Bantam Tavern

This is our go to for creative and excellent food, a creative bar, and just great vibes. Chef Trever has really upped the food here, and everything is excellent. My husband and I end up sharing small plates and have loved every single dish so far. From roasted carrots to Raab salad, salmon, pork chops, desserts - all amazing! (and we don’t even like desserts!)

Oh man, Bantam Tavern has been one of my neighborhood bars for several years but the recent chef, Trever, just keeps blowing my mind with evermore fabulous and sustainable dishes. I stopped by this evening to try the new Taco menu with housemade tortillas. They had the chicken and carrot tacos and they may have been my all time favorites. You definitely want to check them out on Taco Tuesdays!

HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST Philly’s I’ve ever tried. It’s not a traditional one at all. Dope cute little hole in the wall with a full bar. Dope dinner and date vibes. The god damn oxtail and brisket Philly had me smiling all the way home. Must try this place in Portland!

Cocktails were wonderful! We started with the gimlet which was such a delight. Have never had anything quite like it. Got a light bite with the beet salad that was beeting up our taste buds (in a good way). Our second drink was a pencillin which was fantastic and had the perfect smokey finish I love. But hands down the star of the night was the French onion soup. COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF!!

Their food is interesting and consistently good, and the cocktails use some really fun, local ingredients. The fire pit area on the patio is an especially nice place to spend an evening with friends.

Island envy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - had a delicious pineapple - not overly sweet - cool and refreshing Penny royalty ⭐⭐⭐✨ - has a coppery aftertaste - refreshing though, has a lime Chupa thingy ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - good but I don't like the salt - kind of like that Mexican mango drink Spices tea old fashioned ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ - really good for an old fashioned - what you'd expect but with a very slight twist Preface, for bar food, these are all 5/5 stars. Potato dumplings ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - imagine lightly fried gnocchi - with marinara sauce - wish it was a little crispier ❤️Onion rings ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - amazing onion rings - wish there were more Oxtail cheese steak ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - it was super tender - I like the cheese - there's something about it that is different from a normal cheese steak and I feel like it's the mushrooms Chicken po boy ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - had crunchy bits that were delicious - I liked the lime and cilantro taste - the chicken is super crunchy - I like the kale slaw, all the vegetables on this were perfect - unsure if I would order again over the cheese steak. I think maybe because the chicken was too salty for my liking? Vintage burger ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ - what you'd expect - double stacked - juicy and delicious Pork shoulder ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ - the salad was good - smoked taste - crispy Brutus salad ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ - the chicken was so juicy and amazing - basically a ceasar salar - can actually taste the anchovies in a not fishy way - kale was definitely massaged Poutine ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - the gravy is on the bottom - not cheese curds, not sure if this is poutine tbh Smoked rockfish cheese dip ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - it hits - it's not overly cheesey - I wish there were more tortilla chips

This is one of my favorite go-to spots. The drinks are always solid. The food is good and they have some of the best bartenders in town! If you're out and about in Northwest, check it out. They have a great side patio where you can have an intimate conversation or hang out with a bunch of friends. It can be a little pricey but it's well worth it!

The bartender wouldn’t let me order a beer at the bar, told me to sit down at a table and someone would take my order. 15 minutes of sitting around later, the bartender himself comes outside and takes my order. 10 minutes later I get my beer. 20 minutes later I have to flag someone down to even pay for it. They were not busy, not at all.

We were shocked by how good the steak frites were, and the draft old-fashioned was fantastic. Their prices on bourbon are great and the service was also incredible. Can't recommend enough.

Really enjoyed the vibe and their Oxtail Cheesesteak. The bread was nice and toasty on the inside and buttery all around. Packed full of juicy tender oxtail and gooey cheese as well. This one is a must. Their other dishes, unfortunately, were just alright. The Grilled Chicken Wrap had a lot of chicken thigh but it's kinda dry. The naan bread was tough too. Onion rings were burnt and bitter. Their menu is diverse and interesting. We still had a good time though and would like to be back.

I got a mids moscow mule. Very watery. The bartender, Dusty, came to check our IDs and when i was trying to be personable and friendly they really alienated me and my table. It was very uncomfortable to the degree we decided to just not eat at all so we could have one drink to be polite and peel out as quickly as possible. The other staff member on shift was kind, i liked their shag/mullet cut.

Great drinks prepared by skilled bartenders, lovely space indoors & out and the food is delicious! My fave is the hummus with mushrooms.

Haven't eaten here, but enjoy that they offer some cheap beer options. Nice outdoor patio and fire pit. Good ambiance inside as well. They have a TV but I never see it turned on unfortunately.

My favorite bar in NW Portland...it has the feel of an intimate, friendly neighborhood pub while also serving up killer cocktails and food. I have yet to have a bad drink here -- the Heart of Glass is absolutely stellar and my most recent favorite. I was also blown away by the spam sliders...so simple but SO good. A great spot to belly up to the bar and meet someone new, or bring your people to enjoy happy hour out on the patio or a cozy late-night drink by the fire. Bantam never fails to impress!

Casual neighborhood bar with really satisfying eats, great cocktails and excellent service. They don't have a big wine selection but their Cabernet was just fine. There's always a crowd, definitely a lot of locals from the neighborhood. They have happy hour twice a day, the later one goes from 10pm til closing at 1pm Making it the perfect late night spot. My only complaint is that it's super loud! Inside is all hard surfaces so the chatter is so loud I find myself having to shout to my friend sitting next to me. there are a few tables outside when the weather is nice. They have their own small parking lot next door, shared with Swagat, or street parking.

Love the service, staff, and ambiance. This place is like my second home. Don't just come here for the dumps! But really, do come for dumpling week. While this dish can be shared, I recommend ordering this for yourself because you'll want to lick that ox tail broth off the plate. The black bean purée pairs so well with the broth, slathering it on the dumpling. With every bite, tasted heavenly. The dumplings were perfectly cooked and wasn't soggy at all, especially if you leave it in that broth to soak. Pair it with a White Rabbit cocktail. It's got a bit of a tangy tart taste if you're into that.

Best bar on 21st Ave, and I do not say so lightly. Open consistent hours (everyday) Outstanding cocktail menu- forever rotating with new amazing options. Service is polite, calm, customer first. Ambiance is always different: staff helps cultivate! Plus they do events. I walked in accidentally today to a fabulous lamb dip French style sando- what a lovely surprise!

This is an update to my review 8 months ago. The Happy Hour has been extended and lasts from 4pm to 6pm and has new wine selections, all at $10 until 6:00! Be sure to check it out. There is also a new dish going on the menu, Sweet Potato with yogurt and it's fabulous! This is a great place to hang out in NW Portland!

I've been to Bantam twice now and had good experiences each time. There's street parking or a small lot next door that is shared with at least Swagat. There's a nice looking fire pit area outside but I think it's uncovered. It was occupied when I went so I sat at the bar. The rest of the room is cozy, small with fairly dim lighting. The music was unobtrusive. The bartender was friendly and not too obviously annoyed that he got caught in my pic of the liquor selection. While I don't remember now what sort of beer I ordered; a farmhouse, sour, or saison, it was good. The oxtail Philly cheesesteak was delicious. With cheesesteaks, so much is about the bread and this was appropriately soft on the inside with a reasonable amount of crispiness on the outside, so it didn't mush or crumble but held the fillings well. I'd love to return with friends sometime and share some small plates. The crab bisque and mushroom soup also look tasty.

We were looking for a place for dinner that was open late on Friday night, and found this place at a walking distance from where we were staying. Even though Yelp says they are open till 12am, looked like they were open till 1am. We got Jerk Legs, Spam Slammer, Delicata Donuts, and Beer Cheese Mac. We loved the Delicata Donuts, it was so light, and the 2 sauces that came with it were the perfect compliment to the donuts. The Spam Slammer and Beer Cheese Mac were very good, Jerk Legs were good, very tender, could have used a little more flavor, they were much bigger than we expected. This is a place we will definitely be coming back to.

Solid atmosphere and great selection. Italian sando, asparagus app, hazy ipas. Old Fashions on tap and well made. Great inside and out.

Great service and a full bar is the ticket for a night out, happy hour or meet up with pals. Tables spaced comfortably apart to maintain social distancing. They have expanded their outdoor pub and grub area too. We like cod fish and chips, very tasty. Also if you love IPA - Especially Pliney the Elder by Russian River, get on over and get that perfect balanced double IPA. It was on tap the last time I came. Here is a tidbit, Pliney the Elder is made by Russian River owner, Vinny, who is considered the father of the double IPA. He paved the way for others. Kudos to Bantam for putting Pliney on the tap lineup. Hey bartender, see if you can get some Pliney the Younger, a triple IPA. Vinny makes it one time per year and it lasts one day where some pubs are lucky to get it. In Santa Rosa at Vinny's pub, the line starts at midnight. Cheers and beers!

wonderful bartenders our favorite neighborhood bar. best bar in NW great food. good vibes. are you a fan of obscure movies & the x-files?

We stopped by this place on a Friday night for drinks before our dinner reservation nearby and this was such a great find! It's a casual spot with a very chill and comfortable vibe, and the drinks are so good! We had a couple cocktails that I strongly recommend. I'm more of a fruity cocktail person, so the Pins and Needles was amazing for me. My partner ordered the Firefly, which is their old fashion drink here. That was a really good old fashion. The food menu looked good too, but we didn't get to try since we had dinner to go to. However, we will definitely be back, and I strongly recommend this place!

Top-tier customer service! Well blended cocktails coupled with stellar vibes. I appreciate the hospitality here. The bartenders know what they are doing. Exemplary service with a mindset to assist all customers who walk through the door. Thank you for a wonderful time. I will definitely be coming back.

I have been here a few times and never before had a notable experience. Today was SO bad. I ordered a margarita and it was not great in my opinion. I drank a sip and asked to swap out for a glass of wine as I didn't like it. The way the server treated me for asking was so appalling everyone I was with was trying to joke about it but realistically it was awful and they were just trying to make it less so. I would never recommend this location and quite frankly will share this experience bc there are so many kind and gracious people working hard to make customers happy and this was not it.

I had seen Bantam Tavern for ages and it never appealed to me and the only reason we came here this time , was because everything else on the street was already closed and we were starving . The server greeted us instantly and gave us one of the booths ,our order was taken pretty fast and even the food and drinks took no time . I had the popular menu item - Spam slammers and the hubby ordered a BBQ chicken sandwich . Both menu items tasted delicious and ample portioned .Not the biggest fan of their cocktails but they do have beer ,wine etc on the menu if that`s what you prefer .What I really liked was that this place is all about fast service at inexpensive prices and the ambience is pretty relaxed , so this very well could be that neighborhood bar where you just hang out and have drinks without the fuss.

Apparently 90% of cocktail bars in Portland are closed on Mondays! My search for a happy hour in NW led me to stop by Bantam Tavern. It was a good spot for quick drinks & bites after a day touring the city with coworkers. They've got room for 8-10 groups on the patio, plus bar seating and tables indoors. Service was prompt, with a QR code menu available to scan on all tables. I got the pineapple spritz, which was exactly what I wanted it to be - sweet, fruity, cold, not overly alcoholic. I had bites of the fries which were nicely crisp and seasoned. If I lived in the area, I would consider this a good neighborhood bar!

We went in tonight. Had 2 drinks at Carina. Then came here for a nightcap. Cut off by the bartender after one drink. Said we were slurring. Wtf?? Bartender was a complete asshole. We talked to the other customers at the bar and they agreed. He's a complete jerk. I've been here multiple times. Will never be back again.

Open late, reliable. gone down hill a bit recently... but hoping the good stuff will return.

Great drinks! Bartenders are laid back and resourceful on drink selection and other bars in the area. The oxtail cheesesteak is bomb! Highly recommend.

Great neighborhood bar and tavern. Excellent mixology (Mexican Coffee!) and food is amazing!

Spam on a menu, hells yah! (It's actually really good and dirt cheap) Jell-O shots that aren't in paper cups and tastes balanced! Ok now that you know there are two strange items on the menu, let's get to the even better items. Old fashions on tap for $7 bucks, tasty apps like the Fried Brussels and their kettle chips that come with the sando's are crispy. You can upgrade to fries if I recall. If you are a bourbon fan they have a great small selection or ask the informative patron and server to try something new. I went with a bourbon base drink and it was great but I forgot the name. No no. Wife said it was the Black Manhattan!!! Score. The meatloaf and the meatloaf sandwich bomb. BBQ chicken sando was ordered the 2nd time we went, just a week later. (We live within water ballon throwing distance... don't worry we won't). We'll be there once per month I'd imagine as we just moved in for NW district. There will be a walk up wait of 30mins most nights, depends if they have outdoor dinning extending into the parking lot during Spring/summer and also rain or Covid dependent.

Great spot all year round! Perfect outdoor area and cozy inside. Always have interesting seasonal food on the menu and cool cocktails. Not pretentious, just a great neighborhood spot!

good for fries takeout order red with DoorDash for $5. looked too scary and complicated to go into.

My boyfriend and I came for some late night eats and a much deserved drink on a Sunday evening. As we walked in, we asked if we should seat ourselves and we were told to sit anywhere. We attempted to make eye contact with the bar tender(the one who had told us to seat ourselves) for about 10 minutes. Finally, my boyfriend asked if we were supposed to order from him at the bar or if he was going to come to us and he looked at us and told us "there was only one of him". He wasn't THAT busy. We chose to leave at that point and went to the Matador a few blocks away and tipped 25%.

I had 0 expectations for the food, but man was I wrong. -TRY THE SPAM SLAMMER. It arguably will change your life. -JELLO SHOT (a Jell-O shot with absinthe, say no more) This is a cool spot to come for a drink, but the food didn't disappoint. The turkey sandwhich I got was really good. Pair that with a beer and a Jell-O shot and youre in for a great night. We brought our dogs and sat outside. I highly recommend it. What more do you want from your neighborhood tavern? 1) good food 2) good drinks. Check and check.

I really wanted to love this place just for the simple fact that it stays open until midnight vs. 10pm. The menu sounded amazing but there where a couple things that happen that would not recommend me going again BESIDES the bugs. 1) We did not like how it took almost 15 minutes ( we kept time ) for a server to approach us. He sat us down and left. " no how is your day, is there anything I can get started for you ". Just left BUT made sure the people who were seated literally 2 minute before us was well taken care of. You could here the voice change and demeanor change once he came to our table... Maybe he could work on his customer service a little better ( I am not saying he is a bad employee just words of advice ) 2) After finally ordering and getting our food ( Ps- the crab wontons not what I expected.... chips where very hard ) we realized we were giving chips instead of fries. We told the waiter the mistake.... here is where things went wrong and I highly suggest you get inspected for bugs of all kinds About 15 minutes later, after we already started eating the fries comes out. ON THAT PLATE WASNT JUST FRIES !!! This place had the audacity to serve us fries with a roach on it ! ( I have video proof of it on the plate then crawling to the cup if the owner would like to see it ) The moment we showed the waiter ( which at this moment he seen the roach crawling up the cup ) ... he literally told us " oh we have the doors opened so it probably flew in " y'all tell me if you see wings on that bug & even if it did fly in with that response I'm amusing let let bugs fly in all the time with no care in the world which is sickening. Check was waived but I definitely would not recommend this place to MY friends -10/10

Amazing. Great cocktails.Inspired menu. Opens at 4pm. We had a wonderful dinner. I had the pork shoulder.OMG. Small place, feels cozy. I'll be back for the hanger steak. Oh yeah.

I forgot to take a pic of the best dish we ate. Probably because I ate it so fast! You cannot eat here and not order the spam sliders. OMFG. Pineapple sauce on spam? It sounds disgusting but is truly a balanced bite of heaven. I love spam and am now wanting to recreate this on my own. The Burmese ribs were so tender and fell off the bone. The tea leaf salad paired perfectly with the ribs. I of course gladly shared with my partner but internally I really wanted to eat it all myself! They have a patio open outside to comply with covid guidelines and our server was super nice. It was a great experience to be dining out again and I can't wait to come back without a face mask!

For years I've been sending my boyfriend in to order the spam slammers for me, the little spam sliders that are the perfect balance of salty and sweet. The key to this balance was the sweet Hawaiian bread the spam was served on. Even when we didn't live in NW anymore, splammers were all I could think about. Ordered 4 instead of my usual 3 this evening and was disappointed to discover some different kind of bread in my box.

Bad service and overpriced. I was disappointed to bring my friend here recently when she was visiting from Florida. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone based on the bad service we received.

Love this bar! Instantly identified it as our new "local". The drinks are great and the Korean fried chicken samdwhich was delicious. The atmosphere is everything you want for a late afternoon lazy lunch. Also the bar tender Charlie, was so pleasant and friendly. I left my phone at the bar, he contacted the last person who called my phone to get in contact with me. It's hard to come across good honest people. Highly recommend!

Who knew? I have been to Bantam Tavern a few times for a nightcap but usually after an event or dinner elsewhere. Last night we decided to go there for Happy Hour and it knocked our socks off! They serve a killer Old Fashioned on tap called The Restless Sinner that is amazing. Everything we ordered was so good. We started with fries that were very hot and crispy with a delicious parmesan aioli that had just the right amount of spice. We then ordered the very best Brussels sprouts I have ever had. I think the hazelnut rum caramel is what sets this dish apart from other restaurants. Their Dungeness Crab Roll was filled with lovely chunks of crab with fennel and it disappeared very quickly from my plate! And last but not least, we had their Brutus Salad which is a grilled Caesar and kale with a rich and creamy anchovy dressing. I was too full for dessert - which means I have to return to try all of the other items on the menu that look good! The talented chef (Aaron) happily spoke with us and told us about his creations. The service is very friendly and fun here. They have outside seating with lovely gas fireplaces to take the edge off on cool nights. Check out the rest of the menu and head to Bantam Tavern for beautifully crafted cocktails and really great food. Who knew? Now you know! https://www.bantamtavern.com/menu

Wow. We stumbled upon Bantam while walking around. What a lovely surprise. Great wine list, food, friendly staff.

We rolled into Bantam Tavern Friday afternoon at 4pm after a stressful surgical appointment. There we were served by a wonderful female bartender and assisted by the male bartender. The food was really good (we got fish and chips), and the Whiskey Punch drink was tasty and strong. The thing that made it the best though is that they didn't hesitate or say anything untoward to me, a very transgender looking lady. That made it extra special to be here, to be accepted, talked with and treated well. I can't recommend people going to this place enough.

Great service... Comfy setting. The spam slammers were amazing... I'd go back just for more of those

Had a great experience here. I don't live in Portland anymore so my memory could be off, but I swear this was where the old Garbonzo's was. The venue is relatively small. About 3-4 booths, ~10 chairs at the bar and a couple area with a floating counter. It just opened in October and the place had a consistent crowd through 9:15 pm when we left on a Thursday night. I like the ambiance too. My friend had the steak and fries. I questioned it at first since it was only $18 but my buddy gave it the thumbs up. I had the prime rib dip. There was a nice helping of medium prime rib with sautéed red peppers and unions covered with a slice of provolone on a baguette. Have it with a salad ($17) or McDonalds-like fries ($15). The service was good. I would definitely come back to try the burger.

This place is awesome. Great atmosphere, food, and drinks. The drinks are some of the best I've had in Portland no less expensive than most at craft cocktail bars. The espresso old fashioned is my favorite menu item that I have had yet. Cozy indoor and outdoor seating available too

Came here at the recommendation of another bar nearby. The space seemed small but very nice. The staff was friendly, they charged my phone for me! They have a nice selection of cocktails, their "House Cocktail" was very good. They have an eclectic food menu though I went with the burger, it was great. Would definitely visit this place again.

So stoked to have this addition to the neighborhood - a nice alternative to all of the overpriced touristy cocktail bars off 23rd that close at like 10pm. This place is owned by the same people of Interurban, so if you like Interurban, you'll like Bantam. What I love: always being able to come in and immediately grab a couple of seats, despite it being a small space; rotating jello shot flavors (that are always good!); at least one Russian River brew always on draft; and also a pretty decent old-fashioned on draft. I will say that the food is a bit pricey for the portion sizes, but it's pretty good.

I ordered an old fashioned and it was the highlight of my evening. I enjoyed sitting near the fireplace. The crab dip is super good here too, we ordered an extra one to go. No complaints about service and everything appeared to be pretty clean. If I'm in town I'll definitely be back.

Great food! Sometimes the service can be a little slow but they are very friendly. Great place to go for good food and an inviting atmosphere!

This is probably my new favorite restaurant on 21st! The Bantam Tavern is both classy and cozy! Which is one combo I love. The atmosphere is great with minimal art and creative seating. It is not the most spacious but is good for a small group, and don't let me forget they have a nice bar! My significant other and I decided to stop in and grab a bite here. The service is quick & genuine (another great combo) the price is perfect for the portions. You get a lot for the price, I don't think anything is unreasonably priced on the menu at all! This Tavern has an awesome menu for food, drinks & beer. I went here on a Thursday the place was full but not packed! I loved the delightful hour I spent here with chill music, a nice view at the window, and some really good food! Thanks Bantam Tavern I will be back!

There was an option to sit outside. Servers and bidders were friendly. Lots of drink options. Fries are ok, not extra crispy. Good fry sauce.

Tonight I went to Bantam for a Bloody Mary with a friend of mine. Both of us enjoyed our drinks and loved the ambiance inside: it's the second time I've been the the bar and while I haven't tried the food, I do love their bloody Mary's. The inside has a nice, quaint decor ( love the wooden tabletops) and the candles give the place a warm feel. The menu has a good selection of cocktails and food, including comfort items like French fries. The happy hour is limited and I think could be a bit more diverse/interesting. The only down side to me is that the staff didn't seem overly friendly, which I noticed both times I sat at the bar. I'll update my review if I go back and try their food menu, but so far, I highly recommend their bloody Mary's!

Spam sliders are great. Fries are great. Drinks are great. Taco Tuesday is the way to go through a great tacos and margaritas.

Great drinks and wine, highly recommend the outdoor seating, on a busy street but hidden enough to feel private. Super yummy fries and good service!