Sloan’s Tavern Is a Relaxed Bar Unspoiled by the Bourgeoisie of New Portland

Seating options range from rolling chairs to awkward padded bench seats at the bar, which on any given day can be filled with Blazers fans, lesbians, goth kids or service-industry regulars.

By Brooke Geery
(Christine Dong)

36 N Russell St., 503-287-2262, sloanstavern.com. 11 am-10 pm Monday-Thursday, 11 am-midnight Friday. Happy hour 3-6 pm daily: 50 cents off micros, 25 cents off domestics.

Established: 1979

Sloan's exterior is most notable for the semi truck protruding from its wall, an odd artifact left over from when Bob Sloan worked for Freightliner and converted the building into a truck factory. The northwest corner of the old warehouse is now a relaxed family-run bar unspoiled by time or the bourgeoisie of New Portland. Grandma's penchant for paisley and ornate '70s décor has withstood the years and still adorns the walls and padded portholes to the outside. Seating options range from rolling chairs to awkward padded bench seats at the bar, which on any given day can be filled with Blazers fans, lesbians, goth kids or service-industry regulars, as well the remaining members of the Sloan clan enjoying a burger ($5.75 a la carte) or the popular fish and chips special ($7.95). TVs blare from each corner, silenced only when the jukebox plays, which activates a plastic band to bop along with the music.

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Brooke Geery

Brooke Geery

Brooke Geery spends her days as the queen of Internet snowboarding. Born in Jackson Hole, raised in Vermont and a decade-long resident of Portland, she takes lots of photos and writes about eating, couponing, all things extreme, and is pretty much convinced that you can accomplish anything on Tinder.

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