Amazing team and very professional. Ken was more than helpful when a last minute event popped up and was able to provide his services on such short notice. We would love to have Portland Bartender Express for any future events!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Colin Fogarty
Ken Black and his team are the best! They went above and beyond what we asked of them. They communicated well and made everyone in our audience happy. We will definitely be calling on Ken again. Thanks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
christina martinez
This is hands down the best bartender. His crew the 2 ladies that came were so loving and attended our guests so well and we even told them to come and dance with us and they did! Will be using this company in the future. Very loving and respect people and professional. Thank you for everything and making me feel and my husband feel taken care of which they absolutely did. God bless! Also our guests loved them too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Lindstrom
Nice guy.constanly on cell helping my guests.could not make a drink at all.all my guest were very disappointed. I paid a lot of money and I got none of my alcohol that was not used .did not bring champagne couldn't even toast at my wedding. Next time il look into a trained professional.he was an hour and a half late.he had my guest help carry his products in to the venue
Kim Teragli
This review is long overdue but nonetheless still worth leaving. I’ll keep it brief.Ken was hired over a year in advance for my wedding which was held in late June 2021. His record keeping is awful. Claimed I didn’t pay my balance due which was paid weeks prior to the wedding despite being paid weeks prior. Also he stated he was triple booked on our wedding day. Triple booked?! How are we a priority if you’re triple booked?On the day of my wedding, which happened to be a 100 degree plus day, he did not properly store or prepare drinks for our outdoor wedding, despite me communicating the day prior how concerned I was about having cold drinks available before and after the wedding ceremony. Our groomsmen had to put drinks on ice. In their suits! White and rose Wine were served hot along with seltzers. Our signature drinks (an old fashioned and a mojito) tasted nothing like either despite having all of the required ingredients as stated by him to purchase. Come to find out they were never opened hence why our drinks didn’t taste right. Our non alcoholic beverages were never served. Guests never knew we had them. Drinks were served with bare unclean hands. My brother in law had to school one of his servers. He was talking loudly on his cell phone during speeches. Multiple bags of ice were left unopened and melting. And the icing on the cake is that his team serves minors. One minor who was 16 was served and his team attempted to serve a 12 year old who was honest enough to decline the drink and let me and my husband know.I was extremely dissatisfied afterwards so Ken did make an attempt to resolve this issue shortly after my wedding, hence the two stars instead of one, but I cannot in good faith recommend this company or this team. They demonstrate extreme unprofessionalism and organization, so if you’re looking for someone to be a bartender at your wedding, I would strongly advise you to keep looking.
Amanda Jones
Kenyatta was amazing at our wedding. He made it easy for a bride planning an entire wedding. One less thing to worry about because he had it handled. Not only did he bring everything we needed, he came with style! Looking good and pouring great drinks. Everyone had a great time. I would highly recommend Kenyatta for your next event!
Kim T
This review is long overdue but nonetheless still worth leaving. I’ll keep it brief.Ken was hired over a year in advance for my wedding which was held in late June 2021. His record keeping is awful. Claimed I didn’t pay my balance due which was paid weeks prior to the wedding despite being paid weeks prior. Also he stated he was triple booked on our wedding day. Triple booked?! How are we a priority if you’re triple booked?On the day of my wedding, which happened to be a 100 degree plus day, he did not properly store or prepare drinks for our outdoor wedding, despite me communicating the day prior how concerned I was about having cold drinks available before and after the wedding ceremony. Our groomsmen had to put drinks on ice. In their suits! White and rose Wine were served hot along with seltzers. Our signature drinks (an old fashioned and a mojito) tasted nothing like either despite having all of the required ingredients as stated by him to purchase. Come to find out they were never opened hence why our drinks didn’t taste right. Our non alcoholic beverages were never served. Guests never knew we had them. Drinks were served with bare unclean hands. My brother in law had to school one of his servers. He was talking loudly on his cell phone during speeches. Multiple bags of ice were left unopened and melting. And the icing on the cake is that his team serves minors. One minor who was 16 was served and his team attempted to serve a 12 year old who was honest enough to decline the drink and let me and my husband know.I was extremely dissatisfied afterwards so Ken did make an attempt to resolve this issue shortly after my wedding, hence the two stars instead of one, but I cannot in good faith recommend this company or this team. They demonstrate extreme unprofessionalism and organization, so if you’re looking for someone to be a bartender at your wedding, I would strongly advise you to keep looking.
Dr. Troy M. Dreiling, D.C.
They did a great job at my wife's 40th Birthday party. I would use again. Thank you.
Alexandria Candler
We hired them to bartend at my wedding and they were amazing! The prices are great compared to what others charge, super friendly and easy to talk to, plus they made great cocktails. The owner is also very easy to get ahold of as I could email him late at night and get a reply back rather quickly. My husband and I aren't big drinkers so we went with their recommendation on beer and champagne and everyone loved it. I had forgotten to update them on the guest count so they had bought more alcohol than we needed and they let us keep all of it. That's big for me because I know some people who had to argue with the company they hired just to get their stuff back. Overall I'm really happy we went with them for our wedding and would definitely recommend them again.
Kristen M.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!!! What a nightmare. Hired them for my daughters wedding. Paid for the all inclusive so they would buy all the liquor, beer, ice, glasses, napkins and garnish for the 150 guests. They showed up an hour late and had NO ice, 2 cases of beer, not enough hard alcohol and were rude to guests. We had to make 3 trips to the store to get ice, beer, alcohol and mixers. So basically paid them just to serve. This was such a stressful part of the evening. Highly discourage you from even considering them.
READ THIS REVIEW: my sister and her husband chose this company for their wedding and did the all inclusive package. It was a 100 degree day and they showed with ZERO ICE and only 3 cases of warm beer for 150 people. The beer was not even the beer they requested. They also ran out of the two signature cocktails before dinner and when the bride went to order a summer punch named after her they told her they were out. Multiple people noted that the staff were not friendly and did not know how to make the cocktails. My aunt and uncle had to go to the store 3 different times during the wedding to get beer, ice and mixers. I would highly discourage anyone from using this company.
Olivia Jones-Hall
I hired PBE for a small, intimate event at my organization. Ken was highly recommended to me by a colleague, and when I received all of the information about what he would provide, I felt a little bad because our event was going to be so small, and with only beer and wine, no cocktails. However, I felt it was worth it to have a professional there, so I signed the contract and I'm so glad I did. Ken was extremely well prepared--we got the package where we provide the beverages ourselves, but he still arrived with all the bar supplies and transformed our little bar table into an extremely professional and organized, good looking space (even providing a black table cloth). I walked him through the space briefly to show him where the fridge and kitchen were, gave him the point of sale, and he took it from there and did absolutely everything else. I was able to continue setting up the event and did not have to worry at all about drinks. On top of being extremely professional, organized, and prepared, Ken is really kind and an absolute pleasure to have in the space. He's warm and laid back while still being totally on top of everything, and really elevated the feel of the evening. He cleaned up the entire bar after the event, which was a huge help, and just made the evening so easy and fun for us. I cannot recommend PBE highly enough!
Bradyn Miller
Ken and his team bartended for a company event I was planning. Ken was reliably communicative ahead of time, and his team was very professional (and fun!) at our event. I was also very pleased with their obvious high level of experience and problem-solving, as they gracefully handled a couple of technical difficulties with our taps (separate vendor). Thanks PBE!
Karin Taylor
I have hired Portland Bartender Express for many fundraising and personal events over the past 10+ years, and I can’t give them a high enough rating!Kenyatta and his team are always prepared, professional, and friendly. They work with you to create one-of-a-kind experiences for your guests. Feedback I receive from events guests is always overwhelmingly positive.I highly recommend hiring Portland Bartender Express for your next event - you won’t be disappointed!
Amanda Kroeger
Kenyatta was amazing at our wedding. He made it easy for a bride planning an entire wedding. One less thing to worry about because he had it handled. Not only did he bring everything we needed, he came with style! Looking good and pouring great drinks. Everyone had a great time. I would highly recommend Kenyatta for your next event!
Amazing team and very professional. Ken was more than helpful when a last minute event popped up and was able to provide his services on such short notice. We would love to have Portland Bartender Express for any future events!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Ken Black and his team are the best! They went above and beyond what we asked of them. They communicated well and made everyone in our audience happy. We will definitely be calling on Ken again. Thanks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is hands down the best bartender. His crew the 2 ladies that came were so loving and attended our guests so well and we even told them to come and dance with us and they did! Will be using this company in the future. Very loving and respect people and professional. Thank you for everything and making me feel and my husband feel taken care of which they absolutely did. God bless! Also our guests loved them too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nice guy.constanly on cell helping my guests.could not make a drink at all.all my guest were very disappointed. I paid a lot of money and I got none of my alcohol that was not used .did not bring champagne couldn't even toast at my wedding. Next time il look into a trained professional.he was an hour and a half late.he had my guest help carry his products in to the venue
This review is long overdue but nonetheless still worth leaving. I’ll keep it brief.Ken was hired over a year in advance for my wedding which was held in late June 2021. His record keeping is awful. Claimed I didn’t pay my balance due which was paid weeks prior to the wedding despite being paid weeks prior. Also he stated he was triple booked on our wedding day. Triple booked?! How are we a priority if you’re triple booked?On the day of my wedding, which happened to be a 100 degree plus day, he did not properly store or prepare drinks for our outdoor wedding, despite me communicating the day prior how concerned I was about having cold drinks available before and after the wedding ceremony. Our groomsmen had to put drinks on ice. In their suits! White and rose Wine were served hot along with seltzers. Our signature drinks (an old fashioned and a mojito) tasted nothing like either despite having all of the required ingredients as stated by him to purchase. Come to find out they were never opened hence why our drinks didn’t taste right. Our non alcoholic beverages were never served. Guests never knew we had them. Drinks were served with bare unclean hands. My brother in law had to school one of his servers. He was talking loudly on his cell phone during speeches. Multiple bags of ice were left unopened and melting. And the icing on the cake is that his team serves minors. One minor who was 16 was served and his team attempted to serve a 12 year old who was honest enough to decline the drink and let me and my husband know.I was extremely dissatisfied afterwards so Ken did make an attempt to resolve this issue shortly after my wedding, hence the two stars instead of one, but I cannot in good faith recommend this company or this team. They demonstrate extreme unprofessionalism and organization, so if you’re looking for someone to be a bartender at your wedding, I would strongly advise you to keep looking.
Kenyatta was amazing at our wedding. He made it easy for a bride planning an entire wedding. One less thing to worry about because he had it handled. Not only did he bring everything we needed, he came with style! Looking good and pouring great drinks. Everyone had a great time. I would highly recommend Kenyatta for your next event!
This review is long overdue but nonetheless still worth leaving. I’ll keep it brief.Ken was hired over a year in advance for my wedding which was held in late June 2021. His record keeping is awful. Claimed I didn’t pay my balance due which was paid weeks prior to the wedding despite being paid weeks prior. Also he stated he was triple booked on our wedding day. Triple booked?! How are we a priority if you’re triple booked?On the day of my wedding, which happened to be a 100 degree plus day, he did not properly store or prepare drinks for our outdoor wedding, despite me communicating the day prior how concerned I was about having cold drinks available before and after the wedding ceremony. Our groomsmen had to put drinks on ice. In their suits! White and rose Wine were served hot along with seltzers. Our signature drinks (an old fashioned and a mojito) tasted nothing like either despite having all of the required ingredients as stated by him to purchase. Come to find out they were never opened hence why our drinks didn’t taste right. Our non alcoholic beverages were never served. Guests never knew we had them. Drinks were served with bare unclean hands. My brother in law had to school one of his servers. He was talking loudly on his cell phone during speeches. Multiple bags of ice were left unopened and melting. And the icing on the cake is that his team serves minors. One minor who was 16 was served and his team attempted to serve a 12 year old who was honest enough to decline the drink and let me and my husband know.I was extremely dissatisfied afterwards so Ken did make an attempt to resolve this issue shortly after my wedding, hence the two stars instead of one, but I cannot in good faith recommend this company or this team. They demonstrate extreme unprofessionalism and organization, so if you’re looking for someone to be a bartender at your wedding, I would strongly advise you to keep looking.
They did a great job at my wife's 40th Birthday party. I would use again. Thank you.
We hired them to bartend at my wedding and they were amazing! The prices are great compared to what others charge, super friendly and easy to talk to, plus they made great cocktails. The owner is also very easy to get ahold of as I could email him late at night and get a reply back rather quickly. My husband and I aren't big drinkers so we went with their recommendation on beer and champagne and everyone loved it. I had forgotten to update them on the guest count so they had bought more alcohol than we needed and they let us keep all of it. That's big for me because I know some people who had to argue with the company they hired just to get their stuff back. Overall I'm really happy we went with them for our wedding and would definitely recommend them again.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!!! What a nightmare. Hired them for my daughters wedding. Paid for the all inclusive so they would buy all the liquor, beer, ice, glasses, napkins and garnish for the 150 guests. They showed up an hour late and had NO ice, 2 cases of beer, not enough hard alcohol and were rude to guests. We had to make 3 trips to the store to get ice, beer, alcohol and mixers. So basically paid them just to serve. This was such a stressful part of the evening. Highly discourage you from even considering them.
Restaurantji Recommends
READ THIS REVIEW: my sister and her husband chose this company for their wedding and did the all inclusive package. It was a 100 degree day and they showed with ZERO ICE and only 3 cases of warm beer for 150 people. The beer was not even the beer they requested. They also ran out of the two signature cocktails before dinner and when the bride went to order a summer punch named after her they told her they were out. Multiple people noted that the staff were not friendly and did not know how to make the cocktails. My aunt and uncle had to go to the store 3 different times during the wedding to get beer, ice and mixers. I would highly discourage anyone from using this company.
I hired PBE for a small, intimate event at my organization. Ken was highly recommended to me by a colleague, and when I received all of the information about what he would provide, I felt a little bad because our event was going to be so small, and with only beer and wine, no cocktails. However, I felt it was worth it to have a professional there, so I signed the contract and I'm so glad I did. Ken was extremely well prepared--we got the package where we provide the beverages ourselves, but he still arrived with all the bar supplies and transformed our little bar table into an extremely professional and organized, good looking space (even providing a black table cloth). I walked him through the space briefly to show him where the fridge and kitchen were, gave him the point of sale, and he took it from there and did absolutely everything else. I was able to continue setting up the event and did not have to worry at all about drinks. On top of being extremely professional, organized, and prepared, Ken is really kind and an absolute pleasure to have in the space. He's warm and laid back while still being totally on top of everything, and really elevated the feel of the evening. He cleaned up the entire bar after the event, which was a huge help, and just made the evening so easy and fun for us. I cannot recommend PBE highly enough!
Ken and his team bartended for a company event I was planning. Ken was reliably communicative ahead of time, and his team was very professional (and fun!) at our event. I was also very pleased with their obvious high level of experience and problem-solving, as they gracefully handled a couple of technical difficulties with our taps (separate vendor). Thanks PBE!
I have hired Portland Bartender Express for many fundraising and personal events over the past 10+ years, and I can’t give them a high enough rating!Kenyatta and his team are always prepared, professional, and friendly. They work with you to create one-of-a-kind experiences for your guests. Feedback I receive from events guests is always overwhelmingly positive.I highly recommend hiring Portland Bartender Express for your next event - you won’t be disappointed!
Kenyatta was amazing at our wedding. He made it easy for a bride planning an entire wedding. One less thing to worry about because he had it handled. Not only did he bring everything we needed, he came with style! Looking good and pouring great drinks. Everyone had a great time. I would highly recommend Kenyatta for your next event!