A dance studio held down the space on the ground floor of the Bossanova Ballroom building for twelve whole years, and the end of said era apparently arrived quietly and recently. I noticed when Viscount moved to a larger space between Beaker & Flask and Rum Club on SE Sandy Blvd, but only just checked in with Bossanova’s new first floor friend, a shiny new bar called the Wurst.
Named for their only menu offerings—exactly nine different kinds of sausages (not a single one of them veggie-friendly)—the Wurst opened about a week and a half ago with as many pinball machines as one could wish for. A standard selection of draft beers and a few pricy bottled options compose the majority of the drink menu… along with a four-item vodka-centric cocktail menu, not one of which I would ever in my life consider ordering. For twelve bucks, there’s the Copenheering (vodka, cherry liquore, and lemon juice) or the German Chocolate Cake (vanilla vodka and frangelico). I regularly pay less for drinks at the best cocktail bars in town… and maybe I’m missing something here, but an incredibly expensive and very sweet cocktail menu feels out of place in a joint that plays sports on a TV by the bar and has Buck Hunter.
There are features of the Wurst that lend charm to what should only be an incredibly busy stop on the way into or out of shows at the Bossanova. Pool, skeeball, aforementioned Pinball and Buck Hunter, Goldfish crackers on the bar, and friendly enough bar staff are valid offerings for a good time prior to seeing your next-next-favorite band upstairs—but there are odd or misdirected choices being made that could alienate future clientele. For example, surely they realize that Sizzle Pie is a minute down the street with vegan and vegetarian options galore… yet the Wurst offers chicken sausage as it’s least meaty feature. Personally, it’s a toss-up at 1 am between a slice and a hotdog, but it’s a rare occasion when not even a single concert-companion has a dietary restriction. And I did try the Wally’s Gator option (woohoo!) when I stopped in to check the place out, but they don’t make their sausage in house and the bartender didn’t know who made them. That wouldn’t be weird, if that wasn’t the only thing on the menu and if they weren’t named for it. Also it was a very dry snack.
I’d definitely stop in for a shot of whiskey or a beer before musical happenings, and I hope they figure out some additional bar food and decent drinks to complement an otherwise great atmosphere. Until then, they’ll surely make a killing in quarters from Buck Hunter.
- Clare Gordon
- They also have a cool sign.
The Wurst is located at 724 E Burnside.
I felt that way about this place, too. In Portland, $8 is the decent cocktail price. I think we all kind of agreed on this years ago. They didn’t have a happy hour, but told me that they had a “special” beer- a stubby Mickeys for $2.50. I was unimpressed, because I was on my way to B Side, where tall boys are only $1 until 7. Heck, Burnside Brewing, across the street, sells their amazeballs beer at $5 for an imperial pint ($3 on Wednesday!). Also- the sausages looked expensive. Several sounded like they came from Sheridans, where a sausage will probably set you back $2- but the sausages were, what- $8 each? I can’t afford to ever go here, and I work just down the street. Looked cool, though.
Sounds like a very uncreative drink menu. Very obvious with very obvious ingredients. Anything with frangelico should not be $12. Not even the night clubs downtown charge that. $7-$9 unless all the games are free. But even SPH (where all the games are free) doesnt charge that for drinks.
Come up with something cooler than a vodka menu.
Remember that you’re in PDX and always have a veg option.
Diversify your menu. Even a menu on the side with a few lighter options.
Lower your prices.
Give this place a year…like the other bars like it.
Agree with Ned/all of above, though I’ve decided to hijack this thread to talk about cocktail tipping.
I tip either a buck a beer or a buck every two beers if I know I’m going to be ordering 3-4.
I tip a buck a cocktail (and usually won’t consider a cocktail over $10). If someone makes me two cocktails at once, I think I usually leave them a buck, sometimes two, but this doesn’t happen that often.
In other words, I generally tip $1 every time I bother a bartender, regardless of drink complexity. Acceptable or Worse Than Hitler? It seems weird tipping about the same for a draft as for a cocktail that takes a little time to make, but tipping 2$ on an 7$ drink seems kinda crazy, too.
Most of this is moot: usually I’m ordering cocktails with dinner or on a running tab, and in either situation I’m tipping 20%.
So now you know basically everything about me.
@CC: SERVICE STAFF GET PAID A LIVING WAGE. TIPPING IS AN EXTRAVAGANCE FOR THE 1%
You really think $8.80 is a “living wage”? Not sure what suburb you live in but you can’t possibly live in *new* Portland on that kind of money. In fact, as a retired veteran of this industry, you really can’t pay someone enough money to work in a high volume bar. The work is thankless and stressful and after dealing with non-tipping drunk fucks, you get home exhausted at 4am. I’m actually shocked that this has turned into a debate about tipping. I’ll make it simple: you tip $1 per drink. I’ve been drinking in bars for 15 years and this rule hasn’t been changed or adjusted for inflation like everyone else’s salary. Of course, you can reserve the right to be a douche and tip less, but that just means the cute bartenders will all secretly hate you, and your cocktail pours will be weaker than mine. Nobody ever went to the poorhouse by tipping generously. If $10 at the end of the night makes that big of a difference, then maybe you should think about a career change.
@RICKY HAACK: IF YOU THINK LIVING ON THE LARGESSE OF DRUNK PEOPLE IS A GOOD WAY TO LIVE YOUR LIFE, YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT A CAREER CHANGE.
Graham,
Reading your past comments I’m going to guess that you either have an amazing sense of humor, or that you’re living in a creaky old hotel with your mother’s corpse. So if the later is true… here in the outside world that you’ve never seen, we have something called supply and demand. People want to drink and they want a public place to do it. Don’t believe me? Maybe you should draw up the blinds, undo the five deadbolts on your door, and go wander around Portland for a while. Or maybe not, the public is probably safer with you tucked away indoors.
@RIKKY LAKE: WHAT YOU’RE DESCRIBING AMOUNTS TO EXTORTION. IN THE WORLD OF FAIRNESS AND EQUITY, PRICES ARE NEGOTIATED UPFRONT FOR SERVICES TO BE RENDERED AFTERWARDS. SHOULD I OFFER GRATUITY TO EVERYONE WITH WHOM I HAVE A FINANCIAL INTERACTION? DOES COMCAST DESERVE AN EXTRA 20% SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DID THE JOB THAT THEY WERE HIRED TO DO?
I’m not sure if the author of this article is a special needs person, but you so missed the point of Wurst… It’s a bar that sells sausages… Sausages are made of meat… I was a vegetarian for 25 years and, back then, I would have had some goldfish and a shot of whiskey and called it a meal. If you choose not to eat meat then don’t go to a bar called “wurst” for dinner… You guys are so silly!
Wurst is a place I just walked into off the street. It has an appealing active frontage, and a surprising mix of clientele. I found it to be warm, and fun. Why would a reviewer, presumably objective, complain so much about things that are particular to their slanted tastes? Where is your bar? Who would frequent your veggie yawn-fest? In short , “The Wurst” is fun, friendly, and inviting. Find out for yourself.
After reading this article I felt that its writer had only one intention. To be the first guy to not really like The Wurst. I know that its cool to be the one with an opposing opinion in Portland, but really!? Your gonna complain about not having a Veggie/Vegan option? What about all the vegan Restaurants that do not offer a meat option? The Wurst does not appear to be a bar where you go to have dinner anyway. I go to the Wurst to…. Wait for it….. Play games! Its an Adult playground! Thank you Wurst for giving me a place to squander my laundry money, and drink a cold beer.
This review reminds me of those ridiculously unhelpful biased reviews on Yelp – bashing a place just because it doesn’t have the one thing you want that wouldn’t be on the menu anyway. Was this actually a journalist writing a review or one of the “those” yelpers? One would go here to play some really great old games, chat at the fun and friendly staff, and if you want a snack partake in their namesake – yes, that would be a ‘Wurst. The Wurst is the Best!
IN WHICH THE OWNERS OF THIS ESTABLISHMENT SEEM TO BE OPENLY RECRUITING PEOPLE TO WRITE POSITIVE COMMENTS ON A BLOG POST: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?stor…
KEEP IT CLASSY, WURST.
I guess I should thank you for letting me know about this place, but here is an idea: There are hundreds of restaurants in portland why not stick to reviewing ones you do like?
I went in last night after the show at the Doug Fir and the service was great, the lamb bratwurst was delicious, oh and my beer was 2.50, so why you focused on some speciality cocktails that they probably hardly ever serve I have no idea. Also what kind of idiot has as their main complaint about the food at a restaurant that is built around bratwurst that they don’t have enough vegan options. I can’t wait to hear your review of Clyde’s Steakhouse. Jesus Christ, this place isn’t just for late night after a show it is a great place to get one of close to a dozen delicious sausages for a very reasonable price, I’d make a special trip there to have another one.
confidential to the owners of the wurst, please add the following to your menu:
The Clare Gordon: Sourdough bun with 1 cup of Sour Kraut, it’s vegan so it must be good.
You people are tripping!! She made ONE comment about whether or not there are veggie options. It wasn’t the bulk of the review. Stop fixating on that. Why don’t the bartenders know where their sausages come from? That seems weird to me.
ANYWAY! Great pinball line-up.
Their Sausages come from the folks over at Sheridan. I recognized them by their names. Sheridan makes some incredible sausages….
Their sausages come from Sheridan fruit Co. I recognized them by their names. Sheridan makes some fantastic sausages. I will agree, a $12 (?!) cocktail list? Yeah, thats gonna work…..
“Several sounded like they came from Sheridans, where a sausage will probably set you back $2”
No, I buy uncooked sausage from Sheridan all the time. Theyre usually just over $3. I believe when they grill them out front theyre 5 or 6 bucks. The Wurst sells them for $6.75 or $7.50. Everything in your post is over exaggerated. Though I agree that there is no place in Portland for $12 cocktail menus. Certainly not on E. Burnside….