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Wonder Ballroom guests have two choices. They can either load up on nachos at the under-venue restaurant Cliff’s before the show or rush for the exit afterward to scarf them down before 11 pm. Skipping them entirely is worse than skipping a concert’s opening act. But music lovers can also taste them without buying a ticket. The nachos at Cliff’s are a sleeper hit that has grown a cult following by keeping it real.
“It actually wasn’t intentional, but they’ve become a staple of our menu, for sure,” Cliff’s co-owner Sierra Kirk-Luebke says. “We think our whole menu is delicious, but folks love the nachos and come back for them time and time again.”
Self-described industry lifers Kirk-Luebke and her husband, Josh Luebke, opened Cliff’s in the fall of 2019, hungry to take what seemed like their next logical step: owning their own business. Josh had run Bunk Bar’s Wonder Ballroom location since its opening, while Sierra came from recent stints at Pope House and Hale Pele, slinging inventive yet approachable cocktails. When the opportunity came to take over his workspace and make it their own without the Wonder Ballroom’s influence (though they do come in on their Sundays and Mondays off if the concert hall books a show), they went all in on their dream.
“Our vision was [a space] where everyone is welcome and you can meet up with friends, bring your family or a date, or just pop in solo with a book to relax,” Kirk-Luebke says. “We strive to be cozy and welcoming with fun music [typically goth and New Wave], great food and drinks, and good company.”
Dishing drinks and nachos under a busy concert hall might lead one to expect quickly rotating customers. While it does get crowded on show nights, Cliff’s has earned a reputation as an Eliot neighborhood bar with a stable of loyal regulars lured by the blend of Southern- and Midwest-style hospitality.
“I grew up near New Orleans, and Josh is from Wisconsin,” Kirk-Luebke explains. “Bar culture is huge in both places, and Cliff’s is definitely influenced by both of our experiences at bars and supper clubs.”
This is reflected by the décor, a mixture of lush plants, twinkly tchotchkes and plenty of taxidermy befitting a Midwestern uncle’s basement. Most of the menu also showcases the owners’ regional roots with items like po’boys ($16–$18), a Friday night fish fry special ($25)—Canadian Walleye, to be exact—and bar standards like burgers with fries. But the unexpected outlier hit on the menu is definitely the nachos.
Fried in house, the chips are sturdy and not overly salty, making them a perfectly neutral vessel for elevated toppings. There’s a pinto bean purée replacing the usual refried style. Instead of a verde salsa, there’s a charred green chile cheese sauce and plenty of queso Oaxaca and queso fresco. Fresh jalapeños and shredded cabbage help keep the plate tasting lighter than expected, while fried pepitas and thinly sliced radishes add crunch.
As going out comes at an increasingly inaccessible price, Cliff’s’ nachos are surprisingly budget-friendly. A standard plate that can easily feed four people before a Blazers game or a show upstairs starts at $15. A generous helping of famously tender teres major steak, the nachos’ most expensive add-on, pushes the price to a still-manageable $25.
What should you drink to wash down those well-adorned chips? Cliff’s has plenty of options from a Wisconsin lager ($3) to one of Kirk-Luebke’s cocktail creations like My Goth Girlfriend, a blend of hibiscus, clove and vodka ($14). Not to be too prescriptive, but the frozen margarita is balanced, easy to upgrade, and available in two sizes ($7–$14). Bartenders can also whip up a mocktail on the fly, provided a flavor profile.
Not only does the nachos’ top plate come out piping hot, but Cliff’s can get pretty crowded on Fridays and show nights. Booking a reservation to secure these VIP nachos is an upgrade on par with backstage access.
EAT: Cliff’s PDX at the Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 503-327-8234, cliffspdx.com. 4–11 pm Tuesday–Thursday and Saturday, noon–11 pm Friday.