Portland's Nightlife Scene

Best Bars

Al-Amir Lebanese Restaurant
233 SW Stark Street Portland,
503-274-0010
Al-Amir is known for it's specialty drinks, the "Lebanese Margarita" and the "Snake Shake" .

The Lebansese Margarita , a local favorite, is made with Grand Marnier, Tequila, Amaretto, Sweet & Sour, and Orange Juice. Served on the rocks.

The Snake Shake was invented by Al-Amir's well-known bartender. The Snake Shake includes SKYY Vodka, Kahlua, Baileys, Amaretto & Butterscotch Schnapps, and topped with fresh whipped cream.

Rialto 's
529 SW 4th Portland OR, 503-228-7605
Freshly re-opened! The quintessential pool hall draws diverse crowd. Fantastic juke, cool servers (still friendly!).

Red Sea
318 SW 3rd Portland OR, 503-241-5450
Live world beat and DJs in two separate bar and three dance areas, plus small courtyard. Lots of freaking on the dancefloor. Sidewalk tables available seasonally. BBQ menu served till 2am each night. $2.50 well 7:30-9:30pm. DJ'd world beat, hiphop and house music predominates. Thursdays: live reggae. Sundays: Hiphop with Ebro. Cover usually $6-10. Closed Mon & Tues except for special events.

Kell's
112 SW 2nd Portland OR, 503-227-4057
Cavernous interior warmed up by a fireplace and great staff. Huge whiskey (and whisky!) selection on enormous "library" back bar. Be aware that there are plenty of horny frat types and Irish types trying to get laid. Separate smoking lounge is cozy, clubby cigar room downstairs with large humidor. Sidewalk tables with entertaining view of entrance to next-door underage dance club. Darts. Tasty $3 menu 4-7 M-F

Huber's
411 SW 3rd Portland OR, 503-228-5686
Lovely, well appointed bar is one of the oldest in Portland. Well worth seeing for unique ceiling. Another Blazer stalking stop. Famous for their Spanish Coffees, a drink invented right here in Portland. Ahh, the history! The entrance can be hard to find. Keep looking. $1.95 apps 4-6:30pm & 9:30-cl M-Sat

Pal's Shanty

Portland City Grill
111 SW 5th Ave., 30th Floor, Portland OR 503-450-0030
Totally transformed former Atwater's maximizes the killer view in a considerably expanded bar area. Jazzy, AMC-era soundtrack and live piano (-bar), suits 40s-style mise-en-scène. Fully outfitted J. Crew type crowd vies for the hotly coveted booths, and it can get downright ugly if you linger too long at the window seats. "Non-smoking" and "smoking" areas separated only by an (un?)intentionally humorous, completely ineffectual sign (although it's quite well-ventilated for the non-smoking impaired). Pleasantly officious bartenders (including one of my former "protégés", Sammy). Late night happy hour brings in more of a mixed-bag clientele. Open 11am-12am w/d, 11am-1am Fri, 4pm-1am Sat, 4pm-10pm Sun. Impressively extensive $1.95-$3.95 menu served 4:30-6:30pm Monday-Saturday, and again, 10pm-12am Monday-Thursday, and all night after 4pm Sundays

Entertainment

Live Music

Doug Fir

Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St Portland, (503) 225-0047
A night of music and dancing at the renowned Crystal Ballroom offers a chance to tap into Portland's cultural roots. Located three stories up, the ballroom boasts an impressive history--from jazz in the early 20th century and dancing during the Depression era to soul music concerts by such artists as James Brown, Marvin Gaye and the Ike and Tina Turner Revue in the '60s. For many locals, however, it's the psychedelic sounds of the Grateful Dead, the Electric Prunes and Buffalo Springfield that evoke the strongest flashbacks.

The Roseland
8 NW Sixth Ave Portland,   (503) 224-2038
Whether it's Ziggy Marley, Motörhead or Medeski Martin & Wood, the Roseland is hoppin' almost every night of the week. Decent stage views can be had from virtually everywhere. The balcony gets a little stuffy at times, but offers excellent visibility and its own bar. The sound is usually great--which is probably why Little Feat recorded its last live album here.

The Alladin
3017 SE Milwaukie Portland OR (503)-233-1994 Aladdin Theater Website

Best Brew Pubs

Bridgeport Brewpub
1313 N.W. Marshall Portland, OR 97209, (503) 241-7179
BridgePort is Oregon's Oldest Craft BreweryT. 1999 is a milestone year celebrating a 15-year mark in the craft brewing industry. Since the opening of our brewery in 1984, we have grown to be one of Portland's most popular breweries and brewpubs.

McMenamin's Kennedy School

The McMenamin brothers own a bazillion brew pups throughout the Portland Area. They make all their own beer on site which is always good but there are better. Many of the pubs are very ordinary but there are a few that are extraordinary and this is one of them. They converted an old School into a combination Hotel/Restaurant/Brewery/Bar/Movie Theater. The food is earthy and very reasonably priced. The highlight of this place is the funky surreal art which can be found everywhere you look. Great for a burger and a beer night.

Portland Brewing Company
2730 N.W. 31st Avenue, Portland, (503) 228-5269
The BrewHouse is the result of a major expansion, back in 1995, by the Portland Brewing Co ., funded mainly by a stock offering. Times have been a bit rough since then as the growth curve of the craft brewing industry flattened, and the BrewHouse is now Portland Brewing 's only brewery and pub-restaurant, as the brewery closed its Flanders Street location in 1998. The BrewHouse is big, bright, and attracted a substantial amount of business over the last few years, especially at weekends. During fine weather, the umbrella-protected tables fill up out on the front patio, with plenty of happy drinkers enjoying the ales and the hearty food.

Widmer (Gaust Haus and Brewpub)
955 N Russell St Portland,  (503) 281-3333
Opened in 1996 and nestled in the historic Smithson & McKay Brothers Building near the Fremont Bridge, this popular establishment buzzes with the sound of jovial banter. A vast main dining area surrounded in brick, wood and vintage German pub signs accommodates after-work crowds in comfy bench seats. Cozier quarters in the adjacent room envelop the grand bar accentuated with three beautifully ornate brass and ceramic tap towers. Floor-to-ceiling glass provides a view of the enormous brewing tanks.
website

Here, it's all about the brew and tasty German fare. Enjoy the famous Hefeweizen, sip a hoppy IPA, a fruity Widberry or sample a seasonal beer. Menu items feature German-style dishes like schnitzel, sausages and spaetzle. Even so, don't ignore traditional pub-grub cravings. Selections range from buffalo wings and burgers to sandwiches, salads and desserts. Try a float made with handcrafted root beer.

Amnesia Brewing - Biggest Recyced Building
832 N Beech Street Portland, (503)-281-7708
The perfect neighborhood brewery for a summer's day. Bring your best buddies - animal, mineral, vegetable. Live music, tasty sausages, nice people.
A brewpub where you're practically sittin' in the mash, in an old converted warehouse with high ceilings and garage doors open to the air (seasonally, that is). Great housemade beers. Eye candy staff who are friendly and mellow. A very laid back atmosphere - has a european feel to it. On "hip" Mississippi Street, so the crowd is slightly yuppie, but barhopping is a breeze. Great food (and cheap!), everything cooked outside in the beer garden on a grill. Pints o' peanuts, pretzels and Cheezits, too! Live music most nights, no cover and other events coming soon. $2.75 microbrew pints, $5 Blackberry Mead, $5 wine 4-6pm M-F. Mondays: Bingo + S.I.N. $2.75 pints all night. Frequent bluegrass nights. Thursdays: Live jazz. Wednesdays: Live rock/punk. (H. Kartman)