Scotch Lodge Reviews

I loved this place. The service was great, the food was phenomenal and the cocktails were to die for !! What an unexpected surprise...

Scotch Lodge is a small, hidden-away restaurant that deliberately fosters a speakeasy feel. There is an interesting and creative selection of specialty cocktails along with an extensive scotch menu. We learned that the bartender had just won an award, and she delivered the drinks to our table in person. The wait staff was knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive with close attention paid to making sure we enjoyed everything we tried. The food menu is unique as well, with a number of raw offerings. Food is intended to be shared so does not come as a "meal", rather as individual plates with just one item. Everything we tried (3 or 4 dishes) was excellent.

Nice dark atmosphere. Not a proper speakeasy, however, thanks to Kots our drinks where great!! Arancini is a must try! Disappointed that the soft shell crab sandwich wasn't available.

Unbelievable top to bottom. Amazing selection of scotch, bourbon and rye. The prices are very reasonable for some very hard to find whiskies. The cocktails are phenomenal and presentation is perfect. The space feels retro and very hip, dark lighting and an open kitchen with two chefs preparing a concise but varied spectrum from small bites up through entrees. I am in love with this place, amazing. In a town lousy with trendy bars, this is the best I’ve seen on our short visit to town.

I travel a lot. And the hostess at the Scotch Lounge was one of the rudest individuals that I have ever encountered in the service industry. Her manner, tone and arrogance was so off putting. Stay away. Give your hard earned money to places that appreciate you.....

We had a dinner reservation at an establishment nearby and decided to stop here for a cocktail first. It was during COVID-19, so we enjoyed our drink at an outdoor patio they had set-up in a parking lot behind the establishment—not much for ambiance, but we appreciated the outdoor option and that this place was open on a Tuesday night, when many other establishments were closed due to the pandemic. They have SO MANY types of whiskey you can try; the list was interesting and overwhelming all at once! You had to pull-up the list on your phone, which made it a little hard to navigate. We ended-up ordering cocktails from a small list for which they had a printed menu. The old fashioned was great: well-balanced and served with one giant cube of ice so perfect you could see right through it! The other cocktail, the “penicillin,” was really interesting: super smoky notes on the nose and from the first few sips, and then pretty mellow with flavors of honey and lemon. Service was chill and helpful. Overall, a nice way to start an evening out in Portland.

Go downstairs to a little speakeasy. Feels like Portland already, right? If you can get a table, be ready for a unique list of small plates. We started with the Beef Tartare with buttermilk bleu cheese. The raw Hokkaido scallop was next. Went down like butter. Then she had the Chantrelle Fettuccine while I devoured a perfectly grilled octopus leg. We split the soft-she'll crab sandwich and then went for the braised lamb shoulder which came with house-made fluffy tortilla things that made about 5 sandwiches. Yummers. Of course the star of the show is the selection of hundreds of scotches. She prefers martinis and was so happy they were properly made and served. Mixed drinks are about $12.00 and looked great as they passed us by. Next time. Service is excellent. The owner spent some time with us explaining the scotches we were ordering. Great place, great food, great people.

Everyone I know is trying to tell me about whisky, or scotch or bourbon. I've delighted in wines, really enjoy a cocktail, am crazy about coffee and have had some of the best beer on the planet. But whisky just isn't my thing... or rather, it wasn't. We were in Portland to visit our daughter and had a free evening for dinner. Using the Resy app, I went looking for something intriguing. Enter the Scotch Lodge. There's something about adding the word "Lodge" to any other word that intrigues me. Hunting lodge, fishing lodge, ski lodge... you see what I mean. And the picture grabbed my attention... a warm room on a cold evening populated with experts performing their craft- ok, I'll try it. I was also interested in the idea that the place was a little "hard to find" from the street, imagining myself arriving at a metal door with a small sliding window about face high, speaking the password to be let in. Well, it wasn't quite that, but it was close. The Scotch Lodge is almost nonexistent from the street, with the exception of a small sign. You enter and walk down a narrow staircase into a small, but comfortable room, warming lit and intimate. We made reservations for the "kitchen bar" and saddled up to our spot. We were immediately greeted by our server and guide, Erin, who provided us with menus and a file folder full of multiple producers and varieties of whisky. For a nerd like me, I was already smiling. I admitted knowing next to nothing, and Erin immediately made my wife and I feel at ease. We started with a wine and a cocktail, and then had a nice chat about what we might and might not enjoy about whisky. Erin recommended a flight (which we shared), that would highlight the breadth of classic styles, and then one unique whisky. We had a bourbon, a scotch and a whisky. They were each noticeably distinct, and the tasting experience was great. Erin later brought out some a water dropper to add to the tasting which had a very remarkable impact on the experience. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the recommended Japanese gin cocktail I enjoyed, "Moon Age Daydream." I had one, my wife tasted it, we ordered another... what else is there to say! As for the food, it was a triumph. We had a variety of plates from oysters to fries, heirloom tomato salad, and marinated olives, and finally, a soppressata plate. The only thing missing from this amazing dinner was a dessert. (I'd recommend them adding a local vanilla ice cream for affogatos and perhaps some dark chocolates to pair with a digestif. Easy to offer and a great match for the evening). At the end of the day, it was the perfect combination of elements that make a great dining experience. Excellent ambiance, a unique focus executed perfectly, delicious, fresh food, and a level of service that would make Disneyland proud. The vibe was relaxed and comfortable, but with that little sparkle that lets you know something special is happening here. It works for a special date or just where you go on a Thursday to feel better about your week. Do you know what I mean? Needless to say... we will be back!

Scotch Lodge has fantastic ambiance. It's just quiet enough to have a conversation without over hearing your table neighbor! I haven't even told you about the Scotch, Whiskey, or Bourbon selections. Check it out. You won't be disappointed!

How did we never know about this place? I booked a last minute dinner in their private dining room for a birthday. From making the reservation to paying the bill everything was perfection. The server was exceptionally knowledgeable and navigated each one of our guests through their expansive whisky and scotch menus. The food was incredible. We will definitely we back many more times. Well done Scotch Lodge Team!!

Most people would go for the large well curated selection of scotch and whiskey selection but the food just might be the best part of this place. First the beverages, a decent collection of cocktails but mine was well crafted but just a bit sweet, the moneypenny gin drink with smoky scotch was delicious. Just a few beers and wines but those will do fo most folks. The scotch/whisky menu is huge and you can get both 1 oz and dram pour. the 1 ouncers allow you to take through without getting hammered. What I really like was the host/owner actually poured you a small taste to see if you like it. You can ususally get a little pour of wine to taste, but no one offers a taste of scotch. Who does that, but it was quite generous and welcomed. The food was the biggest surprise starting with the tender, succulent grilled lamb shoulder. Served with small chickpea crepes along with pickled veggies and salted cheese you pull a hunk of meat off and construct what are like little street tacos. So good. Also favorites were octopus with potato confit and white asparagus and the grilled soft shell crab sandwich. The only miss on the food was the fries were a little overseasoned/salted. The Food is very sharable. The space has a speakeasy feel but is warm an inviting. Go for the scotch but stay for the food and hospitality.

Wow, What a cool place this is, the bar has more whiskey (Whisky) than I have seen. the menu was excellent and the service friendly and fast. The place kind of has a "speakeasy" feel, as the door has no sign on it and you go downstairs to see it open into a large dark wood paneled room. I definitely felt welcome and was absolutely Wowed by the selection. I had the Scallops Tartare and the Soft-shell crab sandwich, which did not disappoint. Don't miss this place when in Portland!!

I read about The Scotch Lodge in the Portland monthly magazines on a recent trip decided to check it out. Met one of the owners who is very knowledgeable about all things scotch. The wait staff also were able to converse about their offerings. We thoroughly enjoyed some wonderful appetizers and cocktails and then tried a few new (to us) scotch varieties. It is dark inside so reading the menu was challenging. Also a bit noisy but forgivable as it became quite crowded. Will go again soon

Friends - this restaurant is so much better than it should be. We got into Portland late on a Thursday and looked for a good late evening option with cocktails available. We landed on this and it ended up being the culinary highlight of our trip. I expected the drinks to be great but I didn't expect the food to be so utterly extraordinary. In short, everything we had blew us away. The butter lettuce salad was fresh and unique, the tartare came with unusually large toothsome chunks of wagyu, the fried brie made me question my underappreciation of what fried cheese can be and the pasta with candied duck... well, I will dream about it. It was all really, really good. The space is secluded and has that speakeasy vibe to it, with a dark corridor you have to walk through and miles-high walls of Scotch. The drinks were quite good. But honestly, the food has my heart. If you live in Portland or if you don't - this is a must.

What a super cool place. You do not know where or what your are walking into because there is no sign. We circled the block before attempting to open a door for what we thought may be the place. Upon entering, you see a few steps and assume you should just follow the hallway. The path is lined with old school gadgets, like fire burning furnace. At the end of the hallway, you finally see a glimmer of life and are relieved, that after all you may be at the correct place. This place is very punctual and adheres to their reservations, and the host makes that very clear. Even as guests who had reservations, we couldn’t get a drink at the bar. We had to place the order with the host, who brought us our drinks while we waited in the hallway. The interior is so stunning. The decor and set up is very tasteful done. It has a speakeasy vibe with an absolutely beautiful bar. The staff is entirely males. The restaurant felt very private and exclusive. For drinks we had their Four Grain Old Fashioned, which was made to perfection. If you like whiskey, there's a huge menu of almost every whiskey you can imagine at reasonable price as well. The menu is not vast, thinks small plates, but what they offered is made well. We had their bread and butter. It was your basic small vague served with butter. Their arancini was very good. It’s served with an avocado cream. We also ordered their tomato salad, which was absolutely amazing. It was balanced well in terms of flavor and the pepitas were a pleasant touch. Our server Dan, was very attentive and was able to offer us options, given our dietary restrictions (we are vegetarian). We wished we were staying closer to the restaurant so we could go back. When making a reservation, you can choose table seating or bar seating. table seating is in the middle of the small area and provides better view of the restaurant. there are two bar seating available - one facing the bar, which is the best, the other faces an open kitchen, which is the least appealing seats as your back is towards the beautiful interior.

You have to try the steak tartar , the radicchio salad, the oysters, and the pappardelle. Also loved the Round about midnight cocktail. They have an amazing selection of whiskey and more.

And it was. I am sure many go to this newer bar and eatery because of the decor and liquor selection, however, the food is fabulous. What a great treat. Everything is amazing including the friendly service. Will go again.