Thanh Billiards – Montavilla News

This month, Dzô Bar and Grill opened at 7907 NE Glisan Street, offering a lineup of Asian-inspired cocktails and Vietnamese food. This Vietnamese American sports bar blends classic pub menu items with dishes like Phở and fried rice. The full bar offers a wide range of cocktails, imported beers, and microbrews. Patrons can watch a variety of games playing on four large-screen televisions while enjoying their drink or meal.

Owner, Sam Nguyen, explained that the bar’s name originates from a customary expression of celebration. “Dzô is pronounced yo in Vietnamese, and it just means cheers. It’s a tradition in Vietnam where they count 1-2-3-Dzô” before drinking. It represents the communal and friendly environment that Nguyen wants to cultivate inside her establishment.

Nguyen and her husband, Hao Le, started this bar as an enjoyable way to shift away from their demanding careers. Nguyen is a working physician assistant (PA), and the recent trend in her workplace has made it less fulfilling. “I just feel burnt out from my job, especially during COVID,” said Nguyen. Packed hospitals and heightened patient demands caused her to reconsider how she wanted to spend her workdays. Sam Nguyen found this space thanks to her sister, who owns the Thanh Billiards club next door. The building’s owner completely renovated the storefronts in 2020, leaving all but the billiards location vacant. This location, with built-in customers from the neighboring business, was just the opportunity Nguyen and Le were looking for.

The bar’s owners did not anticipate how long the City’s permitting process would take when starting the build-out process nearly two years ago. Fortunately, the landlord helped with the rent while they waited for permit approvals. The extended spin-up time allowed the owners to gradually create a well-finished interior. The newly built-out space features a modern rustic design with wainscoting wrapping the dinning-room and white subway tile framing the full kitchen. Colorful LED light strips highlight details throughout the bar, and directional overhead lighting creates a visual definition around each table.

Nguyen and Le are adjusting the drink and food menus over the next few months based on customer demand and feedback. However, some items are already a hit. Nguyen is particularly proud of their Lychee Lime Fizz cocktail and Phở. The owners have two staff helping them run the location, and they are open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day except Wednesdays. Stop by with some friends and toast with a “cheers” or “Dzô” as you see fit.

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

The transformation of 7901 NE Glisan Street from a neglected structure, to an impressive multi-use building, is nearing completion. Constructed in 1890, it has been updated many times. However, this most recent project seeks to rebuild and unify the building like never before. With exterior construction nearing completion, the owner expects to be ready for tenants by early September.

This project had challenges from the onset. Over the years many updates to the building were not done to acceptable construction standards. Often the work had been done without permits. Building owner and contractor, Alex Ianos, had to first resolve all these old issue with the city. Only after those issues were resolved, could he begin the real project of reviving this neglected building. With the help of his architect, John MacKinnon, Ianos was able to get over the initial hurdles with the city and focus on the renovation.

In an email with Montavilla News, John MacKinnon of NW Architecture & Design PC, described his design process. The “major challenge for me as architect, was bringing a sense of design clarity and coherence to the initial building through the design process.” MacKinnon explained the building “just evolved,” in ad hoc additions over the years. “The existing building was haphazard in style, incongruous and visually it looked that way. So, when I began the design process, my primary goal was to work with the existing building structural skeleton, modifying the building forms and bring coherence to the overall design as much as possible. Alex and I worked closely together on the design. We are both pleased with the final outcome. The design on both the interior and exterior has a Scandinavian sense to it.”

The building is arranged as a mixed use building with 5 commercial spaces on the first floor and apartments on the second floor. MacKinnon designed the second floor as four one bedroom residential units, each with it’s own cantilevered bay off the living area. Those bays project from the second story and add detail to the exterior, making the building more interesting along all sides.

Siting on a prominent corner for 130 years, this building has housed many businesses. The original address would have been on Villa Ave but its number has been lost to time. When records begin for this building, 1973 E Glisan Street was its address. Finally changing to its current address in 1933 thanks to Portland’s renumbering project. Early history of the building is harder to find, however in 1911 a mortician from Vancouver Washington moved his mortuary practice to the building. W H Hamilton operated Hamilton undertaking Co. out of this location for eight years. Mr. Hamilton was an active member in the Montavilla community. In a 1916 article he is listed as the President of the Montavilla Board of Trade. A later article, in 1918, referenced Hamilton as a Nobel Grand of the Villa Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) number 124.

In 1919, the funeral business changed from Hamilton undertaking Co. to R. W. Gable & Co. They operated out of this location for years before relocating to NE 80th in 1928. Later changing their name to Gable Funeral Parlor and working from the NE 80th location until just a few years ago.

Later the building was owned by Dr. Charles (Chas) B Zeebuyth. It is not obvious if the property ever served as his office but is listed as his official address in 1922. Dr. Zeebuyth, like Hamilton, was heavily involved in Montavilla’s community and business. He owned the building well into the 1930s.

In the following decades, it held different businesses. In the 1940s, it was listed as a bakery. In the 1950s it was a photo shop and then in the 1960s it was a barber shop. Many more businesses came and went from that location and each took a little more life out of the building. Before the latest purchase, it looked like it could be demolished instead of saved.

Fortunately Alex Ianos liked the corner lot and thought the building could be transformed once more. In a email to Montavilla News, Ianos expressed how please he has been with the progress on the building. He went on to write that “numerous people stop by the property and ask about leasing space.” He doesn’t plan to sign any tenants until the buildout has completed, but conversations are in process. There is a good chance a Pool Hall business will return to the space. Thanh Billiards was located in the 7909 NE Glisan space, prior to construction. Ianos mentioned he has been in talks with a coffee shop owner about taking a space and has engaged in early conversations with Little Big Burger.

Very few buildings from the 1800s still exist in Montavilla. Although a true restoration of 7901 NE Glisan Street was not possible, seeing it reworked and stabilized is a great service to Montavilla history. This location will be alive again with businesses and residents, pushing ever closer to its 200th year.