Church goes through a variety of Portland lives every week: It's a cool indie bar with an ironic name and theme that has live rock music on Monday nights and DJs who occasionally put on a Shins track. Church serves Portland bar food classics like hush puppies ($6) and a decent mac and cheese ($9). It mixes up interesting cocktails like the Great Fire ($7 during happy hour), a tequila drink that includes dill and cayenne and goes down easy, despite the bite. On the weekend, it turns into a dance club, with a line down the block and a more diverse clientele than most other places in the neighborhood. And recently, Church added a surprisingly pleasant patio in the parking lot, complete with white string lights and picnic tables. Now you can sit outside and drink one of the rotating slushies without the traffic on Sandy killing your vibe. LIZZY ACKER.
Happy hour: 4-7 pm daily. $5 house punch, $5 food, $7 cocktails, $1 off house wine.
Entertainment: Live music, DJs and a photo booth that's a confessional.
2600 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-206-8962, churchbarpdx.com. 4 pm-2 am daily.
Willamette Week