APEX

This was the winner of my embarrassingly extensive Portland pub crawl. The only place I visited twice. Huge beer selection, taps, cans and bottles. Music was bumping(no they won't turn it down!), regs and bartenders were cool AF. Made me a new friend, YOUR dog stays outside. The inside is fairly big, and they have several picnic tables outside. Hoping I can come back when it's garage door weather. I'll def keep coming back on return visits out west. Stay away from the Underberg! OMG between y'all and Pals, to hell with your non alcoholic Jager. Last call, last stop before I leave for my real life and to dry out in the sun.

Above great tap selection with a volume of styles. Extended beer list available in cans and bottles. Cash only establishment with ATM on site. Four pinball machines. Outdoor seating available. Dogs welcome outside only. Street parking.

Awesome beer selection, friendly staff, great ambiance, and they are doing everything to keep the patrons, employees,and immediate community safe. Masks are required unless you are seated at the tables , which are very spread out. They allow outside food in too. Come on down and share a beer with your friends, pet the friendly dogs and enjoy the misters on these hot days!

Bring your ID and proof of vaccination! Huge beer list— try the jalapeño beer! Great novelty. Maybe start with a half size. They have pin ball and a large place to park your bike. Also, dog friendly!!

Great spot to grab a beer! They offer indoor seating as well as a huge outdoor patio with umbrellas. They have a huge beer selection but don't serve food, you can bring other food in. This is where the mexican restaurant next door comes in handy!

Highly recommend this place. Fantastic beer bar with an absolutely excellent selection of brews. A must stop for me every time I visit Portland. The staff is very knowledgeable about the beers they are serving and the local beer scene in general. Very nice patio for sitting and sipping on those rare nice days in Portland.

Great beer selection with great vibes, even carry Pliney the Elder from Russian River Brewing! Wouldn't fill our growler which was a bummer, but they fill their own new growlers that they sell.

Great beer selection. Also an awesome selection of pinball machines, if you're into that. They even have a jersey jack pinball machine, The Hobbit.

Been coming here on and off for years, as their beer selection is astounding (both draft and bottle) and the low key vibe appeals. It's not hip or bougie or a sports bar - though they usually have a sport playing on one of the three TVs - but rather just a chill, dedicated beer bar with a huge patio area outside and giant glass garage doors on the inside. The owner is an avid motorcyclist so we would come here to watch races on weekends when they were on, but not sure that's still happening. Anyway, friendly knowledgeable servers, great beer list, nice long bar and a couple of vintage pinball machines in the corner make for a pleasant spot to decompress for a couple of hours. Note; the bar is cash only, and there's no food (unless you're cool with fun size Dorito bags), but there is a great taqueria right next door.

Atmosphere: Open bar with plenty of outdoor seating. Could be a great place in Summertime Food: Haven't eaten there but they have a large selection of beer Price: Price is standard for beers. They do have cheap beer options Service: This is where things fall apart. The bartender was a dick when I went in. Seemed so bothered to even be there and when I asked if he could put on a specific football game on a random Thursday when they were not crowded he flatly told me they refuse to show football at the bar. My friend separately had a similar incident when asking for some other sport. I guess they only will show cycling and obscure soccer games. With how rude they were about all this I can't imagine I will be back. Parking: Street parking

I know I give 5 stars quite a bit, but it is deservingly so, I appreciate good service, knowledge and a good product for the money I spend, simple. Been coming here for years, always a few beers on tap that would please anyone in the crowd, or you are not with the right crowd. A plethora of food options within 50 yds. Of the front door. You can bring it in while you enjoy your tasty brew. The interior is cool as well.....

Went here for the first time in a couple of years and ordered a beer. They poured it and then told me cash only. Went to their ATM and it's a $3 charge and a max withdrawal of $60 - on top of the $1.50 my bank charges for unaffiliated ATMs. I left. Hey Apex - charge 3% more for your drinks and take cards.

Great little spot with a ton of different beers (on the slightly pricey side, but that's Bidenomics for ya!) Best thing is grabbing a burrito from next door and washing it down with a few cold brews from Apex.

I've been here several times over the years and decided to leave a review. They have a great outdoor patio area for those sunny days but it does get crowded then. There is also an inside area and stools along the back bar and some tables. They even have a little area with pinball games. There is DJ sometimes else they have music piping through the speakers. The service at the bar is great and the bartender gives good pours. They even sell cigars. While they don't really have a kitchen, they sell some light snacks, but you can also bring in food from several nearby restaurants. The beer selection on tap is very good with quite a selection. They do serve NA beer and tea and soda for your DDs. I was gonna get Athletic NA beer for my DD but they are having distribution issues. Great place just to hang out with friends and people watch too. Docking one star because the snacks they serve are just ok. Really should be docked just a half star. Looks like they are now take credit cards. For the longest time it was cash only.

Great beer selection. Just a bit rude the few times I went. Nothing unusual...just that kind of typical Portland "I'm mad that I'm here and you're trying to speak to me" server vibe.

This place is great and has an amazing range of taps! I used to just walk by thinking it looked busy/I didn't have cash on hand, but now they take credit cards! All the bartenders are super friendly, and they have a lot of indoor and outdoor space. Fun place to go for a drink!

A good beer bar with a pretty wide selection, and nice outdoor seating. One of the beers I got was Transatlantique Kriek, a collaboration between New Belgium and Oud Beersel in Flanders, a lambic that is probably more sour than the Belgian market would crave. Apparently they start the brew in Belgium, then ship it to Colorado and blend it with their aged sour beer. It's not an everyday beer but it was highly recommended if you like that style.

If I had beer-loving visitors who could only go to one spot, I would go to Apex (while thinking we could also hit Beermongers across the street and Baerlic three blocks away (plus the Ranch Pizza there.) Apex has 50 taps, with a fair split tween those in larger glasses and those in smaller, all around the same price. the current list has drink from 36 different breweries and cideries. The indoor area is small, while the outdoor area is triple the size. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. No food, so they don't mind if you bring from elsewhere, or have handed over the fence between them and the tasty Gorditas they share a wall with. And rest room that are like art galleries.

Great tap list! Beautiful day in the city to enjoy a few beers outside. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Bartender was friendly and knowledgeable.

Arbitrary and inconsistent pet policy. Was told my small silent dog couldn't come in even while I ordered. There was a pitbull sitting in a barstool three seats away. Been coming here for years, but I won't be back.

I came across these old photos that I took, and I remember enjoying myself here a lot. Not to mention that they have over 1000 beers to choose from here (or close to it), so this is a must-see place for anyone in Portland who loves craft beer. I remember the staff being nice as well, and they have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Listen, I'm the first to admit when I make a mistake. Like forgetting how much I love Apex until I stop in again after being gone for a while. The vibe, the policy's, the selection, the snacks, the pinball! It's all perfection. Don't sleep on this place. Skip the craziness of the surrounding beer bars and stick to the perfection of this place.

Forgot Vax card and they would not serve me. A 10yr customer and I will never go back. I hope this place loses enough business they have to close their doors.

Doing wrist bands for vaccinated people, pretty cool. I love the sours and music here. Sometimes they play alien shows in the evening, I like those too.

I think this place tries too hard to be Toronado. I was a regular at the SF T and this place just gives me the creeps. The beer is not nearly as good as the T. I'd pass and go to Beer Mongers instead. This place just seems oddly corporate. Seriously the bathrooms are such a knock off of the T and it seems so fake. I think there is a good reason why Dave didn't lend them the name.

Apex has a huge and wonderful selection of beers on tap. Have been there several times. Here is why I give them 1 big star. They have a wonderful very large outside seating area but they do not allow dogs! The outside seating area is so big I really can't understand what the issue would be and it is very un-Portland. There are so many more places that even brew their own beers where your pet is welcome outside here in Portland that I love to support having Apex off my list even when piochiez isn't with me certainly isn't my loss.

My friends and husband always enjoy the beer selection, but I come for one thing only - Stiegl Radler on tap. It's large, cool and delicious. Because I also LOVE Los Gorditos next door, this has become my favorite summer hang out. It's true they don't serve food, but there is great Mexican food next door, vegan pizza across the street and you can order anything you want delivered. I like that, because everybody gets what they want. It's just a fun atmosphere and an enjoyable space.

Around 60 taps of great beer, with Black Sabbath on vinyl on the stereo at a reasonable volume, with friendly service and sane prices...how do you get better than this? How does a beer place get better than this? Is it a Deadpool pinball machine? They have that. Is it a bottle shop in the back? They have it. Is it a huge patio with misters? They have it. This place is amazing.

Can Not Say Enough ! Super rad place! Great beer selection, awesome seating - outside mostly - definitely following Covid protocols (which my group of friends and I loved and appreciated) Regardless of Covid times - super awesome bar. You should definitely check them out and you should definitely have a vaccine by now! So no problems. So great!! Thank you.

Other than the fact that it's cash only, I have nothing but good things to say about APEX. They always have a ton of beers on from all genres, so they're sure to have something you'll like. I like to arrive via bicycle and generally sit outside. Haven't tried the tacos next door, but I probably should...

Super low key and mellow during the day. Huge selection, and I was excited to see a few sours on tap! Thankfully they Are served in a smaller glass.

This place figures into some of our most glorious days. We drive 3 hours to spend time on this big patio, drinking from the extensive beer selection, playing geeky games and eating sandwiches from Baker's Mark. The other reviews mention "rules", but if you use common sense they aren't really rules. Come here, be polite, and enjoy your day.

This place has a huge selection on tap, and most of them are excellent! They are following social distancing guidelines to a tee & have outdoor picnic tables set up with covering. Feeling safe while being able to enjoy a great beer is amazing!

Cash bar. That's the most important thing to remember. Lots of beer. Metal. Patio. Great place to meet friends on a Friday night. Want to try something new? Peruse the bottle list. I like going with friends and sharing a few bottles. You can spend $5 or $50. It's entirely up to you.

The bar was fine but the issues we had came after we had left. After checking the credit card bill of my partner we found that even though we had only bought two beers (at $8 per beer so $16), there was a later charge on the card from Apex for $25. Afterwards, this the card was turned off to stop further charges from being made. Please be careful here if you have to go but I would not recommend it as there are many other bars In the area that we have never encountered this problem with.

This place is awful in terms of everything except beer, which they have a huge selection. They don't even serve food, so go to one of the other six thousand bars that serve beer and might actually treat people with respect. I have been here several times, but after today I'll never be back. I came in with my service animal, a 4 pound chihuahua, to sit on the outdoor patio. They do not allow dogs, which I totally get! I have a service dog and hardly anyone notices him anyway. They can make their own rules though. However. today I came in and before even ordering anything I overheard other customers talking about my dog, who is a tiny chihuahua who is extremely well behaved and basically sits on my lap not doing anything. I usually need him with me if I am having an extremely anxious or despressive day. First of all, what kind of monster is bothered by a dog? I went into the bar to grab a water to find a customer complaining to the bartender about my dog who was still outside with my boyfriend. Ignored it. I had one beer over an hour, and THEN the bartender decided to come kick me out by saying, "hey guys, sooo we don't allow dogs, so if you don't mind.... *waves hands to leave*." Reasoning was because the owner has an "aggressive pit bull." If you have an aggressive dog, you either train it or don't bring it to a public place. It's an outdoor patio, and though I can understand each venue can have their own rules. My dog is a service pet and is extremely sweet, quiet and loving. Does not bother anyone. This is SE Portland. We love dogs. So, I disagree with their rules. Not to mention, service dogs are allowed everywhere, but I had bad anxiety today so I could not argue or explain anything to them. I left crying, thanks so much for antagonizing an already horrible day. I will never return to this place again. Do yourself a favor and go to a place where the owners have a heart. Gigantic brewing to name one. Not only are the staff at Apex non-compassionate, but the customers are judgmental and not welcoming. Pretentious and a bit rude, to be honest. I'd rather be somewhere where I feel welcome and understood.

It's just frustrating that every time I go to Apex they are super ambiguous and inconsistent about sampling draft beers. Usually they charge $1 which is fine...sometimes not. Even when they are charging for samples they limit you to "a few samples." I'm trying to understand their policies and be a compassionate guest but this is the 3rd time I've had an unpleasant experience.

Cash only. Dark, bummer vibes. LOTS of beer. Lots of seating. Pinball machines behind the bar it appeared. Didn't love it here.

I read some of the reviews here and I'm pretty surprised about the ratings. You have to have context about what you are getting into - this is a non-family friendly beer bar that is cash only and loves to blast Sabbath and pre-black album Metallica. Along those lines, like a ton of beer bars, they don't serve food but do have tons of options close by and even include those options in their bottle list. So with that out of the way - if you want a deep selection of beers, knowledgable bartenders and a bottle list to rival any in the country - then Apex is a spot to check out. The draft list is good, I think about 40 or so lines, so I don't want to understate it, but the bottle list is really where Apex shines. Tons of vintage options, Russian River and just overall a lot of interesting stuff. Again - this place isn't for everyone - but if you fit the demographic - this will be a place in your rotation for a long time.

Husband and I should have done our research before walking a mile with our dogs knowing they had a big patio only to find a sign not allowing pets. We decided to try it a few days later because that's not a deal breaker. It's cash only which I don't mind. There's an ATM as soon as you walk in. Music reminded me a crappy night club and I wasn't about it. The decorations reminded me of an Midwest Cheddar's. The worst. Lots of beers but if you want to try one, literally just a sip, you have to pay $1. I mean, really? The prices are already pretty expensive. A Stiegl Raddler is $5 and $5 is the cheapest beer you'll find. We had no issue with the service, but honestly didn't talk with them much other than to ask what an asterisk meant (it delineates a sour). Overall, not a fan.

Very impressed with the pinball room, the huge selection of fine beers, and the artwork throughout the joint. Also, very impressed that while the city of Portland mostly shut down due to the recent snow storm, Apex opened on time, as usual. Thanks for welcoming this San Diegan and making my week long pinball excursion such a pleasure. Huge props to Apex for having The Hobbit: LE and the immediate response from CASH BOX? repair guys.

It's a beer bar. That's all. They have good beer. All kinds of beer. The even publish a bible of all the beer the have. And the even have more in bottles. All In coolers in the back just in case you can't find what you are looking for. Oh, it's cash only? I had a really good bourbon barrel stout. Very nice. Now I have very complex porter. Also very nice. This is a local hangout bar and in good weather they have a big patio. Look around and the have one tv playing some old movie from the 60 s. They also have pinball machines. Wow, exciting huh? Food? Order food from nearby restaurants and go get it and bring it in. Wow, that's great too, eh? Did I mention they have a lot of different beer? I mean lots and lots of beer of different types. Two stars for lots of beer. Drink up me harties.

I came here for the awesome beer selection and it did not disappoint. Also a lot of character; very unique. Great outdoor seating, bring your dog and your food. Bartender super friendly and welcoming.

Worse experience ever. Terrible food and the service there is unbelievable unfriendly. Won't ever eat there again. How places like this stay in business is mind blowing.

Rolled on over to this place after a league basketball game with the fellas. Bar paraphernalia peppers the walls and the 90's hip hop playing are perfect touches. Great atmosphere in this place. The staff are so friendly! Not sure that I have enjoyed an interaction with a bartender more than the brief moments I had speaking with this one on Thursday night. He asked where we came from (giving the impression that he cared for us to get home safe) and smiled as we chatted a little about our nights and the beer. Pliny the Elder AND the Younger were on tap this night (lucky us!). This place looks to have a little something for everyone. I wanted to try them all!! One beer had 17%??? Whoa. Maybe next time for a first draft. Substantial outside seating looks to make this place a summer hit. Cash-only is merely a mild annoyance.

Literally 18 blocks away is Imperial bottle shop which is several cuts above apex in terms of beer. For starters, the prices at Apex are far from competitive, especially when you are forced to listen to blaring metal music not in tune with the tastes of most. Next, the attitude of the staff is patronizing and belittling. Yes I am still deciding from the beers on your menu; No you do not have to make me feel dumb because I haven't made up my mind yet. I work at a bar with 40 taps and helping people find the right beer for them is part of the fun, not a chore. When I go out I look for a chill, friendly vibe and an enjoyable atmosphere. Apex can be this if you have someone else order for you and you sit on their expansive patio, but why bother when there are an endless number of better choices just minutes away. SKIP!

Well if you're looking for attitude to be served up with your beer, look NO farther. We had lunch with our family, next door at Los Gorditos and they said if we wanted beer to go next door. Well since I had my kids, and dog and was waiting on our food my husband kindly went to get me a beer. I stayed out on the deck and he put it on the table. I hadn't had a sip, because I wanted to have my food with it (and I was super hangry,) and a guy from Apex came over and said "you can't have beer over there. What you're doing is super illegal." I said okay, maybe someone should have told me that before we left the bar? And he said "I mean it's pretty obvious." If you want to drink the beer you have to come over here. I said then we will move over there. And then he said there are no minors allowed. So I said I guess I have to eat my food first. So I had to leave the beer AT their side of the patio. He took it after about 5 minutes and dumped it. Super good service and attitude here. Just stay away. Support Beer Mongers across the street, or grab a drink at the patio of Virtuous Pie. But keep away from Apex. They are the Apex of awful!

Atmosphere here is rather clean and hard. Looks like you could clean the place out at night with a fire hose. Consequently it is noisy since there are no soft surfaces to absorb sound. Not really a bar, as they serve only beer, and, i assume, wine and cider. They have about 100 beers on tap but zero food. You can go across the street to the Asian fusion place for some ok eats, or get a pizza delivered in. The draw here is the motorcycle racing on the screen. They play moto gp races sunday night.(get there early or stand) They have no ice for water, so if you want ice water bring your own. Its not somewhere i would ever go except for the motorcycle connection. Other than that, the lack of cocktails and poor atmosphere make it a complete nonstarter for me.

Where to start...this place is freakin' awesome. The draft and bottle listing are ridiculous (and super sexy), and is easily accessible on the website too. Frankly, after moving here from California, I have been on the search for a certain beer (which I won't mention on here to keep the attention off it) but I was incredibly surprised to see it on the list...that is until I walked into the pub and saw their drool inducing selection. The pub hasn't been completely overrun with hipsters and pretentious beer snobs either, which is a major plus. Bar staff is very knowledgeable with regards to their selection and were fun to talk with. Prices range is super wide and you can get as fancy with your buzz as desired. The main downside is mentioned across most other reviews: cash only. I guess it's natural to want to find ways to shelter some income from the man, but it's incredibly inconvenient for the 90% of us who likely NEVER, EVER, carry cash. The only thing that helps this a bit is the in-house ATM with a $3.00 service fee attached to it (equivalent of going to the bathroom only to return to find you buddy drank 60% of your first pint). The death metal was not particularly awesome but I am willing to brush it aside for now. There is also a nice outdoor area for congregating with few people. "I'll be back." Cheers!

I've always passed by this placed noticing the packed patio area, which is perfect for the summer, and finally checked it out. The beer selection was pretty extensive and there's a choice for everyone I thought. This place is cash only, I didn't figure that out until I ordered...and probably should've Yelped that info beforehand. Overall, it was all right. I thought the best thing about this place was the RanchPDX partnership. My friend and I found the bartenders to be a bit pretentious and weren't really feeling that vibe. I might go back, but it's gonna be for that Sicilian pizza mostly

Sweet spot. Great outdoor seating, selection of beers, nice that there's a few good few spots near by. The cash only part is annoying as always, but I guess that also makes it cool? ‍ I dig this place, it's good during the day or at night.

Pliny! :D This place had a decent selection of taps and pretty impressive bottle menu. The bartender was pretty friendly too. Bathroom was clean. No food but food menus from nearby places that deliver. Two downsides: 1. Cash only. I would've got a bottle or two to take home with me if I didn't have to (get charged) use the ATM to buy something. 2. The smoking section was not very friendly despite having a very large patio. Smokers are people too. Depsite these things, I would still come back. Just remember to bring a few hundreds next time.

Probably the best beer selection in Portland. We visited this place a couple of times and found the beer we were looking for the second time around. Their live beer menu shows you what they have on tap. Check it out here: http://www.apexbar.com/menu I agree with all the other reviewers about the service but whatevs. We weren't there to make friends with the bartenders. The vibe of the whole place captured the essence of A dive bar. Bring cash. Shout out to my holmes, Kirk T. for telling me about this place!

Calling your beer bar Apex in a city renowned for great beer seems like a bit of hubris, but this place lives up to the billing. The draft selection is superb and huge, and the bartenders do a great job of keeping things moving despite the crowds. There is also a superb bottle selection. But the best part of this place, for me, is the huge outdoor patio where you can linger and enjoy your brew. Bike parking is right out front, so you can keep an eye on your ride if you want. There's no food here, but you can order tacos from next door or send out for pizza. Know that this place is cash only, so be prepared. If you are, you will have a great time here and will drink some outstanding beer.

Apex is a highly optimized beer bar with mostly, though not exclusively, outdoor seating. Inside there is more seating than you would expect, but it is right sized, considering the neighborhood is not densely residential or for businesses. They are smartly reaching out to the bike community with many racks outside and spots inside for stowing helmets. Yea!! The smartness and efficiency extends to beer, where rotating selections are listed on a display screen. Orders are filled from dozens of taps, into a sweet feeding system for pints and 12oz stem glasses. Back bar operations and washing are hidden. Haven't seen another spot so thought out. This is a great and well designed factory for serving your beer and conversation needs in lower Division. It's great for events at the Aladin, art at Homeland, yoga-movement at Euphoria.

The Location: next door to Los Gorditos off of SE 12th and Division. Parking: on-street parking. Apex is a pretty cool beer bar. They have a huge tap list that is blown up in real time on two huge TVs. They also have a good amount of bottles in their refrigerators to enjoy there or take home. A ton of seating and the outdoor area is perfect for a summer afternoon. Really awesome beer selection that suits anybody and everybody. On our most recent visit, we had the very rare, released once a year in limited amounts, Pliny the Younger brewed by Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, CA. They also have Boneyard Brewing Company's Notorious IIIPA on tap somewhat often, which is nice. Come prepared because it is CASH ONLY!! They allow outside food, so Los Gorditos is super convenient. FYI they don't allow dogs, so leave Fido at home. Sounding like too many rules? Do yourself a favor and also hit up The Beermongers across the street and see which one you prefer. I will definitely keep coming to Apex for their rare tappings. CHEERS!!

I love(d) this spot. Plenty of bicycle parking, giant patio for summer day drinks, full tap list, and you can eat tacos from the Los Gorditos next door (or other outside food as apex doesn't have food)! It'd be 5 stars except for the fact that somehow this has become the go-to spot for bachelor/bachelorette parties on weekends which.... isn't exactly the bar's fault, but seems to be the type of people who hang out here then. Sort of a bridge and tunnel vibe. My advice? Go during the day, during the week. It's lovely and perfect for lunch. Solid for tinder dates except that the bathrooms have no mirrors so plan accordingly. Also it's cash only, which, yeah, prepare beforehand. The multiple signs saying cash only seem to help solidify the point but I generally just warn my friends before we go here.

As I arrived on 12th and division to the patio, I was prepared to show my ID since i read the earlier reviews. After I was cleared, I checked the place out. The inside is somewhat small with some tables and nifty TV screens showing the beer menu. I was hungry so I went next door to grab a burrito then came back. It felt good knowing I can bring food to this place since they only serve like 30 fantastic varieties of booze. We were fortunate the rain was avoided so we can enjoy the huge ass patio. Poncho's were provided just for safe measure. I love how there are different prices for the beers and there is something for everyone. I had the cream ale nitro first. It's not bitter at all and leaves a nice smooth cream finish with each drop. The cider was next and it comes in a 12 oz glass since alcohol content is very high. I certainly savored the sweet and crisp fruit taste. The bartender was pretty friendly and worked pretty fast to get the line down. They have this nifty machine that they use for the glasses; I think it's either to sanitize or chill the glasses. The cash only features does help to reduce the wait time to get another beer in hand. When the weather improves, I will definitely be back to try more of the beers they have to offer. This new venue is certainly a winner by my book!