Gnarly’s: Lush Cocktails and Plant-Based Grub Just Landed in the Former Harlow Space

The Harlow Cafe and Juice Bar corner location on Division Street was an oasis for vegans, a stalwart option as spots came and went in the city. That changed when the original outpost moved down the street in spring 2024. It wasn’t a dramatic change, but it did leave that sunny corner spot vacant.

In October 2024, the purple- and black-washed Afterlife took over the lease. Owner Bobby Hooper put a DJ booth in the back, and fashioned a cocktail menu of inventive drinks including an activated charcoal mezcal margarita. In the tradition of Harlow, he put vegan fare on the menu.

But the bar doesn’t open until 2 p.m., and Hooper noticed a lot of foot traffic during the day. That’s when he called Chris Hudson. He owns Gnarly’s, the vegan fast food wunderkind. Now, Gnarly’s opened on Saturday, February 1 in this hallowed plant-based location, setting up alongside Hooper and fitting inside Afterlife as the food arm in the daytime. Now, lunch is available at this second location from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. “Being in the Harlow spot is just good,” Hudson says. “When a vegan place leaves, vegans hope another vegan spot comes in.”

The menu should hit for plant-based diners. Gooey Texas toast sandwiches and “white people taco fries” dressed in plant-based meat and slathered in dairy-free cheese, buttery pretzels, and thick milkshakes adorn the menu. There’s also the new chicken wings, what Hudson calls “Buddy’s nuggies.” This one comes from longtime Portland vegan hero Buddy’s Steaks, well-loved for his inspired mozzarella sticks. The idea is to expand beyond just burgers and fries across the board with items like Caesar salads and chicken sandwiches.

Gnarly’s

Gnarly’s

The bar’s grand opening in early November 2024 boasted vegan food, a spiritual throughline to Gnarly’s a few months down the road. Coming to this juncture has not been intuitive for Hudson, though. Fans of Gnarly’s know the outfit from its longtime operation at Ecliptic Brewing on North Cook Street. Ownership at the sprawling beer hall gave him one-day notice it would shut down for good in November 2023. That was complicated since bathrooms and seating areas for his business were all within Ecliptic. “It forced us into being a ghost kitchen,” Hudson says.

Thankfully, mainstay bar Swan Dive on Grant Avenue provided a new partnership for Gnarly’s. Hudson took over for Honey Butter Country Fare as that business, coincidentally, looked to go back to being just a food cart. The combo became a big hit and a hot spot for diva drag brunches in the city of roses. That gives Hudson a chance to try out wacky items here and there.

While it was a life-saver, the move saw all of Gnarly’s lunch dry up; the bar closes during the day, and the space was not fit for daytime visitors like Ecliptic was. Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard is almost the perfect fit in his mind.

Paolo Bicchieri

Unlike the Swan Dive operation — where customers order via QR code for Gnarly’s in addition to ordering drinks — it will feel like ordering food and drinks from the same business in this location. While Gnarly’s is available until 2 a.m. at Swan, Hooper will provide his own vegan menu past 9 p.m. at Harlow. Those late-night offerings at Afterlife are Hooper’s invention, with non-traditional bar offerings including butternut squash and a variety of chilis.

Gnarly’s will keep its first operation at Swan Dive alive. Down the road, Hudson would love to have his own solo permanent space. For now, given the harsh realities for restaurant owners, he’s happy to think he’d be in business at all in a year. “Afterlife is a rad space,” Hudson says. “I think this will be fun for people to come hang out and get lunch.”

Afterlife and Gnarly’s (3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland) are open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Expanded hours and days to come.