Tag Archives: Joey Harrington’s Pearl Tavern

The Pearl That Never Escaped its Shell Until………

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(Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.  External photo attribution is at the end of the post. #1)

Was it a Downer or Just the Truth?

In my last blog post which at least one loyal follower described as a “downer,” I discussed the number of not only newer establishments, but some of the “hallowed’ watering holes in the Portland hospitality business, which had folded up their taps since I started Beerchasing in 2011.

This situation was, of course, exacerbated since 2020 with the pandemic.  One verbose rhetorical question I posed was:

“How many of the now defunct watering holes started off on a shoestring, by partners who had a passion for cooking, brewing beer (often in their basement) and who frequented their favorite bar or brewery and said to themselves or their partner after too many beers, ‘I (we) could do that!’”

2020-Pam draw 4

What was the count of the newer establishments which collapsed because the owners built their business plan on an unrealistic view of what it takes to own and manage a bar or brewery?   Thus, the euphemism, “I (we) could do that,” based on a whim and a prayer.

I’m not going to answer that question, but devote this post to two contrasting hospitality business visions – one which flared up before smoldering into ashes and the other, which based on a sound and prudent vision in 2012, has thrived even during the pandemic.

Does Fanfare Equate to Success?”

While some naïve entrepreneurs understandably reap what they try to pour, even some of the most seasoned hospitality experts can make a bad call.  Former Oregon Duck Joey Harrington was a collegiate football star and named  Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2001 before being a high draft pick by the Detroit Lions. 

Harrington played seven years in the NFL although he never replicated the collegiate level of success in the NFL.  In 2016, he partnered up with two hospitality pros.  (#2)

In December, 2016, Harrington and two major partners, Kurt Huffman – a well-known Portland restaurateur and a “legendary” bartender, Ryan Magarian (the co-founder of Aviation Gin) opened a new restaurant/bar on a busy intersection in the upscale Pearl District of Portland.

Huffman is both an MBA and a lawyer and Magarian – a veteran in the hospitality business.  The new Pearl Tavern had previously been a restaurant known as The Parish.  

The high profile establishment opened to great fanfare including an article in Willamette Week entitled:

Former NFL Quarterback Joey Harrington is Opening a Tavern in Portland

“Intended to be more casual than a steakhouse, the family-friendly Pearl Tavern served various cuts of steak, fried chicken, fish, and risotto, as well as bar snacks and other options for brunch and happy hour. The interior had dark leather booths and multiple widescreen television for sports viewing, and the servers wore plaid. (Wikipedia)

To his credit, 3% of the profits were directed to Harrington’s family’s educational foundation. Initial reviews were good such as this one in 1859 Magazine:

“…..adulation is immediate for the killer atmosphere, wrap around bar, big screen TV’s, inviting leather booths and, most discernibly, delicious food”.

 In 2017, The Oregonian included it in it’s list of Portland’s 10 Best New Happy Hours,  (#3)

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The adulation may have been immediate, but it was also short-lived as only about eighteen months later, Portland Eater headlined an article:

“Ex-Quarterback Joey Harrington’s Sports Bar Will Serve Its Last Fried Chicken Sandwich This June“

A Flawed Concept?

Interestingly enough, there were no print media “autopsies” that I could find stating a specific reason for the closure.  And without offering conclusions, but raising possibilities, some sleuthing on social media reviews was very revealing. 

The Pearl Tavern received an accrued 3.5 stars out of 5 on Yelp before it permanently closed – low for an establishment of that type and although there were some superb reviews, too many set forth criticisms.  Even many of the good reviews had disclaimers.

Evidently, as they hit the economic skids they also skimped on service and patrons were mad about having to order at the bar – in what was purportedly an upscale establishment.

The repeated themes were prices which were too high and mediocre food. People criticized the overall concept and cited better values and ambiance at other Pearl District establishments:   

“Went in there tonight, hardly any people, hate walk-up ordering.  We couldn’t have done that anyway because the music was so loud we could barely talk to each other just standing there….. We had a lovely meal elsewhere and I looked at the Pearl menu afterwards and it just looked like pricey bar food.  Poor concept.”  (Yelp 5/29/2018)  (#4) 

Was it loud music or the concept itself?

A number predicted even soon after the opening that the tavern would be short-lived  although people in Oregon love Joey Harrington and wanted him to succeed: 

“I wanted to like this place…..badly. Big Joey Harrington fan but man, this place is just not that great. In fact, IN FACT , it’s not even worth stopping at. You can tell what they are going for here, but you can see it was done cheaply and with corners cut.  The drinks were great, but even the happy hour price seemed high.”  (Yelp 5/5/17) 

Perhaps the problem was overestimating the ongoing draw of a star athlete when the overriding concept is flawed.  How many people in Portland want to go to a sports bar with multiple big screens, raucous crowds during games, but then have to order a high-priced steak or other entre’? (#5)

Sports_portal_bar_icon

“Was not impressed with this place at all. Way overpriced, mediocre bar food. It seems like they are going for upscale tavern food/atmosphere but they miss on the food big time.”  (Yelp 4/5/17) 

“The old Oregon Ducks QB Joey Harrington owns this place, get a clue! In a foodie town that needs a good sports bar, this place misses the mark by a wide margin. It will not last the year.  We left and caught the last 2 periods at Life of Riley. Way better! Skip this place!”  (Yelp 4/22/17)

 Lessons to be Learned?

Now there are other nearby establishments that also failed during the last five years.  For example, Bridgeport Brewing founded in 1984, closed in 2019 and nearby Henry’s Tavern – open for fifteen years – left the scene as reported in The Oregonian on October 1, 2019:

“Henry’s Tavern, a popular Pearl District watering hole and restaurant, quietly closed its doors for good after notifying staff only hours before it shuttered.”

That said, another great watering hole about one mile away – Yur’s also a tavern owned by a former NFL star is still going strong.  Terry Hermeling was an offensive tackle (weighed in at 255 and is 6’5” tall) for the Washington Redskins during the 1970’s after starring at the University of Nevada at Reno – 

Yur’s has thrived for twenty-five years by eschewing pretension  – it’s clearly a dive bar!   I loved it as did about ten companions.  (#6)

Willamette Week headlined its review in 2018:

“Yur’s is a Dark Dive Perfect for Day Drinking.”

And by Comparison…….

Shortly – like about two months after the Pearl Tavern closed – another bar opened in the same quarters as reported in the July 9, 2018 edition of Portland Eater:

BACKWOODS IN THE PEARL IS NOW OPEN IN PORTLAND’S PEARL DISTRICT

“To complement the beer offerings (most of their own beers) Backwoods has an enticing cocktail menu with very affordable pricing, especially for the neighborhood. It also offers a concise wine list.”

Backwoods is a small brewery originating in Carson, Washington.  

“Backwoods Brewing was founded by the Waters family in July of 2012. Prior to that, Jim Waters had taught his sons the art of home brewing before they flew the nest, but the boys came back after college with the dream of starting a brewery in their hometown.”  (#7 – #13)

The two brothers (Tom and Steve Waters) have been strategic and smart in their expansion and underlying business plan. They brew excellent beers and are planning a third location in Ridgefield, Washington while adding cabins at their scenic site in Carson.

Backwoods Brewing expanding with brewpub in Ridgefield, bigger plans for Carson – oregonlive.com 

Backwoods Pub in the Pearl

I had lunch there just last week with two Oregon State fraternity brothers (Ron Holloway and Steve Crow) and almost five years after opening, Backwoods in the Pearl is thriving.  We had to make a mid-week lunch reservation and it was filled.

Photo Apr 21 2023, 12 55 07 PM (1)

As just one comparison, let’s look at the price of two items at the Pearl Tavern compared with current prices at Backwoods in the Pearl.  This from an April 2017 Yelp review of the Pearl Tavern:

“We were recommended the burger. Tasted like a Big Mac with a fancy bun. The patty was about as thin as a Big Mac burger patty as well. $16 for that one. The baby kale salad was pretty tasty. $12 for a $7 portion.”  (Emphasis supplied)

Keep in mind that this was in spring of 2017 and inflation, as measured by the CPI on a non-compounded rate through 2023, has been about 24%.   Backwoods offered several burgers – its Little Town Burger goes for $13.50 and the Big City Burger (1/2 pound with bacon and fried egg) is now priced at $15.75!  Both include fries or tots.

One can have a small Kale Salad for $9.75 and the kale entre’ salad for $15.25.  I had the Fiesta Chicken Wrap which included a side salad, was scrumptious and big enough – even with my appetite – to serve both as my lunch and dinner that night for $15.  (#14 -#16)

Backwoods gets 4 out of 5 stars on Yelp and has a very nice ambiance.  And the comments about poor service and having to order at the bar are history as evidenced by our experience and repeated comments on social media.

Our server was a wonderful young woman named Ally – maybe I’m biased because she is also an Oregon City High School graduate. But she was one of the most attentive, personable and competent servers I’ve had in eleven years of Beerchasing.   It rounded out the positive visit at Backwoods in the Pearl.

The Future

How will Portland bars and breweries fare in the future?  Part of that depends on getting both office workers and tourists back to the City.  And forecasts are not exactly optimistic.  Look at this May 7, 2023 headline in Oregon Live:

“Portland office vacancies have nearly doubled since the pandemic; will return-to-office plans reverse that?”

“More than a fifth of the office space in downtown Portland was vacant in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest data from commercial real estate firm CoStar. That’s double the vacancy rate in 2019, and the number of empty offices is continuing to rise.”

Let’s hope the Mayor and City Council step up to the plate and develop action plans to reverse that trend.

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Pearl Oysters.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.  Author: Keith Pomakis – 10 December 2005.

#2.  Wikimedia Commons  (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joey_Harrington.JPG  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.   Author:  Conman33  16 November 2008.

#3.   Pearl Tavern Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/pearltavernpdx/photos/pb.100054523927834.-2207520000./1511892872228948/?type=3)  Source: User:Mysid – 26 November 2004.

#4.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia .org/wiki/File:Rolling_Loud_Logo.png) This logo image consists only of simple geometric shapes or text. It does not meet the threshold of originality needed for copyright protection, and is therefore in the public domain. Source:  Rolling Loud festival – 11 June 2022.

#5.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sports_portal_bar_icon.png)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  Authors: Baseball.svg: vedub4us

#6. Yur’s Bar and Grill Facebook Page ((4) Facebook)

#7 – #13.  Backwoods Brewing Website (https://www.backwoodsbrewingcompany.com/portland-menus) and Facebook Page (Backwoods Brewing Company | Carson WA | Facebook)

#14 – #16.   Backwoods at the Pearl Website (https://www.backwoodsbrewingcompany.com/portland-menus)

Beerchaser Miscellany – What’s up in Bars, Breweries, Etc.?

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The Benedictine Brewery

After over five years of planning and months of construction, the monks at the Benedictine Brewery are close to fulfilling the vision at the Mount Angel Abbey.  I’ve worked as a volunteer on this wonderful project  for the last two years. It will be one of only two breweries west of the Mississippi in which the monks are the owners and operators – the other being that located near Albuquerque, at the Christ in the Desert Benedictine Monastery.

Fr. Martin Grassel

Father Martin Grassel, will be the General Manager and Fr. Jacob Stronach, the Head Brewer.   The Grand Opening of the St. Michael Taproom will occur on September 22nd, shortly after the Mt. Angel Oktoberfest and you should plan to visit and raise a mug of their flagship beer – Black Habit.  Or if you are not a fan of dark beer, try the superb Benedictine Farmhouse Pale Ale.  Fr. Martin was Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter in July, 2017. 

The picture above shows the facility as it draws closer to completion.  It has evolved from the remarkable Community Timber Raising ceremony in November at which over 100 monks, seminarians and community members helped erect the frame of the building from what started out as only the concrete foundation.  Some amazing videos of the event are included in the post below:

https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/11/21/the-benedictine-brewery-beam-me-up/

Benedictine Brewery hardware ready to go….

The Dynamic World of Bars and Breweries.

The world of bars and breweries is ever changing.  Fortunately, when we hear about bars closing, one will concurrently learn about new establishments – usually breweries, opening either in the former location as was the case with former Oregon Duck football star Joey Harrington’s Pearl Tavern (see below).

Backwoods – thriving in Carson and now in the Pearl

Successful enterpreneurs, Steve and Tom Waters, the owners and operators of the Backwoods Brewery and Taproom in Carson, Washington since 2012, will launch their new Pearl District pub in the vacated quarters at NW Everett and 11th.  The Waters are both University of Portland grads and great people.  Check out the new operation.

A loss to Portland is one of the first three bars I visited when I started Thebeerchaser Tour of Bars, Taverns and Pubs in August 2011 – the Ash Street Saloon.   A Willamette Week article entitled, “From Ashes to Ash Street,” describes the unique place this bar played in the Portland music scene before its December 2017 closing:

Gone but not Forgotten

“When tales are told of the downtown ‘rock blocks’ that once cultivated a burgeoning music scene, the Ash Street Saloon often doesn’t take center stage…..But soldiering on for decades with genre’ spanning live acts 365 days a year served a function just as vital – and one we suspect, far harder to replace.” 

The Copper Penny – a dive but with an interesting history

Other closures in the last eighteen months or so include the Lompoc Hedge House, BTU Brasserie, the Commons and the historic Copper Penny in Lents – now a high rise surrounded by new development.

But new locations of existing breweries such as Sasquatch, Migration, Storm Breaker, Baerlic and Great Notion ensure that Portlanders will never lack for great locations to drink good beer.

And there are creative bars such as Fido’s, which according to Willamette Week purports to be the “world’s first dog tap house.” It opened last February in Tigard and “is part 40-tap beer bar and part dog rescue shelter with a playroom filled with six adoptable dogs…”

This brings back memories of Thebeerchaser’s 2014 visit to Sniff Cafe in NW Portland in which I reported:

If you stop in for a glass of beer or wine during Happy Hour….you get a $1 discount on beer and wine plus your pooch gets a free romp in the pet indoor play area – even getting occasional personal attention by one of their attendants.  You also get to view not only your pooch, but the other dogs cavorting in this puppy plan pen.”  

And while I am not generally a fan of retail establishments such as sports shop and especially Starbucks, ill-fated effort to substitute for the traditional neighborhood watering hole, I think two Portland establishments with this model deserve a visit.

From Music Millenium Facebook page

One is Portland icon, Music Millennium – the oldest record store in the Pacific NW, operating since 1969 and after having some challenges with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, added beer and wine in 2015 to its amazing collection of recordings sold in all formats in their Burnside store.

And after a quick call, I was pleased to talk to an amiable chap on a Sunday evening, who told me that they currently had three beers on tap – all of them excellent from three outstanding Oregon breweries – Barley Brown’s, Boneyard and Pfriem.

So if you want to pick up (or sell) an historic or fabled music item such as the two in my collection of ’78’s and ’33 RPM albums (see pictures) check them out and have a micro-brew while you’re there.

A classic Big Band 78 RPM collection

The second retail establishment that looks interesting is also music-related –  Strum.  This is not the brewery in Ontario, California, but the vintage guitar shop and wine/beer bar on SE Stark Str.

As a Willamette Week article stated shortly after their opening earlier this summer, “If a guitar is the vehicle for rock music, then beer is the fuel.”  (It has four micro-brew taps.)

Now these niche-type establishments have a place and deserve support, but Thebeerchaser harkens back to the neighborhood pub or dive bar for true ambiance.  (Recent Beerchaser examples include The Standard, Mock Crest Tavern,  or T.C. O’Leary’s or Gil’s Speakeasy just to name a few in Portland.

The Mock Crest in North Portland

Of course, then you have the Old Oregon Saloon or The Sportsman Pub and Grub on the coast or Lumpy’s Landing in Dundee.  But don’t forget … I could go on and on….!!  (Click on the name of the establishment above to see Thebeerchaser’s review.)

A Dundee classic!

An April, 2018 Willamette Week article entitled, “Bubble Bobble – After a Record Year of Closures, Craft Breweries are Rethinking Some Things”  sums up the trend well:

“…beer geeks (are) wondering if the craft bubble has finally burst…..The answer might be to freshen up your direct-to-consumer roots, like all the local beer bars that have recently remodeled….. 

One of such establishments that has done it right is Old Town Brewing – in its brewery and pub on NE Martin Luther King Blvd.

Old Town Brewing in N.E. Portland – sparkling, but feels like home.. Stay tuned for the review….

“Rather than expanding distribution, younger breweries…..are opening new locations to meet customers in person and compete as local watering holes…..Why shouldn’t breweries be more like coffee shops and local taverns instead of cold manufacturing spaces?”   

The Portland BrewBarge

Thebeerchaser’s first experience on a mobile bar (as contrasted to the similar sensation in college described as the “Blind Whirley’s”…) was in 2014 on the Portland Pedalounge. Lloyd, the owner and “driver” took us on a great trip through the streets of SE Portland, stopping for brewskis at several bars and breweries along the way.   

The crew with our fearless leader, Lloyd…

My friends and I really enjoyed this trip – and Lloyd was a kick.  All of us would recommend it.

The second “bar in motion” experience was last week on the Portland BrewBarge.   Unlike the Pedalounge or this company’s equivalent BrewCycle where you drink at stops along the way, you can enjoy a beer while “pedaling” the boat or just relaxing on your leisurely 90-minute cruise up and then back down the Willamette River – either with your own beer or what you purchase from them.

All Aboard!

My son-in-law, Ryan Keene and I joined two of my favorite lawyers – Brien Flanagan and Carson Bowler – Environmental Law partners at Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, where I worked for twenty-five years before retiring.

Ryan and Thebeerchaser

The BrewBarge was an outing for Summer Associates (law school students who clerk at the firm) and a few graduates who had finished the Oregon Bar Exam that afternoon and were understandably ready to slake their thirst.

Captain Eric in yellow shirt) brief his crew..

Note:  It was nice to be floating on the surface of the beautiful Willamette and Brien, Carson and I did not talk about the DEQ, the EPA or the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services.   I also took comfort in a recent article I read in an OPB post (6/17/18) which based on their research with the aforementioned agencies asserted:

“A person would have to spend a very long time in the river – like hundreds of years – or be exposed to much high concentrations of heavy metals, industrial compounds, flame retardants, agriculture chemicals and pharmaceuticals to reach the level of exposure health officials worry about.”

Contemplating the hazards of PBR

(Carson opined that the likelihood of me having an adverse reaction was more probable based on drinking PBR than exposure to the aforementioned toxins…)

Captain Eric, a Wilson High School alum, and Eric Johnson, who was the deckhand, after advising us on safety procedures (given the number of lawyers on board, I assume this was more extensive than their standard spiel.)  headed north and the young guys and gals peddled while downing beer which was mostly bottled IPA’s.

Good view of the bridges with Eric Johnson and Brien in the foreground

I sat on the far aft bench with my two friends and downed two canned PBRs – it doesn’t get any better, especially since Brien – who got his law degree at prestigious Georgetown Law after graduating from Notre Dame – reminded me in light of Oregon State’s recent ignominious football record, how the Beavs cleaned the Irish’s clock 41 to 9 in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl.

Captain Eric had worked there since the inception three years ago and business has been good for the owners who started the Portland venture after a successful run of the concept in Savannah Georgia.

Great view of the USS Blueback – SS 581 – at OMSI

It’s quite reasonable and the cost is only $35 per person unless you take the 90-minute sail on Friday or Saturday when its $40.  Bring your own beer to save on expense and enjoy the great views of the Willamette.

A Trusted Resource Goes Wrong at least for Thebeerchaser…

Speaking of local watering holes that feel like home (NOT!) my usually trusted resource Willamette Week hit it wrong on a recent recommendation.

The Happy Fortune on Barbur Blvd. had shifted its focus from dining to drinking and I checked it out with a friend.   WW asserted that:

“….Happy Fortune juggles an oddly congenial hotpot of upscale transients, Lewis & Clark undergrads, amiable suburbanites drinking through the commute, and an enviable corps of die-hard regulars.”

Well perhaps that’s true and to be fair, we only made one, rather than the customary two or more visits, but I will not return.  

The selection of beers was not great, (I had a bottled Tsingtao) but the weekday afternoon, we were there, had no ambiance – either in the environment, staff or regulars and just did not hit the mark in my opinion.  It seemed like an old and worn restaurant turned bar.  My fortune that day was not a happy one!