Get Your Thrill at the Top of the Hill

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post)

Those of you who follow this blog know that I write about both bars and breweries. Having posted reviews of 400+ since I started this retirement hobby fourteen years ago, my favorite genre is dive bars.

That said, while my wonderful wife loves breweries, dive bars are not on her dance card. (I might add, her definition of a dive bar and mine are quite different.) One notable exception was on a 2016 road trip in California to Yosemite National Park where we spent one night in Sacramento and I persuaded her to raise a mug in the world’s most literal dive bar.

While at the bar, I asked bartender, Jason, how the title of the bar was derived. He immediately responded, “Take a glance upward. You see that 7,800 gallon aquarium? (To put in perspective, that would be about 503 kegs of beers.) A few nights each week, we also have “mermaids” swimming in that tank. Now do you understand how we got our name.?”

A Recently Discovered Portland Dive , But First….

Before I tell you about the Top of the Hill Tavern, my newest dive on Portland’s east side, it may be worth reminiscing (at least for me) about some of my Oregon favorites. Our travel has taken us to bars and breweries throughout the US and even a few in Europe, but it seems the best are close to Portland. (By the way, it’s a wonderful place to live….)

https://thebeerchaser.com/2024/02/02/dont-jump-when-you-can-dive/

In Portland dives, the PBR, Hamms and Budweiser flow like a mountain stream cascading down the slopes of Mount Hood in early spring. (#1)

Sky Blue Waters

The photos shown below are my five favorites – The Ship (2012), the Mock Crest Tavern (2012), Gil’s Speakeasy (2017), The Standard (2018) and Yur’s Bar and Grill (2020).

Yet, I can’t forget the Oregon Coast where at these five watering holes, the frothy head in your mug is like a wave at its foamy crest just before crashing onto the pristine white sand before receding for another cycle. (#2)

Thats when on a 2014 Road trip with two friends (Dave Booher and Steve Larson), we hit twelve bars on the coast in 2.5 days with these four making the all-star list in addition to the Desdemona Club (The Dirty D) in Astoria in 2012.

The Sportsman Pub and Grub (Pacific City), the Old Oregon Tavern (Lincoln City), Mad Dog Country Tavern (Newport) and the Tide Pool Inn (Depoe Bay) garnered the other four top spots. (#3)

I had driven by the Top of the Hill numerous times – an inconspicuous building with a large parking lot, but no other businesses or homes around. My intent last March was to visit it with my long-term Beerchasing friend, Hillary Barbour.

But I messed that one up and told her to meet me at the Hi-Top Tavern which is only 3.6 miles away or a nine-minute drive from Top of the Hill. We enjoyed the Hi-Top, but it was a classy neighborhood bar and definitely not a dive. So, we resolved, the next time we Beerchased to dive at the Top of the Hill. (And it was worth it.)

I’m a fast learner, so I cautioned Hillary that we were going to the Top of the Hill in NE Portland – not the bar with the same name in Kaimuki, Hawaii or Babe’s Boys Tavern at the Top of the Hill in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Similarly, we were not going to raise a mug at Top of the Hill Bar in Cork, Ireland or at North Carolina’s first microbrewery, the Top of the Hill Brewery and Restaurant in Chapel Hill (which even has its own Wikipedia page.)

And just to rub it in, Hillary admonished me not to show up at Top O’Th’ Hill – a family-owned American bar in Bridgewater, New Jersey, even though they have an outstanding butternut squash soup.

But as you can see below, we did meet on a Saturday afternoon at the right watering hole and joined a few regulars in relishing the “ambiance.”

I’ve known Hillary since shortly after her graduation from Reed College in Portland, when she was a Research Intern for the City Club of Portland and I was on the Research Board. She has had an impressive career including almost twenty years working on the staff of recently retired US Representative, Earl Blumenauer. (#4)

Effectively served Oregon for thirty years.

Subsequent jobs have been in marketing and strategic planning for both private and non-profit corporations. Friends call her “Hill,” so perhaps the venue that day was appropriate.

Our server, Amber, who is a long-time employee of the bar said the owner is a nice guy and they have a good group of regulars – a community. Amber was personable and welcoming.

Most of the Top of the Hill reviews are positive and it seems that people really like this laid-back place. People appreciate the low-key atmosphere, the pool tables and old-fashioned beer signs, the friendly staff and karaoke on Friday and Saturday. And they have a good juke box. Two reviews sum it up nicely:

“I love this neighborhood bar! It has a cozy, comfy feel. All of the bartenders have made me feel welcome. Some of them have told me the owner is great to work for and that matters to me. It’s not fancy or extravagant by any means. Just a great place to hang out and get to know your neighbors. (Yelp 2023)

and

“Just a small trashy bar, but it’s my small trashy bar. The food is mediocre at best, and the pool tables are the worst I’ve ever played on, but the experience is like living in an episode of trailer park boys. Nobody is here to impress anyone, so everyone kinda lets their guard down more than usual, it’s a great place to meet people in a very casual setting.” (Restuarant Guru.com) (#5)

And you are not going to find less expensive pub food at many other places with a cheeseburger and side for $6.50 and large basket of fries or onion rings for $5.50. A turkey sandwich with chips rings up for only $7.00 or a skad of wings for $5. Draft beers (a reasonable selection) are $5 to $6 with a buck off during Happy Hour.

Sundays are good with a rib dinner – four ribs with two good sides and bread for $18. Want chicken instead of red meat, well the barbecued chicken dinner, sides and bread is the same deal. (#6)

I mentioned that Hillary graduated from Reed College – a liberal institution with outstanding academic credentials. And the school made Portland headlines recently:

“Reed College students and alumni are grappling with the recent revelation that a campus security official provided federal investigators with personal information about a former student, ultimately resulting in his arrest. The disclosure has sparked significant backlash, particularly given the college’s reputation for inclusivity and its progressive values.

According to court records unsealed last week, FBI agents arrested Robert Jacob Hoopes, a 24-year-old Reed alumnus, on July 25. The records detail how Gary Granger, the college’s director of community safety, accessed an internal database containing personal information about students and alumni to hand over Hoopes’ name, address, and phone number. This cooperation allegedly occurred without a warrant or subpoena.” (Reed College Campus Safety Newsletter) (#7)

Granger was subsequently fired but given the misguided and unnecessary federal intervention to deploy the National Guard, Reed alums are wary that they may have been “identified.”

There have been Blackhawk helicopters flying low over Portland neighborhoods and knowing Hillary might have been in that database, we searched the sky while walking to our cars. (After all she worked many years for a Democrat….)

I have almost avoided political issues on this blog, but these times warrant a comment.

A Trump-appointed federal judge yesterday, temporarily blocked the National Guard deployment to Portland although there is no shortage of masked ICE troops at what have been largely peaceful demonstrations in the last year – basically some individual arrests by the Portland Police.

To put today’s protests into perspective, here’s what the data show:

“Arrests in 2020: 1,071. In 2025: Around 60 over the past four months.

Location in 2020: Across the city. Location in 2025: One to two blocks in South Portland.” (Oregon Live October 5)

Portland faces significant issues – most notably homelessness. The violent and lengthy protests in 2020 were deplorable and our city still bears the scars, but that is clearly not the current situation.

Leave us alone to drink our good coffee and great craft beer and we will continue to work on resolving our problems civilly and locally. (#8 – #9)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. WordPress generated AI image.

#2. Picsart.com AI (https://picsart.com/create/editor?category=miniapps&prompt=a+black+hawk+helicopter+with+an+x+over+it&projectId=68e1febafa021d2faa2b576d&app=t2i&version=1.86.2).

#3. Desdemona Club Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=275454077925770&set=pb.100063835381277.-2207520000&type=3).

#4. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Earl Blumenauer, official portrait, 116th Congress 2 – Earl Blumenauer – Wikipedia) This United States Congress image is in the public domain. Author: House Creative Services, Kristie Baxter – 16 October 2019.

#5. Yelp photos (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/top-of-the-hill-tavern-portland).

#6. Wanderlog.com (https://wanderlog.com/place/details/3441887/top-of-the-hill-tavern).

#7. Wikimedia Commons (File:EliotHallReedCollege.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license. Author: User.cacophony – 25 February 2007.

#8. Wikimedia Commons (File:Portland from Pittock Mansion October 2019 panorama 2.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: King of Hearts – 28 October 2019.

#9. Picsart.com AI (https://picsart.com/create/editor?category=miniapps&prompt=a+black+hawk+helicopter+with+an+x+over+it&projectId=68e1febafa021d2faa2b576d&app=t2i&version=1.86.2).

Try the Hi-Top Tavern – It’s a “Shoe*-in”

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome to Thebeerchaser. If you’re seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #)

With so many watering holes to explore just in Portland – other than the standard two visits I try to make as part of my Beerchasing protocol – I usually don’t return to an establishment I’ve reviewed. There’s just too many great bars and breweries I still need to experience and too little time to accomplish this sudsy journey. (I decided not to quote Robert Frost…)

From 2011 until the pandemic in 2020, which caused a temporary hiatus in my pursuit, I had visited and reviewed 366 bars of which 119 were in Portland. From that time onward, I’ve added about another fifty of which thirty are in the Portland area.

Although admitting, my post-pandemic count is not as precise, I believe that since starting this journey in fall of 2011, I’ve shown my face in 416 watering holes with 139 or 33% in the Rose City.

And my “return” to the Hi-top Tavern has to be qualified, because my first visit there was in the summer of 2012 when it was named Bottles. https://thebeerchaser.com/2012/07/06/bottles-the-preferred-alternative-to-a-glass-ceiling/

Bottles – originally a small Turkish import store – was a nice bar to sample the esoteric inventory of beers and wines which graced its shelves (between 450 and 500 different bottle beers with eight on tap), but it closed sometime in 2019.

Resurrection of the building came with the Hi-top in July 2019 by the Three on a Match Bar Group under the guidance of its principal, Ezra Ace Caraeff.

I wrote about these bar revivalists in my recent review of the outstanding Holy Ghost Bar – one of five they own and operate besides the Hi-top, the others are the Old Gold, Paydirt and Tough Luck – all of which I still have to explore. (#1)

Bar Revivalists

Memories

Before describing the visit to Hi-top, it gladdens my heart to remember the Beerchasing event at Bottles and County Cork, another Fremont Street bar, on the same day in July, thirteen years ago with colleagues from the Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt Environmental and Natural Resources Group.

Brien Flanagan, is still at Schwabe and a leader in that group. Patty Dost, Laura Maffei and Cheryl Rath, who now practice with other firms, also raised a mug at both of these bars – with dinner at Bottles after toasting Brien’s Notre Dame undergrad alma mater at the Irish Bar.

All have had distinguished legal careers since that day and their expertise in air, water, hazardous waste and other environmental issues is notable. We’ve Beerchased on occasion since that day including a great reunion at Old Town Pizza in with a number of other alumni of that group.

I was always happy that they indulged me when I would spout environmental stories and jokes from bar visits such as the old guy sitting next to me at a dive bar who asserted:

“You know it’s not pollution or industry that is harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water.”

I also remember conveying the contemporary version of an old adage about personal development which got shrugs and moans from my friends:

“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will be dead of mercury poison in three years.”

The Bar

Hi-top is not going to wow you with its layout or features. It’s pretty generic although there are some neat smaller spaces, an expansive patio and a long bar with an impressive display of liquor bottles backing it. As stated in a Willamette Week article:

“The first thing you’ll notice in the old Bottles space is its bunkerlike atmosphere, which is both its biggest hindrance and its most admirable quirk. The ceilings are low and the floor plan is segmented into a variety of nooks and crannies, with garage doors and a vast expanse of whiskeys on offer.”

And while you may not come for a unique ambiance, the draw is the superb cocktail choices and an opportunity to taste Single Barrel Bourbon, evidently hand-selected by the staff and flown in from Kentucky.

You won’t see many beers on tap although I liked the concept in their bottled beers including four PBR Tallboys in a shiny bucket for $12 or a Miller High Life Bucket – four in a golden bucket for $12.

The food is also a plus with an excellent sandwich menu and quite a few small-bite and salad options – all at reasonable prices. You might not be able to resist the $5 Chocolate Chunk Cookie (Brown Butter, Bourbon, Maldon Sea Salt). I understand it pairs quite well with a PBR Tallboy

* You might wonder about the title of this post and the asterisk after the word “shoe.” Two reasons – first, I’m doing a lot of reminiscing in this narrative. And the last and one of the only times I’ve seen “Hi-top” used is in reference to the beloved Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars. (You can pick up a new pair for only $64.99.) (#2)

A Classic Shoe

As I’ve mentioned in the blog several times, my 1966 Oregon City High School TYV League Championship Team wore those sneakers with pride into the State Tournament where, although decimated in the first round by Lincoln of Portland, we made it to the consolation semi-finals where we lost by one point in overtime to Thurston.

My long-time friend and former teammate, John Davidson (#30) who went on to have an excellent run in hoops after high school at Grays Habor Junior College ,and I reunited last fall when he flew up from San Diego to have a free-throw contest at a local grade school. (None of the kids wanted to scrimmage with us.)

It was followed by Spanish coffees at Hubers’ Restuarant and an outstanding steak and martini dinner at Portland’s legendary Ring Side Steakhouse, where John worked part-time when he was a junior-high teacher years ago.

And to conclude on a Hi note, I have to mention my Beerchasing companion at the Hi-top – another long-time friend dating back to the 80’s (I think) when she was a research intern for the City Club of Portland and I was on the Research Board.

Hillary Barbour is one of the smartest and most industrious people I know, having graduated from Reed College, working for many years on the staff of Congressman Earl Blumenauer and then as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Burgerville.

She is now

Hillary is a Beerchasing regular, having visited the Sandy Jug, the Jolly Roger, the Vern and Mad Hanna on previous Beerchasing experiences. (It was a coincidence that the first two initials of her first name are the same as that of the bar….)

Going to the Hi-top was actually inadvertent in that I thought we were going to another bar – the Top of the Hill Tavern – a classic dive on NE Glisan only 3.6 miles or eleven minutes away.

I’d driven by this bar a number of times and thought it would be a great place to add to my list but got confused with the name and address and gave Hillary the NE Fremont address of the Hi-top instead. (We agreed to a future visit to Glisan Street.) (#3)

Hilltop Tavern – A future visit awaits….

In Conclusion

While the Hi-top was an okay neighborhood bar and evoked a lot of great memories, rather than return, I’ll try Three-on-a-Matches’ two other bars – the Old Gold and Pay Dirt – to see how they compare.

And in a final tribute to my Beerchasing colleagues – a bar joke:

“An environmental lawyer and a non-renewable resource walk into a bar and sit down for a couple of pints. After a while, the non-renewable resource orders two more beers. The bartender turns to the lawyer and says, ‘I’ll serve you, but not your friend, he’s getting wasted'”

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Three-on-a-Match Bar Group (https://www.threeonamatchbars.com/).

#2. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:A classic Black pair of Converse All Stars resting on the Black & White Ed. Shoebox (1998-2002).JPG – Wikimedia Commons). I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: Hadley1978 at English Wikipedia – 18 November 2006.

#3. Yelp site for Top of the Hill Tavern – (Photos for Top of the Hill Tavern – Yelp). Photo by Mark S. – July 28, 2008.

Thebeerchaser Rambles on N. Mississippi Ave.

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Thebeerchaser

Historic North Mississippi Avenue, while it does not have the overall quantity of watering holes as the fabled Barmuda Triangle in Southeast Portland, has become a gold mine for good bars.

Past visits to establishments such as Prost, Interurban and Sidecar 11 (see posts dated 11/24/12 – 5/13/12 and 6/6/13) were notable and there are additional venues beckoning such as Bar Bar, Crow Bar and the Liberty Bar and Grill.

My three visits to The Rambler, however, were a pleasure – a quaint and classy neighborhood bar now owned by an entrepreneur who deserves to see his efforts come to full fruition after opening only about ten months ago.

Christian – an entrepreneur with class and vision

The ambiance and friendly environment of the Rambler – in a spacious old house was especially appreciated after the sterile, corporate hew permeating the last bar reviewed – The Yard House in Pioneer Place. The 100+ beers on tap could not compensate for what it totally lacked in ambiance.

I visited the Rambler with my friend and fellow Portland State MPA graduate, Greg Wallinger, who until very recently, was the heart of the City Club of Portland’s respected research program, having served as Research and Policy Director from 2012 to 2016.

Wallenger with the traditional Beerchaser logo

The Rambler replaces two prior establishments, Casa Naranja and then the Bungalo Bar, which was described by a neighbor in a 2015 Willamette Week article as “a magnet for dirtbags……evidenced by OLCC violations, noise complaints and license suspensions.”

After some lengthy and heated negotiations for the building, there was extensive remodeling to rebuild the bar, salvage the flooring and redo the front of the historic 1920’s bungalow while adding two patios and other features.

Outside by the bocce pit.

Christian Lee, the owner, who relocated to Portland from San Francisco, has established a neighborhood venue which draws rave reviews for the changes including adjectives describing the interior and exterior as, “stupendous, admirable, comfortable and awesome.”

The back patio – like being at the beach……

“Here the fire pit(s) and tasteful stained-wood picnic tables are joined by – wonder of wonders – an outdoor flatscreen. There’s another patio in the front, and in the sideyard, there’s a bocce pit. You might as well be at the beach.” (2016 Willamette Week Bar Guide)

P1040177 Christian is described as “career bartender” and knows his craft well. The Rambler has eight beers and five wines on tap – limited but adequate including one very interesting brew premiered from Portland’s Grateful Deaf Brewery.

And $1 off during Happy Hour

But it is the craft cocktails that garner the praise and descriptions such as “expertly-crafted and inventive.”

“……a kegged cocktail named for Doc Brown, plus a host of $8 to $10 variations on the Manhattan, Old Fashioned and vodka fruit punch.”

——

Christian’s boulevardier – bourbon, sweet vermouth and campari

There are eighteen menu items – no heavy entrees’ but interesting sandwiches and appetizers. Christian stated that they have good dinner crowds.

Almost all of the reviews and comments on the food are favorable with emphasis on the Frito Pie, fried Brussels sprouts with charred onion, fish tacos, smoked brisket chili and a “$13 burger stuffed with more proteins than a vegan bodybuilder’s medicine cabinet.” Willamette Week 2015 Bar Guide.

Good results from the kitchen

“The Fritos pie and (pork belly) bahn mi (Vietnamese bread) are galactic affairs. Unequivocally great. From a New Yorker in an April, 2016 Yelp review.

“The bartenders were fantastic, the fish tacos were delicious, and the overall atmosphere of the bar was just awesome.” From two San Francisco visitors in a 9/15/15 Yelp review.

Lee at work on the brussel sprouts while downing a Portland Skies…..

I did not eat on any of my three visits to The Rambler, but having a great chat with amiable neighborhood regular, Lee, who was eating the Brussels sprouts while consuming the special cocktail of the day as shown in the picture, tempted me to grab a fork and sneak several bites.

Christian explaining the special punch - gin, violette, lavender,lemon

Try the special punch – gin, violette, lavender and lemon topped with bubbly!

Of course, the quaint atmosphere of the bar fit well when one is chatting with an erudite fellow like Wallinger, who shepherded twenty-three volunteer-produced research reports through the City Club’s rigorous review process ranging from studies on property tax to marijuana legalization during his tenure. He felt the one with the most impact was that on Portland’s Street Fees and Gas Tax.

Greg’s undergraduate degree at Susquehanna University was followed by work as a paralegal in a Virginia law firm where he worked on real estate, bonds and tax matters. Two years followed as an AmeriCorps/Vista volunteer working on substance abuse issues for children in Helena, Montana, where he also met his wife, Stephanie.

After living in Reno for two years, they moved to Portland and he earned his Master’s at Portland State, followed by work for Stand for Children and then the City Club stint. They have an eleven-moth old daughter.

Last day at City Club where Greg (center) left a legacy

To momentarily digress and since the City Club studied the issue of marijuana legalization, it is also interesting to note that the old house – next door to the bar is one of the five Nectar group’s recreational cannabis locations:

“Nectar is one of the largest Marijuana dispensary chains in Oregon. We pride ourselves on a phenominal staff, great selection of quality products and a wonderful atmosphere.”

Changing times in PDX…

I still haven’t figured out why they have a person regardless of the weather, continually sitting on the front porch (she’s hidden by the column). I guess she is a “bouncer” of sorts, and checks IDs…..

Now while the emphasis so far has been on the downstairs woodwork and the rear patio, any description of this reconditioned bungalow bar needs to mention the upstairs

Walinger, showing he has athletic skills in addition to intellecualism

Wallenger, showing he has athletic skills in addition to a keen intellect

Its a cozy attic-type space with a pool table with “pristine red felt” and “a record player where you can play your own records!!!”

Space for a cozy chat or to watch a game.

The art work, while it would not hang in a Park Avenue gallery, is cool and very much in keeping with the atmosphere intended.

And if one wants a cozy nook to either watch a sports event or just chat away from the crowd, there is a room right off the patio to accomplish that

Second-floor artwork

There were good comments about the background music at the bar and since the Rambler reminded me of an old road house, in a fit of nostalgia I started thinking about all the tunes over the years with “Ramblin” or “Rambler” in the title or lyrics.

From Nat King Cole’s “Ramblin Rose” to the Rolling Stone’s “Midnight Rambler,” to the Allman Brothers Band’s “Ramblin Man.”

And don’t forget Dylan’s “Rambler Gambler” or my favorite – “Colder Weather,” by the Zac Brown Band, with these great lyrics:

He said I wanna see you again – But I’m stuck in colder weather – Maybe tomorrow will be better, Can I call you then?

She said you’re a ramblin’ man – You ain’t ever gonna change – You got a gypsy soul to blame – And you were born for leavin’.

Zac Brown Band – they would like The Rambler too…..

Well, while retired and not on a road trip or stuck in a truck-stop diner in Lincoln thinking of a girl left behind in Colorado, Thebeerchaser is definitely a Rambler Man.

I loved this bar, applaud Christian for what he has created and urge you to pay the Rambler a visit to say “hello.” I might see you there.

The Rambler 4205 North Mississippi Avenue

Thebeerchaser

Bars, Breweries and Watering Holes – An Exploration

Tag Archives: City Club of Portland Research

Get Your Thrill at the Top of the Hill

Try the Hi-Top Tavern – It’s a “Shoe*-in”

Thebeerchaser Rambles on N. Mississippi Ave.