A question about family-friendly brewpubs came across the Brew Crew list yesterday and it got me thinking. Not only does Portland have a dearth of non-smoking pubs, there are even quite a few that provide kids with thirsty parents a place to hang out. Not yet a parent, there are a few questions I have about the thin line that separates a normal pub from a kid or family friendly one, but I think there has got to be a few basic ground rules.
- No Smoking
- Kid friendly menu (i.e. grilled cheese, corn dogs, etc. )
- visual stimulation (be it art, knick-nackery, motion in the brewery, the street..)
- A tolerant clientele
There would be bonuses for things like coloring books, paper tablecloths you could draw on, dirty Legos, or other games, but I think the first four are the most important. From these, I’d say the following places (in my experience) fit the bill.
- Laurelwood Brew Pub
- New Old Lompoc 5th Quadrant
- McMenamins’ (Kennedy School, Hillsdale Brew Pub, Barley Mill, John Barleycorn)
- Laurelwood NW
- Lucky Lab Public House (on Capitol Hwy)
- Roots
- Raccoon Lodge
- BJ’s at Jantzen Beach
This list isn’t exhaustive, so let me know if you think I’m missing some, or if you have any personal contention with one of the listed. There are a couple places that may be family friendly, but aren’t quite list worthy (maybe to their preference).
What about Rogue, Widmer, or Bridgeport (both the Hawthorne and Pearl pubs). They may not have the same visual stimulation but they have 3 of the four requirements. Oh and there is also the Old Market Pub and Alameda.