There’s a New Neighborhood Bar With Affordable Drinks on East Colfax

The drinks were flowing once again at 3401 East Colfax Avenue last weekend, as the Lowbeam quietly tested the waters in the former home of another beloved bar. Now, it’s officially open and ready to welcome the neighborhood.

It’s been four months since Middleman shut its doors after a seven-year-run at that address, taking the James Beard-nominated Misfit Snack Bar with it. Initially, there were plans for two locals to take over the space and keep the Middleman name, but that deal fell through. That’s when another group stepped in.

The Make Regulars Collaborative is behind some of the best bars in the city, including the Horseshoe Lounge, Embassy Tavern and Dew Drop Inn. “We’re aware that the neighborhood loved and misses Middleman, and we hope to honor what was created there while ushering in a new chapter,” Make Regulars co-owner Leigh Jones told Westword last month. Judging from Lowbeam’s first weekend, that’s exactly what the group has done.

What we saw

The space has been updated with a coat of green paint, cozy new floral seating and light fixtures that give it a touch of femininity. They aren’t huge changes — the spot will seem very familiar to Middleman regulars — but they’re enough that this feels like a fresh start.

A black-and-white photo of Jones’s grandfather working on an old car hangs near the front and another looks over the cozy lounge area in the back; those images provided the inspiration for the name. This spot also has a good-sized patio, perfect for people=watching on Colfax — and for taking in the new view of the large white arches that are being installed along the street as part of the ongoing BRT construction project.

While that work has impeded business at many bars and restaurants along Colfax this year, the Low Beam has a prime location near the Bluebird and across the street from a parking lot that’s available for free for four-hour sessions to anyone visiting businesses in the area.

What’s on the menu

The Make Regulars group is known for, well, making regulars, by creating neighborhood watering holes with affordable drinks. The Lowbeam follows that winning formula. “We’re not bringing a cocktail bar to Colfax — we’re bringing the Colfax spirit into a cocktail bar,” says general manager Heather McGrady.

The menu includes several $4.50 beers, including PBR and Molson on tap and Labatt Blue, Hamm’s, Miller High Life and Rainier in cans. There are also some local craft options, along with seltzers and N/A brews. Wine isn’t a focus, but vino drinkers can enjoy rosé bubbles, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in cans from the Williamette Valley.

Beer and well shot combos are on offer for $8, and you can upgrade to “better than well” for just $1 more.

The cocktails, most of which are under $11, are divided into three sections: Lowbeam Highballs, Classics: Old & New, and You’re So Bitter. On our first visit, we tried the tropical Rock Lobster with Wild Roots Raspberry Vodka, Orgeat, coconut and citrus, and the You Make Loving Fun, a Negroni made with Breckenridge Gin. Both were solid, and we’re excited to sip through some of the other eighteen options, which include several N/A concoctions.

What’s not on the menu just yet is food. Though the space has a kitchen, the current plan is to simply offer some easy snacks like chips or olives for $1 each, and to possibly host guest pop-ups in the future.

While we’ll always miss Middleman, the Lowbeam is a solid replacement that should become an anchor in the neighborhood as it weathers the BRT transition. Now, we’re waiting to see if another restaurant will be moving into the next-door space left empty when Q House closed at the beginning of the month.

The Lowbeam is located at 3401 East Colfax Avenue and is open from 3:30 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and 3:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit thelowbeam.com.