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Few of WW's bar reviews have drawn as much attention as Parker Hall's pan of OuiBar + Ktchn, the hotel bar inside the downtown Radisson Red ("Seeing Red," WW, Dec. 12, 2018). Hall described the décor as "a crimson-colored mess of faux street art that looks as if McDonald's retooled a Banksy exhibit," warned that the $13 house cocktail was "a college punch bowl somehow gone more wrong," and advised travelers to walk to Higgins. "Nobody," he concluded, "should pay this much money to be sad." Here's what our readers had to say:
Hannah Rose, via week.com: “This review is HILARIOUS. Happy to skip this ‘bar.’ Quintessential fake, shallow new Portland.”
Nick Zukin, via Twitter: “Not sure if WW’s review is accurate, but bright, fluorescent lighting in a bar and waffles that look like light sabers? Seems like the whole goal of the place is Instagram photos. Maybe we’re approaching peak IG and can get back to making good food soon.”
Oliver J. Kaufman, via Facebook: “Geez, ya know it’s the Radisson, so I’d’ve thought it would’ve been pretty good.”
Eric Grandson, via Facebook: “I have actually stayed at the hotel. I fully understand this doesn’t have the same four décor options that a Portland bar has with the man bun and the skinny jeans but this actually has color and some local art installations. I think it is great they had a local artist do the work versus so many bars here hire someone from Seattle or Los Angeles to give the same color and design features as everyone else. I will give you two points for trolling the place, but you need to clearly get out more and find some taste along the way. SMH.”
pdan, via wweek.com: “This review is so edgy I almost cut myself. Drinking in the bar may be ‘sad,’ but is it as sad as the author drinking in his basement and pretending he’ll ever have a successful music career?”
Zach Jerome, via Twitter: “This made me laugh out loud.”
Eater National, giving the review an honorable mention for Best of 2018’s Bad Restaurant Reviews: “It’s clear that Willamette Week’s Parker Hall had much more fun writing his review of Ouibar + Ktchn (yes, that’s the actual spelling) than he did eating and drinking at the Portland bar. The décor is ‘a fluorescent hellscape’ and a cocktail ‘offers overwhelming notes of Robitussin and rubbing alcohol.’ He notes, ‘The food is equally befuddling.’”
