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Breakside fans who were beginning to wonder whether the long-planned Beaverton location would ever actually start pouring beer can now get a Wanderlust at the brand’s new suburban westside watering hole.
On Tuesday, June 11, the company announced on social media that the Old Town location would begin welcoming customers that weekend, despite the fact that the outpost isn’t complete.
Breakside says the partial opening of a 150-seat beer garden at 12675 SW 1st St. is phase one of the project. Phase two—a neighboring indoor taproom that has capacity for 80—should be wrapped up later this summer. That’s good news for Beaverton residents who have patiently waited for this location for approximately three years and watched the Breakside Astoria spot seemingly cut to the front of the line when that taproom opened this past May.
For now, beer in Beaverton comes from the brewery’s Winnebeergo—a 1973 RV that still has its original shag carpeting, 8-track tape player, and olive green upholstery, though it was retrofitted with a glycol chiller and draft lines that connect to taps installed on the exterior. Breakside used the rig to serve beverages at its Milwaukie production facility while its campus taproom was being relocated in 2019.
During our opening-weekend visit, there were seven Winnebeergo-poured options, including Wanderlust IPA, What Rough Beast haze and Pilsner, all $5 each (these were not full pints). Customers could also buy cans (singles or four- or six-packs), and there was even cider and wine for people who hate beer but love beer nerds and accompany them to breweries.
The space itself is a welcome addition to Beaverton’s ever-growing Old Town, which has gotten sudsier over the last several years. Ex Novo opened a spinoff (that still serves pizza, unlike the North Portland flagship) in the neighborhood in 2019. Right across the street from that Loyal Legion, which launched in 2021. A couple of blocks away is Binary Brewing, which celebrates its first anniversary in the former Beaverton Bakery building this weekend. And while it doesn’t get as much media attention as the other names, Raindrop Tap House has a devoted customer base that is currently waiting for the space to be repaired and reopen after a car plowed into the side of the shop earlier this year.
Fortunately, each business has a distinct vibe, so you can pick whatever ambience happens to match your mood at the moment, or set out on a pub crawl and hit them all. You could describe Breakside’s atmosphere as “backyard cookout,” thanks to its green turf carpeting, long wooden picnic tables, string lights, and pink plastic kiddie pools that were, indeed, full during our visit and used by people who were brave enough to share foot water with strangers.
A handful of food carts will be located on the property to help keep drinkers fed.
Breakside Beaverton is open 11 am to 10 pm daily.