Dig a Pony: Size Does Matter

Dig a Pony (736 SE Grand, 971-279-4409, digaponyportland.com) is a big bar. Housed in the former Niki’s Restaurant building near the Morrison Bridge, its high, exposed wood-beam ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and good old-fashioned square footage make for one spacious tavern—which is just as well, as this place is already pulling in big crowds. But this is no beer barn: Cozy booths line the walls, allowing groups to stake out their own territory away from DJs, dancers and the eclectic group of punters mingling around the huge, horseshoe-shaped central bar. This diversity in crowd (we spied everyone from rock pigs to suits, and no one looked out of place) coupled with plenty of personal space creates a rare venue that is both cool and largely unpretentious. Cheap, accessible cocktails don’t hurt, either: at $7 to $8 a pop, they’re both boozy and delicious.