Get Your Thrill at the Top of the Hill

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

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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).

Beerchasing in California – Part I – Sacramento

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Thebeerchaser

A somewhat spontaneous trip to Yosemite National Park gave us the chance to visit a few interesting bars to add the Thebeerchaser’s inventory. Our first night in Ashland, Oregon – near the California border- gave us the opportunity to check out what turned out to be one of Oregon’s finest micro-breweries – the Caldera Brewing Co. Check out the post dated 10/24/16 for a full review which this outstanding Oregon business deserves. https://thebeerchaser.com/2016/10/24/ashlands-caldera-brewery-now-thats-a-fine-kettle-of-beers/

The next day we stayed in Sacramento – right in the downtown core near the California State Capitol Building and a mall-type development which is in full swing and will enhance the Central Business District.

Thebeerchaser looking a little skeptical based on the name……

On a walk to explore the area and pick a restaurant for dinner, we came across “Dive Bar” on K Street. Now Thebeerchaser loves watering holes with this description although my spouse, Janet, has an aversion to this type of bar.

That said, it became obvious that Dive Bar had none of the characteristics of saloons in this hallowed category. This quote from a Thrillist.com article entitled, “Signs You’re in a Fake Dive Bar” is worth considering:

“If a place is actually calling itself a dive by name, that’s a surefire sign that some hipster who’s never been in a real hole wanted to open a bar, but didn’t want to invest in a vacuum or nice lights. Lots of ferns, though. There’s always money for ferns. Most light should be provided by slightly broken neon signs, not something weird like an Edison bulb or, ugh, a window.”

Nor your standard dive-bar taps…..

This “dive” bar had only four beers on tap – all micro-brews with one from Oregon……but none of which bore the moniker PBR or Budweiser – standard brews for dive bar regulars. (I tried the tangy Otra Vex by Sierra Nevada Brewing and Janet, the Falcon Lagger and we were pleased with both brews although more expensive than a PBR….

So 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 1,006 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.?”

When I say “dive”, I mean literally…..

As further evidence their website states, “A typical dive bar denotes a few things in one’s mind: no frills, approachable, slightly dangerous, and a leftover relic from another era.

This version has refurbished brick walls, dark wood and upholstery and is a version of a bar from a different era: but with all brand new accoutrements.

The equivalent of 7,006 kegs…

Dive Bar’s lighting consists of Dimmable White LED flex tape, installed on each shelf, lighting the natural brick on the walls. The lighting systems were designed by Anthony Aristo of Lumatech Architectural.”

Dive Bar also has an Executive Chef and you can pay extra for VIP privileges…..Case closed!!

Do you think you would see this kind of lighting and décor in a true dive bar?

There were no mermaids swimming that evening and it was a quirky but somewhat sterile, bar although based on social media, it is a hot spot in Sacramento night life.

Dive Bar has a head mermaid and mermaid trainer and you can even hire the mermaids for your own party:

“Stunning Professional Mermaids and Mermen with years of swimming and underwater performance experience are available to enchant your guests with their playful spirits, beautiful a capella siren songs, water performance, prop work and so much more!” Check out their website: https://www.gigsalad.com/dive_bar_mermaids_sacramento1

Non-descript and boring exterior, but worth going inside..

Dinner that night was at Blackbird Kitchen and Bar a small restaurant/bar with a non-descript exterior, but with fifty beers on tap and a happy-hour fried chicken special that was outstanding.

A lot of California beers on tap and good Happy Hour food specials

We sat at the bar and our friendly server, Dave, explained that they focus on local beers with 20 of these on tap.

Janet drank wine and I had a memorable Double Down Imperial Red from Wildcard Brewing in Redding, California.

Then an after-dinner drink at Craft HF (Hock Farm Craft and Provisions) – one of the Paragary Restaurant Group’s establishment. (Fourteen in Sacramento) This was a spacious bar with modern décor and an ample up-scale restaurant area adjoining. Bartender, Blake, served us as we sat at the bar and was quite a marketing asset for the venue. He was enthusiastic about their inventory of beer which we were surprised did not include any draft beers although they had a very robust collection of bottled and canned brews – most notably from California breweries.

He also talked about their specialty gin drinks and exotic cocktails, but we stuck to beer and had an “interesting” bottle of Briny Mountain Gose from Anderson Valley Brewing in Boonville, CA: “………boasts a thirst-quenching tartness that is perfectly balanced by subtle watermelon flavors and aromas. Gentle additions of sea salt create a refreshing harmony between the acidity and fruity sweetness leading to clean, dry finish.” (Who writes this stuff????)

Slick, but no beers on tap!

In response to our question, “Why don’t you have any beers on tap?” Blake replied very assertively,

“We believe in highlighting the unique taste of each beer. The brewers specify the CO2 line pressure which should be maintained from the keg to the tap and it varies for each beer.

Rather than compromise the taste by maintaining the same pressure for each draft beer, we opted to abandon drafts and offer bottles and cans. We do have wine on tap directly from kegs because we go through enough wine each day in order not to compromise the product.”

Blake – nice guy, but explanation on taps is puffery..

(I checked with a reliable source who is an expert on breweries and he debunked that explanation as “blowing hot air.”

“After a short distance through the hose, drinkers cannot discern any difference based on the C02 pressure employed.”

Then back to the Marriott for the night before driving the rest of the way to Yosemite. We did not have a drink there, but the hotel bar looked kind of interesting – at least as far as hotel bars go……

And one other interesting sidelight. We were struck by the number of persons who had parkas or insignia with the Navy’s Blue Angels in the hotel lobby. Being a Navy veteran and having seen the Blue Angels fly when I was a NROTC midshipman in college, I was interested.

And we discovered on that Wednesday night that the prestigious aviation group was performing at an air show in Sacramento that weekend. The Navy personnel were all very polite and looked sharp and they had designations ranging from “Maintenance” to “Air Frame” to “Logistics,” etc. (we did not see the actual pilots). Given the large number of both male and female personnel who were obviously part of the contingent, made me curious and I did a little more research.

The Blue Angels – awe inspiring but raise some questions…

In these days of federal budget constraints, it’s probably fair to raise the question as to whether the annual budget outlay is worthwhile in light of other priorities. According to Wikipedia (which admittedly may not be the most reliable source, but okay for a blog about bars…) the annual budget is $37 million although it begs the question, what does include or not include.

For example, a thought-provoking opinion piece from the Pensacola New Journal, entitled “Cut the Blue Angels from Federal Budget” authored by the son of a Navy captain who is also the brother of a naval aviator, asserted that based on the cost, the safety record and the environmental issues, the program should be discontinued. He estimates that if accounting for all costs and amortizing lost aircraft over the years, the true figure approximates $200 million annually.

Wikipedia states that as of 2006, twenty-seven of the 262 Blue Angel pilots have died in air show crashes or training accidents. The opinion piece above was prompted, in part, by the June, 2016 Blue Angel crash and death of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, in an airshow.

Something to consider, but we left Sacramento before the air show and headed for Yosemite National Park. Stay tuned……

The Half Dome at Yosemite

Thebeerchaser

Bars, Breweries and Watering Holes – An Exploration

Tag Archives: Dive Bar Sacramento

Get Your Thrill at the Top of the Hill

Beerchasing in California – Part I – Sacramento