McMenamins Ringlers Pub

"Didn't eat food but had a few drinks and played shuffle board with my father. Had a blast! Super atmosphere, the gal behind the bar really went out of her way to help us out. She kicked someone out of the men's bathroom when my father had been waiting to use the restroom. Wish I would have grabbed her name. Top notch!"

"I love McMenamins and constantly bring friends such as the case in this review. Purchased tickets to the concert, so we stopped at Ringlers to get food and drinks. Headed into the concert where my friend did not feel the crowd, lights, and music so I wanted to head to Lola’s room so she could sit down and drink water. We were stopped by security and were instructed we could not go because my friend was too drunk but wanted us to wait until she could handle a different situation. My friend stated that she did not want to be here (repeatedly), so another security person helped us out through the elevator. We decided to stop in Ringler’s to get food where a staff member said since my friend repeatedly stated that she did not want to be here (at the concert) she had to leave. I asked if she could get food which was shot down and when asked for suggestions for a food venue was instructed that she had no recommendations and walked away. I believe this is poor service because my friend got “too drunk” at the location. I feel like they should have allowed us to get water and/or food at the very least as a to-go order because we were not rude or argumentative. I feel like as a paying customer, I can provide a 1-star review to validate my feelings and move on."

"Regardless of your opinion of the McMenamins food, beverages, service, hospitality, or even the entire enterprising empire (and seemingly every Portlander has one they'd *love* to share with you), few can argue that, from a music and entertainment standpoint, they're an uncontested net positive, bringing in artists from all over the world and providing fantastic venues within which we all collectively grow a little richer in spirit. The musical map of Multnomah County (and beyond) would be a dulcet desert, or at the very least more Spartan, without their numerous venues (indoor and out) providing year round live lyrics and limitless libations. Ringlers Pub is uniquely situated directly under what is arguably Portland's most well-known and regarded entertainment destination, the Crystal Ballroom. On its own, it's a fairly standard watering hole, serving decent food and drinks at acceptable prices. Service is good. Location, apart from its proximity to the aforementioned venue is, like all places downtown, a bit of a chore to get to, on occasion...but it does have other perks. Namely, an exhaustive selection of whiskey from around the world, which never fails to make me happy. Yet one little advertised feature shines (secretly) above them all: preferred entry to any concert or event happening above. For a modest price ($15 per person) for each ticketholder, easily spent on a couple shots of high-quality scotch (which elevates any event, IMHO), security will make their rounds ~30 minutes before doors open, check your tickets and receipt, give you a wrist stamp and direct you to a separate queue full of sauced-up spectators that are allowed entry into the ballroom before the general public. Savvy folks, such as myself and my wife, leverage this (only slightly unfair) advantage to cut straight to the front row of any performance and secure the best seats (metaphorically, since you'll be standing) in the house - a perk WELL WORTH paying a premium on top of the price of admission. Portlanders are particularly picky about their preferred pubs and grub, but even the prickliest patron cannot possibly protest the privilege of premature passage for the price of a pint (14 point alliteration combo)! And blissfully, the food and drinks hold up their end of the bargain, and the pub is open late enough (on weekends to accommodate those post-performance hunger pangs. In short: get there early; order the Hammerhead BBQ Chicken pizza; play some pool, pinball or shuffleboard; knock back a few whiskies; see a show; and for Zod's sake, enjoy yourselves!"

"As with all McMenamin’s, the ambiance is what it’s all about. Check the pictures. The Crystal Ballroom is upstairs, so when there’s an event, like a concert, it can be busy and noisy (boomy). The burgers are good, as always. The service was slow, as happens sometimes at McMenamin’s. All in all, a good downtown experience but if you want fine dining and great service, look elsewhere. This place is all about the vibe. The look. The building. The decorations. I mean, it’s a pub. And it’s McMenamin’s."

"Fun for a one-time visit. There was so much to look at in this restaurant. It has a quirky/circus/eclectic vibe. There is a decent food and drink selection, with average prices. The chef is quick, so you won’t wait long for food. The restaurant is clean and the servers are friendly!"