Dink 2011: Crab Bowl

In the proud tradition of college bars so gloriously ramshackle they appear to have been imported directly from an Eastern Bloc nation, Crab Bowl is your best opportunity to sing karaoke in an attic without paying for an A/V system. Located somewhere deep down Barbur Boulevard, this institution (beloved by Lewis & Clark students) has a ground-floor dining room that may occasionally serve crab; upstairs, there’s a refrigerator stocked with Jell-O shots, walls decorated with photos of John Wayne and Al Capone, and a side room with deep couches covered in throw pillows. (There’s also a smoking porch, which is often more populated than the actual bar.) The karaoke attendance is at the mercy of L&C kids, but if you drop in on a quiet night, you can meet the affable regulars, some of whom are also the owners, and nearly all of whom share a devout respect for Les Miserables. AARON MESH.
What to drink: Ninkasi Total Domination IPA.
Happy hour: Thursday night is ladies’ night, with $1 off well drinks and PBR, and two-for-one Jell-O shots.
Entertainment: Karaoke, pinball, TV, couches with a lot of pillows.