3.6
Good
7 Reviews
1332 W Burnside St Brewery, Portland · 10.33 miles
“My great nephew was playing drums in a large band to a packed house upstairs in Crystal Ballroom. A dozen or so of assorted family had come to Portland to partake and as the matinee was wrapping up in the late afternoon I said to the drummers mom, who was kind of our ring-leader, I'd go downstairs and stake out a big table for all of us to eat. Shortly after sitting at the largest table in the farthest from the bar corner of the side room, the bartender came to tell me they weren't really staffed to be serving in that room. I told him I had maybe a dozen people coming down from upstairs and we'd be an easy, forgiving crowd. He looked dubious, and said he'd need to check with the manager. He was back quickly putting out menus and arranging chairs. Our final number was ten, and our only server was this same guy who was also one of maybe two bartenders for the whole place. As he took our orders he said it would likely take up to an hour for the kitchen to produce our food, because dozens of people from upstairs had come in as well. Our drinks came quickly, and the food arrived in much less time than he suggested. Every order was correct. To my knowledge everybody liked what they ordered and the prices seemed about right. He did not seem in the slightest rattled by adding our big group to his personal workload and came back a few times to see how were all doing and take additional orders for drinks. And the drummer and the rest of us we were out of there well in time for the evening show at 8:00. I don't know if this really is an excellent place, but it sure was for us.”