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1. Scandals
1125 SW Stark St., 503-227-5887, scandalspdx.com.
Friendly staff and even friendlier regulars make Scandals' "gay Cheers" reputation feel accurate instead of eye roll-inducing. On a Sunday afternoon, it reads as a sleepy gay dive, but its well known for its annual Pride block parties, as well as a party-starting live stage.
2. Little Beast
3412 SE Division St., 503-820-7721, littlebeastbrewing.com.
A welcome respite from a New Portland beer scene overcrowded with garage doors and concrete, Little Beast is a retooled yellow bungalow with 16 taps, a smattering of indoor seating and a massive half-covered outdoor area that serves as the liquor-licensed front yard you never had, complete with blankets for picnic-style drinking on the lawn.
3. No Vacancy Lounge
235 SW 1st Ave., novacancylounge.com.
Our 2018 Bar of the Year is the most ambitious club experience the Rose City has seen in years, one that scales easily from a rowdy Friday with a touring DJ from Norway to a mellow weeknight happy hour.
4. Stag
317 NW Broadway, 971-407-3132, stagpdx.com.
Decked out like your favorite Instagram model's leather-clad bachelor pad, Stag isn't what you'd expect one of the West Coast's only gay strip clubs to look like. But the bar is equally as popular with the locals for Testify!, its Sunday drag brunch extravaganza.
5. North 45
517 NW 21st Ave., 503-248-6317, north45pub.com.
The former Wimpy's space has been rehabbed nicely into a Pottery Barn-like place with excellent pommes frites and an even better back patio to eat them on. If you're looking for a place to watch the World Cup, expect this Timbers Army hangout to have all the action on its outdoor big screen.