Located on an odd, triangular lot in a corrugated-tin building that formerly housed an unremarkable taqueria, Mama San Soul Shack had a built-in customer base before it opened. Until it was annexed by Portland in 1915, the city of St. Johns was an entirely separate entity. Now Portland’s northernmost neighborhood, the Soul Shack’s locale, has become a haven for couples and young families looking for affordable first homes and walkable, kid-friendly, independent businesses.
As such, the Soul Shack judges its target demographic perfectly. The low-key aesthetic of cement floors, plywood tabletops and soul music playing over the speakers brings to mind your older brother’s best friend’s garage hangout. On a recent dark, chilly weeknight, all the indoor tables—and a few outdoor ones—were occupied, and the hostess kept busy ferrying food and drinks to and fro.
The food itself is Asian—and Southern-inspired comfort food—warm, hearty and reasonably priced. Do yourself a favor and order the Southern fried chicken wings with the curried green beans. The wings are juicy under a light, crispy batter. The green beans are a take on the traditional casserole, but with a creamy curry sauce under a topping of friend onions.
A $13 ramen special one night consisted of braised pork shoulder, fried black-eyed peas, enoki mushrooms and succulent slow-cooked eggs, sitting attractively atop a pile of noodles in steaming broth. Simpler, more kid-friendly fare includes two corn dogs or macaroni and cheese. It’s worth it to pick and choose—aside from the disappointing pork and chicken bowls, most items on the menu are under $10.
And for a venue that sometimes seems to cater to the under-10 crowd, the drink list is extensive, creative and well-curated. The Golden Child, a concoction of bourbon, honey syrup, lemon juice and allspice, has the freshness of a well-made whiskey sour, and the tap list features selections from locally renowned breweries like Occidental, Pfriem, Hop Valley and Hopworks Urban Brewery.
The real stars of the drink menu are the “dranks,” house-made juice stored in an old-fashioned plastic beverage dispenser behind the counter. Don’t be fooled by the bright colors and aggressively down-home terminology. The “pink drank” is strawberry lemonade, the green is cucumber syrup, ginger and lemon, and the purple is a sweet, spiced, multi-layered blend of hibiscus, orange juice, cinnamon and clove. Each “drank” can be improved with your choice of rum, vodka, bourbon, whiskey or gin.
All in all, the Soul Shack is the perfect addition to a quickly transforming neighborhood, neatly bridging the gap between cafes and coffee shops during the day, and dive bars by night, with quirky, interesting but well-made food and drink served seven days a week.
