129 SW Broadway, 503-227-3023, marysclub.com, 11 am-2:30 am Monday-Saturday, 11:30 am-2:30 am Sunday.

Founded: 1954

As a repressed, conservative teen, I often dreamed about what could be entailed by the "All Nude Revue" advertised by the weathered sign outside Mary's Club. Seeing it as an adult, the tiny club is everything I imagined and more. Few things have changed since the early days when the club catered to merchant marines, as evidenced by the semi-homoerotic mural of strapping men carrying loads of bananas in some tropical locale. Dancers pop and grind on the lone stage, and they pick their own music using a binder full of songs that can be summoned from a neon-glowing jukebox mounted on the wall.

On weekends, Mary's is packed with a rowdy crowd that ranges from roustabouts to sauced C-suiters, all swilling the same cheap beers and well drinks. But Mary's really shines in the intimacy of a weekday night, when the dancers have time to give you attention for as long as your cash lasts.

Bar Story: Mary's came into its current state when it was purchased from the eponymous Mary after she'd won the bar in a divorce settlement. Also, Courtney Love danced here back in the day, and there's a signed picture to prove it. 

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