Free House

First off I love the vibe here. A low key but yet classy craft cocktail bar with dim lighting and modern accents. The Mac was amazing also liked the wedge salad.

Great neighborhood spot, friendly staff, good atmosphere, and surprisingly good food comes out of the tiny «kitchen»

Geeesh, I need to leave my street more. I only live a neighborhood away on Alberta and never heard of this place until last weekend.
Went for drinks and some light fare last weekend. Sat outside on a gorgeous Portland evening. The staff were nice, some more than others, but that’s typical. Drinks were good, though can’t say I ordered anything too exciting. They have a few good veggie options, I went for the veggie sandwich and we also ordered fries, which were yumms (as are most fried things).
Best part for me is the patio. They also have a tv inside that was playing the NBA playoffs. Only down side, no servers and needing to order at the bar. That being said, the place is small so it’s not a big deal, but on a busy happy hour evening that means crowding the bar (and this place seemed to empty out quite a bit after HH).

Great food. Solid liquor selections. Great overall experience. I live in the neighborhood and it’s nice to have a quality pub within walking distance. Outdoor seating is nice too.

cool non-​descript speakeasy. You almost miss it if you walk by.
I entered into a nice, dimly lit bar that offered some local beers and cider. I just missed happy hour when everything’s a buck off. They have charming coasters with some different creatures on it… like a Buck or a Wolf or Bear.
I did not have food here, but kitchen and food looked real legit — -small in the back area. Attractive bearded men tending bar.
I thought it was a great touch to have a TV monitor showing the Blazer game up in the corner, but it was not a Sports Bar and the volume was off. Good Hospitality, Ambiance.

My favorite bar in Portland!
I always come in thinking it will be an hour or less, but end up leaving after three, happy and feeling awesome, like I just walked out of the salon with an awesome new ‘do.
Drinks are top notch. Cocktails made by pros and I’ve never had a bad one. If you are one of those cocktail orders who hems haws, don’t. Trust that whatever drink you order will be delightful. Draft is always stellar, though my friend noted they mixed up their regular Boneyard IPA selection.
The ambiance is chill, you will see a good Portland mix, maybe even someone you know but never see anywhere else in town. Yes, they are here and it’s o biggie. The outdoor area is key, you will want to hang out here, rain or shine.
The food looks good, but all I’ve ever ordered were pickles and they were tasty, of course.

Love this place, super chill. good food, … very very friendly bartenders
outdoor patio. what more do you need?

Good food. Good drinks. Great back patio and allows dogs. It’s a little pricey, but all in all a solid experience.

5 stars Straight for the Mac and Cheese. So bomb. Cocktails pretty good. Small but good beer selection. And they cater to the poor folk like me just looking a 2 $ beer.

Really good food and excellent cocktails. It was a bit on the loud side due to the Blazers game being on so we sat out on the patio, which was really nice. I got the grilled bratwurst, it was delicious and reminded me of home (a small German town in MN!) The bartenders here don’t even write your order down, they remember your face and bring you what you ordered. Cocktails were a little expensive — $ 9 for one — but they’re specialty — I recommend the Calcutta, it tastes like those sour gummy worms, so if you like a sweeter cocktail, it’s a good one to get. My friend got their smoked Mac n’ cheese and loved it. Nice place for a quick dinner and tasty drinks, I’d come back when I visit PDX again.

Seriously the best sandwich I have ever eaten. The Pâté Bahn Mi was so good my stomach was saying «Your full» while my brain was saying «I do not give a S.; I want another one». The smoked Mac and Cheese may be the best I have ever stolen off my wife’s plate and believe I have nagged more than a few bites off her plate over the years.
Service is interesting. We arrived right at opening time so staffing was a bit thin. Two guys, one bartender and one cook /​waiter were running like mad men to keep up. The cook /​waiter was moving like a house a fire. I am not sure how the guy is not a basket case by the end of shift given his pace. With that said service was excellent, the atmosphere is simple but comfortable, parking is easy, the food is killer and the happy hours prices are rock bottom. Fabulous experience!

pretty great place. loved the back patio.

Free House is a good-​to-​great, if not great-​to-​excellent, neighborhood bar. It may even inch past «neighborhood bar» and approach the category of «destination bar». It’s clean, hip (NOT «hipster») and not so loud that you can’t hear the person next to you telling you they’ll get the next round.
What’s good? The Old Fashioned is, in my not-​so-​humble opinion, the best in town. Rare is the bartender (Oh, for the love of Pete, stop calling yourselves «mixologists») who knows the subtleties and complexities of making a decent Old Fashioned. Free House has nailed it! So much so that when I move out of the neighborhood next month, I’ll still venture over to FH for a decent OF.
What else is good? The patio is great: smallish but comfy. The fries and house-​made ketchup are some of the best in town. The dawg is pretty noteworthy, too! The staff are always friendly and easygoing. Never a bad service experience, which is saying a lot for Portland!
What could be improved? Some of the food is a bit bland (I’m looking your way, House Burger) and over priced (yeah, you Mac-​n-​Cheese) for what you get. Also, some of the drink prices are a bit excessive. Extraordinarily high for a bar in Free House’s league? Nope! But if I’m on a budget, I’m probably heading next door to the County Cork, where drinks are a little more reasonable.
But am I going to travel out of my way to get anything at the Cork? Probably not. There are nights, however, when I will move mountains to suck down a Free House Old Fashioned!

To echo some other reviews, I wish this were in my neighborhood! I believe this was recently revamped and you can tell. A little subway tile here, artful use of chalkboard there, but mainly a fantastic outdoor space facelift.
There is a great cocktail list as well as specials including a fantastic summery beer cocktail (I can’t remember what was in it, but it was great!) For how clean and «fancy» it feels inside, the prices are just as those you would find at a dive. I guess what I’m trying to say is that this place feels like a great deal! A wonderful atmosphere, great drinks, very good price. Most snack items were $ 3 – 4.
I didn’t eat much here, just had some pimento cheese (ooh the hottest trend right now), though I noticed they had some great charcuterie options as well as several sandwiches and mac n’ cheese.
If you live in this area and like to go out you shouldn’t hesitate to visit. Since I don’t live in the neighborhood, I don’t see myself coming by too often but when I do want to venture out, I will surely make the trip to this lovely establishment and try out one of the sausages!

So I will start off with the positives:
–nice patio
–nice staff
–good food
But…
The food was good, I was disappointed by the portion size of what I ordered. Though the fries and the mac and cheese looked like a better size. The pickle pot was full of pickled veggies, I wish there were more of the pickles… pickled cauliflower just not my thing.
This is in a friend’s neighborhood so I most likely be back if I want a patio to drink on.

We stumbled upon this place while waiting for our table at Acadia. We were greeted quickly, sat down at the bar, and ordered and enjoyed our pints.
We didn’t order food, but the menu looked appetizing. Then we saw some items being delivered to tables and secretly wished our reservation was a bit later, so we could too enjoy some! The Pimento Cheese with bread looked great, as did the Mac ‘n Cheese.
Our Bartender was friendly, service was great. It’s a great little neighborhood space.
We’ll definitely be back to try!

I’ve asked about the cheese plate, actually I’ve harassed about the cheese plate. Turns out there won’t be one, but I’m ok with that.
I’m a big fan of Freehouse, so much so that I didn’t want to write this 5 star review because I’m one of those jerks that doesn’t want this place getting too crowded.
The cute patio is still cute, and it is now heated in the cool months. Drinks are still clever and tasty. Meats are still delicious. I haven’t moved, so the place is still close to my house. Mac Dawg is still really good. So what’s changed? I’ve decided the fairly friendly service is downright friendly… I mean, they put up with my repeated questions about a cheese plate. Plus the bartenders have no qualms explaining drinks, offering samples, and pouring a short beer if you decide a pint is just too much. The only thing this place is truly lacking are some hot chicks to serve me my drinks :)

Why can’t this bar be in my neighborhood? It’s definitely a drinking establishment after my own heart. Chill vibe, warm, comfortable design, tasty drinks and good food. There’s attention to detail without feeling over-​organized. But alas, it’s in a weird part of town that I never go to unless I have a specific reason. It’s not really on the way to or from anywhere. But I guess it’s my fault for living somewhere else?
This little neighborhood hangout serves up a downright sexy cocktail list. I’ve perused a mighty number of cocktail lists in my day, and I have to say it’s rare for me to find a list that has more than 3 or 4 drinks that truly excite me. The style of alchemy that goes on here trends toward interesting combinations of bourbon, mezcal, amaros, apertifs and the like, without crutching on lime juice or really too much of any juice. Since I favor brown+bitter+stirred in my glass, I’m immediately a huge fan. Oh, and they’re made with a smile, which is always appreciated.
As far as food goes, I’ve had some pretty decent fare here but I haven’t really tried much of the menu. It’s upscale bar food (sandwiches, burgers, mac n cheese, charcuterie, etc) that’s made with care. Not your usual greased-​up action. I can’t say I’d make a destination out of it for a dinner, but damn if I lived nearby I’d be in often for a casual meal.
I’ve only become acquainted with this bar in the cold of winter, but there’s a patio out back for warmer times, and at least from a glance looks to be a good spot to post up for an evening of drinking al fresco.
Open one of these near me, please!

Cute place, little too dark but whatever, it’s a bar. The bartender was helpful in suggesting a drink for my sister when I wouldn’t let her order a cosmo (way too trite and ten years ago). Interesting drink menu without being pretentious.

I have been to Free House a couple of times now and I really like this place, especially the patio. I hope they add some heat lamps for winter. I really like the décor and overall feel of the place. The faucet for water coming out of the wall is really cute. I do wish they had more than one bathroom though.
Service has always been friendly and quick. And on a fun note when my friend and I shamefully left our credit cards and forgot to cash out the previous night upon our return the next day the bartender was super friendly and fun about it.
I will be back for more drinks and I really want to try the food.