November 18th, 2009
Alu, Take Two | Same name, better game.2 comments
November 18th, 2009
Thanksgiving For Lazy People | They roast, baste, bake and clean up this holiday so you don’t have to.2 comments
November 4th, 2009
Ethical Butchers Do It Better | Sustainable meat hits its hot spot.0 comments
October 28th, 2009
Make Mine Meatless | Portobello cooks Italian—the vegan way.5 comments
October 21st, 2009
Q & A • Chris Kimball | The food revolution will be timed (and include a knife sharpener).1 comment
October 7th, 2009
Davis Street Tavern | It’s always sunny in Davis Street.1 comment
September 30th, 2009
Q & A • Ken Rubin | The head of a new culinary program explains why there are too many cooks in the kitchen.5 comments
September 16th, 2009
Big Fish | Bamboo proves you can have your principles and eat them, too.1 comment
September 2nd, 2009
Go Dutch | Lia and Hans Middelhoven keep the warm, fuzzy gezellig alive.0 comments
August 26th, 2009
Original Sins | The diner is ironic. The pain is real.22 comments
![]() MAGIC DRAGON: Nineteen taps make Green Dragon brew central. IMAGE: leahnash.com |
[July 16th, 2008]
It’s not every day that a restaurant gets a second chance to make a first impression. But for the 10-month-old Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub in industrial Southeast Portland, that rarity has become a reality.
When it opened last September, Dragon brought together beer expert Jim Parker, brewmaster Lorren Lancaster and couple Tonya Mayhew and Kevin Reynolds. But in mid-May, restaurant newcomer Ed Schwartz, an investor in Dragon’s sister business, Integrity Spirits, bought the holdings of all parties but Lancaster and has infused the business with much-needed cash, sprucing up the never-quite-finished interior and overhauling the menu and service.
We’re happy to hear about those changes, because in our first few visits, the food didn’t stand up to ample beer choices. A dry turkey Reuben ($8.50) awash in trademark gooey dressing has been ditched, although the excellent fries accompanying that sandwich have stayed. Perfectly crisp and lusciously seasoned, these spuds are some of the city’s best. Likewise, IKEA-quality happy-hour Swedish meatballs ($4) have disappeared. But the peculiar “Santa Fe egg rolls” ($4), globby blobs of cheese and spicy sausage wrapped in a flour tortilla and then crispy-fried, are still there.
On our most recent visit we devoured tasty pulled-pork sliders (three mini sandwiches for $7.50), but a buffalo burger, served with those great fries ($8.50), was the real highlight. Piled with caramelized spicy peppers and onions with a barbecue-sauce kick, the lean meat was flawlessly cooked and seasoned—a perfect juicy burger for a Goliath of an appetite.
And then there are the beers, 19 of them on rotating taps, some of which eat like a meal themselves. The hoppy offerings change weekly (or daily) due to the mercurial tastes of barkeep Parker (“If you love it today, it might be gone tomorrow,” Schwartz cautions.) Still, it’s a safe bet those taps will harbor a generous and rare selection of beers, mostly focusing on Northwest brews, currently including Astoria’s monster Fort George Stout ($3.75, 8-ounce glass) and a barrel-aged Five Ton Strong Ale from Portland’s own Lucky Labrador Brewing Company ($3, 8-ounce glass).
Service still needs Schwartz’s attention. A lunch server was pleasant but absent, neglecting our table in favor of cozying up and chatting at the bar. A standout, however, was a knowledgeable and welcoming happy-hour bartender—who turned out to be the new general manager, Andrew Sloan.
One oddity: It seems a pity that you can’t pull up a stool at the 40-plus-foot concrete bar and sip one of Green Dragon’s own beers. Schwartz is trying to remedy that situation. He’s invested $120,000 in a new 15-barrel brewing system, and is currently interviewing brewmasters in the hopes of bringing a handful of Dragon brews on tap for the public by the end of summer.
The open space can house a big crowd, with plenty of tables in addition to the bar, and a giant garage door opens onto the street for air and sun on hot days. Next door, the smaller bistro is a comfortable place for families to visit, boasting a half-dozen larger tables with peek-a-boo views into Integrity Spirits’ distillery. Even better, Schwartz is renting the QHut space adjacent to the brewpub; he says come Aug. 1, the area will become a huge outdoor beer patio.
Good thing there’ll be plenty of space, because if the crowds give Green Dragon another try—and they should—the brewpub will be needing that extra room.
RECENT COMMENTS ON “Green Means Go”
The re-review of the Green Dragon this week seems like one big backhanded compliment. Should they be thanking you for giving them another chance? I?ve gone there for the last year & not only do they e...
Anyone into having a great time, amazing beer, and cooks that take well deserved pride in their fine and well presented food, can do no wrong, while at The Green Dragon...and know this..they also are ...
We just went there for the second time and it will be the last for dining. We had gone for a pub crawl/run and the beers were great, just don't order food. The food was mediocre at best (shriveled m...












