The Lift Off Lounge — Restaurant in Portland

The vibe is absolutely perfect for the location and size of this place. Dark, but not too dark, great food, an unpretentious laid back crowd, and super friendly bartenders and staff. The interior feels exactly like your hip grandmother's basement, with vintage "space age" fixtures and decor, and the theme continues to the ceiling which is painted a darker blue to make you feel like you're truly about to lift off into outer space. Lots of benches/one-sided booths line the walls for plenty of seating, and a handful wrap around for larger parties. Food and drink are fantastic as well - my group of friends actually started and ended a night here because we wanted another order of the zucchini and red pepper fritters! We also ordered a fried pie, the relish plate, and the ricotta dumplings, all of which were top notch. I do have to knock a star off for two reasons: the night we were there the HVAC was on the fritz (one of the staff kept having to hold the front door open to let in some cool air), and the dining area that's set down a couple steps from the bar is incredibly echoey when filled with people, making it impossible to hear the person...

We stopped by the Lift Off Lounge on our way to dinner. We were warmly greeted when we entered and found seats at the bar. There is a very inviting ambience to the lounge and the décor is very well thought out. The liquor selection is impressive and the bartender was extremely talented at mixing. There is a great selection of Jamaican rums, which I find rare. I tried the pickled, deviled eggs which were wonderful. I was excited to see the corn dog on the menu, but we were on our way to dinner; Next time! The lounge was very clean and played great music.

Any one of these aspects of our visit would have been enough to get us back, but as a whole I think it's going to become my favorite place for drinks...

What an incredible bar! The space is well-designed and curated for a retro space vibe. I ordered the Ballrooms of Mars cocktail, and then a veganized Grasshopper. Not only are the drinks beautifully presented and carefully created—they are delicious. I also ordered what might be the BEST onion rings in Portland. They were so good, I ordered a second plate when I finished the first. I had a really pleasant evening working on the Willamette Weekly crossword, sipping on my drinks, and devouring these exceptional onion rings. I’ll back again soon—there are many more signature cocktails I can’t wait to try, and I love the relaxed energy of this space. The cherry on...