TYPE OF CUISINE – American

AMBIENCE – hip

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES – YES

CLEANLINESS – good

VALUE FOR THE MONEY – excellent

ACCEPTS RESERVATIONS – YES

GOOD FOR FAMILIES – YES

DN FRIENDLY – N/A it is a restaurant

OUTDOOR SEATING – a few seats

Just like the name says…it’s an ale house, aka pub. If you are after tasty and healthy food, this won’t be on your list. If you are thirsty or a beer aficionado, then this will be top of your list. This is a NAY for burgers, but….

A perfect pub

For us, that means a heady mixture of good ale, lager, wine, and food…..and let’s not forget the great conversation, hospitality, and lighting. Upon entering Portland Ale House, the vibe is great, regular pub décor and staff that seem slightly confused…..guess you could call it attentive but we kept being asked by different staff about drink or food orders after we had already placed our order…..

The Starters

It was disappointing. I am not much of a drinker, but John enjoys a drink or 2. Usually, a good IPA or red wine makes him happy. So, whenever we choose to go out, a happy balance for us is good food with drink options. Sad to say the food at Portland Ale House was below average. We were there with a couple of our friends hoping for that pub house vibe.

No complaints about the drinks. For food, we started with Nachos Supreme and BBQ chicken wings. They were just okay. The nachos had enough stuff but just not layered well….that means some chips were overloaded while others were just soggy chips. The BBQ wings could have had more flavor and at least they were cooked through.

The Burgers and Fries

John and I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger with Mushrooms (his with onions and mine without) and our friends ordered a Juicy Lucy Burger and a Jalapeno burger. The food looks good in the photos. But, lacking flavor. ZERO flavors….we couldn’t taste the cheese or even the saltiness of the bacon. The meat itself was cooked well but ZERO spices. The fries were on the cold side, so that meant it lacked crispness. Again, no salt or pepper.

So, if you’re looking for a place to meet up with friends and have some drinks, head on over to Portland Ale House…..try out some of the other starters. If you’re looking for a fresh, delicious burger, NAY on this one but do check out our post on The Hunt for the Best Burger in Valencia.