The food culture in Portland, OR is all about staying close to home and supporting local businesses.

Portlandians want to go somewhere close to where they live, that serves food and beer that is grown and brewed locally. It is part of the charm of the city and what has helped it become a fertile ground for hip new restaurants and bars. In our search for the best, off the beaten path, spots in Portland we found Bottles, a fun and relaxed beer bar and BBQ spot that embodies the city’s values.

Arriving at Bottles we got out of the cab, stuffed to the gills after eating an impossible amount of fish and chips, and as the smell of the BBQ hit our nostrils and we were instantly hungry again.

Once inside we met one of the owners Brant, who told us a little bit about the location and his journey to becoming a beer bar owner. He told us that even with more breweries popping up within Portland’s city limits (at a rate faster than anywhere else in the country), new brew houses are opening up just as quickly while prospering and finding themselves making a profit.

Bottles features these local brews on one of it’s eight taps and also gives you the option to browse through over 400 different bottled beers that you can enjoy in house or build into a custom six pack to take with you for just $10. We took advantage of all those options during our afternoon at Bottles, as well as a full sampling of the menu, and were not disappointed by anything. In fact quite the opposite, the BBQ chicken wings, which are not deep fried but instead slow cooked in the BBQ pit, I described as life changing. Maybe chicken wings didn’t really change my life, put they forever raised the bar for wings. A word of warning, come early if you want to score some BBQ because they sell out every night. Add in a large outdoor space and a game room filled with pinball, shuffle board, and Foosball and you have yourself one heck of a place to spend an afternoon.

If you find your way down to Bottles (and I recommend that you do) chances are you will find Brant behind the bar as he spends about 72 hours a week there with co-owner Sean. It a labor of love for them and they have created a great atmosphere to be in. The last stop during a very busy day in Portland, we found ourselves sitting and relaxing out on the spacious patio, drinking and talking. Brant, with a the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning, told us about the Portland beer world and taught us a lesson on few lessor know types of beer. Later his wife and sister-in-law joined us and told us stories about living in Antarctica and growing up in Nebraska. Sean, who had the day off, was at the next table relaxing with friends. When asked why he was spending his one day off at work he said, “When you work this hard to create your perfect bar, you don’t want to go anywhere else.” We certainly didn’t and before we knew it we had spent hours there with people who felt like old friends. Before we left, I bought a six-pack for the road, knowing I might not be able to find some of these beers anywhere back home.

I say, when in Portland, do as the Portlandians do, eat local and drink local and Bottles is just the place to do that. The knowledgeable staff can teach even a seasoned beer drinker a thing or two about beer and the chicken wings could possibly change your life (so eat with caution). Great beer, great food, great atmosphere. Bottles.

[learn_more caption="About Brad Smith" state="open"]Brad Smith is currently a flight attendant at a United States Domestic Low Cost Carrier. He also currently works for More News Later Media as the Production Coordinator for the reality show “Savvy Stews.” Additionally, Brad lends his voice, reviews and opinions to the “InFlightTeam” brand of websites. Brad can be contacted by emailing Brad@bobbylaurie.com.[/learn_more]

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