The Most Ridiculous Places You'll Find a Bar in Portland

Portland loves its booze. We have beers and wine in many of our movie theaters, as well as our coffee shops. You can drink a whiskey or beer while getting your haircut, or enjoy a mimosa while getting a mani-pedi. And we have even more unorthodox and unexpected places you can grab a drink, like the ones below.
 

Did we miss your favorite odd spot for drinking? A park with a flask doesn’t count, but let us know what we missed on our Facebook or Twitter.

 

Seeing how many people live in apartments in Portland, it makes sense that a laundromat would become a destination. Spin Laundry is a bright and clean laundromat which also happens to serve coffee, food, and, of course, beer and wine. The cafe portion of the laundromat is nice enough that plenty of visitors come here just for a pint or a latté, rather than for laundry, but for those who need clean clothes, it’s the perfect place to relax with a drink while you wait. Between 10 PM and midnight, when the space closes, is a late night happy hour, where drinks and food are all a dollar off. (750 N Fremont St.; 503-477-5382)

 

This game shop sells all the latest Magic the Gathering cards, Dungeon & Dragon games, RPGs, hundreds of board games, miniatures, and more. It regularly hosts events like Magic tournaments, D&D seasons, and competitions such as the Portland Geek Olympathon. And ever since moving into its new, bigger location, Guardian Games sells beer, wine, sake, and mead in the backroom bar, Critical Sip. Grab a board game off the wall or bring your Warhammer set, and settle in for some draught beers and gaming. (345 SE Taylor St.; 503-238-4000) 

Portland is probably the most famous bike city in the US, as well as one of the most famous beer cities, so it just makes sense that we would have a two-in-one shop where you can buy a bike or get yours fixed while drinking a local IPA. The selection is great, featuring mostly local beers and the occasional cider, as well as a few wines by the glass for $5. Don’t expect food, though; There are just some nuts and chocolates available. Downstairs, where you can take your drink if you like, is a (very) small auditorium that occasionally hosts stand up acts and other small venue events. (1969 NE 42nd Ave.; 503-922-2012)

 

Whether you need to leave your dog for an afternoon or a few days, Sniff Dog Hotel is here. This classy, friendly dog hotel provides multiple amenities for your pooch; bring them in for a personality assessment and they’ll be matched with other dogs for playtimes and daycare. Or, if you’re going on a vacation and need a room for your dog, you can select from a variety of rooms, some which even include Doggy TV. There is also a doggy salon and training facility. For those who just want a place for their dog to run around while they enjoy a drink, Sniff also has a bar serving wine, beer, and snacks. During the week from 5–7 PM is happy hour, where your dog can play for free in the indoor dog park while you imbibe. (1828 NW Raleigh St.; 503-208-2366)

 

The idea of a “Barcade” is less novel than it used to be, but Ground Kontrol was the first in Portland to combine the idea of nostalgic arcade games and a full bar, one that has yet to be replicated. Here you can play the games of your childhood, like Mortal Kombat 2, X-Men, Double Dragon, etc, or a rousing game of pinball while quaffing a gin n’ tonic. The bar occasionally hosts “nerdy” musical acts and other events. (511 NW Couch St.; 503-796-9364)

Photos by Alexander Frane