April 27, 2009
Nice look and feel, good young crowd, not as pretentious as I expected. Smallish interior but they have a large back patio with picnic tables. Belgian focused bottle list, prices are excessive ($12 Orval but who cares when you want an Orval?). Only 6-7 taps, not as Belgian-focused. Some local micro taps, some import pils/hefes. Mussels and frites were really quite good, and I tend to be picky with mussels. Love the place even though it is a little spendy.

May 19, 2008
Really impressive, more than I imagined. It reminds me a little bit of sophisticated beer bars in NYC. What they lack in size they make up for in quality. Also their back yard is pretty kick ass, and you can’t beat the location (NW 21st & Hoyt). This is one of Portland’s best walking neighborhoods. The food leans heavily toward Flemish cuisine, as does the bottle beer list. Like mussels? This is your place. But the niche that I think they fill best is that of a poor-man’s-Higgins (for those who don’t know, Higgins is a high-end {$$$} restaurant in Portland with an awesome Belgian-focus beer bar in the back). The kind of place you can go out for a really nice beer dinner, date-style or with the guys, yet it’s much easier on the wallet. Portland scores again. North 45 fires on all cylinders.

December 16, 2007
This is a great little place. Wonderful European pub aesthetic. The beer list isn’t huge, but the selection of Belgium beers are rare. Had a appetizer that was really good too. Definitely a place to check out if you are in NW, but it’ll break the bank so make sure you have some extra dough.

March 12, 2007
Ever want to go out with some friends & enjoy a good beer, some delicious food AND be able to hear one another when in a conversation? Well North 45 is that kind of place. That’s not to say the place doesn’t get hopping.. because it does.. and deservedly so. Awesome beer (try some of their Belgium beer, extremely tasty!) & bites that I thought were better than the average bar grub.

March 9, 2007
North 45 is definitely a step up from your traditional neighborhood bar, yet it manages to keep the "everybody knows your name" feel. The happy hour buzz wasn’t overwhelming and the menu selection was generous - I highly recommend the chorizo mussels. I left very impressed with the place, atmosphere, food & - most importantly - the beer.