Portland Brewery Steeplejack Is Open in a Stunning, 110-Year-Old Church | Eater Portland

"Inside a tall, craftsman-era chapel on the corner of NE Broadway and 24th, I found a restaurant, coffee bar, and brewery carved out of the 1909 building that still feels very much like a church: stained-glass windows loom over tanks and the bar, pews serve as banquettes, and much of the fit-out is reclaimed fir and cedar salvaged from the building. Owners Brody Day and Dustin Harder spent two years transforming the space with reservable rooms (the former pulpit and reverend’s offices), a cozy fireplace room, and a morning “coffee room,” while keeping a community-oriented mission—low-ABV, easy-drinking beers meant for lingering, accessible family-friendly food, and events from drag shows to concerts. Head brewer Anna Buxton is focused on English- and Scottish-style pub beers and cask-conditioned ales and has launched collaborations (including Hazymodo with Trap Door) while highlighting beers like Alewife, a 3.7% ABV Traditional Dark Mild cask-conditioned with Yorkshire yeast that Buxton describes as tasting like warm oatmeal-and-raisin cookies. In the tiny kitchen, chef Lawrence Gable turned limited space into thoughtful dishes: a prime-rib–blended burger with Steeplejack beer-cheese and au jus, deviled eggs that nod to his Louisiana roots, and a lighter tempura beer-battered fried chicken sandwich brined in gochujang-buttermilk and topped with gochujang honey, peanut tahini, lime aioli, shallots, and tsukemono. The team emphasizes inclusivity and community partnerships (Brave Noise, Not Me) and opened to the public on July 23, with full morning hours starting July 31." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden