contents
PUB
CRAWLS
BREWPUBS
BREW
CLUB PROFILE
BRITISH,
IRISH
CHI-CHI
COCKTAILS
THE
SCIENCE OF DRINKING
FUN
AND GAMES
KARAOKE
OLD
MEN
OUTDOORS
SPORTS
BARS
THE
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
WINE
WINE
WORDS
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Portland's gay and lesbian bars are some of its most democratic
establishments. They don't usually have a prevailing age
group or aesthetic--people are there because they're queer,
not because they all like swing dancing, speed metal or
single-malt Scotch. No use trying to fit in or keep a low
profile; it just doesn't matter when the crowd is old and
young, white-collar and blue-collar, a little bit country
and a little bit rock 'n' roll. As a result these bars defy
easy categorization, and many are hybrids of sorts: supper
club and pool hall; danceteria and dive bar. They're also
some of the most relaxed social environments, where being
family is enough to get you into a conversation with strangers
or a game of pool.
That said, there are still plenty of differences between
the gay bars in town, what they offer and who you'll meet
there. Some of these places get crowded on weekend nights
and as a result may have a cover charge; call ahead for
details. If you're wondering why your favorite queer club
isn't mentioned, it's probably because it offers another
genre of entertainment. Since Beervana highlights drinking
establishments, we didn't include clubs such as Embers and
the Silverado, where the focus is dancing.
BOXXES
Connected by hallways to dance clubs the Brig and Panorama,
tiny Boxxes offers an escape when Saturday-night breeder
activity on the dance floor grows nauseating. The catwalk,
wall of video screens and black-and-chrome fixtures give
off the cold "I'm too sexy" vibe of an L.A. bar; the room
is dark, the Janet Jackson is loud and the conversation
is minimal. If you're feeling down, this place won't cheer
you up, but the unrelenting beat and parade of young flesh
will distract you from dwelling on past troubles--and you
might just meet a new one lurking on the corner couch. Next
door, the Brig has expanded with a new restaurant and bar
area call the Red Cap Garage, which should keep the weekend
traffic more manageable in all three clubs. Better yet,
opt for dollar-drink night on Thursdays.
1035 SW STARK ST. (ENTER ON 11TH AVENUE), 226-4171.
OPEN DAILY. BEER AND LIQUOR.
EGYPTIAN CLUB
This is a girl bar, and like girls, it kicks ass. There's
a fun-lovin', rough-and-tumble vibe in the air, and it's
contagious--even if you're shy, you may find yourself dancing
dirty with a stranger or buying drinks for the cute baby
dykes playing pool. (Best try that trick on a Thursday,
when it's dollar-drink night.) The décor is in the
popular rec-room genre: You notice beer signs, video-poker
machines and pool tables more than the few Egyptian-theme
trinkets. The front room is for bumming cigarettes, flirting
at the jukebox and watching Xena: Warrior Princess
on Friday nights. The back room, with its dance floor and
vague dungeon motif, is for tossing back a few for courage
and grinding to Nine Inch Nails' "Closer."
3701 SE DIVISION ST., 236-8689.
OPEN DAILY. BEER AND LIQUOR.
HOBO'S
Hobo's harks back to the days when a butch was a butch
and a femme was a femme. The classy dining room, beautiful
old wooden bar, abundant flower arrangements and fresh-scrubbed
waiters remind us of days when couples dressed up for an
evening out--and many older patrons still do here, especially
on a Saturday night when the piano-bar scene is going full
tilt. The game room in back feels like an entirely different
bar. It's where regulars head after work to play pool and
shoot darts--but not before stopping by the front bar to
give the attractive young waiters an appreciative pinch.
120 NW 3RD AVE., 224-3485.
CLOSED SUNDAYS. BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR.
JOQ'S TAVERN
They call it "Cheers for Queers," and while Joq's doesn't
have that bar's classy old Boston look or saucy staffers,
it is indeed a place where everybody knows your name. Old
and young men mix easily at this neighborhood bar, drinking
pitchers of MacTarnahan's or Rainier, shooting pool and
helping themselves to free cigarettes from the glass mug
on the counter. There's no prevailing theme at this low-key
one-room watering hole: The walls sport macho mounted marlins,
black-and-white boy-toy posters and a half-clad mannequin,
while delicate mobiles dangle from the ceiling. The guys
who hang out here don't seem to care. They're just glad
that Joq's serves $1 pounders every day until 7 pm and that
Cliff Clavin is straight.
2512 NE BROADWAY, 287-4210.
OPEN DAILY. BEER ONLY.
SCANDALS
Scandals recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, which
means it's the oldest gay bar in town. It's not hard to
picture this place as a late-'70s hangout; with its big
canvas umbrellas, hanging plants and crowd of middle-aged
guys, there's still a tendril of fern bar in the air. Who
cares? It makes Scandals that much more engaging: no bitchy
runway posturing here. This place puts the gay in gay bar.
Everyone seem to be in a great mood, especially the sweet
young things behind the bar, who might come over and do
a little dance at your table if you look like you'd appreciate
it. Stop by on Tuesdays for dollar drinks.
1038 SW STARK ST., 227-5887.
OPEN DAILY. BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR.
12TH AVENUE GRILL
Aside from its secret name (the owners wanted to call it
Dicks, but the city wouldn't go for it), the newest addition
to the queer-club circuit is a little nondescript. The main
room is a restaurant during early hours, and the décor
reflects this with a bland classiness; two sleek wood bars
keep the drinks flowing and lend a cosmopolitan, hotel-bar
ambience reminiscent of a Sade video. But luckily the good-sized
crowd of young men and women make up for the bar's lack
of personality; everyone present seems psyched to finally
have a new gay hangout. Make it an early pit stop on the
Thursday dollar-drink tour.
1135 SW WASHINGTON ST., 243-2181.
OPEN DAILY. BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR.
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