Batson River Brewing & Distilling

This review is primarily for the monthly drag brunch. My friends and I have now been regulars for almost two years. Last Sunday of every month, we get to see our favorite drag performers, led by Chartreuse Money, dance and lip sync the house down. My months would feel empty without this day of pure joy. The queens (and kings) of drag brunch are the main reason we are at Batson every month!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Rudest front desk I’ve ever encountered. Restaurant wide open at 6:45pm on a Thursday and said we can sit at the bar with a child. No offer for wait list which we’d be happy to do. We went to fore street instead, it was delicious!

Service: 1

Our server Tory was awesome! And the truffle fries were 10/10

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

NOT a distillery!!!!!! They no longer distill. They sell all brands of booze. Great atmosphere inside with darts and shuffleboard. Large space but not in a good area. next door does house a new brewery and a good bbq place. NOT a distillery.

Atmosphere: 4

Service: 3

Tori is amazing!! Came here for a Bachelorette dinner and had so much fun! Food & drinks were wonderful and we had a great time interacting with the staff!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Top notch experience from beginning to end. Beers and cocktails were great. Apps and entrees were tasty. Service was excellent. Congrats Aunt B!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We were a small group and enjoyed a private table, excellent food and drinks!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Absolutely loved the atmosphere didn't get food just drinks. Flight of beers really good. Really want to go back for dinner! Great service! We were there around 3:00 in afternoon and had to go to the back to get in but they allowed us to tour the restaurant and all the areas! Sampled their whisky which was really good!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I chose this restaurant to celebrate my birthday because of its beautiful interior and the large real fireplace, with plenty of real firewood displayed throughout the space.

We arrived before 5 PM, but the main dining room only opened at 5, which was not mentioned on the website. We placed our order and sat at the small bar. We asked about the fireplace and were told it would be lit at 5 when the main dining room opened.

At 5, we moved to the main dining area. We immediately asked our server if the fireplace would be lit, and she said yes—once the manager arrived, who was running late. We asked three more times after that. Then, quite absurdly, the manager kept avoiding us while we were sitting in a draft from the large, non-working fireplace. It was cold outside (around 40°F) and raining.

Eventually, the manager came and told us they would not light the fireplace. It’s unclear what the issue was with lighting something that had been mentioned and promised multiple times. After that, we didn’t feel like eating the food or drinking their beer.

I was very disappointed. We will definitely never return.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 1

I’ve had lunch, brunch, dinner, drinks, and a private party here and the food, service and ambiance are always great!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We were visiting Portland for the weekend and Harrison gave us great recommendations. Give this man a raise! Great beer and such a cool atmosphere. Must visit if in the area

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Another really great Portland restaurant. I love their very unique take on they old fashioned with the Awwww Nuts which included Pecan-infused rye whiskey and Brown butter simple syrup, which the drink very silly and smooth. The pretzel was humongous and tasted great, while the brussel sprouts were different than I have had and very delicious. Very large portions.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The drag show was absolutely amazing

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great space and even better brews

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This place is for tourists. Typical Portland prices for one of those upscale restaurants. Overly priced with poor portions. I genuinely couldn’t believe how small the charcuterie board was especially for $30. I knew it wouldn’t be exceptionally large, but it was laughable. The drinks are nothing special.very limited options cocktail wise. You’re lucky if you get 2.0 OZ of liquid total. You don’t feel welcome inside. The atmosphere reminds me of one those pushy Boston bars with nothing but fancy decor to back them up. Guess the decor and “designer” brand is what you really pay for.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 2