Tough Luck & Lil' Barbecue — Restaurant in Portland

Interesting decor and atmosphere. Food gets a solid c plus across the board. Ordered edamame and ramen. My wife ordered a banh mi special. Buttery Soy Miso soaked Edamame was a very satisifying bar snack. Ramen was awful; cold, saccharine sweet broth, mushy noodles, overcooked soft egg, and there were brussel sprouts in it for some god awful reason. I went to return it to the bar and the bartender asked what was wrong. I started to explain why I didn't want it and he told me to calm down. I dont even understand why he thought this was okay. There's nothing that makes a human being less calm than being told to calm down. But I kept my cool, as I had during the entire interaction in the first place and explained that not only was it not okay that he told me to calm down, but I was simply fulfilling his request to tell him what was wrong. Anyway ordered a burger, it was delicious, soy pickles were an interesting touch that I'd like to try making myself. Banh mi was nothing at all special and kinda boring, their cocktails are spot on. So in short, get a drink, don't order ramen, get a burger and fries, expect; crappy, cold service without a smile and perhaps a dash of smarmy hipster foolishness. Also this place is gentrification in...

Need a patio to soak up some rays while enjoying an adult beverage? Need a place to catch a Blazers game? How about a place to have a serious shuffleboard tournament?

Tough Luck is the answer!

This place is fantastic. I had been here a few times over the winter and had a great time. Was here recently to catch game 7 between the Blazers and Nuggets. Place was packed and had such a fun environment for the game. They have two roll up doors and windows everywhere. Like watching the game outside!

Tough Luck has several craft beers to choose from as well as a nice cocktail menu. They also keep firewater bitters on hand so they can spice up any of your beverages (my favorite!). I have not had any of their food yet, but the things I saw coming out of the kitchen looked great.

I'll be...

I live less than 3 blocks from TL and I like this bar, but it has one major flaw: they play music way too loud. I’m not some old coot. This is just a fact. You can never meet anyone new here because you can barely talk to the person at your table. Ordering across the bar is a strain.

I might be unlucky, but this has been a consistent reaction of mine since things opened up again. Hell, I’m here right now on a Tuesday and it’s too loud. On the plus side, they have a really nice AV system and always play Blazers games so it is a good place to watch.

Otherwise the bar is attractive with lots of seating options for dates or groups, the bartenders are good, and the food is good. Their outdoor seating is great, so just wait till summer when you can...