What is the story about?
Is
rotisserie chicken a recession indicator? It’s definitely trending in restaurants across the country. At LaVerne’s in Woodlawn, it’s a feature that transforms an otherwise very good, very cute bar into a place to get a full meal for four — possibly with leftovers if the fourth person is a toddler. The rotating rows of glossy, thick-thighed birds twirling in the carnival-esque case in front of the kitchen are reason enough to visit this less-than-a-year-old, 1970s-influenced Southwestern-ish spot.
What to order
- Obviously, start with the chicken. It’s available in a whole ($39) or half-order ($27). The lacquered, tender bird is juicy all the way to the bone and comes with sides of creamy black beans, Spanish rice, and soft corn tortillas for wrapping up those bites of chicken. Dress everything up with the accompanying cup of salsa verde. This is better than anything you’re likely to find at the local grocery store.
- Portland’s official bar snack is the jojo; here, they’re dubbed Dekum Fries ($9). They’re big, thick, and a large portion. Dip ’em in ketchup or add a side of vegan ranch (.50 cents) or white queso dip ($2).
- The gently spicy shrimp ceviche ($16) comes with plenty of well-salted tortilla chips. Large lumps of shrimp swim amongst chopped peppers and cubes of mango and cucumber. There’s also a vegan version that swaps the seafood for hearts of palm. My group split this as a side, but the portion is substantial enough that I could easily make a meal of it.
What to drink
- The draft beers here are served in large frosty mugs ranging from $5 to $9 a pour. There are also bottles and cans of mostly lawn mower beers — Tecate, PBR, Victoria, Modelitos (7-ounce beers. Adorable!)
- Tiny cocktails are available, including gin or dirty vodka martinis ($7.50), Manhattans ($7.50), and micheladas (with the aforementioned Modelito for $6). There are also a lot of slushies ($12 each) and freezer cocktails.
- The Abuelita ($13) is a very good mezcal margarita on the rocks in a cantarito clay mug flavored with strawberry and chamoy. It’s balanced and refreshing.
- The Thank You For Being a Friend ($13) is a carajillo — chocolaty and coffee-forward, it’s basically made for dessert thanks to the addition of Mexican chocolate brownie garnish.
Insider tip
- There’s a cool vending machine (that takes credit cards) where you can spurge on vintage jewelry and purses.
- If you’re looking for a wedding venue, LaVerne’s caters a space called the Village Ballroom.
