Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Portland’s Voodoo Doughnut. Known for unusual specialty doughnuts and dedication to Portland and its nightlife, Voodoo has attained a sort of cult following, and its fame has spread far beyond the city limits.

I just happened to be staying a night in Portland, so I thought I’d head over to the original Voodoo location to see what the hype was all about. Set between Chinatown and Portland’s downtown core, it’s right next to a pizzeria and within crawling distance of more than a handful of bars. That’s a recipe for doughnut sales if I’ve ever heard one.
 
At 10pm the line wasn’t horrible. I’m sure once the bars kick everyone out it’s out the door and around the corner.
 
At least there’s a lot of eclectic decor to entertain you while you wait.
 
It’s a pleasant collection of doughnut stuff and voodoo stuff, mixed with “normal” stuff.
 
The display case shows you all the specialty donuts you can get, including the voodoo doughnut itself and the bacon maple bar everyone’s always raving about. Unfortunately they didn’t have any of the Rogue Voodoo Bacon Maple Ale. I had to get that from one of Rogue’s brewhouses. Maybe the doughnut shop doesn’t have a liquor license.
 
The staff does well at staying cheerful through the throngs of hungry drunk customers. That must be tough.
 
If you have a few bucks to spare you can get a sticker. That is, if you don’t mind sharing that you got VD in Portland.
 
The maple bar didn’t look special, besides the two strips of bacon on top. But that’s like saying a Ferrari isn’t special besides the fact that it’s a Ferrari. The bar itself was gooey and chewy Good, but, again, not spectacular. The bacon on top is what makes it awesome. It was crispy enough to break when you bite the bar but not so crunchy that it turned into sharp crumbs. It blends well with the sweet maple for a pleasing experience. In other words, it was perfect, and that’s coming from someone who’s not even on the bacon bandwagon.
 
The beer is not actually pink. It’s a brown ale that smelled like bacon and maple as soon as I opened it. It’s sweet and smokey, just like the bacon maple bar it’s modeled after. I’m not a big fan of hops so I enjoyed the hell out of this beer. Is it really worth the $13 price tag though? Well, it is a Rogue, and Rogue’s beers are always on the pricey side. Don’t forget it’s a 750mL bottle too. That’s more than twice the size a 12oz bottle, so think of it more like $6.16 a bottle. Still pricey, but not as ridiculous.
 
If this isn’t a breakfast of champions, I don’t know what is.
 
And the final verdict? Both were delicious and I’d definitely have them both again.
 
 
 
.:Bohan
 
 
 

Tags: ale, bacon, beer, bohan, donuts, maple, portland, voodoo doughnuts