39th Mini Mart: Specialty Beer Found Here

I've driven by 39th Mini Mart, located just south of Belmont on SE 39th (aka SE Cesar E Chavez Blvd), countless times and I've heard from numerous people that they have a pretty good beer selection. Yet yesterday was the first time I'd taken time to go in and see things for myself.

From the outside a quick look gives you the impression that it's like most other convenience stores. A slightly closer look at their signs, however, and one begins to wonder if they really do have the goods. Those signs speak the truth - there's plenty of specialty beer to be found within, including growlers just waiting to be filled from one of their 12 taps.

Their beer selection, all stored in coolers no less, isn't the biggest in town, but it's good sized. Focused on Oregon and U.S. beers primarily, there is one cooler section of imports and another dedicated to ciders. There's something for just about everyone here, including a couple from Hair of the Dog, newer-to-our-market brews from Ballast Point and yes, there are even a couple of coolers in addition to the ones pictured where you can pick up macros.

The growler fill station on the end is comprised of primarily Oregon beers, with Washington's Georgetown Brewing, California's Ballast Point and Massachusetts' Angry Orchard Cidery rounding out the nice selection. The pricing is simple - $9.99 for any growler fill or $5.99 for any grumbler/growlette fill. Sure, there are a few places around town where on certain days you can beat those prices but their tap list is solid and these prices are good all day, every day. Oh, and if you have misplaced your growler or grumbler/growlette, those are for sale as well.

I spoke with the gentleman working, the owner I believe, and he said that soon they'd also be serving up pizzas and fresh subs, making them a one-stop shop for kicking back at home or heading to a friend's house. In addition, he's open to customer suggestions to improve the selection so while 39th Mini Mart might be quietly going about their business, they're quite serious about doing it well. So the next time you drive by, or the next time you are in need of a growler fill, check 'em out.