16. Produce Row Café
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 232-8355
Address: 204 Southeast Oak St.
Description: For a long time, the Produce Row Café was a little lonely, serving up beer and playing great tunes in the inner Southeast industrial district. But now it looks like a pioneer, since this area is the leading edge of the culinary scene (see Olympic Provisions and Clarklewis in the Restaurants chapter). Produce Row has been refurbished into a handsome bar and the deck has been refreshed, but it still offers an excellent selection of beer and ales, good pub food, genuine friendly service, and a variety of live music offerings ranging from jazz to bluegrass to folk. The vibe is very low-key and friendly, with lots of great local bands.
17. Sapphire Hotel
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 232-6333
Address: 5008 Southeast Hawthorne Blvd.
Description: The Sapphire Hotel is a seductive little spot at the very eastern end of Hawthorne Boulevard—good for a date, since there are some plush chairs and sofas, where you can sip well-constructed cocktails and gaze into one another’s eyes. There are multiple happy hours at various times of the day, as well as quite good appetizers. They have an especially thoughtful antipasti plate. This place has a romantic soul, but it has a practical side too, and if you have too many cocktails, they’ll reach into the common fund and buy you a cab ride home.
18. Biddy Mcgraw’S Irish Pub
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 233-1178
Address: 6000 Northeast Glisan St.
Description: This place is an unkitschy, unpretentious Irish bar with a great community feel. Biddy’s offers more than creamy Guinness: it also serves up some of the best Irish food in the city, complemented with about 20 imports, microbrews, and hard liquor. Most evenings Biddy’s offers live and authentic Irish music.
19. Laurelthirst Public House
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 232-1504
Address: 2958 Northeast Glisan St.
Description: Laurelthirst is a fine Portland neighborhood pub with a talented and creative kitchen, a variety of microbrews, and a good wine selection. It’s popular for brunch, and they are deft with vegan food. They also draw some of Portland’s most sought-after musicians as well as emerging talent. The pub itself has great atmosphere: Brick walls and plenty of rough-hewn wood lend it character, and the postage stamp–size stage makes the music experience intimate.
20. Mississippi Studios
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 753-4473
Address: 3939 North Mississippi Ave.
Insider Pick:
Description: Part recording studio, part concert venue, Mississippi Studios attracts artists from all over to their excellent space. Here, musicians such as Kristin Hersh, Rickie Lee Jones, John Gorka, and Freedy Johnston have all recorded or performed or both. It’s a great place to see a show, with a beautiful outdoor garden, bistro, and bar adjacent (called Mississippi Station).
21. White Eagle Saloon
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 282-6810
Address: 836 North Russell St.
Description: The White Eagle Saloon—which is now one of the McMenamin brothers’ taverns—is indeed a raucous joint when the sun goes down, when people come to dance their blues away. The old brick building is narrow and long, so when you go inside the place, it seems like you’re in an elongated basement except for the high ceiling. The crowded feeling can be claustrophobic, but that same closeness makes the enthusiasm more contagious when the bands turn up the heat. Plus, it helps protect you against the ghosts that are thought to roam the well-storied building, which at one point was a stop on the “Shanghai tunnel network.”
22. Rialto Poolroom, Bar & Cafe
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 228-7605
Address: 529 Southwest 4th Ave.
Description: Minnesota Fats may have felt at home in this downtown pool hall with its 15 full-size Brunswick tables, full bar, sumptuous menu, and downstairs off-track betting. In fact, a photo of Jackie Gleason portraying the legendary stick-man in The Hustler is prominently displayed in the bar. Open every day of the year, the Rialto offers a rack of balls and a long stretch of green by the hour, with daily specials—and not just on the food and drink.
23. Sam’S Hollywood Billiards
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 282-8266
Address: 1845 Northeast 41st Ave.
Description: Sam’s has 13 gorgeous 8-foot pool tables and quality pool cues to match. The bar offers a dozen microbrews, and the kitchen prepares a variety of reasonably priced sandwiches and fried foods. We like Sam’s because this neighborhood joint is friendly and steady, an excellent atmosphere in which to practice your bank shots.
24. Touché
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 221-1150
Address: 1425 Northwest Glisan St.
Description: Touché has a beautiful and competent restaurant downstairs and a fun, smaller pool room upstairs. It’s popular, so you will probably wait for a table, but the friendly bartenders will keep you happy as you do.
25. Uptown Billiards Club
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 226-6909
Address: 120 Northwest 23rd Ave.
Description: This is a great pool room with a mellow vibe during the week, and a hopping one on weekends. In addition to its cocktails, Uptown has a great wine selection—plus an excellent happy hour Tues through Sat (which are the days it is open). In addition to the tables, you can play darts and sometimes they will set up the Ping-Pong table for you.
26. Comedysportz
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 236-8888
Address: 1963 Northwest Kearney St.
Description: Comedysportz is an improv club—its schtick is to have comedic teams, a referee, and audience participation to create the evening’s entertainment. The audience chooses the “winners.” Jokes must be clean, so you can take the kids, and the high audience participation rate makes it fun for groups. They also offer classes and workshops, so you can work on bringing out your inner Zach Galifianakis.
27. Darcelle Xv
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 222-5338
Address: 208 Northwest 3rd Ave.
Description: Darcelle is a classic Portland female impersonator who puts on a fun Las Vegas–style cabaret revue Wed through Sat. On Fri and Sat, Men of Paradise, a Chippendale-style male strip show, takes over at midnight. Unsurprisingly, Darcelle XV is a big favorite with bachelorette parties, but if you want to bring yours, be sure to call ahead to reserve a seat.
28. Harvey’S Comedy Club
City: Portland, OR
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (503) 241-0338
Address: 436 Northwest 6th Ave.
Description: This is the longest-running comedy club in Portland. Locals sharpening their act, as well as well-known stand-up comics on national tours, crack up audiences with witty banter. Harvey’s has no drink minimums and no purchase required other than tickets to the show.