Bar Guide 2014: Lutz Tavern

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4639 SE Woodstock Blvd., 774-0353. 11 am-2:30 am daily.

The Lutz claims to have reclaimed Pabst Blue Ribbon for the modern Portland youth. It's a dubious claim—I credit Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet—but it is true that for decades this old-school, diner-countered, deep-boothed drinking hole managed to serve Reedies, old rockers and rank-and-file preservers of the AFL-CIO to equal satisfaction. And PBR's a union beer, served to young and old alike ($2 tall boys, thanks). Even the bartenders were traditionally split among old and new: one for you, one for me, like a Steven Soderbergh film resume. The bar's been upgraded in recent years, but this mostly just mean's the diner-style food's edible and there's no pay phone. But if you hang around past 11 pm on a Friday, the wild union boys of Woodstock again arrive to reclaim the place, smokin', hootin', hollerin', who cares? It's the Lutz. 

Happy hour: 4-6 pm and 11 pm-2 am daily. Food specials.
Entertainment: Pool, Metallica pinball, patio.

WWeek 2015

Matthew Korfhage

Matthew Korfhage has lived in St. Louis, Chicago, Munich and Bordeaux, but comes from Portland, where he makes guides to the city and writes about food, booze and books. He likes the Oxford comma but can't use it in the newspaper.

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