i wish they would be inclusive of more dietary restrictions :( no vegan options, not even the veggie burger or cauliflower
jacqui chait
I love CBG! Great place with a cool staff, reasonable prices. The drinks and food were well prepared, fresh and delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel Day
Great food, great service, reasonable prices, and open late. It's a pretty nice bar and restaurant. I found the music to be too loud and it was difficult to have a conversation with the person at my own table.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mac and Cheese, Breakfast Fried Rice
Hassan Lastname
It's straight to the point: small menu, good food. What more could you ever want?Vegetarian options: Has some vegetarian menu items
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Abby R.
Shout out to our guy Jeremy. We had the best dinner at CBG in September, and then found some of the coolest hidden gems around Acadia thanks to Jeremy taking the time to come back to our table and share his recs— we loved Flying Mountain ! Thanks for the good food and incredible customer service. Hope you’re well!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Wings
Sharon Morton
This is a true bar experience with delicious food and generous portions. About 30 of us decended unannounced, on the one man there waiting tables. He was very accommodating and helpful and never seemed to get annoyed with any of our requests to move to a different table, have separate checks etc.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: cbg Burger, Fried Chicken Sandwich w House Chips, Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
Steve A.
Short answer: Skip.Long answer: From the moment I walked in, this felt like a hipster attempting to recreate a dive bar atmosphere. It's dark. The music is rather loud. The TV screen is displaying... random movies from random online sources. It finished a Dungeons & Dragons based movie while we were there and switched to... Spongebob????Anyway, our waitress was really not that good. Kept giving us more time to place an order, meaning several minutes of nothing after we had figured out what we wanted. Said I couldn't bring in anything outside, which I get, but made a much bigger deal out of it than needed. Fine, I won't drink my water in here, I'll drink your water, but if I don't have a pocket that fits a 24 ounce water bottle, is it that much to ask to just sit it there for a bit? I found the other waitstaff much better - cleared dishes quickly, refilled my beer promptly, very polite. So it was just her, but that was a problem.Beer: Felt like a small selection for a bar. Nothing I really liked, fortunately one of the beers there was palatable to my tastes.Food: Again, felt like a small menu. Nothing lobster related is unusual in downtown Portland. Fish and chips came out with my friend having 3 fish and me having 2 fish?? Even if it's the same amount of fish (I'm not convinced), if two people in the same table order the same dish, you should be trying to make it identical. Really not the right approach here. The fish felt a bit overbattered, the fries ran out of things to dip them in (fortunately I was brought more on request), the coleslaw was freshly cut so there's a positive point there.In the end, for the prices we paid, there really didn't feel like enough here to warrant a repeat visit. Provide more beer, or more food, or an actual table to sit instead of two chairs at a counter with 8 other people and calling that our table. Provide better service and get actual TV to watch, because people at a bar should be able to watch sports instead of cartoons. Sorry, I'm not a hipster, so my experience is just that this is not for someone looking for a bar.
J York
Great place open on the holiday!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dakin Camp
Great cocktails with delicious and unfussy food. Service was speedy and just as attentive as you’d like if you’re catching up with a small group over drinks. Get the fish sandwich - crispy with great slaw!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
MITCHELL DEBORTOLI
Food was good, the atmosphere of the place is unique and very pleasant. Simple food done well. Prices are extremely reasonable, two adults were fed well for under $30, definitely worth checking out.
We were staying at a hotel on Commercial Street and was looking for a place that is open on Christmas Day. We unexpectedly came upon the CBG Bar because we ordered Chinese food across the street. Imagine a dive bar that also serves quality cocktails. I was really impressed by their cocktail menu. They also have a kitchen that serves basic bar food if you are hungry. I saw a lady ordered their smash burger and it's huge. Very reasonable prices and friendly service. An interesting place to drop by for a quality cocktail at an interesting venue before a night out. You be happy with the drink and you will also save some cash. Cheers.
amanda tolman
So good!. Great food. Awesome atmosphere. Perfectly planned evening for the concert we had next door. 10 out of 10. I will be back! Haddock sandwich and chicken sandwich both great!!Vegetarian options: Hummus platter was so good!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken Sandwich w House Chips, Potato Salad
Paul L
Great steak sandwich, Bartender was awesome, The entire staff couldn't be better , Great vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joanna Chapman
I've been to CBG four times and now consider it my go to late night spot in Portland. From the moment you enter the door you're greeted with friendly and welcoming staff. They're attentive and spot on with service, even when it's bustling in there. The atmosphere is kitschy in the best way and the food has a sense of elevation and attention to detail that I was pleasantly surprised by. Everything I've had there has been excellent. CBG has a following and although part of me wants to keep it a secret, it deserves a big shout out. I'm so glad they're part of the Portland scene.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zoe Smith
As a local, I really appreciate this place. While the food doesn't always "wow" me, I always find myself craving it. What makes this place stand out is the servers. They always make us feel right at home and go above and beyond when they can. Thank you for offering locals a nice place to unwind!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Cauliflower with Garlic Aioli, Breakfast Fried Rice
i wish they would be inclusive of more dietary restrictions :( no vegan options, not even the veggie burger or cauliflower
I love CBG! Great place with a cool staff, reasonable prices. The drinks and food were well prepared, fresh and delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food, great service, reasonable prices, and open late. It's a pretty nice bar and restaurant. I found the music to be too loud and it was difficult to have a conversation with the person at my own table.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mac and Cheese, Breakfast Fried Rice
It's straight to the point: small menu, good food. What more could you ever want?Vegetarian options: Has some vegetarian menu items
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shout out to our guy Jeremy. We had the best dinner at CBG in September, and then found some of the coolest hidden gems around Acadia thanks to Jeremy taking the time to come back to our table and share his recs— we loved Flying Mountain ! Thanks for the good food and incredible customer service. Hope you’re well!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Wings
This is a true bar experience with delicious food and generous portions. About 30 of us decended unannounced, on the one man there waiting tables. He was very accommodating and helpful and never seemed to get annoyed with any of our requests to move to a different table, have separate checks etc.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: cbg Burger, Fried Chicken Sandwich w House Chips, Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
Short answer: Skip.Long answer: From the moment I walked in, this felt like a hipster attempting to recreate a dive bar atmosphere. It's dark. The music is rather loud. The TV screen is displaying... random movies from random online sources. It finished a Dungeons & Dragons based movie while we were there and switched to... Spongebob????Anyway, our waitress was really not that good. Kept giving us more time to place an order, meaning several minutes of nothing after we had figured out what we wanted. Said I couldn't bring in anything outside, which I get, but made a much bigger deal out of it than needed. Fine, I won't drink my water in here, I'll drink your water, but if I don't have a pocket that fits a 24 ounce water bottle, is it that much to ask to just sit it there for a bit? I found the other waitstaff much better - cleared dishes quickly, refilled my beer promptly, very polite. So it was just her, but that was a problem.Beer: Felt like a small selection for a bar. Nothing I really liked, fortunately one of the beers there was palatable to my tastes.Food: Again, felt like a small menu. Nothing lobster related is unusual in downtown Portland. Fish and chips came out with my friend having 3 fish and me having 2 fish?? Even if it's the same amount of fish (I'm not convinced), if two people in the same table order the same dish, you should be trying to make it identical. Really not the right approach here. The fish felt a bit overbattered, the fries ran out of things to dip them in (fortunately I was brought more on request), the coleslaw was freshly cut so there's a positive point there.In the end, for the prices we paid, there really didn't feel like enough here to warrant a repeat visit. Provide more beer, or more food, or an actual table to sit instead of two chairs at a counter with 8 other people and calling that our table. Provide better service and get actual TV to watch, because people at a bar should be able to watch sports instead of cartoons. Sorry, I'm not a hipster, so my experience is just that this is not for someone looking for a bar.
Great place open on the holiday!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great cocktails with delicious and unfussy food. Service was speedy and just as attentive as you’d like if you’re catching up with a small group over drinks. Get the fish sandwich - crispy with great slaw!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was good, the atmosphere of the place is unique and very pleasant. Simple food done well. Prices are extremely reasonable, two adults were fed well for under $30, definitely worth checking out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: cbg Burger
Restaurantji Recommends
We were staying at a hotel on Commercial Street and was looking for a place that is open on Christmas Day. We unexpectedly came upon the CBG Bar because we ordered Chinese food across the street. Imagine a dive bar that also serves quality cocktails. I was really impressed by their cocktail menu. They also have a kitchen that serves basic bar food if you are hungry. I saw a lady ordered their smash burger and it's huge. Very reasonable prices and friendly service. An interesting place to drop by for a quality cocktail at an interesting venue before a night out. You be happy with the drink and you will also save some cash. Cheers.
So good!. Great food. Awesome atmosphere. Perfectly planned evening for the concert we had next door. 10 out of 10. I will be back! Haddock sandwich and chicken sandwich both great!!Vegetarian options: Hummus platter was so good!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken Sandwich w House Chips, Potato Salad
Great steak sandwich, Bartender was awesome, The entire staff couldn't be better , Great vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I've been to CBG four times and now consider it my go to late night spot in Portland. From the moment you enter the door you're greeted with friendly and welcoming staff. They're attentive and spot on with service, even when it's bustling in there. The atmosphere is kitschy in the best way and the food has a sense of elevation and attention to detail that I was pleasantly surprised by. Everything I've had there has been excellent. CBG has a following and although part of me wants to keep it a secret, it deserves a big shout out. I'm so glad they're part of the Portland scene.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
As a local, I really appreciate this place. While the food doesn't always "wow" me, I always find myself craving it. What makes this place stand out is the servers. They always make us feel right at home and go above and beyond when they can. Thank you for offering locals a nice place to unwind!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Cauliflower with Garlic Aioli, Breakfast Fried Rice