The Bar Home to Take Over Morrison Hotel

For about a year, Brett Burmeister says he and his business partner, Scott Smith, have been scheming to open the kind of bar that "was the kind of place that we'd wanna hang out at, the kind of place you'd wanna take your friends from out of town."

When they recently learned that the folks behind the Morrison Hotel Bar were closing their doors, Burmeister says he knew that they'd found just the right location—next week they're taking over the Morrison's lease, with plans to open Home, a "neighborhood bar" in what just may be the city's hottest eating and drinking destination, thanks to several recent high-profile openings, like Renata, Loyal Legion, and Bit House Saloon, which in the last year joined already well-established spots like Dig A Pony, Kachka, Oso Market + Bar, and Trifecta Tavern.

Burmeister says the opening Home is his first foray into bar ownership, but he's no stranger to the dining scene here (he's the man behind the website Portland Food Carts). Smith, however, has long worked the food scene here—he's the proprietor of the food cart and catering operation Bro Dogs.

By mid-December, Burmeister and Smith hope to open Home's doors for happy hour, dinner, and late-night crowds, adding that they have plans in place to offer lunch and brunch service in the weeks that follow.

Expect hearty eats that draw on Smith's specialty—hamburgers, sandwiches, French fries and salads, along with a few dishes, still in the works, that Burmeister calls "unique, fun and kinda crazy."

For drinks, expect eight draft beers, a full bar featuring signature cocktails, and other old-school quaffs, the kinds, Burmeister says "that your dad drank, that your grandfather drank, that your Aunt June drank." IOW: PBR and Rainier tallboys, and other vintage-era cheap domestic beers.

Stay tuned.

Home: 719 SE Morrison St.