LGBTQ+ Bar Misfits on Northeast 82nd Avenue Announces Closure

The Madison South neighborhood LGBTQ+ bar and lounge Misfits confirmed its closure through social media on Thursday before doors would have normally opened. Misfits’ owners alluded to the imminent closure in a post made the night of Wednesday, April 30.

“The sad thing for me, especially in this political climate, is that Misfits was the place for ‘queer’ ‘trans’ and ‘nonbinary’ folks,” read Thursday night’s post, seemingly written by Misfits co-owner David Elderton.

Elderton and co-owner Sophie Garribo purchased the Eastside Bar & Grill at Northeast 82nd Avenue and Russell Street in 2022, slowly converting it from a dive bar hosting punk bands and standup comedy into a queer-friendly bar with a stage that added cabaret along with music and comedy shows.

Though located near attractions like Phở Oregon and People’s Court—not to mention being Portland’s closest gay bar to a Taco Bell—Misfits’ closure comes after the owners warned it might come at the end of March. A last-minute fundraiser bought time, but not enough. Misfits’ statement holds out hope for reopening if a new investor for the business can be identified.

“I realized I accomplished what I set out to do—to elevate the talents and voices of Q+ women, various communities of color [and] our staunch allies,” Misfits’ post reads. “People entrusted us with taking them away from their lives + their very true realities for even a few hours…In order to leave them amused, entertained, entranced or even educated a bit more than when they entered.”