Hopworks Urban Brewery

August 28, 2008 [ Updated August 30, 2008 ]
First things first, Hopworks makes killer beer. The IPA and the Lager are to die for. The ambiance is modern with lots of recycled materials, Great space. It is obvious that a lot of thought went into the building that used to be a fuel building from, I think the 1940s. The food is overpriced and not very interesting. It is apparent that the brewer used to work at Laurelwood because there is a lot of the same feel. Kid friendly, uniformed workers. and pizza-centric menu. The service is average at best. Most times I have been there, I have witnessed employees twiddling their thumbs and I am waiting to order. The servers are mildly knowledgeable of the product being served. The beer is of a world class caliber, but that is about it. I live a stones throw from this place, but usually opt for Roots or Green Dragon. It would be nice to see guest taps on at HUB. I also have to question some of the claims of sustainability with this place. Claims it is the only eco brewpub in town. I think it is great that they use renewable energy resources for brewing and materials, but in my humble opinion, local ingredients are more important than certified organic ones. If you want to try perhaps the best IPA in Portland and possibly Oregon, go to HUB. It’s just not a place I would hang out at everyday. Ben Love, rules, too.

June 28, 2008
The place ws bustling, but so many workers buzzing around attention never lagged.the key is they know how to make beer. soe creativity in the menu but nothing weird. beautiful space with quirky recycled items (string-ray bicycle seats above the urinals?) and great architecture. parking can be dicey. a definite winner overall.

June 12, 2008
Big building, cycling theme, shiny brushed metal everywhere. Beer selection is quite good, as is the overall quality. Steam beer, IPA, Baltic porter, Czech pils, etc. Happy hour food menu has interesting choices and reasonable prices, but I’d come back again just to try more beer. This is the startup from the former Laurelwood brewer, so it’s no surprise that the beer is well-received.

May 13, 2008 [ Updated September 16, 2008 ]
The atmosphere, beer, food and people working where all awesome I loved this place. They have a wonderful bar and the bikes hanging from the bar are an awesome addition. The beer was great they brew all organic beers and they where great. The food was pub faire and very tasty. Tons of parking and easy to find. A great place to take the kids for a nice lunch and a pint. This is a wonderful addition to the Portland beer scene. They have specials and special tastings’ so get on their website and sign up for the updates. I will be back for sure this place was great.

May 12, 2008
Very nice place, listening to them describe the place you can understand why it took so long for this place to open. I was invited for a pre-opening event, the food was delicious, and the beers very solid. Now that the place is fully open the service has been slow, but then again this place seems to always be busy. Good upbeat lace, the beers are all good, a few standouts.

April 20, 2008
Happy to finally make it here. It was a two hour wait before we got a table, but we had a good spot in the bar and waitress was always making sure we had our pints. Everything about this place screams either beer or green. When you walk up from outside, all the planters are made from cut in half kegs, and there’s a fire pit inside made from an old brew tank. A lot of bicycle parts used for aesthetics, and there is a game room upstairs. This place is unique and I hope it allows more people in Portland who aren’t so into beer to get more into it.

March 30, 2008
Great timing! I think they had not been open that long when we just happened to find this place. They were packed. We waited a while but it was worth it. The atmosphere is lively and a bit of not what you expect from a beer crowd(trendy). I sampled their entire selection and they make on the whole better than average beers. The even have several decent seasonal beers. We arrived during the happy hour which allowed us to taste the pizza that they seem to sell a lot of.

March 29, 2008
Finally!! Had to try the HUB on opening day. The place is awesome. The bar is quite large, with bicycle frames used as decoration. Lots of light with a fireplace built from an old brew tank, a small couch, a pool table and don’t forget the table inside the old vault. The dining area has a small play area for kids. A small seating area upstairs also holds 2 pinball machines. 12 beers on tap, all organic. Service was REALLY slow, but then again, it was opening day. Try it, you’ll like it. I do!!!!