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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
