I've been in the service industry my whole life and absolutely despise yelp, to be honest, but since it's a way of life now, I thought I should spend some time reviewing the places that I love and cherish. B SIDE IS AMAZING. Best bartenders out there - big shout out to OLIVE! But not just them, the whole crew is great. Dollar oly's and the cheapest wells around. Maintaining their prices when (many of) the other businesses on Burnside have boug-ed out (is that a phrase?) says a lot about their character. Big pours. Great crew. Great music. Great atmosphere and patio. Go here. read more

B Side Tavern is definitely a dive bar. It is all wood with a worn out look. All the tables were also made of sturdy wood and lighting was nice and low. Honestly I stuck with a beer which I enjoyed. Fortunately the clientele was a little bit more upscale compared to other dive bars. Service entails heading to the bar and ordering your drink and paying. read more

The B Side Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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B Side is a true gem. Its the kind of spot where locals gather to unwind without any pretensions. The atmosphere is relaxed, with great music in the background and a vibe that lets you just enjoy the moment. The bartenders are straightforward if you know what you want, theyll take care of it. No fluff, just solid service. The drinks are on point, and theres no need for a drink menu. This is a place for those who appreciate the real, unpolished character of a bar that's all about authenticity. Definitely worth a visit for a laid-back experience. read more

Great little dive bar! Staff was very friendly and so were the patrons. Would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a beer and some good music. read more

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I'm newer to the area and was looking for a new chill spot to have a drink after work, B-Side was probably the best in my opinion. Reasonably priced drinks, great staff and the decor is real unique. read more

The B Side Tavern - The lights at their bar are pretty gnarly - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Stepped in there briefly for a shot break for the group but you can immediately tell that this place got ENERGY. Totally would like to hang around a bit more on a less busy day. Pretty dimly lit all throughout the place but got plenty of seatings. read more

Bar hopping one night and stopped into this hole in the wall. The bartender was awesome, recommended places to eat and made great drinks. The vibe was very lax and I liked the music. Sat inside at the bar and was served right away. I would definitely recommend read more

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I didn't used to like this place because one of the bartenders was a dick to me for no reason, but now that Sizzle Pie cut off its own balls and closed their bar, B Side has really grown on me. Been there the last three times we've been in Portland and will be back again. read more

rob is amazing! best bartender around.. super genuine and kind. makes me feel like i'm not a burden even when they are super busy! fun portland staple. read more

I've been coming to B side tavern for YEARS, even before their patio burnt down. This place is one of Portland's "hipster/punk" staples but without the attitude. As you all know, I love patios and B side has a huge covered patio with heat (perfect for winter nights) and perfect for summer days. This place is non-pretentious, super laid back- I've made some pretty amazing people here and is usually my go-to spot to catch a nightcap Say Hi to Olivia when you visit! read more

If I could give 6 stars, I would. This is hands-down my favorite bar in PDX. EVERY STAFF MEMBER IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SERVICE. The long-haired male bartender with painted nails (Gabriel) is always sweet and attentive (screw that other reviewer). Love Olivia, Nina, Violet, and Carissa. If you're lucky enough to meet Tanya, the owner, you should immediately buy her book "Happy 21st Birthday: A Field Guide for Bar Patrons of All Ages" and get it signed. It's a punk rock bar, so definitely adjust your expectations. You'll hear a lot of laughter, a lot of unusual tunes, some antics, and you'll make some friends from many different walks. That's the magic of this place. The patio burned down a couple years ago. It was a city-hall nightmare getting it back up to code. The current staff is almost exactly the same as before, the look is the same (if not better) and the patrons all came back in support of this bar. The whole staff just took side work, waiting for the day they'd reopen. Tanya truly cares for this place, these people, and this scene - just don't tag her patio walls. Don't order the food. Also don't film life-threatening violence for likes & views. Ffs. read more

Marissa made my birthday the best one yet!!! She presented me with the discontinued chocotaco at midnight and the whole bar sang me happy birthday Clarissa provided amazing service throughout the night and I truly had a great time. Cannot recommend this place enough! read more

This bar is an isolationist's dream. It's dark, gritty, and even when people are next to you shouting you don't really seem to notice them. The noise just gets drowned out by the eclectic art and black paint. And they even support local community groups: they sponsor a local dragon boat racing team! Alcohol and civic mindedness? I vote yes! The highlight for me was the bathroom. Every inch, mirrors included, is covered in pearls of wisdom and nuggets of truth. It was like being at a conference where Plato was the keynote speaker. But for the 2000s! read more

The B Side Tavern - Pearls of wisdom - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Went here for a beer while we waited for our pizza next door. I have a certified service animal through the VA and keep the pdf on my phone. My dog is very friendly and loves all people. When i informed the male bartender he said he didn't believe me and don't want to see the paper work. He was very rude to me and my guests. Will never be coming back to this place. read more

The last time I was here, I think people were still allowed to smoke inside. I don't smoke and don't like smoke, but the smoke might have made this bar. This is a dive bar. Nothing less. Nothing more. We tried to go across the street to Burnside Brewing, but they were closed on a Monday. Ended up here and they had a Burnside beer on tap. The Stock Ale to be exact. I decided to get it. Figured they brewed it across the street so it must be pretty fresh. I noticed a lot of signs and stickers about bacon in this bar. Not sure what that means. I thought maybe we'd see some giant plates of bacon coming out of the kitchen, but there was no sign of any food anywhere in here. Not that I was hungry. I just thought a place that serves alcohol has to serve some kind of food. Meh. read more

The B Side Tavern - the camera on my phone takes crappy pics. - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Perfect essence of a Portland dive bar. Looking for a place to grab a beer, B-Side was right across the street from our previous destination. The smell of old cigarettes hits you the moment you walk in the door, but the bar keeps are friendly and get your draft poured before you can change your mind to leave. After ordering our pints we found a place at the bar along the window to enjoy some people watching. With a host of magazines along the wall, one can be comfortable hanging out here by themselves while waiting for their comrades to join them. We were here right as the work day was wrapping up, so it wasn't too crowded. But visions of people standing elbow to elbow were definitely possible. read more

The B Side Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Favourite bar in town. No frills, friendly staff, no-nonsense regulars, and fun decor. Love that the staff and regulars scares away the normies. read more

Carissa is the best, she pours the way you would expect a dive bar to pour! Super hospitable and ready to help you out!! Cody is one of the best patrons I've met.. a wee bit loud, but he loves his Jameson and orange smokes. The smoke pit is pleasantly warm, and I'd rate 10-10 even though it's a bit dark in the interior read more

I like dive bars with personality. Gangsta Rap coloring book? Yes. Charging station for your phone? Yes. Window seats? Yes. Right next door to Sizzle Pie? Yes. B-side panties for sale? Yes. All of the above and the bartenders are the best. read more

The B Side Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The world is running out of bars that give no shits. Everybody has a concept, everybody wants as broad an audience as possible, everybody wants to look "urban" but not actually do anything to indicate you're in a city. B Side catches flak because it's next to Sizzle Pie and, by extension, the tourists think that makes it Portland's information booth. It isn't. It's a place where people who actually work in this town come to have drinks, listen to the music and generally be left the fuck alone. The bartenders are... bartenders. They aren't going to smile, tug their suspenders, flip a glass and then ask you what your flavor profile is so they can whip you up something. If you come in with agenda, know what you want, keep to yourself and treat them well, they can be some of the best people on earth. If you come into the place thinking they're you're concierge or your footman, you're going to get treated like some asshole who goes into bars doing that. I miss bars like this because the real ones, the ones I cut my teeth on in the '90s and still know the feel of as soon as I walk into them today, are an endangered species. There are more of them in Portland than in most places West of Chicago and north of L.A., but you have to cling to the ones you have. Go in, order, sit down, enjoy. read more

The bartender wanted to make me cry. I went there on tuesday the 20th. She started off being extremely nice. I made one friend there and was with my girlfriend. Her attitude degraded throughout the night. She called me child, she actually raised her voice telling me to move dwell/well a certain spot at the bar. It's my first time in a bar and she was yelling at me to move from a thing I didn't know existed. She completely ruined my birthday with her negative attitude and emberassed me infront of everyone. I understand asking me to move but insulting me and raising her voice seemed way too far. read more

Cheap wells, covered & heated outdoor smoking patio, and good folks. As much as the rest of the neighborhood has changed, B-Side remains. Long live the Portland dive bar. read more

This is a pretty cool bar, very low key and spacious. I had my ID checked as soon as I walked in, which I liked. I don't like getting asked for it at the bar, if it can be avoided. Sat down a a big booth that could have easily seated 6 people. There is a patio and two bathrooms. No specific gender for bathrooms. Went up to the bar and ordered an IPA, bartender was friendly but didn't really talk to me. She kept talking to the regular, which is fine but if i had questions on drinks, this would bug me. Very relaxed atmosphere played a lot of 80's rock. After finishing up the IPA, i got a vodka cranberry which was okay. Nothing too special. read more

Ah, now this is the kind of bar where I feel like I could bust out the roof-raising chorus of "Friends in Low Places." Or I would if that sort of song didn't get my ass kicked by a gaggle of unruly bike messengers (the only kind worth having, to my eyes). If Rontoms is a well-dressed but utterly unapproachable acquaintance whom you run into and with whom you can think of nothing to talk about, then B Side is your disheveled and wonderfully familiar pal. You know, the kind of friend who leaves his messenger bag on your couch and forgets about it for a couple days, whose fridge contains no food except for several gallons of domestic beer. Because who else but a friend would have a pinball machine, a cozy and inviting patio/backyard, and a restroom full of colorful illustrations and provocative reading material? Your friend B Side even hosts something called the Unhappy Hour, named after its lack of non-nukable foods and suds selection. You may find this a less ingratiating quality, but at a place where you're already drinking for a lot cheaper than the other alcohol-bearing establishments up and down the street, it's cool. Plus, I'm often unhappy and am always glad to share my un-cheer. That's what friends are for. read more

The B-Side is another in a long line of typical Portland hipster dive bars. The atmosphere is a mix of dirty, arty, ironic, and cool. The front door opens to a dark, dirty space that smells like stale beer and cigarette. The space can be both cool and disheveled. The lights hanging over the bar have x-ray negatives in them, which gives off an eerie, low-light feel. There's a rad array of art on the walls, including one piece that's a rainbow-puking My Little Pony with, you guessed it, crushed PBR cans littered around her. If there's a dictionary entry for "hipster art", that image should be next to it. The service was friendly and the beer tap selection was ok for a dive bar. They had the HUB Pale on tap, which was a welcome offering for me. But at $4, I didn't quite feel like it was dive bar priced. The crowd was very homogeneous, wearing either the fixie-rider uniform (thick-rimmed glasses, Italian velo hat, chrome messenger bag, peg-leg high-water pants) or the general hipster uniform (pegleg high-water pants, black bandana tied as neckerchief, B-Side logo hoodie or blank black/dark American Apparel zip hoodie, random off-center facial piercing). They all looked exactly the same. The tables were cool, lots of them mosaic tile. Quite a hodge podge of things thrown together to make a bar. All in all, if the place hadn't reeked of cigs and beer, I might have stayed longer than it took me to quaff my beer and run. But I am not sure what I would have stayed for. Not much to do in this bar but hang out and get drunk. The beer selection wasn't good enough to really keep me hanging out longer than one o 2 beers. Again, the bartender was a really nice guy. That says a lot to me. Very unpretentious. Will I be back? Not any time soon, but if I were standing nearby and wanted a simple drink, I would make no hesitation to walk on in and grab a brew. read more

The B Side Tavern really should have a sign that says anyone welcome here...at any one time the patrons are a microcosm of Burnside and the neighborhood. From hipster to mullets from baby boomers to Millenials... The B Side offers a full bar...ample beer...a nice patio and my favorite part...the use of old x rays to shade their over the bar logging...brilliant and a nice example of smart recycling. I've been here a number of times and frankly don't recall if they even offer food. For me..this is a place to drink... Its dark ...a little dusty...nondescript it's artsy in a way and perhaps a tad abused. The word trendy is not part of the B Sides vocabulary...and why should it be? There is no pretense...no need for concern of appearance...it's your old college buddy's slightly trashed apartment ...with a big patio. read more

Oh Joy! Oh sweet baby Jesus giving me a foot massage with whipped cream! You mean I can get booze somewhere without a giant dose of 'tude? No 'tude here? Oh Ecstasy. So, can you tell I'm a fan of B-Side? The story is this: My lovely girl friend wanted to go out for beers somewheres. I would be coming straight from work, meaning I work most likely have milk in my hair and coffee grounds in my cleavage (sexy!). So I wasn't going to roll up into Slow Bar with my dirt-ass Danskos. For whatever reason we settled on B-Side. I got the impression that most of the patrons worked in the service industry. Which made me feel way more comfortable. The bartender was friendly and attentive. The music was there if you chose to listen to it. But it didn't have that auditory rape thing going on like so many places *cough* Shanghai Tunnels *cough* And I know that this is going to sound crazy but, I believe that the PBR keg is somehow colder than everywhere else in town. + Pinball read more

Almost gave this place 2 stars but im too nice, I guess..... If your a smoker the patios a great place to drink and sit in a massive cloud of smoke and draw on a table or bench. If you want to experience Portland hipsterism at its pseudo- punk-hesher finest this is the spot. I will say this is a true dive and I love dive bars. the drinks are cheap and the bartenders are friendly. Just don't go on a hot day/night cause the customers are ripe and there ain't no AC. read more

When I first moved up to Portland it seems like every bar I went to had the exact same vibe as the B-Side. Pretty no frills. Not pretentious in any way. Serious about pouring decent drinks for not much dough. A fair beer selection with at least 5 or so quality micros, never served in cheater pints, and never more than $4, plus a few dirt-cheap piss beer options. A bartender who will chat if you make convo, but leaves you alone if you don't engage. Decorated in that simple, DIY kind of way that proves that anything, even skeletal x-ray films can become functional art (check out the light above the bar). So maybe it's just nostalgia that gets that 4th * from me, but there seem to be fewer and fewer bars like the B-side in Portland. I wouldn't exactly call B-side a "destination", but recently I've really been digging the inner eastside neighborhood, especially around Burnside, and B-side is a reliable, easy going, comfortable joint that I really enjoy just stopping in for a quick beer, or hanging for a while with a larger group. It doesn't hurt that it's so close to Doug Fir which makes it a great place for pre- or post-func libations...especially if you stop by during their "Crappy Hour", where prices get stupid cheap. Inside has recovered remarkably well after the smoking ban - many places as smoky as the B-side used to be are still impregnated with years of pungent, tobacco scorch, but it's not terribly dank here. And they have a back porch smoking patio for those amongst us who still enjoy a ciggy smoke now and again. B-side is a winner in my book; and only gets extra points for selling "I like it in the B-side" panties. read more

The B-Side Tavern is the quintessential Portland dive bar, and it works. Not much to see, not much to eat, but plenty to drink. Stiff and cheap, just how I (and most of Portland) like 'em. Don't you dare try and order a froofy-drink though... an x-ray of a beer bottle shoved up your god-knows-what may end up as a bar decoration (along with the rest). read more

The B Side Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I was in town with my gf and we decided to meet up with some friends I haven't seen in a few years. The outside of this place looks more like a record shop than a bar and the decor on the inside is totally wild and best described as designed by a schizophrenic psychotic sociopath. There's paintings of unicorns puking up rainbows and dismembered dollies on the ceiling, that should give you an idea. The bartenders have a heavy hand, so expect stiff as fuck drinks and drunkenness to ensue after a few rounds. I liked this place because I got wasted for uber cheap, what I didn't like is the hangover the next day that lasted the whole drive to Vancouver BC. read more

it can be a really fun place, lacking in douche-baggery. but that guy, J something, is really a dick read more

The B Side Tavern - over the patio door - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Like some of the people said, the B-Side is dark, smokey, and has a punk heavy juke box, and that is what I love about it. The owner has always been really nice, and the same goes for the staff. It is a good place to go with a bunch of friends and wind down. And for everybody who is complaining that it is too smokey, you can calm down, the ban starts at the beginning of the year. read more

Eureka!! Visiting from Philly, I was craving a dive bar. This was right over the bridge from where we were staying. Not only did this bar introduce me to Rogue Brewery (thank you!) but the bartender was a real-effing-bartender, none of that hoity toity bull shit. He also pointed us in the right direction to other great digs and we walked around half-lit looking for them (I remember thinking, 'this is what I do to people who visit Philly') Great experience! I only wish I could visit again! read more

This is a terrible bar, the bar tender is unfriendly and over pours the drink. He is giving away free booze to patrons and the drinks taste terrible. The owner needs to fire this employee, he is losing money for the bar. No drink menu and the bartender offered little help to decide. He hates his job and its obvious. read more

The sorta place that after only a few visits the awesome staff makes you feel like a regular. Stiff/cheap drinks, mostly older original "hipster" crowd, bar staff that is always nice and who actually thank you for tipping. In other words a great neighborhood dive bar with good people and booze. read more

This place was a interesting place to say the least. Friendly bartender and the bathroom was the most bizzare place in this joint. Was nice and roomy but I'm sure that changes on the weeekends. I enjoyed and would go back. read more

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Dive bar? What's that? This place is the real deal. Awesome jukebox, great bartenders, good beer. What more do you from a place like this. Yea it's not the hippest place. The patio is smoky, they don't serve tofu, it's a BAR. Like they used to be and should be. Half the people around are in local bands, and there is a feeling like everyone knows each other. Good place to have a beer, great place to stop after getting some pizza..... read more

Dang, I must hang out in some real hell-holes because I thought this place was pretty nice. The beer was cheap, there was poetry on the bathroom walls and they didn't stamp my arm with a tree branch that wouldn't wash off for 2 days (*shakes fist at doug fir!). I will return. read more

Sweet bar. Kinda divey, but the beer was cold and priced right. Other adjectives one could use to describe this establishment: grungy, hipster-y, edgy, Portland-ish. Worth stopping in for a beer or eight. read more