Carrie and I finally had a chance to have lunch at ABV Public House in Hillsboro, and we were impressed by the selection of both food and beverages on offer. Founded originally as a tap house for Main Brew, the home brewing supply store adjacent to them ABV has quickly become a draw by themselves for anyone looking for hard to find bottled beer, a wide range of taps to fill the ubiquitous Northwest "Growler" from, and increasingly for those looking for a remarkably great meal.
I had the Chicken Hash, which was made from Pulled Confit Chicken Thigh, Potato Hash, Onions, a Sunny Side Farm Egg + Romesco Crema. Not the kind of dish you expect to find at a small pub that doesn't even have a sign out front. While I prefer my hash to have crispier potatoes this was a flavorful and satisfying bowl that is sure to please anyone. The chicken was moist and bursting with flavor while not being as greasy as confit dishes can sometimes find themselves. The egg was perfectly cooked and when broken open over the hash provided the perfect richness to blend with the Crema to flavor the potatoes. If you like hash of any kind stop in and give this one a try for brunch.
ABV Public House is typical Portland. Unmarked, unknown, and uncommonly good. A little piece of Fat Boy Heaven in a tiny strip mall between the gun range and the home brew store. It doesn't get anymore Portland than that. You can find ABV online here, or just go visit them at:
23588 NW Clara Lane
Hillsboro, OR 97124
Update: April 1st, 2015
We went back a couple of weeks later with the kids to get another picture of how ABV really behaved on a weeknight. While food quality was just as great, service dropped severely. At 6pm on a Wednesday night we had a 40 minute wait to be seated, even though there was an open table clearly visible from the podium.
It took nearly another hour before appetizers (Fried Cheese Curds) were brought out, and 29 minutes past that we finally got our meals.
The fried cheese curds are served in a large bowl. Plenty to share and perfectly breaded and prepared.
I ordered the 50/50 Burger, while Carrie went with the Green Chile Burger. Both were excellent. Both kids ordered ABV burgers, classic 1/4 pound cheese burgers.
The 50/50 Burger has a patty that is 50% Beef and 50% Bacon. This is topped with bacon, blue cheese, and grilled onions. Amazing.
The cross section of my 50/50 Burger. Look how thick and juicy that burger looks!
- The kids both had the ABV burger. A classic example 1/4 pound cheese burger
Carrie's Green Chile Burger was huge, and she said full of flavor.