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Cliff’s has lived for only two months at its new home on the corner of NE Alberta and 30th—sandwiched between Ethiopian eatery Abyssinian Kitchen and Irish bar T.C. O’Leary’s—but it feels like it’s been there a decade. In the evenings, regulars pack the booths and bar seats inside and spread across the sun-drenched back patio, bartenders and diners greeting one another by name. It’s likely the closest thing to an IRL Cheers that Portland has to offer (cue the theme song), the sort of place that eschews Resy for phone calls and texts directly to the owners, where table reservations are held with hand-written name tags.
That sense of community has always been at the core of Cliff’s, which was named after co-owner and chef Josh Luebke’s grandfather. It spent its first seven-odd years in the basement of Wonder Ballroom, cultivating a diehard fanbase that went far beyond the concert audiences. Most of its regulars followed Cliff’s to Alberta after the bar lost its lease at the venue.
“It was gratifying; people were really supportive,” says co-owner Sierra Kirk-Luebke. “Ninety percent of our regulars have come back. It really brought home that we had a community that transcended the space.”
Those regulars—and the bevy of new ones from the surrounding area—come for more than just familiar faces and friendly vibes. Portland is blessed with an abundance of great bar food, and Cliff’s manages to stand out in this crowded field thanks to Luebke’s menu of creative takes on bar classics. From Wisconsin by way of New Orleans, Luebke studied at the Oregon Culinary Institute before joining Bunk Sandwiches, working as chef and manager at the Wonder Ballroom space that would eventually become Cliff’s 1.0. Little has changed on this iteration of the food menu, which combines Southern classics with a touch of Midwestern flavor and whatever else Luebke thinks up.
Start by sharing the house-smoked chicken wings in a peanut chile sauce. Or order a towering platter of nachos made with house-fried tortilla chips, loaded with queso, cabbage, and charred corn, andtopped with your choice of steak, smoked pork, or additional veggies. Or snag some deviled eggs, which Luebke tops with trout roe and microgreens. Fried shrimp salad and Caesar salads make for entrées on their own, especially if you add fried chicken to the latter. And it wouldn’t feel like a NOLA-inspired bar without po’ boys, including fried shrimp and fried oyster versions on fluffy buns with all the fixins: shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, remoulade, and mayonnaise—Duke’s, naturally. Other sandwiches include the BBQ wild boar with confit boar and smoked pork shoulder, plus barbecue sauce, coleslaw, pickles, and more Duke’s on a brioche bun.
The Friday Fish Fry is where Luebke gets to flex. The fry kicks off with a “Supper Club” salad, the kind of thing you’d assemble at a salad bar with lettuce, baby corn, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes, plus Old Bay Goldfish and a side of house ranch. Then, the main event: golden-friend Canadian Walleye that’s flaky and tender in a light, crispy breading with a hint of spice. It’s served with a zingy remoulade, a creamy cabbage slaw and, instead of the expected fries, a golden-brown potato pancake topped with sour cream. The bar caps out at 10 servings a week, so you’ll want to call ahead to preorder or run a very real chance of missing out.
Earlier in the evening, Cliff’s sports family-friendly restaurant vibes (minors are allowed until 10 pm), but relaxes into a more casual bar as the night progresses. While there are plenty of draft beers and a few house wines, most people are there for cocktails. Kirk-Luebke had bartended for years in New Orleans music venues before the pair moved to Portland. She soon landed at tiki sensation Hale Pele, where she spent eight years, including time as bar manager. Options abound on Cliff’s lengthy cocktail menu, but start with the exemplary mai tai. Opening tart and juicy, it grows bold and rich as the rum rings through, and is best enjoyed on the back patio or sidewalk tables. It’s not all NOLA classics, though, as the bar team gets creative with drinks like the bright and vivid Bianca—made with mezcal, rum, and apricot liqueur—or the bizarrely drinkable, industry-coded Balaclava Kiss with Malort, Fernet, cola, and cherry.
The food, drinks, and regulars aren’t the only aspects brought over to the new dining room. The Kirks brought their collection of taxidermied animals passed down through Luebke’s family. Birds, elk, and deer decorate the walls, while “Earl the Squirrel” monitors the space from his perch atop the bar. The vintage paintings that once hung in the basement of the Wonder still evoke that “grandma’s basement” vibes that the team originally went for. They also brought many of their old employees, including the entire back-of-house team. Supplementing the bar crew are recruits from the now-closed Expatriate, who brought their own regulars with them, adding even more friendly camaraderie.
“Every time I walk in here I’m just so happy,” says Kirk-Luebke.
2934 NE Alberta, cliffspdx.com, @cliffspdx