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As the latest project from the owners of storied businesses like Hey Love and Dig A Pony, LaVerne’s feels just as thoughtful and cohesive: the lush, tropical vibes of Hey Love and the undeniably young and hip Dig A Pony replaced by something that feels broken-in and nostalgic, a place you want to linger at if space allows.
And that’s exactly what Aaron Hall, who co-owns the bar with business partner Sophie Thomson, says the team intended, going so far as to develop a full backstory for the joint.
“We imagined LaVerne’s began in the ’40s or ’50s, was passed down generation to generation with updates made along the way, and then frozen in place somewhere around 1986,” he explains. “It’s meant to feel like the small-town bar you go home to at Christmas, where all your friends and high school crush are waiting.”
The mythos of LaVerne’s—named after friend and creative collaborator Bree Myers’ grandmother (and, separately, her pet chicken)—is also informed by its building’s history. A part of the Woodlawn neighborhood for over a century, it has housed the Woodlawn Odd Fellows Hall, the short-lived Cannabis Cafe (before recreational weed was legalized), and the Oregon Public House, among other businesses. LaVerne’s has seen some stuff, but she’s emerged “timeless and unpretentious,” in Hall’s words.
A mix of soul, jazz, and country pumps throughout the space on nights when there isn’t a show in the adjoining venue, which hosts anything from cumbia to Americana to jazz. A former booker and founding programming director for XRAY.fm, Hall wanted to make sure the music fit the folklore, too, focusing on postwar through the early ’80s, “before the domination of synths and computers,” he says.
Much has already been said about the strong ’70s feel, with an extended wood-paneled bar and soda fountain barstools on a teal platform. Fringe isn’t just for the lampshades over the bright green booths—it also adorns the curtains around the menu’s centerpiece rotisserie, the words “When Yer Here…Yer Cooked!” scripted across the marquee.
But vibes alone do not a good neighborhood hang make. Thankfully, the tight menu feels just as cohesive and salt of the earth as the space itself: The rotisserie chicken ($27 for a half, $39 for a full), rubbed with achiote and ancho and cooked to a reddish-gold hue, is slightly sweet and smoky. If you mourned the closing of Pollo Norte in October 2024, you’ll surely find comfort in the included sides: seasoned rice, warmed tortillas, creamy beans, and salsa. And if you’re still sad about Chicken and Guns closing up its Cartopia location in December, try the Dekum Fries ($9), a generous portion of crispy jojos served with ketchup, with ranch dressing and queso as available upgrades (50 cents and $2, respectively). LaVerne’s gets bonus points for making them gluten-free, along with everything else on the food menu (except for the brownies).
What is perhaps most intriguing is how the chicken works its way into every section of the menu, from nachos to salads to soup. A tray of perfectly messy, sharable nachos ($14, with the option to add chicken for an additional $6.50) comes out surprisingly light, with pickled Fresno peppers adding spicy sweetness and plentiful cilantro and radishes creating a mini salad atop the gooey queso, pulled chicken, and beans.
The red pozole was a flavorful and unexpected offering, with plenty of hominy in the broth and extra-thin jalapeño and radish slices to mix in. Heated up the next day, the leftovers took on more depth, making for a comforting—but not too heavy—lunch.
Of course, if chicken isn’t your thing, there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, including a full meal of roasted veggies and beans, a walking taco with Fritos and vegan chili, and a Cuernavaca salad made with full cucumbers and radishes as opposed to thin slices for a hefty, briny bite.
The cocktail menu also adds comfort in all shapes and sizes: The Tupperware Party (a gin egg-white sour, $14) catches attention with Tang listed in the ingredients, but peach is what comes through strongest and keeps it from being cloying. If frozen is your preference, the Berry Queen (vodka, berries, mint) and Gangs All Here (corn whiskey, rum, vegan whip) slushies are ready to quench ($12). Can’t decide or just want a taste of something? A 3-ounce pour of a slushie, adorably called a Bunny Slope, will run you just $4, as will scoots served in miniature glass steins, and a collection titled “Little Legends” allows patrons to enjoy a half-sized martini or Manhattan ($6–$7.50).
It could be argued that if you’re primarily looking for aesthetics, LaVerne’s delivers (and this shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been to a sister establishment). But to only look for the aesthetics would diminish what LaVerne’s actually is: a dependable, no-fuss neighborhood hang.
EAT: LaVerne’s, 700 NE Dekum St., 503-749-6769, lavernespdx.com. 4 pm–midnight Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday, 4 pm–1 am Friday and Saturday.
