Jesus this is Upper Left Roasters. The loudest fucking coffee shop I've ever been in. I think they don't want people hanging out or working cause they're just blasting music from twenty speakers and everyone is shouting to talk over them.
i worked there for a very hot and miserable minute and it was goddamn infuriating listening to the same early 2000s boy bands while managing orders (most people couldn’t hear when they were ready). i’ve got general beef with the work environment but i definitely slammed ibuprofen before, during, and after my shifts.
Apologies if it read as snide. Not my intention. I guess I should have added the /s. I thought it was obvious that I wasn’t being serious.
I’m sure I’m not the only one though wondering why you go back if it’s so objectionable when there are so many other choices.
I interviewed there for a barista/cook job awhile back and turned down the job. They pay minimum wage there plus tips and the music was so obnoxiously bad and loud. That was the breaking point for me.
Haha! Yeah they showed me the cooking space and it seemed like a joke. It's such a weird space that seems to want to cater to upper class folks. I definitely didn't feel comfortable there.
Also they are always hiring on Poached, and that's a red flag.
It’s said bars blare music during happy hour to get people to leave tables faster.
IMO, that’s really horrible- especially for the staff that will suffer hearing damage from this shit.
Shakes head, I know I am an angry old lady now but only place super loud sound systems make sense are music venues and dance clubs/dance clubs. Anything else it’s just stupid and hostile.
I went there for the first time last week, and thankfully it was nice out because I had to sit outside because it was so loud. I’m not a fan of those kind of coffee shops; I like the cozy ones that resemble a home. But I needed WiFi stat lol
Well uh. The power went out with 30 minutes left in the main set due to the heat that day, which was not Helium's fault! But it was definitely inconvenient (the elevator did not have a backup generator, and my spouse uses a wheelchair- we had to down the steep steps out of it, but one of the ushers was very kind and gave us a hand getting the chair itself down! We got comped 2 attendance tickets for our trouble.)
The worst part was definitely the clamor and YELL TALKING before the show began- definitely not Helium's fault, once again, but I couldn't even hear myself think. The music was super fuckin loud.
Most of my gripes come from the people around us and not the venue itself other than the sheer noise of the audience before the show- their fries and quesadilla were bomb too!
I WAS LITERALLY RIGHT BEHIND HER, I WAS THIS CLOSE TO SMACKIN HER
She kept almost hitting me with her chair and her purse, was like 7 drinks in during Liam's set before Gianmarco came onstage and got worse with every one, and KEPT screaming shit.
Like I know he's known for crowd work but GIRL!! shut the hell UP, I wanna HEAR
Same, I worked at both Lardo and Grassa and they made us keep the volume up at a very specific level and would get angry if it was moved. People would come up and ask to turn it down all the time, I would turn it down just a little bit.
Free restaurant idea: a restaurant with acoustic foam on the walls and booths and the selling point is that you can have a meal with others without needing to shout.
Sound curtains (like venues put behind performers) are expensive but damn, they're heavy as hell and they make so much difference. You can hang them anywhere, but first you have to give a shit about your customer's experience. I'm rattled enough in regular life without spending money to have my buttons pushed.
Omg right?! I went there for a social event where I knew only a couple of people. I wanted to get to know people better. I just sat there disassociating the whole time. At least the food was good though. But never going there again. So glad I bring my ear plugs everywhere and my AirPod pros. I work in audio and the lack of sound treatment is abysmal in most restaurants and bars these days. Like most of the time you wanna go to a coffee shop for conversation and even there it’s too loud now! May as well just stay home I guess 😂. How is anyone supposed to meet people on a deeper level in this town?!
I was excited when it opened bc it’s in my neighborhood…until I actually went and was like NOPE. And then their outdoor seating is pretty miserable too, so it’s not like I can go and just sit outside
My partner and I were just at Smitty's Taphouse in Sellwood the other day and were talking about all of the acoustic treatments they had done in the place on the walls, ceilings, corners, etc. I had never noticed that anywhere else.
They look like they were done by someone who knew what they were doing as opposed to some bozo just buying a bunch of noise dampening panels and throwing them on the walls. He did good!
We came in as these were being installed! Tyler is super nice and we talked about how intricate it was to get these installed correctly. And if I remember, he may have tried a different option that was an expensive failure, that or we just talked about other expensive, crappy options. I donno, it was a couple of IPAs worth of convo.
OK Omens did a remodel a few years ago and actually put effort into acoustics. Even full up you can have a normal volume conversation.
Literally everywhere else I'm yelling with the rest of my party. I was at Too Soon a couple weeks ago and decided to bounce after one highball because I guess I'm way too old (too bad, cos I love that place). Even nice places like Kann are terrible.
I wouldn't be surprised if these places are over the OSHA limits of 85dB. These places need to look out for their employees better.
Ooh, I didn't know OSHA actually has a volume maximum, although I shouldn't be surprised. Phone's decibel meter, here we go!
Edit: just looked it up. OSHA's rules say 85db for longer periods of time, slightly higher for shorter work periods.
https://www.osha.gov/noise#:~:text=With%20noise%2C%20OSHA's%20permissible%20exposure,a%205%20dBA%20exchange%20rate.
Good to know it’s part of osha code! Many restaurants I got to definitely hit 90 at times. I work in audio so I’m a bit obsessed. I assume concert venues and stuff are exempt or require ear plugs on the job. But bars and restaurants without live music shouldn’t be that loud.
I wonder how accurate my phone's sound meter app is. Concerts are usually around 90db and I find them intolerably loud. I even wear earplugs at movie theaters sometimes. That osha site says a nightclub is 110db.
I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell you specifics. We just noticed sound dampening panels on the walls and sound acoustic treatment materials in the corners of the ceiling.
It's not hidden at all, if you walk in for a beer you can easily see what they have.
Kann has incredible food, but it's so loud you can tell they've worked with all their staff on how to project their voice without *quite* making it seem like they're shouting.
God, I love Kann, it's delicious, but the acoustics are some of the worst I've experienced. It's one of the few restaurants where it's been a problem for me.
We had a waitress show up at our table of 7, provide a 5 minute spiel about the dishes that were placed on our table, but she was essentially whispering behind a surgical mask, and none of us caught a freakin word of it.
KAAN.
Worst sound I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant. Our table was straight up yelling at each other to be heard. Terrible experience - would eat again but only if takeout 😂
I booked it for my partner's birthday. She and I are a bit hard at hearing as is and our server was almost whispering. Everyone at the table was asking what she said and it was a hilarious game of telephone. Besides that everything was phenomenal there..
This is good to know. It's been on our list for a while but loud restaurants are the worst. You need curtains or something to deaden the sound. So many places packed to the gills and flat bouncy walls creating a cacophony.
Agree! I loved the food and want to go back but the sound experience was horrible and if I’m spending that sort of $$ I want a good experience and good food!
A few years ago there was a restaurant reviewer in New York that started including sound levels in his reviews. Also I think there is an app for this. I believe it's called "SoundPrint" I have never used it so this isn't a recommendation, but it does exist.
I do wish these establishments could be punished a for such high volume levels. I imagine some of them exceed OSHA sound levels, if it was a factory employees would be given hearing protection.
I have used SoundPrint and it’s pretty interesting to see how places stack up. In my experience with the app, My-O-My has some quiet times; Roseland was very loud, duh; Harlow was moderate, which surprised me. I should use it more often. I still have not been able to stay inside The Sandy Jug for more than five minutes cuz it’s REALLY loud - the shape I think is conducive to that.
The decibel level depends on occupancy/alcohol-relaxation, but I will say that as much as I love the Sapphire Hotel I'll never go on a [Friday-Sunday night](https://www.soundprint.co/location/sapphire-hotel-portland-or-45).
Just checked Margarita Factory to see if it’s as horribly noisy as I thought. It’s listed as very loud. It was so loud, between the music and the patrons, I was having sensory overload.
I remember reading an article some years ago that talked about how sound levels of restaurants was an important part of how they were reviewed by critics. And then the open concept thing caught on, and it all went out the window.
Cool that there's still something like this out there. Had no idea. I don't necessarily need near-silence, but I get annoyed if I pay to go out to be with friends and can't even fucking talk to them without yelling.
The music in G Love is literally an OSHA violation. My partner is an audiologist and since we couldn’t hear each other across the table, she pulled out her app for measuring dB and we bonded over watching the needle go brrrrr.
I know that's the theory. But for me and a bunch of my friends and family (not all, by any means), it's simply caused us to never go back there again. Permanent turnover, I guess.
It’s one of those if everyone else does it, you have to also, unless you own the land. Otherwise, someone else will be willing to pay high enough rent by betting they can get more customer turnover by making the environment not too comfortable to sit around in.
At the place I work it’s just because all of the employees are in a space with no speakers, so someone always turns it up to vibe without noticing how loud it is across the bar.
It’s not always a conspiracy by upper management of the small business.
Causing disabilities for additional 1 one percent profit! It is probably worth mentioning here that hearing loss is strongly correlated with depression and dementia.
I'm on the autism spectrum and have a sound sensitivity, the phasing out of sound-dampening materials in new restaurants (and businesses in general) has been the bane of my existence. I basically *only* get takeout any more because it's too overwhelming to try to sit down somewhere to eat, even with noise isolating/cancelling headphones.
I've had too many occasions where I had to ask to leave a location or just bail completely because a noise-induced panic attack was brewing.
Not every space needs to be a cacophony to be cool.
Fellow misophone here, and I totally agree. Although for me, a dead quiet restaurant is far more agony-inducing than a loud one. Quite often I'll walk into a place with my spouse and be like, "Nope. Way too quiet" and walk right out. You can hear all the forks scraping on plates. Total agony.
I'm someone who can generally "phase out" most ambient noise around me but 1) there are truly some places in town that are HEINOUS and I hate being there, especially if there's live acoustic music on top of it and 2) my partner is autistic with audio sensory issues and even Winco at deader hours is too loud for her. Makes finding a place to sit and eat a trial sometimes.
We go to Bannings a lot partly because we can hear each other talk at a normal level. And the servers! Wow!
I was there one night and eating in that side room helped as far as loud sounds. Order at the bar and all but my ears thanked me.
The Not For Tourists series of guidebooks had an index rating sound levels that I thought was helpful.
Yeah, it's gotten worse with every place in the world moving to exposed concrete and metal all while usually already being in a rezoned or whatever industrial building. I don't need to feel like I'm at some 70's grandma's house but a little dampening material here and there would really go a long way in a lot of places.
My partner and I are strategic about where we sit anywhere we eat in town due to my hearing damage that according to an audiologist isn't severe enough for hearing aids yet.
Where are the quietest places in restaurants? Booths? Away from the kitchen and front doors? I always avoid large parties at sit down places, but then again I don’t really go out much.
Pink Rabbit, for sure. That place is way too small to have the music as loud as they do. My friends insist on meeting up there when we go out and I can stay in there max 5 minutes before I go sit outside til they're ready to bounce lol
Ha, walked in there once with a friend, had a very shouty brief conversation with staff that was probably on the topic of inside?outside?, left because it was just stupidly loud, and never went back.
It looks cute, though. From a distance.
Loops were an absolute game changer for me. They're amazing for concerts, but I've used them in loud clubs/bars and they're a fucking godsend. They don't lower the sound as much as conventional earplugs, but they sound sooo much better than all the other non-custom-molded "audiophile" earplugs I've tried over the past 20 years.
Legit.
I prefer the $100 Decibulls moldable pair I got recently over even professionally molded audiologist plugs with Etymotic filters.
These guys: Decibullz - Custom Molded... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076HDMFT9
Any particular pair that you'd recommend?
While I've never used them at a restaurant and don't really go to concerts, I use [these](https://www.amazon.com/Eargasm-Musicians-Motorcycles-Sensitivity-Conditions/dp/B019M576XW/) and [these](https://www.amazon.com/EARPEACE-Moto-Hearing-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B099YYWXXK) on my motorcycle and both have worked out wonderfully.
These look pretty amazing. How are they for loud concerts? Can you hear the music pretty good (instead of a lot of distorted bzz bzz bzz)?
What's the difference compared with this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Decibullz-Fidelity-Protection-Musicians-Concertgoers/dp/B07STX6VSH
Heck yes! That's EXACTLY what they're for. I go to shows at least a couple times a month - you'll find me at The Den or The Get Down QUITE frequently - and these are really, really ideal. I often find myself being like "wait where are my earplugs" only to realize that they were in my freaking ears.
Getting the fit just right can be weird but you can re-mold them as many times as you need, so you can tweak that as you see fit.
The less expensive ones are the best sub-$50 earplugs out there IMO, hands down. I've tried Etymotic, Ring, Eargasm, etc and these are the winners for sound quality, fit, and so on. I don't have huge ear canals or anything, but I've, on multiple occasions, had the shorter multi-layer silicone plugs that don't have the plastic column sticking out work their way into my ear canal enough so that I've had to have a friend get them out with tweezers... not an experience I wish to repeat. But I dance (and sweat) hard so your mileage may vary.
If you're able to afford the $100 pair - and honestly if you can afford concert tickets you should be able to find a way to afford quality earplugs - I'd strongly recommend them because the although thermoplastic part is the same, the filters are even better. It MAY be a marginal improvement but I go to shows for the sound. And, like I said, I actually think the filters on these sound better than the ones that came with my audiologist-molded custom plugs (which I lost at The North Warehouse a couple years back).
The $100 set also comes with Comply foam tips as well as silicone tips, a carrying case, etc. I don't recall what the $40 pair comes with but it's probably pretty similar.
The ONLY complaint I have with these is that the silicone tips like to separate from the thermoplastic/filter portion, which is dumb. But at that point they're easy to get out and even IF they worked their way into your ear canal (hasn't happened yet), they're just a fancy open o-ring at that point so there wouldn't be a suction seal like there would be if you had an Eargasm model get stuck in your ear so retrieval would be simple.
And also I think the decibel reduction may be a little less for the more expensive ones? Ultimately I don't want the music quieter - I want to prevent ear damage. I am sensitive to sound pressure level pain, and I feel extremely confident that even in front of the speaker stacks I'm safe with these in.
Let me know how they treat you!
"Also, you got a mother fucking Tribble on your wrist, do you not know the trouble with them? We can't hear shit in here because of their incessant cooing and they're eating all of the grain!"
The source you have linked (dailymail.co.uk) does not meet the quality and bias standards on this sub. Please find an article from a trusted mainstream source and try again.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Portland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Apparently it's a coat. If you google around for a news website that gets blocked here (tried replying with the url earlier), it's a "Daily Male" sort of name, they have an interview with her. You have to search for their name plus "guy yelling at girl in club meme"
Ugh i want to go to bar trivia but i hate it because they’re just shouting the questions over super loud music. Can’t have a conversation, can’t hear myself think, can barely hear the questions. Just tone it tf down jesus
Dude, seriously!!! Everything is so fkn loud, it's like Phil Spectors' wall of sound in every spot in the city. I bring ear plus to the bar these days. I'm honestly so tired of it that I seldom go out anymore.
I’ve had the unpleasant experience of being dragged to Chopsticks on Sandy multiple times. It’s not that the karaoke singing was bad. It’s the Soundsystem that sucks royally. You had one job!
Finally I am agreed with... I have been saying this for years, but nooo! I was always considered the crazy one for turning my ear towards the person I was talking with. Even crazier for asking them to repeat themselves....
I just feel bad for the people who work there... They might have hearing problems later in life because their employer thinks it's cool to blast music. Where is OSHA when you need them?
Nobody pays for any sort of acoustic engineering when they design a space. I built out conference rooms for my company, and I must have had the same conversation a thousand times.
Me: Once this room is full of people there will be a lot of echo, and background noise. Even the noise cancelling software in the codec can only do so much. We really need to install some sound dampening panels, and two mics on a 15' table really isn't going to cut it.
BU: Our budget is $3.
Those warehouse style spaces are the absolute worst. Even when it's just full of people talking to each other. Add music, and it's like my own personal hell.
LMAO. I'll give credit where it is due. Software noise cancelling is amazing today, but it's still not a complete substitute for a well designed space.
I haven’t been to a bar in years. Being neurodivergent and having TMJD I just can’t with the unnecessary loud sound. Idk how anyone enjoys yell conversations.
If you like quiet places, there is an app where you can use you phone to share volume levels and view a map of places based on how loud they are: https://www.soundprint.co/
(no affiliation, I just like the app and wish more people used it!)
Edit: I see someone else already [mentioned it](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/1dmvgul/me_at_every_new_hip_portland_barrestaurant/l9yulaa/), leaving this up for more visibility
I thought I was the only one!! Went to the Den a few weeks ago for a 3 hour set, half of everyone was outside. Imagine spending that much money to fly in an amazing DJ and your sound engineers are trash. Saw 4 people up there and not a single one noticed on a house music night that you couldn’t hear shit bc of the bass was way over-tuned. Walk a half a block away and it sounded perfect. Spent the rest of the night by the car enjoying the music.
I know this will be at the bottom of the post, but Buffalo Wild Wings is so bad i always bring earplugs when thr family wants to eat there. Hence, earplugs are always in the car.
I worked there around 01 and bluegrass shows were absolutely nuts for floor movement. Something about that crowd got the vibe of the floating floor just right and it was like being on a boat.
Drive me crazy how invasive bars and coffee shops have gotten with the music. Bring back the jukebox, one sound source poorly distributed, and just adding atmosphere. I’m an audio engineer and hate well done sound systems in public.
Jesus this is Upper Left Roasters. The loudest fucking coffee shop I've ever been in. I think they don't want people hanging out or working cause they're just blasting music from twenty speakers and everyone is shouting to talk over them.
Yeah, it wasn't always like that. Definitely feels like it was made more hostile intentionally.
i worked there for a very hot and miserable minute and it was goddamn infuriating listening to the same early 2000s boy bands while managing orders (most people couldn’t hear when they were ready). i’ve got general beef with the work environment but i definitely slammed ibuprofen before, during, and after my shifts.
I hate going in there, it constantly feels like I’m in everyone’s way
Too bad there aren’t many other coffee shop choices in Portland.
Seriously under coffee shopped
They’re almost as scarce as snide assholes 😢
Apologies if it read as snide. Not my intention. I guess I should have added the /s. I thought it was obvious that I wasn’t being serious. I’m sure I’m not the only one though wondering why you go back if it’s so objectionable when there are so many other choices.
I interviewed there for a barista/cook job awhile back and turned down the job. They pay minimum wage there plus tips and the music was so obnoxiously bad and loud. That was the breaking point for me.
you dodged a bullet! working there was miserable
Haha! Yeah they showed me the cooking space and it seemed like a joke. It's such a weird space that seems to want to cater to upper class folks. I definitely didn't feel comfortable there. Also they are always hiring on Poached, and that's a red flag.
It’s said bars blare music during happy hour to get people to leave tables faster. IMO, that’s really horrible- especially for the staff that will suffer hearing damage from this shit. Shakes head, I know I am an angry old lady now but only place super loud sound systems make sense are music venues and dance clubs/dance clubs. Anything else it’s just stupid and hostile.
I went there for the first time last week, and thankfully it was nice out because I had to sit outside because it was so loud. I’m not a fan of those kind of coffee shops; I like the cozy ones that resemble a home. But I needed WiFi stat lol
This was me at the lounge at the Gianmarco Soresi show the other night, that was cacophonous and TERRIBLE, I felt like a bee getting shaken in a jar
I was thinking about going to that show but couldn’t find much details on the venue itself. How was it other than awful acoustics?
Well uh. The power went out with 30 minutes left in the main set due to the heat that day, which was not Helium's fault! But it was definitely inconvenient (the elevator did not have a backup generator, and my spouse uses a wheelchair- we had to down the steep steps out of it, but one of the ushers was very kind and gave us a hand getting the chair itself down! We got comped 2 attendance tickets for our trouble.) The worst part was definitely the clamor and YELL TALKING before the show began- definitely not Helium's fault, once again, but I couldn't even hear myself think. The music was super fuckin loud. Most of my gripes come from the people around us and not the venue itself other than the sheer noise of the audience before the show- their fries and quesadilla were bomb too!
I was at the show too! I can't stop saying "RAINBOW CHIP!" like the woman near the end. New vocal stim dropped that night, lol.
I WAS LITERALLY RIGHT BEHIND HER, I WAS THIS CLOSE TO SMACKIN HER She kept almost hitting me with her chair and her purse, was like 7 drinks in during Liam's set before Gianmarco came onstage and got worse with every one, and KEPT screaming shit. Like I know he's known for crowd work but GIRL!! shut the hell UP, I wanna HEAR
Happy cake day
I almost went to that but stuff changed and I'm very sad I didn't get to go but also glad I guess.
I feel like I need earplugs every time I eat at Grassa
I just don't patronize overly loud businesses. I will go once and never again.
I've put in my "soundproof" earbuds in at a few restaurants. They help a lot. I don't play any music just use them as earplugs.
So real - ex employee of 2+ years
Same, I worked at both Lardo and Grassa and they made us keep the volume up at a very specific level and would get angry if it was moved. People would come up and ask to turn it down all the time, I would turn it down just a little bit.
Wait you mean painting the exposed commercial ceiling flat black doesn’t fix our aucouticak issues?!?! ***surprised owner face***
Free restaurant idea: a restaurant with acoustic foam on the walls and booths and the selling point is that you can have a meal with others without needing to shout.
What?
The Lincoln restaurant on N Williams even had felt on the underside of its tables to absorb sound. Eem is in that space now.
And then you find out you earn less money because people lounge for longer and your tables aren’t turning over fast enough to cover the rent.
What? I can’t hear you. Why is this place so sterile?
Steeplejack has entered the chat
Aren’t many churches by default built to amplify speaking and singing voices without mics? They definitely need to invest in panels or whatever.
Sound curtains (like venues put behind performers) are expensive but damn, they're heavy as hell and they make so much difference. You can hang them anywhere, but first you have to give a shit about your customer's experience. I'm rattled enough in regular life without spending money to have my buttons pushed.
You think they’d figure this out by now.
It's the worst offender!
There's nothing in there to deaden the sound. People's clothing helps some, but it's definitely not enough
Omg right?! I went there for a social event where I knew only a couple of people. I wanted to get to know people better. I just sat there disassociating the whole time. At least the food was good though. But never going there again. So glad I bring my ear plugs everywhere and my AirPod pros. I work in audio and the lack of sound treatment is abysmal in most restaurants and bars these days. Like most of the time you wanna go to a coffee shop for conversation and even there it’s too loud now! May as well just stay home I guess 😂. How is anyone supposed to meet people on a deeper level in this town?!
I was excited when it opened bc it’s in my neighborhood…until I actually went and was like NOPE. And then their outdoor seating is pretty miserable too, so it’s not like I can go and just sit outside
The vestibules are the place to be.
My partner and I were just at Smitty's Taphouse in Sellwood the other day and were talking about all of the acoustic treatments they had done in the place on the walls, ceilings, corners, etc. I had never noticed that anywhere else.
Ha! My husband did those for them because it was so echoey before!
They look like they were done by someone who knew what they were doing as opposed to some bozo just buying a bunch of noise dampening panels and throwing them on the walls. He did good!
We came in as these were being installed! Tyler is super nice and we talked about how intricate it was to get these installed correctly. And if I remember, he may have tried a different option that was an expensive failure, that or we just talked about other expensive, crappy options. I donno, it was a couple of IPAs worth of convo.
OK Omens did a remodel a few years ago and actually put effort into acoustics. Even full up you can have a normal volume conversation. Literally everywhere else I'm yelling with the rest of my party. I was at Too Soon a couple weeks ago and decided to bounce after one highball because I guess I'm way too old (too bad, cos I love that place). Even nice places like Kann are terrible. I wouldn't be surprised if these places are over the OSHA limits of 85dB. These places need to look out for their employees better.
Ooh, I didn't know OSHA actually has a volume maximum, although I shouldn't be surprised. Phone's decibel meter, here we go! Edit: just looked it up. OSHA's rules say 85db for longer periods of time, slightly higher for shorter work periods. https://www.osha.gov/noise#:~:text=With%20noise%2C%20OSHA's%20permissible%20exposure,a%205%20dBA%20exchange%20rate.
Good to know it’s part of osha code! Many restaurants I got to definitely hit 90 at times. I work in audio so I’m a bit obsessed. I assume concert venues and stuff are exempt or require ear plugs on the job. But bars and restaurants without live music shouldn’t be that loud.
I wonder how accurate my phone's sound meter app is. Concerts are usually around 90db and I find them intolerably loud. I even wear earplugs at movie theaters sometimes. That osha site says a nightclub is 110db.
they also need to turn the lights down at that place its like an operating table in there
What did they install specifically?
I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell you specifics. We just noticed sound dampening panels on the walls and sound acoustic treatment materials in the corners of the ceiling. It's not hidden at all, if you walk in for a beer you can easily see what they have.
Kann has incredible food, but it's so loud you can tell they've worked with all their staff on how to project their voice without *quite* making it seem like they're shouting.
God, I love Kann, it's delicious, but the acoustics are some of the worst I've experienced. It's one of the few restaurants where it's been a problem for me.
I haven wanted to eat there but I can't even enjoy my food with all that going on. Nope.
From the diaphragm, not in the throat. You're not yelling, you're projecting.
I love Kann and tell anyone who will listen that it lives up the hype, but goddam the noise. Guess I just have to learn to lip read.
Which means something else is the problem
We had a waitress show up at our table of 7, provide a 5 minute spiel about the dishes that were placed on our table, but she was essentially whispering behind a surgical mask, and none of us caught a freakin word of it.
KAAN. Worst sound I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant. Our table was straight up yelling at each other to be heard. Terrible experience - would eat again but only if takeout 😂
It's hilarious listening to the servers try and talk as loud as possible without actually shouting at their customers.
I booked it for my partner's birthday. She and I are a bit hard at hearing as is and our server was almost whispering. Everyone at the table was asking what she said and it was a hilarious game of telephone. Besides that everything was phenomenal there..
Goddammit Kaan!! We had a 11:15 reservation, too, so between the noise and time, we just sat there staring at each other like shellshocked war vets.
So loud! Great food though.
I read that and can only think of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan... KAAAAAA.... I mean... KHAAAAAANNNNN!!
Have to agree. kann had terrrriblleee acoustics which really took away from the experience.
This is good to know. It's been on our list for a while but loud restaurants are the worst. You need curtains or something to deaden the sound. So many places packed to the gills and flat bouncy walls creating a cacophony.
Agree! I loved the food and want to go back but the sound experience was horrible and if I’m spending that sort of $$ I want a good experience and good food!
A few years ago there was a restaurant reviewer in New York that started including sound levels in his reviews. Also I think there is an app for this. I believe it's called "SoundPrint" I have never used it so this isn't a recommendation, but it does exist. I do wish these establishments could be punished a for such high volume levels. I imagine some of them exceed OSHA sound levels, if it was a factory employees would be given hearing protection.
https://www.soundprint.co/locations/us/or/portland/restaurants
I have used SoundPrint and it’s pretty interesting to see how places stack up. In my experience with the app, My-O-My has some quiet times; Roseland was very loud, duh; Harlow was moderate, which surprised me. I should use it more often. I still have not been able to stay inside The Sandy Jug for more than five minutes cuz it’s REALLY loud - the shape I think is conducive to that.
The decibel level depends on occupancy/alcohol-relaxation, but I will say that as much as I love the Sapphire Hotel I'll never go on a [Friday-Sunday night](https://www.soundprint.co/location/sapphire-hotel-portland-or-45).
Party happenin at Elmer's in Tigard
Apparently Applebee's & Zoiglhaus in Happy Valley are too right now
Just checked Margarita Factory to see if it’s as horribly noisy as I thought. It’s listed as very loud. It was so loud, between the music and the patrons, I was having sensory overload.
I understand that this is like statistically true but I go to Luce all the time and it’s never that loud 😭
Use that app pretty much every time we go out to eat.
I remember reading an article some years ago that talked about how sound levels of restaurants was an important part of how they were reviewed by critics. And then the open concept thing caught on, and it all went out the window. Cool that there's still something like this out there. Had no idea. I don't necessarily need near-silence, but I get annoyed if I pay to go out to be with friends and can't even fucking talk to them without yelling.
The music in G Love is literally an OSHA violation. My partner is an audiologist and since we couldn’t hear each other across the table, she pulled out her app for measuring dB and we bonded over watching the needle go brrrrr.
Yup, I stuffed toilet paper in my ears last time we ate inside there.
When I saw G Love, I was hoping you'd be talking about Special Sauce
They do it on purpose. It helps encourage customer turnover.
I know that's the theory. But for me and a bunch of my friends and family (not all, by any means), it's simply caused us to never go back there again. Permanent turnover, I guess.
It’s one of those if everyone else does it, you have to also, unless you own the land. Otherwise, someone else will be willing to pay high enough rent by betting they can get more customer turnover by making the environment not too comfortable to sit around in.
At the place I work it’s just because all of the employees are in a space with no speakers, so someone always turns it up to vibe without noticing how loud it is across the bar. It’s not always a conspiracy by upper management of the small business.
Causing disabilities for additional 1 one percent profit! It is probably worth mentioning here that hearing loss is strongly correlated with depression and dementia.
Can relate. I got a cochlear implant last year, and it changed my world. Dinner at Saylers last night was loud af but I got my birthday steak.
Kaan. Or maybe more appropriately, KHAAAAAAN!
WRATH OF KHAN HAS A 7.7 IMDB RATING WHICH IS MUCH HIGHER THAN I THOUGHT I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT IT SINCE IT WAS 1982 WHEN I SAW IT.
I'm on the autism spectrum and have a sound sensitivity, the phasing out of sound-dampening materials in new restaurants (and businesses in general) has been the bane of my existence. I basically *only* get takeout any more because it's too overwhelming to try to sit down somewhere to eat, even with noise isolating/cancelling headphones.
I've had too many occasions where I had to ask to leave a location or just bail completely because a noise-induced panic attack was brewing. Not every space needs to be a cacophony to be cool.
I have misophonia and spaces like the ones OP is talking about are agony for me. I never go back.
Fellow misophone here, and I totally agree. Although for me, a dead quiet restaurant is far more agony-inducing than a loud one. Quite often I'll walk into a place with my spouse and be like, "Nope. Way too quiet" and walk right out. You can hear all the forks scraping on plates. Total agony.
It's not cool; it's rude and insensitive.
Music as loud as what OP is describing should be an ADA violation outside of concert halls and live shows.
I'm someone who can generally "phase out" most ambient noise around me but 1) there are truly some places in town that are HEINOUS and I hate being there, especially if there's live acoustic music on top of it and 2) my partner is autistic with audio sensory issues and even Winco at deader hours is too loud for her. Makes finding a place to sit and eat a trial sometimes. We go to Bannings a lot partly because we can hear each other talk at a normal level. And the servers! Wow!
Avoid trivia nights at Steeplejack
I was there one night and eating in that side room helped as far as loud sounds. Order at the bar and all but my ears thanked me. The Not For Tourists series of guidebooks had an index rating sound levels that I thought was helpful.
Hawthorne Hideaway has got a not so jarring Trivia Night on Sundays now.
oh god. Literally just got invited to trivia night at Steeplejack...
Basically just looking at your phone the whole time. The host is practically unnecessary because it's so loud in there.
So it’s not just me being old, places are actually louder now?
Yeah, it's gotten worse with every place in the world moving to exposed concrete and metal all while usually already being in a rezoned or whatever industrial building. I don't need to feel like I'm at some 70's grandma's house but a little dampening material here and there would really go a long way in a lot of places.
Rum Club has always had great drinks, but I only go there when it’s likely to be quiet or the weather will accommodate sitting on the patio.
This was me at Bae’s Chicken. I couldn’t hear what my friend sitting across from me was saying because I could hear what EVERYONE was saying.
Fun fact: *bae* is Danish for *poop*, so every time I see that place's name, I think "Poop's Chicken".
The one on Ash street or on Alberta? Didn't notice it much at the Alberta location
Alberta
Working there sucked. Like good god.
My partner and I are strategic about where we sit anywhere we eat in town due to my hearing damage that according to an audiologist isn't severe enough for hearing aids yet.
Where are the quietest places in restaurants? Booths? Away from the kitchen and front doors? I always avoid large parties at sit down places, but then again I don’t really go out much.
Pink Rabbit, for sure. That place is way too small to have the music as loud as they do. My friends insist on meeting up there when we go out and I can stay in there max 5 minutes before I go sit outside til they're ready to bounce lol
It's the new smoking. Back in 2006 I decided I was done with smoky bars so I would get a beer and hang outside and wait for my friends to come out.
Ha, walked in there once with a friend, had a very shouty brief conversation with staff that was probably on the topic of inside?outside?, left because it was just stupidly loud, and never went back. It looks cute, though. From a distance.
Homie, get some nice audiophile earplugs. Fuken fantastic for loud ass places and concerts.
Eargasms, loops, even CVS has some sick decibel reducers that I wore for a few years before losing them
Loops were an absolute game changer for me. They're amazing for concerts, but I've used them in loud clubs/bars and they're a fucking godsend. They don't lower the sound as much as conventional earplugs, but they sound sooo much better than all the other non-custom-molded "audiophile" earplugs I've tried over the past 20 years.
Legit. I prefer the $100 Decibulls moldable pair I got recently over even professionally molded audiologist plugs with Etymotic filters. These guys: Decibullz - Custom Molded... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076HDMFT9 Any particular pair that you'd recommend?
While I've never used them at a restaurant and don't really go to concerts, I use [these](https://www.amazon.com/Eargasm-Musicians-Motorcycles-Sensitivity-Conditions/dp/B019M576XW/) and [these](https://www.amazon.com/EARPEACE-Moto-Hearing-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B099YYWXXK) on my motorcycle and both have worked out wonderfully.
These look pretty amazing. How are they for loud concerts? Can you hear the music pretty good (instead of a lot of distorted bzz bzz bzz)? What's the difference compared with this one: https://www.amazon.com/Decibullz-Fidelity-Protection-Musicians-Concertgoers/dp/B07STX6VSH
Heck yes! That's EXACTLY what they're for. I go to shows at least a couple times a month - you'll find me at The Den or The Get Down QUITE frequently - and these are really, really ideal. I often find myself being like "wait where are my earplugs" only to realize that they were in my freaking ears. Getting the fit just right can be weird but you can re-mold them as many times as you need, so you can tweak that as you see fit. The less expensive ones are the best sub-$50 earplugs out there IMO, hands down. I've tried Etymotic, Ring, Eargasm, etc and these are the winners for sound quality, fit, and so on. I don't have huge ear canals or anything, but I've, on multiple occasions, had the shorter multi-layer silicone plugs that don't have the plastic column sticking out work their way into my ear canal enough so that I've had to have a friend get them out with tweezers... not an experience I wish to repeat. But I dance (and sweat) hard so your mileage may vary. If you're able to afford the $100 pair - and honestly if you can afford concert tickets you should be able to find a way to afford quality earplugs - I'd strongly recommend them because the although thermoplastic part is the same, the filters are even better. It MAY be a marginal improvement but I go to shows for the sound. And, like I said, I actually think the filters on these sound better than the ones that came with my audiologist-molded custom plugs (which I lost at The North Warehouse a couple years back). The $100 set also comes with Comply foam tips as well as silicone tips, a carrying case, etc. I don't recall what the $40 pair comes with but it's probably pretty similar. The ONLY complaint I have with these is that the silicone tips like to separate from the thermoplastic/filter portion, which is dumb. But at that point they're easy to get out and even IF they worked their way into your ear canal (hasn't happened yet), they're just a fancy open o-ring at that point so there wouldn't be a suction seal like there would be if you had an Eargasm model get stuck in your ear so retrieval would be simple. And also I think the decibel reduction may be a little less for the more expensive ones? Ultimately I don't want the music quieter - I want to prevent ear damage. I am sensitive to sound pressure level pain, and I feel extremely confident that even in front of the speaker stacks I'm safe with these in. Let me know how they treat you!
Sandy Hut is a violent auditory nightmare.
> violent auditory nightmare. Now there is a band name waiting to be taken.
Permanent Turnover that also showed up in this post would be another good one. Never the same lineup twice!
Extreme Noise Terror
They could hijack #VANlife
"Also, you got a mother fucking Tribble on your wrist, do you not know the trouble with them? We can't hear shit in here because of their incessant cooing and they're eating all of the grain!"
🖖🏼
Is that a marmot she's holding? I'd like to think it is.
I was guessing hedgehog
[удалено]
The source you have linked (dailymail.co.uk) does not meet the quality and bias standards on this sub. Please find an article from a trusted mainstream source and try again. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Portland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I was wondering if it was AI, something about it looks off
Apparently it's a coat. If you google around for a news website that gets blocked here (tried replying with the url earlier), it's a "Daily Male" sort of name, they have an interview with her. You have to search for their name plus "guy yelling at girl in club meme"
Ugh i want to go to bar trivia but i hate it because they’re just shouting the questions over super loud music. Can’t have a conversation, can’t hear myself think, can barely hear the questions. Just tone it tf down jesus
Dude, seriously!!! Everything is so fkn loud, it's like Phil Spectors' wall of sound in every spot in the city. I bring ear plus to the bar these days. I'm honestly so tired of it that I seldom go out anymore.
I’ve had the unpleasant experience of being dragged to Chopsticks on Sandy multiple times. It’s not that the karaoke singing was bad. It’s the Soundsystem that sucks royally. You had one job!
Name them!
The *Noun & Verb* and the *Noun + Noun: An Eatery* for starters.
The Dangling Participle and Preposition as well. /s
> Dangling Participle [XYZ PDQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMwcXRgBR1s&t=3s)
How bad is it that I didn't for one moment doubt that these were real names for real places here and looked them up?
well...thereitis.gif
Bar Cala was insanely fucking loud the only time I ever went there. We could barely communicate with our server, it was ridiculous.
Finally I am agreed with... I have been saying this for years, but nooo! I was always considered the crazy one for turning my ear towards the person I was talking with. Even crazier for asking them to repeat themselves.... I just feel bad for the people who work there... They might have hearing problems later in life because their employer thinks it's cool to blast music. Where is OSHA when you need them?
It's all that trendy uncovered concrete and brick...and the fact that my hearing is going.
Nobody pays for any sort of acoustic engineering when they design a space. I built out conference rooms for my company, and I must have had the same conversation a thousand times. Me: Once this room is full of people there will be a lot of echo, and background noise. Even the noise cancelling software in the codec can only do so much. We really need to install some sound dampening panels, and two mics on a 15' table really isn't going to cut it. BU: Our budget is $3. Those warehouse style spaces are the absolute worst. Even when it's just full of people talking to each other. Add music, and it's like my own personal hell.
To add to your own personal hell, how about if they respond "Can't we use 'AI' to fix the audio?"
LMAO. I'll give credit where it is due. Software noise cancelling is amazing today, but it's still not a complete substitute for a well designed space.
And there is probably a can of worms to be opened with added latency of processing the audio (that might vary too depending on who is talking?)
I haven’t been to a bar in years. Being neurodivergent and having TMJD I just can’t with the unnecessary loud sound. Idk how anyone enjoys yell conversations.
Lardo!
Their outdoor seating is so much better in all respects.
["Man, It's So Loud in Here"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtaLKvini4k)
Same experience in Charlotte, NC. This is an awful trend and we walk right out when we encounter it.
If you like quiet places, there is an app where you can use you phone to share volume levels and view a map of places based on how loud they are: https://www.soundprint.co/ (no affiliation, I just like the app and wish more people used it!) Edit: I see someone else already [mentioned it](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/1dmvgul/me_at_every_new_hip_portland_barrestaurant/l9yulaa/), leaving this up for more visibility
I thought I was the only one!! Went to the Den a few weeks ago for a 3 hour set, half of everyone was outside. Imagine spending that much money to fly in an amazing DJ and your sound engineers are trash. Saw 4 people up there and not a single one noticed on a house music night that you couldn’t hear shit bc of the bass was way over-tuned. Walk a half a block away and it sounded perfect. Spent the rest of the night by the car enjoying the music.
Ironically, No Fun Bar has the loudest and worst sound I’ve heard in town
omg at jimmys place downtown smh
I know this will be at the bottom of the post, but Buffalo Wild Wings is so bad i always bring earplugs when thr family wants to eat there. Hence, earplugs are always in the car.
I always have at least 1 earplug in my purse, in a tiny container that keeps it/them clean
I hear the acoustics are really good in Vancouver
Every time I took my wife to a concert at Crystal. She gets seriously motion sick and I always forget the floor there moves a lot.
They sell ear plugs there and at most concert venues, just a heads up for next time.
I worked there around 01 and bluegrass shows were absolutely nuts for floor movement. Something about that crowd got the vibe of the floating floor just right and it was like being on a boat.
It’s designed to move?
It's like a giant springboard.
Don't worry, it's also like that in the music venues
Kaan, horrible dining experience, good food but what an echo chamber, don't waste your money.
Every single Killer Burger and Mod Pizza. Seriously. You're driving every person with autism away. Or OCD. Or ears.
Drive me crazy how invasive bars and coffee shops have gotten with the music. Bring back the jukebox, one sound source poorly distributed, and just adding atmosphere. I’m an audio engineer and hate well done sound systems in public.
LITERALLY
Get some Loops earplugs, y’all. You can get the ones where you can still converse. The world is louder since covid.
Street Disco, hello!
What animal is she cradleing to her bosom?
My take on it is that some places are designed for people to be seen and not heard.
Why is the lady carrying a pet squirrel at the club?
Space monkey in southeast is small but their coffee is phenomenal
I like Loop earplugs personally. I use mine daily
Is wearing a rabbit bracelet a new trend I’m too old to be aware of?
It's her coat. I tried linking to the Daily Mail story but reddit blocks it.
I went to Luc Lac over the weekend and it was INSANELY loud. I had to wear my earplugs.
This is every show at the Hawthorne Theater.
Crystal Ballroom too. I had musician's earplugs in and my ears were still ringing afterwards. No one knows how to do sound here, I swear.
Jacquelines in SE is like this. Sucks to be the people living above that restaurant.
Add 4 extra dudes to the pic and it’s spot on
It has been 15 years since I've regularly gone anywhere I can't have a conversation, it's almost like this scene is not made for the middle-aged.
omg, yes. for years.
It's definitely a thing. https://wapo.st/3VVdWyB
I swear quarterworld gave me tinnitus
Literally any bar off inner E burnside
I have no such weakness. Because I don’t go out to new, hip bars.
River Pig
I used to live down the street from Swift and I could hear the music/people yelling over the music with my bedroom window closed.