Joe's Cellar

Classic dive bar atmosphere. Big! One gaming area, then bar area then a large video lottery/pool table area. Piper the bartender was very nice and attentive, great service! I went in at 2 on a Monday and there was quite a few people. Seemed like people here were really into pool and had a system playing each other. Extensive menu and good food! Basically checks all my boxes and I find it to be perfect

Came for the first time with my partner. Dead sober, came in and my partner asked for a double. Very rude older blonde woman tending the bar said very aggressively “we don’t do doubles here, you definitely don’t need a double” Left immediately before getting a drink. Spend your money at an establishment with decent service and staff.

A true Portland dive, complete with dim lighting and sticky tables. Cheap drinks and classic greasy eats keep it real. Service is hit or miss, but hey, that’s part of the charm, right? Good for a no-frills night, just don’t expect a spotless experience.

Hasn’t changed in 30+ years of coming here. Solid dive bar with great staff and people.

Whoever is the older gal on Saturday nights, she’s blonde - she’s arguably the worst and most rude bartender I’ve ever met. Made people do a “verbal check-in” with her after ordering shots, mind you this was our first stop so none of us were showing any signs of intoxication. She was super confrontational and rude for no reason, then proceeded to get mad at us when we picked our friend up and carried him out just because we were having fun. This bar is horrible, service is horrible. Go anywhere else.

Flys in my drink, told bar tendar, she acted like it wasn't no big deal, I asked if this happens all the time because she didn't seemed shocked, she stated it's happens from time to time. She didn't even say sorry, just grab my drink and walked away..now she could've offer a free drink or something. . Between the four of us, we spent over $75.00 bucks there.. the other three people tab was $ 75.00 something. The food was ok, besides the flys, the drinks were good an strong..

Salad was Tasty and large portion. Sandwich was huge and tons of tots. Enough to feed four people.

Like the honest dive bar atmosphere of this place without being too divey. A nice respite from the pretentious hipster places that are taking over the neighborhood. A definite throwback kind of place especially the cigarette machine.

I have always loved this place. Long time patron. You go there to drink, play pool and get lost. Love it! Staff is cool and the other regulars know what's up. It becomes annoying when big tourist groups stop by. They are annoying and disrupt the vibe but the place needs business.

Yesterday my partner and I were approached by an extremely entitled, older white man who exited a black Acura in what appeared to be his finest golfing attire to aggressively tell us he owns the lot attached to this bar (I assume that means he owns the bar) and threatened to tow our car for pulling into his parking lot, even though the sign right in front of our car stated that this lot is for customers and we were on our way into the business when he demanded that we leave. We tried to ask him what the sign meant then and he blew us off and took off in his Acura, leaving a trail of arrogant privilege oozing behind him. Really disturbing experience and if this is, in fact, the owner of this bar then he seems to suck majorly as a human and I would recommend against supporting his business. Edit in reply: Just want to add that we were not asked what business we were visiting at all. In fact, the first words from his mouth were "you can't park here!" before any other interaction. There are many other ways to engage with a person besides threatening, which is what it is called when an ultimatum is provided such as move your car or else. The problem is not that we think we can park in a private lot. The problem is the attitude in which we were approached AND the fact that we were entering the building on which the exact sign is posted that it is for customer parking, so the signage makes no sense and maybe this can be taken as an opportunity for improvement if you have a problem with people frequently misinterpreting your vague signs with no business name present.

This is the neighborhood bar of all time. Inexpensive beverages, surprisingly competent food. everyone's super chill :3

Service was great!! People were welcoming and friendly Good ambiance ........... Good vibe

I'm sure thankful it's winter so that the insane patrons that sit outside scream and fight all night finally have a place to go inside and scream and fight! :)

Joe's always has welcoming bartenders, fun, lively environment, and just a great ambience all around. A great spot to catch a game and a brew.

I don't know how we've missed going to this longtime "dive" bar over the years, but we've been a couple of times this summer and they do not disappoint. This is a comfortable, casual, "old school," local's bar and restaurant. Roomy with plenty of seating. Pool tables and lottery. The bartender was super friendly with great service. The drinks were well made and generous. Serving both breakfast and lunch/dinner, they have a surprisingly large menu with good options. The burgers were delicious and generous. Pricing is spot on for what they offer. The hours here on Yelp are incorrect. They are open every day 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free, lot parking. Convenient location to downtown Portland. We'll definitely be back.

I was trying to find a good place to have breakfast on a Friday morning and Northwest Portland. I had remembered that I had come to this place for breakfast about 15 years ago. So I decided to come by and check this place out again. I came in and sat at the bar and ordered a water. The waitress was very kind and gave me a menu. I just decided to go with my favorite a Denver omelette. Within about 10 minutes my breakfast came out. I was pleasantly surprised as it looked really good. The food was really hot Temperature wise. Once I had a chance to bite into the omelette I was like man this ham taste like it smoked or something. The omelette had plenty of vegetables in it too and the cheese was not bad either. The hashbrowns were very plentiful very hot and delicious. If I get ever get the chance to come down here again I will definitely come by for breakfast. The waitress was very friendly and people are always family there. They have free parking in their parking lot so no need to worry about paying for parking on the street. If you go here for breakfast you will not be disappointed. I even saw the cook and told him that the meal was delicious.

One of my favorite dive bars of all times. Great food, great staff, great taps and awesome customers.

Great dive bar in the hood. Good cheap drinks, nice folks, and good food. I recommend the club sandwich.

Great staff, people, and drinks! Definitely a must visit when in NW...give it a try, you'll be glad you did.

Awesome dive bar! This place is everything you could want in a local hang out spot. Great beers on tap, full bar, pool tables for 50 cents a game, and tv's all around. All at simple non-pretentious prices. This place isn't fancy, but it's awesome! Stop in, have a drink, play some pool and enjoy yourself at Joe's!

Joe's Cellar is the definition of a dive bar- covered up windows, dim lighting, pool tables, lottery, and affordable drinks. There are about 5 beers on tap and a full selection of liquors. My partner and I split a turkey sandwich and fries, which was just alright (exactly what you might expect from a dive bar). I'm not sure it's the type of place I'd seek out or return to, but I don't necessarily have anything bad to say about it!

Great food better service owner was cool as hell too and the server came in on her day off, but still had a great attitude

Yet another bastion of real Portland in a sea of overpriced boutique restaurants, house-distilled artisanal cocktails and other pretentious BS. This place has two sides, a café and a bar. The café is not open on Mondays or Tuesdays (I believe). It's right on the corner so you have a great view of the concrete monolith with cantilevered steel upper floors going in across the street. The service is fast, friendly, and the food is unbelievable, especially considering the prices. The country gravy for their chicken fried steak is a meal unto itself, all sausagy and thick, served in such great portion. I've had breakfast for lunch here too, which is enough food for two. The bar side is a legit Portland dive - no windows, dark colored everything, dim lighting, pool tables, big half-booths with steel stacking chairs on the open side. Open 7 days a week, I've been in the bar side once for lunch and couldn't order drinks since I was working, but all else from the café side holds true. Plenty of regulars at noon on a weekday, still the bartender was speedy and friendly. Considering the age of this place, I'm surprised it doesn't have that grimy feeling or sort of faint, stale aroma to indicate it had been smoked in.

Great food and great service! The bartender is super nice and the food was bomb. Had a nice time sitting outside, enjoying the weather. Fun dive vibe inside too.

We love joes, the staff is amazing and super personable. We missed them very much during the panny and happy to see them open again. Its a place that as a small woman i feel comfortable stopping in for a drink alone, no small feat. Now with the addition of more outside seating there is plenty of room for patrons to spread out and enjoy themselves. Love the nostalgic look and feel of the place and the wildly tagged bathrooms.i would recommend this portland staple.

I've been to Joe's Cellar several times now for breakfast and have been very pleased. Most recently I had their homemade corned beef hash. Nice big chunks of corned beef and country potatoes. Great flavor and a load of food. The service is always superb.

I just moved to the area right accross the street and ordered food from Joe's and I have to say it was the best burger I have ever had. Everything was cooked to perfection and they have definetly earned my business. Finally a local bar and grill that knows how to grill, thank you! Chris Brass

Fast service, excellent burger, highly recommended. Was at the vet cause my pooch wasn't feeling well and needed to escape the waiting room. Thanks for being there Joe's!

THE "Dive" Of Bridgetown Dive Bars SITREP Bejesus, I love this dive bar! Secluded, Easy-to-Miss, Dark, (Scary? Well, not really...), but man what a great place to chill and make your watering hole. THE DRINKS Cheap! I mean, CHEAP! Everything I had was right around $3-$4 - for drink sizes (with MORE of an alcohol-kick or strength that) I'd be paying $6 here in Sacramento or $9 down in the Bay Area or L.A., such as my traditional Whisky & Coke. My bartender Minique was an absolute sweetheart and set me up with great drinks for this evening that included the aforementioend cocktail and a hard cider. THE AMBIANCE Pool tables, a Jukebox that looks like it was taken right out of the movie "TRON", and a clientele that is edgy & friendly at the same time. To be honest, Joe's Cellar would be one of the incentives for me to move BACK to Bridgetown. [Well, THAT...and a JOB.] ;) THE LOWDOWN One of the best watering holes you could hope for in Bridgetown.

Everything is paneled or upholstered, and if the upholstery gets ripped, they'll gladly slap some duct tape on it. The drop ceiling tiles mostly match. You can't tell how clean it is because it's too dark, but the bathroom smells like bleach, so I think it's a go. The staff is friendly and it's good for day drinking; they will even give you a remote to watch your favorite show. Someone just put "Blown it all sky high" by Jigsaw on the jukebox SWEET! Basic bar food menu ranging from $3.75 for a bagel with cream cheese to $10.50 for the chicken fried steak (a favorite of mine). Yes! "You sexy thing" by Hot Chocolate is now on the Jukebox. This is my kind of joint, no pretensions, just as real as can be. They even have a cigarette machine. Yowza!

Seedy bar with a few regulars. Otherwise, always a new crowd. Pool table, video poker, karaoke, outside tables. Cheap well drinks. Great place to get your neighborhood groove on.

Normally this place is good to go to for quick food and quick drinks. That was not the case today If I could leave a lower score then I a one I would. The bar tender was hammered or on drugs couldn't take orders or even fill them correctly let alone in a timely manner. She had to be reminded multiple times for things we were missing or wanting to order. Absolutely the WORST bar tender and the WORST service. Also the the Mac and cheese is gross.

This dive bar is my go to, I live just around the corner and can count on this place for exceptional service, a quality meal, and a great time every time I stop in. What really stands out to me is how at home I feel every time you walk in the door, it makes it forever one of my fav spots. This place deserved to survive the COVID pandemic.

This place is magical. I can't explain why (I mean, I can but my reasons are probably different than yours). You'll just have to go experience it for yourself.

Joe's is a neighborhood bar in a neighborhood that's no longer a neighborhood. There's so much new construction around it that it doesn't fit the area any longer but that's what is fun about it. It's divey, dark, and seemimgly full of regulars at any time of day. Prices are reasonable, beer is cold, staff is dive bar nice and one of the last businesses left in NW with parking.

Generic dive complete with pool table and a daytime crowd that's probably been regulars since Cheers was new on TV. And a nice parking lot right across the street. No complaints, but nothing really stands out.

It's not often I'm compelled to write a review just because of a chef. But this chef deserves it. Harvey is his name, and awesome food is his game. It was my roommate's birthday this weekend, and she being a frequenter of Joe's - mentioned this to Harvey. Though the kitchen closes before we planned to be there that didn't stop Harvey. No sir. Not only did he come in around midnight to open the kitchen, he made us all a special meal with ratatouille, heavenly mashed potatoes and some kind of steak that was AMAZING. We had our breakfast at Joe's the next day, bright and early, and Harvey was there again. He's a rough looking sort of guy, but...absolutely sweet and absolutely loves making food. He checks in with customers, talks about the tweaks of spices he's added to see if it's up to par. You can tell if someone is just asking to talk or asking for real feedback - that's Harvey. I've never liked a chef like this but he's super nice, sweet, etc. And the food? Heck yes. Breakfast is yummy and they always have some creative specials to boot. The waitresses are characters indeed and always make breakfast more interesting. As for evening, the bar is spacious, noisy and the drinks are stiff. This place rocks.

Pros: ~ parking lot in northwest (a rarity) ~ booths ('nuff said) ~ low lighting ~ heavy pours (see cons) Cons: ~ change in bartender meant complete change in only my second drink, including lack of the fourth pro. ~ while I can understand this to a point, the incredible rudeness in how this was communicated was uncalled for I rarely write reviews, but this was offensive enough that I'm writing this. Good customer service isn't that hard (I managed a large customer service department, so I know what I'm talking about). All it took was communicating with kindness (or at least humor) about the difference in bartending for me to be much more understanding about the situation. I would've given 5 stars up until the change.

Worst service ever! Rude and unfriendly bartender who will let you sit at your table without acknowledging you while she has no other patrons to wait on. When we did ask to place an order we had to go up to the bar and she appeared to be annoyed as if we were inconveniencing her to do her job. She was not busy or I could have been understanding. And all we did was sit there waiting and waiting and waiting even after she told us she'd "be right there". After that comment, when she waited on customers that came in after us, she proved her behavior was intentional as we were the only ones not getting service. Her responses to us were rude as well. Is it that hard to treat your patrons with respect, even in a dive bar? The most UNFRIENDLY service I've encountered in a long time.

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. Low, black ceilings give the place a cozy feel, while the 70's plywood walls add more to the overall ambiance. Assorted beer mirrors adorn the walls, sprinkled among the TVs. Complementary popcorn. Big Buck Hunter with Duck Dynasty. Booths. A comfortable, central bar. What more could you need? For my food choice, I opted for a blue cheese with bacon burger (not on the menu but they're flexible). Deee-li-ci-ous. Nothing complements the ground-up, roasted flesh of a noble mammal than blue cheese and crispy strips of another animal! As a bonus, the tomato was real...not the type they harvest from the forest. All this on a brioche bun stacked as high as a three story condo. And the fries...not like Ronald McDonald makes; these look and taste homemade. Joe's is close to the 'yuppie' haven of NW 21st but in many ways is light years away. If you want an $11 Cosmo, go a few blocks away to a trendy bar on 23rd. If you want a good pour at a fair price and a burger to go with it, check out Joe's.

Not classy, bar tender over pretentious. Cocktails are not great. People are nice, but management needs to clean up the crap hole. I hope that there're better bars around. Not ever going back. Bar tender was rude and was the worst mixer I've seen. I visited Portland expecting better.

I have been going to lunch here for a couple of years now. The food is great, it's always the places that you wouldn't think would have good food by the looks of it. I have always said to people "DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER"!

Great drinks good food, but the service during the week is bad, I have seen people leave because the bartender was talking to the regulars. It's bad when you have to ask the bartender twice for a drink. The bartender, Lisa is inattentive, and lazy. Done with this place. Hey, owner, maybe you should reevaluate your staff because it's killing your business. Maybe you don't care, like lisa doesn't care.

I love Joes. It's the perfect neighborhood bar. The bartenders are wonderful and amazing. Bre is literally an angel. I love playing pool or sitting outside on the patio tables. I'll order bar food every once in a while which is nice to pick up when I'm feeling lazy for dinner!

Cool local dive bar. Love this spot for a burger! Did I mention the burgers are huuuge! Yummy!

My fave dive bar eva!! Stiff jukebox and really strong pool tables. This place is Supercalifragilisticexpialidopest. 5 mthr fckin stars!

Reliable, Fun, Lively Dive Strong Drink Regulars bar Good wings No more smoking Love the juke playing - but it's a fancy new one and it's expensive. Miss their old juke. Sometimes moody bartenders Good brekky in diner area and bar Safe to hangout if you're solo Decent beer selection Outside tables in summer, can't beat it One of the best cocktail waitresses ever, Cathie !

I really like the feel/vibes given from this lounge. They have video poker machines and pretty good food, a little expensive though. The only negative part of my experience was after ordering food to go I got all the way home to realize my food order was wrong and I had to go all the way back. I called first to have the food remade the correct way but to my surprise my simple "no bacon" request was still not executed! I said something to the bar tender and she basically shrugged her shoulders said "pick it off" and walked away. Not cool at all. I can't have red meats and bacon is one of those things that makes me sick and the grease was everywhere so "pick it off" doesn't work for me. I wasn't offered a dessert or some extra fries or even an apology to make up for the mistake, I barely got acknowledged...... I will never order food again but I still go play pool and video poker.

Use to love the place really still do but have had the bar tenders try to short change me 9 times on Visio poker I can't assume that's a mistake that many times of course this is over a 30 day period but still come on

The most alcohol for the lowest prices in Portland. .50 tacos on Taco Monday! Free popcorn in the game room. Love this place.

We ordered the pulled pork nachos to start. It was a large platter and really good. I ordered the club sandwich on sourdough and it was pretty much perfect, delicious. Comes with Mac salad which was also really good. Our server was friendly Kudos to the cook!

Over a year of living a block away from Joe's I've... Developed and broke a gambling addiction Quit smoking three times Lost money playing pool to a guy named Yukon Sang bad karaoke ...and met all the regulars. ...got asked for cocaine by the regulars, repeatedly. (I don't have or do it) All at Joe's. It's the best place in town.

I thought for sure that I'd written a review for this little hole-in-the-wall deep in NW Portland, but I guess I hadn't First things first, there are no windows (Yes!), secondly, the drinks are strong and cheap, and finally, the clientele is an interesting mix of hipsters and old timers/regulars who all seem to get along swimmingly. There are plenty of TV's and pool tables in case you get bored enough to do something else besides cry in your beer and they even have Karaoke night (I think it's on Sunday's). Try it on for size! What can possibly go wrong?

One of the most "normal" bar on NW Alphabets District area. Normal for me is meaning that I don't have to dress up just to enjoy drinks. Normal for me is meaning that I don't have to spend more than $5 for a drink. Normal for me is meaning that if I showed up in my pajama pants, no one will care. Joe's serves strong drinks. Perhaps, it's a bit too strong for me. Maybe the bartender took one look at me and decided that she was going to got me drunk. I think if I'm in the neighborhood again, I will stop by here and perhaps to try out their breakfast. I keep hearing how good the breakfast grubs here...

Fantastic dive! People need to come witness the awesomeness that is Cat Stories, Ghost Stories, presents First Time Stories with music by Snow Snakes. Basically, get together a bunch of people on the third Saturday of every month. Get them completely blacked out before 10 am. Have them tell a random story. Have musicians play equally random music which is hilarious. Drink along with everybody. Have a fantastical time. Drinks and stiff and the food is damn good for such a dive.

Drinking, for many, can be close to religion. And when I think of religion I naturally turn an eye toward the Icons of faith: the Christian cross, statues of Buddha, the Star of David, the Hindu cow, Egyptian obelisks. Years ago my friends and I worshipped at the Lion's Head pool table at Joe's Cellar on NW 21st. A place where it was dark even in the afternoon, you could find Hank William's Jr. on the juke, Crown-and-Cokes for $3, and it was just dank and smoky enough to keep the trendies away. Today it seems you can hear Cash or Williams anywhere in the city, that old jukebox at Joe's has been replaced by something neon and digital, and trendies have established a home there on the weekends. Times change, and a new generation arrives in the city every summer. But I still find time to make it back and pay homage to the Lion's Head table for 9-ball every now and again. http://distilledpublishing.blogspot.com/

I walk past this place everyday, to and from work. Decided to stop in today for breakfast. Was greeted by very sweet young woman behind the counter. Ordered the Farmer's Scramble special: (I did egg whites and they didn't upcharge me) ham, bacon, green onion, jalapeño (I got it without and the server pronounce it "jalapeno" which humored me), cilantro, tomato, and smoked cheddar with toast and potatoes. I added a large orange juice for a grand total of $10.50. Food was made in less than 5 minutes. The scramble was small in appearance, but very good (very nice portions of meat). I was able to divide it into two (saving for breakfast tomorrow). The server gave me the menu with the phone number, so I could call in my order in the future if I wanted to. I will be returning. I want to try their French Toast (today's special of Berry French Toast seemed amazing, but I wanted a savory breakfast), pancakes (they have shortstacks), and biscuits and gravy (only $5!!!). Coming from the south, this place is kinda akin to Waffle House (diner set up and breakfast all day, except they close at 2.5pm and it doesn't reek of cigarettes and grease). My feelings for this place are bordering on love even after one togo visit because I'm tired of the brunch snobbery in this city. I only want food and good service that I pay for, rather than having to fit the stereotype of the restaurant to get good service (ala Stepping Stone and the like). ***SADLY, Joe's cellar shut down before I was able to post my review. Sad day!!!***