50 Best Dive Bars in Portland

“Friendly staff, delicious pub food with an interesting twist, a good beer selection, and great cocktails!“

“Been coming here for 4 years now. I always get the chicken burger w/ fries, always tastes great!! Beer and service have also always been great! Been both in the daytime and at night, always a chill crowd of people, from younger 20's to older folk.“

“Best music bar in the city! Good vibes and character all over.“

“First of all---some of the best tomato soup I have EVER had. Unbelievable soup!! Excellent beer selection, clean and comfy accomodations, security on site. The bar service tends to be slow and bare minimum but everything else compensates for that. I am a repeat customer and for your own sake, try the soup.“

“The Montavilla Mic returns on April 8th.“

“Friendly staff, relaxing place with a pool table, outdoor seating; award-winning, best crispy fried chicken & jojos in Portland (made fresh each order, so allow time.) ❤ I love this artful dive bar with an EXCEPTIONALLY CLEAN KITCHEN.“

“One of my all time favorite bars“

“They were a lifesaver during the snowstorm because I was stuck at work for 2 days. Ordered a great burger to go. That was warm and fresh“

“Been going here since the doors opened. Still a home base for me even though I don't live in the neighborhood anymore.“

“Awesome place to grab a brewski. Went here with the wife and had a great time!“

“Was the best time Jon and Me had so so so much... What a fun adventure and entertainment!!!“

“I am pissed that the bartender changed the music from the juke box. I wasted $5. Never heard a single because she listened to what she wanted. Third time this has happened. I am not coming back here and keeping my friends from going here after this.“

“Just what the Doctor ordered. Great little neighborhood bar even if you aren't from the neighborhood.“

“Bar food gets a bad rap. Personally, some of my favorite dine-in meals have been at bars. Twilight Room is one of the best. My husband and I recently visited for lunch. I ordered the fish & chips and my husband ordered a burger. The homemade fries were delicious! We came in for lunch on a weekday, so it wasn't crowded. We ate and played pool for a couple of hours. Our bartender was also great. She gave me some drink recommendations and was extremely attentive. In hindsight, I wish that I would have taken some photos to share.“

“We had their sweet and sour chicken and it was actually really good. The rice was fresh and fluffy and the chicken was crispy and covered in a delicious, sweet and sour sauce. Karaoke was very fun. Operation of the karaoke unit was very professional and the audio was a spot on. No distortion and you could actually hear people sing. The song selection was, of course great and the ambiance and drinks were on par with what you'd expect on a popular bar in Portland. This is a great place to meet with some friends sing some songs. Have some good food and drink some too.“

“We have lived within 2 blocks of Barlow for the last 14 years and had never been.

We went for dinner (were not big drinkers so have no reviews of those) and were impressed with the food!

Had the chicken sandwich, fries, tots, egg salad sandwich and Ceasar salad.

Ate outside very pleasant on a warm evening.“

“Easy place ti sit down with the friends after w long day and get some cheap brews, play some pool and just you wind.

Reminds me of a little place I had back home. Nothing to make you fond of a place quick like some nostalgia.

Food is alright for bar food, longer you’ve been there the better it gets, ig you know what I’m saying.

Overall good little bar and I’d recommend it to anyone passing through the neighborhood with a hankering for a cold one.

Cheers.“

“Good beer selection, nice people, good feel… great location.“

“Super nice staff. Good food Plenty of beers Dig!“

“Great spot. Its a dive bar! Excellent prices, tasty food and good service. The owner is top notch. Know where you're going and you'll love it. Keep expectations on a mellow setting and enjoy. I attended their anniversary celebration recently and it was clear they are a pillar of the community with a great following and history.“

“The bartender was rude & the server was all over the place. Happy hour and specialty cocktails were definitely lacking. But the food was amazing!“

“Watch our the wild goose! Trivia on Sundays!“

“Bartender and charismatic host, Nicholas, delivered us some of the most scrumptious holiday cocktails to wet our whistles last night. He even went as far to make my compatriots and I some homemade and self-engineered jello shots and let me just say: They were mighty yummy. 😋 10/10“

“hipster central good drinks“

“Sharon is such a fun & friendly bartender! Husband won on video poker, my drinks were great I went a sweet drink & husband went with rum & coke.
weekly events are fun too like karaoke and line dancing night! And bonus if you play pokemon go; there’s a pokestop“

“More like Old Gilbert RAD Tavern“

“are house in the middle of the street ... HOME“

“Best spot, best vibes. But man. The chicken Parmesan sando. Two chicken strips on a hoagie with marinara. For real? Bring back the chicken sando. The normal one. With a whole breast and pickles. For the love of god please. I beg you. I love holmans. This chicken parm will bring shame upon your families if you continue to serve it. Please“

“Love this place! Jill is the best. The place is fun and friendly, clean, cheap beers too! Love the live music too!“

“Breakfast this morning was awesome highly recommended 💯 thnx Gen!“

“the best place to shoot pool and now they got karaoke too 😃“

“Went bar hopping for my son's 21st birthday a few weeks ago, and we had a great time at The Slammer. Our bartender who's name I've forgotten (younger man wearing a looney tunes shirt) took excellent care of our party, and made my son a drink he actually finished. Great music and atmosphere. We will definitely be back.“

“This had to be one of the best dive bars in Portland. Drinks were cheap! The had an amazing patio and a great area upstairs with pinball machines and a pool table. This was the highlight of the night. There is food up and down the street from Billy Rays so you’ve got plenty of food options for when you get hungry. It is a classic dive bar so don’t expect bright lights and fancy drinks. This is definitely a local spot!“

“Not many things were open on Christmas during the afternoon but this place was and I spent a few hours here reading a book with fresh drinks aplenty and I was happy about all of it. ⚓️

Vegetarian options: Beer and liquor are available.“

“Great staff and food! Love it here!“

“Best drinks, friendly atmosphere, great bartenders! Especially liked sitting outside on a warm day having a drink with old friends, and making new ones. Always someone there to play pool with and “talk story”.“

“These muh hecka’s put on.

They treat. They meet, they seat, they have nobody that can compete.
It’s an establishment that does complete everything you hoped to see
It’s a good place to displace all the disgrace from 82nd’s open face
Stop in and buy, try, and guide your mouth to exquisitely seasoned simple fair“

“Fir 6 months the owner would blatantly ask to give me felatio or if I would masturbate in my window while he stands across burnside and watches since my apt was directly above the bar. Lastly out of spite and hate he blatantly would ask bro z” suck my nigger dick” When I asked the bartender to tell his boss that I was wto call the police next time, the bartender James ran around the counter and pushed me and my two dogs into traffic and called me a nigger. I was surrounded by 7-9 patrons who all wanted to defend the bar. The bartender then threw a stack of coasters at my face and shoved me again. The owner Duane did nothing. I’ve taken this to the police as well“

“I wanted to write a review because I’m moving away from Portland and the last year Sarah has been my day bartender. She celebrated everyone’s birthday through the year and on my last week living here on my birthday made me a card for regulars to sign and I was even Captain of the ship for a day at one point.
She always has my drink ready, she’s thoughtful and protective in all the ways you would want your local bartender to be. I will always make it a point to come here on her shifts in the future when I find myself in Portland during the day.
She’s introduced me to amazing people; considered me in conversation with others to help me out when I just shared a simple life problem.
She treats everyone here like family and that is what will make me come back and I thank her for the friends I have met here at the ship.
Ps. Food gets one star because I haven’t had the glizzys but they smell good.

Some ships sail the ocean and some ships sails the sea but the best ships are the friendships and may they always be.“

“awesome bartenders here...if you like that kind of thing. 😍“

“The bartender had a great story about a person who ordered a disgusting cocktail. 🙂 And then failed to drink it afterward.“

“Close to home, inexpensive drinks, all the tvs have football, there's keno, 2 pool tables (free on sundays), and slot machines. The other day they let me watch spongebob at 3pm. Who could wish for anything more?!“

“The Daily Double is a quaint neighborhood bar. Fairly clean, nice decor, but one of the fun things to me is the place has a very uneven floor. When you walk out the front door from inside, the floor is very uneven. I always say that is the drunk test. If you can navigate that floor to leave without falling down, then you are sober enough to drive home.“

“It's a proper little dive. Nothing too crazy, cheap enough food, though definitely over salted. Got to to try the East Bay NA beer, which was really good. Morgan (if I remember correctly) was a chill bartender taking good care of her regulars. Outdoor smoking in front was nice, too. Will be back if I have a few hours to kill in the neighborhood again“

“Came down from Edmonton, Alberta for my friends wedding and had such a blast frequenting this place during my stay. People of Portland, I salute you. Great vibes all around the city, and especially this place! Ps. Sorry if I hit anyone with a pool ball or was too loud! Cheers ya'll..“

“love this little hole in the wall, yup one of portland's finest dive bars.On weekends there is a lot of different folks that stop by,Marcee and Stormi always treat them well.“

“Had an amazing time. Friendly bartenders and staff here. Gem treated us with pride and enthusiasm for the job instead of trying just to get money out of people granted women got to make money but You don't have to make it look like that's all you want to do. Will definitely be returning“

“Best dive ever“

“If you’re coming here, do yourself a favor and find a spot at the bar with Reggie. She is hands-down one of the best bartenders around!

​Her drinks are absolutely flawless, and her energy is unmatched. She has an incredible ability to read the room and make everyone feel like a regular the second they sit down. Top-tier service and amazing skills“

“The blond bartender who works the night shift is absolutely wonderful. She is my favorite bartender. If i ever make plans to go grab a couple drinks or play video poker I will literally drive completely out of my way if i know she is working. She is wonderful to talk to. She remembered my name the second time i went there. She just makes the vibe of the bar so much more than any other bars I've been too. I went in a couple times when another bartender was working the night shift, she was a brunette and she was very snappy and i didn't want to be negative but she seemed really ditzy or sorry to say but maybe a little intoxicated in my opinion. But other than her. GREAT BAR!!!“