McMenamins to Close Rams Head Pub in Nob Hill

The bar has been a stalwart of Northwest 23rd Avenue for 35 years.

McMenamin's Ram's Head (Aaron Mesh)
By Rachel Saslow

One of the older McMenamins pub locations will be no more. After 35 years on the corner of Northwest 23rd Avenue and Hoyt Street, McMenamins Rams Head pub will close in June.

In an announcement on social media, the company says it decided not to renew its lease on the Nob Hill location. McMenamins did not respond to a request for further comment.

“Don’t worry, the lease isn’t up until June, so you have the next few months to say goodbye to this iconic NW 23rd gem and score your last ever Rams Head Passport stamps,” the company said on Facebook. “Stay tuned for more info about a party we’ll be throwing to celebrate the end of an era come June. You won’t want to miss it!”

Aficionados of the McMenamins Passport program might want to note that after Rams Head closes, its stamp will be retired and no longer required for passport completion.

Rams Head is housed in the historic Campbell Building and was once one of Portland’s biggest speakeasies, according to the company. The pub features sidewalk seating, a back lounge, and original coffered ceilings, stamped-tin wainscoting and elaborate woodwork that earned its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2014, McMenamins converted Rams Head into an artisanal cocktail bar with liquor jellies, four whiskey flights, and mixed drinks, such as a pomegranate-infused sparkler and an apple pie cocktail, according to WW coverage at the time.

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