Bar Maven

Food was good for bar food. Fries could’ve been cooked longer but definitely not floppy in any sense. Initial service was great and attentive, but halfway through my burger my beer was empty, and yet no offer for a second. No harm no foul, but if you see I’m done with food and drink and I’m sitting at the bar at least check in before getting on your phone. Understandable if it was crazy busy, also I could’ve spoke up, but usually in other places I’ve been the customer sitting at the bar gets at least checked on, if for nothing less to see how the food was. Kudos to the kitchen for a Excellent Maven Burger, cooked perfectly medium. Don’t think I’ll be making it back down foster any time soon, which is a shame because they had one of the better tequila selections I’ve seen in my year in Portland.

Great bar and decent/good bar food. The drinks are always a good strength and the bartenders are friendly. The food is overall pretty good though I've had my burgers come out burnt a few times. Not a problem when I order their hummus or skewer plates, those have always come out great.

Came here for nacho week to have the chicken taki nachos! They were a pleasant treat and certainly something different which makes them a good option

Usually a good place to go to est and drink. Happy hour is no more ans food has gotten pricy, $19 for a burger. Also they let their friends play music and they yell at patrons and run them out of the bar. I will not be going back.

Great food, large outdoor seating area with heating lamps during the winter months. Only complaint is the somewhat limited menu but the bonus being is the burgers are great and the blue cheese hamburger is a must have.

Amazing cauliflower, but a small portion. They were slammed (HH all day Sunday/burger week) it took about an hour to get our food which was understandable given how busy it was they ran out of regular fries and gave us sweet potato fries which were delicious. The burger week burger had a good flavor, but I was disappointed because the beef was cold.

Bar Maven is cool place - we split a shish ka Bob plate and we were full! Good cold beer selection. There was a georgous husky we were pining for. 🦮 It's rather small, but nice ambiance and really liked the smooth music. I liked the food, and we would come back again.

The seating was uneven with chairs to table and there was not a single napkin on the tables. Also, we went for burger week during happy hour and their huckleberry burger was soaked through on the bottom like it was sitting in the back forever, which would explain the hour long wait for food. Then, there were chatting servers at the bar not helping people and only one server who was carrying them. Overall, it was a terrible experience and my time and money were wasted.

I hate that I live so far away from Maven! As a NW boy with no car, spending time here recently with friends who are strong advocates for this neighborhood was a treat. We were lucky to get a patio table when the Foster Powell Soirée was in full force, and we made it just in time for happy hour, too. Upon entering the space, I felt taken back to early 2000s comfort food. The team does a great job to create an ambience mixing nostalgia with interesting design, and I especially loved the stamped tin works around the ample bar. Drinks are easy to come by, and the unique takes on classics like their Aperol Spritz are bound to bring people back here. The food menu is stunning, with great options for both vegans and meat lovers. I chose to enjoy the vegan chips and tenders, while others in the group went for burgers, cauliflower wings, and more. The burger looked like one of the best that I'd seen for a while. My tenders could have been better, since they seemed like an average frozen grocery store pack, but, it was happy hour and I was not here for a supreme experience. There are three different patio options, with the tented patio being quite humid - the team could absolutely drop the side panels to allow breezes to come in - since it gives the beer garden vibe many of us like. We ended up moving to the streetside patio when we had a chance. I look forward to returning to such an ideal spot!

Great food, local neighborhood joint, could use some cleaning up but the service is amazing and the bartender whips up great drinks! Very much a dive bar but the patio has a lot of potential for summer! Will 100% be back to try more menu items! Get the fried cauliflower- it's top of the line!

Favorite bar in Portland. The food is always great, friendly people, and it's nice and cozy inside. The smash burger is pretty decadent in my opinion; really good if you want something that will fill you up and then some. Recently had the Parmesan garlic fries - they were really good but you are going to want to drink to help wash these down.

Reallly good burgers! I love the extended outside patio and the fire places outside. Honestly a really chill place to go and the bar tenders are always nice

My FAVORITE spot! Hands down the best place for a drink and SMASH BURGER! Personally Bernard is my favorite bartender! He's the most approachable easy going bartender that works there always makes me feel welcomed and GREAT VIBES. It's Always busy in there when he's working!! You HAVE to try the smash burgers!!

Love coming here. Friendly staff and consistently solid food - my go-to neighbor bar. Some complain about the volume of the music, but I enjoy it! Decent selection of games and plenty of seating in the heated outdoor area.

Bar staff over charged, filled in their own tip then foraged my signature on the receipt. When I went to them to try and resolve it, I was met with hostility and rudeness from the staff..(see photos attached). After many attempts to call them and never receiving any kind of follow ups or call back I messaged them only for them to accuse me of lying. Was told to go ahead and file complaints because they're friends with the olcc and it won't matter.

Bar Maven is a neighborhood bar in Foster Powell. They're a little dive-y, with a lot of beer options, cocktails, and in-house made food. They participate in a lot of the "weeks" that Portland does, like sandwich week, nacho week, etc. It's a cool spot. I visited for the first time recently during sandwich week. I appreciate that they offered a vegetarian option. Bartenders were friendly but not over-the-top, food was pretty good, the cocktail was good if a little sweet. The table we sat at inside was a little grungy, but this place offers two outdoor patios which is a huge bonus. While we were there it was a lovely day so the garage doors and windows were wide open for a nice breeze. Just a low-key, chill spot with decent food.

I made the mistake of trying to get a to-go order during happy hour. It's a great place to go hang out if you are not in a hurry. My bad.

Loved this Dive bar, food and drinks were great. Our lady bartender did a great job making our margaritas. We will be back

Loveeee this place! Such chill atmosphere and friendly service. Extremely good food too. Love their cauliflower appetizer and their smash burger is one of the best I've ever gotten.

Came here on a Friday for happy hour! $1 off cocktails I think $5 wells? I didn't end up ordering a hh drink so I don't recall. They had a happy hour food menu and I got the $8 cheeseburger. We both said how this wasn't a typical dive bar, it was like a 40 year old refined version of a dive bar - it wasn't smelly or dark, the floor wasn't sticky. The drinks were not $3 but they weren't $15 either. It was a nice place to decompress after a work week. They have limited parking, shared with the sandwich shop next door. It's a relaxed spot to hang and I'd go back! I don't think there was a jukebox or tvs but they do have garage roll-up doors, to be opened when the weather is nice.

Hot drinks on a cold winter night. Most of the staff was friendly. The covered outdoor space was kept warm and stayed dry.

Rude staff and long waits. Unfortunately this happens every time I go to this place. I think they over serve you booze so you forget about your food. Drinks are horrible and the food is so so. I thought I would give it one more try for burger week. Same crap different day. Waited 40 minutes for 1 burger. When I inquired I got attitude and told 20 more minutes. After another 20 minutes I asked again the bartender went into the kitchen and came out with a burger that looked like it was throw together. I asked for my money back. If you read my reviews you know I don't complain much. I wasted 1 hour of my life. This is a major Portland Burger Week fail.

Excellent service with a peaceful, yet hip atmosphere. Their Burger Week offering this year did not disappoint! Half pound country natural beef patty, marionbberry-habanero peppered jelly, 3 fried cream cheese jalapeño poppers, 2 slices of bacon, and crispy onion flakes slathered with mayo on a sesame brioche bun. Go get one!!

Great spot in SE! The drinks here are delicious and inventive as is the food! The service is extremely fast as well. I ordered the gyro nachos and the chili brussel sprouts. The gyro nachos were an absolute surprise! I had never had nor heard of gyro nachos and they were delightful. Crispy pita chips, gyro meat, feta, cucumbers and red onions made for the perfect bite. The brussel sprouts were fantastic as well. Very crunchy with just the right amount of heat from the chili sauce. I already can't wait to come back!

The wings were good, fries were soggy though. But cool environment and place to relax. Drinks were good. Try the spicy margarita! Service was friendly as well.

I come here for the gyro nachos. Today was a huge $14 disappointment and I won't be back. Supes bummed out! I CANT afford to go out that often, so when I do, I would hope that I get what I go for. Do better. We are all struggling and just trying to support the places we love

Entire place Smells like a bathroom food was ok would not return horrible headache from customers actually yelling entire time they were having a conversation (am not a Karen but ) drunk ppl are annoying this place is way too casual and small for people to be screeching at each other while eating

Love love love this place! I frequent here quite a bit. Dog friendly which is always positive! They have a patio in the back which is also smoker friendly and dog friendly. They have happy hour all day Sunday! The food is delicious here! They have a really good burger. And for the wing lovers, come on Wednesday and get an order of the Korean Wings. Get there early though, they tend to run out quickly.

A bit disappointing. We were very excited to try out this spot as it comes so highly recommend and their "Nacho Week" nachos looked great. We walked in, not really sure where to go to order food. You order from the bar and grab a number. Only had one menu at the bar where there are lines of people looking to order food. Moscow Mule was one of the worst Moscow mules we've ever had. Not sure if you could even call it a mule. The nachos which we were really looking forward to were very disappointing, a handful of toppings on the top chips, other than that, it's a plate of tortilla chips. Seems that they should have kept their Greek Nachos for nacho week.... The burger was actually really good!! Wishing it was a better first experience!

Came here for karaoke. It's on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Very friendly bartenders and I have been there a few times. Food is actually pretty good! You can get a can of tecate for $3.50. I don't know why that 50 cents is included and that is really my only gripe with the place. I have not had a bad experience here food-wise and service-wise and sometimes it gets crazy busy! They are good friends with the sandwich shop/convenience store next door so if just want sandwiches, check them out too. Not much else to say about it. Their gyros are pretty bomb and so are their burgers. They also have a back patio too that you can go smoke if you are a smoker. Go check it out!

Three hours passed by like a breeze. Who can resist cheap well drinks on happy hour. Maintained my level of awareness by eating the half pound hamburger served during said times. Everything was copacetic. Later, after about five, a group of regulars swept in and roused me from my stupor. As you can witness, my added photo sums up my time spent there. Whats that mystery door hiding. Oh. A nice covered patio. I'll tell you one thing. Spend any amount of time at this way cool bar and you too, can write half assed reviews like this one. Too busy drinking to notice Wi Fi. Good thing I live close by.

Mostly good but beware of their resident employee/musical talent, Ben. He thinks he is Bob Dylan and will yell at you to shut up so he can have control of the bar. Had always been a cool, fun place but this guy apparently runs the joint and does not want you there if you are going to talk in the bar while he is playing. I would avoid this place if they keep this guy around, he is not special and added nothing to the night other than forcing people out of the owner's bar.

Mama's Lebanese cookin' on the menu, we all have our favorites and tabouli here is mine (Riyadh's, Karam, Nicholas family are all stellar) balancing bulgar to parsley and lemon perfectly. A year ago, we finally ventured in the razed biker bar, vibing the darkly lit, metro-sauced garage, whiskey, craft c'tails n suds, Happy Hour for the kebabs and healthier un-fried options, learning then the majority of offerings were owner's Mom-made, baklava, hummus, baba ganoush, recipes. Better than recall, you're quickly reminded bikers no more..let the beard grow, hit Rudy's for a matching Pdx stacked top, line cut quaff, and order the large cubed Buffalo Trace or absinthe rinsed cocktail. Chartreuse, Cocchi, St Germaine, Bordeaux cherry for that 'tail? Oh yeah this bar has you covered. Balanced with amazing garage sale prices $8-9/regular for these Bar specialties, more like $13+ Portland proper, and tender, perfectly charred lamb $9 and chicken $7 kebabs (2x5 pcs! HHr) plated with garlic sauce, hummus carrots n cuke and even a few Kalamata olives and pita, you might find a longer than expected line at the bar waiting to order up! Lucky for you, their HHr runs to 7PM, All Day Sunday. And okay for the fry happy, find handcut fries $4. I'm vying for the Beef Sambosik (mini handpies $5/2) or pork wings $7 next .

5 stars plus to Bar Maven for their $5 Burger for burger week. Nothing was spared in their burger offering. A 1/2 lb coffee and black pepper rubbed black angus burger cooked perfectly topped with Gorgonzola blue cheese, Marion Berry aioli and kale slaw on a Grand Central bun! Amazing!!! Now, it took a solid hour to get our burgers which we were told in advance when we ordered so no bad on their part because it was that busy. And, the burgers were most def prepared with individual care not cranked out in mass. As an add on, their tap list is Bravo and thanks Bar Maven!!!

Drinks are good here but the food is AMAZING. I only come to Portland once a year and every time I try to get here for their gyro and falafel dishes.

Honestly bar maven has the best happy hour in PDX and I love their food. Get the kabobs trust me you won't be sorry that you did! The bartenders are all rad and I'm stoked to have moved into the neighborhood so I can call this my local bar. Thanks y'all!

Great place with unexpectedly unique menu. Plan to order at the bar and enjoy outside seating or tables inside.

Flew in from Charlotte NC. Stopped by for a burger because everywhere was closed. And this burger was amazing. High key recommend. Super super tasty and not too heavy/oily. Would come back when I'm in Portland

Just a standard bar but the outdoor space is abundant and you just can't go wrong with 6 wings for $6! Will be back!

Homo in FoPo? Yasss! Gay night at Bar Maven is LIT. Tasty cocktails, awesome beers on tap, and every flavor White Claw ever made. And their food is de-lish! Gyro nachos and big ass burgers are bomb dot com. The guys are pierced, the ladies are inked. If only Sunday was Drag Bruch. Featuring drag queen icons Portland Thunderfuck and Bindi Dundat. That would be so fun. All seriousness... I love this bar. So happy they re-opened. It's gonna be a great summer!

After catching a show, needed some food What I ate - Gyro nachos: These were the surprise hit of the night. Not expecting much but the combo of pita chips, shavings of gyro meat, creamy sauce, cucumbers and tomatoes really hit the spot! Super addicting and we gobbled these up pretty quickly - Fried cauliflower: These were just okay. Nothing bad, but nothing great either. Maybe I was too enraptured by the magic of gyro nachos - Garlic Parmesan fries: These were okay but I think you could pass on these. Nothing special - Cheeseburger sliders: These were rather perfect to share. Just small cheeseburgers Pros: - Extensive beer list - Great music - Patio area - Plenty of picnic tables to sit on - Really extensive and interesting bar menu - Bartender was friendly and helpful Cons: - I think they amazingness of the gyro nachos shadowed the other dishes we ordered. Not to say they were bad, but just nothing was as great - No korean chicken wings - they were all out when we got there Would I come again? Since I'm not local, probably not

This was the first bar I went to coming out of the Pandemic and I am so glad I did. The bar was open and airy with the windows open, plenty of outdoor seating with shade and some table umbrellas. The outdoor seating helped with feeling safer to take my mask off to eat. The service was great, they were very friendly and seemed glad to see us. My drinks were delicious and the food did not disappoint, each dish was excellent. We shared a falafel plate, Baba Ganoush, fried Cauliflower and vegan Dolmas, the two of us ate everything , it really hit the spot!I loved the Huckleberry Gimlet. Thanks Bar Maven for making my introduction back into public spaces such a great experience!

We used to frequent this place on a regular basis, but it's steadily gone downhill over the past few years. The times we've gone to BM this year, the food hasn't been as good. And the music is cranked so loud that EVERYONE in there is yelling, so not a place to go and chill out. Last time, the bartender couldn't hear my order because the music was blasting--She asked if I ordered something that wasn't even on their menu, I shook my head NO and yelled what I ordered again--And when my order arrived, it was the item I told her I didn't order! This place has also stopped giving us an itemized receipt when we settle up--Is that even legal?!?! This year, we stopped by 3 other times and found out BM was closed. There was no sign on the door and nothing posted on fb or ig. One time we arrived, we opened the door and the owner barked at us saying they were closed to do some repairs--Again, no announcement or sign, but the door was unlocked! And not even an apology for inconveniencing us!?! Not sure what kind of clientele this owner is trying to attract, but I can guarantee we won't waste any more of our time and money on this establishment!

This has to do with Hamburger Week Aug 15th through the 22nd. Best burger by far of any of the places we went. Great outdoor covered patio. Excellent beer selections and very good service. This will be our "Go to" place for Burger week and whenever we are in this vicinity! Great job, owners and staff!

I am going to give it five starts even though it's very very loud in here. The atmosphere is cool and relaxed. The food selection is awesome. They even have Arab food which means vegan selection... There's also a juke box, but it's hard to hear because of the noise. The beer selection is large, but I was pressed to find something that wasn't hoppy. There's also one lonely pinball machine. We've been here three times so far, and parking wasn't bad at all. I think next time I come here, I will choose a less busy time. The owner is very nice and will take the time to chat with you.

Just moved to the hood and this is my new go-to spot. Great food and atmosphere. Love the outside patio and that it's dog-friendly!

----- Burger Week 2017 Review ----- First time I'd been here, and was pleasantly surprised. The establishment itself looked like a fun place to be, with an outdoor patio, garage workshop style doors that opened the interior, and cool decor inside. The staff were friendly and prompt, so I'd probably come here again. 4th burger of the week For the burger itself: Kimchi burger "Juicy": The burger (and everything) was very enjoyable, juicy, flavorful, and the kimchi and cheese added a bit of spice to it. Compared to other burgers that I got this week, I keep recalling this one as "juicy" because many of the others were dry or lacking sauce, or vegetables to keep it moist. It also had a lot of flavor, both from the burger and the toppings. There wasn't much of vegetables other than the kimchi but they likely would have deterred from it as the focal point. I would certainly get another one of these and would like to spend a bit more time here next time.

I really enjoy my time every visit to Bar Maven. The times I go, are usually during the Portland food weeks, but I'm always impressed by how composed their staff is, how fast their food comes out, and the quality of the food and drinks. The people working at the bar, and on the floor are really cool, and always friendly, unlike some folks at bars who are obviously overwhelmed by the commotion going on. I came through yesterday for burger week, and although there were only two people behind the bar, they weren't pushy and took the time to explain the burger, and recommend some of their top drinks for us to order. The wait for the burger was a little long, but the patio space creates a great atmosphere for just sharing drinks and hanging out with friends, so the wait time felt like nothing in the end. Good vibes, good people, good food - it's a great bar in SE to hang with friends and grab a bite to eat.

Love this place. Service is on point. Prices are great. Outdoor seating almost always available somewhere. Food is good. Unique stuff on the menu. Burgers are crazy good bistro style. Kabob dinners are all amazing but watch out for the garlic. It's authentic style. Great tap list, booze and wine. They even play fun music most of the time. Pretty much love everything about this place

Stuck alone on the 4th. Didn't have the best weekend to say the least. Walked up to Bar Maven right when they opened and it really cheered me up and made me feel human again. Bar tender, Bashar, was amazing and very personable with all. Gyro was definitely above average based on other places I have tried. Go here!

really chill bar that has happy hour, even on sundays. awesome music, nice staff, and even better beer selection. very cheap prices on drinks, beer, and food. fallafel sliders were okay, very reasonably priced and filling. the cauliflower was good, unique because they werent breaded or drowned in buffalo sauce like i normally get, but the tahini and seasoning was a nice touch. FYI, i didnt try them, but the garlic fries smelled absolutely. someone came in just for those and got them to go.

Good dive bar, been here several times. Came today for burger week, and it did not disappoint! All burgers featured for Portland Burger Week are $5. Bar Maven is serving the Oregon Black & Blue burger. I will say this burger is really good, considering the fact that I hate blue cheese. The bun is nice and soft but also toasted, just perfect! And the beef patty is THICC (half pounder). You are definitely getting your moneys worth with this burger. Also, we were quoted over an hour wait but got our order in 30 minutes. Overall, would recommend this burger!

I love Bar Maven. They have really delicious food and a great beer selection. Sometimes when I want to order Togo their phones don't work and it sounds like old school internet dial up, but they might have fixed that since Togo order have become a must have in today's times. The ladies behind the bar always wear cute outfits and are super friendly and the main dude I usually see there has pretty hilarious shirts most of the time. I love the adult button machine they have and their outdoor patio is nice and shady in the summer and cozy with heaters in the winter.

This review is for Wing Week. Korean style wings by Chris Yu. I think Portland is definitely lacking in the type of wings that they serve in Asia. In Korea and Japan the fried chicken (even KFC) always has immense crunchyness, when you bite into the chicken it's like penetrating a two layer wall of crunch kinda deal. The chicken is slathered in some thick sauce but the wings don't get soggy! AT ALL! And they still retain the juicyness and aren't overcooked. Portland definitely has variety when it comes to food but I feel this is a big market we are missing especially for game day. I mean don't get me wrong Vietnamese style fish sauce wings are still everything. When my meal came I didn't know what to think, the wings had good color and the sauce was very savory ( I tasted the sauce on my plate.) But that first bite. Korean fried chicken was finally brought to Portland last night! Juicy chicken encased in a thick cereal crunchy type of crust (like imagine when you eat corn flakes), the sauce was semi/sweet but the kick of the chili peppers really melded everything together; the textures and the flavor. Now you may be thinking that sounds comparable to POKPOK wings but you are mistaken my friend. Those are Thai wings and tbh they are overly salted with strong fish sauce. If you're craving Korean wings, today 10/29/16 is the last day to get them. I also want to add that this place makes good drinks! And they do fresh squeezed juice wtf.

It's a low key dive bar here. I like that you can buy your credits for the jukebox via your phone and choose the music on your phone. Sometimes the jukebox is a little quiet though but I think that's up to the bartenders discretion because I know the volume changed when a certain song was played. Hennessy was most requested in my party and they didn't have any during that night. Nice bar quiet bar, various crowds.

Favorite bar in the outer east side of Portland. They have REALLY GOOD food. Yes, it's a bar but they definitely don't serve "bar food;" the menu has more of a Mediterranean inspiration (think gyros, kabobs but also some tasty burgers). My favorite item is the garlic fries. They will keep you coming back! The bartenders are super friendly and I always feel welcome and taken care of. They have a decent sized covered patio area with tons of greenery/bamboo around, so check that out if you are coming in during the warmer months. They also had an excellent burger this year for burger week. If you like wings, check out Wing Wednesday. When we went, they had super tasty Korean style wings. Happy hour is 4-7 daily.

Still my favorite dive bar in Portland to go to. Bartenders are super friendly and the food is the delicious. One of the few places in Portland that offers an all day Happy Hour on sundays

was pleasantly surprised by the quality and flavors of the late-night plates we ordered from the bar....got the nachos and fried cauliflower and they were both some of the best I've had. on a side note, I like that there's always been parking available in their back lot when I've come here. I'll be back to try more on the menu.