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Is it time to get my oil changed? This is all I can think about while sitting at Brannon's (3800 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton, 567-8003, brannonsbrewery.com), Beaverton's newest brewpub. The young bar's beer is wide-ranging, with a section dedicated to adjunct lagers (PBR, Hamm's, both Buds, Rolling Rock, Old German and Rainier), and guest taps that include Arch Rock's highly regarded lager and the house's own brews, headlined by a pleasantly juicy red ale. The list may grow to include some Belgians and barrel-aged beers, but for now it's decidedly classic, a reflection of owner Kevin Brannon, who's pingponged between corporate law and brewpubbing for the past 20 years. So far, Brannon's food is more exciting than the beer. It might have been a lucky night, but the kitchen sent out an impressive Neapolitan pizza with chewy, character-rich crust good enough to push into Portland's top 10 pies. The room is sports bar-y, down to the game room with league darts. Beers are served in the same pint glasses as soda and ice tea. Billed as a "steampunk brewpub" before opening, Brannon's has a few such touches but gets its atmosphere from the multitude of screens controlled by tablets posted at nearly every table. When the Blazers are on, this crowd is the sort that lets out a hearty "ohhhhhhh" when a server drops a tray. The front of the pub has huge windows, looking out onto bustling Cedar Hills Boulevard and over to Carr Nissan, which is lit up like a Mormon temple. Yup, Carr, a car dealer. It's been three months, I'm thinking, even after the drive out to Beaverton, I've got to be below 3,000 miles. What does that little sticker say?
WWeek 2015