The Blue Diamond

By Parker Hall

Long considered the best blues dive in Portland, the Blue Diamond glimmered—as usual—with middle-aged men in ponytails when we popped in recently, flocking to hear their favorite local guitar man and inviting their wives to come along "if she feels like it." The Diamond is a dignified and clean sort of dive bar, the kind of special place that easily blends video poker and Jell-O shots with a fresh-pressed margarita ($8). A lot of regulars probably own a Jimmy Buffet record, but that's OK: They still get down to hip bluesmen like Robert Cray, whose touring keyboard player just so happened to be onstage this April.

Happy hour: 4-7 pm Monday-Friday. Food specials, including $6.75 chicken wings and $5.75 black bean nachos.

Entertainment: Live music nightly, dancing, video poker.

2016 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-230-9590, bluediamondpdx.net. 10:30 am-1 am Monday-Friday, 5 pm-1 am Saturday, 5-10 pm Sunday.

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