Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and the video at the end of the post and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution # at the end of the post. #1)
Those who follow Thebeerchaser blog know that I have an affinity for all watering holes, but a special fondness for dive bars. And of the 400+ establishments I’ve visited during my now twelve years pursuing this hobby, I’ve gravitated to the less refined rather than the more polished brewery or pub.
That said, I enjoy the atmosphere and camaraderie encountered in both although they are distinctly different.
Resources
Since I worked in a large Northwest regional law firm (Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt) for twenty-five years, I know both the need and the value of thoroughly researching one’s topic. When commencing my Beerchasing days, I had some outstanding authorities not only to educate me, but direct me to iconic dive bars in Portland, along the Oregon Coast and throughout the US – most notably in Colorado and Montana.
More recently these storehouses of bar erudition included Willamette Week’s “Deep Dive: Our Guide to More Than 40 of Portland’s Oldest, Dankest Dive Bars” and Portland Eater’s “The Ultimate Guide to Portland’s Iconic Dive Bars” – both on-line compendiums published in the last several months.
While I’ve not had a chance to do a “deep dive” in these publications, a cursory look indicates that I’ve been to slightly over 50% of those reviewed So I still have a lot to explore! (#2 – #4)
The books shown in the photo above, although published years ago, were still wonderful guides in Colorado, but especially in Montana. I had an elucidating phone conversation with author, Joan Melcher, before commencing my solo road trip in Montana for six days in 2019.
During that span, I hit thirty bars and breweries, including my Beerchasing all-time favorite – The Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak Montana.
Before moving on, I have to give special credit to my friend and prolific author, Matt Love, owner of the Nestucca Spit Press – a small publishing house on the Oregon Coast. Matt’s former blog Letitpour.net and his publication Oregon Tavern Age were both primary motivations for my Beerchasing hobby. (#5)
Dive Bar Descriptions
One has to be careful in stereotyping what constitutes a dive bar. There may be a few adjectives or characteristics that typically apply, but in my exploits, I’ve found each one had its own ambiance, idiosyncrasies and traditions that made them unique.
Take the priceless description by Mike Seely in Seattle’s Best Dive Bars – Drinking and Diving in the Emerald City)
” “Some dives have vomit-caked toilet seats in the bathroom; others have cracked vinyl booths in the barroom. Some have nicotine-stained murals dating back to the Depression; others have drink prices that seemingly haven’t wavered since then…
…But really, no collection of characteristics can be melded to truly define what makes a bar a dive…..The term ‘dive’ is bestowed with a spoonful of love….What they have in common aren’t so much attributes, but a state of mind — you just know one when you see one.” (Seattle’s Best Dive Bars by Mike Seely – pages 9-10)
I save what I consider to be the quintessential descriptions of dives for ongoing reference. For example, one of my favorite Portland dive bars is Joe’s Cellar – I reviewed this watering hole in 2012, only one month after I started Thebeerchaser.com.
It helped set the standard. I loved this Yelp review:
“Dive bars can be a wonderful thing–I’m not talking about the type of place where you’re afraid of getting a shiv in the bathroom, but a comfortable, neighborhood establishment where locals go to enjoy each other’s company and a drink or five. Joe’s Cellar, thankfully, belongs in the latter category.” (#6)
A New Depiction
I came across a wonderful new portrayal of both a dive bar and a trendy brewery in a novel by Harlan Coban that I just finished.
I’ll add them to my collection and share them with you in Part II of this post.
However, since I’ve plunged into the topic, I thought I should first regale you with my favorite dive bars – not only in Portland, but throughout Oregon – especially the Coast and then some from other parts of the US.
But first, my choice for the most literal dive bar I’ve visited. This one is in Sacramento, California and we stopped there on a 2016 road trip to Yosemite National Park:
I asked Jason, the bartender 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 beer!) A few nights each week, we also have ‘mermaids’ swimming in that tank. Now do you understand how we got our name?”
Portland Favorites
In 2019, I listed my four most iconic dives in Portland. I’ll simply list them below in no ranking and you can read a summary of each one at this link or if you want the details, at the link over the title of the bar.
https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/02/09/thebeerchasers-best-portland-dive-bars/
The Ship Tavern 2012
The Standard 2018
Gil’s Speakeasy 2017
I’ve added two more to this list. I shouldn’t have left Renner’s off the original post. According to Willamette Week, “The Epitome of a Dive Bar with None of the Pretension.”
I discovered Yur’s in 2020, which Willamette Week accurately described as a “Perfect Dive for Daytime Drinking”. And Yurs – owned by a former NFL lineman – is!
Renner’s Grill 2017
Yurs 2020
I would also strongly disagree with one reviewer on the subject opining on Portland dives. If you check out my reviews of those above, you will understand why:
“I’m beginning to understand the formula for what constitutes a popular dive in Portland….Make it dark, create some reason for the service to suck and make PBR cheaper than soda….”
(Photos clockwise: The Ship, Mock Crest, The Standard, Renner’s, Yur’s and Gil’s Speakeasy)
The Oregon Coast
Four of the following gems were visited in a three-day trip with my brother-in-law, Dave Booher and another friend, Steve Larson, in the summer of 2014.
The Desdemona Club, better known by locals as “The Dirty D,” was a 2012 trip – again with Dave – he also feels a kinship with dives.
The Desdemona Club (“The Dirty D”) Astoria
The Sportsman Pub and Grub Pacific City
The Old Oregon Saloon (“The Old O”) Lincoln City
The Tide Pool Pub and Pool Depot Bay
Mad Dog Country Tavern Newport
(Photos clockwise: Desdemona, Sportsman, Tide Pool, Mad Dog and The Old O) (#7)
What About the Rest of Oregon?
Central and Eastern Oregon are two regions which still need Beerchasing exploits based on what we discovered on another three-day road trip in 2013.
And the iconic Lumpy’s Landing was one of the two bars that I visited before I retired which gave me the idea to make a bar tour when I retired. (The other was the Rod and Gun Saloon in Stanley, Idaho. (By the way, you missed the ice-fishing contest this year).
Central Pastime Tavern Burns 2013
Long Branch Saloon LaGrande 2013
Hideout Saloon LaGrande 2013
Horseshoe Tavern Prineville 2013
Lumpy’s Landing Dundee 2014
(Photos clockwise: Central Pastime, Horseshoe, Hideout, Lumpy’s, Buffalo Bills)
Stay tuned for Part II on dive bars – this time for my favorites in Montana and Colorado – rich in iconic dives and then a few from our travels around the rest of the US.
In my effort to further educate on the topic, take a look at this interesting Thrillist article about fake dive bars:
Signs You Are in a Fake Dive Bar – Thrillist
“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.”
Cheers
External Photo Attribution
#1. Wikimedia Commons (ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diving-board,_feat,_bathing_suit,_springboard_Fortepan_25241.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: FOTO:Fortepan — ID 25241: Adományozó/Donor: Tari Örs. 1937.
#2. Willamette Week “Deep Dive” (Deep Dive: Our Guide to More Than 40 of Portland’s Oldest, Dankest Dive Bars (wweek.com).
#3. Portland Eater “Dive Bar Guide” (The Ultimate Guide to Portland’s Iconic Dive Bars (eater.com).
#4. Willamette Week Annual Bar Guide (Willamette Week Guides (wweek.com))
#5. Nestucca Spit Press (Oregon Tavern Age – Nestucca Spit Press)
#6. Joe’s Cellar Facebook Page ((1) Joe’s Cellar | Facebook
#7. Desdemona Club Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=275454077925770&set=pb.100063835381277.-2207520000&type=3.
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