206 SW Morrison St., rockbottom.com, 503-796-2739, 11 am-midnight Sunday-Thursday, 11 am-1:30 am Friday-Saturday.
Viewed from another angle, Rock Bottom is actually the tip of the iceberg. Part of a national chain owned by a Chattanooga, Tenn.-based private-equity-owned firm, it's not unlike a Ruby Tuesday with brew kettles in the back. The Pioneer Place branch is a spot where people get their introduction to craft beer, and also where suburbanites waiting for the Blue Line rest up after work or a big day of downtown shopping because it has big, comfy booths and isn't too crowded. Sadly, the beer quality has slipped since the departure of Van Havig, who left to found his own place, Gigantic. If you're here, you want the nachos, which come stacked up on a huge cafeteria tray. Stick to the light beers, like the Kölsch or Dim Wit witbier, which doesn't not taste like Blue Moon.
Drink this: If you're looking for something a little darker, the Lumberjack Red ale kind of tastes like a light schwarzbier.
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This Year's Guide Is Dedicated to Dean Pottle
An Oral History of the Horse Brass
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