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 TavernGil’s Speakeasy Tavern
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 TavernStarday Tavern
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 & GrillHolman’s Bar & Grill
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 ...
The Mousetrap TavernThe Mousetrap Tavern
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 TavernGlass House Tavern
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 MorePortland Lager – A Dive Bar Beer And So Much More
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 TrapThe Trap
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 AttractionThe Elvis Room – A Closed Attraction
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 LoungeThe Cosmo Lounge
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 HutSandy Hut
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 PubThe Yamhill Pub
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 ...