Holman's Bar and Grill was a breakfast spot that soothed our drunkest mornings and let us take a spin of its "meal wheel" on our luckiest nights. Portlanders are about to get lucky again as the grand institution will soon reopen on Southeast 28th.
Warren Boothby confirmed with the Mercury Thursday afternoon that he and Marcus Archambeault purchased Holman's from the restaurant's previous owner Bill Craine and are in the process of fixing it up. He projected a few months until reopening.
Boothby and Archambeault have, in recent years, restored and updated Portland bars like the Vern and Sandy Hut, and maintained old standards like the Alibi, Double Barrel, and Gold Dust Meridian.
"It'll remain Holman's," Boothby said. "We'll get it back open after a couple months of TLC. The wheel will remain, we love it."
Holman's was perhaps most famous for a game wheel behind the bar that diners could spin when it came time to pay the check—occasionally winning a comp'd dinner.
Located a stone's throw from the Laurelhurst Theater, Holman's was the perfect place to meet up before or after a movie. There's no word yet as to whether the glorious chicken fried steaks as big as your face will return. Given what we've seen at the Vern, we can likely expect a respectfully delicious menu update.
"We're so happy to continue on these old Portland places, so they can be here for years for everyone to visit and enjoy," Boothby said.