Drink 2011: Slabtown

1033 NW 16th Ave., 223-0099, 
slabtownbar.net. 3 pm-2:30 am daily.
Slabtown has changed, man. But don’t freak out—it has changed for the better. The owners booted the video poker machines, presumably to make room for more pinball and video games (this place is still like Chuck E. Cheese’s for adults), upgraded the sound system a bit and incorporated a wider range of music into the schedule. The place feels more inclusive, and the building seems further from collapse than ever before. Which is great, because the Slabby is an oasis of awesome in stuffy Northwest Portland. The fact that the local hip-hop community has planted some roots here—alongside the punk and garage-rock constituency already on board—just makes it a bit less predictable and a bit more awesome. Slabtown is the kind of place you can go for an after-work beer and egg sandwich basket and stay until closing without really noticing because you’re a terrible alcoholic. CASEY JARMAN.
What to drink: A PBR tallboy should suffice.
Happy hour: $1 PBRs, $3 well drinks, $1 off food 3-7 pm daily.
Entertainment: Live music, pinball, pingpong, TV, air hockey, Pop-A-Shot, etc.