Address: 5736 NE 33rd Ave
Pricing: Moderate (around $30 for two at lunch)
Phone: (503) 249-3983
Hours: Open daily 7 am - 1 am. Breakfast served: Monday-Friday 7 am to 11 am. Weekends & Holidays 7 am to 11:30 am.
How To Get There:
Located in Northeast Portland on 33rd Ave.
By car:
1. From North or South I-5, follow the signs for US-30/I-84.
2. Take Exit 1
3. Turn left at 33rd Ave.
Bus: Route 73 runs from the Rose Quarter along 33rd Avenue
Parking:Street parking is avaliable
Visit Website
Kennedy School’s Courtyard Restaurant: Not your typical cafeteria food
Mar 24, 2010
The Kennedy School is rich with history, charm, and quality food. It is a must for everyone looking to see the creative side of Portland. Part of the McMenamins chain, the Kennedy School is an all-encompassing destination that makes you wish school was always this much fun.
Upon walking into the halls, the school has a surreal feel to it in the best way possible. While it is has been extensively renovated, the Kennedy School still retains the feel of the actual elementary school.
The Courtyard Restaurant “replaces the traditional lunch-tray offerings with hearty pub fare.” Set in the former cafeteria space, this is the school’s relaxed eating area. No reservations are taken and features a menu that will please everybody from children to adults. Prices are reasonable and the restaurant features both indoor and outdoor seating.
In the summertime, the outdoor seating is a relaxing place to share a pizza or burger with friends and family. The restaurant serves McMenamins’ famed in-house beers from the school’s own brewery.
The Kennedy School’s five bars are also worth checking out. Whether it is the Detention Bar or the Honors Bar, this place seems destined to ensure that you have a good time and remember back to when you were in class.
McMenamins creates unique restaurants, theaters and hotels out of renovated historical buildings. According to their website, “since its 1915 opening, this historic elementary school has been a beloved fixture of its Northeast Portland neighborhood.” McMenamins renovated the school in the 1990s and the school has been turned into a fun visit for both city residents and visitors.
For overnight visitors, there is full hotel with 35 guest rooms to choose from. If you are making accommodations and want to stay at hotel which has all the amenities, but comes with loads of local charm, the Kennedy School makes a wonderful impression.
After dinner and drinks, make sure to walk around the campus and grounds. There are more than a few interesting objects to look at it. The class photos are a perfect touch, showing the little kids who used to wander the halls with textbooks in hand.
HelloPortland Tip: Try the Courtyard Restaurant’s famous tater-tots. They will far surpass anything served up by your former lunch lady.
- by William Crane, Portland Reporter for HelloMetro
(Click to leave a message)
William CraneWilliam Crane is an accomplished print and online journalist (http://www.william-crane.com) His work covers a variety of topics including features, local community news, sports, music, and political/social issues.
Graduating from Seattle University with a B.A. in Journalism, William's writing has appeared in a variety of different publications including the Stranger, Capitol Hill Times, the Skanner, Backfire Magazine, and the Internationalist.
