If you should find yourself in Portland, Oregon, USA, on a Monday night with little or nothing to do, a strong recommendation is given to a quaint little English pub called the Horsebrass.

Food and Drinks

Beverages

The Horsebrass has a variety of ciders, ales, pilsners, Porters and Stouts and just about every other flavour, style, or colour of beer you could want. Unless of course you prefer those mega-commercialised watered-down brews in silver cans or red and white bottles, which the Horsebrass staff will happily send you on your way to look for.

Aside from the beer on tap, which is priced competitively, the Horsebrass also stocks most popular liquors, and the bar staff will be more than delighted to make you just about anything you would like to drink, as long as it isn't sweet, fruity, or otherwise against the grain of English drinking.

You can, naturally, also have a nice soda or cup of coffee or tea (as well as a variety of other non-alcoholic standards) in addition to, or instead of, the standard alcoholic drinks associated with a public house.

There is a small import store called Belmont Station off to the west of the pub that specializes solely in food items and beverages imported from Europe. If you wish to pick up a six-pack of your favourite English, Irish or Scottish ale, and can't find it in the stores, this is the place to go. They also have several good beers from other European countries as well.

Food

The menu at the Horsebrass is primarily the traditional English menu consisting of fish and chips, bangers and mash, ploughman's platters (aka Ploughman's lunches), pot pies and the like. Don't panic, if you would like a simple soup or a salad, or even maybe a hamburger, you can be reassured that the Horsebrass will be able to accommodate you.

One Researcher found the fish and chips to be quite delicious, but if you aren't a seafood fanatic, their burgers turned out to be quite a fine choice as well.

In short, for about $35, you and a friend can enjoy a nice meal and split a pitcher of some damn fine beer!

Activities and Patronage

Friends

The regular crowd which you should expect in The Horsebrass are fairly standard public house locals who are always willing to swap stories, spin yarns, and tell tales. For the most part you can sit down and have an fairly intelligent conversation with almost anyone. Particularly recommended is the crowd that congregates near the left side of the bar itself, at the tables near the rear dart lane, as these folk are very likely to be friendly to the average h2g2 Researcher.

Activities

Sports are always a favourite in places such as this, and at The Horsebrass you can often watch World League Soccer (or European football) on the large video-screens or, if there aren't games scheduled, you can join in at one of the many dart lanes for a mostly friendly game of 'Cricket', 301 or 501, or Mickey Mouse (an amplified version of Cricket in which you go all the way down to 12, and have to close out doubles and triples generically).

Be wary of the Monday Night Dart Throwers. These are not league players¹, and they are likely out to have more fun than you. In both observing, and participating in this socially aggressive manner of sport, one Researcher found it to be a lot of hard-talking and very little point counting, as a reputable game should be! When the totals are tallied, all players shake hands like the civilized people they are, and sit down for more conversation and, of course, more beverages.

Summary

If a Monday night in Portland, happens to take you by surprise, and you need to find sanctuary from the usually wet weather, and could use a nice meal, a few drinks, and some interesting companions for the evening, The Horsebrass on 46th Street and SE Belmont comes highly recommended!