The Send Brewing Co. — Restaurant in South Portland

Okay, okay… I get the hype now!

I was a huge Foulmouthed Brewery fan — it was the first brewery I ever visited in Portland years ago. When I heard it was closing, I was devastated… until I found out another brewery was taking its place. Big shoes to fill, but The Send delivered.

If you ever went to Foulmouthed, the space will feel familiar. Not much has changed inside (unless my memory is playing tricks on me!), but the food and drink menu is completely different. The Send leans Japanese-inspired, and they nail it. The Knightville IPA is one of the best I’ve had in a very long time. They also offer canned ciders, a solid sake selection, and wines.

The food was just as impressive as their drinks program. There are so many options, from small bites to full entrees. We stuck to appetizers and ordered a few for the table. Everything was delicious, but the okonomiyaki (savory pancake) and curry korokke (like a croquette?) were standouts; hearty, flavorful, and worth every penny at $12 and $11 respectively. I need to go back for an entree, though! Oh, and their onion rings are the best I’ve had.

For three of us, with plenty of apps and 2-3 drinks each, the total pre-tip was $90. Not bad at all, especially for the quality. With so many recent closures in Knightville, The Send is exactly what the...

It’s a cozy spot. The beer is solid - especially the pale ale - but there are only 3 beers on tap. I do appreciate the half pour option. I was really excited by the food based on the menu and reviews but was disappointed. When I bit into the fried chicken, I honestly thought it was fish. They explained it was thigh meat, but it just felt undercooked and rubbery, not crispy outside either. I am a huge bonchon fan and this left me wanting that double crispy fried chicken I am familiar with. The onion rings everyone raved about also had a weird fishy taste. I’m guessing it’s the oil, but it just wasn’t that enjoyable. I was really interested in the croquettes but they had already run out when I arrived around 2pm. I will say I highly appreciated the Paramore-centric playlist going this afternoon. I may give this place another chance but...

Disappointing. We were seated after a short wait at the door. Server brought menus and ticked off the six items (from their very short menu) that they were sold out of at 6:30 on a Saturday night. Was all the most popular items. How does a restaurant proclaiming to serve Japanese food run out of Rice Balls? It doesn't get any simpler than a rice ball. Anyway, the Daikon salad, steamed rice and Miso soup were all good. The Shishito peppers were just bland, no zing at all. The onion rings were overcooked, soggy (guys, don't forget to change out the oil in the fryolator once in a while) The Tamagoyaki was especially disappointing because it's actually a pretty simple dish and even a total amateur can make a pretty good one with just a little practice. People! get yourselves a proper Makiyakinabe and watch some youtube videos! You...