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Rainbow Tavern, a longtime post-rafting stop for many in the tiny town of Maupin, is now officially part of the Mt. Hood Brewing family.
Today, the Government Camp-based business announced on its Facebook account that it had purchased the iconic dive on Deschutes Avenue—the community’s main drag.
WW is still waiting to hear whether any significant changes will be made to the space, but at this point it appears as though the name will remain intact. Mt. Hood Brewing’s website lists the business as “Rainbow Tavern in Maupin” alongside its 21-year-old flagship on the mountain and the Portland Tilikum Station location.
Rainbow Tavern is about 50 minutes from Government Camp, which is where the company’s production facility is located, so beer won’t have to travel far. And the expansion continues Mt. Hood Brewing’s practice of spinning off quirky outlets. The Tilikum Station, for instance, launched in 2018 next to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center and is similarly themed with a dining room situated in an old train car.
Rainbow Tavern has its own aesthetic—the walls are strewn with an entire season’s worth of Antique Roadshow finds had the pickers stuck to the homes of hunters and anglers. Hanging above a cherry red banquette, you’ll find maps, oars, black-and-white photos and nearly two dozen antlers.
It’s the kind of place where nearly everyone on a review app will tell others it’s a must-stop after a day on the Deschutes even though the river guides warn tourists to stay away—a sure sign you’re guaranteed to have a visit as colorful as the name.
The menu is that of a typical dive, with a handful of burgers, three fried baskets with your choice of protein (fish, chicken strips or shrimp) along with standard sandwiches and salads. There is, however, a lineup of seven different pizzas, which reflects the offerings at the Portland pub.
Mt. Hood Brewing’s Rainbow Tavern is open 11 am to 2 am daily—but parents will need to keep the kiddos at home. Minors are not permitted.