Friday 12th of December 2008 12:06:12 PM

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Roots has wonderful organic beers and a funky atmosphere designed for an afternoon in Portland. The Woody IPA is very good and a favorite of mine. There is always a special seasonal brew available and friendly customers who are very beer knowledgeable.
Parking can be a problem, but remember the Lucky Lab Brewery is only two blocks away and parking is available.
If in Portland make the effort to seek out Roots, you will enjoy the experience.

Monday 15th of September 2008 07:50:38 PM

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Had a OK time at Roots Brewery. We went as a family and check this place out. The food was so so really they just made sandwiches like Mom making a bologna sandwich for me after school. The service was also so so. They where a bunch of Portland Green hippy types that rather check out each others tattoos than actually do there job. The music was too loud but then say if it is too loud then I am too old. The beers where very good so this was a plus. I liked the stout and the whole theme of organic brews. I tired to talk to the bartender but once again if you do not have the vibe they have they will not give you the time of day. Glad I hit the place when they (servers) where in the mood for serving. Nicely done Beer a must stop if in Portland and wanting to see the last gasp of hippies.

Friday 15th of August 2008 01:59:13 PM

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The pub is partially below ground level but has tall ceilings. The pub is located right in the brewery and feels like it (in a good way). The fermenters are visible through windows and grain sacks, etc. are just beyond the doors on one side. The pub has concrete floors, which were painted dark red long ago but now have the paint partially worn off. There are stools by the bar and at the front side of the main room, otherwise there are varnished picnic tables and a couple of smaller tables. The atmosphere is neighborhood and comfortable with a mix of clientele. The walls are painted in bright colors - red, green, yellow, orange, and blue. There are rotating ceiling fans and background music (a bit loud when we visited), but no TVs. There are a few picnic tables outside the front entrance that add to the comfortable eclectic feel.

All of the tap handles are variations on wooden surfboards. The beer list is good for a fairly small brewery (and an organic one at that). We had the Woody IPA which was impressive, even in this heavy-duty beer city.

Saturday 4th of August 2007 12:55:31 PM

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Roots Organic Brewery is over in the SE side of Portland. It's about a block or two from the Lucky Labrador Brewery on Hawthorne.

Roots has gone with a Surfer/Polynesian/Caribbean theme throughout the interior and through their beer names and food menu. Jerked Chicken seems to be in many of their food items, but there are other types of food available too.

They are very focused on the Organic movement, even selling their t-shirts printed on organic cloth. In many cases I have seen that organic beers seem to be aimed more at making an beer that is organic vs. actually aiming toward making a good beer. This is not so at Roots. All of the beers I tried were great. The Woody IPA and the eXXXcaliber Imperial Stout were both great selections and the Gruit Kolsch was very nice as well.

The location seems to be in a more industrial part of town, that doesn't seem to have many restaurants like Roots. But if you are in the area you should definitely check it out!

We got to Roots on the 4 bus from downtown. There was very little walking involved on this trip. From our experience on the weekend, you should be able to find ample street side parking here. You might have more trouble at other times.