The Knock Back

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

we returned to the knockback for dinner last night with a friend, and sat outside.....the music was great and some cute dogs were with their owners....i had a rainier, and my partner had a watermelon slushy...our friend had one too...they loved the slushy and my rainier was nice and cold....next we shared the wedge salad, no bacon, and the cheesus with a veggie burger...the food was delicious and the staff was fabulous...thx so much...

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