Pretty Ugly
Pretty Ugly is a little less restaurant and a little more cocktail lounge, but as Oregon state law requires food service when serving alcohol, there is no shortage of bars with absolutely amazing food to boot. This is the latest such offering in the Pearl!
Pretty Ugly is a moody, dimly lit, but casual vibe (so please excuse the photo quality 😄). It’s the perfect spot for a date at one of the tables, or for a solo night sitting at the bar meeting new people. Their cocktails are creative and delicious and their whiskey selection is top notch. Their sister bars are the popular Silk Road down the street and Lulu in the central eastside, and this spot is definitely on par with its siblings.
I popped in here to meet up with some people last minute, not even knowing it had recently opened in my neighborhood. Once I saw the full menu I knew I had to come back to indulge in the food, so I made a reservation to bring a friend here to check it out.
Their focus is gourmet burgers with kitschy names - currently mostly titles of Adam Sandler films - and a variety of interesting toppings. Their menu does not have gluten free options marked at all, which is why they only qualify for the “gluten free options” category on this site, but they do have gluten free buns and the staff are super helpful and will point you in the right direction.
I ordered The Waterboy burger with gluten free bun and no onion ring. The onion rings look incredible, but of course that’s because they’re well-battered and fried. For your gluten-eating friends, I was told they are great - light, crispy and not greasy. This is definitely one of the best burgers I’ve had. Super juicy, but not greasy, with blue cheese, thick strips of crisp bacon and a fried egg - definitely 3 of my favorite things to put on a burger!
One thing to note, like their sister bar Lulu, there is no table service here, so even though you’ve made reservations and/or secured seating, you do need to order all food and drinks at the bar. It’s a very quick process though and I was never waiting for more than minute to get my order in, even on a busy Saturday night, and you don’t have to wait at the bar, they will bring your drinks and food to your table.
If you’re gluten free and love good cocktails, meat and/or gourmet burgers (not smashburgers), definitely give Pretty Ugly a try. I’ll be back soon to give the steak frites, and more cocktails, a try!
