The Knock Back

If you need a great cocktail and snack late at night, this is your place. Great service, delicious bar food and unique atmosphere. Had the grilled cheese with fries, hits the spot! Bartender can offer suggestions if needed. Easy place to hang out and enjoy some drinks.

Phenomenal happy hour and delicious food. A vegan Reuben sandwich. Flavored popcorn, flavors constantly changing. So good!!!!!

Heard good things about the vegan reuben. When I ordered, the bartender was very condescending and acted quite annoyed and inconvenienced by me, even though there was not a single person except for me and the other bartender there. He definitely did not give off a welcoming vibe, so much so I immediately regretted being there. The vegan reuben was pretty good, but I don’t think I’d go back, I’m not a fan of spending money to be treated like an annoyance, especially considering there’s plenty of good vegan food in this neighborhood served by people who will be at least be slightly respectful to their patrons.

Dog friendly. On this hot Portland sunny day, I enjoyed the water misters that line the outdoor seating area of this venue with filtered sunlight. This, was a very nice experience. The two young men that supported their duties for this venue were bright and smiling and friendly. The venue has a smaller menu but deceivingly, fresh and interesting. For example, I ordered the wedge salad with the grilled chicken. the salad turned out to be plump and fresh. The lettuce was nicely picked through and only the best pieces were given . The kitchen was bright and clear clean. I enjoyed the smile of the bartender and his willingness to oversee his room thoroughly and quickly. Good customer service.

I really like the updates that have been done here. There are plenty of seating area outside that's covered and a fire pit. The inside is pretty clean. You can order some beer on tap or some cocktails. They have a decent selection of spirits. The bartenders are pretty quick and friendly here. I'll definitely come back to try the food next time when there isn't a special event going on.

Stumbled in here around lunch time and didn’t want to leave. We sat at the bar and had fantastic service, loved the decor and atmosphere, and the cocktails were so fun and delicious. This place is well worth a stop!

They will steal from you. I stopped by for one drink (Moscow Mule). I was there less than an hour. This morning I look at my bank and see two charges. One for $10.00 one for $13.00. That is theft. I don’t like when bars or bartenders steal by inflating tabs. The drink was good, I’ve had good food there before. Really cute environment, especially the fire pit area.

We had been wanting to try this spot out for quite some time. Not only did it look like a great place to chill for drinks out by the patio with the firepit but also for their grill Cheeses that they are most known for. Not sure if it is the norm all of the time but they don't have table service. We ordered at the bar and picked up our food when it was ready. We were able to take advantage of the nice weather and eat outside on the patio. We tried the French Onion and the Veggie Sandwich with a burger patty on them. The grill they are able to get on the bread is awesome. Great crunch which added to the whole experience. They were flavorful and kept us craving the next bite. They were all decked out for Halloween with fun decorations. Looking forward to visiting again.

5 's for Peter the bartender!! Literally the best bartender and made our group four separate drinks!! We love Peter!! Love, Chloe (x2), Abby, and a man.

Popped in here before the ballet up the street, their happy hour is a steal! We got 2 baby shots (blueberry basil lemon drop) margaritas, and ordered the French onion sandwich with side salads (one with ranch and one with the garlic vinaigrette) and chips with queso. Service was quick and kind, all the drinks were great, the food we inhaled! Loved the vibe of the bar, dark but clean, I'd absolutely come back here

We were in Oregon a couple weekends ago during the snow apocalypse. The Knock Back was one of the only bars open and within walking distance of our Airbnb. We absolutely fell in love with the vibe, the comfort and the staff. Not to mention the boozy drinks. Food: I cannot remember the life of me what we ordered, but from what I can remember the tater tots were served with a garlic aioli sauce... That sauce was the creamiest, intense packed sauce ever. My boyfriend compared it to ranch... -_- He doesn't have a complex palate. Drinks were wonderful! They had a boozy hot chocolate with a tasted marshmallow on top? Yes, please. Service: Now I may have been in the clouds a bit, but the staff and service were top notch. There was a slight computer error which made our food come out later but we did not care. But once the staff noticed, it was quick and sincere apologies and food was served almost immediately afterwards. It was the concern and checking in on us that really made us feel welcome and at home. Oh, we almost witnessed a couple drunk women on Island Ice Teas start a fight. We absolutely will be back. Keep Portland Weird!

Strolled in off the street (coming from another awesome Yelp experience) -- what a find. This place exudes such mellow vibes, super chill ambiance. The outside seating area/patio looked like it would be great for sitting around a fire with a group of friends and enjoying awesome drinks and fantastic company. The inside looked to be ideal for a date night given the intimate lighting and low volume (at least, this was the case while I was there). Our bartender was soft spoken and low key but very attentive when we needed his attention. The pricing for drinks was quite fair! We tried a few different rums (yum for the rum!) and had a couple cocktails including the mystery drink (not amazing but it was fun to order I think lol). I really enjoyed my quick stop in (ok, 1 hour stop but idk, it went by quick.) and fully intend to go back again soon. Yolo and cheers and a happy new years!

Bartender was so kind and made my husband's birthday special. The drinks here are insanely good, perfectly balanced and reasonably priced. The happy hour tomato soup is a dream, love it here!

we came back to the knockback last night for dinner with a friend....i had a rainier, and sat on the patio on a hot 85 degree day....the beer was perfect, the music was playing, and folks were having a relaxing time....a dog was with one group, and another came later....my partner had the the no pain slushy cocktail with rum and more...she loved it, and our friend had a glass of red wine....next we did the happy hr food...we each had the happy burger gardenburger and split a wedge salad, no bacon.....our friend had the artichoke fried and a burger.....the drinks and food hit the spot....the bartender and chef are great....we love coming her for a nice relaxing time....thx so much....

Literally the best smash burger i've ever had, my friend and I both got the happy hour burger (only $8) and added cheese & bacon. It was incredible to say the least. The wings were also amazing and we were so happy we stumbled into this place. Neither of us had been before and i'm so happy i found it!! will definitely be back

My friends and I met at the Knock Back for the first time last night. It's an adorable little place and they had one of the best patty melts I've ever had! I'll go back just for that. The happy hour margarita was just okay, but their "Damn Good Margarita" was damn good. :-)

We had been wanting to try this spot out for quite some time. Not only did it look like a great place to chill for drinks out by the patio with the firepit but also for their grill Cheeses that they are most known for. Not sure if it is the norm all of the time but they don't have table service. We ordered at the bar and picked up our food when it was ready. We were able to take advantage of the nice weather and eat outside on the patio. We tried the French Onion and the Veggie Sandwich with a burger patty on them. The grill they are able to get on the bread is awesome. Great crunch which added to the whole experience. They were flavorful and kept us craving the next bite. They were all decked out for Halloween with fun decorations. Looking forward to visiting again.

Food: 4 stars Drinks: 5 stars Service: 4 stars Ambiance: 5 stars So, I'll admit that I'm a longtime fan of the grilled cheese grill and came here pretty much entirely to get a taste of the food cart I miss dearly. Unfortunately, it doesn't taste exactly the same as it did, and they don't offer the full menu (bring back the double decker option!) but it did give me a bit of the joy I was seeking. The Knock Back has a great happy hour menu, a fantastic list of beers on tap, and incredible boozy slushies. If I was looking for a fun night out and not a post-hike refresher, I would have had a great time trying many different drinks. As it was, we stuck to happy hour and beers this time in. Definitely recommend both food and drinks here, and the vibe is great. It's a fabulous Alberta neighborhood spot.

This spot was a highlight of my trip to Portland! Laid back vibes with killer drinks and amazing food. Do yourself a favor and try it for yourself. Ted is sure to take care of you!

Man this was a waste of 30 bucks. I'm convinced my cocktail was non alcoholic, I'm a lightweight and I was on an empty stomach and didn't feel a thing. That burger was completely unsubstantial and most definitely frozen. Bun wasn't even toasted. The only thing worth having was the fries and they were just completely coated in salt. This explains why this place was empty on a Thursday night I guess lol. Frankly coming here would be an error

I had to come back and get the grilled cheese sandwich here. It's nice to know that the kitchen is being run by The Grilled Cheese Grill. I had the After School Snack - a grilled cheese sandwich with a cup of tomato soup. This was the perfect snack for me to accompany my beverage. The food is just as great as I remembered it.

This review is mainly for the food. I had heard good things about the grilled cheeses here so wanted to stop in but I think I was expecting too much. We tried a couple kinds, I think one with Gruyère and I forget what else cause they were both just grilled cheese.. haha. The tomato soup tasted like it was straight out of the can. They have some deals for their happy hour from 4-6 so I tried a $7 burger and it was completely average, maybe 5% better than a Whopper. Not bad but glad I didn't pay full price for it for sure. If you're just lookin for a place to get some drinks, it's a pretty cool spot. The inside is kind of like a clean dive bar and it's got an outside patio with a fireplace and misters for when it's hot.

Stopped in for bevvies and food before concert at Alberta Rose. The old-fashions were good enough to warrant a 2nd round. The beef dip sandwich was good as well. I would go back here again, particularly on a warm summer evening to sit out on the front covered area.

*RACIST BARTENDER NAMED CHARLIE* Last night was an unfortunate experience for me and my group. Charlie (Charles) at the bar made me uncomfortable from the start. Being a POC in North Portland, I would hope to feel welcomed in any space. When I ordered my food and drinks, it appeared to this person that we were interrupting his conversation with his friends. My partner and I ordered food and drinks as it states it all must be ordered at the bar, he made each drink one by one and kept saying "um okay" after I would have to wait for him to finish one drink before ordering the next item. We waited an hour for our meal that was 3 items, since we had 3 people in total. After speaking with back of house, it was apparent that our order was never submitted. As I noticed the individuals around me, most were Caucasian and he greeted them with smiles and a cheerful attitude. I went back up there to order two more drinks after being told our order was never submitted, he acted incredibly rude towards me. Once I received my drinks, he spoke no word to me, but anyone who appeared fair skinned, he was saying hello to and being so polite to them. I kindly asked for two straws for my drinks, and he grabbed them and threw them at me. We had a friend meet us after we got our food, our friend was a white person and I asked if he can get me a soda since I did not feel comfortable asking for it myself. He ended up comping his drink and made my friend pay for mine. I'm a short, quiet person and being in a space full of white people and being treated this way, made this entire experience really sad to me and my group. The man in the back of house wearing a red beanie really made up for the disrespectful racism I experienced last night, and I wish I could have given the back of house the cash tip I left Charlie at first. The food was worth the wait, I was not disappointed by how flavorful the nachos were! However, Charlie needs to learn to be respectful towards ALL people, and working in North Portland treating people of color that way, you do better.

DO NOT miss out on this hidden gem - 11 out of 10!! The bartender Ted makes the best drinks in town. French Dippy is incredible , make sure to get it with the garlic aioli and ranch sauces. Chefs kiss

The main reason this gets 5 stars is the mystery shot. I don't know what it was, but for $5 it was one of the best alcoholic beverages I've ever put in my body. I was also incredibly impressed with how quickly the bartenders worked through the line considering we came in during Last Thursday and there was a line out the door, we got our drinks in about 5 minutes. The space was also very nice, a lot of seating both indoor and outdoor.

Dropped in last night after dinner up the street. Bartenders were attentive and on top of their game offering me another drink once my current one was 95% gone. Had three Mai Tai's-they were delicious. We liked the energy of this place and wouldn't hesitate to drop in again!

The Knock Back - what a great name - is what you get when you merge a bar with a food truck. Totally Portland unique and tons of fun! Great sandwiches made by PDX's acclaimed Grilled Cheese Grill are paired with a great assortment of beers, ciders and drinks - oh, along with super friendly staff. It's a great neighborhood bar and the perfect place to knock back with friends on the covered patio for some awesome grilled cheese masterpieces and a hoppy IPA.

Great happy hour prices and we love the food. Grilled cheese with soup, bacon cheeseburgers and yummy hard drinks. .

So I'm a little weirded by this. This is not the same knock back as most of the reviews are on yelp. Not the same menu or atmosphere. I wanted to come here because of the sliders and dirty popcorn as displayed on yelp. But then looking at the real menu on the website. It's actually called grilled cheese grill and knock back bar.

Great and friendly ambiance, fun place to hangout with friends. I wish there were more beer tabs and cocktails options.

if you own this place and wonder why it's empty and not doing well it's because there's 3 people in here and the bartender doesn't have time to sell us another drink. he says the TV isn't connected to hear the football game so we're watching the game on our phones. We are listening to AirSupply and the Bee Gee's on their sound system. I can't believe this place can stay open!

Rad place, chill vibe, dog friendly. Good times good friends happy feelings 85 characters.

I had to head to the airport at 8pm to pick up my mom and aunt coming to town. I felt I deserved a high caloric dinner and a cocktail after work. I found The Knock Back a short distance from PDX and stopped in. I sat up at the bar and was delighted that they had alcoholic slushies on tap. I wasn't quite in the mood to have one, but I feel I need to go back to get one next time. I decided on the punch of the day. I can't recall exactly what the drink was, but while it was pretty good, I didn't think of it as punch. It was something like a blood orange with mint (I hope I'm not way off!). I went with the General Jarn's Fried Chicken Slider and the French Fries. I can never seem to leave sauces alone, and this time was no different. I tend to mix them, no matter how weird that combo might be. I was pleased with both of my options. I'd like to go with someone else so that I can sample more options...such as the Dirty Popcorn. I was so tempted to get it, even though it made no sense. I wasn't looking for a snack, I needed something solid.

I am very late to the re-opening of one of my favorite bars! I am so glad this place came back with the slushies and great food! Still have dirty popcorn and smash burger was delish! So glad this place came back! Loved the update with opening up the kitchen and creating a better seating situation from pre pandemic.

Met up with a bunch of friends here on a Saturday night and it was fun. The location is perfect for bar hopping as the whole street is full of bars and places to eat. It was pretty crowded which is to be expected for a Saturday evening, so we ordered at the bar and stood in a corner and hung out for a few hours. We ordered mostly beers and whisky, but I heard my friends rave about their old fashioned as well. The fire pit outside is a good touch especially because it's a covered area so you do have access to it even when it rains. The place was pretty full outside as well which is a testament to the popularity of this place.

I was surprised by the spaghetti. Not bad for vegan food. The service can get slow if it's too crowded

Vibe is great in here, music is nice. Amazing pear cider and caramelized onion burger. Enjoy the atmosphere and chick bartender very much. Christmas lights inside and mood lighting as well as a patio I'd love to try in warmer weather. With it being so close to my house, I'll definitely be coming back

A Facebook post rated the TKB Fried Chicken slider as one of the best in town so I had to try. Like a few others on the list, I wasn't too impressed. Sure, I'd pay $5 anytime (Happy Hour) as it was good, it just wasn't great. Now the bar has great vibe and it gets packed at night. Back to the food: the potato croquettes were a far cry from anything Japanese or Dutch, the masters of this delicious treat. The Daily punch wasn't fruity, creative and small yes. The Mixologist was cool and chatty. And true to Portland style you stand in line to order, get your own silverware and water, and of course are expected to leave a tip.

WOW , I'm already planning my next trip to Portland just so I can come back the Knock Back. The place it's self os cute and casual, order at the bar & choose a seat inside or on their patio (which is covered & has a nice fire pit). I was there for the sliders and they did not disappoint. I tried the Caramelized onion & the hot n sweet. The Hot N sweet was literal perfection ! Best burger I've had in a while. They also have some vegetarian & vegan options which my friends enjoyed. Service was friendly & prices are great. Can't wait to come back for that slider.

Whenever I think about this place my mouth gets watery! Even more when I look at the pictures. Every time I visit Portland, OR I go straight to The Knockback and pick at their appetizers, I feel like if you were to go anywhere you need to work your from the top of the menu to the bottom lol. These two apps in particular caught my attention: Pulled pork with bbq sauce and chicken sliders with chicken croquettes or as us Miamians say croquetas! Let me tell you, the pork was so soft and tasty, I felt as if it was a little sweet! So delicious. The chicken was my favorite! It was crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside... it's all about balance right? Lol The chicken croquetas were incredible. The cilantro sauce gave it an extra kick, it's so many flavors in your mouth that you can't stop eating! The ambiance is cool and laid back. Definitely recommend going at night to really enjoy the mood. 10/10 xo, @ladietacomienzamanana

The food is good, the vibes are good, the drinks are good and the music they play is REALLY good! I love this place. Always my go to when I meet friends in Portland for happy hour. The quality of their ingredients is off the chart! My favorite dish theres are the risotto cakes and that delicious red pepper coulis!! I also love the brussel sprouts but they can be a bit on the salty side. My friend tried the tempeh Reuben, got a box to go for it and ended up eating it before we left lol that good. Highly recommend this place!

We looked for a bar that opened late on a Sunday night. Being from Los Angeles, I didn't think it would be such a difficult task but it was! We came into this one because it opened until midnight. You order your drink at the bar and you find your seat. Drinks were decently priced, and ambiance was quite nice.

Food: They have great veggie options. I got the mushroom cheese melt (forgot exactly what it was called). Anyhow it was amazing. Great sauce, pesto mayo I think. It was delicious. Drinks: Their drinks are amazing. Any of their hot drinks- like hot toddies- are amazing. The staff quickly prepares the drinks with precision. Atmosphere: low lights, comfortable, outdoor fire pit, modern, outdoor sitting. Bathrooms: only two but clean and well stocked. Overall: I love this place. Music is also great. More of a relaxed chill atmosphere. Casual, cool to hang out and catch up with friends.

Straight poppin' (do people still use that?). I am pleasantly super surprised at how fun this spot was. This was the second stop for my girlfriend and I of the night. We had left another place because it was insanely busy and we were hungry. I knew there would be a slew of great spots on Alberta to choose from, my husband and I are always down here trying a new place. The Knockback had been sitting on my bookmark list for a while so I said, Let's go!! Now, my favorite part of this place is hands down the whole ambience and vibe. I mean, they were bumping Tupac pretty much all night long. I'm thinking 'Man, these hipsters know what's up" because it surely wasn't many black folks in there besides us and a few others lol. There is tons of outdoor seating, we opted to stay in due to the smokers outside. Like many standard Portland spots, you order at the bar and grab a seat. The bartender was funny and nice. Their menu apparently changes a lot because one of the drinks on their menu (on the website) wasn't one of the drinks they had on the menu inside the place. My drink was very delicious tho, great flavor to it. The guy who brought our food over was cracking me up, he quickly cleaned off our table when he seen us head over there and was very friendly! We ordered sliders. I had the pulled pork sliders first (VERY delicious) and then I had there cheeseburger slider which was also delicious. The menu is definitely not very big but honestly, it's a bar so it's of course bar food and usually it's limited to how much they have available. I don't know if it was a fluke or if every night is that fun but we must of been there a good three hours and not once did the party stop. Tons of people were coming in, the bar was filling up and lots of laughter all around. Definitely a fun spot to go to with friends, I will for sure be back!

I love this place... whatever. I from Portland tho... so I mean, I'm not the trendy chump that's usually all up in the Yelp scene like.... Alberta is still Portland. Knock Back is Portland.

Don't say you are open until 12 if you stop serving at 11. Drove here just to get some food late night and was turned away by a rude bartender

10 out of 10! This place is wonderful for so many reasons. First, the food is phenomenal. My friend has the mushroom sandwich and I had the tempeh rueben, we shared fries and fries brussel sprouts. It was all wonderful! I haven't had a rueben in over a decade because there just aren't too many vegetarian ones out there so this was a dream. It just melts in your mouth. I loved the unique flavoring on the fries and the fun sauces they provided for dipping. I was so stuffed and content. Second, their drinks were equally as excellent as the food. I love a good gin cocktail and they make a mean peach fuzz. I also normally don't drink coffee because it's so hard on my stomach and generally just tastes like bitter crap. I always ask people what good coffee is because I am pretty sure I had never had any before. Until last night! I was getting sleepy during dinner so I got a coffee and was blown away. It was so floral and pretty and no bitter crap taste! Definitely was not expecting that. Lastly, the service was lovely. They didn't really bug you at your table, provided everything very quickly, and were fun and pleasant folks. My favorite was the person in the black and white knit pajama set with little reindeer on it. So precious! Go have a good night out at The Knock Back! You won't regret it.

My friend and I happened upon this lounge-like restaurant in the Alberta neighborhood the other night while looking for dinner options. I wanted something small to eat so this place looked great. We chose a booth, sat down, then took turns ordering our food at the bar since there is no table service. I chose the popcorn and a cheeseburger slider. With tip, it cost $10, which is really not bad for dinner! Shortly thereafter, the food arrived and was made as requested. I felt that my burger had too many shallots on it, but was otherwise good. The popcorn seemed like it had too many different flavors to it. It was quite strong. My main problem is that within the hour, I was very sick to my stomach. The awful pain lasted through the night and into the next morning. It was a huge bummer since I was visiting on vacation....and had an early morning flight home that next morning too. I can't pinpoint it to this place of course, but considering the timing, I don't know what else could have caused it. It sounds like they have some great cocktails here and the atmosphere was certainly interesting. Nice surrounding neighborhood, too! But I'm not sure I would personally return.

So this place really looks and feels a lot more pretentious than it is. Which is a good thing! Like it really doesn't need the mounted boar and ram heads and it especially doesn't need the giant painting of the two animals snarling at each-other (though I don't know if either of those animals are the snarling type). That's because it's a great bar! The sliders are excellent, the beer selection is good, and the cocktails look amazing. I am a fan. I had the original beer slider and fried chicken one with caramelized onions. At about $5 a pop they're not cheap, but there's also larger than your average slider and two should suit most diners quite well.

We came by around 11 pm at night on a Saturday and the place was decently busy but we were helped right away. The bar tender who took our food order was prompt and kind. He also recommended a great pale ale. The food was phenomenal. It came out 5 mins after ordering, piping hot and delivered on a white square plate. It tasted amazing, like it was cooked with care and the chef cared how you felt when eating it. Would highly recommend this place.

There is outside seating in the shade, which was pleasant on a warm day. Good cocktails and a decent selection of beer. No table service - order at the bar.

One of my wife's favorite spots in Portland. Great ambiance, music, bar staff, and more. Not really a big fan of the food menu, but some find it quite tasty. The outdoor patio is a regular spot for cigarette smoke and pets. Great for summer drinks and hanging out with friends. Bar tenders and staff are dope and this is a great spot to meet up with friends on the Alberta Strip.

Went here for a date last night. Cute bar with a nice patio (smoking allowed if you're into that). Fire pit as well outside. Drinks were good and not too pricey at all. My gripe is with this one bartender, Ryan. Ryan has glasses and light colored hair. When I showed up to my date, he was giving her a hard time about wanting to order two drinks for herself to sip over the night. He was asking things like "they're really both for you?" And said "I'll give you one now and you can come back for the other one later on". It was just really odd because she's a paying customer, and what does it matter if she gets a beer and cocktail at the same time instead of like 30 mins apart? I'd go back to this spot because the interaction wasn't really that bad, just never had a bartender be like a kindergarten teacher before - doling out drinks on some nonsensical schedule. Bartending should be about making your customers happy!

Can we talk about the throw back slow jams they're playing tonight?! I don't know if this is an everyday thing but the atmosphere is perfect for a date or a solo night. The rotating wine is on the pricey side but he'll in treating myself out.

We got into Portland late at night and needed a bite to eat before bed. We got the dirty popcorn and 3 different sliders. They really hit the spot! Can't wait to go back!

Our favorite bar! We hope they get to reopen. We are missing the delicious sliders, great ambiance and of course the well balanced and well made cocktails.