Ask any Oregonian and they will tell you their opinion about McMenamins.
Some love it so much it’s a major personality trait. Some hate it so much it feels personal. And then there are others in the middle, who appreciate the Oregon-born chain of restaurants, pubs, venues and hotels for what it is: A reliable Pacific Northwest institution.
This summer, that institution turns 40. What started as a brewpub concept from two brothers, Mike and Brian McMenamin, in 1983, has turned into a two-state empire with 56 properties stretching throughout Oregon and Washington. These include everything from restaurants in strip malls to a retreat at the foot of Mount Hood.
Where McMenamins excels is in the experiences it creates, not necessarily the food or beer which, while it may have been the top of Oregon’s gastropub heap in the 1990s is, these days, consistently uninteresting and overpriced.
Still, a lot of fun can be had, and some hidden, tasty gems discovered, at McMenamins. So, the question becomes, which one is the best? And which is the worst?
I wasn’t able to visit every single property for this story, so instead I put out a call to my Oregonian colleagues and asked them to tell me their favorites. Then, I created this highly subjective list, based on their responses and my own extensive personal experience with the chain.
Honorable mentions go to: Grand Lodge in Forest Grove, a fun property that doesn’t quite reach the heights of other hotels; The Anderson School in Bothell, which has an amazing-looking pool but I’ve never been to and received zero mentions from my coworkers; and the Corvallis Pub, which was one of the fanciest places to eat dinner in during my youth in Corvallis.
Why is Hotel Oregon on this list? “Super funky vibe right in downtown McMinnville. Plus, it’s haunted,” said Oregon/OregonLive sports columnist Bill Oram. And the rooftop bar offers one of the best views in wine country, particularly at night, offered features editor Grant Butler.
310 N.E. Evans St., McMinnville, https://www.mcmenamins.com/hotel-oregon
The Bagdad has long been a landmark on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard.
“The Bagdad is my number one theater for mainstream blockbuster movies,” said Oregonian/OregonLive travel reporter Jamie Hale. “The old 1927 theater is absolutely gorgeous, easily one of the most beautiful movie theaters in Portland. There is no better place to watch a stupid superhero or action movie. Concessions here are extremely ‘meh’ (see: Starbucks of brewpubs), but hey, it’s better than AMC.”
3702 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., mcmenamins.com/bagdad-theater-pub
The Gearheart Hotel is exactly the cozy, old-timey kind of hotel you want to stay in when you visit the coast. Plus, this location has three bars and a golf course and loaner bikes for overnight guests. It’s an Oregon coast classic.
1157 N. Marion Ave., Gearhart, mcmenamins.com/gearhart-hotel
Maybe it’s wild to put a regular McMenamins with no venues, no pools and a standard menu this high on the list but Eugene’s North Bank has two things going for it. First, the location. “North Bank” refers to the north bank of the Willamette River and here diners are perched right on that bank. The outdoor seating is especially delightful, and possibly the closest a person can eat to the river in the entire city of Eugene.
Next, the food. In general, McMenamins’ food can be underwhelming and uninspired. But, at least on one day last summer, the food at North Bank was ... good. I ordered a Reuben and fries, and while I wasn’t shocked by the deliciousness of the fries – fries being the one food item, in my opinion, that the chain gets right – the tender meat and melty cheese of the sandwich were perfect that day. A happy surprise, especially since said sandwich cost $20.
22 Club Road, Eugene, mcmenamins.com/north-bank
When one of my coworkers nominated Ringlers Annex for the people-watching, I realized I should probably include the whole Crystal complex, which spans blocks on West Burnside and includes a hotel with soaking pools multiple eateries and venues. But the best of those venues has to be the Crystal Ballroom, a crucial Portland destination for young people for over 100 years. Some of us remember going to shows on the slightly bouncy floor both before and after we were allowed in the 21 and over area. Some of us remember seeing The Shins play twice on the same tour in 2005. What a time to be alive.
1332 W. Burnside, crystalballroompdx.com
If you’re heading from Portland to Seattle, why not stop off at Kalama Harbor Lodge in Kalama?
“There’s a great beach and a playground for kids along the waterfront next to it,” said Oregonian/OregonLive social media producer Julie Evensen.
Evensen noted the lodge is perfect for families and a great place to watch live music, too.
215 Hendrickson Dr., Kalama, mcmenamins.com/kalama-harbor-lodge
Cornelius Pass Roadhouse really is a roadhouse out on Cornelius Pass, with a restaurant and a little bar. What moved this spot up the list is the vibes. Cornelius Pass is full of outdoor spaces to eat and drink and just hang out. People come with their dogs or babies and stay for hours, yes, possibly because they are waiting for their food, but also because the atmosphere is so great.
4045 N.E. Cornelius Pass Road, Hillsboro, mcmenamins.com/cornelius-pass-roadhouse
There’s something for everyone at Portland’s Kennedy School. Soak in the pool, watch a movie, spend the night, have a party, get a drink.
“Detention bar is a great little whiskey jazz bar,” said Amy Leona Havin, a commerce writer for The Oregonian/OregonLive.
And, Kennedy School really caters to families and kids.
“I grew up going to the movie theater inside the Kennedy School,” said reporter Catalina Gaitán. “My older sisters and I would scramble over all the couches to pick our favorite seats, our mom would get us a pitcher of root beer and we would watch movies there. Some of my favorite memories from childhood.”
McMenamins properties are known for their eclectic artwork, but there’s no better place to experience the McMenamins “look” than Kennedy School, which has murals evoking the building’s history, along with mosaics by acclaimed Portland artist Mary Topogna.
5736 N.E. 33rd Ave., mcmenamins.com/kennedy-school
Coming in second with multiple recommendations from Oregonian/OregonLive reporters was Old St. Francis School in Bend.
Investigative reporter Ted Sickinger called the rooms and soaking pool “fantastic” while another investigative reporter, Hillary Borrud, said she actually met her husband there for their first date.
“The saltwater soaking pools at Old St. Francis School in Bend are ridiculous,” said travel reporter Hale. “The mood lighting and ornate decorations make you feel like you’re in the prefects’ bathrooms at Hogwarts. The move here is to book a night in one of the rooms and go during after hours, when you might have the place to yourself.”
700 N.W. Bond St., Bend, mcmenamins.com/old-st-francis-school
There can only be one winner and, in this case, was there ever really a question? Edgefield is the crown jewel in the McMenamins crown. Forget the food and drinks for a minute and think about the location, which is essentially a resort retreat off of Halsey in Troutdale. You could easily spend a week at Edgefield, going to concerts, soaking in the pool, getting spa treatments, playing rounds of golf and watching movies.
Sickinger put it this way. McMenamins excels at one thing, he said, “creating enveloping atmosphere(s) and ambience. That’s why I go. Edgefield is an adult amusement park with so many things to recommend it, from concerts to golf to the Little Red Shed.”
“For what it’s worth, I love Edgefield,” said social media producer Evensen. “The ‘hidden’ courtyard in the Black Rabbit bar is the best spot, and I (a person who doesn’t usually like sweet cocktails) love the fresh-squeezed vanilla lemon drops at the golf course.”
Edgefield certainly has its lows and its highs.
Low: The food, especially at the Loading Dock Grill, which is a lovely place to sit outside and eat a dry Captain Neon Burger and a small side of crumbling tots for $18.50. A similar burger at another local chain, Killer Burger, which comes with an obscene amount of fries and an inferior atmosphere, costs $14.45. Or, you could wait 45 minutes for an oddly-assembled pizza.
High: The baked goods, made on premises, are better than they deserve to be. Get a scone at the golf course or a pavlova at the gift shop.
High: Playing the well-kept par-3 course on an August day when the blackberries are ripe and you have nothing else to do.
“Many par-3 courses in America are simple flatlands mown out of urban parks or rural farms,” said restaurant critic Michael Russell, who recommends eating at nearby Sugarpine Drive-In while you’re in Troutdale. “Despite its quirky setup – there are two courses, one with 20 holes, the other with either 12 or 9, depending on the season – the pub course at Edgefield is more like a full-sized course shrunk down to miniature, complete with hilltop tee boxes, decently maintained greens, views stretching to the green hills of Washington State and even a cart that delivers icy cans of beer on busy weekends.”
Another high: Sitting on the lawn listening to your favorite musician sing to you in the summer night. (Low: Trying to leave the parking area after a concert on that same summer night.)
“I have never set foot inside the buildings at Edgefield,” said Hale, “but the concert venue here is hands down one of Oregon’s best. Great acts, so smoothly run and nary a bad place to sit. The biggest downside here is (surprise, surprise) the food, which is somehow way worse than typical McMenamins food. It will make you crave a Captain Neon burger. So cruel.”
2126 S.W. Halsey St., Troutdale, mcmenamins.com/edgefield.
