Panther Club
Bar · Buckman ·
Elevated cocktail bar with upscale eats, fun photo booth
Elevated cocktail bar with upscale eats, fun photo booth
"The latest enterprise from the team behind Side Eye, Sugar Hill, and Jackie’s, Panther Club fits comfortably in between Loyal Legion and Voicebox Karaoke, although in terms of vibe this feels more like an eclectic pre-club spot somewhere on the fringes of the Vegas Strip. It’s not just the giant ornamental slot machines or chapel-themed photo booth either: Even on weeknights the crowd is buzzy and energetic. The Oaxacan Old Fashioned is a worthy innovation on an old standard, featuring the subtle spice of poblano and a spritz of spruce tincture." - Ben Coleman
"I report Bar King, which opened just before the dining-room shutdown, now sells changing weekly family meals of roasted and grilled meats (from grilled octopus to dry-aged five-spice duck roasts) with wine and beer options and also offers weekend brunch boxes with pastries, quiches, cookies, and other specials." - Alex Frane
"I note that Bar King’s menu changes frequently but often features family-meal options involving smoked meat (smoked chickens, pork shoulder, hunks of beef rib) and its ssam-style meals are a particular winner; the best way to keep up is via Instagram, though current pre-orders are made via email with pickup at the restaurant." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"A large Japanese-influenced restaurant and bar from two Las Vegas expats, I found it blends rustic bar energy with ritzy celebration touches and leans into smoked proteins and casual bar snacks; I’d order the onion rings with koji bacon ranch, the hamachi with bacon ponzu, and the dry-aged duck." - Alex Frane
"Arriving in a dark, moody, slightly rustic space that feels thoroughly Portland even though Jamie and Shaun King aren't locals, I noticed a rhombus-shaped wooden frame made from an old Stark’s Vacuum sign displaying Kiriko Made kimono prints—a quiltlike nod to the restaurant's Japanese influences. The interior mixes casual, wood-heavy front rooms and banquettes with a somewhat ritzy marble bar and dark tile backbar, unfinished late-1800s floors, and boothlike nooks that create intimate, separate spaces. The menu embraces Portland's high-low style: onion rings paired with smoked trout roe sit alongside hamachi sashimi in a pool of bacon ponzu and sorrel, a fried chocolate bar for dessert, and a black sesame pavlova with kiwi-olive-oil sorbet. The kitchen centers on a looming J&R smoker and a hearth—wagyu bones are being smoked for a burger-meets-French dip with wagyu bone jus, taleggio, and pickled daikon; a large short rib is served ssam-style with lettuce; prawns are gently smoked for a shrimp cocktail; cabbage is smoked with bagna cauda and egg yolk; pork ribs finish in the hearth; squid is blackened and served with Kewpie and Japanese togarashi; and a rolling Boos Block is on-call for tableside carving of dry-aged duck. Overall, I found Bar King can be both a casual spot for fried fish and onion rings and a place for oysters and regal shared meat platters, and it opens tonight, March 9, at 726 SE 6th Avenue." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden