Saraveza’s private Bad Habit Room is now a Speakeasy-style Cocktail, Wine, & Beer Bar
North Portland famed Midwest beer bar Saraveza has had a semi-secret back bar called the Bad Habit Room since 2011, but prior to the pandemic it was mostly used for private events and weekend brunch. After more than 2 years completely shuttered, the Bad Habit Room is back, and becoming the new speakeasy style cocktail, wine, and beer bar that it was always meant to be.
The Bad Habit Room shares the building with Red e Café , Saraveza, and a second floor of apartments that’s entryway separates the two bars on the side street off of Killingsworth on N. Michigan Ave. The intimate 900 sq. ft. single space Bad Habit Room operates it’s own small kitchen, full liquor bar, and a strong selection of wines, draft beers and ciders and curated bottle list. 100 year old brick walls, decorative and vintage wall sconces, and floor-to-ceiling gold velvet curtains give an air of cozy elegance. The 35 seat venue features a handcrafted mahogany bar and vintage ice box, with limited bar seating and a low-key casual vibe.
Weekend brunch at the Bad Habit Room quietly re-opened a few months ago to the delight of neighborhood regulars that had made it a staple of their Saturday and Sunday plans before COVID-19. An evening cocktail and dinner service always seemed like a natural fit for the space, if it hadn’t been so popular as an event venue.
Following the theme of Saraveza, the Bad Habit Room is serving midwest-inspired drinking snacks for eats, and carefully crafted cocktails for the main dish. On the food menu are deviled eggs w/ pickled jalapeno and hot sauce, pimento cheese balls, a charcuterie board, flaky pastry wrapped sausages w/ beer cheese dipping sauce, a house pickle jar, and a soup of the day. Bierocks are also on the menu, these filled rolls come in mushroom and swiss, or sloppy joe, and are served with beer cheese sauce and fries or side salad. Raddicio, crispy cabbage, and a simple salad with champagne vinaigrette round out the menu.
The cocktail bar kicked off with a Fort George beer cocktail event last weekend, and is now easing into regular service with the following drinks:
Bitter Sweet Symphony (Campari, Cynar, Fernet Branca, Rittenhouse rye, Dolin rouge, strawberry shrub)
Kentucky Bramble (Overproof bourbon, lemon, Crème de Mûre, blackberry liqueur)
Paper Doll (Ransom old tom gin, Cardamaro, Cappelletti, lemon)
Groggy Froggy (Smith&Cross, white rum, Harlequin, Galliano, tropical fruit, coconut water, spirulina)
BHR Daiquiri (Flor de Caña, lime, oleo saccharum)
Moon Shoes (Marshmallow-infused vodka, Son of Man harvest vermouth, lemon, orgeat)
Hotter Than Mojave (Altos Anejo tequila, grapefruit, mezcal, velvet falernum, firewater tincture)
West Texas (Espolon Blanco, lime oleo, Topo Chico)
Nordic Negroni (Aalborg aquavit, Genepy le Chamois, Dolin blanc)
Banana Jameson (The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, chilled)
Beer and cider drinkers don’t have quite the selection they do at sister bar Saraveza, but the Bad Habit Room’s careful selections can please most sophisticated patrons from the rotating draft list that currently includes: pFriem Pilsner, Great Notion smoothie sour, Fort George hazy IPA, a citrusy Reverend Nat’s Cider. And from bottles or cans they stay classy with Orval, Duchess de Borgogne, pFriem barrel-aged saison, or a Brewing Projekt Breakfast Budz.
Proving that Bad Habit Room can be a please all spot to satisfy cocktail, beer, and even wine drinkers they dont skimp with the 10 vino selections: Bubbly from France, Italy, and Oregon. Reds from Portugal and Oregon. Whites from Portugal and France. And rosé from Portugal, and Pinot Grigio from France.
But it doesn’t end there, for the sober patrons they have non-alcoholic moctktail slike a house strawberry shrub, lemon, orgeat and soda (optional that you can add Aviation Gin,) a coconut water with lemon and lime, or a Mock-Mai-Tai with black tea, citrus, orgeat, mint, and cherry. The drinks list is rounded out with Sterling coffee, Relevant cold brew, hot tea, iced tea, kombucha, CBD seltzer, and soft drinks.
Bad Habit Room is located at 5433 N Michigan Ave, Portland, OR 97217 and will be open for cocktails Wed- Mon 4-10 (closed Tuesdays), and for Brunch Saturdays and Sundays from 9-2. Future beer collabs, food pop-ups, and other events will be announced regularly on their Instagram account @badhabitroom .