The Knock Back

The hot toddy was $ 8 during happy hour, and the vegan Reuben slider I ordered had cow secretion cheese on it. Unimpressed.

Delicious drinks, chill atmosphere and good vegan options. I met up with a few friends here and the atmosphere was super casual and welcoming. I love that they have jungle juice of the day. Last time I had their lychee one and it was tasty. I also ordered the tempeh reuben it was very tasty and a rare thing to find a solid vegan option in most bars other than fries, salad and nuts. Service was great and friendly.
Overall a very pleasant experience and I would definitely come back again.

Went here for happy hour with a girlfriend and loved it! The food was extremely good and the drinks were amazing. The bartender was fun and friendly. And of course the liqour infused marshmellows… YUM!!!

After going to many Portland bars over the past few years, I’ve had the best drinking experience at the Knock Back many nights. They have some of the most talented bartenders in town and I always keep them on my top 5 list. The food is good too! Hard to find in a late night bar.

I received an apolgy for my bad experience here. I have since went back and enjoyed a few beer slushies by the fire.

Still good… It’s all about people, ambience and food. The food is still great but the music has changed quite a bit… And the reason I started coming here… As well as returning as a weekly thing were the personalities.
Things have changed. It’s still good, but not «the best»

I shouldn’t go to a bar to eat dirty popcorn but I do. But I also go for the cocktails and vibe. Nick? Served us the other night and he was awesome. Made the wife and I some amazing drinks and made us feel like VIP’s. I like it when a bar puts some creative effort into their cocktails and this place has it going on. Have come back several times now and it is always a hit with fiends. Hip hop music but not too loud and the fire pit is nice when it’s not crowded. Try all the sliders as well. Oh and the dirty popcorn… did I mention it’s addictive?

Thank you so much for accommodating our 16 top tonight. After being asked to leave 2 other bars in the area, we were getting desperate to celebrate our dear friend’s birthday on a Thursday night. You were light hearted and friendly as our thirsty dejected group arrived. The food was incredible and the drinks are still making me ponder culinary cocktail combinations, in a good way.
I was so glad you weren’t too cool for us, because, we couldn’t bother being very cool on such short notice. Warm and inviting, no attitude towards our discombobulated troop of fools, you raised up our foul mood before we could totally denounce the NE Portland bar scene.
Listening to appropriately volumed Arrested Development hits, was also quite nice. Everyone will be back. You salvaged our night.

A toasted marshmallow in my stout? Don’t mind if I do.
The Knockback is full of unique and tasty offerings, and I could go on and on about all the different sliders, but a review could never do them justice, so I recommend you try them for yourself. The croquettes are pretty dang good, too.
Also unusual – if not unique – be prepared to go to the bar to order. It may seem like an inconvenience, but really, it just lets them focus on making great drinks and amazing food.

Last night I wanted a BAR. I wanted to look up and see an entire wall of liquor because, for me, that signifies unlimited possibility. We checked out a couple of places on Alberta and then, when we got to The Knock Back, the angels sang.
The barkeep was pleasant and on it – there was no quibbling or confusion about my order («Negroni, no citrus.») and he whipped it right up in a glass that looked liked it’d just arrived from Antarctica. The mix was perfection.
We sat by the fire pit and did the usual fire pit thing, then our snacks arrived, and they were great, too.
I’m so glad I visited The Knock Back. I would gladly go again.

Came for drinks and will definitely be back for happy hour. Decent beer selection, good cocktail menu and great environment for a divey bar. My friends Manhattan was very strong, no skimping here. The patio is awesome. Also, great food offerings. Try the brussel sprout salad and get a side of some of the sliders — love that you can order them individually!

Love the mixed drinks here and the outdoor sitting, I would say they’re one of my favorite bars in Portland! Atmosphere is super chill and there’s also a fire pit to keep you warm outside. Décor is chic and modern with some twists. I always see this huge dog there and it always puts a smile on my face! Dirty popcorn is a must get snack food and the fried brussel sprouts were good too! Dragos batida and old fashioned drinks were amazing

Burger week is a great way of bringing in customer to check out a restaurant by offering $ 5 burgers but, the downside, they get so swamped that service is mediocre at best.
Luckily, we came at the right time and found a couple tables inside (hot outside that day) to put together to fit our party of five. There are no servers, you have to order at the bar and bring a number to your table. If you wanted more drinks, you had to get back in the long line to re-​order then again to closed your tab. Ordered a burger week burger and the summer salad. Moments later, one of the staff came out to tell us they were out of the summer salad and asked if I wanted anything else. I settled on the fried brussel sprouts, which was $ 1 less than the summer salad so they could’ve thrown in the bacon (addition $ 1.50) since we were already charged, nope.
Food took a long time to make and came out at different times, that rest of the food came out when half of our companions already finished their food. Asked for no mustard on my burger and it arrived with mustard then had to wait for that to be fixed. I didn’t care for the burger – maybe it was hyped up too much as the best burger of burger week. Maybe the rest of the burgers just sucked which it did compared to the previous year. I had to search for the pâté to really taste it and my friend thought his meat patty was dry, I agreed… overcooked seems to be the common theme when you produce large quantities to meet demands. I have to say though, the fried brussel sprouts, fries, and potato croquettes were tasty!
I definitely will have to give the Knockback another chance when it’s not burger week. Their regular menu items were good, still want to try that summer salad because the ingredients sounds amazing. The patio space looks like a fun place to grab a drink for happy hour. I hope service is better when it’s not slammed.

Came on a rec from a trusted source, and was told explicity to enjoy the Manhattans on tap. Literally (meaning figuratively – look it up; can you believe this word has paradoxical definitions now?) fell out of my chair at work when this concept was presented to me.
The joint didn’t have working hoses, or some nonsense, to pump booze into my glass, though. Just a real bummer of a circumstance, but it was the only thing I came for.
Settled for the brussels and A Clockwork Orange, and was not disappointed.
The inside groups were a bit raucous, and rad, while the patio was filled with stone-​cold chillers. This would very likely be a haunt were I to pack up and move here.
When returning, I will get a Manhattan on tap.
Oh, yes.
I will.

Came here for burger week! I don’t remember the name of the burger I got but I posted a picture of it. It was hella yummy with mad ingredients!
I came right when they opened at 4pm, got a margarita, French fries, and the special burger. The wait wasn’t long and the food and drinks were good.
They offer gluten free and vegan options. They are also family friendly before 9pm, but after that it’s 21+. Keep in mind this is more of a hipster bar type of place. They have a nice patio that is smoker friendly as well.
The customer service wasn’t bad either although I hardly talked to any of the workers.

Really cool atmosphere. The patio is nice and even though it was for smoking, there wasn’t a terrible cloud of smoke out there. The bar tender was very friendly and helpful! I asked him what fernet was and he gave me a little taster shot. Very herbal, refreshing, and innovative cocktails.
I also ordered The Other Fried Chicken slider and fries. I was not disappointed! It was one of the best fried chicken sandwiches I’d ever had – bacon, chevre, caramelized onions, and arugula! The fries came with 3 dipping sauces and were equally amazing.
If I’m ever in the Alberta area (which is rare for a Southeast-​er) I would definitely go back. Good food, good drinks, good atmosphere. I don’t think there’s any other qualifiers for a GREAT bar!

$ 5 ROSE’ ALL DAY
This is a fun and boisterous hang.
Like the cocktail options.
I ordered a Steigl and the bar tender recommended getting a shot of Mezcal to go with, called it a Shifty… intriguing.
This is must stop on any Alberta pub crawl.
Fun outside seating to watch the peeps.

Ah, the dread review update. A year and a half (ish) ago when I wrote my first review this was my favorite new bar in town, the only drawback was it wasn’t next door to my house.
Now, The Knock Back sucks. The people I liked were replaced by people who shouted a lot and talked about craft cocktails. But they had lots of tattoos, and they talked about craft cocktails, so they must be cool, right? There were blowtorches, bottles of tinctures and all the self-​important hipster nonsense that has as much to do with actual bartending as does a circus.
What there wasn’t was service. The bartenders (there’s no waiter, BTW) were far too busy performing to help people with any speed. Why the hell are they shouting at the barback who’s all of ten feet away to «fire» a draft beer? How much attention do these mixologists need? It’s bad enough I have to navigate a mosh pit to get to where you might notice me, but I have to wait for intermission to get a drink? And that was before the bartender was actively rude. About two minutes before.
Clearly I’m not cool enough for The Knock Back to want my money. Fine by me.

«Welcome In» — the bartenders actually say that.
FirePit, Craft Cocktails, a delicious and unique food menu, & exceptional hospitality. This bar kicks ass. It’s a fun place to try a local craft beer, sip a carefully made cocktail, or go for the BoilerMaker — a creative shot and a beer combo.
The atmosphere is friendly — and I appreciate the bartenders know a lot of their regular clientele on a personal level. It’s inviting, especially since some establishments appear ambivalent to your food and drink experience.
Cocktails are premium. The bartenders take great pride in creating a one-​of-​a-​kind drink. Be patient.
Their food menu is unlike any other bar on Alberta. I tried the Dirty Popcorn and shared a few sliders with my co-​workers. The Dirty Popcorn is so delish — the seasoning is addicting, Gluten Free, too. The pulled pork slider was savory and well made.
Keep in mind, if you are seated at the tables you must order at the bar: Food and Drink. They’ll provide you a number for your table.
The bathrooms are clean. No TV. A frozen drink machine — with which they feature: A Frozen Spanish Coffee. About 9 craft beers on draft. They change up their food and drink offerings about every three months, so it keeps things fresh.
Good for groups, a date, or solo. It’s a fun atmosphere, no matter what your mood. I usually end up sharing stories or chatting with a regular customer. Good quality music here and outstanding booze selection.

My friend and I happened upon this lounge-​like restaurant in the Alberta neighborhood the other night while looking for dinner options. I wanted something small to eat so this place looked great.
We chose a booth, sat down, then took turns ordering our food at the bar since there is no table service. I chose the popcorn and a cheeseburger slider. With tip, it cost $ 10, which is really not bad for dinner!
Shortly thereafter, the food arrived and was made as requested. I felt that my burger had too many shallots on it, but was otherwise good. The popcorn seemed like it had too many different flavors to it. It was quite strong.
My main problem is that within the hour, I was very sick to my stomach. The awful pain lasted through the night and into the next morning. It was a huge bummer since I was visiting on vacation… and had an early morning flight home that next morning too. I can’t pinpoint it to this place of course, but considering the timing, I don’t know what else could have caused it.
It sounds like they have some great cocktails here and the atmosphere was certainly interesting. Nice surrounding neighborhood, too! But I’m not sure I would personally return.