sousòl — Restaurant in Portland

I have watched enough horror movies to know that nothing good ever comes out of trip to the basement after dark , but I still took my chances on this very hip and upcoming basement bar . Let me tell you Sou ol is not just any bar in the basement , it’s the cool basement bar with an even cooler restaurant name associated with it and hence the long lines . We got here at 5 and there was no way to locate where the bar was until a very serious looking gentleman put up a lamp on the street and told us that the line starts here . The historic building prevents the installation of a sign but I believe after a while the long lines out the door are a tell tale . We were one of the first ones to get in and picked a spot on the bar . The very pink couch and the contrasting dark walls and tropical wallpaper give this place a bougie vibe. The music is loud but sets the mood perfectly , however its not distractingly loud that you cant have a conversation . The restrooms can use a lot of work especially with there being no supplies of hand wash, paper towels etc The drinks are very tropical yet Sousol is no Tiki bar. Fresh, vegetal ingredients like beets and cucumbers show up several times in the drinks along with a variety of ethnic ingredients. During the course of the evening we tried multiple drinks and food items and loved almost everything. The only drink that I personally did not enjoy was Midnight Swim but that was just my palette and my husband seemed to really love it . The food is true to Haitian cuisine and very accommodating of GF and Dairy free diet . We had the Accra , Doubles and the Squash. The Plantain and Squash curry with the coconut really knocked my socks off and I would highly recommend it . As we get into 2023 with a lot of folks imbibing the sober curious culture , the menu at Sousol takes that into it stride and offers a variety of mocktails too .Case in point The Bookman’s Drink is layered with a house-made cashew orgeat and is a play on the traditional Mai Tai .Service was friendly and fast and we loved getting to know the thought process behind the drinks from the bartender .Pricing is slightly on the higher side but nothing that other nice bars in town are not already charging . Overall , I would recommend them for a fun evening with some unique drinks and...

We snagged a reservation at Sousòl after being cooped up for almost a week due to the great ice storm of 2024. Having eaten at Kann in early November, we were looking forward to Sousól — and it certainly didn't disappoint!

We're somewhat newly alcohol-free, so we sampled from the NA cocktail list.

• The Caribbean Kiss was a delicious, creamy almost orangesicle flavor. Loved the egg foam. (pictured) • The Choublak, which is hibiscus, fresh mint and can sugar, was our favorite (we each had one!) and I'm definitely going to try to make something like it at home. (pictured) • The Kokoye was also good, sweet and served over ice; similar to horchata with a bright pop of lime and ginger. • Ruby Anmè was very bittersweet, with the pop of grapefruit against DHOS gin free and sanbitter — so if you love the quinine bitterness of tonic, this one will be up your alley.

We also tried almost everything on the menu.

Favorites: • Doubles: the flatbread was delicious and rich on its own, but divine when paired with the tamarind chutney, curried chickpeas, and house-made pickles. YUM. • Crispy Smashed Potatoes: These were absolutely delicious. We loved the bit of spice from the burnt chili oil and the epis ranch dipping sauce was very delicious.

We also loved the guacamole, pork belly, tostones rellenos, and the chicken curry. The steak bites weren't my favorite but were still arguably great. We were so full that we took most of the curry home with us and I had it for breakfast. No regrets.

Note that they do charge a 22% service fee (in lieu of tip), which they note on the menu and our server told us about. Our server was great and talked to us about the NA options, so I was happy to add a little extra to the 22% for the above-and-beyond service.

For 5 NA cocktails and 7 menu items, our bill + the fee was about $240. For the flavors I thought it was worth it for a...

Let me provide context before I craft this 1 star review. I’m a nice person, my history shows reviews that reflect positive reviews as I like to support great small businesses.

We (group of 4) had a fantastic dinner at Kann where we spent north of 600 dollars. Our server recommended we come here after dinner for cocktails. When we arrived there was a table to our right who has just knocked over a glass and shattered it from being a bit sloppy. We have no problem with that, sometimes accidental things happens when we have a few too many, it is what it is, not something that bothered me.

Then, is when the most jaw dropping moment happened. We were getting situated and were waiting for our server to come to the couch. A blonde women (I wish I got her name I was so flabbergasted), came over and gave us a lecture on our cocktail order history at Kann, unprovoked perceived assumption on us showing signs of over intoxication and told us “they want to slow down our alcohol consumption”. My jaw dropped. We weren’t being aggressive, our most offensive crime was laughing too much and having a good time. We walked out as we did not want to give this place our hard earned money anymore. I’ve been in cocktail lounges all around the world , been sloppier and have never had this issue.

It sucks because it put such a sour taste on our amazing Kann experience. Go to Kann, never step foot in this overpriced, pretentious spot if I were you. They’re obviously owned by the same group so it’s extremely disappointing.

By the way, I wrote this soliloquy 10 min after this event happened…so you tell me if I was...