Reel M Inn
Everybody loves Reel M Inn. Why? Because it is a friendly, approachable dive bar and their fried chicken is so damn good!
It is a small-ish space, appropriately dark and somewhat dingy with graffiti covered bathrooms of a tiny variety. As in, turn to the side to wedge yourself through the bathroom door. But it’s all part of the charm!
On our last Reel M Inn visit it was my first time sitting at the bar and I was delighted by the fishing accoutrements preserved in resin for all of posterity – fishing lures, spinners, weights, flys. Silly fun to look at. There’s also a smattering of high and low tables, bar seats and picnic tables streetside. In addition to the obligatory poker machines, there is a pool table shoe-horned in and various TVs tuned to all kinds of sports to keep yourself entertained as you wait for that glorious chicken. Have one of the 5 craft beers or 1 cider on tap (crap beer available in cans) and stare at your phone or chat with the people in the bar – people are friendly here.
Rita behind the bar was calm and unflappable even when breaking the news gently to patrons that their chicken wait time would be over an hour. That’s just something you must accept when coming here – gonna have to wait for that chicken to be broasted to perfection and these things can’t be rushed. One regular (addressed by name) didn’t even blink an eye at the news his food would take one and a half hours. He just grabbed his Coors Light and proceeded to one of the video poker machines.
Website – https://www.reelminnpdx.com/
Facebook – NA
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/reelminntavern/
Address: 2430 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202 [Google Map]
Quadrant: Southeast
Happy Hours: None posted
Full kitchen: Kind of
Jalapeno Poppers: Yes
Breakfast: No
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Distinguishing features: Cool fishing themed bartop and, of course, their cherished-by-many fried chicken!
Words by KC Shomler Author of Falling Out of Love With My Career & Desperately Dating – Finding True Love is Possible
Photos by Steven Shomler
Website Wizardry by Arthur Breur
Reel M Inn Photos
Over the years we have been to the Reel M Inn quite a number of times – the 58 photos below are from a variety of our visits to this awesome Portland Dive Bar