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You’re forgiven if you think the LGBTQ+ Pride flags adorning the purple building make Goodbar (4729 SE Milwaukie Ave., instagram.com/goodbarpdx) a gay bar. An employee clarifies that it’s actually a “they bar,” meaning it’s open to all. Behind them is a sign counting the number of people whom staff has 86’d: 68. While we didn’t see sweet 69 get perma-banned (fortunately or unfortunately), we learned the no-tolerance policy for nonsense and the full tolerance of the queer community are a two-pronged effort to rehab Goodbar’s previously rough reputation.
Goodbar’s building has lived many lives in the Brooklyn neighborhood. Just over a decade ago, it was Yummy Garden, a Chinese restaurant whose then owner was suspected by federal prosecutors of being linked to organized crime. Goodbar’s co-owner, Laurie Fitzpatrick, was an employee under a different iteration—RF’s Bar and Grill—according to one of her staffers. Goodbar was formally created last March, according to a public record, with rebranding underway by October.
The former ketchup-and-mustard-hued building still has a spacious back patio that by the golden hour has an excellent mix of light and shade. Plenty of games are available, like board games and a bean bag toss set. Goodbar hosts live music, karaoke and weekly standup comedy. Goodbar’s food menu offers standard pub fare. The fried chicken sandwich ($15) has a satisfying crunch to its battered coat. A contender for drink of the summer is Goodbar’s Chill the Fuck Out and Soda ($10), a vodka lemonade loaded with enough natural lavender to induce the flower’s famously tranquilizing effect.
Some may callously accuse Goodbar of exploiting queer aesthetics for profit, but if it helps make the Brooklyn neighborhood a friendlier and more welcoming place for all, what’s the beef?
See the rest of Willamette Week’s Best of Portland 2025 here!
