Bar Publica — Restaurant in Portland

Bar Publica, located at 82 Hanover St Suite 7 in Portland, Maine, is a vibrant LGBTQ+ friendly disco bar that offers a lively atmosphere, inventive cocktails, and a menu inspired by Latin American street food.

Drinks: 🍹

Margaritas: At $10 each, these margaritas are a must-try, offering a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors.

Boulevardier: This classic cocktail is expertly crafted and served over a large, elegant ice cube, enhancing both its presentation and sipping experience.

Dessert: 🍨

House-Made Churros with Maple Walnut Ice Cream and Strawberry Preserves: This dessert is a standout, featuring warm, crispy churros paired with creamy maple walnut ice cream and a side of strawberry preserves. The combination is delightful, with the ice cream deserving a 9/10 rating.

Food: 🍽️

Schnebelhorn Cheese Plate: The cheese plate features a whole serving of Schnebelhorn cheese, accompanied by a generous portion of fresh bread, just wish it was presented a bit better with the cheese perhaps cut up a bit? Rating: 5/10.

Maine Potato, Cheese, and Aji Empanada: This empanada, filled with Maine potatoes, cheese, and aji, unfortunately lacks flavor and the desired crispiness, resulting in a 1/10 rating.

Publica Nachos: These nachos are generously loaded with cheese sauce, aji green tomatillo sauce, and bean chili. While the toppings are abundant, the cheese sauce falls short in flavor, leading to a 5/10 rating.

Wings with Cornbread Coating and House Ranch: The wings feature a unique cornbread coating and are served with house-made ranch dressing. However, they could benefit from additional sauce and seasoning to enhance their flavor. Rating: 5/10.

Porky Way Sandwich: This sandwich includes tender pork, beer-braised cabbage, and fresh arugula. While some patrons appreciate the preparation of the pork, others found it less appealing in flavor, resulting in a mixed review and a 6/10 rating.

Ambiance: 🎉

Bar Publica boasts a fun and energetic atmosphere, complete with lively music and a welcoming crowd. The vibrant decor and friendly staff contribute to an overall enjoyable experience.

Affordability: 💵

With reasonably priced drinks and dishes, Bar Publica offers good value for the quality and portions provided.

Overall Experience:

Bar Publica excels in delivering a lively ambiance and quality cocktails, with the house-made churros and maple walnut ice cream dessert being particular highlights. While some food offerings may not stand out, the overall experience makes it a worthwhile visit for those seeking a fun night out.

Ratings:

Food: 5/10

Ambiance:...

I'm a big fan of Bar Publica. The location might be tough for people not familiar with the area; it's effectively behind Cyclebar and Batson River Brewing; next to Bayside Bowl.

Friends from work brought me the first time I visited, and I kind of loved the place as soon as I walked in. The vibe and ambiance is fantastic. Everything from the booths to the bathrooms look great. The bar itself isn't huge, but there is more than enough seating throughout the space. We usually grab beers at the bar and snag a table to unwind after a day.

The food (at least what I've had so far) has also been great. The birria cheese steak sounded kind of odd initially, but it made a lot more sense once I saw it. And man was it good. The wings are also a favorite, with corn meal in the dredge. They were really crispy and the rub had just the right amount of kick.

The staff has always been friendly, attentive, and personable. I'm not sure if it's still going on, but we'd pop over for karaoke on Friday nights too. If it's not, hopefully it's coming back!

Parking isn't usually too hard around that area and the bar is wheelchair accessible (as you enter, you have to walk down stairs immediately).

Great spot in town with unique offerings. Definitely...

This bar security guards assaulted a drunk woman, who was sitting minding her own business waiting on some friends.

I would understand if the woman was being disrupting or harassing people, but she was sitting minding her own business, till a lady who work there ask her to leave, because she was "too drunk." The lady was getting up to leave, but ask can she wait for her friends, to let them know she leaving. Not only did they probably danger the lady well being, the security lady, physically assaulted, called back up to keep assaulting the drunk woman who was just trying to get her friends to help her.

I don't know if the white security guard lady were just being racist and picking on the lady because she was alone. It is sickening to have seen that. I hope the lady is safe at home and charge the security guard and the club owner for allowing someone safety being disregarded and physically assault by a employee...