Wild Abandon Happy Hour

Name: Wild Abandon
Location: 2411 SE Belmont Street Portland, OR 97214
Contact information: 503.232.4458
Web address: None
Smoke free: Yes
Happy hour: Monday-Friday 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Features: Cocktails $5, Sangria and Beer Specials, Assorted Appetizers $3-$6
Insider tip: Food is very hit-or-miss

Review: The red lounge in this hole-in-the-wall restaurant/performance space has a happy hour from open until 6:30 – a nice extension for those that have to fight to make their way in the SE.

Named appropriately for its decor, there are half a dozen booths and an addition 8 or so tables, plus an outdoor patio.

The limited list of cocktails aren’t worth tasting – the sangria seemed to be a popular order, as well as the margaritas.

I tried the Willamette Salad with roasted apples, caramelized walnuts and blue cheese for $4. It was a large appetizer-size salad with excellent vinegarette dressing – worth ordering, even if you aren’t a huge fan of salads.

I also indulged in the $5.25 goat cheese crostini, featuring chevre cheese, pesto, sun dried tomato and large hunks of roasted garlic, all on a plate of olive oil and vinegar. Make sure to request your bread ‘naked’ if you want to feel a little better about all the calories. This is a large plate that I would recommend sharing, as it’s on the heavy side.

My companion’s orders were not nearly as tasty – a plate of mushrooms (ok, but nothing spectacular) and an order of parmesan linguine that tasted like they forgot any topping at all. Even adding the mushrooms to the pasta and killing it with salt didn’t seem to help.

The ambiance of Wild Abandon is relaxing and laid back (if you’re a couple, see if the window-seat is free). The food and drinks are hit-or-miss, but once you find the things you like, it’s worth a second visit.