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’ has happened here – matter of fact – the bar seems a little grim at first glance. Obligatory ripped vinyl seating, poorly patched red and gold ceiling, and patrons who looked somewhat worse for wear on the Saturday afternoon of our visit. “Cocaine”, perhaps aptly, was playing on the jukebox as we arrived and the sad, down-and-out classic rock hits kept coming.

But let me tell ya, those drinks were stiff and that food was good! Nothing fancy, but filling and a fantastic value given the size of the portions. Annette at the bar was quiet but provided us top notch service. The Wishing Well Restaurant & Nightclub is great place to get your drink on and fill the tank before or after a big night out, is our advice.

Address:  8800 N Lombard St – [Google Map]

Website: https://www.wishingwellportland.com/

Quadrant: North Portland

Happy Hours: none listed

Full kitchen: Yes

Jalapeno Poppers: No

Breakfast: No

Outdoor Seating: No seats but there is a smoking shanty, SRO

Distinguishing features: Cheap and good Chinese food, stiff drinks

Co-Conspirator’s Note (Arthur): While the Wishing Well Restaurant has only 3.8 out of 5 stars with 375 Google reviews at the time of this posting, we all kind of agreed that someone just going into the restaurant to get Chinese food might be turned off by discovering the seemingly “grim” bar at the back. The place has a bit of a split personality, but as KC wrote above, the drinks were strong and the food was delicious, and we think the ratings deserve to be taken in the appropriate context!

Words by KC Shomler Author of Falling Out of Love With My Career

Photos by Steven Shomler

Website Wizardry by Arthur Breur

The Wishing Well Photos