Robert H.
Yelp
This place has been here for ever, over 20 years in its current incarnation, and decades before that as a neighborhood pub. It's Portland's old timey music central. How many notes have bounced off those walls?
For happy hour, the special is free music, 6-8PM. Tuesday is bluegrass night with Jackstraw. Laura Veirs has played a month of Wednesdays with the musicians in her recording band, like Chris Funk. They have been mixing it up, with up and coming players like Grey Anne who I first saw about 2 years ago at a house concert. I'm not much a classic rock or country rock fan, but they have that too.
Later in the evening, 9, there is sometimes a cover. Once a month this crazy musician Baby Gramps from Seattle plays. Request his palindrome song!
The food is well executed bar food, this isn't a gastropub. They always have soup. A nice large selection of microbrews - 18 taps. The building will surely fall down in an earthquake and nothing fancy about the bathrooms. The smoking ban and adding a full bar have made the place even better. For some reason they recently added a little laser light show to the stage. (?) The bar is cramped, so don't expect fast service busy times.
The place is a summer hot spot with outdoor seating and conversation. Inside it's air conditioned. Order food at the bar and it's delivered to the table Drinks ordered and picked up at the bar.
The Tuesday crowd is varied and friendly. From people in their '80's to 21's, a gentleman with a seeing eye dog to outdoor surfer, kayaker and snow folks, musicians and teachers, programmers and carpenters, ad agency execs dancing with their sweetie. More fleece than fur, more outdoor shoes than heels. Definitely a dress down spot. Solid and cool staff.
Music insiders know their epic tickets-in-advance New Year's Eve, lately with Laura Veirs backed by Decemberists. What a pleasure to see beautiful and friendly people in Chucks and rain parkas dancing up a storm while other venues sprout pretentiousness.
Best of all, it's authentic, which is hard in trendy Portland.