Crush Bar

Today's (9/4/24) kitchen special at Crush is penne with scratch made Ragu - and it's absolutely scrumptious! The staff here are always welcoming and friendly, the drinks are stiff, and the food is consistently good. So much better than standard bar food. Thank you Crush, and thank you new kitchen manager Jo for the yummy pasta!

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to find that the menu was varied and had some very creative drinks. I had the Tricky Nick. Which is apparently they're most popular and I can see why! Very refreshing and packs a punch. Then I ordered the bacon, blue cheese, double-patty Burger. Man it was juicy and delicious, once again another surprise. This bar has been around for a little over 25 years and is queer owned. Everyone is welcome! So I suggest you check out this local neighborhood bar and enjoy some great drinks and food.

Early September Thursday at 6pm. The place is nearly full with an event in the backroom. The menu is all over the place with lots of fried foods combined with wraps and humus plates. The tots are perfect. Everyone here is really nice with no ego posturing like many bars. Yes it is considered a gay bar, if that bothers you please find a different place to go. This is a great neighborhood bar that anyone should enjoy drinking at. There is outdoor seating for sidewalk people viewing and the whole bathroom area is non labeled so help yourself to a stall. We would gladly go here again if our travels go that direction. Colorful cultural Portland bar.

My wife and I had a couple of afternoon drinks here totally by chance looking for a place to sit for a while. Bartender was very nice, place had a great vibe for a bar on a Sunday afternoon. Hope to wander by again next time I'm driving though Portland.

Oakshire Espresso Stout blew my mind! Best dark beer I've ever had! And I'm usually an ipa! Staff is amazing.. Aka Kuntface the famous bartender is there to make you feel at home and figure out your worries! ❤ 🌈

A cute little bar that I went to with my nieces when I was visiting them in Vancouver. We just ordered drinks and met some of their friends there. The outside seating area is nice, and the weather was perfect for it.

I went on New Year’s, the day that they closed. They played the same song for like three hours, and it was a house music song with no lyrics.

Great townie bar vibes. Darts, karaoke, outdoor heaters. Unfortunately I wouldn’t get more than one drink due to the prices.

Really good had the humans plate loved the little peppers also the drinks are great really cool meow vibes super friendly staff

I was staying nearby for work and decided to wander in; as a queer woman, I always gravitate toward the rainbow friendly side of town My server was lovely and made me feel instantly welcome. I ordered my usual (an Aperol spritz) and it was fresh and cool, not too much ice, and with a twist of orange, not too expensive either. The bar was quiet on a Tuesday evening, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, but I hear it gets super crowded during events. The bathrooms were individual cubbies, very secure which was nice. Overall I thought it was the perfect spot to read a book and do some end-of-day emails; I'll definitely be back!

Honest review from a Black person new to Portland's gay (club/bar) scene. I've been to bars from Los Angeles, to San Francisco, Memphis, New Orleans, and New York and this LGBT+ bar just doesn't hit the mark. My girlfriend and I visited Crush on Feb 11th, 2023. Initially when entering, the energy was quiet and not as lively as you'd expect of a queer space let alone *any* bar or pub. The main area with the bar had no one. The people who were there were congregated in another quiet room watching a performance. In that room, there was a performer dancing with music playing but no audience member was clapping or verbalizing feedback to the performer. It's not something I'm personally used to nor have I ever seen. Me and my girlfriend walked up and started clapping and shouting to give the performer the flowers we felt they deserved. Despite the awkward vibes, we still decided to give the bar a chance and stayed for a few hours which soon became a regrettable decision. I had brought my gf to Crush (both visited for the first time) to treat her to a good time. Unfortunately, she was made uncomfortable by the bartender who repeatedly gave her intimate glances and leaned in (encroaching on her personal space) trying to initiate more intimate glances when handing her drinks. I'll note that I didn't receive this attention *not that I wanted it*. My girlfriend pointed out to me how uncomfortable she was with this unrequited attention and the disrespect she felt to our relationship as a couple. She wasn't returning that energy and we mutually dislike the discomfort she felt. She's used to being flirted with but this attention was to the point of unprofessionalism and unease. After kissing my girlfriend and comforting her, the bartender gave me negative glances and refused to interact with me and provide basic customer service. She then overcharged us for our food and drinks: 1. For food, we ordered a chili cheese dog with bacon: a) Chili cheese dog ($10) b) bacon ($1) c) lettuce (we were directly informed that this addition would be free and we agreed that it makes sense because it's regular-degular iceberg lettuce) d) chicken strip basket ($13) Amount total: $24 Amount charged: $26 Method of payment: Cash ($25) and Debit card ($1) Discrepancy: $2 (unaccounted for; overcharge was not explained) 2. For drinks, we ordered 2 cascade coffees and 1 lavender lemonade: a) 2 cascade coffees ($10/each) b) 1 lavender lemonade ($9). Amount total: $29 Method of payment: Card Discrepancy: N/A (this charge on my card makes sense). 3. Additional $19 pending charge a) We did not order any other food or drink that would amount to this b) We also welcome an explanation from the business and would love this charge to be revoked When reviewing my bank statement, however, I was charged an additional $19 which I am requesting a removal of in addition to a refund for the $2 aforementioned (and unaccounted for). Honestly, with how my gf was made uncomfortable and how the drinks tasted, we want a whole refund for the experience. The bartender wouldn't leave her alone the whole night and transacted small overcharges when all we wanted to do was love on one another in a safe space. I have attached picture for evidence of the unexplained (pending) charge. The charge is circled in red. As for the quality of the food, the chef killed it when preparing the chili cheese dog (my girl loved it). The chicken strips and fries were also solid and what you'd expect of bar food. The food itself was reasonably priced. No complaints there. The drinks in terms of the alcoholic content and ratio were off and nothing to write home about. The cascade coffees and lemonade were slightly too strong but if you want to get slightly buzzed then they do that well enough. *One star for the chef* and deducting 4 for the bartender's unprofessionalism and quality of drinks. Would we return for the energy and drinks? No. If we aren't contacted, I'm going in for an in-person refund. The chef's food deserves a takeout order though. The chef's energy was also great and she was kind to my girlfriend. The overall space, though, was just meh.

From what I witnessed, that patron was minding their own business and it wasn't until they were confronted by the extremely rude waitstaff, did they begin to defend themselves. When other patrons decided to join the excitement, no staff intervined to deescalate things. Instead exacerbating the uncomfortable situation. This is uneasy times we live in and turning on folks in our own community is just not something I expected to see. We never know what people are going through in their lives. A friendly gesture or a simple act of kindness even to the person we see as the worst can make all the difference in the world. I just feel adding a character assassination to my reply about a community member as a post is perpetuating the discrimination. It's just not what I would expect from my community.

This popped up on my Yelp search of what was around our AirBnb while visiting Portland and we were so THRILLED to have come across Crush. First of all there are plenty of options for food AND drinks here so no reason to go anywhere else. Seating inside is plentiful both for tabletops and bar as well. The outside extended patio is pleasantly nice with the cover/awning they have out and the barrier to keep you safe from bicyclists and cars. I can definitely see this place popping on any day or night of the week and weekend as they have some really great curated, open for all, and diverse events that are happening here. For food check the large blackboard to see what they have offered as specials as I saw they had a chicken parm with spaghetti special when we went and was allllllmost tempted to get but my heart was set on some fish and chips. Portions here are enough to share with your hunny and be sure to grab a basket of waffle fries or tots to keep ya company before your piping hot food comes out! Cocktails are all made-to-order and have very clever and cute names. I settled on the Cheap Date (whiskey + ginger) and my hunny had a delicious Lavender Lemonade that was so smooth and too easy to drink down! I cannot wait to come back and visit so we can make it back during nighttime. The clientele was diverse and I could overhear conversations that ranged from planning to film in the neighborhood to just general catching-up on each other's week.

An incredibly welcoming bar. No matter who you are, you are greeted warmly as a guest. The food has been a bit uneven over the years (we have been neighbors since they opened) but looking good these days. I always am happy to saunter over for a beer and some lively conversation. So happy they are here.

After going to a belly dance show last night we were starving and tried to find a restaurant that was still open. We went to Crush! The Yelp reviews were positive and they were open late. When we arrived it was jam-packed and loud but we were lucky enough to find a place to sit. There are plenty of things on the menu to choose from. I am so happy we ordered the vegan curry over rice and vegan chili with toast. The vegan chili was bland but hearty... and over toast you can't lose with that! The (coconut?) curry and crunchy battered tofu was on another level! The tofu definitely needed seasoning but put it all together and wow! Next we shared some seasoned steak fries but we were pretty much in a food coma by then. Everyone we shared our table with was chill and friendly and the server offered help just often enough. Thank you! The pics aren't so great because of the lighting.

I went to this place about a year ago on a whim with some family. we were finding a breakfast spot nearby, had one picked out, and the line was outrageous. So we decide to go for a walk and find somewhere else. Crush just so happened to be about a block up the road and there was not a soul in the entire place. I DONT KNOW WHY. Maybe because they had just opened.. the food was great. The drinks were great. The staff was phenomenal. I went a few months back for the second time, can not remember at all what we had ordered but I remember it being just as good and the atmosphere is really great.

I came in for my friends 27th birthday around 1 am after 4 barhops and no luck. I'm not sure why but we had the most uncomfortable time as the only guests in. I felt like because I'm trans masc, my feminine id was sus and thus felt like an unsafe space to be in (despite being at a gay bar). Bartender felt very "fuck afab" and was not with our wacky celebratory energy on a Friday night. this place made us sad after high hopes and end our night early.

Had a lovely time dancing with my girlfriend. Lots of Millennial- age lesbians the Friday night we were there, some younger like us. GREAT cocktails for $10, made by sweet lesbian bartenders. Can't ask for more.

Someone stole my jacket at the bar last night and then they kicked me out after I asked for a drink to calm my nerves because they thought I was "crazy". But really I was terrified because I just had my jacket stolen and have a lot of trust issues and can't afford to have any of my belongings gone. I'm living in the world all alone, all by myself. Whoever stole it probably heard me screaming in the streets, "Where's my jacket? Who took my jacket?" Because they gave it to the bar's lost & found. Anyways, don't recommend this place. I don't like getting yelled at, especially by women in authority. 0/10.

This is a really cool bar where everyone is welcomed. The bartenders are relaxed and the customers are cool. On Fridays they have a burlesque show. We haven't been to it, so I can't comment on the show. In addition, they have an extensive vegan menu. Items that we tried or delicious. This is now one of our go-to places. I heard the bathrooms good use some attention. Luckily I have not experienced them yet...

While in Portland, we tried to find a fun bar to go check out a drag show. To my surprise it was pretty difficult to find anything solid online, but I saw some decent reviews for the shows at Crush. The bar itself is really cool. The bar is extremely inclusive and good vibes all around, which is the most important part of the visit! Great prices on beers and drinks as well. We had like 6 drinks on our tab and our total only came out to like $35. Considering we didn't get beers, I was pretty impressed by that. The cover on the show was $10 which isn't bad at all! We got decent seats as well. The portion of the bar where they do the show is really small, so if you're planning on going just make sure to show up in a timely manner to get a spot. I personally wasn't a crazy fan of the show - it was more of an "interpretative" drag show as opposed to the fun, upbeat, loud stuff I'm used to seeing. That doesn't mean the show was bad - just not my taste! All in all, it's a cool bar that's definitely worth swinging through for some drinks.

The outside space is lovely! Great service, awesome events and sweet place for a date.

Just make sure to never leave your drink unattended as I was dosed thrice at this same venue over the course of three months - nothing screams rufalin like a blackout after one drink. Thanks LA and NYC for teaching this poor soul what that feels like. Otherwise kind, immediate attention from bartenders. The food is VERY okay - a little overpriced for what feels like is slammed and served as soon as possible. Surprising as the kitchen is staffed with non drink serving employees in chef uniform - unfortunately no such nuance is included with underfried sweet potato fries, sloppy plating, and a DIY non-supervised side assembly. As a queer individual, I habitually stray away from publicly served condiments at a hotspot of the queer scene for hygienic purposes (would you trust a ketchup container at a bath house?). Big props to the lovely and knowledgeable bartenders. No props to the lackluster menu or kitchen. Great place to sit and socialize with your circle - poor place to feel any kind of community outside of your own, less meeting a Grindr or tinder date and worrying about the creepy happenings going on.

Beautiful venue, friendly and attentive staff, ok food and music. Not a fan of ownership. This is a safe space for some, but definitely not a safe space for women of color.

My husband and I had a great time at Crush. The Sweet potato fries are delicious! We went to the burlesque s'il vous plaît show and had such a fun time. The homemade ginger ale is off the charts good, and their drink menu is the best I've seen. But the best part was being in a place where everybody feels comfortable in their own skin. The service was excellent, I would highly recommend Crush, For dinner drinks a show or all of the above!

Really cool gay bar and food place. I don't drink anymore but my daughter and her GF said they were good. I had a meatloaf sandwich that was amazing. I would definitely come back

For almost 20 years, Crush has been overhyped (as almost everything in PDX is) as some sort of postmodern utopia where gays, straights, and everyone in between is welcome and happily bonding in some alleged way that you couldn't possibly find on the old Burnside Triangle or in any other overtly "straight" bar in inner Portland. I guess that's what people wanted to convince themselves they were experiencing so they could feel better about paying $12 for drinks that are $4 anywhere else in Portland, whether on Happy Hour or not. Or $10 for food they'd be tossing out the back of any subpar food cart on Foster-Powell or downtown. In reality, nearby The Sweet Hereafter on Belmont is just one example of a superior, cheaper bar where your sexuality is less interesting to everyone but you, drinks are considerably more reasonable, and the crowd is considerably more interesting. Gay bars in Portland have almost universally been abysmal in the decades I've been coming here. When a good 85% of the Q community *never* goes to a gay bar, you're left to market yourself to the alcoholics and the intransigent people who, even in 2020, don't feel safe drinking anywhere that isn't a gay bar. Even in Portland. So, I'm sympathetic to the fact that there's probably only so much it would make sense commercially for Crush to do to improve how lame it is. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But, unlike some equally terrible businesses in Portland, Crush and its customers have always given off attitude (although there is an absolutely sweet and phenomenal staff member originally from Stockton who gives me hope for the future). Why, I don't know. There's always some barely attended event on their dancefloor that's the size of a Post-It while their always filthy bathroom is eminating the sounds and smells of someone snorting God knows what off of God knows who and someone in the stall next door is barfing up the overpriced grain alcohol they're passing off as "well vodka." But it's still better than Scandal's. Whoop dee do.

Small place. The bartender was very nice and informative. I went during the day so I don't know about the night scene. The Lavender Lemonade was delicious! Very lavender though so if you don't like lavender don't buy it.

We really used to love this place. It was very community centered and queer. It really doesn't feel that way anymore. Since after things re-opened, there's a very different vibe. Many more whyte cis-het looking people, and $25 for a plate of nachos? You've got to be kidding me... Probably not going to be a go-to any more sadly. Management is shooting themselves in the foot.

Pandemic has changed things and crush is no different. While the team behind the bar is different, the quality of service has elevated. Went for a cocktail with friends last night and the place was jumpin. Both bar areas had a line and the bartenders were slinging drinks like pros. Shout out to line mgmt of the service steps! You guys are doing great!

Crush is by far my favourite bar in portland. they are so inclusive and unique, and i love that they have non-gendered restrooms!! I really like that the bar is separated into two parts, also: a bar area and a dance floor/event space. This makes it easy to still hang out at the bar if there is a show or an event going on at the same time. All of the bartenders are very good at what they do, and always make exceptional cocktails. my favourites are the "A little switchy" and the lavender lemon drop! I see this bar as a truly inclusive community space for all people within the queer community, including trans* and non-binary people, and femmes!

Great staff!! The drinks are on point and the food is good also. Nice party atmosphere. The server JayP is the best.

Definitely interesting spot in Portland. Came in on a Saturday evening, and it was probably only 1/3 full. Everyone seemed to be really into their conversations. The dance floor was pretty empty with only a handful of people dancing. The front room is nice, modern and trendy. The dance floor area could use a little work. It's like walking into two different establishments. It was a nice place to end our night. Might give it another shot when we're back in Portland.

Love this bar! Will be back! Super nice staff, plenty of drink options & great happy hour too! Had some vegan chili nachos with our drinks that were good. There are some spots(seating) outside - no cover.

I was honestly extremely disturbed when I walked by a full patio of white men, none of whom were wearing masks or social distancing being waited on by two black men who were the only staff. There were two former employees handing out flyers warning customers about the union busting behavior that left the bar with only two staff members. Whole I was talking to them a man started screaming at me from one of the patio tables until the bartender was forced to come outside and calm him down. The entire scene was extremely unsettling and I will not try to go here again.

Had a few spare minutes yesterday before my boyfriend and I got our hairs cut so we strolled into this bar, not knowing it was an LGBT happening bar. What a great bar, with such a large variety of incredible cocktails for great prices. We managed to hit happy our and it did not disappoint. Cant wait to come back for a show! Awesome and inviting atmosphere!

I'm very conflicted between 2 and 3 stars. We need more queer spaces and I appreciate the variety of events that Crush puts on (check out King!) I love the gender-neutral bathrooms and the proximity to my home. BUT. I feel like, because I'm not a gay cis man, I don't belong here. The last 3 times I've been here, I've gotten the same look from patrons of "why are you here", I had someone take over my table and invite a bunch of people to join until I just got up and left, and I've gotten ignored by the bar staff. There is one bartender who has always been super nice to me (I'm sorry I haven't asked for your name!) The drinks are strong and reasonable depending on when you come. The food is...fine and overpriced. As others have said, it's a large menu for a small kitchen. I would visit Crush for an event but don't think I'll visit again just to eat/drink.

Everything was very good. The standout was the pickled vegetables. Very fun and interesting bar.

Crush is a fun, inclusive and happy neighborhood bar. They often have special events on and are worth a follow on social media. Great location, friendly staff and customers having fun! The only thing missing is consistency of the food. I've now had a few dinners there and each time the food has been the let down of the experience. One time is was a watery salad, next was a sad queso and last night it was a pair of very disappointing burgers with "Idaho nachos". A burger should be an easy ask but one of them had a very unpleasant tasting blue cheese that reminded me of chlorine. I've never come across that before and hope I never do again. The other burger was a Swiss and mushroom. No seasoning on the mushrooms, very thrown together and haphazard. The Idaho nachos are fries, bacon, cheese and sour cream. It was a congealed mess and would barely peel off if the cooking paper. I'm not sure how it was prepared. More time was spend taking utensils to the plate like crowbars. This menu is too large for a small kitchen and the food would be better if they did fewer things well. Go to Crush for the good vibe, fun events and atmosphere. Stay for the specialty cocktails. Find dinner elsewhere.

So friendly, so simple and I had so much fun! The bartender was so nice and I had my tasty cosmopolitan cocktail with a nice food! Nice and friendly crowd!

Love this bar. Super good food, STRONG & TASTY drinks. It's a bar for everyone but does cater to the LGBTQ community. The events are posted on their website. If you like to have a good time this place is for you. The bathrooms are for everyone and all genders. The music is great too.

I can sit inside! And the bartender was really nice and not bitter about their job lol. I usually hate most bars but I actually really enjoy going to this one. Great atmosphere and I feel totally comfortable there. And it's just around the corner so super convenient as well.

This place is fun. I love the openness and all the different types of people it brings in. We were going dinner next door, Farm Spirit, and knew that we couldn't go in on an empty stomach. We had the fries, hummus, and the taqueria. The fries and the hummus were delicious, but the taqueria were just okay. Cocktails were great and the staff was good.

I checked out Crush a few nights ago for a burlesque show. The watermelon drink I got sounded amazing on the menu, but it ended up being absolutely disgusting and overpriced to boot. It was syrupy sweet and tasted nothing like real watermelon. I took two sips and abandoned it. The show was OK, but not something I'm itching to check out again. I probably won't be returning to crush unless it's for a special event.

I wouldn't normally give a bar a review. This experience was so memorable that I am making an exception. It's a good neighborhood bar. It's not a fussy Portland "destination," it's an uncomplicated spot to meet for a beverage and a bite. Do you like indy theater? Crush has that too. A diverse event calendar with something for all genders, sexual orientations, ages, colors and tastebuds. Do you love quesadillas? I do! ‍ I'm sure you're thinking that it can't be that good. You'd be wrong to think that. The simplicity might be part of the formula for deliciosity. Tortilla+cheese. Is it the kind of cheese they use? The perfect crisp perfection of the grill? I don't know. My tastebuds today are thinking about last night with fond memories, though. Get yourself to Crush for their cheese quesadilla.

I refuse to succumb to crappy puns, so I'll never say that I have a crush on Crush. But if I WERE to say that, it wouldn't be far from the truth. This Inner SE neighborhood bar is a fun and inclusive spot to kick back and have a few drinks. It may be listed as a gay bar, but the whole LGBTQWXYZ community is represented and welcome. Crush's menu features surprisingly good bar food that can accommodate most any dietary restriction, including some vegan yams with curry gravy that this carnivore would eat any day of the week. The mac and cheese is tasty, the hummus plate is varied and obviously not just an afterthought like at so many other places, and the Idaho Nachos are basically cheese fries that are delicious and belong on nobody's recommended diet. My favorite? The pulled pork sliders. You should eat them. Crush is all about the specialty drinks, most of them as delightfully fruity as the patrons. Oh, they're also strong. Watch out, compadres. These "girly drinks" pack a bear-sized whollop. For this hot hot hot summer my favorites are the Lavender Lemon Drop (house-infused lavender vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup served up with a sugared rim) or the Cheap Date (house-made ginger ale with fresh grated ginger & lots o' whiskey). They also do a lot of different margaritas that are 1) super strong 2) delicious and 3) on special on Thursdays! The space at crush is varied. There are a lot of outdoor cafe tables, which is great for the triple digit heat we've had recently. Inside there are tables, loungers and sofas. In back? A small room with a smaller stage and dance floor. I've had some great times in this room. Oh man, the times I've had in this room... They do brunch, and they do a lot of specialty programming. OK, fine. I've got a crush on Crush. You could do a lot worse than checking them out for yourself.

Great bar service, decent happy hour that lasts a long while. AMAZING vegan food and cocktails. Definitely a cool community vibe here, I would recommend. I always go for a few drinks and some grub, the vegan wings are the best I have had. The RuPaul's Drag Race nights are a lot of fun, I look forward to every Thursday going there. Extra points: Another customer yelled, "Man!" for my attention when I left my card at the bar. It was a bit unnecessary given their volume and gendering of me. The bartender at Crush quickly stopped the customer from yelling and educated the person on the effects of misgendering. The customer genuinely apologized to me, as did the bartender on behalf of the customer and made sure that I felt comfortable. Crush is definitely a place I regular and would bring visitors to.

I've been here in Portland for 1.5 years and visited most of the "gay bars" in the area. I found Crush from a recommendation. I feel the vibe here is a bit down tempo or at least it was the night I visited. Which is a nice change from most of the other bars I have visited. Bar staff are super friendly and fast. They have a house made ginger ale which is fantastic!!! Outside seating but be warned there is smoking going on out there. Nice place to meet up with friends and chat or great date place! Kind of reminds me of a piano bar minus the piano. Will be returning....

Just another shitty straight bar with a rainbow flag slapped on it. Expensive drinks, food is meh, bartender is mostly nice but kinda awkward, crowd is typically annoying.

Nice people!!! Great food-- I got the breakfast bacon bowl but couldn't decide if I wanted ham or bacon. The nice bartender/waiter threw in both:) so sweet! The potatoes were delicious! Bacon and ham hearty. Everything seasoned so well! Their ginger ale was also BOMB( fresh ginger inside) Would highly recommend!!

We found this gay bar online. We went around 9pm on a Friday night and it wasn't very fun. The crowd was a mix of straight and gay. "Make Portland weird "is the perfect slogan for this bar. I don't think we will return.

Really cool neighborhood meeting place. Drinks are inexpensive, but pretty weak. I really like the atmosphere here and it's a great mixed crowd. The only problem here is that the drinks are really weak. We did any, but the food that I saw go by look delicious and smelled fantastic.

This is one of those things that reminds me how much I love Portland. There is no "gayborhood" per say here and what I love about that is it has resulted in a sprinkling of liberal minded gay and gay friendly bars throughout the neighborhoods of Portland. This is a gay bar in spirit but open and friendly to all walks of life. A very safe space with amazing and diverse events for all types of sexual expression. My personal favorite is PODO, standing for Pants Off Dance Off. A lovely event that fills fast, so come early and enjoy the evening with a bunch of fun like minded strangers soon to be friends. Happy hour and TV events are also great here. The kitchen is pretty good and I typically get the nachos as they spread um out all on one giant tray so EVERY nacho gets all the nachoness all over it! MMMMMMMMMM nachos. Go support our local gay bars and enjoy all that Portland has to offer.

After a late night happy hour meal, my buddies and I were still "thirsty" and so we headed to the closest bar. Across the street from Nostrana, lies Crush. Crush is a LGBT/Straight friendly bar. I didn't know that until I walked inside when the ambiance were full of different cliques and couples. On my Saturday night visit, the place reminded me of the 90's. A bunch of the songs that the DJ was playing brought me back to the 80's and 90's top 40. Kinda nostalgic but it did make the evening quite fun. You can seat yourself as you please throughout the vicinity, but all orders (food and drinks), must be made and purchased at the bar. [imbibe] *THE NAUGHTY GIRL ($7.50) - Vodka infused cocktail was made with with muddled basil and a splash of lemonade. I love my vodka cocktails and this was quite a girly drink that reminded me of a mojito. I would've enjoyed several of these if I wasn't DD that night haha! =X Crush also has a laundry list of bar food and although I didn't dine here, it looked like pretty darn good drunk food from what I saw other customers consuming. I wouldn't mind hanging out here with my buddies for drinks. It's pretty chill and mellow without all the meat-market stalking you would get from the downtown lounges/clubs. Yelp 2013 100 for 100 Challenge - Review #24

Fun gay bar in a neighbourhood area of PDX. Fun vibe with happy hour deals and tasty bar food. We had a tasty burger and fresh salad.

I was kind of wondering if I was going to get my ass kicked or something. I had never been there before and was unfamiliar with the restroom protocol. The tough looking gal in front of me took great offense to my asking which was the women's restroom and hissed at me that they are unisex. Relax lady! Love and peace! Back at the bar as I was ordering I noticed that I had a stalker; tough gal is back. This time sitting with her date and they are staring me down as I am ordering my Orange Crush. The Orange Crush by the way, made it easy to ignore the snotty woman and focus on what was important: the dance floor. I blew by the tough lady and her snarky friend and joined my fabulous friends on the dance floor and we danced our asses off. The dance floor is rather cozy but that's how you make new friends. A good time was had by all, except maybe tough gal and I made it out of there without getting my ass kicked. Awesome!

Crush will always be a favorite as I have spent many an evening there over the past couple of years. My friend had a residency there every first and third Friday night and Crush was the one place you looked forward to going to. Great drinks, friendly staff, awesome vibe, nice environment and a great bathroom. It is destination you can invite just about anyone to and some of the shows there were "out of this world" (Venetian Carnival, Tom Clark, Halloween Bash). We actually threw my wife's 29th birthday extravaganza there last year in January...it included 2 fire dancers (who administered flaming paddle birthday spankings...too hot!), a professional flame spinning hoola-hoopist, go-go dancers and top local DJ's. To this day, that remains one of the best nights we have ever had, plus it was one of the busiest nights ever for Crush. Add to this some great food, and Crush will remain one of my top destinations for a night of drinks and debauchery. Oh and some of the debauchery that occurred there...which to protect the innocent (hell, there were no innocent) will not be mentioned.