I've recently had to do two major DIY fixes on my 1911 bathroom, when both the reproduction surround shower and the vintage Sibley "J-pipe" toilet developed age-related valve leaks. Problems remained despite years of intervention from three plumbers, who'd begun to shake their heads and say it couldn't be done, that those old things needed to be replaced (which would have cost over $1500 because the spacing of our vintage toilet's connections meant we'd have to buy a high-end reproduction to fit). So my only choice was to do it myself. The A-Boy staff at both the Foster and the Barbur locations were incredibly helpful. When the surround shower's manufacturer couldn't be bothered to send a diagram, the A-Boy staff at Foster pulled apart a similar floor model to show me how the valves worked and what direction to loosen them (lefty-loosy and righty-tighty don't hold true on in-line hot-cold, which lie in mirror image orientation). When I wasn't strong enough to loosen the corrosion, and the replacement washers that came from the manufacturer were worthless, the A-Boy staff at Barbur taught me to soak the whole faucet assembly in hot water and vinegar, and went through boxes of spare washers to find an assortment that might work. When the new J-connector and Douglass valve on my toilet kept leaking, the staff at Barbur helped me find better-fitting wrenches and washers, and talked me through the basics of valve grease and "just keep tightening until it doesn't leak." We aren't born knowing these things, yet the plumbers I hired wanted hundreds of dollars just to treat me disdainfully for not knowing that it "couldn't be done." What a relief to find a store with knowledgeable and helpful staff willing to help find workable, and sometimes simple, solutions. I'm happy to report that both shower and toilet work perfectly, far better even than at their original "professional" installation. Total bill to buy well-fitting tools and replace 4 complex valves and 6 nonstandard washer assemblies: about $200.

I’ve been shopping at A-boy for a few years, as a contractor that works locally, I like to buy locally and from small business rather then lowes or large chain stores. I have other stores I spend more money at, but I’ve spent a lot of money and time supporting this store. So I was very disappointed when I came in to return 150$ worth of plumbing parts, on a 400$ ticket and was treated like I was an inconvenience and hassle by Audrey, went out of there way to make me feel uncomfortable, make multiple remarks to other customers or staff, one customer who was being taken care of by another staff, she apologized for not being able to help them, because they had to deal with me. Despite 3-4staff and besides me there was never more then 2 customers. She told me she couldn’t return stuff without a receipt. In the ive had home owners return material without one. Regardless I got my receipt and came back, and was treated the same way, but this time they doubled down, making more comments to random customers, I was already disappointed in there behavior, but then another employee comes over and says “you know you’ve been working on this for hrs?” And she replied “yes, trust me I know” with dramatic eye and hand gestures, I had arrived at 4pm and it was 4:16 when the comment was made. as she slowly processed my returns, more then once loudly sighing. There is no reason to treat a customer that way, especially if it because the employee, doesn’t feel like doing there job. Saying that, most of the other stuff is very helpful commutative, I would be giving 5stars. And I’ve been referring the store to other contractors. Some people just shouldn’t deal with customers if they can’t be professional. It’s a Hardware͏ store, not a dive bar.

Pros: -Close to my house -Nice to dogs (free biscuits!) -Fun cheap tool section (not useful for actual tools) -Plants and garden section are generally well taken care of Cons: -Unhelpful staff -Restock and ordering is painfully slow -Expensive I have been coming to this A-Boy for the past 5 years for most of my house and yard project needs. I would say that 4/5 times that I go there I leave empty handed after having one of three problems: 1) A-Boy normally carries the item but the shelf is empty 2) They have a cheap temporary replacement part that would need to be changed again soon 3) The employee I speak with is so infuriatingly incompetent and/or condescending that I leave. I have learned my way around the store and have learned to avoid contact with the employees. When I do need help I go to Hippo Hardware or Westmoreland True Value. I should say that there are a few nice employees there who really want to be helpful. I would not recommend buying paint from them unless it is a painting emergency and all of the other local paint stores have burned down.

I have been coming here for over 12 years and always had great service until this year. My trip today was the worse and a total shock in customer service. Every encounter I had with the staff made me feel that I was a nuisance rather than a paying customer. The simple process of buying a basic light fixture took way longer than it should have and involved 3 different employees and all three of them making it known that they would rather not help me. After engaging in the staff a last time and waiting for someone to finish helping me for 15 minutes while the employees were talking among themselves, I commented on the long wait and was told "tell someone who cares" I was also told to go somewhere else if i wanted to. I camt remeber a time where i was treated as badly as today for trying to purchase sonething. I could hsbe easily gone to the big chain store but purpisely did not. As much as I want to support the local business, if you're not less expensive than other stores and you can't be nice to your customers, I can't see supporting them any more.

I *really* want to love this place. 60% of the time I go, I have a fantastic experience. Several employees, like Aubrey, are a joy to work with: helpful and friendly. The other 40% of the time is absolutely dreadful. A few employees (some who appear to be managers) are dismissive, argumentative, rude, downright surly, and occasionally even insulting. Conclusion: shopping here is a gamble. Give it a shot, but be prepared for a negative experience. Update: Aubrey has moved to another location and the customer service has been terrible here the last 2-3 times I've been in (see comments above about surly employees/managers). As much as I hate big box stores (and leaving bad reviews for local businesses), Downgraded from 3 stars to 2 (and only that high because there are still a couple decent folks working there). I'll be going to Home Depot and Lowe's going forward, even though they're much further away for me.

This is a great stop and they carry almost everything I need. The brands they carry also are top quality, such as the soil that Farmington Garden and Portland Nursery carries. Prices can be a little higher, however. This isn't something I should hold against them too, as some people will love it, but they adamantly refuse to put out christmas decorations until after thanksgiving. This was very unfortunate, as 2013 the Saturday before Thanksgiving was bright and sunny. I would much rather put up lights when it is clear than when it is wet and rainy out. Again, circumstances made this a more inconvenient thing than it should have been. Had to go to Fred Meyer instead. Still, love supporting these guys and the staff is very helpful. Also, nice and close to Multnomah Village. Much closer than the nearest Home Depot or Lowe's.

I guess I’ll give it 2 stars because it hasn’t been all terrible every time I go and it’s a local spot so I really WANT to like this place. But every time I go they’re not very well stocked and it’s hard to find a person to help you find something. I found 3 people who worked there gathered in the front of the store talking and asked if they could help me find something and they pointed in a direction saying “if you go down there and to the left that’s where they are” and went back to talking amongst themselves. But it was something small that wasn’t immediately visible so I didn’t bother looking too long and left. After I walked past them again empty handed they didn’t ask if I found what I was looking for. I guess you can’t expect much from a place whose employees are mostly high school age kids.

Aboy is a decent hardware store, but in the era of COVID-19, they are failing the community abysmally. Employees only wear face masks at their own discretion; many employees at checkout counters do not have face masks, and there is only a plexiglass barrier at one counter. I called on May 10 and spoke to a manager about this, saying I did not feel safe in the store. He said the store's owner had decided not to mandate face masks for employees because the store was "following the governor's guidelines," which only recommended, but did not mandate, face masks. Even on March 17, after the governor's reopening guidelines said that retailers should have all employees in face masks, I saw no change. I do not feel safe in Aboy. To stay safe I recommend Home Depot, which offers curbside pickup.

RACIAL PROFILING AND MONITORING. I was just there to explore their door and window lock options. I was taking my time looking through products and at one point a store employee came to ask if I needed assistance. I said no and continued looking. Two minutes later the same employee came to stand a few feet from me facing the opposite direction. He took some items and began to shuffle them around, placing them back and then removing them to replace them again. I am brown and made the mistake of wearing a black cap because it is cold outside. I may have even put my hands in my pocket because they are cold. This employee was clearly monitoring me. What a waste of resources. His behavior toward me was demeaning.

I have been shopping at the Barbur Aboy for years. In the last 2 months I have had 3 bad customer service experiences in 4 trips. Three different employees working the floor - each one acted like I was bothering them when I asked for help. Once to open the locked up spray paint cabinets, once to help locate some nylon nuts and bolts and another time to cut a 6 foot piece of 1/2" aluminum angle in half so I could transport on my motorcycle. Two of the interactions resulted in snarky comments. I shop at Aboy to get things I can't get at Home Depot. I rarely ask for help in a store but when I do all I expect is polite professional conduct from whoever is helping.

I NEVER write reviews on anything, but considering the last two trips I took to A-Boy I decided...nope, I’m writing one. Last two trips there (and they will be my last) I’ve never been treated so rudely by employees. Today, I had the pleasure of having two different employees treat me like they didn’t want my money, they didn’t need my money and they wanted me gone. It was bizarre behavior and was simply crazy. So instead of supporting a local business, I got the same items at Fred Meyer, was treated like anyone else and was in and out in no time. So let me add this to the many other reviews A-Boy has concerning poor employee service/behavior.

Have been going here since I was a child. Great employees, but that isn't the issue. 9/10 times I have gone in the past few years they have not had what I needed(cases in point: I needed tomato cages today, last month I needed 1 inch pvc pipe and connectors, winter I needed ducting tape, last October I needed replacement wall outlets... All times and more no dice). I really want to love this store, but I have left empty handed so so many times for basic things that I have stopped considering them as a vendor. Would give them 5 stars if they carried what I need even half the time. GREAT EMPLOYEES THOUGH!

Really had a bad experience with this store, although the employee we worked with was helpful the ordering and follow up is where they fell short. We were promised the items I purchased would be in at a certain date but they were delayed two separate times, I waited which delayed my project costing me extra money only to find out it was back-ordered. Had to cancel the order and it was a nightmare to get a refund, did purchase an in stock toilet which was "on sale" only to realize two weeks later that it was over-priced garbage. Lesson learned I'll stick with Home Depot.

We are so lucky to have this place close by. For everything from finding hardware to plants to garden supplies, plus knowledgeable people - they have it all! Plus no wandering the aisles for hours like at the big box stores. But it was our most recent experience purchasing a toilet that spurred me to finally post a review. My goodness, we got SUCH fabulous advice from a super expert who had just the right approach. He steered us to an affordable, wonderfuly crafted toilet from a brand we have never heard of. Superb choice - we couldn't be more pleased

If you like getting completely ripped off, this is the place to go. Their prices are absolutely insulting. I live a couple blocks from here, and 6 out of 10 times that I walk in, I walk out in disgust at their insanely overpriced products. There are many examples, but I will share one. Clorox 6-way test strips for a hot tub are about $5 a bottle at many retailers. At this place, they want $13 for them. when I asked the manager if he would be willing to come down on the price, he very condescendingly said "I will send it up the chain". Screw this place

A-Boy is the local home & garden store up off of Barbur and they have a lot of the same things that Home Depot offers just more close to home. Every time I have gone in here I enjoy wandering around to see what kind of goodies i can find! then usually i get lost and someone is always there to help point me in the right direction. Employees are constantly on hand and know what they are talking about, one guy spent like 15 minutes trying to help me choose the right connector for some tubing! Good place for outdoor & indoor needs!

Needs new management. I'm a local and I've been vising this Aboy for over a decade. I don't know what happened but it seems in the last 5 years things have gone way down hill. The store is poorly stocked. None of the staff neighbors know anything. I went to get a simple item like deck stain today and no one at the store seemed to know how to help me so I left and went somewhere else. To summarize, store is poorly organized, under-stocked, and the staff are unprofessional. Not how it used to be! Please fix this. Thanks!

They have millennials that wheren't on their phone and knew things while able to problem solve, frankly I was shocked and amazed! After having the home depot & lowes experience of let me look it up after finishing my conversation about lunch; These guys knew the product I needed, knew the location, and when the ruler to measure wasn't there, used the floor tiles 12x12 to measure without calling for help! This gave me a mild hope for the future of the country & humanity as a whole. God speed good sirs

Unhelpful, unfriendly, unknowledgable. Only the cashier was friendly and empathetic. The person who seemed to be the manager, maybe, who hurried by twice when I was trying to get help was more interesting in being in a hurry than wandering if he could actually help. And the electrical department acted like i was a bother also. Aboys have been my favorite store since 1960, but no longer. They have changed. I miss the days before they closed all their stores. I haven't been as often since then.

Sam the cashier is as dumb as they get and as rude as they get. He charged my twice and then argued with me about the plumbing fitting I was purchasing saying they were two separate pieces. I’m a plumber by trade. This kid wasted a bunch of my time; cause I had to get back into a 12 person line to return the product. super annoying. Hopefully he learns soon cause there is going to be a lot of unhappy customers if you keep this kid around.

"I need twine," Evidently that was simply too much to ask of the twenty something employee. He sent me on a scavenger hunt. I bumped back into him to let him know there is nothing to the right on aisle 16 but weed eater refills. I asked a lovely, polite kid in the outdoor section if they had any floral tape or green twine for my climbing rose in Portland. Well, I went next door to Burlingame Freddy's and was treated nicer.

I get great service, rarely need to look hard for help, friendly staff, most go way beyond the minimum in effort. Prices are fair, not horrible, not dirt cheap either. I like that I can buy one of this or that in the nuts and bolts , not a whole box like Home Depot or whomever. Lastly, the time it takes to pickup 1 or 2 items is so much less than Home Depot or even Fred Meyer, a short walk from my car to the shelves.

I went to A-Boy for help to fix my 1932 American Standard sink faucet. The staff were polite, patient & most importantly helped me get the parts I needed to fix my faucet. I am not a plumber, so their help & guidance was essential. It wasn't the biggest sale of the day, only $18, but I have been a customer for years, and will of course continue to be a loyal customer for purchases large & small. Thanks A-Boy!

Poor service at check out, rude and abviously didn't want to be there. Bought fertazier and item didn't ring up at stated price. Tried to get adjustment, but return person would honor advertised price. He rudely said all I can do is return the item, no sorry. No offer to get mana gent to sort out problem. I wont be going there again. Location is Barbur and Terwilliger in portland.

This is a super convenient hardware store with a solid selection and super helpful staff. Sure it is somewhat more expensive than a big box store, but that is the price you pay for convenience, local ownership, and actual customer service. I am happy to spend a little more to avoid a trip to a corporate hardware chain and would highly recommend this store to others.

A-Boy has been around for years, it's a nice local hardware store, especially if you live close like I do. Recently, they've been modernizing some of their inventory, especially the bulk screws/bolts/nuts. While their selection isn't as big as Home Depot or Lowe's, they are very close, and it feels good to support the employees who live and work in my neighborhood.

Poor Customer service from garden manager. Feel like she didn't want to deal with me. You don't point out to customers what they are looking for miles away in the backyard. I went in the back and found every plants looking neglected and lost my interest and left...I don't think anyone noticed me leaving the store...total waste of my time.

Sad classic example of why the Internet and big store businesses are more successful. A-Boy has chronically empty shelves, outdated register system, sometimes downright rude staff (overheard several arguing in a pretty mean tone). I keep going back to give the locals a shot, and I keep leaving disappointed, often empty handed.

Very rude people here!! They want you to do half of there job, 1st thing they ask you is how much it was and if you don't know they ask you to go back and find out for them!! Ace Hardware does a better job in this feild!! Remember A-Boy that time is money!!! You need work on your pricing process for cashiers.

I gave it them three stars before but I went back to grab an electric switch and it didn't work once I installed it. Absolutely terrible. This is the second time this happened to me at this location. Don't waste your time here. They will probably just put the switch I returned back on the shelf.

Great neighborhood shop for what you might need for your home and/or garden. They might be a little bit more expensive but it's local and there is always someone to help you. They won't oversell or try try to sell you on something you don't want, but they're there to help if you ever need it.

A-Boy is the jam. It's local, the staff is knowledgeable and I recently learned, it's often less expensive than the big orange or blue store. Some items substantially so (ABS fittings, GFCI outlets, specialty valves.. ) We started remodeling our house and A-Boy has been a great resource.

They have a very good selection of fasteners and paint and stain products. I have been really disappointed with their tool section. Out of stock of many, many items. You can tell because of the racks have a price for the item, but nothing is there. Most of the staff is very friendly.

They don't quite have the overall selection of the big box stores, but they have a solid inventory, and actually, they can't be beat for -actual hardware-, i.e. nuts, bolts, fasteners, plumbing parts, etc. And much more convenient location. Good plant selection in the summer, too.

Actually great prices on some items including power tools. You can purchase many items individually here versus having to buy a large pack. I find their staff kind and I am so glad they are in my neighborhood. Saved me countless hours not having to drive so far to Home Depot.

This is a great place to look for plumbing and electrical fixtures. They have a pretty good showroom, and fairly quick access to well priced fixtures. The shower pan I just bought was $40 less here than at Home Depot or Lowes, and they will have it for me in 3 days.

Great if you’re needing a few items and don’t feel like going to the big box stores. Wait time to check out is generally long seeing as they normally have one or two check stands open. Staff don’t seem to be over friendly or knowledgeable on inventory or inquiries

Great hardware store & Gardening center. Literally everything you need to beautify or repair your home & yard. Helphful knowledgable staff. Owners make a point of hiring local kids and supporting them with promise of job when they come home on breaks from college.

So far, so good. First visit here. Helped by Jerick Alfonso in the bath section. Very nice and informative. Got what we needed and we were out of there within 30 minutes. Takes that long just to find help at big stores like Lowe's and Home Depot. Will return.

The only place I go to adopt ladybugs and praying mantises.They delight all of my neighbors every spring. And of course they're great for the garden. Despite the way the market was going, A Boy got in what the people wanted. Great veg and Herb starters. XOXO

Very handy to have this store near the garden, they have what I need as far as seeds, soil, amendments and if we have projects to do we can usually locate what we need at aboy. Friendly folks work there and nice selection of starts in the season for them.

Great place to get supplies, especially their selection of specialty nuts, bolts, hardware which is harder and harder to come by these days. You should note that as of the time of this review their hours are 9am to 6pm everyday

Almost a classic great neighborhood hardware store. It is neighborhood, which is it's most important attribute. Very good for plumbing. From fauwcet washers to a whole bathroom. About 30' x 4 shelves of fasteners. Nice people.

Should have known better than going to the plumbing store with electrical needs? Found half the stuff I was looking for at a not so hefty price. (That's a good thing) Service was good. The place was clean. No line to wait in.

The employees are so helpful and friendly without judgment despite my lack of knowledge in home/yard care. Also the prices are very reasonable. Plus they have a wide variety of plant selection during the growing season.

After several years of being a loyal customer. I was treated very rudely by a employee. They also had several computer outages that created long lines. This happened very frequently when I visited this pathetic store.

Was having trouble getting my license plate out all day due to a stripped screw. Two employees actually came out and helped me remove and then put on the new plate. Made my day! Awesome service! Thank you so much!

Well rounded inventory for your home and garden projects. Staff is ready to help with knowledge and product fulfillment. This is a good neighborhood resource. Weekend warrior quick stop for all seasons.

A lot of equipment is priced ok for small/quick fixes but most of their construction material is literally double the price of Home Depot or Lowe's. Friendly staff, only good as boutique level handymen.

Decent selection I guess, but the guys who work there are creeps. They follow me around the store all ninja watching to make sure I don’t steal stuff. Yeah – it’s one of “those places”. …

Absolutely exceptional customer service, you walk in the door and there's someone there to greet you, and asked how can I help you. Old traditional customer service."GO-A-BOY"!!!!!! …

Great location, fantastic service in the plumbing fixtures section. Garden area is top-notch starting in early Spring when the plants start coming in, and all through to the end of Summer.

I first came to pick up a U-haul, then came back for their awesome garden and houseplants center. Great staff and nice place. If I ever need plumbing and electric stuff I'll try them.

Brent is very rude if you ask for assistance. I'll never go back. He harrased me all the way to the front door. Yes, I have a tattoo. He made it clear he does not have a tattoo.

Such wonderful customer service. Very knowledgeable staff who got me exactly what I needed. Worked with Savanah and Elijah and they were awesome. Highly recommend this place.

Outstanding selection of hardware. MUCH better selection than the big home improvement stores! And the staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. I love this store!

One person at the cash register 20 people in line. The cashier was more concerned how the line helping the customer in front of her. Picked up what I wanted on Amazon

They have great customer service. I called over the phone and they gave me sound advice about thermostatic valves and helped me troubleshoot a leak repair. Thanks!

Literally always out of what I need, even basic things like soil. I live close and try this place OFTEN because I live close but rarely find what I need in stock.

Very unprofessional people disorganized,spent time looking for some item they said was on a certain aisle and was not even in stock so I went to Home Depot..

Have shopped here for over 30 years. Have always had great service and help with questions, problem solving. Have LOVED the plant selection! Thanks, A-Boy.

Solid neighborhood hardware store plus garden center. Lumber in the back. Great selection, and really helpful, friendly service. So glad it's nearby!

Terrible customer service. Never enough cashiers. Rude employees. If you’re looking for help or a good hardware store experience, go to ace hardware.

I REALLY want to support this place. However, they consistently have 1/2 of what I need for a project, and the shelves are empty for the other half.

Best local Hardware store in Portland. Wonderful customer service and really good selection of the products you are looking for in hardware store.

The customer service is terrible, so I always have to go there knowing exactly what I need. Dare I inconvenience someone to ask for assistance.

I like this place, but it has the least informative website in the entire 21st century, they show you nothing except their address and hours!!

In general, it's a good local medium size store with decent selection and fair prices. They give good service, they're friendly and helpful.

I go here to avoid going to Home Depot. They have a great selection for a smaller store (compared to Home Depot). It's conveniently located!

A nice neighborhood hardware store. And should they not have what you need, they usually are good at suggesting where it can be found.

I really love the variety. This time of year their plant selection is fabulous w/o being expensive. Also a great hardware store too.

Well organized and smartly stocked with an abundant, engaged and knowledgeable staff make this a great hardware store in the metro.

A little disappointed to see only one employee wearing a face covering, while 99% of customers had them on. Get it together!

Awesome location for a hardware store. Fast, friendly and helpful service. I'm lovin' it like a fat kid loves McDonald's...

Go to spot for hardware stuff. Just down the road, helpful staff, nice place. Solid selection for plants and pots as well.

Clean, organized, well stocked and nice staff. I hope they stay open forever, everyone needs a good local hardware store!

Best hardware store, ever. Super nice, helpful people, lots of choice, big open, airy store. Always a good experience.

A-Boy has what you need nice service .I can't wait till they open full service.so I can get some free popcorn.

They helped me find a 6-32 thumbscrew. I bought one @$0.35. I bought a few other things too. Great place.

Employees are allowed to assault customers here! Owner Dan Dolan please review your employee policies!!!

In my opinion, this is one of the most widely recognized hardware stores in the Portland metro area.

They have a surprising amount of pro quality irrigation supplies. Had everything I needed and more.

They have a good selection of electrical parts and prices are about the same as the big box stores

Hit and miss on staff friendliness. Convenient so you do not have to go to the big bow stores.

I'M very happy with my visit. The man that helped me was wonderful. Thank you so very much.

It's a good place overall, but it's pricey. It's great to find everything you need though.

Lots of helpful information for a repair job. Not trying to sell the most expensive stuff.

Employees are very helpful and selection is surprisingly broad for the size of the store

A-Boys is a not so small neighborhood hardware store with a friendly very helpful staff.

The store has a decent selection but it was very difficult to find a helpful employee.

Local hardware store great for everyday repairs, paint, organic gardening, lighting.

Great neighborhood hardware store. Helpful staff and good selection of hardware.

It's a great place to work and shop at. I learn new things every five minutes.

Great, locally owned hardware store. Excellent selection, wonderful people.

Good for electrical material, plant,s etc. They are always nice and helpful

Full price for off brand stuff. But they had what I needed so there's that.

Staff has always been pretty knowledgeable about what you are looking for

Everybody is so helpful it’s like you’ve been teleported back to the 50s

Enormous assortment of screws, nuts n bolts. Largest I've ever seen.

Great selection of hardware and electrical. Friendly local service.