Something New In Old Town

Old Town taproom PINTS (12 NW 5th Ave, 564-2739, pintsbrewing.com) finally brings something new to Portland's bar scene: a small, plain room with hospital-chic white neon lighting; uncomfortable cafe seating; an unremarkable lineup of nine local tap beers (mostly pale ales) at standard prices ($4 to $5 a pint, $1 off during happy hour), no food—save for some free chips and dip to appease Portland's liquor laws—generic easy listening jazz; and a clientele of middle-management types. Yes, PINTS (a coffee shop by day) has succeeded in creating a bar so bland and so charmless that it is 100 percent hipster-free. Portland's pretty young things may have overrun every other rock, sports, cocktail, gay and dive bar in town, but fortysomething Kenny G fans can rest assured that PINTS has zero appeal—ironic or otherwise—to anyone else. In this town, that is truly exceptional.

WWeek 2015

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.