Jonathan S.
Yelp
Evenings transform the Mata Café space into Secret Grove Collective, one of Portland's most alluring new cocktail bars.
Guests will first notice the large garage doors opening up the space. Upon entering, you'll be greeted by lowfi music, tropical plants, warm-climate hues and atmosphere, and a team that really knows what they're building. As the night builds, you can expect unique mixes from some of Portland's newest and best DJs. This is when the crowds arrive.
I was lucky to recently spend several hours here, celebrating recent events with international friends. We started our evening around 6:30pm, and, the bartender crew was a slam-dunk for us. I am known to be pretty indecisive when it comes to menus, and, they were incredible at making us custom drinks or menu items with a twist. It's lucky to stumble upon a bar that is intentional, social, and ready to have fun.
After a few rounds of drinks, Travis, the man of our night, decided to try a few drink recipes out on us that he had planned to make later that weekend. We obliged, and were grateful that our social energies had been met with a good time from him, too.
As the music and crowd began to grow, we made new friends. In Portland, this is rare at a bar/club. However, Secret Grove brings out the most international and diverse group of the community that we have experienced, and we are the type of people to connect with strangers. So, if you are on the hunt for a good time, international music, vibes, and new friends, stop on down here.
My only feedback would be to add a few bartenders later in the evening to keep the drinks and food flowing faster. The food menu could have a few more late-night items added, since, we and others, did leave to have a better array of food to snack on. The team could easily make more money and keep guests for longer with a few tweaks.
This is definitely my new go-to Pearl bar/club. Can't wait to see how it grows overtime.
