Skip to main content
Horseradish and apple. That first word in a drink could go a million different ways, but Too Soon’s whiskey soda highball with apple syrup and the classic steak condiment ($14) is said by staff to be divisive. Guests are grossed out by its presence at all, or they want to ride the horse all the way to radish country. The moment I saw it on the Kerns cocktail lounge’s menu, I knew I had to saddle up.
The streets were quiet Thanksgiving Eve in what esteemed travel guide TimeOut called one of the world’s coolest neighborhoods. Too Soon proved to be one of the block’s most bustling hot spots by 11 pm along Northeast 28th Avenue and East Burnside Street. Too Soon is one of several shoebox-sized eateries along 28th. A year after opening last December, it seems safe to say the cocktail spot has settled nicely into the neighborhood.
Neighboring bar Angel Face usually wraps things up by 11 pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends, while Too Soon stays open most nights until 1 am. While the former’s interior is stylized with a colorful motif and Old World-style wood bar, the latter’s geometric black beam ceiling, sleek modern bar and black, white-outlined wallflower wallpaper get their hues from bisexual-tone LEDs. Two dozen guests can overwhelm the trio of people working the bar and kitchen, but they were remarkably kind to guests despite working the night before a holiday.
The bartender, who patiently fielded menu questions, explains that staff and owners Adam Robinson and Nick Flower want Too Soon to be a neighborhood hangout that especially appeals to service industry professionals on their nights off work. Too Soon is a really cute date-night spot, whether that’s an impressive first date or somewhere nice for people who have put in time and work together.
Cocktails and highballs daringly blend imaginative ingredients together that demand tasting to satiate nothing if not curiosity. Two sampled drinks were refreshing enough but did not live up to the open-ended expectations their recipes might conjure. Too Soon’s food menu, on the other hand, succeeded in the light spins twisted on the classics.
While satisfying, the two drinks sampled on this visit weren’t instant hits. Ginger unfortunately overpowered the other ingredients in the cognac and absinthe-based Flash of Lightning ($15), including pomegranate and lime. The Horseradish & Apple, served in a vodka-branded mug and topped with a lemon peel garnish, lacks the immediate characteristics of any of its ingredients to the point that I openly questioned whether I’d been served the right drink. The subtle apple reveals itself with an adventurous gulp, while the whiskey tasted undetectable until an unmistakable warm rush to the head hit later. Horseradish might have made the cocktail slightly murky, useful more for visual effect than flavor enhancer.
The food menu, meanwhile, offers bites that immediately appeal to most appetites. It proved too hard to choose between the crispy fried chicken or sassafras BBQ pork sandwich (each $9), and while a nearby couple’s plate of hamachi crudo with wasabi aioli and pickled peppers ($16) looked delicious, eating a plate of fish for two didn’t seem right. Instead, the daily Family Meal seemed like a fun challenge. Too Soon’s staff that evening dined on fried chicken Caesar salad wraps ($10) that came with a generous side of fries.
Their cut and sizzle time were right down the middle: not soggy, not shoestring, not steak-cut little bricks, but golden brown slices that—if slightly too salty—held a wonderful crisp crunch. The saltiness got balanced out with Too Soon’s house ranch, so lightly whipped that it holds an aioli consistency. The chicken had detectably seasoned skin, but the juicy cuts were the center attraction. The lettuce, rich and dark green, was dressed in a surprisingly zesty sauce and balanced with bright, unexpected tomatoes.
With drinks not listed on the online menu, and some still beckoning to the brave and curious—like the House Special’s use of curry spices, bell pepper, coconut, lime and basil with Tanqueray ($15), or any of the refreshing-looking mocktails—multiple visits are required to form a truly well-rounded opinion. Even if the house drink menu doesn’t have your favorite new drink on your first try, it’s too soon to say you won’t find something you’ll love at Too Soon.
EAT: Too Soon, 18 NE 28th Ave., 971-380-0548, toosoon.godaddysites.com. 5 pm–1 am Monday–Saturday.