Horse Brass Pub — Restaurant in Portland

It was the first day that I really felt like fall was settling in. The air was moist, wind chilly and although the sun was out I donned my hoodie as I sat at one of the picnic tables in front of the Horse Brass. Years of passing this place on my daily commute had peaked my curiosity but, for whatever reason, I didn't step inside until today. With the late afternoon sun still hanging in the sky the contrast from outdoors to in was powerful.

The dimly lit pub supported an impressive bar, stationed in the center of the building, and surrounded by dark alcoves and dartboards. I was seated immediately and was handed a lengthy beer list that spaned over a page. They had it all from local favorites to hard to find imports served up in a variety of glassware that reinforced the idea that this place knew beer. I ordered a pint and decided to pair it with, what I would soon discover, a mountain of fish and chips. After all, it is a British pub and the waiter claimed that they were known for it. Plus a meat pie felt out of character for me as I was still clinging to the last fading thoughts of summer.

The fish arrived promptly, but not too quickly and was cooked to perfection. The generous pieces of fish were covered in the correct amount of batter and crispy all the way through to the meat of the halibut. While it was a gut bomb it was exactly what I was hoping for. I could taste the fish without it being fishy. Thick cut fries(chips) served as a nice balance to the crispy fish providing a hit of crunch and potatoey goodness in addition to being not overly salted; which can be an issue with fries cut in such a way. The housemade tartar was thick and creamy, with that little funky bite that makes tartar the perfect sauce for this greasy concoction. Healthy wedges of lemon provided ample juice to citrus each and every bite of fish. Lastly the slaw, tossed lightly with dressing this light scoop of cabbage beamed with flavors of mustard, celery and a hint of cabbage. Simply perfection.

Overall the experience was outstanding and I will most certainly strive to return to this pub for my future fried fish fix. You won't find kale salads and green smoothies at this spot but if you seek comfort food and a quintessential British pub experience I would highly recommend checking...

This is hands down some of the best fish and chips I've ever had. The food is always fresh and everything is homemade from what I've tasted. The chicken pot pie is incredibly nostalgic and high quality. Their potato salad is also something I've yet to taste anywhere else. I love the ingredients, very unique, it's perfect!

The only reason I can't give five stars is for the inconsistent service that we get here.. We have been blatantly ignored once because we had our children with us. (We were definitely there before the time cut off fyi) Servers have seemed to forgotten about us during our visits also. One girl left our food on the counter for 5 minutes and walked past it. Another girl was extremely rude when asked to switch out our coleslaw for Potato Salad. She stated, "we don't do that here." When we've actually done it numerous times, although we get an upcharge... It's worth it. She refused to ask another server if it was possible and walked away. It's very unfortunate that the service can be hit or miss, but even more so how terribly bad it can be when it's not the right day.

If the food wasn't absolutely delicious - I don't know if we would have ever came back after the first awful experience...

A Portland institution, for all the right reasons.

Food: pub fare that is fresh and prepared to order. Even the salads are good, not to mention fish 'n chips, bangers & mash and scotch eggs. Not oriented to V's in the least, but a few menu options to get you by.

Atmosphere: it's hard to get closer to the feel of an English pub. It's not just the dart boards, it's also the natural wood clubhouse feel, and the sound of conversation all around. This is a great place to socialize, as all pubs should be. It really feels right when it is rainy, windy and cold out.

Drinks: of course beer, as HBP was a great influence on the growth of craft beer in Portland. There are also hard-to-find taps from Great Britain. Ciders and N/A drinks too. Excellent selection of the hard stuff, but don't look for frou-frou cocktails with 12 ingredients.

Service: overall excellent, the servers know the beers on tap and are friendly and efficient. Note that they get very busy during peak hours.

Not from Portland? Go there. It's easy to fit in.

From Portland: Go there. It is a...