The Bye and Bye

For weeks I’ve been anxiously watching a space on Alberta at about 10th. They were working hard to convert a pretty dismal spot into what would clearly become a bar. It looked like they were pouring some serious heart and soul into their work.

A buddy of mine was at Binks having a pint when he saw someone he knew walking past. Not uncommon in NE Portland, except that he knew him from Georgia. They got to talking, and it turned out that he’d moved here to help his friend open up a new place down the street. The scoop I got was patio, vegan, full bar, sweet open spot, good people.

My brother was at the Vida Cafe and met a fellow named John. They got to talking, and John was working on a project down the street called the Bye and Bye. Good times.

Tonight we put these vicious rumors to the test. We met down at the Bye and Bye for some beverages. As I walked into the open space, my first impression was that there was a lot of cool stuff going on. From nifty nicknacks to weird attic-find art, and some really nice space, this place was done well. Not overstated, just chill. Talking to John, one of the honchos, and a super guy and storyteller with a light Georgia accent, it seems that nearly everything in the place has a story.

The Bye and Bye is clearly a labor of love. They were fairly busy, so I didn’t get down to the nitty-gritty, but it’s clearly a place where I’d like to.

I was with my brother, which lately means that I sampled some mixed beverages rather than the beers. Weird, I know. I got a tall and tasty combination of Maker’s Mark, ginger beer, and lemon. Quite refreshing. I followed that with a Jameson (w/piece of ice) and Hales.

We also had the meatball sandwich. It’s a sad statement about a town when one of the tastiest meatball sandwiches is vegan (btw…always on the hunt if you know a good one). If the rest of the food here wasn’t so damn good I’d be a bit peeved.

The place was pretty busy for a Tuesday night. Though I suppose that it doesn’t really matter what day it is here, does it? The crowd was pretty funky, young, and tattooed. Pretty damn hip. The tunes were good, mild punk and alternative, maybe satellite radio…actually, be sure to notice the stereo they mounted above the bar.

Bye and bye, I say congrats. You’ve opened up a sweet bar with a good feel, tasty food, and solid beverages. The prices were reasonable, the atmosphere good. Cheers, and Godspeed.

Update: I didn’t use the can, but apparently there’s a jukebox back near it.

The Bye and Bye, 1011 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR