Portland Dive Bars Passport Launch Party at Slim’s, Sunday Oct 1st Noon to 2 PM! We are stoked to report that volume 1 of the Portland Dive Bars Passport is ready for your dive bar adventure pleasure. A launch party to celebrate seems in order, so we will be ...
The Cheerful Tortoise The Cheerful Tortoise in downtown Portland is nestled within a patch of high-rise dorms warehousing scads of Portland State University students. It is a bona-fide dive bar, but firmly under the subheading of college dive bar. Slinging beer and food since 1951, the space is a rabbit ...
Scooter McQuade’s Pass by the spacious covered outdoor area and enter into the dark, long and skinny dive bar that is Scooter McQuade’s (aka “Scooter’s”). In business since 1989, it looks much older than that. In an antique sort of way, not a rode-hard-and-put-away-wet kind of way. The mirror-backed bar ...
Our First Ever Meet Up Was Awesome! On Sunday August 27, 2023, at 11:30 AM we had our out first ever Portland Dive Bars Meet Up at the Sandy Hut and we had a blast! It was so much fun to raise a glass & enjoy great food with all ...
Brunch Meet Up at the Sandy Hut Sunday August 27 at 11:30 AM! Hold onto your hats because we are having our first ever Portland Dive Bars meet-up! Come on down and see us at the Sandy Hut on Sunday August 27. We will be there at the civilized ...
St Johns: A Portland Dive Bar Wonderland What’s up with the St Johns neighborhood in Portland and why are there so many good dive bars there? Well, a peek at the history of this chunk of North Portland reveals blue collar roots and an industrial heritage since being incorporated as ...
Slim’s Restaurant & Lounge – 2023 Update Slim’s Restaurant & Lounge was one of our very first dive bar articles from the pre-pandemic days (read our original review from 2019 here – https://www.portlanddivebars.com/slims-restaurant-and-lounge/) Reportedly first established in 1911, it felt right to revisit this iconic spot for an update and ...
Marie’s We weren’t planning to stop at Marie’s, but the deliciously dark interior sucked us right in on our way to Slim’s. Little did we know, that was just the beginning because this crazy place is actually three bars in one! Walk into Marie’s and you find a somewhat standard, ...
The Wishing Well Restaurant and Nightclub My age is showing, but I kept hearing the lyrics from that 80s song as we walked into the ‘nightclub’ area of The Wishing Well Chinese Restaurant and Nightclub… “A wishing well to kiss and tell”. I don’t know how much kissin’ and tellin’ ...
Blue Bird Tavern We hit this spot at the tail end of an extensive research day in St John’s. Every and I mean EVERY bartender in the area knew the Blue Bird Tavern and either looked at us askance or made comments to the effect of “good luck with that” ...
Your Inn Tavern Look beyond the unfortunate name of the Your Inn Tavern (say the first two words fast and think of waterfalls) and what you will find is an historic Portland dive bar. Open since 1923, this is a charming little spot on a sleepy street in the St ...
The Perch Bar & Grill The Perch Bar & Grill is a neighborhood institution and has been in operation since the 1940s as near as anyone can tell. And our bartender/cook/waitress Lori has been here for 28 years, so she should know the history better than damn near anyone. Apparently, ...
The Ranger Tavern The Ranger Tavern is the Cheers of dive bars. Don’t understand that reference? Brush up on your 80s tv. In a nutshell, it’s a place where everyone knows your name. Their motto even speaks to this ethos: “Never a stranger at The Ranger Tavern”! Comfortable and welcoming, ...
Island Cafe How bougie did I feel pulling up to Island Cafe aboard a boat owned by some dear friends and fellow dive bar enthusiasts? Pretty damn bougie! But, Island Café rapidly brought me down several notches. Despite the enviable waterfront location smack dab in the middle of the Columbia ...
Park City Pub First off, I wanna lobby to bring back the former name of this establishment because it is so incredibly awesome: “Sir Loin’s”! Why would anyone ever change that name? I’m still chuckling to myself. That being said, I think the present, blander name fits the current incarnation. ...
Sloan’s Tavern – In Memoriam “Sloan’s Tavern Is Closing” – https://bridgetownbites.com/2022/05/19/sloans-tavern-is-closing-portland-oregon/ We’ve been itching to get to this place and so glad we finally did! Especially since word on the street is they are closing for good at the end of this year (2022). And that’s a damn shame. This ...
The Low Tide Lounge We were en-route to check out a different dive bar when this little gem appeared and we immediately put on the brakes to stop at The Low Tide Lounge. So glad we did! Have you ever known a dive bar in Portland without video poker machines? ...
Over Easy Bar Serendipity led us to while away an hour at The Over Easy Bar (AKA The Over Easy Bar and Breakfast) on the corner of the 6 points in St Johns. Jason welcomed us in for a greasy breakfast and a stiff, see-through breakfast cocktail to start the ...
The Korner Pocket Bar What a comfortable, friendly and thoughtful place! Not words I commonly use to describe a dive, but Korner Pocket is Rachel’s bar and that’s how she does it. How considerate of them to open at 7am! Too bad there is no breakfast on offer, but there ...
Da’ Hui Bar & Grill Portland is truly a magnificent city – host to not just one, but two full blown tiki themed dive bars. That we know of! Somehow this absolute gem escaped our notice for years. Discovered by accident en route to another dive in the neighborhood, we ...
Rumpus Room The name “Rumpus Room” gives me visions of a 1970’s era basement lair with rust colored shag carpeting, triangle shaped ashtrays, earth toned velveteen couches and a cheeky wet bar serving up cheap pull tab topped beers and Reunite on ice for the ladies…ok, back from fantasy land. ...
George’s Corner Tavern I was so hungry when we arrived at George’s Corner Tavern only to be greeted with a view of a burned-out side building (courtesy of the friendly local arsonist) and news that the fried chicken we had been dreaming about was not available today as a result. ...
Yur’s Bar and Grill Provided you can get to it, Yur’s Bar and Grill is a solid dive bar. It’s kinda tricky to navigate; you start to question and/or curse your GPS for taking you in endless circles, but then, the clouds part, the sun shines and Yur’s finally appears. ...
Donnie Vegas Talk about a thirst trap; Donnie Vegas’ Instagram account had us thirsting for a trip to this honest-to-goodness dive bar for a frequently featured “Frosé”. Whatever the fuck that is! One sunny summer day we wandered in to find out what all of the hubbub was about. Imagine ...
The Slammer Tavern It’s impossible to be unhappy at The Slammer Tavern because everyday is Christmas!! No joke – Christmas décor, tchotchkes and extensive lights adorn every surface (somewhat concerning from a fire safety standpoint, but danger is part of the charm of dive bars, IMHO). I get a little ...
Anchor Bar Well, it is a dive bar, I’ll say that much. Not exceptional, but Anchor Bar is more than serviceable. Should you find yourself nearing the wilds of Vancouver and in need of a good stiff drink or a quick bite to eat, you can comfortably do so at ...
Billy Ray’s Dive Billy Ray’s Dive is a garden variety, pleasant enough neighborhood dive bar. I wouldn’t drive across town for it again, but would probably hang out there once in a while if I lived nearby. It has a calm vibe and the regulars seemed happy enough. The copper ...
The Candlelight Restaurant and Lounge Business in the front, party in the back! Yep, it’s the mullet of dive bars. The Candlelight Restaurant and Lounge looks like your garden variety seedy Chinese restaurant at first, but this one has a dive bar attached. It’s pretty clean inside, which was ...
Gil’s Speakeasy Tavern Gotta admit, I’m a sucker for below street level bars. Something about descending into the depths of a dingy dive bar, it feels like you’re getting away with something naughty. Gil’s Speakeasy Tavern is a fantastic spot. Small, but not claustrophobic. 2 rooms, pool table, shuffleboard, video ...
Starday Tavern Name another bar where the house dog greets you at the door. Well, this is Portland, so maybe there are others, but none that I have encountered. Genghis is a ball of friendly canine delight that sets the tone in this classic dive bar. Starday Tavern has great ...
Holman’s Bar & Grill The question was hanging over us and we needed to settle it – is Holman’s Bar & Grill (AKA “Holman’s Restaurant”) a dive or just a divey restaurant? Well… let’s just say it swings both ways. Two thirds of it is a regular diner-y restaurant and ...
Mousetrap Tavern Mousetrap Tavern is a cute neighborhood-y place. It’s a little light inside and the service is a bit too friendly for this to be a traditional dive bar. It has a good long bar with comfy barstools which have backs for when you are ready to belly ...
Glass House Tavern Glass House Tavern is a bargain hunter’s dream Wow, what a hidden gem! And hidden in plain sight right next to 205. From the outside we were worried it might veer from dive bar into just plain scary bar territory, but we were pleasantly surprised after stepping ...
Portland Lager – A Dive Bar Beer And So Much More At last! Cheap, easy-drinking beer without the spooky sweetness that portends a gnarly headache-heavy hangover. Just clean, crisp beer beer. Maybe physical labor reward beer. Or, I should really drink water but beer sounds better beer. Hot day by ...
The Trap Rhymes with… We went into this dive bar so you don’t have to! I guess The Trap is technically a dive bar; for a decidedly middle aged white clientele. There’s the obligatory video poker machines, a menu featuring a whole lotta fried foods (I mean A LOT, but ...
The Elvis Room – A Closed Attraction Update – The Elvis Room Closed Early 2021 and a bar called Good Luck Charm occupied it’s space from May 2021 through March 2022. Doc Marie’s now occupies this space. . The Elvis Room – Honorable Mention Nov 2019 We went back and forth ...
The Cosmo Lounge The Cosmo Lounge is the quintessential dive bar. Pleasingly dark with lots of bar stools complete with the always-a-good-sign ripped-vinyl seats, scattered tables, and a surly bartendress. There’s fun, cheesy velvet art, an assortment of B movie posters, and even framed bad 80’s albums on the walls. ...
Sandy Hut This place is retro heaven, it is the hut of huts. We ventured in to Sandy Hut on a Sunday morning for breakfast, undeterred by the pile of puke on the sidewalk outside the front door. Somebody had a fun Saturday night. We were greeted by stellar mid-century ...
The Yamhill Pub In a word: wow. This is a dive. I mean really a dive. Not a Portland kinda dive, a real, honest to goodness dive bar. The kind where you fear for your life a little – from the other patrons, from getting diseases from the glassware, from ...
The Alibi Tiki Lounge Iconic Portland destination Dive Bar. When you look up “Dive Bar” in the dictionary, a picture of The Alibi Tiki Lounge should appear. It has it all! So dark you can’t tell if it is night or day once you disappear inside (and there’s a reasonable ...
Slim’s Restaurant & Lounge Slim’s Restaurant & Lounge is very much a Portland style dive bar – Slim’s has excellent food and tap list in a pleasingly divey setting. Dark and smelly with a sticky floor, don’t-stay-too-long barstools and an awesome menu with solid beer and whiskey selections. Fun old ...
Dots Cafe Dots Cafe has a delightfully divey vibe. Pleasingly dark space with fun light fixtures, retro flocked wallpaper and numerous dusty old cheesy velvet paintings on the walls. We sat in the best seat in the house – a booth beneath velvet Elvis, of course. Dots is for sure ...
The Twilight Room, AKA The T Room A close associate and U.P. grad highly recommended The Twilight Room and we were not disappointed. HUGE place, looks like it has been expanded multiple times over the years to accommodate its loyal clientele that appears to be a mix of U.P. students, ...
The Two Point Inn AKA The Two Point Inn Tavern We were headed to the Twilight Room and couldn’t resist ducking into this cute lil’ dive bar! Two Point Inn (AKA The Two Point Inn Tavern) is tiny with just one long line of 10-12 barstools, but they still managed ...
Mad Hanna From the outside, Mad Hanna is in a non-descript and a touch scary building in a random neighborhood, but behind the door lies an oasis! I never thought a dive bar could be pretty, but this one kinda is, oddly. Cozy, dark with fun and quirky décor; everything ...
The Lay Low Tavern It was a balmy summer night when we first wandered into the Lay Low. And so glad we did! This place has it all – dark, right size, great music playing, friendly and efficient bartender with a heavy hand. The memory of years of cigarette smoking ...
Railside Pub Is it open? Hard to tell since the only vehicle parked in the lot at Railside Pub was a hearse, but we ventured in anyway. What a hidden gem! Perfect size, cozy but not claustrophobic. Clean without the acrid smell of industrial strength disinfectant. Lighter than most dives, ...
The Spare Room We almost drove right past the Spare Room Restaurant & Lounge, not because it is tiny, but more because it is a weirdly nondescript monstrosity. But inside, it hits all of the right notes! Dark and dingy with the lingering aroma of bleach in the air. It’s ...
What is a Dive Bar? Plenty of people profess to know what a dive bar is, but are sadly mistaken. They think every bar is a dive bar. Or that their beloved local spot is a dive, just because they hang out there with their friends every Saturday night drinking ...
Inspired By Her Steven Shomler and KC Shomler, AKA Diana Prince, had their first ever date at a dive bar on Sept 13, 2017. Steven loved that KC loved dive bars as much as he does. Almost immediately, the idea for this project began rattling around in Steven’s head… On ...
About Portland Dive Bars Portland Dive Bars is a passion project that celebrates and highlights the great dive bars we have here in Portland, Oregon. The contributors are local writer “KC is me” AKA Diana Prince, and Portland Author Steven Shomler. Eventually this project will be a book, until then look ...
Follow Portland Dive Bars You can follow Portland Dive Bars here – Facebook — www.facebook.com/Portland-Dive-Bars Instagram account — www.instagram.com/portlanddivebars KC Shomler You can follow Portland Dive Bars Writer KC Shomler here – Website https://www.recipesaremerelyasuggestion.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KCShomler Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kc.is.me/ Falling Out Of Love With My Career If you like KC’s writing for Portland Dive ...