The Agency Ultra Sport Lounge

I heard this place just closed! GOOD!

I don't often take the time to review on here, but I felt I really needed to review The Agency. My friend and I bought pre-sale tix to their NYE 2009 party, which was to be hosted by Brandon Roy. My friend is a huge B Roy fan, so she dragged me along. The pre-sale tix were $25 and included dinner, which was okay - more than I pay to go to other parties, but a lot less than a hotel party. The at-door tix were $35 and didn't include dinner, so those were overpriced. Anyways, on to the review. My friend and I arrived around 9:30pm. We parked in the SmartPark beneath the building (FYI, Agency will cover 1.5 hrs if you bring in the parking ticket, which was not advertised, so we didn't get to take advantage of that). When we got inside, it was very clear that they had completely over-sold tickets and if anyone wanted tix at the door, they had to wait until 11pm, so a friend of ours had to go elsewhere. The place was so extremely over-crowded with just the pre-sale crowd, that you could... Read more

Great vibe for watching sports and good menu. Will be back again for sure.

I hosted a MJ themed birthday bash in October for 20 friends and every single one of them loved the Agency. I booked the room two weeks in advance for free and reserved the Wii system for my party. When I arrived I had my own private room, Wii set up, and was able to get my MJ playlist played into my private room. Service was fantastic as my party had its own waitress. The manager was extremely helpful and understanding with our volume issues. My only complaint would be the "club" downstairs. I've only been to the Agency three times, but to me it gets extremely crowded and at times you can barely walk to the bar, let alone dance. I highly recommend this establishment if you enjoy sports, Wii, or want to have a private party.

As management I just want to apologize to readers for the below comment. It is certainly not true and we are not sure why someone would be motivated to say such things.

Me and a couple friends were looking forward to watching the USC/Oregon game. We were excited that there were lots of tvs and sat down to enjoy ourselves. We ordered a drinks and a few appetizers to start off - buffalo wings, sushi, and some coconut shrimp. The wings tasted like they were boiled (there were god-awful!), and the sushi rolls were crap (why even offer this if you don't know what you are doing?). We then ordered three different burgers and each order was screwed up. One of my friends buns for his burger was soaked with blood (he ordered his burger medium by the way). He was so disgusted that he sent it back and didn't want to eat anything else from the kitchen. Honestly, I could have walked back into that kitchen and cooked everything myself and done an awesome job. This place is doomed for failure as it should be - there is obviously no manager/owner present gives a damn.

After researching places to go and watch a specific college football game I settled on the Agency…just to try something new…BIG mistake. I called and made reservations 3 weeks in advance for myself and 8 friends. We arrived 10 minutes prior to kick off and were told that we would be seated at our RESERVED table in a matter of minutes…20mins later…10mins after kick off…we were finally seated at a table that was not showing the game that we requested, instead we were surrounded by 8 TVs playing another game. Another 20mins go by and they FINALLY put the game on that we requested (3 weeks earlier). We were finally able to watch the game, but without sound…in order to get sound they had to reseat the two people that were sitting near us (these two people had also had reservations to watch a specific game). Now there are 11 unsatisfied customers, just in our area. By this time we have missed almost half of our game so I attempt to talk to the owner about the issues…he basically ignores ev... Read more

I have been to the agency a few times and have yet to be disappointed. The food has always been good, as well as the service. A few freinds and I went down to check out the nighlife saturday night and had a lot of fun. I like the atmosphere overall and plan to go back soon.

The single worst restaurant and service experience of my life. And I have seen a few bad ones. Every single server was surly and unhappy. All of them spend their time facing the bar tinkering with drinks and glassware. No interaction with guests except to give them a dirty look when you order a drink. Horrendous wine list. Bathroom trashcans were overflowing with paper towels. A guest knocked over a glass of water and three different servers gave him a dirty look. He cleaned up the broken glass and the water himself. Nobody even offered a towel. At 9pm about 20 extra servers showed up and made a racket for about 45 minutes setting up the bar again. During this period they all acted as if the place was closed and only the bar mattered but not the customers. This is a sports bar. I went there to watch a football game. They advertise themselves as THE place to watch football in Portland. And yet at 9:30pm with the game not over and the bar semi-empty they took our chairs away because th... Read more

We had a Bachelor party there and our group of 30 enjoyed it immensely. Folks went back and forth upstairs and were secluded from folks just cruising by when downstairs. Lots of beautiful girls joined us and everyone had a great night. I recommend booking this for your Bachelor or bachelorette party. Great place after a ball game as well as it is directly across from PGE Park.

Went there yesterday. The servers are rude!

This was my second time in Portland and I decided to check out the night life. My friends recommended the Agency, not only because of the quality food (for a decent price), but also because of the ambiance. The two different dance floors provided a change of pace for those who want different genres of music, the drinks were amazing, and the vibe was right on point! I would highly recommend the Agency to anyone wanting a night out on the town...and even to someone who simply wants to watch a game, and eat some good grub at the same time. Kudos!

The Agency has everything - top location across from PGE park and near NW/Pearl, good food, sports going on non-stop and a 1st tier management team. You can go to watch a game during the day, or dance at night. Definitely a must-see place in Portland.

Really enjoy the Agency for watching sports. Watched NBA finals and played xbox at halftime. Good sliders. Bacon cheese awesome.

After I heard about a great new sports bar near my place, I had to check out "The Agency." My friends got it right when they said they had great food at way low prices, and the service was fast. I recommend the Kobe beef burger, it's the best one around. And don't miss out on the cheap beer prices during Happy Hour!

Portland was in desperate need for a place like this. I came here to watch a baseball game with some friends and got exactly what I was looking for....great service, a comfortable place to watch the game, and cool crowd of locals. I highly recommend this place!

This place was awesome. My wife and I went there for dinner and it was pretty crowded but we got a seat right away and ordered dinner. The food came out fast even though it was busy and it was great. The drink selection was huge and the TV's everywhere made it a perfect place to watch the game. I'll definately be back for dinner and I bet it get's even better during NFL and college football season.

I hosted a birthday party at the Agency. We had the large private room and our own bar and waitress. The staff was Fantastic and Brian, the manager, was extremely accomodating!!! The food was delicious and the drinks were great!!! All of my guests, about 50+, were extremely satisfied with the venue. I will definitely host another function here in the near future. Thanks to all the staff at the Agency that worked with me for this event. You guys rock!!!

i first visited the agency as a prelude to watching a game at the park a little while ago...and was really impressed! i worked for many years in the service industry and feel i am a pretty good judge (usually people i know say im too harsh/critical...i just know what should be expected) i had heard a few things, good and bad, about this new portland 'hot-spot' and was curious to find out for myself...i half-expected the worse but figured i'd atleast enjoy being harsh and critical... instead my friend and i had an all around amazing experience and plan to frequent often. i have since heard a few more negative comments (like those on this site) but i am aware of the large percentage of stupid, whiney a@@holes out there. unfortunately they are usually the most vocal. so i want to help this place out and add my voice to the mix... first off, our server (i forget her name but she said she was one of the managers, cute blonde girl with a great demeanor) was truely amazing. super friendly,... Read more

I love this place. It has a great happy hour and is a fun place to watch a game.

I have frequented The Agency since it opened its doors - I have been a fan from the beginning. Have had terrific experiences with the staff, the food is awesome, the venue is classy and spacious and it is just a great place to relax and watch sports. The great part is, you can stay through the afternoon and watch your favorite team play a game and then hang out into the evening when the place turns into a nightclub. Must say, the talent is very nice :)

I have never been late on the weekends like some other people. I just went to watch the U.S. play Brazil on Sunday. The atmosphere was great. Could see tv's easily from anywhere, it was clean and the seating was nice and comfortable. The food was the big surprise though. I was expecting fried garbage like most sports bars but it was excellent (I had the hummus and a Burger BBQ sauce). I was left wondering why there weren't more people. I will be back though.

We are huge baseball and soccer fans and were looking forward to summer at PGE park. What better way to start or end a game but by going over to this sports lounge. The food was great (I had the bacon cheeseburger sliders and my buddies tried the HUGE Kobe burger - with some special fries). They also have a good selection of beer on tap, and the vibe was just awesome. But what really struck me was that staff and management were so efficient and friendly. It was a pretty busy day but we never felt neglected. I saw that some people called this place "too nice." Are you kidding? This place is just what this city needed! Sports, fun atmosphere, good food - without any airs about it. That's just too bad if you can't evolve! It's definitely the best in the city.

From the beginning I get this luxury feel as I walk in through the door. I have been the numerous times, its become one of my all time favorite spots here in Downtown Portland. I love the High Tech part of it, I can play Xbox 360 or Wii while I enjoy my starters and wait for my entree. I have been there on the weekends as well to dance with my friends, Thursdays are my favorite because it isn't as crowded and I can mingle as much as i want upstairs or downstairs on the dance-floor. I've been there on a Saturday as well and before 11 p.m they are at capacity which is always. Happy hour menu is my favorite part because when I'm with my friends it gives me a chance to give them a little idea of what they should try first. Staff is really nice and you can tell they spent a lot of money on the place. Thursdays are my favorite night there because its Ladies Night and there are so many beautiful women that I didn't know existed in Oregon. I RECOMMENDED IT TO ALL MY FRIENDS.

If you are a girl wearing next to nothing then welcome. Otherwise don't bother. The place felt like a sauna and the dj was terrible. I don't think he ever played an entire song the whole time I was there. He seemed to be obsessed with mixing in "put your hands in the air" for almost every song. The selection of guys over 5'9" was pretty slim as well.

My family and I came in to have lunch. And my son was a little restless.(he is only 4) The server took our order promptly and then asked if our kid wanted to play Xbox or Wii to keep him occupied while my wife and i enjoyed our lunch which was awesome by the way. It was amazing how great the service was and how well they took care of my son and kept him having fun downstairs the server i forgot her name sorry either way she was cute and very good at her job.

I go out a lot in other cities and I love Portland but quality nightlife has been lacking... Until now... I have gone to The Agency several times since discovering it earlier this year and every time I go I feel like I am somewhere that could easily be in LA or NYC there is no where else in town that I feel even comes close to the Agency. It must be like the official hangout of Portland's A list every time I go I see at least two or 3 Blazers, tons of beautiful girls, I have even seen celebrities on occasion. It is also a cool place just to hang out and grab a beer, They have really great food and there servers are all friendly and welcoming. One thing I will say is that it is chill and comfortable to hangout and watch a game and grab some great food in the day but at night you need to either be on a list, or a hot girl or know someone to get in without waiting but once you are in it is worth it.

I don't know what some of these people are talking about but if you feel like you're not good enough for a place because they put a litle money into it you need to get over yourself. I have been here daytime and nightime. For sports there is reAlly no comparison in Portland. They have a ton of TVA and it's well done. The food is also very good for a sports bar. It's a place I would to just to eat. For the weekend nights you do have to be dressd up a little so don't come in a flannel and shorts. The drinks are normally priced (like $5 for a well). The people are pretty late night so there are gonna be some dbags but thee are a lot of cool people too.

I really want to write a long, overly worded complaint about this place, but I just don’t have the time. Let’s just say that I had one of my worst restaurant experiences EVER at this place. I'd give this place no stars if I could. I came here for lunch on the first Friday of the NCAA Basketball tournament, but it wasn't super crowded. However, it took me 30 minutes to be able order food, and an hour after that, I still hadn’t gotten any. The server then came out and lied to us, saying that a couple of people had gotten their orders put in front of ours. When I pointed out the fact that 2 groups who had gotten their food before us weren’t even in the place when we ordered, she apologized and said we were the next people to be getting food. As she left, 2 other people around us got something, and I got more frustrated. When my food finally came, the server said that it was on the house, and I was somewhat forgiving. Then, my brother ate some of his Club sandwich, and noted that ... Read more

when this place first opened my friends and I definitely enjoyed it. I think this was mainly because it was something entirely new for Portland. After a going back a few times we quickly realized that this place is Betty Fords with TV's. The whole sports bar/lounge aspect of it is completely lost in their attempt at a night club. The waiting staff is rude, the drinks are weak, the food tastes great but it takes an hour to get an appetizer. Just like every other dance club in Portland it will fail after a couple of years and something new will come along.

A friend of mine recommended this place to watch a football so I checked it out last week.this place is a great bar to watch sports. There are plasmas everywhere and we were able to get a table for my whole group. The staff was attentive and the food was good and not too pricey. Portland desperately needed a bar like this. If you are a sports fan you to check this place out.

The upstares is classy and comfortable- a great ambiance, big flat screens with HD, nice bar, delicious food (try the sliders!) The downstares is a boys AND girls fantasy hang out- mirrored walls with TVs INSIDE the walls (very cool), great sports on the TVs, COUCH seating (swanky red suade couches to get cozy as a couple or spread out with a group), Wii VIDEO GAMES, down stares bar, and great happy hour & food service downstairs. I have Celiacs deseas (gluten allergies) and dairy allergies and the chefs whiped up a great entre for me (which is tough to do) in a snap! (It was delicious!) And on Saturday nights the basement turns into a SWEET dance club with the regular sports bar/restaurant up stares. VERY classy, VERY cool, Swanky, Trendy Fun for Everyone :) Check it out ;-)

We have been to the Agency three times under three very different circumstances. The first time we went during the week to grab a burger and watch a Blazer game. We had a great experience. The second time we watched Sunday football with our friends and their 5 year old daughter, we had intended on staying for an hour and ended up staying for 3 hours and keeping the 5 year old entertained. The third time we went on a Saturday night to dance and drink after a long week. Each experience was fun and exceeded our expectations. The staff was quick and friendly and the environment actually makes you feel like you may have left Portland, if only for a moment. I find it funny that people would dare to negatively comment on a place that is reputable and is certainly trying to raise customer service standards in a city where places like McMenamins (the worst service imaginable) thrive and unfortunately multiply. The Agency will only get better over time, I can see it in just the three time we hav... Read more

I have been to the Agency 3 or 4 times - I have been there both at night and during the day. The night time is packed and everyone looks like they are having a great time, but the daytime crowd is more my speed. I recently took a group of out of town friends there to spend a lazy Sunday watching football. When we got there, the staff couldn't have been more helpful - they set up an area for us to have to ourselves to watch the game and moved furniture around to do so. When I mentioned that some people in the group were not that into the game, they set up Wii bowling for us to play, too. My guests had the best time! And we LOVED the food - especially the sliders - best sliders I have had in Portland. I think the Agency is the best place in the downtown/NW neighborhood for casual group gatherings. Great food and fun - and in my experience - very helpful and friendly staff.

Fantastic place to watch sports and delicious food! The service was great and they even validated our parking. The sliders are wonderful, especially the buffalo chicken sliders. Each room has a unique theme, but all have plenty of tv's to watch the game. There is not a bad seat in the house. My husband and I will definitely be back and can't wait for baseball season! The location is conveniently across from PGE Park.

I have been to the Agency about 3 times for dinner and another 2 times for the club. I have not had a bad experience yet. The bad reviews complain about the price. I don't under stand what they are ordering. The prices are comparable to Buffalo Wild Wings For example a Burger with Blue Cheese at BW3 is $8.99. At the Agency is is $10. $1 dollar more is hardly over priced. Plus the food is way better at the Agency. The food is good despite what the bad reviews are saying. Yes, the Agency pretty much serves bar food. But it is dang good bar food. What do the complaining patrons expect Andina at a sports bar? I am not sure what they are ordering, but maybe they should order the thai chicken wings or the artierial burger. The wings are hot, meaty and juicy. The burger is big, tender and juicy. The fries are thick, and the great mix of crunchy and soft! Yes, when it turns into a club there are the lines and cover to get in. However, I don't know of any club where the... Read more

First, this not a sports bar but a preppy club with the only dress code in Portland. The food is bland at best. 8oz captain and coke with 7oz if ice, $7.50 and that's after waiting 20 minutes for it to arrive. Are you kidding me? They got 50 tv's all right, all showing the same thing. There are plenty of real sports bars around with better food and cheaper drinks. I will never go back to that place again.

Took a shot on what was supposed to be a new "hot"spot??? Heard that this place had the best lay out for sports and nightclub action and I have to say I was majorly disappointed. Stopped to see some college b-ball action and the place was DEAD me and my friends tried to liven it up and when we cheered a great play we were met with scowls and looks of WTF. When we ordered our next round it took about 20 minutes to get and by that time the game was over. 3 of us had 1 app and a couple of beers and 1 round of shots and it cost us nearly a $100. More than a little over priced for what we received but still we came back for the night action and what a joke it was!!! Huge cover charge, terrible service beyond SLOW and a total lack of any kind of flair or style. When we mentioned to the waitress that we were less than satisfied we were told to leave! we never got loud, made a scene or did anything to warrent that. When we asked why we had to leave it got ugly! No one ever told us why they jus... Read more

I live in Vancouver, and called ahead to make sure that they subscribed to the proper ESPN college basketball package in order for me to watch what turned out to be a FANTASTIC game. I was assured they did have that package and specifically the game I wanted to watch, so I booked it to the nearest max station after work and spent an hour getting there just to find out that they don't have that package and I couldn't watch the game. The waitress also told me they hadn't even subscribed to the NBA package until the week before. This is a "sports bar" touting tons of tvs and the ability to watch whatever game you want, it's a crock. I will not be going back and will make sure every sports fan around me knows to steer clear too. It's too bad, the location is perfect for a big, fancy sports bar, they just can't seem to get it right.

Great place if you don't like sports and do like vastly overpriced and bad bar food. Beer and all other drinks are extremely expensive as well. Probably the most disappointing sports bar I have ever been to. They turn all the TVs to the same station even when there are multiple sporting events going on at the same time. Any sports lover should steer far clear of this place.

Good food, drinks, and sports during the day, and packed with hot girls at night. What else could you ask for? Also, i think the service has improved significantly in the last couple of months.

I read the last couple of reviews and thought Hey sounds great I should check it out to see if my group has a new place to meet and greet for our sports watching. I was met by a nice looking hostess and thought so far so good but that was as good as it got!!!! While the place has a lot of nice tvs nobody seemed to know how to work them and worse yet nobody seemed to really care about it either. I asked to have my game put on and 20 minutes later I was still asking. I watched several employees chit chat about this and that but no-one showed any real concern about getting the channel changed. I then asked about any upcoming events like I don't know maybe the SUPERBOWL and nobody had a clue. One server said they thought there was a party or maybe some kind of video tournament. I asked about the blazers, the suns, the cardinals about upcoming timber games and NOBODY GAVE A FLYING @@@! What kind of "ultra sports bar" employs people who not only know nothing about sports but obviously couldn... Read more

Wow, finally someone with some vision takes a chance and succeeds. I was beyond even attempting to leave my house to venture out into the crusty and tired old sports bar scene in PDX when I heard about this place on the Adam Corolla show. Finally a sports atmosphere where you don't have to worry about sitting in a booth that is caked with two day old beer and wait 45 minutes to order up what you came for..... food, drinks and entertainment. This place has amazingly crisp HD TV's....no more watching the 52" Sony Trinitron rear projection TV from 1991 at the "sports bars" in PDX. This place is definitely what our town needs to draw people of all ages out of their caves they tend to hibernate in during the rainy season. The food is really good (not greasy, well presented, very affordable [$5 breakfast!!!!]), and the atmosphere is amazing. Weather you want casual open seating, VIP style seating or a secluded lounge style atmosphere with privacy, the Agency has it covered. There are lik... Read more

Service was really bad. The dance floor is fun and the crowd was good which makes up for a lot but the staff really has attitude. No major problems but it is pretty clear they are not customer service driven. If you just want to get some drinks and have fun make sure you rally yourself and crew and try to ignore the people working there. There are a lot of other options that would be as fun without having to deal with sub-par service.

I can't speak for the interior experience, as I have no interest in going inside. However, I'd like to express my contempt for this place as, ever since they moved in, the north side of Morrison between 18th and 20th has been filled with the foul odors blowing out of their kitchen (?...pretty sure it's the kitchen) into the street. Why must it ALWAYS smell so bad?! I do not walk that way anymore; but sure hope this changes eventually.

I've been to the Agency a few times now and I have to say this is exactly what Portland needed. A sports bar with a TON of flat screens, comfortable seating, and a great menu (try the sliders!) This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for. The wait staff has been great every time I have been there and the atmosphere is great for watching sports....lots of people drinking, cheering, and eating! If you are a sports fan you have to check this place out.

Been in there quite a bit lately, kitchen staff is fantastic and knowledgeable, wait staff is courteous and friendly, and the owner can be seen regularly in the club talking to patrons and just making sure everything is going great. Just walking by the place the kitchen smells fantastic from the sidewalk! Food ingredients look fresh and of great quality. Great place to hang out, grab a bite, and watch the game.

In Short This sport bar's modern aesthetic and maze of rooms--among them a curvaceous, flat-screen bedecked bar, a suite reminiscent of an old school sports bar and a basement lounge appointed with plush orange couches and flat screens embedded in mirrored walls--creates a hip setting for the urbanites and condo dwellers who call the neighboring Civic Condominium home. Dishes on the eclectic menu range from fried risotto balls in a spicy tomato sauce to a flight of honey bbq chicken wings to the classic burger. To wash it all down, there's the usual round-up of cocktails and draft and bottled beers.

"Fan Wear" is allowed during regular dining hours...Lunch, Dinner and especially during games. It sounds like you arrived as The Agency was transitioning into it's Nightclub (Friday and Saturday nights). They ask that you "dress to impress." Most upscale clubs do this. Having said that, The Agency will be the perfect spot before and after all games held at PGE Park or anywhere else. You should really try it again.

Ok, I just got home from a night of drinking, eating and chillin'. This was my second spot of the night, after Henrys. Me and my buddy thought we'd give it a shot. We'll I guess, you can't be a sports fan and go inside of "The Agency". I was wearing my Red Sox hoodie and pro hat, and I was informed by the 'staff' that I couldn't come in wearing 'fan gear' and a hat. This was at about 9:30pm. REALLY!?!?! I thought this was a Sports Bar?? This is like telling a G&L bar that they can't go inside because they're G&L. Just a warning to anyone thinking that this is REALLY a Sports Bar. All it is is massive advertising and trying to be cool. They lost my business as me and my buddy went to The Bitter End, Ringside and The Kingston after that, and none of them gave two craps about me wearing my hoodie and hat. So, to The Agency, I tell you this right now. Get your act together real quick, because once April starts up and the Beavers/Timbers are in full session, you're going to be turning away... Read more