Not only was our trip to Portland successful in finding my best friend Ashlyn an apartment, but we also got to celebrate her birthday out there! We decided on a jazz bar that was on the itinerary from the NYT 36 Hours book called Jimmy Mak's. If it was suggested by the NYT it must be fantastic, right? The answer is yes, yes it was!
Food + Drink
The food at Jimmy Mak's was delicious. The menu was Greek, which is some of my favorite dishes. We started out with spanakopita. For those that don't know what that is, they are flaky little triangles made out of fillo dough and filled with spinach, feta, and herbs. Jimmy Mak's did it perfect! We both ordered gyros for our main entrees. They were so big we both couldn't finish them! The meat was well seasoned and cooked just right. My drink of choice was a French 75. This was actually on the cocktail menu and I was so overly excited. I feel like a French 75 is hard to come by in a lot of places, so to see it on the menu, I knew that it was going to be made right. And it was! It was the perfect mix of champagne with lemon and had me feeling good for the night!
The food at Jimmy Mak's was delicious. The menu was Greek, which is some of my favorite dishes. We started out with spanakopita. For those that don't know what that is, they are flaky little triangles made out of fillo dough and filled with spinach, feta, and herbs. Jimmy Mak's did it perfect! We both ordered gyros for our main entrees. They were so big we both couldn't finish them! The meat was well seasoned and cooked just right. My drink of choice was a French 75. This was actually on the cocktail menu and I was so overly excited. I feel like a French 75 is hard to come by in a lot of places, so to see it on the menu, I knew that it was going to be made right. And it was! It was the perfect mix of champagne with lemon and had me feeling good for the night!
Ambience + Atmosphere
Jimmy Mak's is a jazz club, so it is dim and loud and fun. There was a huge stage for the musicians to play on and a big area for dancing right in front of it. It is a rather big place, but they do cram in a lot of tables and chairs. Don't be surprised if you're a little cozy with your neighbor. Just think of it as an opportunity to make a new friend!
Location + Transportation
This jazz club is located in the Pearl District, which is very close to downtown. We drove our rental car and parked in a little lot two blocks away for only $4.
Jimmy Mak's is a jazz club, so it is dim and loud and fun. There was a huge stage for the musicians to play on and a big area for dancing right in front of it. It is a rather big place, but they do cram in a lot of tables and chairs. Don't be surprised if you're a little cozy with your neighbor. Just think of it as an opportunity to make a new friend!
Location + Transportation
This jazz club is located in the Pearl District, which is very close to downtown. We drove our rental car and parked in a little lot two blocks away for only $4.
Extras + Details
Jimmy Mak's is really really fun. There was a great mix of people there enjoying a beautiful Friday night of jazz music. The service was decent for how busy the club was. We didn't mind the "slowness" per say because we wanted to sit and enjoy the entire first set anyways. The band was incredible! We saw Soul Vaccination, and their music was very enjoyable. They had some slow songs and some upbeat songs, so it was a great mixture in my opinion. The bands change every couple days, so there's always the opportunity to go back and see someone new! I highly suggest making reservations though as this place fills up every single night. You do have to pay a cover charge (which can be found on their website for the show you want to see) to get in. However, a reservation guarantees you entry in for the show and for dinner.
Jimmy Mak's is really really fun. There was a great mix of people there enjoying a beautiful Friday night of jazz music. The service was decent for how busy the club was. We didn't mind the "slowness" per say because we wanted to sit and enjoy the entire first set anyways. The band was incredible! We saw Soul Vaccination, and their music was very enjoyable. They had some slow songs and some upbeat songs, so it was a great mixture in my opinion. The bands change every couple days, so there's always the opportunity to go back and see someone new! I highly suggest making reservations though as this place fills up every single night. You do have to pay a cover charge (which can be found on their website for the show you want to see) to get in. However, a reservation guarantees you entry in for the show and for dinner.
Overall Impression
We had the best time celebrating Ashlyn's birthday at Jimmy Mak's. We kept saying over and over again how we can't wait to go back again the next time I visit. I loved the food (Greek food is some of my favorite) and the jazz music was the cherry on top of a great night! We highly recommend checking JM out and hope you have just as much fun as we did!
We had the best time celebrating Ashlyn's birthday at Jimmy Mak's. We kept saying over and over again how we can't wait to go back again the next time I visit. I loved the food (Greek food is some of my favorite) and the jazz music was the cherry on top of a great night! We highly recommend checking JM out and hope you have just as much fun as we did!
Check out Ashlyn's blog to keep up with her Portland adventure!
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