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The Mash Tun: beer and wings, vegan-style
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October 23rd, 2009mr meanermore restaurants (not LA), portland

On face value, The Mash Tun in the Alberta Arts district of Portland, OR, is a fairly typical brewpub. It has a couple of niceties, including a patio to enjoy the few days of summer that the Pacific Northwest has to offer, as well as a roomy atmosphere with comfortable tables, and ample bar seating. Throw in free wi-fi, a dart board, a full-size pool table, multiple TVs for watching sports, some home-brewed beers as well as a few guest taps and I’ll be there. As indeed I was one summer’s day this year.

While I must admit that going to bars with a bunch of friends to watch the game isn’t my thing, I can see how awesome The Mash Tun would be do just that. With an ample selection of beers on tap (many of them vegan), and a menu with its own vegan section things start to get interesting!

On our sunny Sunday afternoon, we settled into bar seats in front of the TV, ordered some great beer and started to eat our way through the vegan section of the menu, starting with the Vegan Tempeh Things — tempeh “wings” in spicy sauce with dip and salad. Perfectly hot, perfectly crunchy and with a cool dip, these were gone in about 20 seconds. And I’m not joking.

tempeh things: ain't no wing, but a tempeh thing! deep-fried tempeh, served buffalo or bbq style with housemade vegenaise. $6.75

Next up, we ordered the Baked Red Lentil Puree, an interesting combination of seasoned lentils with green onions and pita wedges for scooping. In texture this was kinda like eating hummus and pita, but with a much more tangy flavor. This dish is a perfect companion to the “wings”, providing some cool respite from the fiery sauce.

baked red lentil puree: puree of red lentils with grilled green onions, roasted garlic and tomato, served with pita wedges. $6.50

For our main dish we deliberated between the two vegan burgers on offer — both home made and very appetizing in description. In the end we went for the Mash Tun Veggie Burger, a complex set of textures and flavors perfectly seasoned on a tasty bun with very fresh salad.

mash tun veggie burger: a housemade patty of chopped almonds, oats and veggies, served on a kaiser bun with vegenaise. $8.25

By the end of our afternoon, we were full of vegan food, great beer and had watched most of a game on the TV before we had to leave and head back to the airport for our return flight to LA. The Mash Tun is a great place to go with omni friends, as you can enjoy everything a real bar has to offer, while pigging out on some very tasty vegan facsimiles of bar food.

Pop open your laptop to jump on the free wi-fi, shoot some pool, throw some darts and watch the game (not at the same time, of course). The Mash Tun provides just about everything you’d want in a typical PDX low-key environment. It might not be the best vegan food on the planet, and the home-brewed beer probably needs some work on the taste front, but you won’t be disappointed at all.

We’ll definitely be back to The Mash Tun next time we’re fortunate enough to visit the PDX!

The Mash Tun Brewpub
2204 NE Alberta St
Ste 101
Portland, OR 97211
(503) 548-4491
Tags: alcohol, beer, beer, burger, mash tun, oregon, pdx, portland, wings

7 responses to “The Mash Tun: beer and wings, vegan-style”

verity October 23rd, 2009 at 08:10

I go to the Mash Tun at least 5 times a week. It’s such a secret here in PDX. While I agree that the beer and food are not “amazing”, the fact you can get decent beer and vegan food in a bar atmosphere is truly something special.

I was going to comment on your Bye and Bye post too. Problem with that place is that the staff are snooty and the atmosphere is more like a converted Denny’s (which I think it is) than a real bar.

Hungry Tiger Too, though, has to get the best vegan-friendly bar in PDX award. It’s a real bar with real people and has more vegan food on the menu then any other place.

Love the blog, come back to PDX soon!
Foodeater October 23rd, 2009 at 11:56

Mmmmmm…. those tempeh things need to be in my face ASAP!
EricM October 23rd, 2009 at 17:18

i love this place. used to eat there all the time when i lived in portland.

part of the appeal for me is if you walked in and didn’t know, you’d think you were in a typical portland bar, and not a vegan one.

they used to have an eggplant sandwich that featured the most thinly-sliced eggplant i’ve ever had.

i highly recommend trying it, if it’s still on the menu.

great review!
jennifer October 23rd, 2009 at 18:47

this place sounds awesome! portland rules!!

and ditto! @foodeater
Erik Marcus October 24th, 2009 at 01:20

Considering that most bars don’t make any effort accommodate vegans, the stuff here looks really special. And the outdoor area looks super nice for those summer days. Wish I had a place like that near me.
ted October 25th, 2009 at 07:21

i love this place. going here for lunch
Anika_Vegan October 26th, 2009 at 08:13

I think the wings with the dip is great. I tried it here before in my place but not as same in that picture.
What i tried was Buffalo wings with matching deep fry potato with the two choices of dips (caesar and garlic and spice). Hot tempting crispy potato and wings….I really love that food.