Backyard Social Officially Takes Over The Hop & Vine

When The Hop & Vine announced it'd close after an eight-year run, those familiar with its epic back-patio sanctuary let out a collective lament, but good news: Backyard Social is now open in the same venue; it's owned by three former Hop & Vine employees; the patio has been preserved; and the food offerings have expanded. "We're keeping the neighborhood vibe," co-owner and former Hop & Vine chef Latima Chambers tells Eater. "The bottle shop is gone, but the beverage program is otherwise the same."

Located at 1914 N Killingsworth, Backyard Social opened September 1, and for now, it's operating daily from 5 p.m. to midnight, with plans to expand with lunch hours down the road. The food, overseen by Emory Brun (Besaw's, Hop & Vine) will be mostly share plates, and Backyard Social's Instagram post below reveals things like a hanger steak with chimichurri, shrimp skewers with cucumber and ginger salsa, and cotija-stuffed poblanos, not to mention the return of a particular menu item from The Hop & Vine days: the backyard burger.

"We wanted to make a high-end-restaurant fast food burger," says Chambers, "so we changed the cheese to American and serve it with house dill pickles on a Grand Central brioche bun."

Backyard Social will also have a private events space called The Wild and Free Room that'll provide overflow seating on night's it's not rented. Overseeing it all is former Hop & Vine general manager and Backyard Social co-owner Danielle Healey.

Speaking of its namesake, Chambers says, "No other backyard patio really exists in the neighborhood like this. It's a nice and private space enclosed in bamboo with a cherry tree. It's a little sanctuary, even though you're in the city."

We are open to the public at 5pm today! Here's a sneak peek at some of our delicious menu items. We're talking hanger steak with chimichurri, shrimp skewers with cucumber and ginger salsa, cotija stuffed poblanos, our Backyard Burger, and then some!! Come and get it!

A photo posted by @backyardsocialpdx on Sep 1, 2016 at 10:38am PDT