just walked up to the bar. Bad service, we won’t be coming back. I would say avoid this place if it’s busy, but maybe just avoid it period, walk the extra few steps and go to roadside attraction instead.

What a cool little spot. But the thing of it is, if you don’t realize it’s there… you pass right by. For those that know the area and know where Rimsky is, then you just walk around the corner and you’re there. It’s that close.
I was out on Saturday night and noticed that friends had checked in a while before and it got me curious as to the place. So I went with a friend down to Rimsky and afterwards realized how close we were and walked over for a drink before they closed. English pub style, wood, maps, shuffleboard and a black and white TV playing the first Home Alone movie. It reminded me a little of the Alberta Street Pub (and I like that place!) Not quite sure why it’s called There Be Monsters, but really, does it matter?
The beer/​cider prices were ok and the food menu looked pretty good. Grilled cheese with shoulder bacon? Yes please… but on my next visit, it was a little too late to start ordering food.
This place is very chill and great for conversations, I dare say it’s good for a date night if you like low key. The background music was 80s up to Muse and whatever else in between.
Cool little spot, and I will make my way back soon.
Enjoy.

Ohh – I really like the space and vibe at There Be Monsters. I went with a couple friends for happy hour and there was plenty of tables available, they grabbed the table in front of the windows. The atmosphere is not full of hipsters or pretentious, actually… there were people of all walks of life. Just cozy and I like that they are festive for the holidays.
It has an English pub type feel – good selections of beer and cider tap. Bar looked pretty stocked. I had a cranberry cider that was delicious. They don’t have teas, hot or iced, not many options for non-​alcoholic drinks. However, that’s not why you come to the bar.
The happy hour menu is limited but you get big portions! I had ordered the bread & butter and mini fish & chips. Mini being one piece of fish, but the was plenty big enough for me. I don’t know if they change up the type of fish because I saw that they had haddock but this time it was cod. I am not a fan of cod, but it was decent – I feel like the batter on the fish was slightly bland and could have used more flavoring. You could order from the full menu too.
Their food probably gets three-​stars from me but the environment gets four-​stars. We ended up being there for 3.5 hours just talking and never felt rushed. They have large shuffle board table that we didn’t end up trying out. Staff was friendly. It’s a good local pub.

This bar evokes memories of the old Portland. Portland before gentrification, before the hipster revolution, before the corporatization of everything beautiful, unique, and slightly different. It feels like time travel just walking in the door. It has an old English feeling to it, antique maps and oddities on the wall, a cozy nook with a tin-​ceiling, dark and masculine décor, vaguely mysterious ambience, beautiful reclaimed wood, with a pleasant smattering of locals that make anyone feel welcome.
The measures are generous, I got nicely buzzed by my second drink. The menu is not pretentious and full of hearty pub fare one would expect to find. I have been several times and the only bartender I remember is a guy named Don. He slings a great cocktail and miraculously strikes a harmonious balance between genuine interesting banter and leave me the fuck alone I’m drinking. There is a heated outdoor smoking area and some games to keep you occupied if alcohol isn’t enough (is it ever?). Go here!!! You will have s great night and will want to make it your local pub!

Great local neighborhood bar with one of my favorite drinks in town (There Be an Old Fashioned).
Super Cozy interior, über friendly staff. my go to spot. Love this place!

This is the place to go when you just wanna chill out in a really awesome «vibey» setting. It even has a shuffle board table in the back of the room. On the particular evening that a few friends and I hung out here, they had some of the greatest music playing. Old school tunes. Like old jazz tunes and stuff. And the décor is quite eclectic. The nip slip painting was my fave! I just kept looking around and finding new, fun things to look at.
The HH fries were crispy and salted to perfection. I enjoyed one of the stouts they had on tap and there was also a nice cherry cider that my friend enjoyed. Happy Hour goes from 4−7pm. Love that extra hour.
I will remember this bar because I’m always looking for great places to chill that I feel super comfortable in. This place definitely fits that bill!

Tonight at There be Monsters, the atmosphere was busy for a Thursday night. Again, the atmosphere had a vibe that would gel well with a 25 – 45 yr old crowd. The bar was full, as it was last time. This time, most tables were full throughout.
Was requested to give these guys another try. This time the fish was really a nice portion, much better than last time, but because I’m skeptical, I showed the portion to friends who have eaten there a few times and know the Fish & Chips well. It was confirmed by them as well, THIS ORDER was on par with the quality/​quantity they were used to seeing.
The fries were well seasoned, melted in my mouth. French fries are nothing more than filler, and I bore on starch, but these, I ate every last one of them. A squeeze of the lemon, they included, mixed with the flavor of the fish make these fries above standard.
The batter for the fish, last time, I could swear was different from this time. This time, the batter was more like standard Flour/​Egg/​Liquid, but the first time, from the look, I would swear I saw panko. Admittedly, I did not take close enough attention. It very well could have been thick batter clumps from a late night kitchen. Whatever it was, please try to do that again!
Overall, it is worth $ 14 for the large portion, and I will happily be back, with company.

Nice cozy place, friendly staff, my food experiences have been slightly mixed with once receiving a luke warm soup, but the rest of the times i’ve enjoyed the meal a bunch.

Was not a good experience. I came in with a couple friends, maybe 2 other people besides us in the bar and it still took over ten minutes for the bar tender to take my order. When she finally did approach where I was standing she literally looked right through me and asked someone behind me (who had only just entered the bar) what they would like. I think I actually stuttered a little in confusion before she quickly walked away poured that drink and then poured a second drink for someone sitting at the bar before coming back to ask me what I’d like. (whole process in general was exceedingly slow, about 10 minutes)
I ordered food which also was only mediocre, mac-​n-​cheese I think? Very little flavor and took over 30 minutes to arrive. The whole time listening to the strangest Dj set I’ve encountered in years. Basically it was a poor all around experience. Very hipster, you like it cuz your friends say you should like it, rather than actually being a good bar. Maybe it was an off night.

Gluten Free & Vegan options!
Large GF Fish & Chips = 3 pieces of Haddock on a heaping load o’ fries! Very tasty! Be hungry for them monsters!
Reminded of Horse Brass… almost as amazing as HB’s Fish & Chips.
We shall return!

Best gluten-​free fish and chips ever! I’ve had Celiac for 3 – 4 years, and I never thought I’d get close to the real taste again (a la Horse Brass). Get the large size: 3 huge deep fried pieces plus a TON of fries. Super-​delicious!

This place is all around excellent! I’ve been meaning to check it out for quite awhile now. I was not disappointed! We got there just before happy hour ended and were able to order a couple snacks and drinks off the menu. The mini salmagundi was delicious and not mini at all! And the bread with salted butter was simple and tasty. This probably would of been enough food for me if I hadn’t really wanted to try their special of the day, Thai chicken wings. So good. I give this place two thumbs way up. Great food, excellent drinks and a cozy vibe going on. I almost forgot to mention how rad the staff is. Super friendly. Definitely will be back soon!

Positive:
Nice ambience in the dark hours, friendly staff, timely food delivery
Negative:
This establishment apparently thinks it is acceptable to serve rock hard bread for their sandwiches. Couldn’t fit it in my mouth because I was unable to flatten the bread down at all, consequently the innards eaten and majority of the bread abandoned.

This place just gets better and better! Excellent service from Jacob, Megan, Jacqueline, and Sarah. Don’t bring your attitude– no monsters allowed.

It’s Friday night at 9:30 pm and there’s a handful of people here. The decore is great with lots of wood and nice tables.
The bar tender, one male, is quite slow and despite my ordering two simple drinks: a tanqueray Tom Collins and a bone dry/​ice cold tanqueray martini, both drinks are made incorrectly. We order a Plowman cheese board and received 1 ounce of Stilton and 1 ounce of cheddar, a long with a lot of bread and 5 almonds, 4 red grapes and a small amount of cranberries with 1 full slice of ham.
Wow. How far have modern bars fallen!

This was our first time here. The food took 40 minutes to arrive. And there were only 8 customers in the bar. The hamburger was pretty good, the waffle was cold and dry, but the worst part was the «fried» chicken that came with the waffle was raw on the inside! The server at the bar was unwelcoming and the cook who delivered the food was unfriendly. Probably a problem of being understaffed, but it was a sad experience in a city full of great place to eat. Will not be coming back.

A great neighborhood bar that’s kind of tucked away, very unassuming. Came in on Monday night and it was nice and quiet, perfect for the mood I was in. Sat at the bar with my friend and the bartender was friendly and attentive. They have a nice selection of local beers and ciders, and as a self-​proclaimed cider connoisseur, I ordered 2 that I haven’t tried before from Carlton Cyderworks, a bourbon barrel aged cider and an asian pear, and both were wonderful. I may have stumbled upon a new favorite local cider! My friend ordered the small meat and cheese plate of the day and it came out in a large portion. I didn’t partake in the shuffleboard table this time around but am looking forward to returning and challenging my friends. Nice to have a shuffleboard in a grown up bar and not have to wipe beer off of it or wait for the lines of college guys to strut their stuff before getting a turn. I’m adding this bar to my list of go-​tos.

This is the place, to stuff your face, go to the brink, drink all the drinks, go the extra mile, stay for a while, it’s very buzzy, not so fuzzy.
Ok, you really shouldn’t drink all the drinks, but this place is cool. I met a friend on a Wed. night at the tail end of happy hour and it wasn’t crowded at all. The décor is subdued, but interesting, very warm and cozy on a drizzly PDX night. However, by the time we left, a bit before 8, all of the tables were full.
The bar staff was super nice, no ‘tudes going on here. My vodka cran was well mixed and a generous size. I had the happy hour burger, which was plenty big and super tasty! Wow! They use a house made sauce that is garlic-​y, sweet and spicy all at once. The fries were also excellent, fresh tasting and cooked in good oil. I actually couldn’t finish the fries and the burger was close to doing me in, but… I made it!
My tab for the drink and burger? Only $ 10! Quite a deal! Of course, I tipped well.
After saying goodbye to my friend and heading for the bus stop, I met a guy who said he was having a terrible night but wished me a great night and shook my hand. Come here and maybe you’ll get some loving from a Buckman neighborhood resident as well! If not, you’ll at least have a great time!

Me like There Be Monsters. It good.
I drink beer there, also play shuffleboard with friends. Go to here and enjoy self with other people also there. You play shuffleboard also. You like it too. Food good too. Drink booze drinks here.
Enjoy self here when you go to this place for drink and eating food. Do not also forget shuffleboard, it fun!
Like Monsters Be There. It Good!

I’m diggin’ the monsters.
This place has a really cool ambiance, very friendly bar staff, and delicious drinks. It’s nice and dark, and the name is awesome. The location is great. I wish the window logo had more creepy eyes and pointy eared things on it. The décor is spot-​on.
Beer list was ok, though could be more extensive for portland. Mixed drinks were lovely and very strong. Not bad for just having opened.
The food, though… unfortunately really bland! We ordered the fried cauliflower with raita as well as the veggie tikka masala. The cauliflower was ok, possibly slightly undercooked. The raita was delicious. The tikka masala had about ½ the sauce it needed, and so much potato that it was really bland. Needs way more spices and way more sauce. The concept is awesome, as that’s exactly what I’d like to be eating for a late night snack here. I’d give it another shot, since this place is so new.
Moving to this neighborhood soon and excited to check back and see how this place develops. Fingers crossed — I really want it to be my new go-​to.