Grandma's Secret

Cool place to visit and grab a couple drinks. The place definitely looks like a hole in the wall bar but definitely has a feel for cocktail drinks that remind me of a speakeasy. It is in the basement of the restaurant and if you read on the reason for why they called grandma's secret...it all makes sense. We got a table pretty easy for a weekend but went there after dinner. The drinks were pretty good and was surprised. The service is good with friend staff that can help you get something you like. The bar is a nice little place in a nice neighbor hood filled with shops and restaurants. So if you are in the area definitely check it out.

Whenever my sister and I travel together to new cities, we love finding speakeasies to go to! One of the ones we've found and loved was Grandmas Secret. It was also special to us as this is a Vietnamese speakeasy w/ Vietnamese seasoning and dishes that we've grown up eating and loving. Upon entering to the speakeasy, it's located on the side of the pho shop w/ the blue light. Some might be curious to enter through but on the top right corner, it states bar lol. I would take a pic but then it defeats the purpose of a speakeasy heh lol. It's a pretty small space but very intimate. From the amount of people that the space is allowed to have, it's hard to gauge approximately when a seat will open up but we like it here, we wait until a table is open for us. The waitresses there are quick, attentive and make great drinks. They do have a small menu which I like because then they can continue to perfect each drink instead of having a big menu. I ordered my usual which was the 23rd Parallel. It was a great margarita topped w/ muoi ot on the rim which translates to chili salt. Growing up, we had chili salt on all of our fruit. It was salty and spicy which is the perfect salt to put on the rim for margaritas IN MY OPINION. My sister ordered the El Geronimo, it was a bit strong for me but was not TOO STRONG where I only tasted alcohol. This was smooth and refreshing. My bf had ordered the Le Colonial & that too was refreshing. You can taste the alcohol but it did not become TOO STRONG. This time, we had a chance to chat w/ the owner, Dat. He was so nice to talk to, very friendly and funny. He explained the story behind Grandma's Secret. Above I mentioned how others are willing to wait to sit down, drink and chat w/ their friends & that's exactly what the owner Dat was going for. He stated that he wanted this to be a space where people can sit together, have some good drinks and chill. When you go to bars, people are crowded and standing around others, it doesn't make that the best place to be at times. I for one, don't like being in crowded areas. But in Grandmas secret, it's very chill and relaxed. Overall, expect a great vibe and great drinks from Grandma's Secret. This will always be on our go to places whenever we visit Portland :)

Cozy basement bar with great atmosphere and a list of creative drinks with a Vietnamese twist on old favorites. Also a great list of Vietnamese-inspired snacks. The Saigon Old Fashioned was solid. Service was great!

My husband and I traveled to Portland a few weeks ago and on our first night we stumbled across grandmas secret by accident I was looking for a hole in the wall type of bar and it appeared on yelp so we went. When you arrive you see this cute little yellow house and then you see these black steps leading you down when you go down and enter you're greeted by very nice, romantic dimmed lights and right away you know it's a chill vibe. We didn't have to wait for a table they were not as busy on a Wednesday night so we sat right away the servers momo and Kaitlyn were absolutely fantastic and welcoming. My husband has the old fashion which he said it was one of best he's ever had. I had a few drinks I don't remember the names but they were delicious. We had such an amazing time there.

What a cool spot. So many places want to be a speakeasy but have none of the elements to feel like an actual hidden gem. Next to Leela's you're transported into this cool Ho Chi Minh inspired speakeasy playing a mix of neo-soul and Vietnamese "Golden music" jams. I ordered the High Tea which came in a cute teacup and is served with 3 small cookies. My husband got the Saigon fashion. They might be in smaller glasses than you see at other restaurants but they are STRONG and well made! they also have light bites like potstickers, banh mi rolls and egg rolls. Highly recommend for a fun date night or unique drink spot

Pre-dinner drinks on a Saturday night. There were only 4 other people the same time I was there. The place is pretty small...basically just bar seating. It can be hard to find since it's downstairs. But once you are in there, it's definitely a vibe. Drinks are great and unique, definitely will come back again!

Be prepared to wait 20-25 minutes on a weekend night (we were the first people waiting and told 5-10, but it took 20). Drinks were good and strong. I got the Saigon Fashioned and it was one of the better old fashioneds I've had.

Great drinks and great mixologists. Probably my favourite bar in Portland. Speakeasy vibes. The mixologists creatively come up with new drinks and will always let you try what they're working on sometimes.It's just a fun bar. Wish it was open more evenings.

I am breaking my Yelp hiatus (forced on me by my actual day job) to finally review this absolute jewel of a bar. If you haven't heard of Grandma's Secret yet, it's time to listen up. The sister bar to Lela's Vietnamese bistro hides herself well, but I'm here to guide you there, because you deserve it.The highlights: Grandma's Secret is aptly named because you probably wouldn't know that this place exists unless you really looked hard, or you were informed by a friend or food page. I don't know about you, but I love a bit of a chase. So, when I heard there was a ~secret bar~ located along bustling NW 23rd avenue, it was almost like a weird turn-on. Yes, I was ambling confusedly outside of Lela's Bistro for a moment, but eventually realized the entrance was below the dark awning graced by a teeny sign that said, "bar". Once you're in, you find a dimly lit, intimate, swanky little establishment that gives all the energy of a 1930s speakeasy, complete with vintage photos dotting the walls. Anyone here remember Pepe le Moko? My heart was obliterated when they closed during the pandemic, but Grandma has filled that void again. The cocktails, drawing on Vietnamese and South Asian flavors, are all beautifully mixed by the most wonderful bar tenders I have ever met. I am particularly attached now to a drink called Le Diplomat, a melange of coconut, ginger liquer, rum, and mint. Unfortunately for me, I ate dinner beforehand (stupid) and can't speak on the snacks, but their bahn mi sliders and potstickers look delightful. The improveables: I'm only going to speak on the accessibility of this place since it seems to be the cause of other reviewer's frustration. No, it is not the easiest bar to find. But I think that's part of the fun. It only took me a couple of minutes to figure out where the entrance was, and I don't claim to be the brightest mind in Portland, so I'm fairly certain others out there can do it, too. Have more faith in yourself. The prices of cocktails are $14-15, and you could argue that this is pricey, but it also aligns with many other bar prices in town, even at places that are arguably worse. Lastly, GS is not a large space, so don't plan on bringing a massive party unless you want to annoy everyone else. I can't even really call this an improveable...it's not like they're going to expand the space somehow. If you're looking for a new bar that delivers in both ambience, cocktails, and service, I promise you that GS is the place to be. Rarely do I get extremely excited about a bar, but here we are. I'll probably be here at least once a week, feel free to join me for a drink (if you can find it).

I am updating my previous review of this secret spot, which was written as a 5 star review, but given 3 stars at the time for how crowded it was at that time. Now, it's returned to the perfect ambiance again. Perfect space for a quiet, classy drink. If you need a place to bring your date, this is the perfect place to go. Opens Wed-Sat from 5-midnight.Also, their bar food are all prepared from upstairs at Lela's, which is probably one of the best Vietnamese place in town.