Jam on Hawthorne: Family Happy-Hour Review

You know the Witching Hour? That time after nap and before bedtime when kids are grumpy, parents are exhausted, and dinner isn’t ready yet? The time-outs can flow (at our house at least).

Well Jam on Hawthorne on Portland’s east side had a stroke of kid-friendly genius and started up Family Happy Hour (4-7 p.m., Saturdays). We met our friends Sarah and Tim there recently, and it’s the perfect spot to have a parent double-date with kids in tow.

The happy hour menu is a good mix of grill-classics and Portlandia-eclectic; the pints and sippy cups are flowing; and the dance floor is full of kids with toys grooving to the family friendly beat. (The tables are pushed back to create a dance floor in front of the stage, and the tables make a great corral for young partiers.)

When we were there a toddler in a foam Stetson shared space with a brake-dancing elementary schooler, and musical duo Johnny and Jason hammed it up with the crowd between songs about pets and tomato sandwiches.

If you go, I recommend trying the Portland cheese steak: grilled peppers, melted cheese, spicy aioli, toasted hoagie bun. There are also plenty of options for vegans, vegetarians, meat eaters, and picky kids.

WHAT

• Family Happy Hour at Jam on Hawthorne
• Saturdays, 4-7 p.m. (music starts at 5)
• Two kid-centered musical groups alternate gigs on Saturdays: Johnny and Jason for 1st and 3rd Saturdays, and Mo Phillips for 2nd and 4th Saturdays.

TIPS

• Get there just before five to snag a table next to the dance floor for when the music starts up (thanks to Sarah & Tim for doing this for us!).
• Try this spot if you’re going out on a “first date” with another couple. The music and toys provide distractions to fill any awkward silences.

GO TO THERE

• Jam on Hawthorne
• 2239 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard
• Portland, OR 97214-3920
• (503) 234-4790

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Photo courtesy of Jam On Hawthorne Facebook page. 

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