We weren't supposed to come here. We were in the area and I remember walking by it and seeing the posters of rock stars on the walls and thought it was cool. Then we found ourselves in the middle of the Naked Bike Ride. After seeing enough naughty bits to last a lifetime, we were going to go to another bar but darn bikers had blocked the roads with their protesting (of what, I don't know?) so I pulled out Yelp and this place showed up. I'm glad I went because it's a really cool bar. It has a lot of space, one main room where the bar is, then more on the back, and even a patio area on the outside! The bartender is QUICK with your order and they are super friendly. Music was pumping and everyone was having a good time. The food and drink were spot on. Overall good times!
(5)
Shy A.
It could easily be 4 but there were a few things lacking. First, service is so-so. I had to ask for coffee several times before I got my mug. We got one check in after we got our food so our coffee, oj for the mimosas and water remained empty. Everyone was super nice, but a bit negligent. The food was good but I'm not sure it's good enough for me to come running back.
(3)
Emie O.
Atmosphere is great but the citrus chili salad is WAY too hot. You say the jalapeños are pickled but I disagree. Come on guys are you trying to give me an ulcer? That biz hurt real bad. Totally inedible salad :'+ muy triste. I left a note on my receipt saying my issue and they took it off my tab. Fire lovers beware this salad is hotter than Hades.
(4)
Christine S.
This is one of my favorite bars in Portland. I think anyone would be able to find something they like on both the drink and food menus. I like that they have several places to sit - you can sit in a boothy-lounge type area, at a table if you have more people, at a higher table in the back with a date, at the bar, or outside on the patio or out front, which gives you a great opportunity for people watching. I haven't found anything on the menu I don't like. The veggie burger is great, as is the citrus prawns chili salad and the quinoa dish. I've also tried the stuffed acorn squash and was impressed. The only "complaint" I have is that we went here for brunch once and didn't have the best experience. The waitress ended up abandoning us halfway through our time there and then brought me the wrong drink. I was practically eating my arm by the time our food arrived, but it was still a good meal. I also have to admit I appreciate that you don't have to wait hours to get seated. Overall, this place deserves a 5 for happy hour and late night I think, but I wasn't quite as dazzled by my brunch experience.
(4)
Amy W.
The food's pretty good (and the happy hour menu is a steal!) But what I really come for are the delicious selection of beers, friendly atmosphere, and patio.
(4)
Melody L.
I am a regular here and it was crazy busy tonight but so worth the crowd. It was blazing hot and the purple haze was so refreshing and was exactly what we needed. It was hard to find seating inside but the waiter was super helpful. I was impressed at the service... It wasn't fast but it was quick and he was super kind. The music was great and the atmosphere easy to chat in.
(4)
Ben H.
Great brunch spot. The waiters dress up in themed costumes every Sunday. They were ninjas this weekend and fairies last weekend. The food is excellent, and I highly recommend the biscuits and gravy or the banana French toast. The art and decorations are a ton of fun, and the copper lined table tops add a third dimension of flair to an already exciting personality. On sunny days, they open up the back patio, which is an ideal spot to drink mimosas or Bloody Mary's (or both).
(5)
Kait K.
I forgot how much I loved this bar until last night when I had friends visiting from eastern Washington and we were at whiskey soda lounge (which they were pretty disappointed with) and asked me where we should go next to rectify their south east bar experience. A few years ago I lived right around the corner from Night Light and it was always a great time so we trekked down and it was so worth it. First of all there was one person behind the bar and they has stopped table service and she was killlllllin it. Not only was she roaring through everyone's orders but she makes a fabulous martini. I was with about 8-10 people and they ordered 6 entrees or so to share and they LOVED every single one. The Mac and cheese is where it's at. The house mac last night was bell pepper and broccoli, it was perfectly creamy and delicious, the beef stew was out of this world and my personal favorite, the spicy Mac was devoured. There's a big patio area so you can sit outside and enjoy your drinks (and smoke as many of my friends do). What else can I say? Great art on the walls, great music, awesome service and my out of town friends had a wonderful time.
(5)
Nicole Y.
After searching on Yelp for a place that does bottomless mimosas I came across the Night Light Lounge. However, once I got there we didn't see any mention of it on the menu and when we asked we were told that they do glasses of mimosas and mimosas by the bottle. We were disappointed but got the mimosas by the bottle for the two of us. We got the banana bread french toast which was DELICIOUS. I would definitely come to this place again it is a very cute place for brunch with a nice selection.
(3)
Lee F.
For years this neighborhood bar and restaurant has had outstanding food, service and drinks. On our last three visits the food has headed strongly to mediocrity. The prices haven't changed, so they may have had to adjust the quality to compensate for increased costs. The classic Steak Frites once complex, meticulously prepared and cooked to perfection with shiitake mushrooms, spinach,two sauces and excellent fried potatoes is now always overcooked with button mushrooms and leeks in a thin tasteless cream sauce. The classic Caesar Salad was over-dressed with a ghastly creamy dressing. I was floored, it has always been exceptional in the past. The once excellent bread pudding has devolved into marischino cherry studded slices of least-common-denominator sweet mush. We are resigned to our fate, The Night Light Lounge is no longer on our list of favorites. It is sad...
(3)
Tania B.
Oh Nightlight. Your burger is delicious and drinks are stiff. Why did it take me so long to discover this little place? Dive bar prices in a much nicer setting. We will keep coming back.
(4)
Latasha M.
Oh nightlight, you've lost your charm. The food has gone down hill and the most of the great staff is no longer there. Be careful when ordering a burger or any meat for that matter unless you want literally raw with a nice brown on the outside or over cooked.. I only give 3 stars instead of 2 for the kindness of my server in comping my drink when I decided not eat.
(3)
Nick D.
We had a large party of 8 and accidentally sat where someone was scheduled to sell T-shirts. The male host was very rude. He barked at us that we could not sit there and then ignored us when I asked for help finding a spot. After I repeated myself he told me I got push some tables together but still did not help. Our waitress was nice. Food and drinks were fine. I would not go back. I do not recommend. I like to go to places where they appreciate their customers.
(2)
Grant S.
Chill, unassuming, trendy but not to snazzy - the Nightlight is all the cool things about SE bars rolled into one. The drinks are good, haven't tried anything on the menu that didn't hit the spot, and it's all pretty cheap. Whether you're stumbling in for shots or having a leisurely summer dinner out front, the Nightlight can hang with the party or with the dinner date.
(5)
Christian H.
Good and drinks are wonderful. Service is terrible. Guests shouldn't have to add up their tab and do the math for the server....
(1)
Adam H.
This place is usually pretty decent for dinner and drinks. But for the love of God do not being more than 3 people if you are looking to be fed within the first 2 hours of arriving. We had a party if 6, we found a decent enough place to sit. Only our server took 45 minutes to actually take our order. Then another hour and a half for the food to actually arrive. The food is great but 2 hours of coffee and hunger just made me decide that it's more worth it to just wait for Broder since it's taking all afternoon to actually eat. Our server was constantly avoiding eye contact. And seemed very reluctant to give us any kind of update on what was going on. We had to ask another server to actually check for us before our server decided to pay any attention to us. This place is good for drinks and snacks only. Never again will I try to brunch here.
(2)
Ashley M.
Happy hour: yes. Breakfast: NO. Big no. Like I almost just got up and left despite having drank 8 cups of coffee and quivering like a highly caffeinated leaf. Not only did we wait for an hour and a half, we were ignored by our waitress who was actively ignoring eye contact. We watched as everyone around us who came after U.S. received food and out waitress wouldn't come within a 5 foot radius of us. We finally caught her and she gave a half hearted random apology and we waited again. Food was luke warm and we were too angry and hungry to return. Not doing breakfast here again.
(2)
Liz T.
I'm a fan of this place, but you've got to have the right expectations. I see lots of other yelpers were annoyed with the smoking on the patio and I was expecting it. However, it's a decent sized space and I didn't notice the smoking at all. There was enough air moving through that only occasionally I'd whiff. The outdoor seats were comfy, the lighting was cute, and I really liked the overhanging vines. The food was alright and the menu a bit limited. Prices were fantastic and service was pretty good. The bathrooms had graffiti all over them, which didn't quite go with the theme of the lounge. The bathrooms were gross and not well kempt.
(3)
Caleb B.
I love this place. Whether I'm here grabbing a drink alone or with a group of friends, I always seem to have a kickass time here. It's dark and cozy, but still open so no claustrophobia. Awesome all-season patio. Can be a little smokey out there at times, but it's a good size. Covered with heaters. Pretty mellow on weekday nights and weekend mornings (killer brunch menu) it can be incredibly busy Thursday - Sunday nights. Great beer selection. Nice cocktail list. The food is exceptional. If you're looking for a burger, theirs is good. Also, the buffalo stew. Shoot dang. It is FINE. Good nachos. But don't be fooled, they have lighter stuff, too. Add in a great early and late night happy hour and you've got a winner.
(5)
Michael V.
I have had my issues with this place in the past (as have many people I know) but I went here on Xmas eve and had a nice bite and a drink so it is off my 'won't go there' list for now.
(4)
Laura K.
Was in the neighbourhood and feeling super hungry. Headed for a sushi place across the street but that was closed and then saw this place. Didn't look especially inviting from the outside but decided to give it a go since we didn't feel like searching any longer. What a great place! I had a house hamburger with avocado and although I'm definitely no expert when it comes to hamburgers this was one was delicious! One of the best I've ever had - juicy, fresh and tasty. Also liked the fries very much. Atmosphere was great, staff were friendly and the music was way too loud for me (hey, I'm old, I'm allowed to say music was too loud :P). However it did not affect my rating. Very enjoyable visit, would go back in a heartbeat.
(5)
Melinda H.
The burger was pretty standard. Not bad not amazing. But good. The cornbeef sandwich. ....BEWARE . It has more fat than meat and was not appetizing at all. Service was ok; a little slow for not being a busy atmosphere. We definitely waited longer than we should have. But not horrible. But if you take one thing away from this message...... Stay away from the corn beef! FYI...I am Jewish; I know a good cornbeef and pastrami sandwich when I have one! Our server was awesome and took it off our tab because we mentioned how bad it was. She also said she would tell the chef. :-)
(3)
Richard F.
If you're not in the mood to wait 2 hours at other weekend breakfast establishments, this is a great option! Decent food and mimosas in a lively atmosphere.
(4)
Samantha L.
Had a WONDERFUL Saturday brunch here! There was surprisingly no wait, it was clean, full of interesting artwork, and the server was friendly and helpful. Their specials were awesome; I went for the "Scramble" which came to the table hot and full and flavor. The bacon (I really love bacon, so I think it's worth singling out) was perfectly cooked and the mimosas were tasty too! Perfect portions. They do a deal where you can pay $12 for a bottle and juice. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. I'm definitely coming back here again! For my own selfish reasoning, I just hope the weekend brunch crowd doesn't catch on to this gem ;)
(5)
Anastasia K.
The food was delicious and can't argue with bottomless mimosas, but it took 10 minutes to get our order taken and another hour and 15 to get our food. The restaurant was packed with participants of the Shamrock run. It was great food after running a 15K! Sooo many hungry people. I'd return and give them another chance to deliver quicker service for the sale of the food, good atmosphere and mimosas for sure.
(3)
Amy M.
Night Light has amazing food. I love how they incorporate a vegan menu along with their regular menu. We went for brunch the morning after Halloween, it was busy and we waited a while for our food and drinks, but it was well worth the wait. I would've given them 5 stars, but the wait time is what's holding me back from giving them the last star. Maybe have more servers/bussers on the busy weekends and you'll see a ton of 5 star reviews, but nonetheless it was absolutely delicious food!
(4)
Colin M.
The happy hour is great. The breakfast is great. The $10 bottomless mimosas are great. And the service is topnotch. Very cool place.
(5)
Lin J.
Piss POOR experience Patio was a SMOKING GAG CHAMBER actually in violation of legal requirement of 10 ft from any door. Service was RUDE and ARROGANT. Then w only 4 friends at a table the RUDE waiter added a MANDATORY 20% tip Drinks and HH food were good IF you can deal with the rude service and don't mind waiting 45 minutes for someone to take your order. Will NOT go back....sooooooooooo many other better places (most of which don't make non-smoking patrons GAG on the others smoke as if it were a constitutional right.
(1)
Eric R.
I'll admit that I didn't head to Clinton St. with plans to go to Night Light Lounge. In fact, I was on the way to the sushi joint across the street, but I didn't have the biggest conviction on my sushi plans. We biked over to the area, and saw the bike parking in front of Night Light and rode over to lock up. While putting our locks on, I popped up to look at the menu for Night Light and decided to give it a shot. Our food was delicious. We had a polenta appetizer, goat cheese and quinoa salad, and a veggie with tofu stir fry at our table. All three were winners with great flavors and fresh tastes. We were completely happy with our meals. The server definitely appeared to have delusions of grandeur, and the service wasn't particularly fast, but the food was awesome.
(4)
Jessica K.
I love the Night Light. Whenever I visit I get to transform into someone cooler than I really am. I get to sip on some top notch beers or cocktails and chat up the even cooler servers. I can pose out on that sweet patio. I even get to act like I ordered the best dish in the place whether it's that delightful quinoa, goat cheese and beet salad, the tender pork verde or even that sinful Mac and cheese. Definitely the Mac and cheese... Especially the Mac and cheese, it is perfectly creamy with a balanced level of spice. One of these days I will try their legendary brunch, but maybe I'm too cool for that... It's all pretty magical until I leave and realize I had my shirt on backwards all night. Doh! Until next time!
(4)
Mary D.
I found this place after searching "bottomless mimosas" on yelp. Just to clarify for fellow yelpers: the deal is a $12 bottle, not bottomless for a flat price. Still a great deal, the food and atmosphere were awesome!
(5)
Heather V.
Ok, I still love this place, but I wanted you all to know -- the veggie burgers here are gross. I was devastated to learn that one of my fave little gems in PDX, that has such great food usually, has such *bad* veggie burgers. They are homemade, yes, but heavily deep fried, they are giant fried blobs on a bun, omg -- nasty. Being a veggie off and on most of my life, I've had a lot of veggie burgers (the waitress said that most are fried, you just don't know it), and let me assure you, this was the *first time* I'd ever noticed a burger being fried at all. Imagine the fried-ness of fish and chips. Yep, not cool. I still love you though.
(4)
Mike P.
This place is a consistent overachiever. The menu is limited, but everything we've had is really tasty. (My longtime favorite is the buffalo stew with corn dumplings.) There's always a great selection of fresh beer, and service is excellent, especially since they are often really busy. My wife and I live in the neighborhood and are older than the average customer here by about 30 years. We come to eat, most often in the summer, when we sit on the patio. Smoke rarely bothers us on the patio -- there are 2 non-smoking tables, and it's open air, so smoke dissipates fast. In winter, we tend to stay away, because the music inside is loud, and I wind up hoarse from trying to yell over it. Maybe the music could be lower during early eating time, and turn it up later? Anyway, we consider the Night Light Lounge a neighborhood gem. And let me add shout-out to Jack, an excellent and personable waiter who's served us many times.
(5)
Sandi B.
The most amazing burger I've ever had...in your travels to Portland... You should really give this place try...
(5)
Andrea S.
Excellent food. Compared with other brunch places in Portland, this is like a still undiscovered gem! We had 12 people in our party and every single plate came out exactly as ordered. Didn't hurt that we were able to make reservations!!!!
(5)
Nick H.
A solid 4, for now. Could easily be a 5 on the next visit. Came late night with friends, and the good thing was this place is open till 2 everyday. It's a lounge atmosphere, but with no trashy feel. The music is also just right, loud enough to block out conversations at the next table. The food is great overall, including the late night cooking. Happy hour is also great. Prices and cleanliness are also good. There really isn't much to criticize. We got the spicy mac and cheese (ok tasting), nachos (decent and come with the fixings), loaded house fries (great), and the "8 hour pork" meal. The meal was amazing, the pork just slid off the fork (no knife needed), the green beans just right, and the grits were nice and buttery. Definitely bookmarking and returning.
(4)
Jessica G.
Went in the other night because they are open late and serve a full menu at that time which is exciting. The cocktails were good but the food was pretty meh. I had the Meza Plate which I found to be unappetizing but the truffle fries were good. Really no complaints but not my favorite. A good looking menu but in reality its a step above bar food at best. Oh and...the music.... 0_o
(2)
Tre D.
This place is pretty sweet. Food and drinks are good and cheap, service is good and seating arrangements are comfortable. Good for groups of 4-6. Anything more and it might be hard to find a good spot. The back patio is pretty cool but it seems like everyone back there smokes cigs. It'd be nice if Night Light had a no smoking policy, because breathing in 2nd hand smoke isn't fun.
(4)
Logan R.
great drinks
(4)
Cynthia T.
I came here for a friend's birthday party and had a terrible experience. Our waiter took an hour to come ask us what drinks we wanted.... One hour. I understand that since it was such a large group that it could have been intimidating, but that does not excuse is waiting an hour. After we placed or drink order, it was another 30 minutes before he returned to take our food order. He did not come on his own volition, someone from our table had to go find him to tell him we were ready to order. Eventually the food came and we enjoyed it. The buffalo stew had a lot of good flavors and the short ribs were cooked perfectly. No complaints about the food. Back to the service. After being there for a couple of hours, we decided it was time to leave. My husband asked him for the check and paid for it. After he paid, I thought I'd look to make sure everything was charged correctly. He charged us for some "song of bird" drink that cost $7 that we did not even order, replacing my $2.50 iced tea with that. This was infuriating but worthless to argue about since he disappeared again. I'm not sure if they were short on staff but the service was really atrocious. So the rating for the food was a 4 star. The service was a 1 star. I don't think I will be coming back here unless the service improves.
(2)
Brittanie M.
This is a pretty cool place and has a nice layout. There seems to be plenty of seating and they have a great menu. Both food and cocktails! Lots of gluten free and veg options too! The service is really stand out and even the prices are more than reasonable. Can't wait to go back!
(4)
Pamela S.
We used to LOVE this place. When I say love I mean we went to the Night Light two or three times a week and spent $70-$100 each time. On Happy Hour. We stopped going a few months ago when the place took a distinct downward turn. First, the music. We started being able to tell which bartender was working before we even got to the door because the death metal would be blaring out of the place at a volume that would burst your eardrums. It would be so freaking loud that you would have to yell at the people at your table, to the server, or just give up and sit there in silence. I like music. I like music in a bar. But I also like being able to converse with the people I'm with. I think I suffered permanent hearing loss in that place. Then, the Night Light did something terrible. They changed their Happy Hour menu. Didn't just change it, but took everything we loved off of it. We showed up one day and every single thing that we would order was off the menu. There was a new guy working and I asked him about it and he said "yeah, we took all that stuff off." When I pointed out that nothing had replaced it he just looked at me blankly. Seriously. If you are going to remove items from a menu, you should probably replace them with other things. We paid for our drinks and high tailed it over to Gold Dust Meridian. We had already been fed up by the music volume. We are saving that $250 a week that we used to spend at the Night Light and are spending it elsewhere.
(2)
Jocelyn T.
Delicious food, especially the cheese grits!! Great service for brunch and I've never had a long wait, even on the weekend.
(4)
Tom J.
Unfortunately, I have to downgrade my review of this place based upon yesterday's visit. The atmosphere, etc, was still great, but we think they're either not practicing good sanitation in the kitchen or using food that's past it's prime. While we didn't feel quite food poisoned, we weren't feeling good. I had a few seabreezes, which are just vodka and juice, plus a Caesar salad with chicken. Afterward, my roommate and I went grocery shopping, and I had to run to their restroom twice. Montezuma's revenge for sure and a very upset stomach. My roommate had a burger, which was rare to the point of being extremely bloody. He didn't like this, but said he was starving and ate it anyway. A couple of hours later, he said he felt sick and like he was going to throw up. Sorry, Nightlight, this is not okay.
(3)
Jennifer B.
I learned of this place from a friend and loved it at first. Pretty good food and drinks. I went weekly but lately I have been very disappointed. The last two times I went I waited over an hour for food so tonight I ordered my dinner to go. Things were carelessly thrown into a bag, food all over the outsides of the containers, and hair in my salad. This is my last time going here. Their carefree attitude towards presentation and customer service has forced me to never return. I will say that it is probably a great place if you're just going for drinks at the bar but if you're at a table expect a wait.
(2)
Kimmy A.
I love this place. The food is consistently tasty, the drinks are cheap, and the ambience is great. Definitely worth a try if you've never been!
(5)
Kelsie V.
good place. they have a good enviro for good beer, it'sa dark setting. kind of hipster. I wandered in after an look at some eyewear across the street. the bartender wasn't friendly, I didn't want to stay, but hadn't been out in awhile---so I did stay, despite the reception. no comment on current food. I did come here years ago with a good boyfriend. So, legit in my opinion. But, now, not sure it's all that.
(3)
Jenna C.
Nightlight is a solid choice for going out. Good drinks, food is good for a bar, but I wouldn't come here just to eat. I like the casual atmosphere, and the outside seating options are nice. Happy has excellent deals.
(4)
Kris K.
I've been going here for about three years and enjoyed it until last night (New Years Eve). Noisemakers were provided on platters. My friends and I used them once the clock struck midnight, got a little carried away, but were certainly not the only ones doing so. Rather than telling us to keep quiet, a member of the waitstaff decided to try ripping it out of my mouth and yelling. He then ran to the back before I could respond. What a tough guy. Tip: If you don't want people to use noisemakers, don't provide them. It's pretty simple. My friends have dealt with pretty poor/rude service here recently as well. We've spent hundreds here on tabs and tips, but I doubt we'll be coming back. With so many great bars in the neighborhood, coming back here would be a waste.
(1)
Jana R.
Drinks were just ok. I didn't t really like the menu. Frys were great. Service was excellent. Fairly empty so we found good seats. Went with a group and easily found a seat. I am not sure what happened this us ed to be one of my favorite bars.
(3)
C W.
I love love this bar. On Friday and Saturday its packed full and busy and noisy and a great place to drink with your friends, but during the day its a cozy dark hole of a place with good music. I work across the street and its the perfect place to grab food before a long shift or just sit and read while u stuff ur face with some deliciousness
(5)
Diane J.
Open late and serving food at special happy hour prices too. Happy hour small plates has 2 times - the normal and the late night. Full meals are amazing. Very well prepared. Especially love the Buffalo stew...so good! Pretty much tried everything on the menu several times, and then the new plates too. Pork Chile Verde, yum. Lemon Polenta Yum. Some kind of Asian noodle thing from the dinner menu - husband ordered it and I ate some - very very good, sorry don't remember the exact menu name. Always very impressed with the food and the preparation of it - worth going here because their chefs are great, a real treat and a cool but relaxed atmosphere for a night out. Great beer selection with a little happy hour discount price too. Great patio - heated and covered so you can enjoy it all year.
(5)
Sherry S.
Daughter said she'd buy me a birthday meal. Thought Night Light would fit the bill. Had their quinoa/arugala/beet/goat cheese salad.. my my.. fresh/tasty and great portions for a great price. She got the spicy mac and cheese. Ms. Skinny girl could barely finish it so guess I had to. So dang creamy!!!! Also got a couple of pineapple mimosas, 4.00 each. Wow!
(4)
Don B.
The Night Light falls is well-positioned to be a super awesome bar. It has a solid drink selection, great drink prices, tasty-enough food, great food prices, a generous happy hour, a covered patio, a dark interior and friendly staff. Honestly, that's really all you need to know about this place. Well, that and a lack of pretense. This is totally a great spot for groups to gather for drinks that may turn a little rambunctious. Perfect for mimosa-laden Sunday Fundays, soused happy hours, late night after-dinner extended drinking... you name it. It has all the elements of your favorite dive bar but as a mad bonus, it has better booze, food, service and atmosphere. Yeah, I can dig it.
(4)
Heidi L.
We had the worst service at happy hour, on a Saturday evening! TERRIBLE, however the food was good enough to give brunch a try, and we had STELLAR service last Sunday, plus really excellent food!! The grits special was fantastic!
(4)
Marianne S.
I have been to the Night Light twice now. The first time I went was for happy hour and it was superb! We ordered nachos, fries, the creamy mac, and a caeser salad to share. It was more than enough food and for $3 to $5 a dish, that can't be beat! I love the atmosphere of the Night Light too. It's very swanky and they have heated patio that looks like it would be a lot of fun in the summer! After getting an unexpected Saturday off, I decided to get some friends together and go to brunch and I wanted one that had bottomless mimosas. The Night Light had just that! When I first got there it was just me and one other friend of mine. The place wasn't too busy, it was almost 11am. We ordered our bottomless mimosas and we were a little worried that they wouldn't be that quick with our refills, but our waitress was wonderful! Even before we finished one mimosa she brought us another one. She was on top of it and did not make us feel guilty for getting our money's worth. When another friend finally showed up, she too, got the bottomless mimosas and our waitress decided to bring us a pitcher of orange juice and a whole bottle of champagne. When we finished that one, it was about 3 minutes before Brunch was over, but our waitress still asked us if we would like another mimosa each and of course we did! As far as the food on the brunch menu, there wasn't a whole lot to choose from, but everything looked amazing. I finally decided on one of the omelet specials, carmalized onions, roasted red peppers, and gouda cheese. Oh it was to die for! It also came with roasted potatoes and toast. I will definitely be back here for happy hour and brunch! This is quickly becoming my new favorite spot!
(5)
Kevin V.
I've been here many times over the years and the service and food have always remained consistent and good. Night Light Fries, I love you! They have happy hour until 7 which makes it a great after work meeting spot to unwind with a friend or coworkers. For a bar, the food is really quite good and the table service is a huge plus. Thank you Night Light Lounge!
(4)
Kelly J.
Everything last night was great, our drinks, our server, the food, but the greatest of all was the 60 minute insane psychedelic metal space jam on the bartender's playlist! It cracked me up because my friend (the birthday boy) kept telling us how romantic and datey it was there so the music was especially enjoyed. It took the serious ambience down a notch. I will be back soon!
(4)
Annette O.
This place is awesome. I went here with my sister - we both had a rough day and were starving. We sat outside and the waiter let us have a few minutes. The waiter came back and we started off with drinks. After our drinks came we ordered food. Looking at the menu, my sister and I instantly thought inexpensive price must mean a small portion. In the middle of ordering almost everything on the menu, the waiter informed us these were not small portions. Thank goodness he told us! The Mac n Cheese along with grilled cheese and tomato soup was more than enough just for me. It was also very delicious. I really liked that the waiter gave us input so we could enjoy our food and not just order a bunch to waste money. He was also really attentive and always seemed to know when to pop up. Definitely coming here more often!
(5)
Kristina G.
Loved this place! Very friendly and efficient service. We didn't experience any of the service problems others have mentioned here. Cabernet blend wine was nice. Great Mac and cheese. I absolutely loved the crispy tofu with peanut sauce. The tomato soup was so good that I filled up too much and didn't get to try anything else. Next time, I'm definitely trying the Polenta. Only drawback? Well, it had nothing to do with the bar. There was a big group of what can only be described as drama geeks/theatre nerds who spent the night trying to outperform one another in terms of outrageous outbursts and cackling. Honestly, we would have stayed all night if those yahoos hadn't been drowning out all conversation.
(5)
Mike P.
This is my favorite place in the neighborhood. I like the variety in their menu (I've had most of the vegetarian and fish dishes) and I like how they mix things up according to the season. Especially love the cod dish when brussels sprouts are in season. As if it wasn't good enough, they even gave me a free umbrella today. I can't promise free umbrellas for everyone all the time, but I can promise that the staff is friendly, the atmosphere is great, and the patrons are great neighborhood folks.
(5)
Rad M.
This place has a cool little vibe to it. I thought the interior was pretty nice and I like the paintings of Chuck Norris and Van Damme. However, it was so fucking loud in there I had to yell and my girl had to yell to communicate from across the table. Seriously, why would you have the music at dance club levels in a dive bar with seated dining? The happy hour prices are good and the food prices are ok for normal hours. The regular hour drink prices are way too overpriced for a dive bar. If you are a hipster or dont want to engage in conversation, this place is pretty cool. Its not really my thing.
(2)
Angela G.
The food was excellent! I had the tuna tartar and would go back just for that. The service was another story all together. At one point the server gave my drink to someone else and then acted like it was an inconvenience when I asked her again for a drink since I didn't get it. I was surprised by the 20% automatic gratuity for 5 people. Could explain the lackadaisical attitude I suppose.
(3)
Kellie W.
This place is great! Happened upon this place accidentally, saw all the people, and decided to give it a try for Brunch. Sat at the bar, since I was by myself, and was surprised by how friendly the bartender was even though he was busy. I had the tofu scramble and bottomless mimosas. Yum! Lively atmosphere for sure. A little loud for my tastes, but they were having fun at least.
(4)
Jaime T.
Bread pudding for dessert. Essentially a little dance party for your taste buds. Need to come back to try the spicy Mac and cheese.
(4)
Chiemi N.
Up until about a week ago, I had never even heard of Night Light Lounge...boy I never knew what I was missing!! I've been twice in a span of one week! I saw Bud's UYE listed for brunch at Night Light Lounge, and I didn't have anything going on for that Saturday, so I decided to get out and meet some of my fellow yelpsters. Night Light Lounge is such a great little neighborhood gem, if you happen to live in the SE Portland area! I, unfortunately live too far to be a frequent customer. :( I decided to get the bottomless mimosas for $10; a yummy decision, I might add! I decided to get the burger with egg and salad. Not sure what I was expecting, but I didn't think the egg would actually top my burger. Not a problem, I just slid it to the side and ate it separately. The burger was one of the tastiest burgers I've had in a long time. It was huge, and I tried to eat every bit of it, but couldn't. I also belong to a social online group called Meetin Portland. Once a month, they have a mingler. In it's heyday, we would have over 100 people attend the minglers. I think at this month's mingler, we had roughly 20 people, which is cool. It's a little cozier that way. ;) Anyways, this month, the mingler was held at Night Light Lounge. When I saw the event listed, I quickly decided that I needed to return to Night Light Lounge. I didn't make it in time for happy hour, so I asked our server, Jesse, what was good to order. He was very helpful, and listed several things that sounded delicious. The spicy mac and cheese was really good, and had quite a kick to it! I also ordered the Pineapple Habanero Cosmopolitan...wow! It's a finely crafted cocktail, with muddled fruit, and packed a little punch! The service was great, food and drinks were awesome!
(4)
Laura C.
I'd been here once before for a beer, but that wasn't really enough to base a review on. This past Friday night, after 4 too many Coors Lights at a Halloween party downtown, I needed food. We cabbed it home and the cabbie overheard me talking about how hungry I was. He suggested Night Light and said they had an awesome sushi dish. That wasn't what I was looking for, but they had a grilled cheese sandwich that the bartender recommended. She had me at "Cheese". For whatever reason, I also order fries and another Coors Light. Just kill my arteries now! Not that I was complaining. It was all wonderful. My friend got the sushi dish as well as something meaty - which looked fantastic. The place is pretty nondescript - but was warm and inviting inside. They also had a DJ, who'd just finished his set. The bartender was super nice so I can imagine this is like what Cheers is to Norm and Cliff. It's a bit of a walk for me, but it's good to know that they stay open late for those nights where you need some hot, greasy food to soak up the alcohol.
(4)
Jesy B.
This place is great, great and superb. Rarely have I gone to a place for a HH and been like "This is my JOINT, yo". But - this is my JOINT yo. Their food menu alone has many tempting items. While I debated & debated, I went with the Parmesan truffle fries & the spicy mac and cheese. Both were fantastic, tasty, delicious options that'll I'd order over and over again. Plus those portions are not just HH size - they're full on meal size. They also have drink specials both for beer and liquor! It's kind of the real deal folks. The service was fantastic, the HH is long, the atmosphere is great. This place is pretty dang fantastic!
(5)
Shauna R.
Great food. We came here 2 times in 2 days and both times the food was amazing. Service was also great but...... On day two our party of 7 came hung over. We were preparing to commute home to Canada and stopped in here for a bite because our previous day's breakfast here was amazing. Waitress (same one as the previous day) was awesome. Took our orders, brought drinks, etc. After about 45 mins we asked where our food was. She said shouldnt be much longer. Then another half hour goes by and im about to die of starvation. I ask for toast, she says she's checking with the kitchen about our food. Waitress comes back tells us the kitchen lost our order. At this point it has been an hour and 15 mins since we ordered and Im flipping out. But the waitress was very nice, very apologetic and tells us the entire order including drinks is going to be free! So hey, mistakes happen but this place made it right. Plus, manager came over and apologized as well and says "So....who needs some free booze?" So, I would definitely come back Just cant make my reviews quite a 5 at this time :)
(4)
Riko S.
Perhaps the stars were aligned, maybe it was because I was extremely hungry after 2 hours of sauna at Löyly, or maybe it was actually as good as it seemed. Whatever the reason I was extremely impressed. I was hesitant to go in the place at first, the exterior was pretty basic, kind of looked "low rent" & all I could think of was this is a dive bar & greasy food. All I could hope for was that maybe they would have cold beer, after all, it is Portland. Once inside, I found a place that was very upbeat, specious, clean, unique decor, friendly staff, ice cold beer & arguably one of THE best hamburgers I've ever eaten... seriously. Talk about a diamond in the rough. Oh, and did I say 2 burgers, 2 fries, & a pint for under $20? I'm not usually so blown away by first visits so I'm going to have to force myself to go back to see if it's as good the 2nd time as the 1st. If you are looking for cold beer and a great burger you won't have to go any further than the Night Light Lounge.
(5)
Kylie B.
Love this bar. Love the food, the drinks are stiff, the staff is rad (especially tonight). We've had wonderful service. My only complaint I have is listening to this mans entire life to the right of me. And he's still ranting. He mentioned he works here, and that really looks bad. Your employees should make your business talk wonders, not cause me to want to leave earlier than I had anticipated. Maybe he's had a long day, maybe he's had a few too many, whatever the case may be, he should move his sorrows to a different bar, not keep them where he is employed. Just a little tip. But great job, otherwise, Night Light. I am a very happy customer.
(4)
Sara S.
Did you know Night Light has vegan food? Why was I the last to know this? It was surprisingly fancy, (i.e. small'ish portions and artfully plated). I had a Mediterranean dish of sorts, which was delicious but not very filling for how much it cost, (we actually ran over to Sizzle Pie after dinner). I visited twice more since then just for drinks. Bartenders here definitely know what they're doing. I'd recommend skipping their dinner menu and just coming here for drinks and moderately priced bar food. There is plenty of street parking off Clinton, additionally there's a huge bike rack in front of Night Light.
(4)
Danny L.
I have come here every few months for the past 5 years, and am usually pleased with the food and prices. Sure, the service has always been a bit slow but about on par for Portland food service. the last couple visits I have noticed it getting increasingly worse though. My girlfriend and I went for brunch last weekend, arriving at 11:45am. It was still busier than we anticipated but chalked it up to it being the day after Halloween. Even though they still had the 'seat yourself' sign up, people were obviously waiting to be seated. You wouldn't have known that since there was no hostess and a waiter didn't stop by for almost 10 minutes to check in. Once we were seated at the furthest table in the back room, I had a worried feeling we were going to be forgotten about back there. About 10 min later we got our food and drink order in, and are informed they are out of one of the things we want. No biggie - we choose something else. About another 15 minutes go by before they return with the 1 drink my girlfriend ordered. We then sit there another 30min while a table of 5 or 6 who came after us, are served their food. We start to get suspicious of what has gone wrong. They finally return to our table, without our food, only to now inform me they have run out of my order. By now we contemplate just leaving, annoyed they waited 40 minutes to tell us they ran out. And they haven't even started on my girlfriends order. They offer to pay for the meal, and since we are way past hungary, I just put an order in for a basic burger, thinking it will be quick an easy. A few minutes later, she returns again saying that the kitchen will not add anything else to our ticket and also don't want to make my girlfriends order anymore. We are blown away. Are you kidding me? You're cooks just decide they no longer want to cook us our food, and that's that?!?! After more than an hour of bullsh*t, they are now just refusing us service. Thanks for your apologies and $25 gift cards, but you've just wasted almost an hour and a half of our day for crap service for goods we never actually received, and were treated like our patronage didn't matter. This used to be one of my old favorites, but that was the worst dining experience I have ever had.
(1)
Jen L.
I've been a fan of the Night Light for about 7 years now so I figure it's time to write a review! A of all, the food! The food here is great. Whether it's the fabulous brunch with $10 bottomless mimosas or the spicy tofu with deliciously al dente green beans off the Happy Hour menu, I'm always pleased. I've even attended a 5 course mushroom dinner with whiskey cocktail pairings that was prepared in the tiny kitchen by their chef and it was fabulous. House wines are $5 a glass during Happy Hour and have always been decent and drinkable. Happy Hour goes to 7pm which is a plus! A Happy Hour that those of us who work 9 to 5 can make it to with time to spare. I'll take it! The music can be a bit loud and raucous, but that just makes me like the place more.
(4)
Kirsten H.
Their happy hour is good but the food is pretty average. Service is a hit or miss but there is a lot of space for groups. Normal dark bar environment and fairly priced.
(3)
Jenni L.
Flippin' Amazing. I went here over the weekend with a few friends for brunch and was absolutely blown away by how good the food and service was. Firstly the lounge itself is pretty cute. Large dark leather booths with really pretty copper tables which I was in love with. The waitress told us we could sit wherever we liked and asked for our drink orders. Bottomless Mimosas? Yes please! They make their mimosas with a blend of Vanilla Vodka, Triple Sec, Cava and Organic Orange juice, so you will be properly buzzed by the time you've had a couple. We all ordered our food and it arrived extrordinarily quickly, especially considering that there was a large party in one of the back rooms. I ordered the Croquet Madame, essentially Eggs Benedict, which turned out to be the best I have ever had. Seriously. I devoured them. Two perfectly poached eggs, prosciutto, spinach and truffle brown butter served over como with a freaking epic lemon hollandaise and breakfast potatoes on the side. It made me it's bitch, and I liked it. One of my friends ordered the hash of the day with ham which looked equally as delicious. After taking two bites he turned to me and said: "So we're going to come here, like, EVERY weekend, right?" "Nom nom nom, absolutely..." My other friend ordered the absolutely sinful Bananas Foster French toast, which I grabbed a bite of...and then another...and then another. It was a house-made banana bread dipped in an amazing rum batter (everything is always better with rum) with bananas, cinnamon, caramel and whipped cream. It was decadent and delish, and if I wasn't having a love affair with my croquet, I might have commandeered it. Our waitress was superb. Our glasses were never quite empty before she was bringing us another round. It's like she knew we were lushes when we walked in the door, and loved and accepted us for it. The one thing I love about doing brunch in the PNW is that it's always acceptable and encouraged to drink before noon, so long as you are enjoying bombtastic food like this with it. Overall, my bill only came to about $19 including food and several mimosas, which I found to be fair. I will absolutely be returning back here again soon. I'm extremely interested to see what their dinner and happy hours are like. This place is the definition of an amazing PDX brunch.
(5)
Jenni D.
The $10 BOTTOMLESS mimosas for brunch are definitely worth the wait for a table. I made a reservation, and they were great at honoring it. It would have be nice to get a welcome upon entering, but no one seemed to even look my direction. Am I just not hipster enough? It took a little too long to get our food, but the mimosas kept me busy. The Huevos Rancheros were a perfect beginning to my long day of BrewCycling and Sunday Night Football!
(4)
Chris S.
TWO HAIKU REVIEW: Oh, hipster chic bar with a 'too cool' ambiance a sneaky façade Instead, yummy food welcoming interior and friendly service. LIGHT (pro): delicious, good priced food NIGHT (con): clientele is full of the young, unemployed classic PDX meh-llenials.
(4)
Alex B.
I love the nightlight. The food is great and reasonably priced, the drink specials are always tasty, the crowd is always great for people watching, and I even met my boyfriend there. It's the ultimate neighborhood bar that pleases everyone - even my grandma loved it!
(5)
Alison V.
Mac N Cheese, Mac N Cheese. It's a little spicy but it is delish. This place had great happy hour, and a good deal on the house wine - $3.50 for a glass on HH. It's a fun place, I suggest checking it out. Be careful parallel parking around here because my car got hit, beware.
(4)
Shay H.
If I could give this place zero stars, I would. My friends and I ate here for New Years Day brunch, and it was quite possibly the worst restaurant experience of my life. First, it took about 40 minutes for our waitress to even take our order, and then another thirty minutes after that to let me know that they ran out of what I had ordered (I ordered pancakes... How does a place that is open for brunch until 5 pm run out of pancakes at 2 pm???). I change my order to eggs over easy with potatoes, bacon, and toast. One of my friends got her meal well before the rest of us, and since we were eating on the patio we encouraged her to start eating, lest her eggs get cold. Our waitress came by while my friend was eating, and the rest of us looked at our waitress in anticipated silence. "Oh, the rest of you haven't gotten your food yet, I'll check on that," was all she said. No apology for the almost hour and a half wait for our food, no offer for more coffee, nothing. Finally, our food arrives. Three of the meals ordered were supposed to arrive with toast, which was left off of every plate, and instead of bacon I received a plate with sausage. Our waitress didn't even ask us if she could have gotten us anything else, and I had to approach another table to ask if I could use their hot sauce for my eggs. We mentioned to the person who served us our food (who was not our waitress, just a runner) that I wanted bacon, which arrived about 10 minutes later. We also mentioned to our waitress when she came around that none of us got toast to go with our meals, and it took almost 15 minutes for the toast to get to our table!! Seriously, how long does it take to toast a piece of bread??? I have given this place way too many chances in the past, and more often than not have received poor service, but absolutely nothing like what happened today. I will never return.
(1)
Erica N.
$1 PBR on Sundays = so good for my budget
(5)
Reza S.
Went for late night happy hour, food was good got the night light fries, they come totally loaded. That's the only good thing about the place the service was slow and rude the layout of the place is terrible the back patio is super smokey if I could have given it zero stars that would be more appropriate.
(1)
J. T.
Review written 10/4/14 I've been coming to Night Light Lounge for more years than I can remember. The food and service are terrific. Pork, buffalo, burgers steak frites Caesar salads all done with intentional and consistent excellence. They change the menu seasonally, change the drinks up now and again but the lovely staff remains constant. Great bartenders and servers, and they effortlessly keep it coming. I like places where there's low staff turnover especially in a neighborhood that seems to be expanding into some kind of national destination. I don't know what we'd do if Anna, John and Megan weren't there! Yes, the place can get crazy busy and loud, but the staffers are always solid. They move constantly and are attentive. I brought my parents to Ni Li for the first time this summer and we sat outside. My dad is a WWII veteran in his 90's. It was a terrific evening and my folks said it was one of the best meals they've ever had in PDX. I bring all out of towners to here. It's the best place to go in SE Clinton area. Everybody--young, old, artists, blue collar, students, professionals, dogs and neo whatevers, all congregating, eating and drinking and looked after, in the arms of the Night Light!
(5)
Jessica S.
Great happy hour! Came here with a friend and we both really enjoyed ourselves.
(4)
Anuj K.
My friends and I ended up here after a failed attempt to eat at Compote and then deciding the breakfast options at St. Jack's were too minimal for us (we wanted something hearty). The decor here is very dark, and the art is strangely exuding that darkness that this place is trying so hard to capture. The complete opposite of a happy-go-lucky breakfast place that is trying to start my day cheerily. The food was good, but nothing was spectacular. I enjoyed the banana bread french toast - it wasn't dry or too flaky. It had a good consistency to hold up being soaked in a rum batter and pan-fried. Huevos rancheros - large serving, kinda bland overall. I appreciated the salsa and beans and stuff, but it was an amorphous pile of mush. I needed to add a lot of hot sauce. Salmon hash - it was the hash of the day. This was my favorite dish of them all, came with some buttered bread, perfectly cooked potatoes, and salmon with poached eggs. Too much hollandaise - it was hard to avoid it from permeating every bite I took.
(3)
Mark C.
Night light is an awesome late night food and drink spot. Happy hour from 11-1am. We ordered the fried chicken sliders, Mac and cheese, fries and a grilled cheese with tomato bisque and everything was amazing. All the food can out at the same time and everything was cooked perfectly. Definitely now part of our rotations for bars/restaurants to go.
(5)
Noelle K.
This place warms my heart! Great food, awesome happy hour with a swanky yet chill environment. The servers and bartenders are always nice and prompt! The back patio with heated lamps is cush! Great place to take someone for a quick bite to eat and a delicious adult beverage. You can't go wrong with the Night light lounge!
(5)
Taylor L.
I have only been here for the Saturday and Sunday brunch. The $10 bottomless mimosas is awesome! The food is really really good too. Try one of their specials, I haven't been disappointed yet. The soup and grilled cheese combo is also perfect for the cold days. The tomato bisque has a little heat to it and it is AMAZING. Also, the breakfast potatoes are really good too. The service is okay at best but I try to see where the servers are coming from. They are always friendly but they are dealing with a lot of drunk people requiring mimosas every 4 minutes. This place is always busy when I go in so my advice is to go when you don't need to be anywhere for awhile. It's definitely a place to sit back and enjoy time with your company.
(4)
Evelyn S.
Iced B.F.Ks, and Poinsettias, and Guinness' - OH MY! Quesadillas, Spicy Mac & Cheeses, Grilled Cheese w/ Tomato Soup - OH YES! This was my second visit to the Night Light Lounge. I was joined by 20 or so friends. They came and went over a 4 hour period. We received super Great service from Jessie and the other staff who ran the orders. Most of the group arrived during HH, but many straggled in as late as 9pm. We had no problem getting separate checks, food and drinks delivered quickly, all orders were correct no matter how many substitutions or special requests we made. I really love this place and I'm super glad it's close enough for me to go to more often but not right in my 'hood, otherwise I would go too often. I personally enjoyed the Spicy Mac & Cheese for $5, a big bowl of super yummy goodness, too big for me to finish myself so a friend had to eat the second half. To drink I ordered a Moscow Mule (not on the Menu) it was only $4.50. I topped off the evening with an Iced BFK $7, it was worth every penny, hey it was made with Stumptown!
(5)
Jordan L.
Like their happy hour a lot, good food, GREAT service. the drinks we're a little weak when I was there last time(this wasn't for happy hour) so I was a little bummed paying full price and having a weak drink, other than that this place is great!
(4)
Rosy D.
Drinks? -yes! Happy hour? -yes! I love this place! Night light is one of my favorite happy hours in Portland. I've been so many times and never realized the happy hour is all vegetarian, because what your options are are still very tasty! Night light manages to be in a hipster part of town, but attracts all walks of life. I never feel like you have to be with a certain crowd to enjoy night light. It's good for a double date, late night snack, or an afterword happy hour. Try the braised buffalo fry bread! You won't be disappointed!
(5)
Melissa L.
My first visit here was great. Good food, great (happy hour, anyway) prices, and our server didn't miss a beat, and was able to track multiple tabs with ease. Even though I bombed into the place among about 2 dozen Yelpers to get our after-party on, our server was a rockstar. I was also bowled over by the seared salmon plate with mashed yams. Topped with pineapple and much spicier than I was expecting (not sure where the spice was coming from, it was too dark to see the plate well) but totally delicious, and the salmon was perfectly cooked. This isn't a neighborhood I get to much, but I will definitely stop in again when I'm in the area.
(5)
Tamara C.
Bottomless Mimosas? Uh yes please. Sitting in the sun and celebrating my bestie's birthday with a lovely brunch while the Mimosa Gods kept our glasses full was just dreamy. My Croquet Madame was just the ticket to balance out all the alcohol, while bestie had a really beautiful salad, with plentiful amounts of tender chicken and ripe pear. A pair of lovely Irishmen at the next table that were chatting us up wisely ordered the Mimosas based on our recommendation. They complained that they kept reaching the bottom and somehow they ended up with several bottles of champagne each instead of Mimosas: Funny how that worked out for them. Food at Nightlight is always really good whether you go for brunch or late night for happy hour. On these fine summer days, the patio is awesome day or night. I have another bestie birthday coming up and I know exactly where I am going to take her...Nightlight here we come.
(5)
Matthew K.
Fun little Portland stop. Decent prices, good potions (depending on what items you get). I've been once before, but this time I got the nachos. Huge plate. It's a meal unto itself. It had an interesting twist by adding some kind of BBQ-type sauce to it. It wasn't good, or bad; it was just different. Very little seating. Always overcrowded and loud. Poor beer selection. I like it for the food, as it is a little different (but not strange), good flavors (without being drenched in sugary sauces), doesn't taste processed or greasy like some bar food at other places. However, it isn't enough to draw me to the area just for this place. But, if I happen to be around there, I will probably drop in if I have time. I'll be back again at some point.
(3)
Demi E.
Bottomless mimosas on Sunday ....wonderful! Great service too.
(5)
Alena C.
Can't believe I have never reviewed this place. It's great! It is great by day, it is great by night. It is fun for groups, it is fun on dates. Quesadilla is yummy, but Brunch is crazy! ! $10 unlimited champagne, awesome banger hash, great vegetarian options, and a beck deck. The bloody Mary was killer too. I have just never been disappointed here.
(4)
Leslie C.
Great atmosphere and fun place to grab some food and drinks! Cant beat $4 drinks and fries there! Have had some awesome food here and we cant wait to come back here!! Fun little lounge and its great to get away for a little and hang out here!!! will visit again!
(4)
Vanesa D.
Service was friendly, if not a little slow, food amazing (Get the Salmon Hash for breakfast!) Unlimited mimosas for $10- thats a GREAT deal. Not too crowded on a Sunday morning, not too loud, just right for smoothing over your hangover from a Saturday night out on the town. They also have heated outdoor seating.
(4)
Ryan R.
Fantastic beer selection. Have only been here once so far, but the 8 hour pork was one of the best meals I've had in weeks. Grits and kale on the side were perfectly done (and it is VERY hard to please me with grits and kale). Very friendly and professional service. Got two free samples of beer just by commenting on them, didn't have to ask.
(5)
Jenna K.
I love Night Light. If Night Light and I were in grade school, I would totally write Night Light's name all over my binder with little hearts and flowers. I would pass notes to Night Light in class, telling Night Light how much I love their happy hour. I would have my friend tell Night Light's friend to tell Night Light how much I want to hold hands and eat Spicy Mac and Cheese. At slumber parties, I would totally prank call Night Light then spend all night talking about how great the Night Light's atmosphere and service is. Thank you, Night Light, for being my favorite bar-crush
(5)
Spencer K.
Nightlight rules! Its cheap, has awesome food, and some of the best whiskey sours I've had. Homemade sour mix is why!
(5)
Abbie H.
I don't know why I always forget the Night Light, but every time I go I remember how much I like it! Happy hour is a really really good deal and the food is actually really good. Among my picks are the nachos and the grilled cheese with tomato soup. Last Friday my roomie and I had the sangria and it was really good! Not too sweet and just strong enough to relax on a Friday. Our server was a little bit, well okay almost completely, disinterested last Friday and didn't even look us in the eye as we ordered or paid our bill. But, maybe she was having a really really bad day so I'll give it to her. In the warm months it is kind of hard to find seating on the patio but if you can it's really nice out there. A solid happy hour hangout for sure!
(4)
Micah W.
We have now been to the Nightlight a half dozen times and it has quickly become our go to late night food stop. Everything we have tried has been delicious. The last two times my girlfriend and I have come in we sat at the bar (Thursday night) and had the pleasure of having Sadie (sp?) as our bartender. She's super knowledgeable about both menu items and drinks making sure to accommodate dietary restrictions. On top of that she actually seems to enjoy her job and understands why the word 'service' is in service industry. Both my girlfriend and I are bartenders and we have found it difficult to find quality servers/bartenders in Portland, Sadie is our new favorite. The first time we she served us it was very busy in the bar but she was still able to provide us with excellent service as well as taking care of the the droves of people walking up to the bar. She multitasks like a champ and is super personable, efficient and funny. You should definitely stop in here a lot and try everything on the menu.
(5)
Esther Y.
I still stand by everything I said in my previous review, but I have to up the star count because I really enjoy Night Light's service! Very attentive, friendly, and accommodating. I love the games here too; my group wiled away several hours playing Uno and Balderdash (a new game to us). Now if only they had Apples to Apples...life would be complete. And...I HIGHLY recommend the Hawaiian seared tuna with guacamole and rice fritters. So yummy.
(5)
Danni D.
Wow, this place is such a huge struggle for me. I love the physical space. I enjoy the menu, the happy hour, the brunch food. I had a delicious braised pork dish the other night that blew me away it was so good. Servers are nice. Drinks are strong. So what, exactly, is wrong with me here? Somehow, despite having all the necessary elements of awesome, each experience here never comes together quite "right." I don't know if the wait staff is stretched way too thin, or if the customers are particularly demanding, or if the menu changes often enough that the staff can't keep on top of it on any given day. Eye contact at times is non-existent. Drinks can be slow to come by. This is especially true with the bottomless mimosas at brunch, and frankly, that is a veritable brunch crime in this town. I am an eternal optimist, and maybe I'm a bit into self-flagellation, because I know I will be back, ever hopeful for that spot-on experience here.
(3)
Joey K.
Oh man, I wish I could give Night Light a higher rating. The food was great (I got the burger and it was juicy and full of meaty goodness) and everyone else in my party seemed to really enjoy what they got too. But, part of the reason why we scarfed our food down so fast had to do with the fact that we were starving because we waited almost an hour (yes an hour) after ordering. It was a weeknight and not crazy busy but our server wasn't the most attentive to us. She was super pleasant when she did stop by, but those visits were few and far between. It was a solid 30+ min before she even took our order. My hope though, is that it was just an off night, so I guess I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. But, just to be safe, make sure you go without too big of an appetite.
(3)
Katie M.
Went here for the 1st time last night, couldn't believe how bad the server was. She was wearing a red bandana and acting like we were a huge inconvenience. Took her 20 minutes just to acknowledge us, then when she did come over she just set our waters on the table and walked away. She repeatedly walked by our empty beer glasses and didn't say a word. I understand that they were busy, this was just awful. It was one thing after another. The food and drinks were good, though. It's just hard to imagine going back when we experienced THE WORST SERVICE IN PORTLAND, EVER.
(2)
Whaler W.
You want iced tea and beer? Well I don't think you want it enough so you'll get it in about 15 minute, or when ever I feel like it. Probably after your done eating the delicious plate of food I just gave you. Food was amazing. Waitress killed the 5th star. I'm still debating how bad she ruined the experience.
(4)
Breck E.
LONG-TIME CUSTOMER NEVER RETURNING I have gone to Night Light for over 7 years. It used to be a pleasant, mellow dive bar friendly with locals that poured strong drinks and good food. The upgrades over the past few years have turned this into hipster central including trendy bartenders that forget to put in your order,and make crappy cocktails. The food is still decent, but the last time I went, I stood at the front of the bar for 5 (yes, 5 minutes) to even be acknowledged by the bartender (not even a nod or "I'll be right with you"). One of the hipster bartenders even took the time to take out and put away the milk right in front of me. SO RUDE!
(1)
DJ Z.
I came here for the first time on Sunday 9.2. I met a friend that lives around the corner and we walked over to eat and play a board game. We sat in the back room and the server told us that we might get quicker service if we order at the bar because "we're like soooo slammed". I asked her for a menu. While I checked out the menu I told the same server that the song playing had played 4 times in a row. After about 10 minutes I ordered at the bar and the bartender informed me that it might be a while because they "were so slammed" and asked if I was sitting at a table. I told her the server told me to order at the bar and she reiterated that it might be 45 minutes for food. That's fine, can I order? I also told her about the music. The food was actually good. I had some kind of grilled salad with chicken, it was tasty. It didn't take that long to come out either. (Before the song was changed, it played 9 times) I'm from the East Coast and everyone seems to know that the Sunday before Labor Day is always busy because nobody has to work on Monday. It wasn't even that busy in the restaurant. I'd say it was half full and people seemed to be eating and drinking very leisurely. Maybe Portland bosses haven't figured it out yet. Either way, all the employees being unrealistically "busy" and insincere was a big turn-off. #PortlandService
(2)
Lauren G.
I've been here a few times and have loved it each time. Good quality food and attentive service, even given how busy it was.
(5)
Megan L.
So I decided to take a friend here for the first time. It was a lovely 80 degrees out so we decided to hit the back porch. It was perfect, the sun kissed our faces as we sipped on two very delicious beers on draft......they have some good ones. Then it was time to tackle the happy hour menu. OMG...I tried their fried tofu and it was so tasty I was thinking about it when I woke up. It is smothered in curry and served with green beans.....I will be ordering that again for sure!!!!!! Check this place out you will like it!!!
(4)
colin S.
I love this bar it feels like home The food is good The service is great and it's 3 blocks from my house!
(5)
Lisa E.
A friend and I went there for happy hour and had a great time! We got there at 4:30 and the back patio was practically empty. It was a good thing we got there early because it filled up fast. I loved sitting out on the patio and the waitress was prompt and attentive. The service was really good. I had 2 beers. They were about $4 each. I'm not sure if that's a good price for happy hour? Either way, I had a good time and I would definitely return!
(4)
Ana B.
Wow, am I told old?..because it seems a little loud in here to me...... At least the music is good! Conversation was a bit strained. I found myself nodding and smiling to things I couldn't hear because I felt like a jerk asking my beautiful company to repeat themselves over and over. (If you see this, I'm sorry) Night Light Lounge has a polished look to it. I like the mix of big booths and tables. I will say that there is a lot of room, no elbow bumping here! But amongst a sea of bars this place does nothing to set itself apart in my mind.
(3)
Rachael L.
Okay, 2nd visit and time for a review. First trip was for dinner with the BF. Spicy mac with bacon, buffalo stew and the pork special were all consumed rapidly. Service is slow, but I'm getting used to that in Portland (its not okay - but I'm getting used to a new speed of service in Portland). Drinks were interesting and tasty. Second trip was for brunch/lunch (we wanted brunch but missed it by about 20 minutes) and was clearly lackluster. We brought a couple from out of town and we all were left wanting more (and not in a good way - we stopped for some more food on the way home). The spicy mac (one with bacon and one with broccoli) was so-so, nothing special and lacked the smooth creamy texture. 5 spice pork belly was bland bland bland. The special was described with stir fried veggies but only had fried rice. I didn't love the chicken randomly on the pear salad. If a salad is named "pear salad" then the pears should be the star, or the name should be changed to "chicken and pear salad". Overall, the 2nd visit was underwhelming and I think we'll keep looking for a go-to place.
(2)
Yasasha R.
One of my all time favorite Portland hang outs. Best happy hour food menu, hip staff, delicious drink selection, and a lovely newish patio in the back for those beautiful summer days. Moscow Mules on the mind. I had to purchase the whole bottle of Cock and Bull ginger beer but oooh-wee, well worth the price. Spicy and refreshing! Lots of convenient seating for all group sizes and board games for your entertainment.
(5)
Megan B.
I've given this place more chances than I should have. Food is good and bottomless deal is good too! But damn, the service is BAD. I'm talking slow, forgetful, and on one occasion unnecessarily rude. If you're in no rush and aren't hungry when you get there, enjoy the patio-you can sit and drink and smoke and eventually enjoy food. If you like getting the things you order reasonably soon after you order them, try someplace else.
(2)
Dominic I.
This place is great! Went here for late night dinner and drinks with some local friends. I live in eugene area and they decided on this spot because they had been there before and were fans. Me and my friend had just flew in from and 48 hour party trip in vegas, so we weren't it too much of a party mode, and this place was perfect. It was crowded and lively, yet personal and not too loud. Good service, great food. I will return here for sure.
(5)
Laura A.
This has definitely become my go-to bar and restaurant. The food is excellent, the drinks are great (love their special cocktails) and that atmosphere is wonderful. I love going to sit on the back patio in the early afternoon or going in for a late-night dinner when the boyfriend gets off work. Everyone that works there is so awesome too. Good stuff.
(5)
William W.
Solid Clinton neighborhood bar with above average food. Things can get busy on the weekends. It's my friends favorite place for a drink and dinner in town. I don't come often but I haven't had any major complaints yet.
(3)
Eli G.
Burger #143: Disproportioned Lucky for me, I have an old high school friend who lives in Portland and she was kind enough to take me out to some of her favorite spots for my after work meals. First on the list was Night Light, a nice enough looking bar filled with typical north-western tattooed hippies. We sat and ordered food and drinks. We then waited, and waited, and waited, got a cheese plate, no drinks yet, waited, waited, burger came, and then finally the drinks came. The servers were apologetic for the ultra long delay and comp'd both our drinks. The food was at least good. The cheese plate came with three cheese, dried fruit, nuts, and some overly oiled bread. All three cheeses were good, safe, but good. yelp.com/biz_photos/0mlA… The first thing I noticed about the burger was that it was half the size of the bun, making it look fairly sad. The waitress assured us it was delicious and it almost was. I asked for medium-rare and got medium-well. But the bacon was crisp and meaty, the aioli had a nice kick to it and the burger was surprisenly juicy. The burger was served with some of the best potato rounds ever. So good! Even after I was full, I couldn't stop eating them. yelp.com/biz_photos/0mlA… If the burger would have been cooked and shaped correctly, this would have been a four star meal regardless of the off service.
(3)
Barbi P.
I would give this place a 5 star for the atmosphere and space. The back patio is awesome we went early in the evening so it was really slow when we got there and we got prime seating that I'm sure got even better as it got later. The 3 stars really come from the food and drinks. They looked great and they were much more than I expected when I ordered. Usually when you go for tapas and order Mac and cheese you aren't getting anything special but the spicy mac looked heavenly gooey and delicious. It was gooey and yummy but a bit too overpoweringly spicy for us. The spinach dip was spinach dip. Delicious because you really can't mess something like that up. I was pretty impressed by the crispness of the quesadilla. Usually you either get a very dry crispy quesadilla or if there is any deliciousness in it, it gets soggy before it hits the table. This one was full of flavor but still crisp on the outside. yum. The cheese plate was way more than I expected and looked fresh and very impressively plated. The biggest let down was the Escalade Margarita. I can't blame the waitress entirely because I think she was just a bit out of it but when we said "How are your margaritas?" she said "ok" and walked away returning later with the Escalade. uh... It was...salty. Not salt around the rim salty but the entire drink was salty. I quickly and carefully cleaned the salt off the rim hoping it would fix it but it was much deeper than the rim. I will admit this vacation was a very very very boozey vacation so at this point I really couldn't handle anything adding to my possible week long dehydration/hang over when I got home. I didn't even finish it and in my eyes not finishing something with liquor in it is just not ok.
(3)
Adrienne I.
Im not sure about the review that say that Nigh Light is "too cool" or has a hipster vibe BUT it is in a nice little setting where you can eat brunch outside while watching the cyclists on clinton. Really, the only thing that anyone needs to know about Night Light is bottomless mimosas for $10 with brunch.
(3)
Lynne D.
Just very good. Very, very good. Got there at 10, opening time, place was packed by 10:30. Corned beef breakfast with poached eggs and Dijon hollandaise, bottomless mimosas! Friendly servers, just real good. Happy!
(4)
Courtney S.
I'm a fan! I will say that all but one of my experiences here have been great...I'm still giving 4 stars because I truly love this place. The atmosphere rocks. I love the dark lounge-like space with an eclectic array of music playing. Happy Hour is awesome here! My favorites are the nachos and spicy tofu! I've tried many items on their food menu, and are all delicious! And good Vegetarian options as well! One of their drink specials is one of my fav too...ordered it every time...their cider and whiskey (served warm). The service needs improvement...I have one waitress I really like...gal with the dark asymmetrical haircut (sorry I don't know your name) but everyone else makes me feel over-looked. *I will admit my last visit was very disappointing and upsetting. My bf and I had ordered our drinks at the bar, then found a booth spot that opened up. We arrived a 1/2 hour before HH was ending. Well sad to say we were ignored by the waitstaff and did not receive any further service once we sat down. I understand that I have a beverage in hand...BUT I may also want to order food....since you are a food establishment. Since we weren't being helped, we figured we didn't want to give any more of our business to them for the night, so we finished our drinks and left. I have been here many times and I will continue to come back. I love the food and drinks, and I can handle grabbing a waitress if needed.
(4)
Stefanie S.
I used to live a few blocks away from Night Light and loved it! That was, before it became the trendy spot in the area. It used to have a dark, mysterious feel to it...almost romantic. In the past 6 months I have tried to go there for a quiet drink (alone or with someone), however it is excrutiatingly loud and bustling with young, intoxicated hipsters galore (...and their bicycle helmets). The dark, mysterious, and romantic side of it is no longer..unfortunately.
(3)
Michael M.
One of the best and most dependable late night places to eat in Portland. With consistent high food quality The Night light always serves it proper. Just drinks, happy hour noshing, or full dinner? Its all covered. Great Bar Service, Killer Drink Selection, Bottomless Mimosa option, and always tasty Craft Brew Beers in Tap. The soup is always great. Always! Buffalo Stew & Eight Hour Roasted Pork are both winners!!! Frybread taco with buffalo is awesome!! Also a great place to order take out. Always a great place to stop at.
(5)
Rebecca F.
Sometimes the only way I can see certain friends of mine is to meet them at the Night Light. And usually I grit my teeth throughout the experience. Pros: Inexpensive bottles and cans. Great location. Decent patio. Cons: The service. The service. The... oh, I'm sorry, you want... uh, yeah... whatever... oh... service.
(3)
Brandon A.
I like to come here for a good time, and the truffle fries!
(4)
Jess K.
Simply put, I'm a big fan of this place... I wish that I lived closer! Great wine list, great food, great service... sold! Room for a bigger group of people, or a cozy darker corner for two... and always space even during busy hours. The service is friendly and attentive, even in the back corner, I never had to find my server.. she was by when my drink was 2/3rds empty, which is always refreshing. I was pleasantly surprised when I was there last Saturday... sooo nice to be out at a busy busy place on a Saturday night and still get great service! I had the steak frites and was absolutely satisfied.. they were scrumptious [and really reasonably priced]. I have never been disappointed with the food here.. and love that it is 'classed up' bar fare for pretty much the same price you'd get a similar and much lacking plate elsewhere. While I don't live very close, I will definitely keep returning...and would absolutely suggest you wine and dine there!
(4)
Kenneth H.
It had been about 2 years since my last visit to the Nigh Light, but that is where the crew was drinking and I was curious to see what had changed at a former regular drinking spot of mine. Well there have been some changes, almost all of them for the better, but not enough for the Nigh Light to jump to a 5 star review. The patio has really grown up since my last visit, with a much more nature-y feel to it and cool heat lamp things. The food menu has also improved, with more variety and what even feels like maturity in the offerings. The service took a step back, with a somewhat gruff waitress who was all business and clearly stressed out. It took about 1.5 hours to get food, which the waitress explained was because they only had one person working the kitchen, which I guess was different than normal times. I got a steak frites "small plate" which was exactly what I thought it would be, especially for 8 dollars. It wasn't a lot of food (small plate), but it was good meat and the fries were nothing special. I had two cocktails, both were okay, but not really that amazing. I am not an alcohol expert, but I just found the drinks to be slighlty better than passable, but nothing wowed me. All in all this place is a good bar, and I won't hesitate to visit, but probably won't be counting down the days til my return.
(4)
James K.
So I've lived around the corner from this place for 4 years now and last night was the first visit. Yes, we have 2 little ones, but the real explanation is that we're sort of lame. Anyway, we went there on a cheap date night and I'm really happy that I listen to my fellow Yelpers. HH is fairly cheap, with $1 off wine (wife) and $3:50 micros (me). But the food was the stand out. We blew our diet on the smothered fries and bowl of Spicy Mac n' Cheese. I told my wife I could eat the fries every day for the rest of my life (which would be greatly shortened by doing so). The M&C was great; warm, creamy and just the right amount of heat. The atmosphere is nicely understated with spot lighting, muted walls, and interesting artwork (although the nude recling in chair painting almost made me not want to eat). We were there on a Thursday at 6 and there were 2 tables open. The music was a little loud, as though the volume is set for a crowded room. All in all, a glass of tempranillo, an IPA, and more good food than we could eat for $20 seems like a deal to me. Go! Go forth and be merry!
(4)
Jens J.
Last night was a "school" night and we had every intention of going to bed at a reasonable time. But you see, it was so hot in the house we just couldn't stand to be inside. And since an ice cold martini sounded good, we walked over to nearby Night Light (we were going to hit the Avignon bar on Division but it had just closed). This was my first visit to Night Light. Very much I like! We were seated beneath the oil painting of the nude lady sprawled out in a La-Z-Boy chair. Surrounding us was a very young and laidback crowd (all the tables, both inside and outside, were taken). Our server was there on the spot to take our martini orders, and also an order of cottage fries. Our first round of martinis tasted strange and we relayed that to our server. Apparently, they didn't have Cointreau, so the bartender substituted Gran Marnier. Yeah, Gran Marnier is an orange liqueur like Cointreau, but I find it harsh and chemical-like in taste. We directed that for our subsequent rounds that the bartender use Triple Sec instead of Gran Marnier. Those rounds were much better. The cottage fries were simply thick cut slices of potato that had been deep fried, and served with catsup. They came out with perfect texture and saltiness. For the amount of potato in this appetizer, they might provide more ketchup.
(4)
Mikhail H.
Love the space, the food and the drinks. Great pricing and most excellent service though a touch slow for groups. The truffle Parmesan fries are to die for!
(4)
Loli L.
I was told two things about this place for brunch: 1. They have GOOD bottomless mimosas ($10) 2. No crowds = no ridiculous wait to get inside For our last hurrah in Portland, we made our way here, walked in, and got to pick out our own table. (No wait! Hooray!) I ordered some pepper bacon and eggs and my lumberjack ordered the Croquet Madame. Both dishes were as beautiful as they were tasty. We barely exchanged words to each other as we savored our meal. My mimosa glass was refilled at least twice before I politely decline more - though I would have happily lingered if I could somehow fit it in. A great time, good food, and killer mimosas.
(4)
J R.
One of the best happy hours in Portland, hands down, Night Light is tucked away on a busyish numbered street close to many other amenities (People's Co-Op anyone?). I enjoy their 20oz Guinness at happy hour, but with the return of warm weather have taken to specials like the recent strawberry/vodka/ginger concoction. And the food....Here is where we hit the intersection of cheap and good. I've either eaten or seen someone personally enjoy most of the items and nothing is ever lacking, either in quality or quantity. I seem to only come here in groups, which is odd because I should be enjoying many happy hours here, and I'd even come here alone. While I have never had any issues with the staff, it's possible that I benefit from being acknowledged in a group. Last time I went there the waitresses expertly made rounds at the end of happy hour and well, we got one last round. Highly recommend it.
(5)
Olivia T.
That happy hour SPICY Mac & Cheese.... Oh... So devine... It made me go mmmmmmmmmmmm... Creamy cheesy perfection in one bowl... Just right amount of spice and just right amount of cheese... I will dream about you.. Until next time when I have you in my belly again...
(4)
Jenn B.
Night Light oh Night Light- I have always loved you so! And after my birthday party held there last night: " i love you Long Time!!". This place is so freaking great where do I start? I made reservations for me and 10 guests for my 30th birthday yesterday. They reserved the back room for me and had no problem when I specified we would be on separate checks. The food was AMAZING as always: veggie stirfry, nachos, grilled cheese and tomato bisque, burritos, they have such a variety that can please anyone! Jeanie was our waitress and she was SOooo nice! Very accommodating, friendly, and flat out just great service! Night light is really an awesome place for a chill environment, great food and drinks at reasonable prices.
(5)
Douglas D.
Often hit-or-miss. Grilled porkchop isn't slow-roasted pork, no matter how you spin it, especially when it's 60% grizzle. Nachos and nightlight fries with the works are amazing, but your more ambitious endeavors need more care. You're so close to being phenomenal, love all the gluten free options, just care a little more and you'll forever be in my heart. I think I can love you, Nightlight.
(3)
Amanda R.
I always end up going to the Night Light, even when I want to try something new. Something about this place draws me in, envelops me in its goodness and doesn't let me try new places. I am weak. I give in and just enjoy my nachos. I have shaken it up food wise tho...I had the grilled cheese and tomato soup last time, which was dope. Oh, and did I mention in my last review that the Sangria here is delicious? Either way, it's super good and pretty cheap. I went here last weekend for my friends 30th birthday and had the best time. We were there for hours and had the best server, Jeanie, who was attentive, friendly and totally catered to us all night! Just plain yum.
(5)
Kristine P.
Went here last night for HH and was surprised at how big the place was. The waitstaff was very friendly and on top of her service. I ordered the spicy mac and cheese which is spiced with Sriracha. Which is neither good nor bad. The mac and cheese was pretty standard and you know, cheesy. Would I crave this dish late at night? Nope, I could have Trader Joe' s frozen mac and cheese and it would satisfy my craving. So... I will return to have cocktails at a later date but will order something else to eat.
(3)
Kevin K.
I have to give it five stars because it is so much fun to go here and the food is great. Service can be a little hit or miss, buy has never been truly bad. Great neighborhood hangout and fantastic happy hour.
(5)
K. H.
The atmosphere was dim and cozy! Lots of dark wood and candles. Our group sat around a big coffee table for drinks and nibbles. I had the falafel sandwich (vegan) and, no exaggerating, it was the best falafel sandwich I'd ever had! It came with a side of squash soup (also vegan) which was also sooooo good and it was only $8! And I'm not vegan! Their special drink for the evening was sangria which was generously served in a tall glass. It was pretty standard sangria if you like that sort of thing. I do. I had two glasses. They also had a beer on tap for $1. This place is the biggest bang for a buck I've ever seen. Go.
(5)
Eve N.
This place just has a good vibe. It is one of those intangible things, but I feel good when I come here. The cocktails are always strong, and the food is yummy. I like the cheese plate as the portion is quite generous. I once had the most amazing soup I've ever had here: It was an apple, cheese, ale soup of some kind, and it was delicious! As they change their soup daily, I've never had it again or seen it as their soup of the day again. :-( The inside is bustling and fun, and the patio is wonderful. They have spectacular infrared head lamps over each outdoor table that are controlled on individual timers as not to waste energy on heating an unused table. Brilliant! Night Light owners... I love your establishment and love love love that apple beer cheese soup, can you let a girl know when you will serve that again?
(4)
Tiffany Z.
The burger here rocked my world. It was bar none one of the best burgers I've ever had. My husband thought the beer selections was pretty good too. The vibe and atmosphere is relaxed, I dig it. My husband mentioned that the tap beer selection wasn't half bad,so, whenever the opportunity arises we come here.
(4)
Paige H.
Really tasty food. Good drink list. Good service even though they were busy. Lots of points for atmosphere. The couches are cool, not skeezy, there is plenty of room, and the vibe is just really great, good for a date, a group of friends, or just dinner. Will be going back frequently I'm sure.
(4)
Rick M.
Hell yes, that all I can say about this place. Drinks that are reasonably priced that are awesome? yes please. Food that is fucking killer and doesn't cost an arm and a leg? why yes please again. All of this while the bar tender has Led Zeppelin playing over the sound system? SOLD good sir.
(5)
Danielle F.
My girlfriend and I actuallly wanted to try another restaurant across the street and they stoped serving food at 9:30. We were very suprised by how many folks were in Night Light on a Monday night after 10pm. We just had the panko crusted goat cheese salad with beets and quinoa. It was really really good and I believe 8 dollars. All of the food on the menu looked amazing. The most expensive thing on the menu (even for entrees) was around 11 dollars which was for their braised short ribs. They have steak frites for 8 dollars. The menu is also pretty vegetarian friendly with polenta, yam fritters, acorn squash, veggie burrito etc... I really like this place and will come back to eat or drink again soon. Great to know there is a happening place on a Monday night. They serve food until 2am too!
(5)
Ari K.
Awesome Happy Hour menu. The nachos alone, for 4 dollars, is enough food for two people. If you like cheese the spicy mac is also worth getting. Oh yeah, I can't forget about the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Bisque, among the best tomato bisque I've had, and I don't like soup. Besides the food, the best part of this place might just be the bottomless mimosas on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am -2 pm. When they say bottomless, they mean it, just make sure you have nothing do for the next couple of days so you could nurse your hangover.
(4)
Erika G.
I try really hard not to think of this place because I think of the Pork Belly we had and it makes me crazy. It was the best piece of pork I have ever had in my life. It was better than pork chops in Iowa the heart of pig country, it was better than my pa's smoked ribs (please don't tell him I said that!) and they are extremely hard to beat. The rest of the food was decent, I think the one thing that need improvement was the beef we had. It was one of the small plates, the sauce was wonderful but the meat just lacked flavor, though it could have just been a lame cut. As far as the side veggies, we liked the fries best, and I liked the green beans. The other veggies weren't bad either but it was hard to consider anything but that piece of pork it was so out of this world. For drinks we had the Sangria and some southern cocktail special. Both were really good as well. The atmosphere was cool. It wasn't busy when we went, it was early happy hour. I would definitely go back, in fact if they keep the pork on the menu I can almost guarantee I'll be back.
(5)
Jacob M.
Hipster place with good food, great drinks and a nice back patio to chill on in the summer. They also have a pool table, board games and a jukebox. It's worth checking out to see if your scene.
(4)
Janette M.
Ohhh man I came in for brunch this weekend AMAZING. As if i couldn't love this place anymore.. oh and bottomless mimosas
(5)
Korin W.
I less than three this place! I have only been here for brunch, but delish and I'm a big fan of those bottomless mimosas. The last time I came here was with a big(ger) group of girls for my bday. We sat in the back area in the MegaBooth and had a blast...especially loved how they just kept bringing bottles of champagne and OJ to our table! I'll be back, maybe even for nightlife ...
(4)
Anthony V.
Great place, one of the best happy hours in town and a polite overall staff. The drinks are usually good and stiff, though if you are less into the booze and more into the beer, then there is a decent selection for anyone there. It's in an ideal location with plenty of places for you smokers out there. And back to the food, even non-happy hour prices are a good average for Portland and quite honestly worth it. My one big grief about this place however is the occasionally too loud music... the bar is more a lounge though I find myself at times having to yell to who ever I trying to talk to. But with that said, the Night Light is a great in between for those who are either tired of dives are high brow joints... great bar, one of my favorites.
(4)
Christine S.
Every time I come to Portland on business we always stop by here before the airport....Hmmm, that is why I am constantly late for my flights back home? Hands down, the BEST nachos that I every had. They also have good burgers and pulled pork sliders. It seems like the crowd consists of all regulars and a few people were working with their laptops, drinking beers and eating burgers while working. Not a bad idea.
(4)
Cody W.
If your target is happy hour, bombs away. There are lots of good values on the happy hour menu, particularly the truffle-oil fries and the thoughtfully heaping chicken nachos. The burgers are similarly robust. We were not as impressed with dinner fare, such as the buffalo stew (awfully soupy & short on veggies, and would have preferred the corn fritters arrive on the side rather than in the broth) and the special of the day (Asian shrimp vermicelli salad). The drinks were strong and everyone in our party enjoyed what wet their personal whistle. Keep in mind that the patio allows smoking (a plus or minus, depending on your point of view). Also, they are strictly 21+, so make sure you get a sitter.
(3)
Oliver W.
Completely dissatisfied with everything about the service here. The door guy was extremely, unnecessarily rude to everyone in my party. We decided to go to another bar after they wouldn't let one of us in because she forgot her ID (she obviously looked much over 27!!). They STILL charged my card even though I hadn't gotten the drinks that I paid for between the time I ordered and when we left. These people do not care about their customers and because they stole from me will not ever receive my business again.
(1)
stephen y.
Do not go here! I was attacked in the bathroom by a regular customer for no reason whatsoever and the staff did everything to protect him and his buddies. kicked me and my wife out of the place when they were clearly the ones that needed to leave. Staff knows who he the attacker was and will not give up his name. DO NOT GIVE THIS PLACE YOUR BUSINESS!!!
(1)
Jessi S.
The good: the food is quality and tasty. The drink menu is very interesting. I had the sangria last time I was there and it was very good. The location is right on a bikeway making this an easy stop. The bad: it is often very busy and there really isn't anywhere to wait. Why should you go? if you like sliders and trying new cocktails this is the place for you!
(3)
Amanda K.
The outdoor patio area is a gem. Considering Portland gets rather chilly, it's wonderful that there are so many heating lamps on the patio.
(4)
Kitt J.
I admit it. I left this place in my "To Review" bookmarks for so long that I forgot most of what the experience was really like. However, my trusty notes have come to my rescue! I think it's best if I share them with you with no editing: super outdoor seating, great eggs, juicy thick-cut peppered bacon, A-HA-HAAAAMAAAAZI-I-I-I-ING toast" Now I'll have to go back to refresh my memory... that was clearly come bad-ass toast!
(4)
Greta G.
I kind of love this place. I'm always happily surprised when bar food is more than just, well, bar food. A lot of gastro-pubs around town love to throw around fancy epicurean terminology like "seared", "infused" and "piquant", but c'mon. You can drizzle a tower of mozzarella sticks with a luxurious blend of local sage oils and they're still basically going to be a bunch of deep fried cheese wands (don't get me wrong - there's most definitely a time and a place in this world for deep fried cheese wands). When Night Light describes their food though, they mean it. They're upscale but not too overly fancy - they keep the menu to what they can do and do well and it's always delicious. They also have a small plate menu, which is a favorite of mine, because it keeps me trying new things. Their happy hour prices are out of this world, they've got a fantastic back patio and the servers are friendly, fast, intuitive and attentive. Also, the eight hour roasted pork (with bacon, natch) is to die for. And to top it all off, anyplace that offers bottomless Sunday bunch mimosas is pretty a-okay in my book.
(5)
Janet L.
5 stars based on happy hour. Holy crap. I thought it'd be normal cheap barfood - you know, greasy finger picking stuffs in plastic baskets with dipping sauces maybe? Oh no. These are full sized too-big-for-one-person fancy ass dishes for $3-4 apiece. I was with Joshua M. who listed all the stuff we got, so you can read all about it. Everything was great. I'm the tofu eater and while I loved the way they fried the tofu, I wasn't a big fan of the oily peanut sauce it came swimming in. I usually prefer my tofu dry with a thicker sweeter peanut sauce on the side. But I'm really being picky here, let's get real - I still ate it and enjoyed it. $1.50 PBRs, a server with crazy memory (didn't write down any of that stuff we ordered and still nailed it) and roomy booths? Yeah, this place rules.
(5)
Joel G.
Positives: Buffalo sliders and pot pies were delicious and coupled with friendly attentive service. That can only take you so far though. Once we were seated, we noticed that we could barely hear each other over the Megadeth that was blasting throughout the venue. My date came back from the bathroom complaining that there were no towels. The soup we ordered arrived tepid, and the hummus plate that arrived looked nothing like the photos here on Yelp. $6 got us bland hummus, four pieces of baguette, a few olives and a single artichoke heart cut up. There was no salt at the table to try and fix the flavor. We asked for some more bread as 4 tiny pieces of baguette went really fast, and were told it would be $1... fine, but when a plate with another four little pieces of baguette arrived, we almost flipped. It looks like others have had better experiences, but I have to say this was one night we wished we had gone elsewhere.
(2)
Alvarez W.
Very good BLT...especially for a good late night option...and the drinks are pretty good as well...the service is not that great at all. Hence, the 3 stars.
(3)
Holly W.
Best Spinach Artichoke Dip I've ever had!!! I love their heated patio and delicious drinks! Service was pretty good and they have extended happy hour. This is going to be a regular stop when I'm in the area.
(4)
Abi A.
I used to consider this my regular date spot. And maybe it still could be, I guess I fell out of love a while ago and haven't been able to face her since. Night Light has a plesent atmosphere when the music isn't too loud. I am not a fan of their dj nights, it just feels like it should be a little more toned down. Their menu items are sometimes spot-on sometimes slightly off kilter. I have had several of their cocktail specials and really enjoyed them. If I lived closer, I might come to Night Light more often, but as it is, I probably won't be brining any dates around here. They do have a decent smoking porch, but it is usually packed especially around happy hour. If you are looking to experience Night Light for the first time, go with a couple of friends for drinks and maybe an appetizer, but I doubt you'll want to stay all night. Maybe it is just a little too clean for me?
(3)
Mallory T.
Fine, they got me. Upgrading my rating from 2 to 3 stars. Good food and good for groups. Go here for late night eats. The service still sucks, but apparently that's cool in our pdx bubble.
(3)
Carl B.
Bottom Line at the Top: Friendly place with room for "everyone" and a standard selection of drinks and food for Happy Hour. On a Sunday I met some friends in SE and we were a bit hungery and parched in the late afternoon. After consulting the Happy Hour Guidebook we picked the NightLight Lounge. Their Buck fifty PBR does make for an easy hit to the Wallet but the servers did have a good idea of other beer options when asked. The Happy Hour has quite a bit of the 'standards' like a salad, nacho's, fry's... The Fry's came in 3 incarnations, $3 normal, $4 Truffle oil, $5 Truffle/Parisian with the table ordering the $5 option. Once they came we found out that the Parmesan was just a really small grating of the Parm over the fry's not a "cheese sauce" I would recommend people try the $4 with truffle oil because the fry's were really good that way but pass on the Parm. I ordered the spicy Mac & Cheese which turned out for me a bit to spicy. Some people love the mouth on fire feel, but I rather it be a warm radiance not a 911 call. The amount of cheese was great, the creamy nature was almost perfect and if they can serve me up some with less spice I would come back often. The other two ordered the tomato bisque and toasted cheese sandwich. I sampled off their plate and have to say it was the best thing on the table. Very good flavor and of course when you put them together a perfect meld. Overall I think this place would work great for any gathering of friends who want some good Happy Hour times. The menu looks good for other times too and in the summer I think the outdoor patio would be one of its best features. They do have a room you can reserve for larger parties too.
(4)
Amy C.
Another Sunday morning, another post-run brunch with my running buddies. We didn't have to wait at all! (Well, that's kind of a lie - we had to wait for it to open, but there was no line.) The food was really good. I'm not sure what I was so surprised, but I was. The service was also good, and the coffee was definitely okay. I can't wait to try this place again!
(4)
Frannie h.
very cool! I was there for the first time last night and really liked the place. It was super crowded and is the kind of place where you might share a table / bench with people. Some strangers saw us searching for a seat and offered 1/2 their table to us - nice crowd! The menu had lots of interesting items like falafel, buffalo sliders and pot pies. We tried the steak frites and they totally blew us away! Soooooo delish! the steak was lean but juicy, fries were just right and the mushroom aus jus was perfect. I liked that is came with sauteed spinach (gotta get those veggies in!). The service was super friendly and MUCH faster than what you would expect on such a busy night. I can't wait to come back for bruch!
(4)
Melody W.
For some reason i've never really liked going to the Night Light at night. I don't really like the crowd. It's not terrible, it's just not great and as far as drinks, i'd rather go to Savoy where I know the wait staff and feel comfortable. Having said that, it's everything that I love in a good breakfast place. It's not crowded, the tables are comfortable. I can read a book and not be disturbed by the five annoying kids at the next table, they play decent music at a reasonable volume, the wait staff is not only helpful but actually seem genuinely happy to serve you. The menu is amazing and very reasonably priced. I got the croque monsieur, which turned out to be an open faced sandwich on como bread with spinach, prosciutto, truffle butter, two poached eggs and lemon hollandaise sauce. It was AWESOME!! Good hollandaise is hard to find and this was perfect. The egg was perfectly poached and the potatoes were crispy but still tender in the middle. I was more pleased with this dinning experience than I have been in a long time and my bill was under $20! I'm still not sold on the nightlife at the night light but I'm totally down with the breakfast! Oh and they have $10 bottomless mimosa's! Um, hello!!!! Edit: Ok, I have to update this. I'm taking two stars off, for their incredibly shitty night service. I mean HORRIFIC. I already knew I didn't like it but some friends wanted to meet there so I thought I'd give it another chance. I'm a damn good customer and pretty effing patient but this was unbearable. After waiting for an open table, we finally found one that was dirty. We sat down and waited and waited and WAITED. No one came over to clean the table or take our drink and food orders. Eventually we watched them clean the table next to ours so we moved to that one and waited some more. Still nothing. Eventually my friend just went to the bar and ordered our food and drinks because no one would help us. While we sat at the table for about forty minutes, the only server who spoke to us asked if she could take our menu's to give to someone else!!!! We laughed pretty hard about that. Not only are you not going to serve us but you're just going to ask to take things away so you can help others? Our bill came to almost $80 and that would have been a sizable tip had we actually been served in any sort of way, aside from the bartenders (who we tipped well) WORST. I will NEVER go back at night ever again.
(2)
Deanna C.
A friend and I were planning to have a smoothie at the Sip cart in front of People's but they were closed. My friend, though living only a handful of blocks away, wasn't super familiar with the area yet. I recommended we go to nightlight as he was interested in getting some food and, well, I can always eat. This place is great for outdoor seating options, happy hour and that local place that you might want to get a group friends together at. The location is great and the atmosphere is cozy. There is a large seating area that is great for bigger groups- a friend celebrated his birthday here once. I went for brunch, which was my second time being here during the before-noon-hours. It is hard to resist their Bottomless Mimosa's but today I did. I was focused on food and honestly I was hoping to get something more lunch like. However, with the time being 11am I had to order from the brunch menu. I am still a bit confused and frustrated that there is only one vegan option for brunch but at least two or three choices for lunch, dinner and happy hour. I would love for them to add just one more brunch option for the vegheads of Portland- especially something that represents the "unch" in brunch. The one option they do have comes from the "br" in brunch and is a spicy Tofu Potato Hash with Spinach, Onions and other tasty things. It comes with two half slices of sourdough. It certainly is tasty and filling as well, but I am the type of person who likes to have more than one option to choose from. I will be back, and perhaps I will email and ask about adding another vegan brunch item to their menu. Today, it was a good backup option. In the evening it is always a good option.
(4)
Amy C.
Wonderful go-to bar. Excellent food and big booths, good for parties of around 6. Smoking deck out back. Very loud, very busy.
(5)
Bud G.
You may want to check out the Night Light, but you probably don't want to go with me. For some reason there are a couple of places that I must just have bad karma with, for me Night Light is one of those places. They have all the components of a great, local bar/restaurant. Night light has a good food menu for both brunch and dinner, bottomless mimosas for brunch and a decent drink menu. But every time I go there (and I have been there several times), something just weird happens with my food or service. Now, don't get me wrong, it usually isn't something that happens to any of my group that I am with, everyone else seems to get exactly what they asked for right away with no hassles, it just seems to be me and the food and drink gods not smiling upon me when I walk into this place. So, I suggest you go try out this place, go for brunch, get a bottomless mimosa and try the hash, when it actually got to me, it was pretty good. One word of warning, if I am there, sit as far away from me as possible, you don't want the restaurant gods to associate you with me at Night Light.
(3)
Joshua M.
My experience at this place just rocked. Most of the time when happy hour is suggested I prepare myself for bland cheap food. It's cheap, it fills you up, but don't expect it to be any good. Well Night Light proves that theory wrong. All of the stuff we grazed on: * fries covered in cheese with creme de freche and bacon- verdict: awesome * nachos covered in cheese, tomatillo salsa, creme de freche, and guacamole- verdict: guacamole could have been fresher, but still pretty awesome * spicy mac & cheese: verdict- awesome * fried tofu: verdict- okay (I didn't order this, nor do I have a thing for tofu, but the tofu eater of the group enjoyed it) * hush puppies: verdict- fanciest hush puppies ever, totally awesome * caesar salad: verdict- a whole piece of romaine, needed a little more dressing and cheese, but still good * vegan chili: verdict- I didn't sample this, but was told it was good I would have liked to have had a fancy soda or root beer on hand as the one no-drinker of the group, but not everything is perfect. Service was good, ambiance was nice, and we had a huge comfortable booth. Eventually towards the end of our stay as it got busier they turned up the music a bit too loud and it got crowded, but for a happy hour experience I would say A+, and I will be back.
(5)
IH K.
This is what I remember: -I liked this place -There was an indoor/outdoor patio that was too crowded -At some point I sat on a variety of low, loungy couches and possibly in a booth -I didn't get kicked out Everything else is a bit fuzzy. But, what else do you really need to know?
(4)
Jay A.
I experienced the worst service ever in this very bar last week. My friend and I sat at the bar on a Wednesday night with not 1, not 2, but 3 people behind the bar and waited 3 minutes before we even got acknowledged. It was also a slow night, mind you, with the place about a 1/3 full. When the bar tender finally did say hello, we made a light hearted comment about waiting for service with 3 people behind the bar and no one else sitting at the bar besides us, and one of the guys says "Well that's Portland for ya" and walks away. The bar tender the proceeded to be super short and up tight with us. The only reason I gave it two stars is because the nachos were awesome and they have a super nice back patio. Is this really what the status quo is for Portland service or is it just that this place is staffed by jerk offs? Given that I've had lots of great service elsewhere, I think the answer is obvious.
(2)
Allison Y.
Great, dim atmosphere. Love how the seating can be intimate and private or you can be out in the open with the public.
(4)
Shellie Z.
Love the Night Light. I was looking for a great SE bar near Division or Hawthorne with the perfect lounge feel, and without the tavern feel. Night Light was perfect. Hip, clean and comfortable. Great drink prices. $2 PBR, good food, cocktails....wine and beer choices. I love the decor leather couches, nice wood tables, lots of choices in seating....and a heated back deck. It has a very loungey, yet kick back feel. Music overhead ...mostly alternative...good stuff though. The only thing I would change...the staff is a little slow!
(4)
Arielle S.
To start if you are coming to talk then this place may not be the best choice, the music is always loud. But if you are looking to be mellow with some cheap food and decent drinks then head to the night light lounge. The cheese plate is very generous and during happy hour is priced great. The caesar is somewhat a let down it was lacking dressing which unless your a rabbit no one wants pieces of lettuce, a few croutons as an after thought. The mac-n-cheese is delish happy hour food. Best thing I have had. Sorta basic plain gooey cheddar with macaroni, but then there is a bit of a kick that is a pleasant surprise. The mac-n-cheese washes down well with pretty much any beer. I come for the drinks. They are healthy and strong like bull. Two makes me giggly and thats pretty darn good, it usually takes me atleast three.
(3)
Martha R.
I love this place! It's oh so close to my house, so I can easily walk there... which is always nice. The first thing that happened when we walked in there was that the waiter put a carafe of water on the table. Just fantastic. We both ordered wine (during happy hour), and with $1 off an already decently priced wine, it just can't be beat. You can also get $1 off beer, and there's a well drink special as well - just don't know the details because I cannot drink the "hard stuff". The waiter was very attentive, which was easy for him at first because there weren't too many people in there. But as the evening progressed, the place filled right up, and he was still lingering around at the right times. I was never without a drink if I didn't want to be. It's got a little stink of smoke, but not too bad - which is a big deal for me. Even the smoking room isn't too stinky because they have a nice little air filtration system. Of course, we were there around 4:30, and that's pretty early. I didn't get any of the food - but the prices, and selections looked great. The atmosphere is pretty hip, without being too over the top. I like the browns and reds, and there is some art on the wall that's amusing. I will see what this place is like later night, but this is my new favorite place for happy hour!
(4)
Laura H.
Spicy mac and cheese, truffle fries, and pork sliders are all awesome. They have a great happy hour and daily specials. The food here is great and so are the drinks. Outdoor patio is perfect in summer and covered in winter. I went here with my gf and got full and had a few drinks and the tab was only $25. Service could be better, but considering there was only one waitress and one bartender they did fine.
(4)
Uyen T.
5 Stars for the location. I love how it's on Clinton street. -1 Star for the service. I love it when waitresses forget about my drink. -1 Star for the food. Nachos are nothing special. I splurged and added chicken for $2.50. I shouldn't have added the chicken and saved me the $2.50. The mac and cheese tasted like kraft mac and cheese except for the fact the the macaroni is a tad bigger and the cheese is white instead of orange. The grilled cheese is ok, the cheese is white chedder or whatever. I like their beer selection. If I lived in this neighborhood, I'd be a regular.
(3)
Graciela G.
I came here for happy hour with the intent to get drunk and that I did. Happy hour drinks and food are modestly priced. My group of 3 shared a mound of cheesy and delicious nachos for $4. I had 2 cocktails and their sangria, which were all good stiff drinks on the cheap. We walked away with 9 very good drinks total without breaking the bank. I can't say that about too many places. You either get cheap drinks that are bad, or good drinks that are pricey. Night Light gives you the best of both worlds. Oh and they have board games! So sit with your pals, play some games, drink up, and enjoy a truly happy hour.
(4)
holden k.
Really casual place, super-friendly staff, with lots of eye-candy all around (patrons and staff). Been twice - fast service and great comfort food. Sunday brunch isn't very crowded - i'm sure when people get more into how nice a place this is, there will eventually be lines to get in.
(4)
Darrell G.
Love the Burgers, Nachos, Music and Service. It's in a great neighborhood !
(5)
Amazing Massage Services R.
Great Avocado Burgers! and Stellar Nacho's . I like the atmosphere and cool tunes in the background . Service was great! I'll be back there again and I'm not a local. it's worth the travel.
(5)
Jordan J.
The initial drink was good. Then the bartender forgot to add the food. So 45 minutes I went to check. Not on the tab. Was never entered. I asked another waitress and she put in the order. Then I received attitude when I asked how long since our party was ready to leave. My suggestion, hire some waiters for the night time when you have a line of patrons waiting...
(2)
Sarah B.
The rose water drink they have is amazing, the happy hour food options are decent and tasty, the service is AMAZING, the seating is comfy and the overall atmosphere is relaxed and not too hipster-y. All in all a groovy place.
(4)
kelsey p.
Eh, I wasn't a fan. Maybe it was because I had just experienced an awesome happy hour at Savoy up the street. Maybe it was because I had already stuffed myself on fried cheese curds and didn't try the food. Maybe it was because my friend had attracted a group of douches and I had to listen to their blabbering. Or maybe, and most likely, it was because there was apparently a "metal festival" going on, and the music was giving me a headache. Wow, I sound like a real winner after writing that. But, I just don't see what all the Yelp-fuss is about. I'll give it a try another night, because maybe I was just worn out. Two stars for now.
(2)
Patrick C.
I've been to this joint a number of times, and have been consistently impressed. Nothing in particular stands out as incredible here, but the total experience was great. The waitstaff is very friendly, and the ambiance is quirky and fun. The happy hour is the best thing here. Part of what makes me say that nothing in particular stands out is this menu. I've tried everything on the short menu, and it was all well made and tasty. As a whole, however, the menu seems a little... off. I mean that as a compliment. It doesn't seem like the standard, trying hard to impress you menu, and more like a list of things I would make for dinner if feeling lazy. The difference is that they do a very good job of making those dishes. In particular, I recommend the cottage fries and the house salad. Give it a try, it's a comfortable, fun place to grab a quick bite or drinks with friends.
(4)
Amado L.
Finally came back to this place after nearly a year since the last visit. I dug that they had Guinness on tap, and have always wanted to return, but other watering holes were just a closer walk. Well, tonight I was famished-- does anyone really say 'famished' these days?-- so I decided to take the opportunity to visit this little bar. The second thing* that caught my eye was their expanded back room, which I definitely don't remember having seen the last time. Evidently, they added that back room just about a month ago (probably in preparation for NYE) and it's a swanky little annex. It features wrap around couch seating for approximately ten skinny Asians plus a smattering of bistro style accommodations for six or seven exclusive or swinging couples. It looked like a cool spot for a private or semi-private group get-together. (They're willing to reserve the space ahead of time for large groups.) I came for HH and was pleasantly surprised by the tastiness of their fare. Although it was a somewhat scant HH menu, the offerings would appeal to a variety of tastes and dietary preferences. I opted for their quesadilla (which was, to borrow from that annoying Rachel Ray's parlance, absolutely 'delish') and their Cottage Fries (thick-cut russet potatoes that yielded a generous mound of medallion sized bites). The HH menu also offered salads, nachos, and other 'bar' type delights. With my two pints PBR, the total bill came to $9.00 USD, and I was full. (In fact, I was unable to finish the Cottage Fries.) The regular menu was not huge, and offered other 'pub' style fare at very reasonable prices ($6.00-$12.00 USD), and they boasted a pretty big wine list. They also offer a full bar; DJ, live and house music; and free Wi-Fi. * The first thing that I noticed, in case you were wondering, was the uber cute bartender named Lindsay. I hope she's working the next time I pay this has-the-makings-to-be-a-favorite spot another visit. FINAL NOTE: They don't offer desserts. When I asked Lindsay about this, she said that it's because they don't have a huge kitchen, and can't support another freezer to carry an inventory of desserts. Plus, she said, she'll end up eating the desserts herself. *wink* *melt*
(4)
Turner M.
On a beautiful Spring evening, with an expected group of 15+, where do you go? The night Light. I've been here a couple of times before, with my first time at a packed happy hour, so my first impression was a little so-so. But both times I've been back I have had great service and had a great time drinking the hours away on their back patio. It's spacious enough that you don't feel like you're sitting on top of each other, but still leaves a nice feeling on intimacy. Went there with a large group and had a great time - and enough space to spread out (although I must apologize to the surrounding neighbors, as the whisky was flowing and I'm sure we were a bit rambunctious...) Probably my favorite spot in the Clinton neighborhood - highly recommend it, especially if you want a cool drink in the out-of-doors
(4)
Ray P.
Look. I'm an older guy, but hip. I always wanted to stop in but was a little intimidated by the younger crowd. So, I grabbed my daughter and had a very delicious breakfast and a few late morning cocktails. This is now my place. I'll B back.
(5)
Johana M.
Night lights did get me through a couple of rough nights as a kid...and as a (supposed) adult, here I have another Night Light to coddle me through. Only this one has strong drinks and a fantabulous happy hour. The atmosphere is cozy and totally unassuming, and our waitress was completely on top of her game. She immediately informed us of the current specials and the debut of their new 'spring' menu. We might have gone for some of the menu items, if happy hour hadn't called. Since the prices were delightfully affordable, we decided to get a few different things and do a little taste test! Their grilled cheese with kettle chips and a pickle was a whopping $3 bucks! And it's pretty hard to get a grilled cheese wrong, right? It was a nice snack, but I'll admit I've had better GC's here in Portland. We also got a cheese plate, with 3 types of fancy fromage, plus some dried fruit and nuts, all for another $5! I was shocked at how delicious and pretty it was for the price. Back in California, this same thing would cost between $12 - $15 for sure! My companion also got a plate of mac and cheese...which I tasted, but couldn't eat, considering all the other cheese-laden items before me. It had a very mild taste, borderline bland, but was a huge portion, and a-ok for I think $4. In all....we got 5 cocktails, 2 beers, all the food PLUS tip for around $50 bucks. It's a wonderful way to Light the Night!
(5)
Laurel S.
This place has yummy food and great happy hour prices. Portions for appetizers and small plates are good, but the entrees are small and a bit overpriced. Stick to happy hour food/drinks and you won't be disappointed!
(4)
Susan W.
I went back this weekend for another round of bottomless mimosas and opted for the grilled cheese and spicy tomato soup. Um....seriously amazing! Their grilled cheese is one of the best in Portland, and I don't say that lightly. There was cheese oozing out the side of the sandwich and pooling on the plate. Paired with their spicy tomato bisque, I was in grilled cheese heaven.
(5)
Justin K.
Service was incredibly slow. I understand that it was a Friday happy hour, but we waited 20 minutes and had to specifically ask before anybody even attended to us. After placing drink and food orders at the same time, it took another 20 minutes before the drinks arrived. Would've been better off ordering directly from the bar. That said, the food was pretty good and their specialty lemon drop was a fan favorite from two gals in our party. Can't go wrong with Rogue hazelnut brown ale either.
(3)
Britta E.
This place is dark-o-licious. I mean, it certainly ain't called Night Light for nothin'. If you want to actually SEE your pretty date or that friend who you haven't SEEN in a while, perhaps you should opt for elsewhere. I dunno, maybe I've just got really ridiculously bad night vision or maybe this place is seriously this dark. Not that the atmosphere doesn't put an interesting spin on an evening--allowing for some sort of lights-out pillow talk/slumber party gossip amongst a group of good friends. But I kind of couldn't see my food, and that made me feel that same sense of guilt I get when sneaking some pie out of the fridge at 1am when I really shouldn't be, ya know? The strong drinks definitely helped. And although bar table service in PDX usually makes me a bit apprehensive, it was fairly commendable. That gal must have some seriously strong rods and cones to be able to tell when we were nearing empty drink levels. The food...well...not impressed, like, at all. I mean, if you like salt to be the primary flavor, then sure, I guess those fritters were totally awesome. The nachos, they were okay, did the job of ending my hunger, but I'm from TX, and could make better ones at home. I knew I should've splurged my way off the HH menu and just ordered the unagi sliders that were calling my name. Oh well, next time. Yes, there will be a next time. For sure. It's a nice enough place, with sweetheart bartenders, strong drinks, a lovely patio when it's not freezing, and seating for all sized groups. I also dug the passionate anti-graffiti notice in the bathroom upon my last visit. I'll just try show up when I've had too much sun to care. Or with my ugly friends. Whichever.
(3)
Suzanne F.
This intersection on Clinton is dangerous for me. Not b/c I am carelessly riding my bike, or inattentively listening to NPR while driving. Nope, it's the intersection where my sons take music lessons (see review of Cadenza Academy) & I find myself waiting around, basically lurking in this neck of the woods. Today, being gray & rainy, I decided, 'what the hell' and threw caution to the wind! I went in & it was really good. I ordered a Widmar Heifeweizen and a Happy Hour special of corn fritters with chipotle aioli. Not greasy, not a gut-bomb, just deliciousness on a plate! I sat at a curved booth, tried to read the paper (but just became annoyed & angrier by the paragraph), and decided to focus on the swell snacks & frosty beer. For under $10.00 I got the perfect and satisfying snack & made the decision to return...you know, since the trumpet & sax lessons continue, I need all the fortification I can get! A solid neighborhood place to check out. Thumbs up!
(4)
Skylar L.
As soon as January 1st rolls around, this place gets an extra star. As it is now, my lungs are still recovering from secondhand smoke. This place has done a great job of creating intimate spaces in a good sized space. Larger groups can hole up in one of the booths while smaller groups can sit at the tables near the wall in the second room. The night I ate here I had just spent all day at Ikea. All the stuff looks good, but my Ikea adjusted eye recognized many a chair and table from the big blue and yellow. The food was great. The nachos are a definite must. The mixed drinks are well prepared, too. The service, too, was attentive; surprisingly so for such a packed house. Oh, and jukebox is out of this world. OK, that's actually a really self congratulating statement as I owned at least half of those CDs and 2/3 of the artists/bands represented (their music, not them). Still, Belle & Sebastian and the Decemberists in the same jukebox makes me pretty damn happy. Of course, the B&S/D rule would have to go in effect (a one star bump) if someone put them on. Just a hint next time you see me managers of Nigh Light....
(3)
Kitty K.
Ambled over here last night from St. Jack (way too Portlandy pretentious for my taste). It was like stepping from the dark into the (night) light. Happy people, great staff and amazing food and drinks. We had a couple of the specials, lamb chops with brussel sprouts and bacon, truffle fries and the best caesar salad I've ever had. And a few Lolita margaritas and Art Ghetto Something-or-Other. Delicious. Total for all of this: 25 bucks each. We'll be back.
(5)
Joseph H.
As the name implies, you can eat late at the Night Light. It's one of those places that stokes the flame of a foodie's heart. You might begin to think that all dive bars like the NL serve natural organic grub. At least that's what you'll believe after dining here. Good people making good strong drinks and food. Take my search for a good cheeseburger, NL is up in the front running out of nowhere. Natural beef? Check. Organic produce? Check. And the cheese? Check, check, checkers. Wait-a-minute what kind of bun is that? Oh, right, every dive bar happens to serve fluffy Brioche Buns from Grand Central Bakery on their burgers. Riiiight, now we're getting somewhere! I would have given them 5 stars, but last week it was clear that they changed the recipe for the Gnocchi. Previously it was in a white sauce with the perfect amount of cheese to spud ratio and a dash of greens. Last week it turns up as a pesto slopped train wreck oozing with too much oil. It was still pretty good, I just thought the previous rendition could stack up to even Mama Mia's. Decent happy hour complete with board games will remind your friends to regroup at the Night Light on occasion. Cheaper Micro's, Wells, and Wine are all on par for a good PDX Happy Hour. Food is on special too although the snacks are limited. Not a big deal since most things on the meny are $10 bucks and less, like the nachos that keep the theme of sustainable foodie lifestyle in tact. Dive with the best of them, and keep the Night Light burning Portland.
(4)
Robert L.
So far the 'tender is chill.
(4)
David M.
Is it just me, or does Clinton street really REALLY appreciate absolute darkness. Really. When I walk into bars on Clinton after the sun has gone down I feel like I am about to be sacrificed. I mean, I love candles, like a lot, but there's a fine line. Well why am I complaining, sometimes my mug is not at it's finest, so I can use all the help I can get. Night Light really lives up to it's name. Now I can truly relate to all the blind people of the world. Night Light has big comfy booths that suck you in like black holes. They also have cracked out board games that are missing pieces and that are held together by wishes and dreams. A+ on effort though. Oh and the jukebox is mighty fine!
(4)
Brianna R.
Good Neighborhood Joint, great food, good atmosphere, fantastic back deck area. Flexible space too, cozy for two people and can easily absorb a large party too, I even had a Birthday Party here that held close to 75 people easily.
(4)
Danielle K.
When I was a kid, I was afraid of the dark. Well, maybe not the dark. I was actually afraid of my closet. My closet door had to be closed, because I thought that somehow skeletons would apparate and get me. The door had to be slid shut. Otherwise I couldn't sleep. You get the idea. Now that I'm all grown up, I'm no longer afraid of the dark (or any potential monsters in the closet). But I love places that make me feel comfortable...that make me feel that even if I am scared of the dark, that's okay, because there's something nice and warm there to comfort me. Enter the Night Light. Night Light Lounge, that is. Dimly lit, ample bar space, plush booths...it's the quintessential open and comfortable space for adults (afraid of the dark or not, alike). The bar tender was a casual dude with a beanie, glasses, and a beard. The stereotypical scruffy hip guy. Which, seeing that I'm a native Portlander (for reals!), makes me really comfy and at home. He whipped up some good drinks, too. The Stumptown cocktail was local and sweet, and its warmth was a surprise (I was expecting ice). The Brandy Alexandria--a lovely citrusy, cinnamony take on the classic. It's all about spicing up the food we already love. The quesadilla with spicy chicken hit THE SPOT. Dripping in a spicy salsa, with smooth lines of crema, it was a nice mix of hot and cool. And the guacamole that was clearly handmade was absolutely delicious and chunky...the way it should be. And scratch the fries! Here, you get round wedges of potato, with just enough salt, crunch, and soft. The Caesar salad also looked easy on the palate. The price of all this comfort and down-home love? Oh, holy happy hour that lasts until 7 p.m.! Quesadillas...for $3. Large salad for $4. Awesome! A dollar off well drinks and wine, fifty cents off beer. Oh, and until 9 p.m., the smoking area is its own room. I sat very close to it, and couldn't smell a thing. Definitely. No more demons haunting my search for a great bar! I stop at the Night Light.
(4)
Greg M.
Love the Nightlight! Now, if they would just bring back the Nori fritters, I think we'd be there pretty much daily. :) Some folks seem to be upset over smokers confiscating the patio and servers with 'tudes. Yes, the patio is overrun with smokers. It's a nasty, vile and rancid habit that the hipster crowd can seem to kick. Tough for us, I guess. As for 'tudy servers - I've never had a single bad service experience here. It's always awesome. All the servers seem really nice.
(5)
Sara G.
$5 happy hour cheese plate? Funny and competent servers? 3pm - 7pm DAILY happy hour? Ninkasi Believer Double Red Ale? Sun-filled, yet umbrella adorned patio? I think I am in love. Seriously, $5 happy hour cheese plate!!!
(4)
Ashley B.
I love you Night Light. I love that you have an awesome happy hour; that lasts till 7, comes with delicious food (I'm talking to you House Salad), and dollar fifty PBR's. I love that you have velvet paintings of unicorns and robots but don't look like the type of place that would have velvet paintings of robots and unicorns. I love that you have large windows for when its sunny and perfect dim lighting for when its not. I love that you are in the much adorable Clinton neighborhood, and sit on one of the cutest corners in the area. I love the large booths inside and options for seating outside. I love you Night Light. I love everything about you. So can we make this a regular thing?
(4)
Lindsey K.
It's getting dark in here...so take off all your clothes. That's how the song goes, right? Anyways, it's called Night Light for a reason. Dark, glowing lights, big booths. Ugly people/adult acne/elephant man, this is your place! I played two games of pool while some older gentlemen leered at me. Always good for the self-esteem! Then I climbed into a duct-taped booth and tried to play with their board games, which have seen better days. I had a $4.50 drink special: The Georgia Peach. It involved Jim Beam, orange juice, peach schnapps, and a dash of desperation. I'm in! Overall, a cozy and dark place if you're feeling fugly and want to keep it low-key.
(3)
Cordelia K.
Went there on a Friday night and got seated between two speakers. Requests to turn the music down a little or to relocate our group were met with snippy responses bordering on rude, and other interactions were not much better. Food and drinks were decent - but I am so turned off by the service, am not interested in going back. Ended up leaving and relocating to a different spot...and enjoyed the rest of our evening much more.
(2)
Lacy O.
I was pleasantly surprised! It seems a little dark and dingy at first, but then Is aw the food and it was awesome! Great happy hour selection and prices, good size portions and very yummy. Hello truffle fries! Great selections of liquor and unique drinks. Oh and happy hour goes until 8pm! What's not to love?
(5)
Erin E.
The Night Light is one of the best bars in the neighborhood. Good selection on the juke box, great happy hour and nice patio. There is one irritating bartender, but aside from that I've found the service really friendly and laid back. I took off one star for the following reasons: no music on the patio, and the Vegetable Fritters are tasty but totally mushy inside. If these babies were only half the size I would scarf 'em down everytime.
(4)
sylvia c.
I'll take the sliders! The sliders here kinda make me sing in my head. What song you ask? "Yummy, yummy, yummy I got love in my tummy". Moderately priced & not far from my pad, this place rocks. Why do I always forget to go here? That's what I keep asking myself. Can't remember ever being disappointed in the food. Patio is great in the summer & the servers aren't snotty hipster a-holes. So that's a bonus. They also have pulled pork sliders & I think crab cake sliders, which I absolutely want to try, if I can ever stop ordering the regular sliders. Why can't I have a plate with one of each? That would probably be WAY too effin picky of me... I shall refrain. At any rate, if you're ever in this hood & you've not been here, try it. It's pretty awesome. Then maybe you can buy me sliders for introducing you. Its kind of like taking the person that introduced you to your gf/bf for drinks in appreciation.
(5)
Conor T.
I like the people there. The place seemed pretty empty at 8, when I was there to get some grub. When 10pm rolls around, everyone has to come inside off the street with their drinks because of neighborhood rules. The mac & cheese is good, and so is the falafel.
(3)
Elizabeth W.
Night Light! Once my favorite neighborhood bar, until I moved out of walking distance. Oh how I miss you, Nighty. Why do I love thee? Let me count the ways: 1) Happy Hour Nachos - delish! 2) Happy Hour Length - 4-7pm - yay! 3) Outdoor seating - in front AND back. 4) Juke box rocks 5) Room for moderately sized groups - big booths and couches in back 6) pool table 7) healthy food options - the stir fry is pretty tasty Only drawback I can think of: smokiness I actually like the service - they're not overly friendly and tend to be attentive enough, but I'm fairly low maintenance when it comes to going out.
(4)
Jennifer M.
Good cheap drinks!
(4)
Andrew B.
Under no circumstances should you find yourself here and not at either Dot's Cafe or Clinton St Pub. Having experienced all that this wonderful neighborhood has to offer this is by large the weakest local watering hole. Every time I decide to spend my worthless dollar there I end up waiting longer than 20 minutes for my drink while being forced to listen to bad lounge music being spun by what seems to be the only DJ they allow to spin there. The one decent thing about the Light is their happy hour, I would recommend the quesadilla. The bartenders act more like they work at Vault in the Pearl rather than on the humble block that is Clinton Street and seem to care very little if you give them your business or not. Do yourself a favor and spend your hard earned dollar a block north (Division) or a block east. Night Light is a prime example of how bad service can affect an overall experience. Positives: Semi-decent happy hour menu, layout and jukebox. Negatives: Horrible service and bland live music.
(2)
Clare S.
The night light has a happy hour that makes me oh so happy. If I were a singer/songwriter, I would put out a track about how amazing their cheese plate is. They do happy hour 7 days a week which is great for me as weekdays are out of the question for most happy hours because of my schedule. Weekend happy hours will get anyone extra love in my book (or in this case extra stars). They always have amazing soup options (tonight being Thai Coconut Curry which was faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaantastic) and the bowl is a meal all on it's own. They have an amazing patio outside for those warm summer days, and now that the smoking ban went through, the inside is just as inviting. $1 PBR pints most nights (not sure why they do it some nights and not others, but it will be on the specials board), cozy booths, and servers that although might be hipper than me, are more than happy to supply me with enough drinks and food to keep me continuously happy...during happy hour. They almost loose a star because they chose to not write our order down when we ordered, which I don't mind, but they didn't bring us all of the food that we ordered. It was also pub quiz night and I wish our server would have informed us so that we could have chosen a table right in front of the announcer (we were not participants, although maybe in the future!). They don't loose that star though because the pros definitely outweigh those cons. You can light my night anytime...
(5)
travis t.
Great food, great service, strong and creative drinks, great sidewalk seating, patio seating, and comfortable booths. This place does just about everything right.
(5)
Lauren G.
The Night Light, for me, serves as the perfect 'in between' of bars. It's nice enough and warm and attractive enough that people who don't like shitty bars (um, weird) are into it, but it's not too bousgie or expensive and you can smoke (just in that side room until after 9- then in the whole place), and they have one of the best juke boxes in town. And the big food menu and happy hour are pretty frickin delightful. I guess there are probably a lot of "pretty" people here too and it always seems like there's a lot of checking out going on, which is kind of skeezy to me, but is probably cool to someone. It's also really easy to settle into one of the booths and post up here. Because I hear ya, Ryan N., I've had some late crazy nights here. It took me a while to warm up to the Night Light because it seemed like they took themselves a little too seriously, but it's kind of undeniable that it's just a really solid bar.
(4)
Emily L.
I love the Night Light! It's my neighborhood bar, so I am a frequent customer. The staff is very kind and I've never had to wait long to be served. The different rooms offer different ambiance, so you can have a dark, cozy romantic dinner in the back room, or a shot and beer with friends in the front bar. The shots are HUGE and prices very reasonable. They pour a delicious Jameson and Ginger Ale. The happy hour food is great too. Love the cheese plate. I'm a big fan of the back patio as well. It's been great in the summer heat! The only "negative" comment comes from my boyfriend, who wishes they had TV's so he could watch sports. But, I prefer that they don't have TV's. It's definitely NOT a sports bar ... now he's just stuck having to talk to me. :) This is a great neighborhood bar!
(4)
John D.
Falafel sandwich was good. Side salad was really good. Decent outdoor seating. Reasonably priced. No complaints - a solid place I plan on going back to.
(4)
Paul P.
This place was a little jewel we just happened on. It caught our eye one evening after dinner at the Vindaloo across the street. We checked in for early happy hour. Very laid back, cozy, atmosphere on a cool rainy day. People there were everything from students studying, alone, casual discussions on couches, full meal burgers & sandwiches with lots of fresh veges & fries. Other people were chatting at the bar and a group in the back room. We tried some cocktails, mine was not memorable but my wife had a Tai Chili drink that flamed her lips initially but was so good she had another. The heat calms down. The main dishes looked good but we stayed with the Small Plates. We had the Steak Frites and the Fried Polenta. Both came with very fresh mixed salad/herbs. We could have gotten crazy ordering more but we had an engagement so will have to return. AND WE WILL. Along with the cozy bar atmosphere was a nice eclectic mix of music from old country to reggae, some hip hop and much in between. There appeared to be plenty of room for people in two back rooms and or groups. We might also try this place outside in better weather.
(5)
John M.
Love this place. I've frequented it with other musicians after rehearsals and recording sessions for the past few years, and I've always enjoyed the experience. Diverse bar with very reasonable prices.
(4)
Ellettra A.
I wanted to give this place more than 3 stars. To be fair, I think it just wasn't "for me," because it's not like it was a terrible bar. The beer was fine (a little heavy on the IPAs) and the food was just okay. The service was erratic. It took a good 20 minutes to get water and a menu, and then the server brought me the wrong beer (although by that time I didn't care). Then it took an HOUR to get our food (mac & cheese and a plate of nachos). Then some stumbly drunk & sunburned folks sat down next to us and were making fun of my SHOES, of all things (damn hipsters). By that time we were ready to leave, and I was kinda glad to get out of there. Food: just okay. Mac & Cheese was rich and delicious, but should not have taken an hour to cook. The Nachos were tasty, but it was a HUGE amount of chips and a dollop of toppings. The guac on the top was the best part of it. The beers were fine, although I didn't get what I actually ordered. Service: meh. Nice, but slow as all get out and ditzy. Prices: average (2 beers and nachos for $16). Crowd: hipsters, hipsters and more hipsters. Restrooms: clean and unisex. I can't say anything about the inside, but it looked pretty good and they had a live DJ as we were leaving.
(3)
Jessica B.
This used to be a go-to place. It seems as though the service has started to suffer recently. We had a terrible experience with a very rude bartender recently and would hesitate to go back should she be working. Also, the music inside is usually waaaay too loud. I hate having to yell at my fellow diners.
(2)
Hilary F.
Excellent happy hour here. I would fake a 'I-can't-cook-headache' so we could go here for dinner during happy hour. They have great beer of course, but go for the quesadillas, cheese plate, and nachos. Yes, I said 'and' not 'or'!!! In the summer it's nice to sit on the patio in the back.
(4)
Joe W.
Really starting to dig this neighborhood bar. I dropped by there for new years and it was really fun. they treated everyone to champagne and party hats. Servers are friendly, too. Best part: its SO much better now that its smoke free.
(4)
Christine S.
2100 SE Clinton St. Portland, Or Phone:503-7316-500 I literally stumbled upon this fantastic little bar last night in SE Portland! The main room with the bar was lit about like a night-light illuminates a room and as you walk further back it's nearly like a cave with some scattered candles and couches. Board games are stacked in the corner and on Sundays you can enter a spelling bee or trivia contest to compete for $50 or $20 gift certificates. Beers on tap include: Pabst Blue Ribbon 2 Stella Artois, Belgium 3.50 Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Bend OR 3.50 Terminal Gravity IPA, Enterprise OR 3.50 Amnesia Porter, Portland OR 3.50 Laurelwood Organic Free-Range Red, Portland OR 3.50 Ninkasi Believer Big-Bodied Amber, Eugene OR 3.50 Guinness 20 oz., Ireland 4.50 Signature and seasonal cocktails as well as white and red wines are also available. I had a Pomegranate Cosmo that was delicious! The happy hour and appetizer menu includes a mezza plate $7, cheese plate $7, Thai beef skewers, bacon wrapped scallops $8, Quesadilla, Mac n cheese. There are too many yummy options to list! Even there entrees are delicious and creative...Risotto de Primavera $8, Seared Ahi tuna $10, Sesame Chicken $10. I will definately be back!
(4)
Bluebear P.
this place has a super good happy hour menu, some unique specialty cocktails-- including the ''dr. spaceman''-- as well as a great outdoor patio which is open until 1am....it's a great spot for anyone who gets off work late and wants to find some good late night food and a refreshing cocktail. the ambiance is pretty chill and laid back, and the music selections are usually to my liking. this place would easily get four stars in my book except for the fact that the service is VERY hit or miss. either way, definitely a spot to check out, especially now that the weather is starting to heat up.
(3)
Jenn C.
Night Light was the third stop on our "De-hangover" post brewfest. We made it just perfectly for happy hour. Given that we had a HUGE breakfast at the Radio Room (see review), the two of us remaining opted for a couple of appetizers the prawns and the mezza platter (hummus). The service was fantastic (Dear Radio Room waitress--come by take a lesson) and the food was pretty great. Their hummus was unique and delicious. They had a decent selection of microbrews (do not fall for the Bro Brah ESB). The only disappointment was the gazpacho with the prawns not quite being a gazpacho--but that's ok it was still slurped up!
(4)
Janice P.
Death of my secret favorite brunch spot. In a town where a 45 minute wait for a mediocre brunch is the norm on a Sunday morning I celebrate and laugh at the sorry patrons of places like the Cricket Cafe as I baste myself in the bananas foster french toast (yes, that''s banan bread turned into french toast, oh my god doesn't come close) at the Night Light. This bar/lounge has a surprisingly fantastic brunch menu, and everything on the menu was extraordinary, simple yet exotic and fabulously tasty. Until today. I'm not sure if there is a new cook or if it was just a bad day, but they've eliminated a handful of things on the menu which made this place extraordinary. The succulant Croque Madame, the to-die-for Italian Scramble and *SOB* the Bananas Foster French Toast! Nooooooo. To top that off the Huevos Rancheros I ordered, was disappointing and pretty much inedible. The cook had no idea how to poach an egg. My poached eggs were cooked through (I would've ordered it hard boiled if I wanted a hard boiled egg), while my bf's poached eggs were barely (not) cooked, runny whites, runny yolks. The "tomatilla salsa" was nonexistant or was replaced by stale black bean water. The "steamed cornbread" was replaced by burnt, black, dry and stale yellow cardboard. And maybe I'm being overly critical and I shouldn't have ordered Huevos Rancheros at an american bruch bar/lounge. But the side of home fries that were so damn perfectly crisp and perfectly spiced last time I was here had become soggy oil nuggets. Even oil nuggets could've been forgiven (cos fat is so good) but the oil was either old or just bad because I'm pretty sure there was a hint of fish, maybe a gamey taste to the home fries. Which just means they've used the same oil they deep fried their fish or other meat to cook the potatoes, forgivable if I ordered fish and chips for lunch but absolutely disgusting when I'm eating it for brunch next to my bean water salsa. Where did your old cook go Night Light? Cos I wanna eat there.
(3)
Emily W.
The perfect place to get brunch and mimosas with the girls! Big cozy round seating, great service, yummy food, and did I mention the $10 bottomless Mimosas??? We relaxed and gossiped for 4 hours without any pressure or snobby attitude from the staff... who just kept bringing the drinks!
(5)
Dave N.
This place could be 5-stars for the friendly and smiley bartenders alone, but there is so much more to this joint. Fantastic food and a very unique, dark & woodsy & copper color scheme coupled with a very laid back shared booth or lounge style seating makes this a solid win for any occasion.
(5)
Brandy S.
Great food! Night Light also has a good selection of beers and cocktails. Come for the happy hour cheap eats, or stay for dinner - which is well priced too. The last time that I was here I had the best crab cakes with a spicy cole slaw. There were 3, but it was definitely a lot of food. They were divine. The menu changes with the seasons, because most of the food is from local sources.
(5)
Lu L.
Downside--Drinks on the h20 side -- well whiskey/coke & sangria. Sit away from the patio door entrance...Smoke and cold air mess with the interior air quality. Wait staff-- smiles and attentive. Food was awesome off the regular menu where all the Wow is to be found. See Small Plates: fried indian bread taco is possibly the only one on the menu in town and it works!! Bread 4" diam was chewy and chock full of buffalo. Buffalo slider yum and Steak Frites was served perfectly rare as requested though skimpy dose of fries will have you ordering extra plate ($3 on HHr) to soak up all that wild mushroom reduction still on the plate. HHr choices somewhat ltd to usual fare - nachos, soup n salad, mac n cheese. We spent $40 to fill up ordering the small plates above.
(3)
Liz G.
Wandered in here randomly after having some beers and listening to bluegrass at Ladd Circle, we didn't really expect too much. Damn were we wrong. I ordered the burger and the boy got the catfish sandwich and we went halvsies. The catfish was fried but not at all greasy, same with the hushpuppies. I actually thought the hushpuppies were a little on the dry side, but the boy loved them. The burger was all natrual beef and cooked to perfection. Our friend had some kind of white bean dip. He said he liked it but didn't give any details- he's not much of a talker. Our server was super chill too. When we asked what was good she was completely honest about what she liked and what she wasn't so much a fan of and why. They don't usually tell you what isn't good, I liked that. Good to know this place is here. Our new Tuesday night will be to see bluegrass across the street and Clinton Corner, then head here for food.
(4)
Phil M.
I have been going to Night light for the past 3 years. It has definitely changed since my first visit. Now it is a much more polished bar and restaurant. It has a solid beer selection and a good happy hour. The thing that really stood out to me the last time I visited is that the food has gotten pretty dang good. I had the Steak Frites and Yam Fritters last time and was very impressed. Worth checking out for sure. Also in the summer the back patio is great!
(4)
Bobby S.
Night Light's become another of my faves in the Clinton Dist. And in this hood, that's big praise! Abundant food options. Vegan friendly. Everything we've had, we've loved. Those sneaky staff members make it look like they're leisurely walking around, having a good time...while the drinks keep coming and the food manifests minutes after you've ordered it. And, lots of open space. It gets crowded, but it never FEELS crowded.
(5)
Kate S.
This is a great old stand by bar. You know it's going to be good. Good music, good atmosphere, good drinks (and good happy hour deals till 7:00). Great vibe. Rather than order happy hour food though, I split a caesar salad and grilled scallops with a friend and it was more than enough food and very tasty! The place gets kinda smoky at night, but that's part of the scene.
(4)
Ryan N.
Killer vibe. Good crowd. Fun DJs. It seems like whenever I go here I get myself into some kind of trouble. I don't know if someone is slipping me roofies or something, but usually the last thing I remember after a night here is stumbling out of a cab (or, ahem... Pushing someone down the street in a shopping cart).
(4)
Em H.
Maybe the best falafel i've had in a while. This place is kind of costly but its a nice space and the food is good.
(3)
Krista T.
Three and a half. Okay, four. The space is deceptively big with some tables, booths, couches and bar seating. The service didn't stand out, but the waitress did come check on our back table often enough. The drinks are pretty well priced, which helps. They had a dj and great music, but there was no place to move your feet. Everyone was just standing around watching the dj which got boring in about 30 seconds. If they had moved the tables that were right in front of the turntables and cleared some dance space, I think it would have been a lot more fun. I am not sure I'll go back for the music, but I'll go back with friends to hang out.
(4)
Chelsea L.
Nightlight has some good drinks. I love their whiskey-based specials at decent prices. I love that they have a few vegan food options as well. I had the falafel plate for the first time last week and was impressed by how tasty it was. The fries are perfectly cooked and not too thin or thick cut. The atmosphere is laid back and seats can usually be found for good conversation with friends. This place is also nicely located and within walking distance for myself, which is always a bonus for a bar.
(4)
Erin K.
We checked this out for happy hour and were very pleased with the result. We tried the nacho, cheese plate, and caesar salad, and it was all good and cheap. They had $1.50 PBR pints which were refreshing and were thoroughly enjoyed on their lovely patio out back. I wish I would have noticed their drink special of the night, it was a $5 tropical concoction of some sort that sounded divine.
(4)
Kathleen G.
Best bar food in Portland! I'm not sure how this place got negative reviews because I've never had a bad experience there. I live nearby and it's one of my favorite regular spots to hang. They serve food til very late and it's always so gourmet and delicious with such an interesting variety on the menu and the specials board that I often forget I'm in a bar. The bartenders are nice, they recently updated the look and feel of the bar and the music's usually pretty good. It's a great place to take people getting off work or for a small birthday gathering or even for lunch or happy hour. Great place overall.
(5)
Courtney D.
Cheap, gourmet dinners add to charming lounge How cool to find maybe the best crab cakes in Portland at a lounge no doubt and for only $9! These weren't the frozen kind that they sometimes import at other places made with blue crab but rather with the Pacific Northwest favorite, Dungeness crab. They've also got plenty of yummy comfort food such as as quesadillas , sandwiches and some killer nachos. Locals will tell you, though, that they come here after work for the stiff cocktails, and you can get them for only $2.50 during happy hour. Overall, this is a cozy lounge with a friendly vibe -- one that you'd like to hangout in all night. The fact that you can also get a gourmet dinner for less than $10 just adds to its charm. Tip: They have live music four nights a week with no cover.
(5)
Christian M.
Update: they ditched the pool table because it was causing fights, but this is still the main "standard" for me and my girl. The Spicy Mac & Cheese is good, their new Sunday Brunch is great, the drink specials are always an adventure in mixology, and it's all-around one of the best eating bars in town (late night menu, for the win.) I go here all the time, but avoid it like the plague on weekends (including Friday) and on nice days. It's not that I don't like a crowd, but the place attracts a very suburban or "up town" element that doesn't like to see me around (I don't wear 50 dollar T-shirts, go to a salon, or have a brand new North Face jacket, so I'm craaaazy). But the food (sorta pricey) is good, the happy hour is cool, if you're at all regular they treat you right, the staff (especially Eli! *swoon*) is more friendly than almost any other place I've seen, and every single time I go there and read at the bar I end up having a great conversation over the great beers they circulate on tap. btw, with the patio and the back room and usually fantastic art and good music selection (though the jukebox is gone) and the pool table, it's a really good place to take a date.
(5)
kristen p.
Great Happy hour seven days a week and the patio is one of the better outdoor spaces in S.E., though small.
(4)
Dan H.
I live a little too far away to really frequent this place, but it seems like the perfect neighborhood lounge. The clientele seem pretty friendly, they've got a full bar, good selection of beers, and a pool table. There was even a live DJ one night, but the music selection was pretty tame. Truthfully, it was a little too loud to really hold a discussion with someone you've never met before. Didn't try the food, and I think I agree that it would be hard to compare with Hammy's next door. I don't think there's really a lot of space for a group larger than 5. I gave it 3 stars, but it's really 3.5.
(3)
Eddy B.
The local art that occupies the walls, the dim lighting, the absolutely delicious food, topped with the great service made this place a night lounge to be molded after. Then the manager left to pursue his own dreams. I am all for that. But apparently that left a big hole that the owners mistakenly filled with the wrong personnel. A bartender or server can absolutely ruin an experience and can be devastating to the establishments priority of cultivating new clientele. This is where this place now suffers. There is no gratitude coming from the "lead" bartender. She approaches you like shes tired and she could care less if you were there and or ever came back. This is an awesome place to go and the food is great, BUT if that gal is working then go back another time because her ungratefulness might steer you way from this place. And thats unfortunate because this is possibly the best casual late night spot in the area.
(3)
heather d.
Great place. Happy hour is the best. Nachos are my favorite - piled high with sour cream and guacamole. Also, it seems like wine is never on special during most happy hours and it is always a $1 off a glass here. Cottage fries are super yum - but I see that they took the sliders off the menu - bummer, because they were amazing. For the most part the servers are friendly and the patio is very nice - just wish they didn't allow smoking.
(4)
C.J. M.
good bar food yum! also a great patio for smokers!
(4)
Jeff B.
This was one of our first hangouts when we first discovered "P-Town" years ago. Cozy spot off the beaten track. Happy hour was good, especially the cheese platter, though, not as good as when first had this. Not a huge beer selection, though i do like the Laurelwood Red and there was a beet and candied hazelnut salad they used to have that was good. Still has a place in our heart, but more for the reason from the first line above.
(4)
John H.
good food and great service. The seared Ahi was great and only 12$. The staff was very good. Will go back
(4)
Devon D.
this place has grown on me. true, i have experienced some absolutely abhorrent service here, but... their happy hour is good, their $10 bottomless mimosas on the weekends are unbeatable, the food is good bar fare, and i dig the vibe inside and out on the patio (though you CAN smoke out there, which makes for some funky dining if you happen to be a non-smoker and eating). check it if you're in the hood.
(4)
christina h.
happy hour till 7, 7 days a week = awesome. especially with $1.50 pbrs olympia in can! the atmosphere was great, almost like being in your living room, except that it is full of strangers who burst into a chorus of the golden girls theme song. oh wait, that's happened in my living room before.. never mind i'll stick to my original statement. and they have games which require no intelligence what-so-ever such as sorry and connect four. or if you feel like enhancing your brain power grab something a little more challenging like pictionary (unfortunately this is what we played and i am NOT good at this game). my only disappointment was in the snacks. yes they serve an assortment of interesting goodies, but its a tad on the expensive side for what you get and not as delicious as i had hoped. overall.. im in.
I loved the booth we snagged and the option of board games. The service was pretty darn attentive, but the orders took too much time to fulfill(appetizers took at least 15 minutes). 4 of us ordered the drink special named "Un-Zipperhead" which was described as a Raspberry vodka press. Sounds yummy right? Wrong. It was $4.50 and had next to nothing flavor and I tried getting it down for an hour. Maybe some people would love but eh I think it was way too watered down and needed a lime garnish or another splash of soda. The crab artichoke dip and sliced baguette was awesome though, as were the fries. I will most likely come back if invited with a friend but order different drinks and come during happy hour.
(3)
Nicola W.
Great happy hour food and prices! Love the caesar salad and their quesidilla. Especially a great place to hang out in the summer outside on their patio. Service is friendly and fast. Nice atmosphere.
(4)
Brenna S.
The Night Light has one of THE best happy hours around. $1 off beer, wine and well... not bad, but the food is where it's at. A happy hour with healthy selections is always key in my book. The udon-miso soup is absolutely delicious and I really never knew how good a chicken quesadilla could be! The indoor decor and ambiance is quite hip, and during the summer they have a kick-ass deck open out back.
(4)
Jill R.
I was not sure what to expect because of the looks of the outside, but it had a really good feel once inside. The couches are cozy, and the big round booths are great for larger groups. They have boardgames! Why does that impress me? The drinks and the food were really good, and they have a nice happy hour. The service was not stellar, but making trips back to the bar to get drinks was not bad. If I lived closer this would definitely be one of my regular spots.
(4)
Mary B.
The Cheers bar of SE PDX -- great neighborhood bar! The Night Light has a great happy hour (you can't beat it!), and their nachos are the best. I've been coming here for a few years, and I was a bit concerned with the new chef they got a couple of years ago. They took some things off the menu, and changed some things around, but it seems to have worked out. Most nights are great, and there's a great outdoor scene, but I was in there last Thursday night, and for some reason, the DJ felt it necessary to play really loud punk/metal. It sucked. Also, they've removed the pool table (boo!) to add a booth (okay). All around the best deal and the best people in the neighborhood.
(5)
Anne S.
I have wanted to go to this place ever since my bus ride home each night drove by it. I love the way it looks from the outside and it always seems like there is a crowd. I went here for the first time last week and, sadly, only had a beer so I don't have much to report. I did like the ambiance, the service was decent and they were playing good tunes on their juke box. The three stars is just because I only experienced beer on the menu...and how can you screw up beer?
(3)
Kimberly V.
Night Light reminds me of the reasons why P-Town both charmed and perplexed me when I arrived here, heartbroken and sleepy from my recent break with San Francheesy, a little over a year ago. There was a gregarious doorman, an audio soundtrack straight out of my iPod, and my tasty pomegranate Cosmo. I've always been impressed with the friendliness of most P-Town denizens, the plethora of aural stimuli (minus the baffling shouts of crackheads outside my window that I got so used to in SF), and the emphasis on seasonal fruits. Yum yum. Then the allowance of indoor smoking, pretty unfamiliar at first to a semi-Northern Californian, is like tar icing on the cake. But the novelty wears off every time I register how I'm sitting in a poorly ventilated haze that makes it hard to breathe despite how many antioxidants my pomegranate cocktail contains. Then I miss the strict anti-smoking laws of San Francheesy enough to tweak my teeth. Granted, that could all change in a year given the push for an indoor smoking ban. But until then, it's more like a rebound crush than a long-term love.
(3)
Colin P.
The times I have spent at the Night Light have been good ones. I like the space, enjoy the couches, and the cute staff certainly doesn't hurt the place. Interesting mix of people and there is outdoor seating for the last few nice evenings left.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Late Night Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Music : Background Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Kemi A.
We weren't supposed to come here. We were in the area and I remember walking by it and seeing the posters of rock stars on the walls and thought it was cool. Then we found ourselves in the middle of the Naked Bike Ride. After seeing enough naughty bits to last a lifetime, we were going to go to another bar but darn bikers had blocked the roads with their protesting (of what, I don't know?) so I pulled out Yelp and this place showed up. I'm glad I went because it's a really cool bar. It has a lot of space, one main room where the bar is, then more on the back, and even a patio area on the outside! The bartender is QUICK with your order and they are super friendly. Music was pumping and everyone was having a good time. The food and drink were spot on. Overall good times!
(5)Shy A.
It could easily be 4 but there were a few things lacking. First, service is so-so. I had to ask for coffee several times before I got my mug. We got one check in after we got our food so our coffee, oj for the mimosas and water remained empty. Everyone was super nice, but a bit negligent. The food was good but I'm not sure it's good enough for me to come running back.
(3)Emie O.
Atmosphere is great but the citrus chili salad is WAY too hot. You say the jalapeños are pickled but I disagree. Come on guys are you trying to give me an ulcer? That biz hurt real bad. Totally inedible salad :'+ muy triste. I left a note on my receipt saying my issue and they took it off my tab. Fire lovers beware this salad is hotter than Hades.
(4)Christine S.
This is one of my favorite bars in Portland. I think anyone would be able to find something they like on both the drink and food menus. I like that they have several places to sit - you can sit in a boothy-lounge type area, at a table if you have more people, at a higher table in the back with a date, at the bar, or outside on the patio or out front, which gives you a great opportunity for people watching. I haven't found anything on the menu I don't like. The veggie burger is great, as is the citrus prawns chili salad and the quinoa dish. I've also tried the stuffed acorn squash and was impressed. The only "complaint" I have is that we went here for brunch once and didn't have the best experience. The waitress ended up abandoning us halfway through our time there and then brought me the wrong drink. I was practically eating my arm by the time our food arrived, but it was still a good meal. I also have to admit I appreciate that you don't have to wait hours to get seated. Overall, this place deserves a 5 for happy hour and late night I think, but I wasn't quite as dazzled by my brunch experience.
(4)Amy W.
The food's pretty good (and the happy hour menu is a steal!) But what I really come for are the delicious selection of beers, friendly atmosphere, and patio.
(4)Melody L.
I am a regular here and it was crazy busy tonight but so worth the crowd. It was blazing hot and the purple haze was so refreshing and was exactly what we needed. It was hard to find seating inside but the waiter was super helpful. I was impressed at the service... It wasn't fast but it was quick and he was super kind. The music was great and the atmosphere easy to chat in.
(4)Ben H.
Great brunch spot. The waiters dress up in themed costumes every Sunday. They were ninjas this weekend and fairies last weekend. The food is excellent, and I highly recommend the biscuits and gravy or the banana French toast. The art and decorations are a ton of fun, and the copper lined table tops add a third dimension of flair to an already exciting personality. On sunny days, they open up the back patio, which is an ideal spot to drink mimosas or Bloody Mary's (or both).
(5)Kait K.
I forgot how much I loved this bar until last night when I had friends visiting from eastern Washington and we were at whiskey soda lounge (which they were pretty disappointed with) and asked me where we should go next to rectify their south east bar experience. A few years ago I lived right around the corner from Night Light and it was always a great time so we trekked down and it was so worth it. First of all there was one person behind the bar and they has stopped table service and she was killlllllin it. Not only was she roaring through everyone's orders but she makes a fabulous martini. I was with about 8-10 people and they ordered 6 entrees or so to share and they LOVED every single one. The Mac and cheese is where it's at. The house mac last night was bell pepper and broccoli, it was perfectly creamy and delicious, the beef stew was out of this world and my personal favorite, the spicy Mac was devoured. There's a big patio area so you can sit outside and enjoy your drinks (and smoke as many of my friends do). What else can I say? Great art on the walls, great music, awesome service and my out of town friends had a wonderful time.
(5)Nicole Y.
After searching on Yelp for a place that does bottomless mimosas I came across the Night Light Lounge. However, once I got there we didn't see any mention of it on the menu and when we asked we were told that they do glasses of mimosas and mimosas by the bottle. We were disappointed but got the mimosas by the bottle for the two of us. We got the banana bread french toast which was DELICIOUS. I would definitely come to this place again it is a very cute place for brunch with a nice selection.
(3)Lee F.
For years this neighborhood bar and restaurant has had outstanding food, service and drinks. On our last three visits the food has headed strongly to mediocrity. The prices haven't changed, so they may have had to adjust the quality to compensate for increased costs. The classic Steak Frites once complex, meticulously prepared and cooked to perfection with shiitake mushrooms, spinach,two sauces and excellent fried potatoes is now always overcooked with button mushrooms and leeks in a thin tasteless cream sauce. The classic Caesar Salad was over-dressed with a ghastly creamy dressing. I was floored, it has always been exceptional in the past. The once excellent bread pudding has devolved into marischino cherry studded slices of least-common-denominator sweet mush. We are resigned to our fate, The Night Light Lounge is no longer on our list of favorites. It is sad...
(3)Tania B.
Oh Nightlight. Your burger is delicious and drinks are stiff. Why did it take me so long to discover this little place? Dive bar prices in a much nicer setting. We will keep coming back.
(4)Latasha M.
Oh nightlight, you've lost your charm. The food has gone down hill and the most of the great staff is no longer there. Be careful when ordering a burger or any meat for that matter unless you want literally raw with a nice brown on the outside or over cooked.. I only give 3 stars instead of 2 for the kindness of my server in comping my drink when I decided not eat.
(3)Nick D.
We had a large party of 8 and accidentally sat where someone was scheduled to sell T-shirts. The male host was very rude. He barked at us that we could not sit there and then ignored us when I asked for help finding a spot. After I repeated myself he told me I got push some tables together but still did not help. Our waitress was nice. Food and drinks were fine. I would not go back. I do not recommend. I like to go to places where they appreciate their customers.
(2)Grant S.
Chill, unassuming, trendy but not to snazzy - the Nightlight is all the cool things about SE bars rolled into one. The drinks are good, haven't tried anything on the menu that didn't hit the spot, and it's all pretty cheap. Whether you're stumbling in for shots or having a leisurely summer dinner out front, the Nightlight can hang with the party or with the dinner date.
(5)Christian H.
Good and drinks are wonderful. Service is terrible. Guests shouldn't have to add up their tab and do the math for the server....
(1)Adam H.
This place is usually pretty decent for dinner and drinks. But for the love of God do not being more than 3 people if you are looking to be fed within the first 2 hours of arriving. We had a party if 6, we found a decent enough place to sit. Only our server took 45 minutes to actually take our order. Then another hour and a half for the food to actually arrive. The food is great but 2 hours of coffee and hunger just made me decide that it's more worth it to just wait for Broder since it's taking all afternoon to actually eat. Our server was constantly avoiding eye contact. And seemed very reluctant to give us any kind of update on what was going on. We had to ask another server to actually check for us before our server decided to pay any attention to us. This place is good for drinks and snacks only. Never again will I try to brunch here.
(2)Ashley M.
Happy hour: yes. Breakfast: NO. Big no. Like I almost just got up and left despite having drank 8 cups of coffee and quivering like a highly caffeinated leaf. Not only did we wait for an hour and a half, we were ignored by our waitress who was actively ignoring eye contact. We watched as everyone around us who came after U.S. received food and out waitress wouldn't come within a 5 foot radius of us. We finally caught her and she gave a half hearted random apology and we waited again. Food was luke warm and we were too angry and hungry to return. Not doing breakfast here again.
(2)Liz T.
I'm a fan of this place, but you've got to have the right expectations. I see lots of other yelpers were annoyed with the smoking on the patio and I was expecting it. However, it's a decent sized space and I didn't notice the smoking at all. There was enough air moving through that only occasionally I'd whiff. The outdoor seats were comfy, the lighting was cute, and I really liked the overhanging vines. The food was alright and the menu a bit limited. Prices were fantastic and service was pretty good. The bathrooms had graffiti all over them, which didn't quite go with the theme of the lounge. The bathrooms were gross and not well kempt.
(3)Caleb B.
I love this place. Whether I'm here grabbing a drink alone or with a group of friends, I always seem to have a kickass time here. It's dark and cozy, but still open so no claustrophobia. Awesome all-season patio. Can be a little smokey out there at times, but it's a good size. Covered with heaters. Pretty mellow on weekday nights and weekend mornings (killer brunch menu) it can be incredibly busy Thursday - Sunday nights. Great beer selection. Nice cocktail list. The food is exceptional. If you're looking for a burger, theirs is good. Also, the buffalo stew. Shoot dang. It is FINE. Good nachos. But don't be fooled, they have lighter stuff, too. Add in a great early and late night happy hour and you've got a winner.
(5)Michael V.
I have had my issues with this place in the past (as have many people I know) but I went here on Xmas eve and had a nice bite and a drink so it is off my 'won't go there' list for now.
(4)Laura K.
Was in the neighbourhood and feeling super hungry. Headed for a sushi place across the street but that was closed and then saw this place. Didn't look especially inviting from the outside but decided to give it a go since we didn't feel like searching any longer. What a great place! I had a house hamburger with avocado and although I'm definitely no expert when it comes to hamburgers this was one was delicious! One of the best I've ever had - juicy, fresh and tasty. Also liked the fries very much. Atmosphere was great, staff were friendly and the music was way too loud for me (hey, I'm old, I'm allowed to say music was too loud :P). However it did not affect my rating. Very enjoyable visit, would go back in a heartbeat.
(5)Melinda H.
The burger was pretty standard. Not bad not amazing. But good. The cornbeef sandwich. ....BEWARE . It has more fat than meat and was not appetizing at all. Service was ok; a little slow for not being a busy atmosphere. We definitely waited longer than we should have. But not horrible. But if you take one thing away from this message...... Stay away from the corn beef! FYI...I am Jewish; I know a good cornbeef and pastrami sandwich when I have one! Our server was awesome and took it off our tab because we mentioned how bad it was. She also said she would tell the chef. :-)
(3)Richard F.
If you're not in the mood to wait 2 hours at other weekend breakfast establishments, this is a great option! Decent food and mimosas in a lively atmosphere.
(4)Samantha L.
Had a WONDERFUL Saturday brunch here! There was surprisingly no wait, it was clean, full of interesting artwork, and the server was friendly and helpful. Their specials were awesome; I went for the "Scramble" which came to the table hot and full and flavor. The bacon (I really love bacon, so I think it's worth singling out) was perfectly cooked and the mimosas were tasty too! Perfect portions. They do a deal where you can pay $12 for a bottle and juice. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. I'm definitely coming back here again! For my own selfish reasoning, I just hope the weekend brunch crowd doesn't catch on to this gem ;)
(5)Anastasia K.
The food was delicious and can't argue with bottomless mimosas, but it took 10 minutes to get our order taken and another hour and 15 to get our food. The restaurant was packed with participants of the Shamrock run. It was great food after running a 15K! Sooo many hungry people. I'd return and give them another chance to deliver quicker service for the sale of the food, good atmosphere and mimosas for sure.
(3)Amy M.
Night Light has amazing food. I love how they incorporate a vegan menu along with their regular menu. We went for brunch the morning after Halloween, it was busy and we waited a while for our food and drinks, but it was well worth the wait. I would've given them 5 stars, but the wait time is what's holding me back from giving them the last star. Maybe have more servers/bussers on the busy weekends and you'll see a ton of 5 star reviews, but nonetheless it was absolutely delicious food!
(4)Colin M.
The happy hour is great. The breakfast is great. The $10 bottomless mimosas are great. And the service is topnotch. Very cool place.
(5)Lin J.
Piss POOR experience Patio was a SMOKING GAG CHAMBER actually in violation of legal requirement of 10 ft from any door. Service was RUDE and ARROGANT. Then w only 4 friends at a table the RUDE waiter added a MANDATORY 20% tip Drinks and HH food were good IF you can deal with the rude service and don't mind waiting 45 minutes for someone to take your order. Will NOT go back....sooooooooooo many other better places (most of which don't make non-smoking patrons GAG on the others smoke as if it were a constitutional right.
(1)Eric R.
I'll admit that I didn't head to Clinton St. with plans to go to Night Light Lounge. In fact, I was on the way to the sushi joint across the street, but I didn't have the biggest conviction on my sushi plans. We biked over to the area, and saw the bike parking in front of Night Light and rode over to lock up. While putting our locks on, I popped up to look at the menu for Night Light and decided to give it a shot. Our food was delicious. We had a polenta appetizer, goat cheese and quinoa salad, and a veggie with tofu stir fry at our table. All three were winners with great flavors and fresh tastes. We were completely happy with our meals. The server definitely appeared to have delusions of grandeur, and the service wasn't particularly fast, but the food was awesome.
(4)Jessica K.
I love the Night Light. Whenever I visit I get to transform into someone cooler than I really am. I get to sip on some top notch beers or cocktails and chat up the even cooler servers. I can pose out on that sweet patio. I even get to act like I ordered the best dish in the place whether it's that delightful quinoa, goat cheese and beet salad, the tender pork verde or even that sinful Mac and cheese. Definitely the Mac and cheese... Especially the Mac and cheese, it is perfectly creamy with a balanced level of spice. One of these days I will try their legendary brunch, but maybe I'm too cool for that... It's all pretty magical until I leave and realize I had my shirt on backwards all night. Doh! Until next time!
(4)Mary D.
I found this place after searching "bottomless mimosas" on yelp. Just to clarify for fellow yelpers: the deal is a $12 bottle, not bottomless for a flat price. Still a great deal, the food and atmosphere were awesome!
(5)Heather V.
Ok, I still love this place, but I wanted you all to know -- the veggie burgers here are gross. I was devastated to learn that one of my fave little gems in PDX, that has such great food usually, has such *bad* veggie burgers. They are homemade, yes, but heavily deep fried, they are giant fried blobs on a bun, omg -- nasty. Being a veggie off and on most of my life, I've had a lot of veggie burgers (the waitress said that most are fried, you just don't know it), and let me assure you, this was the *first time* I'd ever noticed a burger being fried at all. Imagine the fried-ness of fish and chips. Yep, not cool. I still love you though.
(4)Mike P.
This place is a consistent overachiever. The menu is limited, but everything we've had is really tasty. (My longtime favorite is the buffalo stew with corn dumplings.) There's always a great selection of fresh beer, and service is excellent, especially since they are often really busy. My wife and I live in the neighborhood and are older than the average customer here by about 30 years. We come to eat, most often in the summer, when we sit on the patio. Smoke rarely bothers us on the patio -- there are 2 non-smoking tables, and it's open air, so smoke dissipates fast. In winter, we tend to stay away, because the music inside is loud, and I wind up hoarse from trying to yell over it. Maybe the music could be lower during early eating time, and turn it up later? Anyway, we consider the Night Light Lounge a neighborhood gem. And let me add shout-out to Jack, an excellent and personable waiter who's served us many times.
(5)Sandi B.
The most amazing burger I've ever had...in your travels to Portland... You should really give this place try...
(5)Andrea S.
Excellent food. Compared with other brunch places in Portland, this is like a still undiscovered gem! We had 12 people in our party and every single plate came out exactly as ordered. Didn't hurt that we were able to make reservations!!!!
(5)Nick H.
A solid 4, for now. Could easily be a 5 on the next visit. Came late night with friends, and the good thing was this place is open till 2 everyday. It's a lounge atmosphere, but with no trashy feel. The music is also just right, loud enough to block out conversations at the next table. The food is great overall, including the late night cooking. Happy hour is also great. Prices and cleanliness are also good. There really isn't much to criticize. We got the spicy mac and cheese (ok tasting), nachos (decent and come with the fixings), loaded house fries (great), and the "8 hour pork" meal. The meal was amazing, the pork just slid off the fork (no knife needed), the green beans just right, and the grits were nice and buttery. Definitely bookmarking and returning.
(4)Jessica G.
Went in the other night because they are open late and serve a full menu at that time which is exciting. The cocktails were good but the food was pretty meh. I had the Meza Plate which I found to be unappetizing but the truffle fries were good. Really no complaints but not my favorite. A good looking menu but in reality its a step above bar food at best. Oh and...the music.... 0_o
(2)Tre D.
This place is pretty sweet. Food and drinks are good and cheap, service is good and seating arrangements are comfortable. Good for groups of 4-6. Anything more and it might be hard to find a good spot. The back patio is pretty cool but it seems like everyone back there smokes cigs. It'd be nice if Night Light had a no smoking policy, because breathing in 2nd hand smoke isn't fun.
(4)Logan R.
great drinks
(4)Cynthia T.
I came here for a friend's birthday party and had a terrible experience. Our waiter took an hour to come ask us what drinks we wanted.... One hour. I understand that since it was such a large group that it could have been intimidating, but that does not excuse is waiting an hour. After we placed or drink order, it was another 30 minutes before he returned to take our food order. He did not come on his own volition, someone from our table had to go find him to tell him we were ready to order. Eventually the food came and we enjoyed it. The buffalo stew had a lot of good flavors and the short ribs were cooked perfectly. No complaints about the food. Back to the service. After being there for a couple of hours, we decided it was time to leave. My husband asked him for the check and paid for it. After he paid, I thought I'd look to make sure everything was charged correctly. He charged us for some "song of bird" drink that cost $7 that we did not even order, replacing my $2.50 iced tea with that. This was infuriating but worthless to argue about since he disappeared again. I'm not sure if they were short on staff but the service was really atrocious. So the rating for the food was a 4 star. The service was a 1 star. I don't think I will be coming back here unless the service improves.
(2)Brittanie M.
This is a pretty cool place and has a nice layout. There seems to be plenty of seating and they have a great menu. Both food and cocktails! Lots of gluten free and veg options too! The service is really stand out and even the prices are more than reasonable. Can't wait to go back!
(4)Pamela S.
We used to LOVE this place. When I say love I mean we went to the Night Light two or three times a week and spent $70-$100 each time. On Happy Hour. We stopped going a few months ago when the place took a distinct downward turn. First, the music. We started being able to tell which bartender was working before we even got to the door because the death metal would be blaring out of the place at a volume that would burst your eardrums. It would be so freaking loud that you would have to yell at the people at your table, to the server, or just give up and sit there in silence. I like music. I like music in a bar. But I also like being able to converse with the people I'm with. I think I suffered permanent hearing loss in that place. Then, the Night Light did something terrible. They changed their Happy Hour menu. Didn't just change it, but took everything we loved off of it. We showed up one day and every single thing that we would order was off the menu. There was a new guy working and I asked him about it and he said "yeah, we took all that stuff off." When I pointed out that nothing had replaced it he just looked at me blankly. Seriously. If you are going to remove items from a menu, you should probably replace them with other things. We paid for our drinks and high tailed it over to Gold Dust Meridian. We had already been fed up by the music volume. We are saving that $250 a week that we used to spend at the Night Light and are spending it elsewhere.
(2)Jocelyn T.
Delicious food, especially the cheese grits!! Great service for brunch and I've never had a long wait, even on the weekend.
(4)Tom J.
Unfortunately, I have to downgrade my review of this place based upon yesterday's visit. The atmosphere, etc, was still great, but we think they're either not practicing good sanitation in the kitchen or using food that's past it's prime. While we didn't feel quite food poisoned, we weren't feeling good. I had a few seabreezes, which are just vodka and juice, plus a Caesar salad with chicken. Afterward, my roommate and I went grocery shopping, and I had to run to their restroom twice. Montezuma's revenge for sure and a very upset stomach. My roommate had a burger, which was rare to the point of being extremely bloody. He didn't like this, but said he was starving and ate it anyway. A couple of hours later, he said he felt sick and like he was going to throw up. Sorry, Nightlight, this is not okay.
(3)Jennifer B.
I learned of this place from a friend and loved it at first. Pretty good food and drinks. I went weekly but lately I have been very disappointed. The last two times I went I waited over an hour for food so tonight I ordered my dinner to go. Things were carelessly thrown into a bag, food all over the outsides of the containers, and hair in my salad. This is my last time going here. Their carefree attitude towards presentation and customer service has forced me to never return. I will say that it is probably a great place if you're just going for drinks at the bar but if you're at a table expect a wait.
(2)Kimmy A.
I love this place. The food is consistently tasty, the drinks are cheap, and the ambience is great. Definitely worth a try if you've never been!
(5)Kelsie V.
good place. they have a good enviro for good beer, it'sa dark setting. kind of hipster. I wandered in after an look at some eyewear across the street. the bartender wasn't friendly, I didn't want to stay, but hadn't been out in awhile---so I did stay, despite the reception. no comment on current food. I did come here years ago with a good boyfriend. So, legit in my opinion. But, now, not sure it's all that.
(3)Jenna C.
Nightlight is a solid choice for going out. Good drinks, food is good for a bar, but I wouldn't come here just to eat. I like the casual atmosphere, and the outside seating options are nice. Happy has excellent deals.
(4)Kris K.
I've been going here for about three years and enjoyed it until last night (New Years Eve). Noisemakers were provided on platters. My friends and I used them once the clock struck midnight, got a little carried away, but were certainly not the only ones doing so. Rather than telling us to keep quiet, a member of the waitstaff decided to try ripping it out of my mouth and yelling. He then ran to the back before I could respond. What a tough guy. Tip: If you don't want people to use noisemakers, don't provide them. It's pretty simple. My friends have dealt with pretty poor/rude service here recently as well. We've spent hundreds here on tabs and tips, but I doubt we'll be coming back. With so many great bars in the neighborhood, coming back here would be a waste.
(1)Jana R.
Drinks were just ok. I didn't t really like the menu. Frys were great. Service was excellent. Fairly empty so we found good seats. Went with a group and easily found a seat. I am not sure what happened this us ed to be one of my favorite bars.
(3)C W.
I love love this bar. On Friday and Saturday its packed full and busy and noisy and a great place to drink with your friends, but during the day its a cozy dark hole of a place with good music. I work across the street and its the perfect place to grab food before a long shift or just sit and read while u stuff ur face with some deliciousness
(5)Diane J.
Open late and serving food at special happy hour prices too. Happy hour small plates has 2 times - the normal and the late night. Full meals are amazing. Very well prepared. Especially love the Buffalo stew...so good! Pretty much tried everything on the menu several times, and then the new plates too. Pork Chile Verde, yum. Lemon Polenta Yum. Some kind of Asian noodle thing from the dinner menu - husband ordered it and I ate some - very very good, sorry don't remember the exact menu name. Always very impressed with the food and the preparation of it - worth going here because their chefs are great, a real treat and a cool but relaxed atmosphere for a night out. Great beer selection with a little happy hour discount price too. Great patio - heated and covered so you can enjoy it all year.
(5)Sherry S.
Daughter said she'd buy me a birthday meal. Thought Night Light would fit the bill. Had their quinoa/arugala/beet/goat cheese salad.. my my.. fresh/tasty and great portions for a great price. She got the spicy mac and cheese. Ms. Skinny girl could barely finish it so guess I had to. So dang creamy!!!! Also got a couple of pineapple mimosas, 4.00 each. Wow!
(4)Don B.
The Night Light falls is well-positioned to be a super awesome bar. It has a solid drink selection, great drink prices, tasty-enough food, great food prices, a generous happy hour, a covered patio, a dark interior and friendly staff. Honestly, that's really all you need to know about this place. Well, that and a lack of pretense. This is totally a great spot for groups to gather for drinks that may turn a little rambunctious. Perfect for mimosa-laden Sunday Fundays, soused happy hours, late night after-dinner extended drinking... you name it. It has all the elements of your favorite dive bar but as a mad bonus, it has better booze, food, service and atmosphere. Yeah, I can dig it.
(4)Heidi L.
We had the worst service at happy hour, on a Saturday evening! TERRIBLE, however the food was good enough to give brunch a try, and we had STELLAR service last Sunday, plus really excellent food!! The grits special was fantastic!
(4)Marianne S.
I have been to the Night Light twice now. The first time I went was for happy hour and it was superb! We ordered nachos, fries, the creamy mac, and a caeser salad to share. It was more than enough food and for $3 to $5 a dish, that can't be beat! I love the atmosphere of the Night Light too. It's very swanky and they have heated patio that looks like it would be a lot of fun in the summer! After getting an unexpected Saturday off, I decided to get some friends together and go to brunch and I wanted one that had bottomless mimosas. The Night Light had just that! When I first got there it was just me and one other friend of mine. The place wasn't too busy, it was almost 11am. We ordered our bottomless mimosas and we were a little worried that they wouldn't be that quick with our refills, but our waitress was wonderful! Even before we finished one mimosa she brought us another one. She was on top of it and did not make us feel guilty for getting our money's worth. When another friend finally showed up, she too, got the bottomless mimosas and our waitress decided to bring us a pitcher of orange juice and a whole bottle of champagne. When we finished that one, it was about 3 minutes before Brunch was over, but our waitress still asked us if we would like another mimosa each and of course we did! As far as the food on the brunch menu, there wasn't a whole lot to choose from, but everything looked amazing. I finally decided on one of the omelet specials, carmalized onions, roasted red peppers, and gouda cheese. Oh it was to die for! It also came with roasted potatoes and toast. I will definitely be back here for happy hour and brunch! This is quickly becoming my new favorite spot!
(5)Kevin V.
I've been here many times over the years and the service and food have always remained consistent and good. Night Light Fries, I love you! They have happy hour until 7 which makes it a great after work meeting spot to unwind with a friend or coworkers. For a bar, the food is really quite good and the table service is a huge plus. Thank you Night Light Lounge!
(4)Kelly J.
Everything last night was great, our drinks, our server, the food, but the greatest of all was the 60 minute insane psychedelic metal space jam on the bartender's playlist! It cracked me up because my friend (the birthday boy) kept telling us how romantic and datey it was there so the music was especially enjoyed. It took the serious ambience down a notch. I will be back soon!
(4)Annette O.
This place is awesome. I went here with my sister - we both had a rough day and were starving. We sat outside and the waiter let us have a few minutes. The waiter came back and we started off with drinks. After our drinks came we ordered food. Looking at the menu, my sister and I instantly thought inexpensive price must mean a small portion. In the middle of ordering almost everything on the menu, the waiter informed us these were not small portions. Thank goodness he told us! The Mac n Cheese along with grilled cheese and tomato soup was more than enough just for me. It was also very delicious. I really liked that the waiter gave us input so we could enjoy our food and not just order a bunch to waste money. He was also really attentive and always seemed to know when to pop up. Definitely coming here more often!
(5)Kristina G.
Loved this place! Very friendly and efficient service. We didn't experience any of the service problems others have mentioned here. Cabernet blend wine was nice. Great Mac and cheese. I absolutely loved the crispy tofu with peanut sauce. The tomato soup was so good that I filled up too much and didn't get to try anything else. Next time, I'm definitely trying the Polenta. Only drawback? Well, it had nothing to do with the bar. There was a big group of what can only be described as drama geeks/theatre nerds who spent the night trying to outperform one another in terms of outrageous outbursts and cackling. Honestly, we would have stayed all night if those yahoos hadn't been drowning out all conversation.
(5)Mike P.
This is my favorite place in the neighborhood. I like the variety in their menu (I've had most of the vegetarian and fish dishes) and I like how they mix things up according to the season. Especially love the cod dish when brussels sprouts are in season. As if it wasn't good enough, they even gave me a free umbrella today. I can't promise free umbrellas for everyone all the time, but I can promise that the staff is friendly, the atmosphere is great, and the patrons are great neighborhood folks.
(5)Rad M.
This place has a cool little vibe to it. I thought the interior was pretty nice and I like the paintings of Chuck Norris and Van Damme. However, it was so fucking loud in there I had to yell and my girl had to yell to communicate from across the table. Seriously, why would you have the music at dance club levels in a dive bar with seated dining? The happy hour prices are good and the food prices are ok for normal hours. The regular hour drink prices are way too overpriced for a dive bar. If you are a hipster or dont want to engage in conversation, this place is pretty cool. Its not really my thing.
(2)Angela G.
The food was excellent! I had the tuna tartar and would go back just for that. The service was another story all together. At one point the server gave my drink to someone else and then acted like it was an inconvenience when I asked her again for a drink since I didn't get it. I was surprised by the 20% automatic gratuity for 5 people. Could explain the lackadaisical attitude I suppose.
(3)Kellie W.
This place is great! Happened upon this place accidentally, saw all the people, and decided to give it a try for Brunch. Sat at the bar, since I was by myself, and was surprised by how friendly the bartender was even though he was busy. I had the tofu scramble and bottomless mimosas. Yum! Lively atmosphere for sure. A little loud for my tastes, but they were having fun at least.
(4)Jaime T.
Bread pudding for dessert. Essentially a little dance party for your taste buds. Need to come back to try the spicy Mac and cheese.
(4)Chiemi N.
Up until about a week ago, I had never even heard of Night Light Lounge...boy I never knew what I was missing!! I've been twice in a span of one week! I saw Bud's UYE listed for brunch at Night Light Lounge, and I didn't have anything going on for that Saturday, so I decided to get out and meet some of my fellow yelpsters. Night Light Lounge is such a great little neighborhood gem, if you happen to live in the SE Portland area! I, unfortunately live too far to be a frequent customer. :( I decided to get the bottomless mimosas for $10; a yummy decision, I might add! I decided to get the burger with egg and salad. Not sure what I was expecting, but I didn't think the egg would actually top my burger. Not a problem, I just slid it to the side and ate it separately. The burger was one of the tastiest burgers I've had in a long time. It was huge, and I tried to eat every bit of it, but couldn't. I also belong to a social online group called Meetin Portland. Once a month, they have a mingler. In it's heyday, we would have over 100 people attend the minglers. I think at this month's mingler, we had roughly 20 people, which is cool. It's a little cozier that way. ;) Anyways, this month, the mingler was held at Night Light Lounge. When I saw the event listed, I quickly decided that I needed to return to Night Light Lounge. I didn't make it in time for happy hour, so I asked our server, Jesse, what was good to order. He was very helpful, and listed several things that sounded delicious. The spicy mac and cheese was really good, and had quite a kick to it! I also ordered the Pineapple Habanero Cosmopolitan...wow! It's a finely crafted cocktail, with muddled fruit, and packed a little punch! The service was great, food and drinks were awesome!
(4)Laura C.
I'd been here once before for a beer, but that wasn't really enough to base a review on. This past Friday night, after 4 too many Coors Lights at a Halloween party downtown, I needed food. We cabbed it home and the cabbie overheard me talking about how hungry I was. He suggested Night Light and said they had an awesome sushi dish. That wasn't what I was looking for, but they had a grilled cheese sandwich that the bartender recommended. She had me at "Cheese". For whatever reason, I also order fries and another Coors Light. Just kill my arteries now! Not that I was complaining. It was all wonderful. My friend got the sushi dish as well as something meaty - which looked fantastic. The place is pretty nondescript - but was warm and inviting inside. They also had a DJ, who'd just finished his set. The bartender was super nice so I can imagine this is like what Cheers is to Norm and Cliff. It's a bit of a walk for me, but it's good to know that they stay open late for those nights where you need some hot, greasy food to soak up the alcohol.
(4)Jesy B.
This place is great, great and superb. Rarely have I gone to a place for a HH and been like "This is my JOINT, yo". But - this is my JOINT yo. Their food menu alone has many tempting items. While I debated & debated, I went with the Parmesan truffle fries & the spicy mac and cheese. Both were fantastic, tasty, delicious options that'll I'd order over and over again. Plus those portions are not just HH size - they're full on meal size. They also have drink specials both for beer and liquor! It's kind of the real deal folks. The service was fantastic, the HH is long, the atmosphere is great. This place is pretty dang fantastic!
(5)Shauna R.
Great food. We came here 2 times in 2 days and both times the food was amazing. Service was also great but...... On day two our party of 7 came hung over. We were preparing to commute home to Canada and stopped in here for a bite because our previous day's breakfast here was amazing. Waitress (same one as the previous day) was awesome. Took our orders, brought drinks, etc. After about 45 mins we asked where our food was. She said shouldnt be much longer. Then another half hour goes by and im about to die of starvation. I ask for toast, she says she's checking with the kitchen about our food. Waitress comes back tells us the kitchen lost our order. At this point it has been an hour and 15 mins since we ordered and Im flipping out. But the waitress was very nice, very apologetic and tells us the entire order including drinks is going to be free! So hey, mistakes happen but this place made it right. Plus, manager came over and apologized as well and says "So....who needs some free booze?" So, I would definitely come back Just cant make my reviews quite a 5 at this time :)
(4)Riko S.
Perhaps the stars were aligned, maybe it was because I was extremely hungry after 2 hours of sauna at Löyly, or maybe it was actually as good as it seemed. Whatever the reason I was extremely impressed. I was hesitant to go in the place at first, the exterior was pretty basic, kind of looked "low rent" & all I could think of was this is a dive bar & greasy food. All I could hope for was that maybe they would have cold beer, after all, it is Portland. Once inside, I found a place that was very upbeat, specious, clean, unique decor, friendly staff, ice cold beer & arguably one of THE best hamburgers I've ever eaten... seriously. Talk about a diamond in the rough. Oh, and did I say 2 burgers, 2 fries, & a pint for under $20? I'm not usually so blown away by first visits so I'm going to have to force myself to go back to see if it's as good the 2nd time as the 1st. If you are looking for cold beer and a great burger you won't have to go any further than the Night Light Lounge.
(5)Kylie B.
Love this bar. Love the food, the drinks are stiff, the staff is rad (especially tonight). We've had wonderful service. My only complaint I have is listening to this mans entire life to the right of me. And he's still ranting. He mentioned he works here, and that really looks bad. Your employees should make your business talk wonders, not cause me to want to leave earlier than I had anticipated. Maybe he's had a long day, maybe he's had a few too many, whatever the case may be, he should move his sorrows to a different bar, not keep them where he is employed. Just a little tip. But great job, otherwise, Night Light. I am a very happy customer.
(4)Sara S.
Did you know Night Light has vegan food? Why was I the last to know this? It was surprisingly fancy, (i.e. small'ish portions and artfully plated). I had a Mediterranean dish of sorts, which was delicious but not very filling for how much it cost, (we actually ran over to Sizzle Pie after dinner). I visited twice more since then just for drinks. Bartenders here definitely know what they're doing. I'd recommend skipping their dinner menu and just coming here for drinks and moderately priced bar food. There is plenty of street parking off Clinton, additionally there's a huge bike rack in front of Night Light.
(4)Danny L.
I have come here every few months for the past 5 years, and am usually pleased with the food and prices. Sure, the service has always been a bit slow but about on par for Portland food service. the last couple visits I have noticed it getting increasingly worse though. My girlfriend and I went for brunch last weekend, arriving at 11:45am. It was still busier than we anticipated but chalked it up to it being the day after Halloween. Even though they still had the 'seat yourself' sign up, people were obviously waiting to be seated. You wouldn't have known that since there was no hostess and a waiter didn't stop by for almost 10 minutes to check in. Once we were seated at the furthest table in the back room, I had a worried feeling we were going to be forgotten about back there. About 10 min later we got our food and drink order in, and are informed they are out of one of the things we want. No biggie - we choose something else. About another 15 minutes go by before they return with the 1 drink my girlfriend ordered. We then sit there another 30min while a table of 5 or 6 who came after us, are served their food. We start to get suspicious of what has gone wrong. They finally return to our table, without our food, only to now inform me they have run out of my order. By now we contemplate just leaving, annoyed they waited 40 minutes to tell us they ran out. And they haven't even started on my girlfriends order. They offer to pay for the meal, and since we are way past hungary, I just put an order in for a basic burger, thinking it will be quick an easy. A few minutes later, she returns again saying that the kitchen will not add anything else to our ticket and also don't want to make my girlfriends order anymore. We are blown away. Are you kidding me? You're cooks just decide they no longer want to cook us our food, and that's that?!?! After more than an hour of bullsh*t, they are now just refusing us service. Thanks for your apologies and $25 gift cards, but you've just wasted almost an hour and a half of our day for crap service for goods we never actually received, and were treated like our patronage didn't matter. This used to be one of my old favorites, but that was the worst dining experience I have ever had.
(1)Jen L.
I've been a fan of the Night Light for about 7 years now so I figure it's time to write a review! A of all, the food! The food here is great. Whether it's the fabulous brunch with $10 bottomless mimosas or the spicy tofu with deliciously al dente green beans off the Happy Hour menu, I'm always pleased. I've even attended a 5 course mushroom dinner with whiskey cocktail pairings that was prepared in the tiny kitchen by their chef and it was fabulous. House wines are $5 a glass during Happy Hour and have always been decent and drinkable. Happy Hour goes to 7pm which is a plus! A Happy Hour that those of us who work 9 to 5 can make it to with time to spare. I'll take it! The music can be a bit loud and raucous, but that just makes me like the place more.
(4)Kirsten H.
Their happy hour is good but the food is pretty average. Service is a hit or miss but there is a lot of space for groups. Normal dark bar environment and fairly priced.
(3)Jenni L.
Flippin' Amazing. I went here over the weekend with a few friends for brunch and was absolutely blown away by how good the food and service was. Firstly the lounge itself is pretty cute. Large dark leather booths with really pretty copper tables which I was in love with. The waitress told us we could sit wherever we liked and asked for our drink orders. Bottomless Mimosas? Yes please! They make their mimosas with a blend of Vanilla Vodka, Triple Sec, Cava and Organic Orange juice, so you will be properly buzzed by the time you've had a couple. We all ordered our food and it arrived extrordinarily quickly, especially considering that there was a large party in one of the back rooms. I ordered the Croquet Madame, essentially Eggs Benedict, which turned out to be the best I have ever had. Seriously. I devoured them. Two perfectly poached eggs, prosciutto, spinach and truffle brown butter served over como with a freaking epic lemon hollandaise and breakfast potatoes on the side. It made me it's bitch, and I liked it. One of my friends ordered the hash of the day with ham which looked equally as delicious. After taking two bites he turned to me and said: "So we're going to come here, like, EVERY weekend, right?" "Nom nom nom, absolutely..." My other friend ordered the absolutely sinful Bananas Foster French toast, which I grabbed a bite of...and then another...and then another. It was a house-made banana bread dipped in an amazing rum batter (everything is always better with rum) with bananas, cinnamon, caramel and whipped cream. It was decadent and delish, and if I wasn't having a love affair with my croquet, I might have commandeered it. Our waitress was superb. Our glasses were never quite empty before she was bringing us another round. It's like she knew we were lushes when we walked in the door, and loved and accepted us for it. The one thing I love about doing brunch in the PNW is that it's always acceptable and encouraged to drink before noon, so long as you are enjoying bombtastic food like this with it. Overall, my bill only came to about $19 including food and several mimosas, which I found to be fair. I will absolutely be returning back here again soon. I'm extremely interested to see what their dinner and happy hours are like. This place is the definition of an amazing PDX brunch.
(5)Jenni D.
The $10 BOTTOMLESS mimosas for brunch are definitely worth the wait for a table. I made a reservation, and they were great at honoring it. It would have be nice to get a welcome upon entering, but no one seemed to even look my direction. Am I just not hipster enough? It took a little too long to get our food, but the mimosas kept me busy. The Huevos Rancheros were a perfect beginning to my long day of BrewCycling and Sunday Night Football!
(4)Chris S.
TWO HAIKU REVIEW: Oh, hipster chic bar with a 'too cool' ambiance a sneaky façade Instead, yummy food welcoming interior and friendly service. LIGHT (pro): delicious, good priced food NIGHT (con): clientele is full of the young, unemployed classic PDX meh-llenials.
(4)Alex B.
I love the nightlight. The food is great and reasonably priced, the drink specials are always tasty, the crowd is always great for people watching, and I even met my boyfriend there. It's the ultimate neighborhood bar that pleases everyone - even my grandma loved it!
(5)Alison V.
Mac N Cheese, Mac N Cheese. It's a little spicy but it is delish. This place had great happy hour, and a good deal on the house wine - $3.50 for a glass on HH. It's a fun place, I suggest checking it out. Be careful parallel parking around here because my car got hit, beware.
(4)Shay H.
If I could give this place zero stars, I would. My friends and I ate here for New Years Day brunch, and it was quite possibly the worst restaurant experience of my life. First, it took about 40 minutes for our waitress to even take our order, and then another thirty minutes after that to let me know that they ran out of what I had ordered (I ordered pancakes... How does a place that is open for brunch until 5 pm run out of pancakes at 2 pm???). I change my order to eggs over easy with potatoes, bacon, and toast. One of my friends got her meal well before the rest of us, and since we were eating on the patio we encouraged her to start eating, lest her eggs get cold. Our waitress came by while my friend was eating, and the rest of us looked at our waitress in anticipated silence. "Oh, the rest of you haven't gotten your food yet, I'll check on that," was all she said. No apology for the almost hour and a half wait for our food, no offer for more coffee, nothing. Finally, our food arrives. Three of the meals ordered were supposed to arrive with toast, which was left off of every plate, and instead of bacon I received a plate with sausage. Our waitress didn't even ask us if she could have gotten us anything else, and I had to approach another table to ask if I could use their hot sauce for my eggs. We mentioned to the person who served us our food (who was not our waitress, just a runner) that I wanted bacon, which arrived about 10 minutes later. We also mentioned to our waitress when she came around that none of us got toast to go with our meals, and it took almost 15 minutes for the toast to get to our table!! Seriously, how long does it take to toast a piece of bread??? I have given this place way too many chances in the past, and more often than not have received poor service, but absolutely nothing like what happened today. I will never return.
(1)Erica N.
$1 PBR on Sundays = so good for my budget
(5)Reza S.
Went for late night happy hour, food was good got the night light fries, they come totally loaded. That's the only good thing about the place the service was slow and rude the layout of the place is terrible the back patio is super smokey if I could have given it zero stars that would be more appropriate.
(1)J. T.
Review written 10/4/14 I've been coming to Night Light Lounge for more years than I can remember. The food and service are terrific. Pork, buffalo, burgers steak frites Caesar salads all done with intentional and consistent excellence. They change the menu seasonally, change the drinks up now and again but the lovely staff remains constant. Great bartenders and servers, and they effortlessly keep it coming. I like places where there's low staff turnover especially in a neighborhood that seems to be expanding into some kind of national destination. I don't know what we'd do if Anna, John and Megan weren't there! Yes, the place can get crazy busy and loud, but the staffers are always solid. They move constantly and are attentive. I brought my parents to Ni Li for the first time this summer and we sat outside. My dad is a WWII veteran in his 90's. It was a terrific evening and my folks said it was one of the best meals they've ever had in PDX. I bring all out of towners to here. It's the best place to go in SE Clinton area. Everybody--young, old, artists, blue collar, students, professionals, dogs and neo whatevers, all congregating, eating and drinking and looked after, in the arms of the Night Light!
(5)Jessica S.
Great happy hour! Came here with a friend and we both really enjoyed ourselves.
(4)Anuj K.
My friends and I ended up here after a failed attempt to eat at Compote and then deciding the breakfast options at St. Jack's were too minimal for us (we wanted something hearty). The decor here is very dark, and the art is strangely exuding that darkness that this place is trying so hard to capture. The complete opposite of a happy-go-lucky breakfast place that is trying to start my day cheerily. The food was good, but nothing was spectacular. I enjoyed the banana bread french toast - it wasn't dry or too flaky. It had a good consistency to hold up being soaked in a rum batter and pan-fried. Huevos rancheros - large serving, kinda bland overall. I appreciated the salsa and beans and stuff, but it was an amorphous pile of mush. I needed to add a lot of hot sauce. Salmon hash - it was the hash of the day. This was my favorite dish of them all, came with some buttered bread, perfectly cooked potatoes, and salmon with poached eggs. Too much hollandaise - it was hard to avoid it from permeating every bite I took.
(3)Mark C.
Night light is an awesome late night food and drink spot. Happy hour from 11-1am. We ordered the fried chicken sliders, Mac and cheese, fries and a grilled cheese with tomato bisque and everything was amazing. All the food can out at the same time and everything was cooked perfectly. Definitely now part of our rotations for bars/restaurants to go.
(5)Noelle K.
This place warms my heart! Great food, awesome happy hour with a swanky yet chill environment. The servers and bartenders are always nice and prompt! The back patio with heated lamps is cush! Great place to take someone for a quick bite to eat and a delicious adult beverage. You can't go wrong with the Night light lounge!
(5)Taylor L.
I have only been here for the Saturday and Sunday brunch. The $10 bottomless mimosas is awesome! The food is really really good too. Try one of their specials, I haven't been disappointed yet. The soup and grilled cheese combo is also perfect for the cold days. The tomato bisque has a little heat to it and it is AMAZING. Also, the breakfast potatoes are really good too. The service is okay at best but I try to see where the servers are coming from. They are always friendly but they are dealing with a lot of drunk people requiring mimosas every 4 minutes. This place is always busy when I go in so my advice is to go when you don't need to be anywhere for awhile. It's definitely a place to sit back and enjoy time with your company.
(4)Evelyn S.
Iced B.F.Ks, and Poinsettias, and Guinness' - OH MY! Quesadillas, Spicy Mac & Cheeses, Grilled Cheese w/ Tomato Soup - OH YES! This was my second visit to the Night Light Lounge. I was joined by 20 or so friends. They came and went over a 4 hour period. We received super Great service from Jessie and the other staff who ran the orders. Most of the group arrived during HH, but many straggled in as late as 9pm. We had no problem getting separate checks, food and drinks delivered quickly, all orders were correct no matter how many substitutions or special requests we made. I really love this place and I'm super glad it's close enough for me to go to more often but not right in my 'hood, otherwise I would go too often. I personally enjoyed the Spicy Mac & Cheese for $5, a big bowl of super yummy goodness, too big for me to finish myself so a friend had to eat the second half. To drink I ordered a Moscow Mule (not on the Menu) it was only $4.50. I topped off the evening with an Iced BFK $7, it was worth every penny, hey it was made with Stumptown!
(5)Jordan L.
Like their happy hour a lot, good food, GREAT service. the drinks we're a little weak when I was there last time(this wasn't for happy hour) so I was a little bummed paying full price and having a weak drink, other than that this place is great!
(4)Rosy D.
Drinks? -yes! Happy hour? -yes! I love this place! Night light is one of my favorite happy hours in Portland. I've been so many times and never realized the happy hour is all vegetarian, because what your options are are still very tasty! Night light manages to be in a hipster part of town, but attracts all walks of life. I never feel like you have to be with a certain crowd to enjoy night light. It's good for a double date, late night snack, or an afterword happy hour. Try the braised buffalo fry bread! You won't be disappointed!
(5)Melissa L.
My first visit here was great. Good food, great (happy hour, anyway) prices, and our server didn't miss a beat, and was able to track multiple tabs with ease. Even though I bombed into the place among about 2 dozen Yelpers to get our after-party on, our server was a rockstar. I was also bowled over by the seared salmon plate with mashed yams. Topped with pineapple and much spicier than I was expecting (not sure where the spice was coming from, it was too dark to see the plate well) but totally delicious, and the salmon was perfectly cooked. This isn't a neighborhood I get to much, but I will definitely stop in again when I'm in the area.
(5)Tamara C.
Bottomless Mimosas? Uh yes please. Sitting in the sun and celebrating my bestie's birthday with a lovely brunch while the Mimosa Gods kept our glasses full was just dreamy. My Croquet Madame was just the ticket to balance out all the alcohol, while bestie had a really beautiful salad, with plentiful amounts of tender chicken and ripe pear. A pair of lovely Irishmen at the next table that were chatting us up wisely ordered the Mimosas based on our recommendation. They complained that they kept reaching the bottom and somehow they ended up with several bottles of champagne each instead of Mimosas: Funny how that worked out for them. Food at Nightlight is always really good whether you go for brunch or late night for happy hour. On these fine summer days, the patio is awesome day or night. I have another bestie birthday coming up and I know exactly where I am going to take her...Nightlight here we come.
(5)Matthew K.
Fun little Portland stop. Decent prices, good potions (depending on what items you get). I've been once before, but this time I got the nachos. Huge plate. It's a meal unto itself. It had an interesting twist by adding some kind of BBQ-type sauce to it. It wasn't good, or bad; it was just different. Very little seating. Always overcrowded and loud. Poor beer selection. I like it for the food, as it is a little different (but not strange), good flavors (without being drenched in sugary sauces), doesn't taste processed or greasy like some bar food at other places. However, it isn't enough to draw me to the area just for this place. But, if I happen to be around there, I will probably drop in if I have time. I'll be back again at some point.
(3)Demi E.
Bottomless mimosas on Sunday ....wonderful! Great service too.
(5)Alena C.
Can't believe I have never reviewed this place. It's great! It is great by day, it is great by night. It is fun for groups, it is fun on dates. Quesadilla is yummy, but Brunch is crazy! ! $10 unlimited champagne, awesome banger hash, great vegetarian options, and a beck deck. The bloody Mary was killer too. I have just never been disappointed here.
(4)Leslie C.
Great atmosphere and fun place to grab some food and drinks! Cant beat $4 drinks and fries there! Have had some awesome food here and we cant wait to come back here!! Fun little lounge and its great to get away for a little and hang out here!!! will visit again!
(4)Vanesa D.
Service was friendly, if not a little slow, food amazing (Get the Salmon Hash for breakfast!) Unlimited mimosas for $10- thats a GREAT deal. Not too crowded on a Sunday morning, not too loud, just right for smoothing over your hangover from a Saturday night out on the town. They also have heated outdoor seating.
(4)Ryan R.
Fantastic beer selection. Have only been here once so far, but the 8 hour pork was one of the best meals I've had in weeks. Grits and kale on the side were perfectly done (and it is VERY hard to please me with grits and kale). Very friendly and professional service. Got two free samples of beer just by commenting on them, didn't have to ask.
(5)Jenna K.
I love Night Light. If Night Light and I were in grade school, I would totally write Night Light's name all over my binder with little hearts and flowers. I would pass notes to Night Light in class, telling Night Light how much I love their happy hour. I would have my friend tell Night Light's friend to tell Night Light how much I want to hold hands and eat Spicy Mac and Cheese. At slumber parties, I would totally prank call Night Light then spend all night talking about how great the Night Light's atmosphere and service is. Thank you, Night Light, for being my favorite bar-crush
(5)Spencer K.
Nightlight rules! Its cheap, has awesome food, and some of the best whiskey sours I've had. Homemade sour mix is why!
(5)Abbie H.
I don't know why I always forget the Night Light, but every time I go I remember how much I like it! Happy hour is a really really good deal and the food is actually really good. Among my picks are the nachos and the grilled cheese with tomato soup. Last Friday my roomie and I had the sangria and it was really good! Not too sweet and just strong enough to relax on a Friday. Our server was a little bit, well okay almost completely, disinterested last Friday and didn't even look us in the eye as we ordered or paid our bill. But, maybe she was having a really really bad day so I'll give it to her. In the warm months it is kind of hard to find seating on the patio but if you can it's really nice out there. A solid happy hour hangout for sure!
(4)Micah W.
We have now been to the Nightlight a half dozen times and it has quickly become our go to late night food stop. Everything we have tried has been delicious. The last two times my girlfriend and I have come in we sat at the bar (Thursday night) and had the pleasure of having Sadie (sp?) as our bartender. She's super knowledgeable about both menu items and drinks making sure to accommodate dietary restrictions. On top of that she actually seems to enjoy her job and understands why the word 'service' is in service industry. Both my girlfriend and I are bartenders and we have found it difficult to find quality servers/bartenders in Portland, Sadie is our new favorite. The first time we she served us it was very busy in the bar but she was still able to provide us with excellent service as well as taking care of the the droves of people walking up to the bar. She multitasks like a champ and is super personable, efficient and funny. You should definitely stop in here a lot and try everything on the menu.
(5)Esther Y.
I still stand by everything I said in my previous review, but I have to up the star count because I really enjoy Night Light's service! Very attentive, friendly, and accommodating. I love the games here too; my group wiled away several hours playing Uno and Balderdash (a new game to us). Now if only they had Apples to Apples...life would be complete. And...I HIGHLY recommend the Hawaiian seared tuna with guacamole and rice fritters. So yummy.
(5)Danni D.
Wow, this place is such a huge struggle for me. I love the physical space. I enjoy the menu, the happy hour, the brunch food. I had a delicious braised pork dish the other night that blew me away it was so good. Servers are nice. Drinks are strong. So what, exactly, is wrong with me here? Somehow, despite having all the necessary elements of awesome, each experience here never comes together quite "right." I don't know if the wait staff is stretched way too thin, or if the customers are particularly demanding, or if the menu changes often enough that the staff can't keep on top of it on any given day. Eye contact at times is non-existent. Drinks can be slow to come by. This is especially true with the bottomless mimosas at brunch, and frankly, that is a veritable brunch crime in this town. I am an eternal optimist, and maybe I'm a bit into self-flagellation, because I know I will be back, ever hopeful for that spot-on experience here.
(3)Joey K.
Oh man, I wish I could give Night Light a higher rating. The food was great (I got the burger and it was juicy and full of meaty goodness) and everyone else in my party seemed to really enjoy what they got too. But, part of the reason why we scarfed our food down so fast had to do with the fact that we were starving because we waited almost an hour (yes an hour) after ordering. It was a weeknight and not crazy busy but our server wasn't the most attentive to us. She was super pleasant when she did stop by, but those visits were few and far between. It was a solid 30+ min before she even took our order. My hope though, is that it was just an off night, so I guess I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. But, just to be safe, make sure you go without too big of an appetite.
(3)Katie M.
Went here for the 1st time last night, couldn't believe how bad the server was. She was wearing a red bandana and acting like we were a huge inconvenience. Took her 20 minutes just to acknowledge us, then when she did come over she just set our waters on the table and walked away. She repeatedly walked by our empty beer glasses and didn't say a word. I understand that they were busy, this was just awful. It was one thing after another. The food and drinks were good, though. It's just hard to imagine going back when we experienced THE WORST SERVICE IN PORTLAND, EVER.
(2)Whaler W.
You want iced tea and beer? Well I don't think you want it enough so you'll get it in about 15 minute, or when ever I feel like it. Probably after your done eating the delicious plate of food I just gave you. Food was amazing. Waitress killed the 5th star. I'm still debating how bad she ruined the experience.
(4)Breck E.
LONG-TIME CUSTOMER NEVER RETURNING I have gone to Night Light for over 7 years. It used to be a pleasant, mellow dive bar friendly with locals that poured strong drinks and good food. The upgrades over the past few years have turned this into hipster central including trendy bartenders that forget to put in your order,and make crappy cocktails. The food is still decent, but the last time I went, I stood at the front of the bar for 5 (yes, 5 minutes) to even be acknowledged by the bartender (not even a nod or "I'll be right with you"). One of the hipster bartenders even took the time to take out and put away the milk right in front of me. SO RUDE!
(1)DJ Z.
I came here for the first time on Sunday 9.2. I met a friend that lives around the corner and we walked over to eat and play a board game. We sat in the back room and the server told us that we might get quicker service if we order at the bar because "we're like soooo slammed". I asked her for a menu. While I checked out the menu I told the same server that the song playing had played 4 times in a row. After about 10 minutes I ordered at the bar and the bartender informed me that it might be a while because they "were so slammed" and asked if I was sitting at a table. I told her the server told me to order at the bar and she reiterated that it might be 45 minutes for food. That's fine, can I order? I also told her about the music. The food was actually good. I had some kind of grilled salad with chicken, it was tasty. It didn't take that long to come out either. (Before the song was changed, it played 9 times) I'm from the East Coast and everyone seems to know that the Sunday before Labor Day is always busy because nobody has to work on Monday. It wasn't even that busy in the restaurant. I'd say it was half full and people seemed to be eating and drinking very leisurely. Maybe Portland bosses haven't figured it out yet. Either way, all the employees being unrealistically "busy" and insincere was a big turn-off. #PortlandService
(2)Lauren G.
I've been here a few times and have loved it each time. Good quality food and attentive service, even given how busy it was.
(5)Megan L.
So I decided to take a friend here for the first time. It was a lovely 80 degrees out so we decided to hit the back porch. It was perfect, the sun kissed our faces as we sipped on two very delicious beers on draft......they have some good ones. Then it was time to tackle the happy hour menu. OMG...I tried their fried tofu and it was so tasty I was thinking about it when I woke up. It is smothered in curry and served with green beans.....I will be ordering that again for sure!!!!!! Check this place out you will like it!!!
(4)colin S.
I love this bar it feels like home The food is good The service is great and it's 3 blocks from my house!
(5)Lisa E.
A friend and I went there for happy hour and had a great time! We got there at 4:30 and the back patio was practically empty. It was a good thing we got there early because it filled up fast. I loved sitting out on the patio and the waitress was prompt and attentive. The service was really good. I had 2 beers. They were about $4 each. I'm not sure if that's a good price for happy hour? Either way, I had a good time and I would definitely return!
(4)Ana B.
Wow, am I told old?..because it seems a little loud in here to me...... At least the music is good! Conversation was a bit strained. I found myself nodding and smiling to things I couldn't hear because I felt like a jerk asking my beautiful company to repeat themselves over and over. (If you see this, I'm sorry) Night Light Lounge has a polished look to it. I like the mix of big booths and tables. I will say that there is a lot of room, no elbow bumping here! But amongst a sea of bars this place does nothing to set itself apart in my mind.
(3)Rachael L.
Okay, 2nd visit and time for a review. First trip was for dinner with the BF. Spicy mac with bacon, buffalo stew and the pork special were all consumed rapidly. Service is slow, but I'm getting used to that in Portland (its not okay - but I'm getting used to a new speed of service in Portland). Drinks were interesting and tasty. Second trip was for brunch/lunch (we wanted brunch but missed it by about 20 minutes) and was clearly lackluster. We brought a couple from out of town and we all were left wanting more (and not in a good way - we stopped for some more food on the way home). The spicy mac (one with bacon and one with broccoli) was so-so, nothing special and lacked the smooth creamy texture. 5 spice pork belly was bland bland bland. The special was described with stir fried veggies but only had fried rice. I didn't love the chicken randomly on the pear salad. If a salad is named "pear salad" then the pears should be the star, or the name should be changed to "chicken and pear salad". Overall, the 2nd visit was underwhelming and I think we'll keep looking for a go-to place.
(2)Yasasha R.
One of my all time favorite Portland hang outs. Best happy hour food menu, hip staff, delicious drink selection, and a lovely newish patio in the back for those beautiful summer days. Moscow Mules on the mind. I had to purchase the whole bottle of Cock and Bull ginger beer but oooh-wee, well worth the price. Spicy and refreshing! Lots of convenient seating for all group sizes and board games for your entertainment.
(5)Megan B.
I've given this place more chances than I should have. Food is good and bottomless deal is good too! But damn, the service is BAD. I'm talking slow, forgetful, and on one occasion unnecessarily rude. If you're in no rush and aren't hungry when you get there, enjoy the patio-you can sit and drink and smoke and eventually enjoy food. If you like getting the things you order reasonably soon after you order them, try someplace else.
(2)Dominic I.
This place is great! Went here for late night dinner and drinks with some local friends. I live in eugene area and they decided on this spot because they had been there before and were fans. Me and my friend had just flew in from and 48 hour party trip in vegas, so we weren't it too much of a party mode, and this place was perfect. It was crowded and lively, yet personal and not too loud. Good service, great food. I will return here for sure.
(5)Laura A.
This has definitely become my go-to bar and restaurant. The food is excellent, the drinks are great (love their special cocktails) and that atmosphere is wonderful. I love going to sit on the back patio in the early afternoon or going in for a late-night dinner when the boyfriend gets off work. Everyone that works there is so awesome too. Good stuff.
(5)William W.
Solid Clinton neighborhood bar with above average food. Things can get busy on the weekends. It's my friends favorite place for a drink and dinner in town. I don't come often but I haven't had any major complaints yet.
(3)Eli G.
Burger #143: Disproportioned Lucky for me, I have an old high school friend who lives in Portland and she was kind enough to take me out to some of her favorite spots for my after work meals. First on the list was Night Light, a nice enough looking bar filled with typical north-western tattooed hippies. We sat and ordered food and drinks. We then waited, and waited, and waited, got a cheese plate, no drinks yet, waited, waited, burger came, and then finally the drinks came. The servers were apologetic for the ultra long delay and comp'd both our drinks. The food was at least good. The cheese plate came with three cheese, dried fruit, nuts, and some overly oiled bread. All three cheeses were good, safe, but good. yelp.com/biz_photos/0mlA… The first thing I noticed about the burger was that it was half the size of the bun, making it look fairly sad. The waitress assured us it was delicious and it almost was. I asked for medium-rare and got medium-well. But the bacon was crisp and meaty, the aioli had a nice kick to it and the burger was surprisenly juicy. The burger was served with some of the best potato rounds ever. So good! Even after I was full, I couldn't stop eating them. yelp.com/biz_photos/0mlA… If the burger would have been cooked and shaped correctly, this would have been a four star meal regardless of the off service.
(3)Barbi P.
I would give this place a 5 star for the atmosphere and space. The back patio is awesome we went early in the evening so it was really slow when we got there and we got prime seating that I'm sure got even better as it got later. The 3 stars really come from the food and drinks. They looked great and they were much more than I expected when I ordered. Usually when you go for tapas and order Mac and cheese you aren't getting anything special but the spicy mac looked heavenly gooey and delicious. It was gooey and yummy but a bit too overpoweringly spicy for us. The spinach dip was spinach dip. Delicious because you really can't mess something like that up. I was pretty impressed by the crispness of the quesadilla. Usually you either get a very dry crispy quesadilla or if there is any deliciousness in it, it gets soggy before it hits the table. This one was full of flavor but still crisp on the outside. yum. The cheese plate was way more than I expected and looked fresh and very impressively plated. The biggest let down was the Escalade Margarita. I can't blame the waitress entirely because I think she was just a bit out of it but when we said "How are your margaritas?" she said "ok" and walked away returning later with the Escalade. uh... It was...salty. Not salt around the rim salty but the entire drink was salty. I quickly and carefully cleaned the salt off the rim hoping it would fix it but it was much deeper than the rim. I will admit this vacation was a very very very boozey vacation so at this point I really couldn't handle anything adding to my possible week long dehydration/hang over when I got home. I didn't even finish it and in my eyes not finishing something with liquor in it is just not ok.
(3)Adrienne I.
Im not sure about the review that say that Nigh Light is "too cool" or has a hipster vibe BUT it is in a nice little setting where you can eat brunch outside while watching the cyclists on clinton. Really, the only thing that anyone needs to know about Night Light is bottomless mimosas for $10 with brunch.
(3)Lynne D.
Just very good. Very, very good. Got there at 10, opening time, place was packed by 10:30. Corned beef breakfast with poached eggs and Dijon hollandaise, bottomless mimosas! Friendly servers, just real good. Happy!
(4)Courtney S.
I'm a fan! I will say that all but one of my experiences here have been great...I'm still giving 4 stars because I truly love this place. The atmosphere rocks. I love the dark lounge-like space with an eclectic array of music playing. Happy Hour is awesome here! My favorites are the nachos and spicy tofu! I've tried many items on their food menu, and are all delicious! And good Vegetarian options as well! One of their drink specials is one of my fav too...ordered it every time...their cider and whiskey (served warm). The service needs improvement...I have one waitress I really like...gal with the dark asymmetrical haircut (sorry I don't know your name) but everyone else makes me feel over-looked. *I will admit my last visit was very disappointing and upsetting. My bf and I had ordered our drinks at the bar, then found a booth spot that opened up. We arrived a 1/2 hour before HH was ending. Well sad to say we were ignored by the waitstaff and did not receive any further service once we sat down. I understand that I have a beverage in hand...BUT I may also want to order food....since you are a food establishment. Since we weren't being helped, we figured we didn't want to give any more of our business to them for the night, so we finished our drinks and left. I have been here many times and I will continue to come back. I love the food and drinks, and I can handle grabbing a waitress if needed.
(4)Stefanie S.
I used to live a few blocks away from Night Light and loved it! That was, before it became the trendy spot in the area. It used to have a dark, mysterious feel to it...almost romantic. In the past 6 months I have tried to go there for a quiet drink (alone or with someone), however it is excrutiatingly loud and bustling with young, intoxicated hipsters galore (...and their bicycle helmets). The dark, mysterious, and romantic side of it is no longer..unfortunately.
(3)Michael M.
One of the best and most dependable late night places to eat in Portland. With consistent high food quality The Night light always serves it proper. Just drinks, happy hour noshing, or full dinner? Its all covered. Great Bar Service, Killer Drink Selection, Bottomless Mimosa option, and always tasty Craft Brew Beers in Tap. The soup is always great. Always! Buffalo Stew & Eight Hour Roasted Pork are both winners!!! Frybread taco with buffalo is awesome!! Also a great place to order take out. Always a great place to stop at.
(5)Rebecca F.
Sometimes the only way I can see certain friends of mine is to meet them at the Night Light. And usually I grit my teeth throughout the experience. Pros: Inexpensive bottles and cans. Great location. Decent patio. Cons: The service. The service. The... oh, I'm sorry, you want... uh, yeah... whatever... oh... service.
(3)Brandon A.
I like to come here for a good time, and the truffle fries!
(4)Jess K.
Simply put, I'm a big fan of this place... I wish that I lived closer! Great wine list, great food, great service... sold! Room for a bigger group of people, or a cozy darker corner for two... and always space even during busy hours. The service is friendly and attentive, even in the back corner, I never had to find my server.. she was by when my drink was 2/3rds empty, which is always refreshing. I was pleasantly surprised when I was there last Saturday... sooo nice to be out at a busy busy place on a Saturday night and still get great service! I had the steak frites and was absolutely satisfied.. they were scrumptious [and really reasonably priced]. I have never been disappointed with the food here.. and love that it is 'classed up' bar fare for pretty much the same price you'd get a similar and much lacking plate elsewhere. While I don't live very close, I will definitely keep returning...and would absolutely suggest you wine and dine there!
(4)Kenneth H.
It had been about 2 years since my last visit to the Nigh Light, but that is where the crew was drinking and I was curious to see what had changed at a former regular drinking spot of mine. Well there have been some changes, almost all of them for the better, but not enough for the Nigh Light to jump to a 5 star review. The patio has really grown up since my last visit, with a much more nature-y feel to it and cool heat lamp things. The food menu has also improved, with more variety and what even feels like maturity in the offerings. The service took a step back, with a somewhat gruff waitress who was all business and clearly stressed out. It took about 1.5 hours to get food, which the waitress explained was because they only had one person working the kitchen, which I guess was different than normal times. I got a steak frites "small plate" which was exactly what I thought it would be, especially for 8 dollars. It wasn't a lot of food (small plate), but it was good meat and the fries were nothing special. I had two cocktails, both were okay, but not really that amazing. I am not an alcohol expert, but I just found the drinks to be slighlty better than passable, but nothing wowed me. All in all this place is a good bar, and I won't hesitate to visit, but probably won't be counting down the days til my return.
(4)James K.
So I've lived around the corner from this place for 4 years now and last night was the first visit. Yes, we have 2 little ones, but the real explanation is that we're sort of lame. Anyway, we went there on a cheap date night and I'm really happy that I listen to my fellow Yelpers. HH is fairly cheap, with $1 off wine (wife) and $3:50 micros (me). But the food was the stand out. We blew our diet on the smothered fries and bowl of Spicy Mac n' Cheese. I told my wife I could eat the fries every day for the rest of my life (which would be greatly shortened by doing so). The M&C was great; warm, creamy and just the right amount of heat. The atmosphere is nicely understated with spot lighting, muted walls, and interesting artwork (although the nude recling in chair painting almost made me not want to eat). We were there on a Thursday at 6 and there were 2 tables open. The music was a little loud, as though the volume is set for a crowded room. All in all, a glass of tempranillo, an IPA, and more good food than we could eat for $20 seems like a deal to me. Go! Go forth and be merry!
(4)Jens J.
Last night was a "school" night and we had every intention of going to bed at a reasonable time. But you see, it was so hot in the house we just couldn't stand to be inside. And since an ice cold martini sounded good, we walked over to nearby Night Light (we were going to hit the Avignon bar on Division but it had just closed). This was my first visit to Night Light. Very much I like! We were seated beneath the oil painting of the nude lady sprawled out in a La-Z-Boy chair. Surrounding us was a very young and laidback crowd (all the tables, both inside and outside, were taken). Our server was there on the spot to take our martini orders, and also an order of cottage fries. Our first round of martinis tasted strange and we relayed that to our server. Apparently, they didn't have Cointreau, so the bartender substituted Gran Marnier. Yeah, Gran Marnier is an orange liqueur like Cointreau, but I find it harsh and chemical-like in taste. We directed that for our subsequent rounds that the bartender use Triple Sec instead of Gran Marnier. Those rounds were much better. The cottage fries were simply thick cut slices of potato that had been deep fried, and served with catsup. They came out with perfect texture and saltiness. For the amount of potato in this appetizer, they might provide more ketchup.
(4)Mikhail H.
Love the space, the food and the drinks. Great pricing and most excellent service though a touch slow for groups. The truffle Parmesan fries are to die for!
(4)Loli L.
I was told two things about this place for brunch: 1. They have GOOD bottomless mimosas ($10) 2. No crowds = no ridiculous wait to get inside For our last hurrah in Portland, we made our way here, walked in, and got to pick out our own table. (No wait! Hooray!) I ordered some pepper bacon and eggs and my lumberjack ordered the Croquet Madame. Both dishes were as beautiful as they were tasty. We barely exchanged words to each other as we savored our meal. My mimosa glass was refilled at least twice before I politely decline more - though I would have happily lingered if I could somehow fit it in. A great time, good food, and killer mimosas.
(4)J R.
One of the best happy hours in Portland, hands down, Night Light is tucked away on a busyish numbered street close to many other amenities (People's Co-Op anyone?). I enjoy their 20oz Guinness at happy hour, but with the return of warm weather have taken to specials like the recent strawberry/vodka/ginger concoction. And the food....Here is where we hit the intersection of cheap and good. I've either eaten or seen someone personally enjoy most of the items and nothing is ever lacking, either in quality or quantity. I seem to only come here in groups, which is odd because I should be enjoying many happy hours here, and I'd even come here alone. While I have never had any issues with the staff, it's possible that I benefit from being acknowledged in a group. Last time I went there the waitresses expertly made rounds at the end of happy hour and well, we got one last round. Highly recommend it.
(5)Olivia T.
That happy hour SPICY Mac & Cheese.... Oh... So devine... It made me go mmmmmmmmmmmm... Creamy cheesy perfection in one bowl... Just right amount of spice and just right amount of cheese... I will dream about you.. Until next time when I have you in my belly again...
(4)Jenn B.
Night Light oh Night Light- I have always loved you so! And after my birthday party held there last night: " i love you Long Time!!". This place is so freaking great where do I start? I made reservations for me and 10 guests for my 30th birthday yesterday. They reserved the back room for me and had no problem when I specified we would be on separate checks. The food was AMAZING as always: veggie stirfry, nachos, grilled cheese and tomato bisque, burritos, they have such a variety that can please anyone! Jeanie was our waitress and she was SOooo nice! Very accommodating, friendly, and flat out just great service! Night light is really an awesome place for a chill environment, great food and drinks at reasonable prices.
(5)Douglas D.
Often hit-or-miss. Grilled porkchop isn't slow-roasted pork, no matter how you spin it, especially when it's 60% grizzle. Nachos and nightlight fries with the works are amazing, but your more ambitious endeavors need more care. You're so close to being phenomenal, love all the gluten free options, just care a little more and you'll forever be in my heart. I think I can love you, Nightlight.
(3)Amanda R.
I always end up going to the Night Light, even when I want to try something new. Something about this place draws me in, envelops me in its goodness and doesn't let me try new places. I am weak. I give in and just enjoy my nachos. I have shaken it up food wise tho...I had the grilled cheese and tomato soup last time, which was dope. Oh, and did I mention in my last review that the Sangria here is delicious? Either way, it's super good and pretty cheap. I went here last weekend for my friends 30th birthday and had the best time. We were there for hours and had the best server, Jeanie, who was attentive, friendly and totally catered to us all night! Just plain yum.
(5)Kristine P.
Went here last night for HH and was surprised at how big the place was. The waitstaff was very friendly and on top of her service. I ordered the spicy mac and cheese which is spiced with Sriracha. Which is neither good nor bad. The mac and cheese was pretty standard and you know, cheesy. Would I crave this dish late at night? Nope, I could have Trader Joe' s frozen mac and cheese and it would satisfy my craving. So... I will return to have cocktails at a later date but will order something else to eat.
(3)Kevin K.
I have to give it five stars because it is so much fun to go here and the food is great. Service can be a little hit or miss, buy has never been truly bad. Great neighborhood hangout and fantastic happy hour.
(5)K. H.
The atmosphere was dim and cozy! Lots of dark wood and candles. Our group sat around a big coffee table for drinks and nibbles. I had the falafel sandwich (vegan) and, no exaggerating, it was the best falafel sandwich I'd ever had! It came with a side of squash soup (also vegan) which was also sooooo good and it was only $8! And I'm not vegan! Their special drink for the evening was sangria which was generously served in a tall glass. It was pretty standard sangria if you like that sort of thing. I do. I had two glasses. They also had a beer on tap for $1. This place is the biggest bang for a buck I've ever seen. Go.
(5)Eve N.
This place just has a good vibe. It is one of those intangible things, but I feel good when I come here. The cocktails are always strong, and the food is yummy. I like the cheese plate as the portion is quite generous. I once had the most amazing soup I've ever had here: It was an apple, cheese, ale soup of some kind, and it was delicious! As they change their soup daily, I've never had it again or seen it as their soup of the day again. :-( The inside is bustling and fun, and the patio is wonderful. They have spectacular infrared head lamps over each outdoor table that are controlled on individual timers as not to waste energy on heating an unused table. Brilliant! Night Light owners... I love your establishment and love love love that apple beer cheese soup, can you let a girl know when you will serve that again?
(4)Tiffany Z.
The burger here rocked my world. It was bar none one of the best burgers I've ever had. My husband thought the beer selections was pretty good too. The vibe and atmosphere is relaxed, I dig it. My husband mentioned that the tap beer selection wasn't half bad,so, whenever the opportunity arises we come here.
(4)Paige H.
Really tasty food. Good drink list. Good service even though they were busy. Lots of points for atmosphere. The couches are cool, not skeezy, there is plenty of room, and the vibe is just really great, good for a date, a group of friends, or just dinner. Will be going back frequently I'm sure.
(4)Rick M.
Hell yes, that all I can say about this place. Drinks that are reasonably priced that are awesome? yes please. Food that is fucking killer and doesn't cost an arm and a leg? why yes please again. All of this while the bar tender has Led Zeppelin playing over the sound system? SOLD good sir.
(5)Danielle F.
My girlfriend and I actuallly wanted to try another restaurant across the street and they stoped serving food at 9:30. We were very suprised by how many folks were in Night Light on a Monday night after 10pm. We just had the panko crusted goat cheese salad with beets and quinoa. It was really really good and I believe 8 dollars. All of the food on the menu looked amazing. The most expensive thing on the menu (even for entrees) was around 11 dollars which was for their braised short ribs. They have steak frites for 8 dollars. The menu is also pretty vegetarian friendly with polenta, yam fritters, acorn squash, veggie burrito etc... I really like this place and will come back to eat or drink again soon. Great to know there is a happening place on a Monday night. They serve food until 2am too!
(5)Ari K.
Awesome Happy Hour menu. The nachos alone, for 4 dollars, is enough food for two people. If you like cheese the spicy mac is also worth getting. Oh yeah, I can't forget about the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Bisque, among the best tomato bisque I've had, and I don't like soup. Besides the food, the best part of this place might just be the bottomless mimosas on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am -2 pm. When they say bottomless, they mean it, just make sure you have nothing do for the next couple of days so you could nurse your hangover.
(4)Erika G.
I try really hard not to think of this place because I think of the Pork Belly we had and it makes me crazy. It was the best piece of pork I have ever had in my life. It was better than pork chops in Iowa the heart of pig country, it was better than my pa's smoked ribs (please don't tell him I said that!) and they are extremely hard to beat. The rest of the food was decent, I think the one thing that need improvement was the beef we had. It was one of the small plates, the sauce was wonderful but the meat just lacked flavor, though it could have just been a lame cut. As far as the side veggies, we liked the fries best, and I liked the green beans. The other veggies weren't bad either but it was hard to consider anything but that piece of pork it was so out of this world. For drinks we had the Sangria and some southern cocktail special. Both were really good as well. The atmosphere was cool. It wasn't busy when we went, it was early happy hour. I would definitely go back, in fact if they keep the pork on the menu I can almost guarantee I'll be back.
(5)Jacob M.
Hipster place with good food, great drinks and a nice back patio to chill on in the summer. They also have a pool table, board games and a jukebox. It's worth checking out to see if your scene.
(4)Janette M.
Ohhh man I came in for brunch this weekend AMAZING. As if i couldn't love this place anymore.. oh and bottomless mimosas
(5)Korin W.
I less than three this place! I have only been here for brunch, but delish and I'm a big fan of those bottomless mimosas. The last time I came here was with a big(ger) group of girls for my bday. We sat in the back area in the MegaBooth and had a blast...especially loved how they just kept bringing bottles of champagne and OJ to our table! I'll be back, maybe even for nightlife ...
(4)Anthony V.
Great place, one of the best happy hours in town and a polite overall staff. The drinks are usually good and stiff, though if you are less into the booze and more into the beer, then there is a decent selection for anyone there. It's in an ideal location with plenty of places for you smokers out there. And back to the food, even non-happy hour prices are a good average for Portland and quite honestly worth it. My one big grief about this place however is the occasionally too loud music... the bar is more a lounge though I find myself at times having to yell to who ever I trying to talk to. But with that said, the Night Light is a great in between for those who are either tired of dives are high brow joints... great bar, one of my favorites.
(4)Christine S.
Every time I come to Portland on business we always stop by here before the airport....Hmmm, that is why I am constantly late for my flights back home? Hands down, the BEST nachos that I every had. They also have good burgers and pulled pork sliders. It seems like the crowd consists of all regulars and a few people were working with their laptops, drinking beers and eating burgers while working. Not a bad idea.
(4)Cody W.
If your target is happy hour, bombs away. There are lots of good values on the happy hour menu, particularly the truffle-oil fries and the thoughtfully heaping chicken nachos. The burgers are similarly robust. We were not as impressed with dinner fare, such as the buffalo stew (awfully soupy & short on veggies, and would have preferred the corn fritters arrive on the side rather than in the broth) and the special of the day (Asian shrimp vermicelli salad). The drinks were strong and everyone in our party enjoyed what wet their personal whistle. Keep in mind that the patio allows smoking (a plus or minus, depending on your point of view). Also, they are strictly 21+, so make sure you get a sitter.
(3)Oliver W.
Completely dissatisfied with everything about the service here. The door guy was extremely, unnecessarily rude to everyone in my party. We decided to go to another bar after they wouldn't let one of us in because she forgot her ID (she obviously looked much over 27!!). They STILL charged my card even though I hadn't gotten the drinks that I paid for between the time I ordered and when we left. These people do not care about their customers and because they stole from me will not ever receive my business again.
(1)stephen y.
Do not go here! I was attacked in the bathroom by a regular customer for no reason whatsoever and the staff did everything to protect him and his buddies. kicked me and my wife out of the place when they were clearly the ones that needed to leave. Staff knows who he the attacker was and will not give up his name. DO NOT GIVE THIS PLACE YOUR BUSINESS!!!
(1)Jessi S.
The good: the food is quality and tasty. The drink menu is very interesting. I had the sangria last time I was there and it was very good. The location is right on a bikeway making this an easy stop. The bad: it is often very busy and there really isn't anywhere to wait. Why should you go? if you like sliders and trying new cocktails this is the place for you!
(3)Amanda K.
The outdoor patio area is a gem. Considering Portland gets rather chilly, it's wonderful that there are so many heating lamps on the patio.
(4)Kitt J.
I admit it. I left this place in my "To Review" bookmarks for so long that I forgot most of what the experience was really like. However, my trusty notes have come to my rescue! I think it's best if I share them with you with no editing: super outdoor seating, great eggs, juicy thick-cut peppered bacon, A-HA-HAAAAMAAAAZI-I-I-I-ING toast" Now I'll have to go back to refresh my memory... that was clearly come bad-ass toast!
(4)Greta G.
I kind of love this place. I'm always happily surprised when bar food is more than just, well, bar food. A lot of gastro-pubs around town love to throw around fancy epicurean terminology like "seared", "infused" and "piquant", but c'mon. You can drizzle a tower of mozzarella sticks with a luxurious blend of local sage oils and they're still basically going to be a bunch of deep fried cheese wands (don't get me wrong - there's most definitely a time and a place in this world for deep fried cheese wands). When Night Light describes their food though, they mean it. They're upscale but not too overly fancy - they keep the menu to what they can do and do well and it's always delicious. They also have a small plate menu, which is a favorite of mine, because it keeps me trying new things. Their happy hour prices are out of this world, they've got a fantastic back patio and the servers are friendly, fast, intuitive and attentive. Also, the eight hour roasted pork (with bacon, natch) is to die for. And to top it all off, anyplace that offers bottomless Sunday bunch mimosas is pretty a-okay in my book.
(5)Janet L.
5 stars based on happy hour. Holy crap. I thought it'd be normal cheap barfood - you know, greasy finger picking stuffs in plastic baskets with dipping sauces maybe? Oh no. These are full sized too-big-for-one-person fancy ass dishes for $3-4 apiece. I was with Joshua M. who listed all the stuff we got, so you can read all about it. Everything was great. I'm the tofu eater and while I loved the way they fried the tofu, I wasn't a big fan of the oily peanut sauce it came swimming in. I usually prefer my tofu dry with a thicker sweeter peanut sauce on the side. But I'm really being picky here, let's get real - I still ate it and enjoyed it. $1.50 PBRs, a server with crazy memory (didn't write down any of that stuff we ordered and still nailed it) and roomy booths? Yeah, this place rules.
(5)Joel G.
Positives: Buffalo sliders and pot pies were delicious and coupled with friendly attentive service. That can only take you so far though. Once we were seated, we noticed that we could barely hear each other over the Megadeth that was blasting throughout the venue. My date came back from the bathroom complaining that there were no towels. The soup we ordered arrived tepid, and the hummus plate that arrived looked nothing like the photos here on Yelp. $6 got us bland hummus, four pieces of baguette, a few olives and a single artichoke heart cut up. There was no salt at the table to try and fix the flavor. We asked for some more bread as 4 tiny pieces of baguette went really fast, and were told it would be $1... fine, but when a plate with another four little pieces of baguette arrived, we almost flipped. It looks like others have had better experiences, but I have to say this was one night we wished we had gone elsewhere.
(2)Alvarez W.
Very good BLT...especially for a good late night option...and the drinks are pretty good as well...the service is not that great at all. Hence, the 3 stars.
(3)Holly W.
Best Spinach Artichoke Dip I've ever had!!! I love their heated patio and delicious drinks! Service was pretty good and they have extended happy hour. This is going to be a regular stop when I'm in the area.
(4)Abi A.
I used to consider this my regular date spot. And maybe it still could be, I guess I fell out of love a while ago and haven't been able to face her since. Night Light has a plesent atmosphere when the music isn't too loud. I am not a fan of their dj nights, it just feels like it should be a little more toned down. Their menu items are sometimes spot-on sometimes slightly off kilter. I have had several of their cocktail specials and really enjoyed them. If I lived closer, I might come to Night Light more often, but as it is, I probably won't be brining any dates around here. They do have a decent smoking porch, but it is usually packed especially around happy hour. If you are looking to experience Night Light for the first time, go with a couple of friends for drinks and maybe an appetizer, but I doubt you'll want to stay all night. Maybe it is just a little too clean for me?
(3)Mallory T.
Fine, they got me. Upgrading my rating from 2 to 3 stars. Good food and good for groups. Go here for late night eats. The service still sucks, but apparently that's cool in our pdx bubble.
(3)Carl B.
Bottom Line at the Top: Friendly place with room for "everyone" and a standard selection of drinks and food for Happy Hour. On a Sunday I met some friends in SE and we were a bit hungery and parched in the late afternoon. After consulting the Happy Hour Guidebook we picked the NightLight Lounge. Their Buck fifty PBR does make for an easy hit to the Wallet but the servers did have a good idea of other beer options when asked. The Happy Hour has quite a bit of the 'standards' like a salad, nacho's, fry's... The Fry's came in 3 incarnations, $3 normal, $4 Truffle oil, $5 Truffle/Parisian with the table ordering the $5 option. Once they came we found out that the Parmesan was just a really small grating of the Parm over the fry's not a "cheese sauce" I would recommend people try the $4 with truffle oil because the fry's were really good that way but pass on the Parm. I ordered the spicy Mac & Cheese which turned out for me a bit to spicy. Some people love the mouth on fire feel, but I rather it be a warm radiance not a 911 call. The amount of cheese was great, the creamy nature was almost perfect and if they can serve me up some with less spice I would come back often. The other two ordered the tomato bisque and toasted cheese sandwich. I sampled off their plate and have to say it was the best thing on the table. Very good flavor and of course when you put them together a perfect meld. Overall I think this place would work great for any gathering of friends who want some good Happy Hour times. The menu looks good for other times too and in the summer I think the outdoor patio would be one of its best features. They do have a room you can reserve for larger parties too.
(4)Amy C.
Another Sunday morning, another post-run brunch with my running buddies. We didn't have to wait at all! (Well, that's kind of a lie - we had to wait for it to open, but there was no line.) The food was really good. I'm not sure what I was so surprised, but I was. The service was also good, and the coffee was definitely okay. I can't wait to try this place again!
(4)Frannie h.
very cool! I was there for the first time last night and really liked the place. It was super crowded and is the kind of place where you might share a table / bench with people. Some strangers saw us searching for a seat and offered 1/2 their table to us - nice crowd! The menu had lots of interesting items like falafel, buffalo sliders and pot pies. We tried the steak frites and they totally blew us away! Soooooo delish! the steak was lean but juicy, fries were just right and the mushroom aus jus was perfect. I liked that is came with sauteed spinach (gotta get those veggies in!). The service was super friendly and MUCH faster than what you would expect on such a busy night. I can't wait to come back for bruch!
(4)Melody W.
For some reason i've never really liked going to the Night Light at night. I don't really like the crowd. It's not terrible, it's just not great and as far as drinks, i'd rather go to Savoy where I know the wait staff and feel comfortable. Having said that, it's everything that I love in a good breakfast place. It's not crowded, the tables are comfortable. I can read a book and not be disturbed by the five annoying kids at the next table, they play decent music at a reasonable volume, the wait staff is not only helpful but actually seem genuinely happy to serve you. The menu is amazing and very reasonably priced. I got the croque monsieur, which turned out to be an open faced sandwich on como bread with spinach, prosciutto, truffle butter, two poached eggs and lemon hollandaise sauce. It was AWESOME!! Good hollandaise is hard to find and this was perfect. The egg was perfectly poached and the potatoes were crispy but still tender in the middle. I was more pleased with this dinning experience than I have been in a long time and my bill was under $20! I'm still not sold on the nightlife at the night light but I'm totally down with the breakfast! Oh and they have $10 bottomless mimosa's! Um, hello!!!! Edit: Ok, I have to update this. I'm taking two stars off, for their incredibly shitty night service. I mean HORRIFIC. I already knew I didn't like it but some friends wanted to meet there so I thought I'd give it another chance. I'm a damn good customer and pretty effing patient but this was unbearable. After waiting for an open table, we finally found one that was dirty. We sat down and waited and waited and WAITED. No one came over to clean the table or take our drink and food orders. Eventually we watched them clean the table next to ours so we moved to that one and waited some more. Still nothing. Eventually my friend just went to the bar and ordered our food and drinks because no one would help us. While we sat at the table for about forty minutes, the only server who spoke to us asked if she could take our menu's to give to someone else!!!! We laughed pretty hard about that. Not only are you not going to serve us but you're just going to ask to take things away so you can help others? Our bill came to almost $80 and that would have been a sizable tip had we actually been served in any sort of way, aside from the bartenders (who we tipped well) WORST. I will NEVER go back at night ever again.
(2)Deanna C.
A friend and I were planning to have a smoothie at the Sip cart in front of People's but they were closed. My friend, though living only a handful of blocks away, wasn't super familiar with the area yet. I recommended we go to nightlight as he was interested in getting some food and, well, I can always eat. This place is great for outdoor seating options, happy hour and that local place that you might want to get a group friends together at. The location is great and the atmosphere is cozy. There is a large seating area that is great for bigger groups- a friend celebrated his birthday here once. I went for brunch, which was my second time being here during the before-noon-hours. It is hard to resist their Bottomless Mimosa's but today I did. I was focused on food and honestly I was hoping to get something more lunch like. However, with the time being 11am I had to order from the brunch menu. I am still a bit confused and frustrated that there is only one vegan option for brunch but at least two or three choices for lunch, dinner and happy hour. I would love for them to add just one more brunch option for the vegheads of Portland- especially something that represents the "unch" in brunch. The one option they do have comes from the "br" in brunch and is a spicy Tofu Potato Hash with Spinach, Onions and other tasty things. It comes with two half slices of sourdough. It certainly is tasty and filling as well, but I am the type of person who likes to have more than one option to choose from. I will be back, and perhaps I will email and ask about adding another vegan brunch item to their menu. Today, it was a good backup option. In the evening it is always a good option.
(4)Amy C.
Wonderful go-to bar. Excellent food and big booths, good for parties of around 6. Smoking deck out back. Very loud, very busy.
(5)Bud G.
You may want to check out the Night Light, but you probably don't want to go with me. For some reason there are a couple of places that I must just have bad karma with, for me Night Light is one of those places. They have all the components of a great, local bar/restaurant. Night light has a good food menu for both brunch and dinner, bottomless mimosas for brunch and a decent drink menu. But every time I go there (and I have been there several times), something just weird happens with my food or service. Now, don't get me wrong, it usually isn't something that happens to any of my group that I am with, everyone else seems to get exactly what they asked for right away with no hassles, it just seems to be me and the food and drink gods not smiling upon me when I walk into this place. So, I suggest you go try out this place, go for brunch, get a bottomless mimosa and try the hash, when it actually got to me, it was pretty good. One word of warning, if I am there, sit as far away from me as possible, you don't want the restaurant gods to associate you with me at Night Light.
(3)Joshua M.
My experience at this place just rocked. Most of the time when happy hour is suggested I prepare myself for bland cheap food. It's cheap, it fills you up, but don't expect it to be any good. Well Night Light proves that theory wrong. All of the stuff we grazed on: * fries covered in cheese with creme de freche and bacon- verdict: awesome * nachos covered in cheese, tomatillo salsa, creme de freche, and guacamole- verdict: guacamole could have been fresher, but still pretty awesome * spicy mac & cheese: verdict- awesome * fried tofu: verdict- okay (I didn't order this, nor do I have a thing for tofu, but the tofu eater of the group enjoyed it) * hush puppies: verdict- fanciest hush puppies ever, totally awesome * caesar salad: verdict- a whole piece of romaine, needed a little more dressing and cheese, but still good * vegan chili: verdict- I didn't sample this, but was told it was good I would have liked to have had a fancy soda or root beer on hand as the one no-drinker of the group, but not everything is perfect. Service was good, ambiance was nice, and we had a huge comfortable booth. Eventually towards the end of our stay as it got busier they turned up the music a bit too loud and it got crowded, but for a happy hour experience I would say A+, and I will be back.
(5)IH K.
This is what I remember: -I liked this place -There was an indoor/outdoor patio that was too crowded -At some point I sat on a variety of low, loungy couches and possibly in a booth -I didn't get kicked out Everything else is a bit fuzzy. But, what else do you really need to know?
(4)Jay A.
I experienced the worst service ever in this very bar last week. My friend and I sat at the bar on a Wednesday night with not 1, not 2, but 3 people behind the bar and waited 3 minutes before we even got acknowledged. It was also a slow night, mind you, with the place about a 1/3 full. When the bar tender finally did say hello, we made a light hearted comment about waiting for service with 3 people behind the bar and no one else sitting at the bar besides us, and one of the guys says "Well that's Portland for ya" and walks away. The bar tender the proceeded to be super short and up tight with us. The only reason I gave it two stars is because the nachos were awesome and they have a super nice back patio. Is this really what the status quo is for Portland service or is it just that this place is staffed by jerk offs? Given that I've had lots of great service elsewhere, I think the answer is obvious.
(2)Allison Y.
Great, dim atmosphere. Love how the seating can be intimate and private or you can be out in the open with the public.
(4)Shellie Z.
Love the Night Light. I was looking for a great SE bar near Division or Hawthorne with the perfect lounge feel, and without the tavern feel. Night Light was perfect. Hip, clean and comfortable. Great drink prices. $2 PBR, good food, cocktails....wine and beer choices. I love the decor leather couches, nice wood tables, lots of choices in seating....and a heated back deck. It has a very loungey, yet kick back feel. Music overhead ...mostly alternative...good stuff though. The only thing I would change...the staff is a little slow!
(4)Arielle S.
To start if you are coming to talk then this place may not be the best choice, the music is always loud. But if you are looking to be mellow with some cheap food and decent drinks then head to the night light lounge. The cheese plate is very generous and during happy hour is priced great. The caesar is somewhat a let down it was lacking dressing which unless your a rabbit no one wants pieces of lettuce, a few croutons as an after thought. The mac-n-cheese is delish happy hour food. Best thing I have had. Sorta basic plain gooey cheddar with macaroni, but then there is a bit of a kick that is a pleasant surprise. The mac-n-cheese washes down well with pretty much any beer. I come for the drinks. They are healthy and strong like bull. Two makes me giggly and thats pretty darn good, it usually takes me atleast three.
(3)Martha R.
I love this place! It's oh so close to my house, so I can easily walk there... which is always nice. The first thing that happened when we walked in there was that the waiter put a carafe of water on the table. Just fantastic. We both ordered wine (during happy hour), and with $1 off an already decently priced wine, it just can't be beat. You can also get $1 off beer, and there's a well drink special as well - just don't know the details because I cannot drink the "hard stuff". The waiter was very attentive, which was easy for him at first because there weren't too many people in there. But as the evening progressed, the place filled right up, and he was still lingering around at the right times. I was never without a drink if I didn't want to be. It's got a little stink of smoke, but not too bad - which is a big deal for me. Even the smoking room isn't too stinky because they have a nice little air filtration system. Of course, we were there around 4:30, and that's pretty early. I didn't get any of the food - but the prices, and selections looked great. The atmosphere is pretty hip, without being too over the top. I like the browns and reds, and there is some art on the wall that's amusing. I will see what this place is like later night, but this is my new favorite place for happy hour!
(4)Laura H.
Spicy mac and cheese, truffle fries, and pork sliders are all awesome. They have a great happy hour and daily specials. The food here is great and so are the drinks. Outdoor patio is perfect in summer and covered in winter. I went here with my gf and got full and had a few drinks and the tab was only $25. Service could be better, but considering there was only one waitress and one bartender they did fine.
(4)Uyen T.
5 Stars for the location. I love how it's on Clinton street. -1 Star for the service. I love it when waitresses forget about my drink. -1 Star for the food. Nachos are nothing special. I splurged and added chicken for $2.50. I shouldn't have added the chicken and saved me the $2.50. The mac and cheese tasted like kraft mac and cheese except for the fact the the macaroni is a tad bigger and the cheese is white instead of orange. The grilled cheese is ok, the cheese is white chedder or whatever. I like their beer selection. If I lived in this neighborhood, I'd be a regular.
(3)Graciela G.
I came here for happy hour with the intent to get drunk and that I did. Happy hour drinks and food are modestly priced. My group of 3 shared a mound of cheesy and delicious nachos for $4. I had 2 cocktails and their sangria, which were all good stiff drinks on the cheap. We walked away with 9 very good drinks total without breaking the bank. I can't say that about too many places. You either get cheap drinks that are bad, or good drinks that are pricey. Night Light gives you the best of both worlds. Oh and they have board games! So sit with your pals, play some games, drink up, and enjoy a truly happy hour.
(4)holden k.
Really casual place, super-friendly staff, with lots of eye-candy all around (patrons and staff). Been twice - fast service and great comfort food. Sunday brunch isn't very crowded - i'm sure when people get more into how nice a place this is, there will eventually be lines to get in.
(4)Darrell G.
Love the Burgers, Nachos, Music and Service. It's in a great neighborhood !
(5)Amazing Massage Services R.
Great Avocado Burgers! and Stellar Nacho's . I like the atmosphere and cool tunes in the background . Service was great! I'll be back there again and I'm not a local. it's worth the travel.
(5)Jordan J.
The initial drink was good. Then the bartender forgot to add the food. So 45 minutes I went to check. Not on the tab. Was never entered. I asked another waitress and she put in the order. Then I received attitude when I asked how long since our party was ready to leave. My suggestion, hire some waiters for the night time when you have a line of patrons waiting...
(2)Sarah B.
The rose water drink they have is amazing, the happy hour food options are decent and tasty, the service is AMAZING, the seating is comfy and the overall atmosphere is relaxed and not too hipster-y. All in all a groovy place.
(4)kelsey p.
Eh, I wasn't a fan. Maybe it was because I had just experienced an awesome happy hour at Savoy up the street. Maybe it was because I had already stuffed myself on fried cheese curds and didn't try the food. Maybe it was because my friend had attracted a group of douches and I had to listen to their blabbering. Or maybe, and most likely, it was because there was apparently a "metal festival" going on, and the music was giving me a headache. Wow, I sound like a real winner after writing that. But, I just don't see what all the Yelp-fuss is about. I'll give it a try another night, because maybe I was just worn out. Two stars for now.
(2)Patrick C.
I've been to this joint a number of times, and have been consistently impressed. Nothing in particular stands out as incredible here, but the total experience was great. The waitstaff is very friendly, and the ambiance is quirky and fun. The happy hour is the best thing here. Part of what makes me say that nothing in particular stands out is this menu. I've tried everything on the short menu, and it was all well made and tasty. As a whole, however, the menu seems a little... off. I mean that as a compliment. It doesn't seem like the standard, trying hard to impress you menu, and more like a list of things I would make for dinner if feeling lazy. The difference is that they do a very good job of making those dishes. In particular, I recommend the cottage fries and the house salad. Give it a try, it's a comfortable, fun place to grab a quick bite or drinks with friends.
(4)Amado L.
Finally came back to this place after nearly a year since the last visit. I dug that they had Guinness on tap, and have always wanted to return, but other watering holes were just a closer walk. Well, tonight I was famished-- does anyone really say 'famished' these days?-- so I decided to take the opportunity to visit this little bar. The second thing* that caught my eye was their expanded back room, which I definitely don't remember having seen the last time. Evidently, they added that back room just about a month ago (probably in preparation for NYE) and it's a swanky little annex. It features wrap around couch seating for approximately ten skinny Asians plus a smattering of bistro style accommodations for six or seven exclusive or swinging couples. It looked like a cool spot for a private or semi-private group get-together. (They're willing to reserve the space ahead of time for large groups.) I came for HH and was pleasantly surprised by the tastiness of their fare. Although it was a somewhat scant HH menu, the offerings would appeal to a variety of tastes and dietary preferences. I opted for their quesadilla (which was, to borrow from that annoying Rachel Ray's parlance, absolutely 'delish') and their Cottage Fries (thick-cut russet potatoes that yielded a generous mound of medallion sized bites). The HH menu also offered salads, nachos, and other 'bar' type delights. With my two pints PBR, the total bill came to $9.00 USD, and I was full. (In fact, I was unable to finish the Cottage Fries.) The regular menu was not huge, and offered other 'pub' style fare at very reasonable prices ($6.00-$12.00 USD), and they boasted a pretty big wine list. They also offer a full bar; DJ, live and house music; and free Wi-Fi. * The first thing that I noticed, in case you were wondering, was the uber cute bartender named Lindsay. I hope she's working the next time I pay this has-the-makings-to-be-a-favorite spot another visit. FINAL NOTE: They don't offer desserts. When I asked Lindsay about this, she said that it's because they don't have a huge kitchen, and can't support another freezer to carry an inventory of desserts. Plus, she said, she'll end up eating the desserts herself. *wink* *melt*
(4)Turner M.
On a beautiful Spring evening, with an expected group of 15+, where do you go? The night Light. I've been here a couple of times before, with my first time at a packed happy hour, so my first impression was a little so-so. But both times I've been back I have had great service and had a great time drinking the hours away on their back patio. It's spacious enough that you don't feel like you're sitting on top of each other, but still leaves a nice feeling on intimacy. Went there with a large group and had a great time - and enough space to spread out (although I must apologize to the surrounding neighbors, as the whisky was flowing and I'm sure we were a bit rambunctious...) Probably my favorite spot in the Clinton neighborhood - highly recommend it, especially if you want a cool drink in the out-of-doors
(4)Ray P.
Look. I'm an older guy, but hip. I always wanted to stop in but was a little intimidated by the younger crowd. So, I grabbed my daughter and had a very delicious breakfast and a few late morning cocktails. This is now my place. I'll B back.
(5)Johana M.
Night lights did get me through a couple of rough nights as a kid...and as a (supposed) adult, here I have another Night Light to coddle me through. Only this one has strong drinks and a fantabulous happy hour. The atmosphere is cozy and totally unassuming, and our waitress was completely on top of her game. She immediately informed us of the current specials and the debut of their new 'spring' menu. We might have gone for some of the menu items, if happy hour hadn't called. Since the prices were delightfully affordable, we decided to get a few different things and do a little taste test! Their grilled cheese with kettle chips and a pickle was a whopping $3 bucks! And it's pretty hard to get a grilled cheese wrong, right? It was a nice snack, but I'll admit I've had better GC's here in Portland. We also got a cheese plate, with 3 types of fancy fromage, plus some dried fruit and nuts, all for another $5! I was shocked at how delicious and pretty it was for the price. Back in California, this same thing would cost between $12 - $15 for sure! My companion also got a plate of mac and cheese...which I tasted, but couldn't eat, considering all the other cheese-laden items before me. It had a very mild taste, borderline bland, but was a huge portion, and a-ok for I think $4. In all....we got 5 cocktails, 2 beers, all the food PLUS tip for around $50 bucks. It's a wonderful way to Light the Night!
(5)Laurel S.
This place has yummy food and great happy hour prices. Portions for appetizers and small plates are good, but the entrees are small and a bit overpriced. Stick to happy hour food/drinks and you won't be disappointed!
(4)Susan W.
I went back this weekend for another round of bottomless mimosas and opted for the grilled cheese and spicy tomato soup. Um....seriously amazing! Their grilled cheese is one of the best in Portland, and I don't say that lightly. There was cheese oozing out the side of the sandwich and pooling on the plate. Paired with their spicy tomato bisque, I was in grilled cheese heaven.
(5)Justin K.
Service was incredibly slow. I understand that it was a Friday happy hour, but we waited 20 minutes and had to specifically ask before anybody even attended to us. After placing drink and food orders at the same time, it took another 20 minutes before the drinks arrived. Would've been better off ordering directly from the bar. That said, the food was pretty good and their specialty lemon drop was a fan favorite from two gals in our party. Can't go wrong with Rogue hazelnut brown ale either.
(3)Britta E.
This place is dark-o-licious. I mean, it certainly ain't called Night Light for nothin'. If you want to actually SEE your pretty date or that friend who you haven't SEEN in a while, perhaps you should opt for elsewhere. I dunno, maybe I've just got really ridiculously bad night vision or maybe this place is seriously this dark. Not that the atmosphere doesn't put an interesting spin on an evening--allowing for some sort of lights-out pillow talk/slumber party gossip amongst a group of good friends. But I kind of couldn't see my food, and that made me feel that same sense of guilt I get when sneaking some pie out of the fridge at 1am when I really shouldn't be, ya know? The strong drinks definitely helped. And although bar table service in PDX usually makes me a bit apprehensive, it was fairly commendable. That gal must have some seriously strong rods and cones to be able to tell when we were nearing empty drink levels. The food...well...not impressed, like, at all. I mean, if you like salt to be the primary flavor, then sure, I guess those fritters were totally awesome. The nachos, they were okay, did the job of ending my hunger, but I'm from TX, and could make better ones at home. I knew I should've splurged my way off the HH menu and just ordered the unagi sliders that were calling my name. Oh well, next time. Yes, there will be a next time. For sure. It's a nice enough place, with sweetheart bartenders, strong drinks, a lovely patio when it's not freezing, and seating for all sized groups. I also dug the passionate anti-graffiti notice in the bathroom upon my last visit. I'll just try show up when I've had too much sun to care. Or with my ugly friends. Whichever.
(3)Suzanne F.
This intersection on Clinton is dangerous for me. Not b/c I am carelessly riding my bike, or inattentively listening to NPR while driving. Nope, it's the intersection where my sons take music lessons (see review of Cadenza Academy) & I find myself waiting around, basically lurking in this neck of the woods. Today, being gray & rainy, I decided, 'what the hell' and threw caution to the wind! I went in & it was really good. I ordered a Widmar Heifeweizen and a Happy Hour special of corn fritters with chipotle aioli. Not greasy, not a gut-bomb, just deliciousness on a plate! I sat at a curved booth, tried to read the paper (but just became annoyed & angrier by the paragraph), and decided to focus on the swell snacks & frosty beer. For under $10.00 I got the perfect and satisfying snack & made the decision to return...you know, since the trumpet & sax lessons continue, I need all the fortification I can get! A solid neighborhood place to check out. Thumbs up!
(4)Skylar L.
As soon as January 1st rolls around, this place gets an extra star. As it is now, my lungs are still recovering from secondhand smoke. This place has done a great job of creating intimate spaces in a good sized space. Larger groups can hole up in one of the booths while smaller groups can sit at the tables near the wall in the second room. The night I ate here I had just spent all day at Ikea. All the stuff looks good, but my Ikea adjusted eye recognized many a chair and table from the big blue and yellow. The food was great. The nachos are a definite must. The mixed drinks are well prepared, too. The service, too, was attentive; surprisingly so for such a packed house. Oh, and jukebox is out of this world. OK, that's actually a really self congratulating statement as I owned at least half of those CDs and 2/3 of the artists/bands represented (their music, not them). Still, Belle & Sebastian and the Decemberists in the same jukebox makes me pretty damn happy. Of course, the B&S/D rule would have to go in effect (a one star bump) if someone put them on. Just a hint next time you see me managers of Nigh Light....
(3)Kitty K.
Ambled over here last night from St. Jack (way too Portlandy pretentious for my taste). It was like stepping from the dark into the (night) light. Happy people, great staff and amazing food and drinks. We had a couple of the specials, lamb chops with brussel sprouts and bacon, truffle fries and the best caesar salad I've ever had. And a few Lolita margaritas and Art Ghetto Something-or-Other. Delicious. Total for all of this: 25 bucks each. We'll be back.
(5)Joseph H.
As the name implies, you can eat late at the Night Light. It's one of those places that stokes the flame of a foodie's heart. You might begin to think that all dive bars like the NL serve natural organic grub. At least that's what you'll believe after dining here. Good people making good strong drinks and food. Take my search for a good cheeseburger, NL is up in the front running out of nowhere. Natural beef? Check. Organic produce? Check. And the cheese? Check, check, checkers. Wait-a-minute what kind of bun is that? Oh, right, every dive bar happens to serve fluffy Brioche Buns from Grand Central Bakery on their burgers. Riiiight, now we're getting somewhere! I would have given them 5 stars, but last week it was clear that they changed the recipe for the Gnocchi. Previously it was in a white sauce with the perfect amount of cheese to spud ratio and a dash of greens. Last week it turns up as a pesto slopped train wreck oozing with too much oil. It was still pretty good, I just thought the previous rendition could stack up to even Mama Mia's. Decent happy hour complete with board games will remind your friends to regroup at the Night Light on occasion. Cheaper Micro's, Wells, and Wine are all on par for a good PDX Happy Hour. Food is on special too although the snacks are limited. Not a big deal since most things on the meny are $10 bucks and less, like the nachos that keep the theme of sustainable foodie lifestyle in tact. Dive with the best of them, and keep the Night Light burning Portland.
(4)Robert L.
So far the 'tender is chill.
(4)David M.
Is it just me, or does Clinton street really REALLY appreciate absolute darkness. Really. When I walk into bars on Clinton after the sun has gone down I feel like I am about to be sacrificed. I mean, I love candles, like a lot, but there's a fine line. Well why am I complaining, sometimes my mug is not at it's finest, so I can use all the help I can get. Night Light really lives up to it's name. Now I can truly relate to all the blind people of the world. Night Light has big comfy booths that suck you in like black holes. They also have cracked out board games that are missing pieces and that are held together by wishes and dreams. A+ on effort though. Oh and the jukebox is mighty fine!
(4)Brianna R.
Good Neighborhood Joint, great food, good atmosphere, fantastic back deck area. Flexible space too, cozy for two people and can easily absorb a large party too, I even had a Birthday Party here that held close to 75 people easily.
(4)Danielle K.
When I was a kid, I was afraid of the dark. Well, maybe not the dark. I was actually afraid of my closet. My closet door had to be closed, because I thought that somehow skeletons would apparate and get me. The door had to be slid shut. Otherwise I couldn't sleep. You get the idea. Now that I'm all grown up, I'm no longer afraid of the dark (or any potential monsters in the closet). But I love places that make me feel comfortable...that make me feel that even if I am scared of the dark, that's okay, because there's something nice and warm there to comfort me. Enter the Night Light. Night Light Lounge, that is. Dimly lit, ample bar space, plush booths...it's the quintessential open and comfortable space for adults (afraid of the dark or not, alike). The bar tender was a casual dude with a beanie, glasses, and a beard. The stereotypical scruffy hip guy. Which, seeing that I'm a native Portlander (for reals!), makes me really comfy and at home. He whipped up some good drinks, too. The Stumptown cocktail was local and sweet, and its warmth was a surprise (I was expecting ice). The Brandy Alexandria--a lovely citrusy, cinnamony take on the classic. It's all about spicing up the food we already love. The quesadilla with spicy chicken hit THE SPOT. Dripping in a spicy salsa, with smooth lines of crema, it was a nice mix of hot and cool. And the guacamole that was clearly handmade was absolutely delicious and chunky...the way it should be. And scratch the fries! Here, you get round wedges of potato, with just enough salt, crunch, and soft. The Caesar salad also looked easy on the palate. The price of all this comfort and down-home love? Oh, holy happy hour that lasts until 7 p.m.! Quesadillas...for $3. Large salad for $4. Awesome! A dollar off well drinks and wine, fifty cents off beer. Oh, and until 9 p.m., the smoking area is its own room. I sat very close to it, and couldn't smell a thing. Definitely. No more demons haunting my search for a great bar! I stop at the Night Light.
(4)Greg M.
Love the Nightlight! Now, if they would just bring back the Nori fritters, I think we'd be there pretty much daily. :) Some folks seem to be upset over smokers confiscating the patio and servers with 'tudes. Yes, the patio is overrun with smokers. It's a nasty, vile and rancid habit that the hipster crowd can seem to kick. Tough for us, I guess. As for 'tudy servers - I've never had a single bad service experience here. It's always awesome. All the servers seem really nice.
(5)Sara G.
$5 happy hour cheese plate? Funny and competent servers? 3pm - 7pm DAILY happy hour? Ninkasi Believer Double Red Ale? Sun-filled, yet umbrella adorned patio? I think I am in love. Seriously, $5 happy hour cheese plate!!!
(4)Ashley B.
I love you Night Light. I love that you have an awesome happy hour; that lasts till 7, comes with delicious food (I'm talking to you House Salad), and dollar fifty PBR's. I love that you have velvet paintings of unicorns and robots but don't look like the type of place that would have velvet paintings of robots and unicorns. I love that you have large windows for when its sunny and perfect dim lighting for when its not. I love that you are in the much adorable Clinton neighborhood, and sit on one of the cutest corners in the area. I love the large booths inside and options for seating outside. I love you Night Light. I love everything about you. So can we make this a regular thing?
(4)Lindsey K.
It's getting dark in here...so take off all your clothes. That's how the song goes, right? Anyways, it's called Night Light for a reason. Dark, glowing lights, big booths. Ugly people/adult acne/elephant man, this is your place! I played two games of pool while some older gentlemen leered at me. Always good for the self-esteem! Then I climbed into a duct-taped booth and tried to play with their board games, which have seen better days. I had a $4.50 drink special: The Georgia Peach. It involved Jim Beam, orange juice, peach schnapps, and a dash of desperation. I'm in! Overall, a cozy and dark place if you're feeling fugly and want to keep it low-key.
(3)Cordelia K.
Went there on a Friday night and got seated between two speakers. Requests to turn the music down a little or to relocate our group were met with snippy responses bordering on rude, and other interactions were not much better. Food and drinks were decent - but I am so turned off by the service, am not interested in going back. Ended up leaving and relocating to a different spot...and enjoyed the rest of our evening much more.
(2)Lacy O.
I was pleasantly surprised! It seems a little dark and dingy at first, but then Is aw the food and it was awesome! Great happy hour selection and prices, good size portions and very yummy. Hello truffle fries! Great selections of liquor and unique drinks. Oh and happy hour goes until 8pm! What's not to love?
(5)Erin E.
The Night Light is one of the best bars in the neighborhood. Good selection on the juke box, great happy hour and nice patio. There is one irritating bartender, but aside from that I've found the service really friendly and laid back. I took off one star for the following reasons: no music on the patio, and the Vegetable Fritters are tasty but totally mushy inside. If these babies were only half the size I would scarf 'em down everytime.
(4)sylvia c.
I'll take the sliders! The sliders here kinda make me sing in my head. What song you ask? "Yummy, yummy, yummy I got love in my tummy". Moderately priced & not far from my pad, this place rocks. Why do I always forget to go here? That's what I keep asking myself. Can't remember ever being disappointed in the food. Patio is great in the summer & the servers aren't snotty hipster a-holes. So that's a bonus. They also have pulled pork sliders & I think crab cake sliders, which I absolutely want to try, if I can ever stop ordering the regular sliders. Why can't I have a plate with one of each? That would probably be WAY too effin picky of me... I shall refrain. At any rate, if you're ever in this hood & you've not been here, try it. It's pretty awesome. Then maybe you can buy me sliders for introducing you. Its kind of like taking the person that introduced you to your gf/bf for drinks in appreciation.
(5)Conor T.
I like the people there. The place seemed pretty empty at 8, when I was there to get some grub. When 10pm rolls around, everyone has to come inside off the street with their drinks because of neighborhood rules. The mac & cheese is good, and so is the falafel.
(3)Elizabeth W.
Night Light! Once my favorite neighborhood bar, until I moved out of walking distance. Oh how I miss you, Nighty. Why do I love thee? Let me count the ways: 1) Happy Hour Nachos - delish! 2) Happy Hour Length - 4-7pm - yay! 3) Outdoor seating - in front AND back. 4) Juke box rocks 5) Room for moderately sized groups - big booths and couches in back 6) pool table 7) healthy food options - the stir fry is pretty tasty Only drawback I can think of: smokiness I actually like the service - they're not overly friendly and tend to be attentive enough, but I'm fairly low maintenance when it comes to going out.
(4)Jennifer M.
Good cheap drinks!
(4)Andrew B.
Under no circumstances should you find yourself here and not at either Dot's Cafe or Clinton St Pub. Having experienced all that this wonderful neighborhood has to offer this is by large the weakest local watering hole. Every time I decide to spend my worthless dollar there I end up waiting longer than 20 minutes for my drink while being forced to listen to bad lounge music being spun by what seems to be the only DJ they allow to spin there. The one decent thing about the Light is their happy hour, I would recommend the quesadilla. The bartenders act more like they work at Vault in the Pearl rather than on the humble block that is Clinton Street and seem to care very little if you give them your business or not. Do yourself a favor and spend your hard earned dollar a block north (Division) or a block east. Night Light is a prime example of how bad service can affect an overall experience. Positives: Semi-decent happy hour menu, layout and jukebox. Negatives: Horrible service and bland live music.
(2)Clare S.
The night light has a happy hour that makes me oh so happy. If I were a singer/songwriter, I would put out a track about how amazing their cheese plate is. They do happy hour 7 days a week which is great for me as weekdays are out of the question for most happy hours because of my schedule. Weekend happy hours will get anyone extra love in my book (or in this case extra stars). They always have amazing soup options (tonight being Thai Coconut Curry which was faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaantastic) and the bowl is a meal all on it's own. They have an amazing patio outside for those warm summer days, and now that the smoking ban went through, the inside is just as inviting. $1 PBR pints most nights (not sure why they do it some nights and not others, but it will be on the specials board), cozy booths, and servers that although might be hipper than me, are more than happy to supply me with enough drinks and food to keep me continuously happy...during happy hour. They almost loose a star because they chose to not write our order down when we ordered, which I don't mind, but they didn't bring us all of the food that we ordered. It was also pub quiz night and I wish our server would have informed us so that we could have chosen a table right in front of the announcer (we were not participants, although maybe in the future!). They don't loose that star though because the pros definitely outweigh those cons. You can light my night anytime...
(5)travis t.
Great food, great service, strong and creative drinks, great sidewalk seating, patio seating, and comfortable booths. This place does just about everything right.
(5)Lauren G.
The Night Light, for me, serves as the perfect 'in between' of bars. It's nice enough and warm and attractive enough that people who don't like shitty bars (um, weird) are into it, but it's not too bousgie or expensive and you can smoke (just in that side room until after 9- then in the whole place), and they have one of the best juke boxes in town. And the big food menu and happy hour are pretty frickin delightful. I guess there are probably a lot of "pretty" people here too and it always seems like there's a lot of checking out going on, which is kind of skeezy to me, but is probably cool to someone. It's also really easy to settle into one of the booths and post up here. Because I hear ya, Ryan N., I've had some late crazy nights here. It took me a while to warm up to the Night Light because it seemed like they took themselves a little too seriously, but it's kind of undeniable that it's just a really solid bar.
(4)Emily L.
I love the Night Light! It's my neighborhood bar, so I am a frequent customer. The staff is very kind and I've never had to wait long to be served. The different rooms offer different ambiance, so you can have a dark, cozy romantic dinner in the back room, or a shot and beer with friends in the front bar. The shots are HUGE and prices very reasonable. They pour a delicious Jameson and Ginger Ale. The happy hour food is great too. Love the cheese plate. I'm a big fan of the back patio as well. It's been great in the summer heat! The only "negative" comment comes from my boyfriend, who wishes they had TV's so he could watch sports. But, I prefer that they don't have TV's. It's definitely NOT a sports bar ... now he's just stuck having to talk to me. :) This is a great neighborhood bar!
(4)John D.
Falafel sandwich was good. Side salad was really good. Decent outdoor seating. Reasonably priced. No complaints - a solid place I plan on going back to.
(4)Paul P.
This place was a little jewel we just happened on. It caught our eye one evening after dinner at the Vindaloo across the street. We checked in for early happy hour. Very laid back, cozy, atmosphere on a cool rainy day. People there were everything from students studying, alone, casual discussions on couches, full meal burgers & sandwiches with lots of fresh veges & fries. Other people were chatting at the bar and a group in the back room. We tried some cocktails, mine was not memorable but my wife had a Tai Chili drink that flamed her lips initially but was so good she had another. The heat calms down. The main dishes looked good but we stayed with the Small Plates. We had the Steak Frites and the Fried Polenta. Both came with very fresh mixed salad/herbs. We could have gotten crazy ordering more but we had an engagement so will have to return. AND WE WILL. Along with the cozy bar atmosphere was a nice eclectic mix of music from old country to reggae, some hip hop and much in between. There appeared to be plenty of room for people in two back rooms and or groups. We might also try this place outside in better weather.
(5)John M.
Love this place. I've frequented it with other musicians after rehearsals and recording sessions for the past few years, and I've always enjoyed the experience. Diverse bar with very reasonable prices.
(4)Ellettra A.
I wanted to give this place more than 3 stars. To be fair, I think it just wasn't "for me," because it's not like it was a terrible bar. The beer was fine (a little heavy on the IPAs) and the food was just okay. The service was erratic. It took a good 20 minutes to get water and a menu, and then the server brought me the wrong beer (although by that time I didn't care). Then it took an HOUR to get our food (mac & cheese and a plate of nachos). Then some stumbly drunk & sunburned folks sat down next to us and were making fun of my SHOES, of all things (damn hipsters). By that time we were ready to leave, and I was kinda glad to get out of there. Food: just okay. Mac & Cheese was rich and delicious, but should not have taken an hour to cook. The Nachos were tasty, but it was a HUGE amount of chips and a dollop of toppings. The guac on the top was the best part of it. The beers were fine, although I didn't get what I actually ordered. Service: meh. Nice, but slow as all get out and ditzy. Prices: average (2 beers and nachos for $16). Crowd: hipsters, hipsters and more hipsters. Restrooms: clean and unisex. I can't say anything about the inside, but it looked pretty good and they had a live DJ as we were leaving.
(3)Jessica B.
This used to be a go-to place. It seems as though the service has started to suffer recently. We had a terrible experience with a very rude bartender recently and would hesitate to go back should she be working. Also, the music inside is usually waaaay too loud. I hate having to yell at my fellow diners.
(2)Hilary F.
Excellent happy hour here. I would fake a 'I-can't-cook-headache' so we could go here for dinner during happy hour. They have great beer of course, but go for the quesadillas, cheese plate, and nachos. Yes, I said 'and' not 'or'!!! In the summer it's nice to sit on the patio in the back.
(4)Joe W.
Really starting to dig this neighborhood bar. I dropped by there for new years and it was really fun. they treated everyone to champagne and party hats. Servers are friendly, too. Best part: its SO much better now that its smoke free.
(4)Christine S.
2100 SE Clinton St. Portland, Or Phone:503-7316-500 I literally stumbled upon this fantastic little bar last night in SE Portland! The main room with the bar was lit about like a night-light illuminates a room and as you walk further back it's nearly like a cave with some scattered candles and couches. Board games are stacked in the corner and on Sundays you can enter a spelling bee or trivia contest to compete for $50 or $20 gift certificates. Beers on tap include: Pabst Blue Ribbon 2 Stella Artois, Belgium 3.50 Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Bend OR 3.50 Terminal Gravity IPA, Enterprise OR 3.50 Amnesia Porter, Portland OR 3.50 Laurelwood Organic Free-Range Red, Portland OR 3.50 Ninkasi Believer Big-Bodied Amber, Eugene OR 3.50 Guinness 20 oz., Ireland 4.50 Signature and seasonal cocktails as well as white and red wines are also available. I had a Pomegranate Cosmo that was delicious! The happy hour and appetizer menu includes a mezza plate $7, cheese plate $7, Thai beef skewers, bacon wrapped scallops $8, Quesadilla, Mac n cheese. There are too many yummy options to list! Even there entrees are delicious and creative...Risotto de Primavera $8, Seared Ahi tuna $10, Sesame Chicken $10. I will definately be back!
(4)Bluebear P.
this place has a super good happy hour menu, some unique specialty cocktails-- including the ''dr. spaceman''-- as well as a great outdoor patio which is open until 1am....it's a great spot for anyone who gets off work late and wants to find some good late night food and a refreshing cocktail. the ambiance is pretty chill and laid back, and the music selections are usually to my liking. this place would easily get four stars in my book except for the fact that the service is VERY hit or miss. either way, definitely a spot to check out, especially now that the weather is starting to heat up.
(3)Jenn C.
Night Light was the third stop on our "De-hangover" post brewfest. We made it just perfectly for happy hour. Given that we had a HUGE breakfast at the Radio Room (see review), the two of us remaining opted for a couple of appetizers the prawns and the mezza platter (hummus). The service was fantastic (Dear Radio Room waitress--come by take a lesson) and the food was pretty great. Their hummus was unique and delicious. They had a decent selection of microbrews (do not fall for the Bro Brah ESB). The only disappointment was the gazpacho with the prawns not quite being a gazpacho--but that's ok it was still slurped up!
(4)Janice P.
Death of my secret favorite brunch spot. In a town where a 45 minute wait for a mediocre brunch is the norm on a Sunday morning I celebrate and laugh at the sorry patrons of places like the Cricket Cafe as I baste myself in the bananas foster french toast (yes, that''s banan bread turned into french toast, oh my god doesn't come close) at the Night Light. This bar/lounge has a surprisingly fantastic brunch menu, and everything on the menu was extraordinary, simple yet exotic and fabulously tasty. Until today. I'm not sure if there is a new cook or if it was just a bad day, but they've eliminated a handful of things on the menu which made this place extraordinary. The succulant Croque Madame, the to-die-for Italian Scramble and *SOB* the Bananas Foster French Toast! Nooooooo. To top that off the Huevos Rancheros I ordered, was disappointing and pretty much inedible. The cook had no idea how to poach an egg. My poached eggs were cooked through (I would've ordered it hard boiled if I wanted a hard boiled egg), while my bf's poached eggs were barely (not) cooked, runny whites, runny yolks. The "tomatilla salsa" was nonexistant or was replaced by stale black bean water. The "steamed cornbread" was replaced by burnt, black, dry and stale yellow cardboard. And maybe I'm being overly critical and I shouldn't have ordered Huevos Rancheros at an american bruch bar/lounge. But the side of home fries that were so damn perfectly crisp and perfectly spiced last time I was here had become soggy oil nuggets. Even oil nuggets could've been forgiven (cos fat is so good) but the oil was either old or just bad because I'm pretty sure there was a hint of fish, maybe a gamey taste to the home fries. Which just means they've used the same oil they deep fried their fish or other meat to cook the potatoes, forgivable if I ordered fish and chips for lunch but absolutely disgusting when I'm eating it for brunch next to my bean water salsa. Where did your old cook go Night Light? Cos I wanna eat there.
(3)Emily W.
The perfect place to get brunch and mimosas with the girls! Big cozy round seating, great service, yummy food, and did I mention the $10 bottomless Mimosas??? We relaxed and gossiped for 4 hours without any pressure or snobby attitude from the staff... who just kept bringing the drinks!
(5)Dave N.
This place could be 5-stars for the friendly and smiley bartenders alone, but there is so much more to this joint. Fantastic food and a very unique, dark & woodsy & copper color scheme coupled with a very laid back shared booth or lounge style seating makes this a solid win for any occasion.
(5)Brandy S.
Great food! Night Light also has a good selection of beers and cocktails. Come for the happy hour cheap eats, or stay for dinner - which is well priced too. The last time that I was here I had the best crab cakes with a spicy cole slaw. There were 3, but it was definitely a lot of food. They were divine. The menu changes with the seasons, because most of the food is from local sources.
(5)Lu L.
Downside--Drinks on the h20 side -- well whiskey/coke & sangria. Sit away from the patio door entrance...Smoke and cold air mess with the interior air quality. Wait staff-- smiles and attentive. Food was awesome off the regular menu where all the Wow is to be found. See Small Plates: fried indian bread taco is possibly the only one on the menu in town and it works!! Bread 4" diam was chewy and chock full of buffalo. Buffalo slider yum and Steak Frites was served perfectly rare as requested though skimpy dose of fries will have you ordering extra plate ($3 on HHr) to soak up all that wild mushroom reduction still on the plate. HHr choices somewhat ltd to usual fare - nachos, soup n salad, mac n cheese. We spent $40 to fill up ordering the small plates above.
(3)Liz G.
Wandered in here randomly after having some beers and listening to bluegrass at Ladd Circle, we didn't really expect too much. Damn were we wrong. I ordered the burger and the boy got the catfish sandwich and we went halvsies. The catfish was fried but not at all greasy, same with the hushpuppies. I actually thought the hushpuppies were a little on the dry side, but the boy loved them. The burger was all natrual beef and cooked to perfection. Our friend had some kind of white bean dip. He said he liked it but didn't give any details- he's not much of a talker. Our server was super chill too. When we asked what was good she was completely honest about what she liked and what she wasn't so much a fan of and why. They don't usually tell you what isn't good, I liked that. Good to know this place is here. Our new Tuesday night will be to see bluegrass across the street and Clinton Corner, then head here for food.
(4)Phil M.
I have been going to Night light for the past 3 years. It has definitely changed since my first visit. Now it is a much more polished bar and restaurant. It has a solid beer selection and a good happy hour. The thing that really stood out to me the last time I visited is that the food has gotten pretty dang good. I had the Steak Frites and Yam Fritters last time and was very impressed. Worth checking out for sure. Also in the summer the back patio is great!
(4)Bobby S.
Night Light's become another of my faves in the Clinton Dist. And in this hood, that's big praise! Abundant food options. Vegan friendly. Everything we've had, we've loved. Those sneaky staff members make it look like they're leisurely walking around, having a good time...while the drinks keep coming and the food manifests minutes after you've ordered it. And, lots of open space. It gets crowded, but it never FEELS crowded.
(5)Kate S.
This is a great old stand by bar. You know it's going to be good. Good music, good atmosphere, good drinks (and good happy hour deals till 7:00). Great vibe. Rather than order happy hour food though, I split a caesar salad and grilled scallops with a friend and it was more than enough food and very tasty! The place gets kinda smoky at night, but that's part of the scene.
(4)Ryan N.
Killer vibe. Good crowd. Fun DJs. It seems like whenever I go here I get myself into some kind of trouble. I don't know if someone is slipping me roofies or something, but usually the last thing I remember after a night here is stumbling out of a cab (or, ahem... Pushing someone down the street in a shopping cart).
(4)Em H.
Maybe the best falafel i've had in a while. This place is kind of costly but its a nice space and the food is good.
(3)Krista T.
Three and a half. Okay, four. The space is deceptively big with some tables, booths, couches and bar seating. The service didn't stand out, but the waitress did come check on our back table often enough. The drinks are pretty well priced, which helps. They had a dj and great music, but there was no place to move your feet. Everyone was just standing around watching the dj which got boring in about 30 seconds. If they had moved the tables that were right in front of the turntables and cleared some dance space, I think it would have been a lot more fun. I am not sure I'll go back for the music, but I'll go back with friends to hang out.
(4)Chelsea L.
Nightlight has some good drinks. I love their whiskey-based specials at decent prices. I love that they have a few vegan food options as well. I had the falafel plate for the first time last week and was impressed by how tasty it was. The fries are perfectly cooked and not too thin or thick cut. The atmosphere is laid back and seats can usually be found for good conversation with friends. This place is also nicely located and within walking distance for myself, which is always a bonus for a bar.
(4)Erin K.
We checked this out for happy hour and were very pleased with the result. We tried the nacho, cheese plate, and caesar salad, and it was all good and cheap. They had $1.50 PBR pints which were refreshing and were thoroughly enjoyed on their lovely patio out back. I wish I would have noticed their drink special of the night, it was a $5 tropical concoction of some sort that sounded divine.
(4)Kathleen G.
Best bar food in Portland! I'm not sure how this place got negative reviews because I've never had a bad experience there. I live nearby and it's one of my favorite regular spots to hang. They serve food til very late and it's always so gourmet and delicious with such an interesting variety on the menu and the specials board that I often forget I'm in a bar. The bartenders are nice, they recently updated the look and feel of the bar and the music's usually pretty good. It's a great place to take people getting off work or for a small birthday gathering or even for lunch or happy hour. Great place overall.
(5)Courtney D.
Cheap, gourmet dinners add to charming lounge How cool to find maybe the best crab cakes in Portland at a lounge no doubt and for only $9! These weren't the frozen kind that they sometimes import at other places made with blue crab but rather with the Pacific Northwest favorite, Dungeness crab. They've also got plenty of yummy comfort food such as as quesadillas , sandwiches and some killer nachos. Locals will tell you, though, that they come here after work for the stiff cocktails, and you can get them for only $2.50 during happy hour. Overall, this is a cozy lounge with a friendly vibe -- one that you'd like to hangout in all night. The fact that you can also get a gourmet dinner for less than $10 just adds to its charm. Tip: They have live music four nights a week with no cover.
(5)Christian M.
Update: they ditched the pool table because it was causing fights, but this is still the main "standard" for me and my girl. The Spicy Mac & Cheese is good, their new Sunday Brunch is great, the drink specials are always an adventure in mixology, and it's all-around one of the best eating bars in town (late night menu, for the win.) I go here all the time, but avoid it like the plague on weekends (including Friday) and on nice days. It's not that I don't like a crowd, but the place attracts a very suburban or "up town" element that doesn't like to see me around (I don't wear 50 dollar T-shirts, go to a salon, or have a brand new North Face jacket, so I'm craaaazy). But the food (sorta pricey) is good, the happy hour is cool, if you're at all regular they treat you right, the staff (especially Eli! *swoon*) is more friendly than almost any other place I've seen, and every single time I go there and read at the bar I end up having a great conversation over the great beers they circulate on tap. btw, with the patio and the back room and usually fantastic art and good music selection (though the jukebox is gone) and the pool table, it's a really good place to take a date.
(5)kristen p.
Great Happy hour seven days a week and the patio is one of the better outdoor spaces in S.E., though small.
(4)Dan H.
I live a little too far away to really frequent this place, but it seems like the perfect neighborhood lounge. The clientele seem pretty friendly, they've got a full bar, good selection of beers, and a pool table. There was even a live DJ one night, but the music selection was pretty tame. Truthfully, it was a little too loud to really hold a discussion with someone you've never met before. Didn't try the food, and I think I agree that it would be hard to compare with Hammy's next door. I don't think there's really a lot of space for a group larger than 5. I gave it 3 stars, but it's really 3.5.
(3)Eddy B.
The local art that occupies the walls, the dim lighting, the absolutely delicious food, topped with the great service made this place a night lounge to be molded after. Then the manager left to pursue his own dreams. I am all for that. But apparently that left a big hole that the owners mistakenly filled with the wrong personnel. A bartender or server can absolutely ruin an experience and can be devastating to the establishments priority of cultivating new clientele. This is where this place now suffers. There is no gratitude coming from the "lead" bartender. She approaches you like shes tired and she could care less if you were there and or ever came back. This is an awesome place to go and the food is great, BUT if that gal is working then go back another time because her ungratefulness might steer you way from this place. And thats unfortunate because this is possibly the best casual late night spot in the area.
(3)heather d.
Great place. Happy hour is the best. Nachos are my favorite - piled high with sour cream and guacamole. Also, it seems like wine is never on special during most happy hours and it is always a $1 off a glass here. Cottage fries are super yum - but I see that they took the sliders off the menu - bummer, because they were amazing. For the most part the servers are friendly and the patio is very nice - just wish they didn't allow smoking.
(4)C.J. M.
good bar food yum! also a great patio for smokers!
(4)Jeff B.
This was one of our first hangouts when we first discovered "P-Town" years ago. Cozy spot off the beaten track. Happy hour was good, especially the cheese platter, though, not as good as when first had this. Not a huge beer selection, though i do like the Laurelwood Red and there was a beet and candied hazelnut salad they used to have that was good. Still has a place in our heart, but more for the reason from the first line above.
(4)John H.
good food and great service. The seared Ahi was great and only 12$. The staff was very good. Will go back
(4)Devon D.
this place has grown on me. true, i have experienced some absolutely abhorrent service here, but... their happy hour is good, their $10 bottomless mimosas on the weekends are unbeatable, the food is good bar fare, and i dig the vibe inside and out on the patio (though you CAN smoke out there, which makes for some funky dining if you happen to be a non-smoker and eating). check it if you're in the hood.
(4)christina h.
happy hour till 7, 7 days a week = awesome. especially with $1.50 pbrs olympia in can! the atmosphere was great, almost like being in your living room, except that it is full of strangers who burst into a chorus of the golden girls theme song. oh wait, that's happened in my living room before.. never mind i'll stick to my original statement. and they have games which require no intelligence what-so-ever such as sorry and connect four. or if you feel like enhancing your brain power grab something a little more challenging like pictionary (unfortunately this is what we played and i am NOT good at this game). my only disappointment was in the snacks. yes they serve an assortment of interesting goodies, but its a tad on the expensive side for what you get and not as delicious as i had hoped. overall.. im in.
(4)Devon D.
night light certainly has the stylishly comfortable, intimate atmosphere going for it. the uninspiring happy hour food, however, does not leave me anticipating an excellent dinner menu. the fries were blasé, and the hefty load of salt cut straight through the wine, as if hanging on for dear life... i can still taste it. the monotonously gooey spicy mac paired well with the oaky zinfandel, but could have used some texture therapy in the crispiness department. the salad was a salad. with standard cocktails and service, night light holds a solid 3 stars.
(3)Ashli E.
I loved the booth we snagged and the option of board games. The service was pretty darn attentive, but the orders took too much time to fulfill(appetizers took at least 15 minutes). 4 of us ordered the drink special named "Un-Zipperhead" which was described as a Raspberry vodka press. Sounds yummy right? Wrong. It was $4.50 and had next to nothing flavor and I tried getting it down for an hour. Maybe some people would love but eh I think it was way too watered down and needed a lime garnish or another splash of soda. The crab artichoke dip and sliced baguette was awesome though, as were the fries. I will most likely come back if invited with a friend but order different drinks and come during happy hour.
(3)Nicola W.
Great happy hour food and prices! Love the caesar salad and their quesidilla. Especially a great place to hang out in the summer outside on their patio. Service is friendly and fast. Nice atmosphere.
(4)Brenna S.
The Night Light has one of THE best happy hours around. $1 off beer, wine and well... not bad, but the food is where it's at. A happy hour with healthy selections is always key in my book. The udon-miso soup is absolutely delicious and I really never knew how good a chicken quesadilla could be! The indoor decor and ambiance is quite hip, and during the summer they have a kick-ass deck open out back.
(4)Jill R.
I was not sure what to expect because of the looks of the outside, but it had a really good feel once inside. The couches are cozy, and the big round booths are great for larger groups. They have boardgames! Why does that impress me? The drinks and the food were really good, and they have a nice happy hour. The service was not stellar, but making trips back to the bar to get drinks was not bad. If I lived closer this would definitely be one of my regular spots.
(4)Mary B.
The Cheers bar of SE PDX -- great neighborhood bar! The Night Light has a great happy hour (you can't beat it!), and their nachos are the best. I've been coming here for a few years, and I was a bit concerned with the new chef they got a couple of years ago. They took some things off the menu, and changed some things around, but it seems to have worked out. Most nights are great, and there's a great outdoor scene, but I was in there last Thursday night, and for some reason, the DJ felt it necessary to play really loud punk/metal. It sucked. Also, they've removed the pool table (boo!) to add a booth (okay). All around the best deal and the best people in the neighborhood.
(5)Anne S.
I have wanted to go to this place ever since my bus ride home each night drove by it. I love the way it looks from the outside and it always seems like there is a crowd. I went here for the first time last week and, sadly, only had a beer so I don't have much to report. I did like the ambiance, the service was decent and they were playing good tunes on their juke box. The three stars is just because I only experienced beer on the menu...and how can you screw up beer?
(3)Kimberly V.
Night Light reminds me of the reasons why P-Town both charmed and perplexed me when I arrived here, heartbroken and sleepy from my recent break with San Francheesy, a little over a year ago. There was a gregarious doorman, an audio soundtrack straight out of my iPod, and my tasty pomegranate Cosmo. I've always been impressed with the friendliness of most P-Town denizens, the plethora of aural stimuli (minus the baffling shouts of crackheads outside my window that I got so used to in SF), and the emphasis on seasonal fruits. Yum yum. Then the allowance of indoor smoking, pretty unfamiliar at first to a semi-Northern Californian, is like tar icing on the cake. But the novelty wears off every time I register how I'm sitting in a poorly ventilated haze that makes it hard to breathe despite how many antioxidants my pomegranate cocktail contains. Then I miss the strict anti-smoking laws of San Francheesy enough to tweak my teeth. Granted, that could all change in a year given the push for an indoor smoking ban. But until then, it's more like a rebound crush than a long-term love.
(3)Colin P.
The times I have spent at the Night Light have been good ones. I like the space, enjoy the couches, and the cute staff certainly doesn't hurt the place. Interesting mix of people and there is outdoor seating for the last few nice evenings left.
(4)