McMenamins Kennedy School

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5736 NE 33rd Ave (at Northeast Jessup Street)
Portland, OR 97214

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(503) 249-3983
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McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
McMenamins Kennedy School - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 11 )
( 20 )
( 6 )
( 5 )
( 3 )

Best

have been here several times, and never had a bad experience. McMenamin's food isn't horrible, but it's not a 5 start restaurant either-nor does it pretend to be. They have good...

Worst

THe only thing worthwhile about McMennamins is that they remodel great old buildings. Food is typical and no matter which location I go to, service is bad! Cons: slow service

Good food, good drinks 11/17/2006

Love McMenamins wherever they are and the Kennedy School is included. Great place, great atmosphere, good food. Excellent restuarant to go for something different. more
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Great food in general but the fries and tater tots are tops! 8/29/2006

This McMenamins location is as different and yet outstanding as all of the others I've experienced. It is a great location to go just for drinks, drinks & dinner, or drinks, dinner & a movie. Gosh, as if that is not enough, you could also stay the night in one of the old classrooms which have been converted into hotel rooms.\r \r No matter what you go to Kennedy School for .... be sure to have some of the fries or tater tots! Pros: great brew; tater tots/french fries; ambience Cons: limited beer-alternatives for those who don't care for beer; parking lot fills up quickly more
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All in one 4/12/2006

What a weird place to have a pub, but the old school works perfect. The bar/dining is the only place in the building i've been so i can't say about the rest of the place but the food is the standard mcmenimins (which is good tavern food) and the beer is well, the best around. Didn't they start the whole micro brewery thing? more
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got a few hours to waste without any service 7/14/2005

Yes they have the market on this niche....but the service is the worst! Been there 3 times since March 2005 and each time they have forgotten to bring the appetizer (item served prior to a meal!) completely or bring it with the meals. We sat at the table for 35 minutes after placing our order....person brought out my salad and when I told her I didn't have any untensils she said she'd tell my waiter. Ten minutes later the waiter came by with the appetizer...and I still couldn't eat my freakin salad. Pros: Good beer Cons: Lousy Parking, Long waits, Horrible Service more
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Its just a cool place! 4/11/2005

You would have to understand the whole McMenamins thing to really understand any of their locations, but this has to be one of the coolest ever. Theater, Detention Bar (smoking), Honors Bar (non smoking), the Gymnasimn for large parties, they have a soaking pool, gift shop, Hotel rooms, etc. It literally has everything that you would want for the First dates, dating scene, or romantic evening with your signifigant other. My husband and I are total regulars at the Detention and have our firends totally hooked. The food is good, the atmosphere is great, staff is friendly, and its in the neighborhood! Pros: Atmosphere, Price, Staff more
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Fun date place 1/10/2005

I went to Kennedy School 2 years ago with my then-girlfriend. The ambience is dark, but comforting. Kinda like what would happen if everyone in the school aged 30 years instantaneously, then just decided to start drinking. The local brews are great, and the foods ok. But the idea of drinking in detention hall really appealed to me. We didn't stay the night but were tempted to. Parkings a little difficult, but its worth the time finding it. Pros: Great Drinks, Ambiance, Drinking in Schools Cons: , Service slow if busy more
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Cardboard Burgers are 9.5? 7/8/2004

McMenamin's has good beer, an awesome ambience, great drinks and good movies on the cheap. But they are known, at least in my circle, to have bad food. It's bland and the burger literally tastes like cardboard. I really wonder at how this place got a 9.5 rating for their burger unless folks are too drunk off the good beer to remember the similiraty between their burgers and cardboard. It's a must-see for visitor's in town - the McMenamin's have taken abandoned city properties and turned them into real Portland jewels. The pizza and burrito are good choices, but otherwise go for a tour of the school, a few drinks and a movie - skip the food. Pros: great artistic design, fun place to see, cheap movies Cons: , slow service, generally bad food more
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theatre YAH! 6/25/2004

My friends and I go to the theatre atleast once a week, and we love it! It only costs 3$ to get in, 2$ for the early shows, and it is movies that were just in the theatre... great for if your not sure that its a movie youll like, or if you're just too cheap to pay 10 bucks at a regular theatre.... not to mention you get to sit on leather couches and chairs, and bring your food from the restaurant with you. we drink our milkshakes on a couch, and enjoy the giant screen movie... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!! Pros: multiple bars, inexpensive, good food more
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Fun & Friendly Staff 5/12/2004

I Think the food is great and the service has always been wonderful when we have gone! My daughter has a house just down the street so when we are in Portland we always go here if for nothing other then a drink or a great Sunday breakfast. This place is intertaining and is great for social gathering. We stayed over in one of the rooms before too, what a bargain! Pros: friendly staff, helpful staff Cons: , parking can be hard more
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Bad food 4/15/2004

Really cool place, but not so good food! Worth going for a beer and to see the building, but not for the food. Pros: atmosphere, cool building, beer more
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Good Atmosphere Moderate Food 1/18/2004

The atmosphere is eccentric and relaxing. The beer is a must have. However the food should be ordered only after you have had your first three beers...by that time it will taste good. While half the menu is decent and worth having while sober, there is enough bland unappetizing dishes to avoid it all together. The burgers leave one wishing they had ordered the pork chops. The fries are quite soggy leaving one wondering how they cooked the deep fired halibut and made it so delicious. Come after 10pm and enjoy happy hour, the prices make the food taste great and the beer flows like water. Pros: Casual & Inviting, Outdoor Fireplace Cons: Service more
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Great building...not much else 9/28/2003

THe only thing worthwhile about McMennamins is that they remodel great old buildings. Food is typical and no matter which location I go to, service is bad! Cons: slow service more
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A good safe bet, but..... 8/9/2003

McMenamins is a great place for those looking for a safe comfortable place to have some tame (but alcohol weak) beers. If you want more taste, variety and flavor in your beer plus more food choices, try some of the other lesser known brewpubs around town.....(Old Market Pub or Alemeda Brewpub) Pros: Safe for newcomers, predictable, Lots of locations Cons: TOO predictable, Weak beers, Same old, same old... more
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Kennedy School 7/7/2003

My husband and I booked a room after a neighbor had recommended it, and we're really glad we took her advice. Before making restervations, I checked out City Search to see what others had said. I was leary about what was said about the service. Yes, the service wasn't great -- if you need something, you need to interupt an employee (sometimes while their chatting with other employees) and ask for it. Employees will ask you to favors for them. Helping guests doesn't seem to be high on some employees' list. With the service aside, my husband and I had a great time. We each got a key that allowed us into the soaking pool, several movies that night, breakfast in the morning -- all included in our night's stay. It was out of the ordinary and memorable. :-) Pros: Memorable/Unique, Bonus goodies, Humorus Details :-) Cons: Service/Employees more
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Portland's Gem 6/6/2003

Kennedy School is fun, relaxing, and a perfect retreat from the busy downtown atmosphere. I have lunch here at least once a month, and rejoice when the patio opens. It is the perfect place to relax with a pint, a great burger, and great company. Best of the McMenamin's. :) Pros: Patio, Lots of Parking, Food more
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Our neighborhood hangout 4/17/2003

The Kennedy School is one of the best things about our neighborhood. It's a great place to take kids for lunch or visiting relatives for dinner. It's also a great place to grab pizza, beer and a ($3) movie or just to hang out in detention (or the honors bar if you prefer) with a friend and enjoy some mixed drinks. You can even smoke a cigar in detention! Live music on Thursday nights is a lot of fun, and the kids love to just run up and down the halls while we check out the artwork. Dinner on the patio in summer is also great fun. Only negative is service can be painfully slow on busy nights. Pros: totally unique, lots of stuff to do, cheap movies Cons: slow service more
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Cool Place 1/29/2003

Great place to go with friends to enjoy yourself! Enjoy a movie or walk around always something to do. more
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hip, casual, fun... 1/18/2003

I love going to a movie drinking beer and eating good food all while relaxing on a big cushy sofa with great friends... The Kennedy School is always a place I suggest to friends. Pros: wonderful more
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Having a drink during detention 9/16/2002

The Kennedy school was just a great idea. It is so cool to be drinking at school, listening to live Jazz, or just relaxing in a theater watching a flick. All in the comfort of what was a typical grade school. more
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A fun place to drink and expore 9/10/2002

You can't help but have a fun time there. The service is friendly and the food is decent. more
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Menu for McMenamins Kennedy School


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Grade school turned hotel, restaurant and bar helps revive a neighborhood--and lots of childhood memories.

Owner Message

  • This historic 1915 elementary school, renovated in 1997 by McMenamins, is a Portland institution, featuring the city's most whimsical lodging and dining. They offer 35 classroom-turned-guestrooms (complete with original chalkboards and cloakrooms), an array of artwork, an outdoor soaking pool, the Courtyard Restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and a brewery (the girls' bathroom in its former life, pink tiles still intact) where handcrafted microbrews are made with care. Sip a fresh-juice cocktail in the cozy Honors Bar with the good kids or savor an aged whiskey and a cigar in the Detention Bar with the wild ones while you take advantage of their free WiFi. The Cypress Room, one of Portland's most popular spots, also features a full bar. And don't miss the theaterpub, voted one of the Top Ten Places to See a Movie by Entertainment Weekly.

Editorial

  • In Short
    Chalkboards and cloakrooms still are in place at this popular spot, as are child-level water fountains. The former auditorium houses a 300-seat movie theater where you can sip...

  • 3/3/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Courtyard restaurant: Daily 7am-1am Cypress Room: Mon-Fri 4pm-1:30am Sat-Sun 12pm-1:30am
  • Payments: Visa, American Express, Discover, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Concordia
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