Edge Rewrite
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a22581a20c13c465

Jump to content

Assembly Brewing

Assembly Brewing
The restaurant's exterior in 2022
Map
Interactive map of Assembly Brewing
Restaurant information
Location6112 Southeast Foster Road, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, 97206, United States
Coordinates45°29′27″N 122°36′01″W / 45.4909°N 122.6004°W / 45.4909; -122.6004
Websiteassemblybrewingco.com

Assembly Brewing was a brewery and restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. The business operated two brick and mortar locations: the original restaurant was in southeast Portland's Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood and the outpost known as Pizza Annex was on Alberta Street in northeast Portland's Concordia neighborhood. Before closing two locations permanently in 2025, Assembly was Oregon's only Black-owned brewery.[1]

Description

[edit]

Assembly Brewing was a Black-owned brewery and restaurant with two locations in Portland, Oregon. The original restaurant was in southeast Portland's Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood, near Foster-Powell. An outpost called Pizza Annex operated on Alberta Street in northeast Portland's Concordia neighborhood.[2]

The original restaurant operated in a renovated 7,500 square-foot space owned by Adam Dixon, which was previously housed a Korean grocery store.[3] The Oregonian's Andre Meunier said, "The exterior sports clean, mid-century lines with a gray and earthy-orange theme. Inside, high ceilings with revealed wooden beams and earth tones create a rustic Portland pub feel, and artisans have crafted metal and wood pieces for the bars and tables."[4] There were four interior murals, one of which was completed by Theo Holdt and inspired by Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry Murals,[5] depicting brewers instead of automotive industry workers.[3][4] Andy Giegerich of the Portland Business Journal described the artworks as "stunningly detailed".[6] Assembly also had pinball, a covered patio, and a parking lot. Guests were required to be 21 years of age or older.[7]

[edit]

The menu included Detroit-style pizza, sandwiches, salads, cocktails,[3] and seven beers on tap. Pizza varieties included Hawaiian, "meat-lovers" (with pork roll),[8] and "veggie gourmet".[3]

History

[edit]
Exterior of the Pizza Annex, 2025

Co-founder and brewer George Johnson, originally from Detroit, established the business with Adam Dixon on March 23, 2019.[3][9] Assembly was the first Black-owned brewery in Oregon, according to Portland Monthly's Katherine Chew Hamilton.[10] In 2019, Andi Prewitt of Willamette Week said the business was "one of the few minority-owned breweries in the country".[9]

During Pizza Week in 2021, the restaurant served a pizza called "The D" with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, onions, and green pepper.[11]

In May 2025, the business announced plans to close the original location permanently on May 11.[12][13][14] The Pizza Annex closed permanently in September 2025.[1][15][16]

Following its closure, its property had turned into a massive transient encampment of community concerns. Some of the occupants include those who were ejected from the nearby Transition Projects, Inc. shelter.[17]

The restaurant Cliff's, which previously operated in the basement of the Wonder Ballroom, is slated to begin operating in the space that housed the Pizza Annex in 2026.[18]

Reception

[edit]

Willamette Week's Andi Prewitt said Assembly serves "what might be the most authentic Detroit-style pizza in town".[9] Rachel Pinsky included the restaurant in Eater Portland's 2021 overview of "Where to Find Thick, Cheesy Square Pizzas in Portland".[5]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Pettigrew, Jashayla (September 4, 2025). "Portland brewery shutters last remaining location, months after closure of flagship space". KOIN.
  2. Meunier, Andre (February 8, 2024). "Assembly Brewing, a pioneer of Detroit-style pizza in Portland, to open Alberta Street location". The Oregonian. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Frane, Alex (March 26, 2019). "Foster-Powell Welcomes a Brand-New Brewery with Detroit-Style Pizza". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Meunier, Andre (March 29, 2019). "Assembly Brewing brings pub-style beers, Detroit-style pizza to Foster-Powell: Portland Breweries Series". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Pinsky, Rachel (April 26, 2021). "Where to Find Thick, Cheesy Square Pizzas in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  6. Giegerich, Andy (November 14, 2019). "Here's what drives Assembly's George Johnson (hint: it's pizza and beer)". Portland Business Journal.
  7. Lannamann, Ned. "Assembly Brewing Has Detroit-Style Pizza, Session-Style Beers, and Absolutely No Kids". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  8. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (December 16, 2019). "A Guide to Portland's New Pizza Shops". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 "Assembly Brewing Is Bringing Craft Beer and Detroit-Style Pizza to Foster-Powell". Willamette Week. March 26, 2019. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  10. "Assembly Brewing's Detroit-Style Pepperoni Pizza Is the Best Thing I Ate This Week". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  11. Humphrey, Wm Steven (April 21, 2021). "Pizza Week Spotlight: Meet the Slices and Pies from the Southeast Neighborhood". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  12. "Southeast Portland's Assembly Brewing to close after 6 years". kgw.com. May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  13. Nocera, Veronica (May 6, 2025). "Oregon's only Black-owned brewery to close SE Portland pub this weekend". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  14. "Portland's Assembly Brewing downsizes by closing flagship location". KOIN.
  15. Nocera, Veronica (September 2, 2025). "Shuttered Portland brewery closes its Detroit-style pizza annex". The Oregonian. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  16. Bicchieri, Paolo (September 11, 2025). "A Vegan Fast Food Superstar Calls It Quits". Eater Portland. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  17. "Former home of shuttered Southeast Portland brewery becomes host to a homeless camp". kgw.com. December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  18. "Turning Tables: Three Portland-Area Eateries Are Settling Into New Digs". Willamette Week. February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
[edit]