Lay Low

Great vibes and bar food! The chopped cheese is unmatched. Full bar with NA options too. Heated outdoor patio seating, dogs welcome.

Got to tell you awesome burger only 5 bucks on Mondays, they have all & all great food all around.

Super cute bar but food prices seem high for a dive.

Great local spot. The servers have always been fantastic, and the tap selection is excellent. The bathroom situation is a little questionable, but not a deal breaker. Perfect spot to end a night out.

Always a blast. Super underrated patio. I'd say top 5 in Portland. Chris is easily my favorite bartender in Portland. Always just a blast to be around, super chill, super nice, and super quick. 10/10 all around! Also they do trivia on Tuesdays! All around a blast

This is the place you have to go if you want amazing food and service by Milo and Geoff, friendly service by all the wonderful bartenders like Dani, Chris, Connie, and Ashley-Can’t recommend this place enough, it would be good as is, but the people who work here make it an amazing place and I look forward to each time I get to come here because of them! Love the laylow!

Love this place. Need to staff up on Friday nights — the lines get crazy. But overall this is a great spot with authentic vintage dive bar collectibles all over.

They're burgers are good, although their wings could be larger With more meat they are delicious. The patio is very comfortable. Nice atmosphere

At a friend's suggestion, we stopped in on NYE, sat out back and had a drink. We didn't order any food so I can't speak to that but the bartender poured a heavy Crown and coke, much to my delight. As far as dive bars go, this place was definitely divey. I witnessed hard rock karaoke and people playing arcade games. Seemed like a popular place, lotta regulars that knew each other and greeted the bartender as they walked in. The covered smoking area out back was spacious, it probably held close to the same amount of people as the inside did. Parking lot was small, luckily we had a sedan so we fit into the back of the lot because my big SUV would never have found a spot there. I'll be back, I liked the vibe! Cheers

Damn fine burger! Really nice Caesar salad- plenty of shaved parmesan, delightful lemony dressing

DELICIOUS burger, friendly service, affordable prices, and a chill patio. Definitely going to be returning for more after-work hangs

It's a dive but a cozy, nice, dive. They have karaoke on some nights. Whoever is the chef right now made the BEST burger and caesar salad! I got the Lay Low burger and it was legit so fire! I wanna go back again today and order the same thing lol. Maybe it was the tequila making me feel some type of way, but I ended up tipping the chef personally. FI-RE! Oh, and stiff drinks

The bartender CHRIS was such an asshole I loved it. The next time I arrive I'm going to be prepared by wearing a diaper so that I can't leave the bar so I can endure his abuse and pours. Im looking forward to it. The piece of shit chef was radtasticle as well.

Cheap booze, great food. Pretty much exactly what you want from a dive bar. Nothing more needs to be said!

Went back in place seems to have worked out problems and food is back to being top notch is is service. May have miss read the previous situation my bad. Did not get over charged and had a great time.

This review is based off of my experience during the burger week adventure. They had the Rad Walla burger for $5.00. Walked in, ordered at the bar, received a number ticket, found ourselves a seat and waited for our numbers to be called. We sat out in the patio and watched them cooked the burgers on the grill. Did not have to wait long before our burgers were ready. The burger looked exactly like how it was advertised and was delicious, especially the bacon! It was super tasty! The burger was devoured within minutes. Interaction with the staff were limited, but I loved how they were not pushy/ try to up sale their products as we came strictly for burger week. Yup, no judgement here. They have their own parking lot, however, it was full when we arrived. Instead, we parked across the street and walked over.

Everything you hope for in good neighborhood dive bar! Smallish but great beer selection, excellent cocktails, fantastic bar food, friendly service. A really chill place to hang out. We love the punk/post-punk playlist. Saw some bands last week and that was a blast too with it being such an intimate venue. Our new go to. Don't go changin'.

Overall: Great option for Portland's Burger week - fast and friendly. Location: If you're not familiar with the southeast Portland area, you can easily drive past it since Powell is a major street. Parking: They have a small private parking lot but can be easily missed. There isn't any street parking but there is somewhat of a parking lot across the street that is convenient if you're willing to wait for cars to pass on Powell. Service: I love how they figured out a system to meet the demand! Just like most burger week locations, you purchase a ticket at the bar and you hand it to the chef outside. Seating: It is very limited outside in the back! Food: It's a great burger for $5! The bun isn't an average one that you would find from Wincos and the bacon was crispy. It did have a bit of tangy flavor to it which was very unique.

Good burgers and good pours :) the tater tots were nice and crispy and the burger was cooked perfectly

i love this place and the cooks and bartenders but uhm where the fuck did the jerk sauce go?! i want the old menu back! jerk sauce! jerk sauce! jerk sauce! jerk sauce! jerk sauce! jerk sauce! jerk sauce! jerk sauce!

----- Burger Week 2017 Review ----- Was definitely not expecting how good this burger was. 3rd burger of the week. We had come here right after getting a burger from Foster (which took unreasonably forever) and it was the first time either of us had been there before. It's quite a divey place, and not much on the eyes but they had quick, friendly service, and the burger was excellent. The place had an odd mix of Portlandian decor, punk music, and a chinese kung fu movie playing on the TV. For the burger itself, the cheese and arugula greens really made this burger what it was. The burger was well-cooked, very flavorful, and juicy. The goat cheese was a balanced salty that helped tie together the flavors from the spice of the arugula, juice of the burger, and bun. I would definitely have another one of these, and wouldn't mind being able to get some of the cheese itself for other snacks or meals. I don't know if I'd come here again, mostly because it's just not my scene, but if I'm craving a good burger and am in the area I'd probably come back.

A cool bar along the busy street of SE Powell. From the outside, you cannot tell that they have a nice outside patio in the back. The inside is dimly lit and has that cozy feel to it. I came here and had a burger (as it is Burger Week) and was not disappointed at all. They grill the burgers to order in the back patio. The burger was great and the staff was great.

this is mine & my partners first time visiting oregon we stopped by here to hang with a friend who firstly ordered us the marionberry habanero wings which were pretty deliciously interesting it's mostly sweet than it was spicy but overall very enjoyable , i then ordered the western bbq burger with fries & it was satisfying all my expectations (western burgers are my go to !) , my partner ordered their signature lay low burger which had a good bunch of arugula & cherve cheese just wonderfully juicy !! definitely recommend checking this place out it was super affordable with good drinks , food , & attentive staff :)

Went for the burgers after reading their reviews. Typical. Too salty for my taste. Unremarkable.

I went to Lay Low Tavern one day for Lunch and got the burger and fries basket. The burger blew me away! And the fries were hot and crispy. Went back again one evening and again loved the burger though the fries were good but not as incredible as before but that's picky. Love the nouveau dive atmosphere and both time there have only encountered the people working to be super friendly. Stop me now or after writing this review I'll go there again!!!!!

Great food and comfy atmosphere. It happened to be comedy night on the Thursday we went which was a fun surprise!

Been frequenting this bar since I moved to PDX 3 years ago. Went in with a group of friends last night and we were treated so rudely by the cook. It was completely unexpected and uncalled for! The bartender was sweet and tried to apologize and he just stood in the kitchen laughing and shaking his head like a complete pompous jerk. Won't be back.

To start, the 2017 Burger Week burger was amazing. Best one I've had this year. Completely worth the $5. Amazing flavor combo with generous arugula. Just delicious. We caught a bit of attitude from the bartender here. Nothing crazy but maybe just a clash of personalities. The people making the burgers were very friendly. It was also somewhat difficult to breath on the back patio with all the smoke from the grill and multiple people smoking cigarettes. If you're sensitive to this, you might be better off inside. Was excited to see they had a cider on tap. Good stuff. We'll be back for Burger Week 2018.

I have been driving past this dive bar for over a year now since I moved to Portland. I decided to drop in and FINALLY check it out... and the only negative thing I can say... is to myself. Because WHY did I not try it sooner!? This place has one of the BEST burgers I've had in Portland! Plus, it's a build your own so you can add anything your heart desires. They also have tons of wings with different flavors (I suggest the marionberry habanero) There's tons of seating, bartender is always as awesome as can be, and it's a very chill environment.

I love this place. Bartenders are always friendly. I've stopped going to bars when the bartender treats me like I ran over their dog. I like that the music is the perfect volume. Not to loud so you have to yell but loud enough to hear it cause they play great music. But what is with the strange smell in the bathrooms? They are trying to cover it up with a sweet smell and the combination of the two is unpleasant . Maybe just get to the bottom of the problem. We spend enough money there to pay for a plumber in a couple of weeks.

The folks that brought you Gold Dust Meridian, Double Barrel, Club 21, and Sandy Hut (Night Light) have refurnished Gators pub on SE Powell blvd to bring you The Lay Low. Step inside and witness the very definition of Old-Man-Bar. But is seeing really believing? Did they pull it off? There's certainly a lot of experience, vision, and detail that went in to making it feel that way and there's little doubt that the Lay Low is as genuine as the wood panneling. More than a few pieces of memorabilia from Club 21 (R.I.P.) were brought over and look very much at home here. The one thing that made me stop short of believing that this is a genuine neighborhood/dive/watering hole were the unfortunate weak pours. But living 10 blocks away, and noticeably friendly staff, means I'm going to give The Lay Low another shot. Covered back patio. Pinball. Music volume that's conversation-friendly. Food looked pretty good.

Popped in for a burger and a drink. Burger was really good, drink was fine though they didn't have the ingredients for my initial cocktail choice. Nailed the dive bar aesthetic well but was a bit too dark on the inside for me.

Even as the menu is limited during this pandemic, this place still serves a good burger. The patio is heated and covered, and a nice place to enjoy a well poured drink. I'm hoping they can stay open and continue operating under these trying conditions.

Damn dude, gotta give Chef Andy manning the kitchen a raise, how is this place consistently dealing out my favorite burger and wings in Portland? The bun is grilled to perfection not only inside but out, the meat is always perfectly medium and super well seasoned, all the veg is crispy fresh. The sauces on the wings are so damn good, and the wings themselves have just the right amount of breading. BBQ Sauce, dank. Ranch, dank. Jerk sauce, dank. Korean style wings? oh lord. The tots got those crispy bits you normally get on good fried chicken. $5 burgy on monday, $8 with fries for happy hour, $11 with fries otherwise? Wtf is even happening here, I was starting to count myself lucky to find a $14 a la carte inflation burger with a $5 upcharge for a slice of Tillamook cheddar in this town?

In search of the best Bloody Mary in Portland. They did not disappoint me. Good food for a triple D place. If you want to go where the locals go, come here. It was really a cool place.

This is the best dive bar in the history of the universe. Ambience for days, clean, great service, cold beer, stiff pours, and a build-your-own-burger menu completely incapable of disappointing. I live like 25 minutes away by car and still come at least once a month. If I lived right in the neighborhood it would be the best/worst thing ever. The only thing close to a flaw is they have one of those ungodly internet jukeboxes, which uses a deceptive "credit" system and plays your selections at a distinctly lower volume than the default tunes that play in between. If a CD juke were at all easy to come by anymore, and if they replaced their current one with one of those and stocked it with 60s rock and 70s punk records, I'd hack Yelp to find a way to tack on a 6th star.

Even if you're not a person who enjoys bars, please make time to get a burger here. It is quite honestly the best in Portland. The burgers taste great AND look great- not an easy task when it's covered in toppings and sauce. I've never seen a dive bar take so much trouble to serve an amazing, consistent product. I was so bummed out when Club 21 closed, so I already knew I was going to like its re-incarnation as Lay Low. I didn't expect much from the food- Club 21 was more of a place to get drunk and loud, and maybe get some onion rings. I would have been pretty happy just to get Club 21 level food, but for some reason when they re-opened somewhere else, they really upped their food game. The beef they use has an actual flavor, and they don't grill it to death. They use much better ingredients than I would have expected, and seem like they actually care what they're putting in front of you. I've been six times now, and I know I'll be back. Get the western bacon burger- they use bacon fancier than I would even treat myself to at the store. The service has always been great- no standoffish or hipstery too-cool-for-this-job bartenders, and the food comes out hot. Try the pina colada slushie- I swear it totally goes well with bbq sauce and bacon.

$30. For a soda and 2 orders of chicken strips and tots and a bitchy attitude from the bartender. I am sorry I chose your place to get some food for me and my girl. I will know better next time. And tell the cook if it's black it goes in the garbage. Try again. I could have broken windows with the chicken strip. The two stars goe to the tots and poker machine the only things good in that place

New bartender working today is amazingly sweet and pours perfect (not too strong, not light, legit perfect). Patio is great, food is good, bar is nice. A neighborhood gem.

Total local dive bar on Powell, with decent burgers. The bartender might've been a little frazzled as there were a handful of people waiting to either order food or drinks. I didn't realize that you had to grab a marker to check what you wanted on your burger, guess I didn't read the menu properly. They have a patio out in the back, if it's too stuffy inside. I ordered a burger with mayo, mushrooms and swiss cheese, but somehow got a mustard burger, which was a patty with the cheese and the mustard, no mayo. It might have been some communication error. The thirsty eye burger was what my companion ordered, and it was delicious, I think I just need to be prepared when I order a burger there. Not a bad dive bar, if you live within walking/biking distance from here, but I wouldn't go out of my way to check it out. I'll be back, maybe it'll be a better experience.

Extremely friendly staff, decent draft selection, and the patio ambience is delightful. Covered & heated. You can have a smoke without getting cold & rained on, such a treat! There's also a couple pinball machines, a juke box, and all the regulars here are great too.

I'm going to give this place 4 stars because I love a good dive! We went to listen to the Prince cover band, "Erotic City". I imagine it drew a different crowd for this place for sure. It was packed! I don't know if they over packed the place on purpose or if they were surprised at the turn out but the bouncer let in probably 30 people too many. It was just too crowded. The band was good and we stayed as long as we could stand the crowd but people were getting cranky and pushing so we left. But that reflects more on the customers not the bar. The bartenders were awesome and the bouncer was friendly and helpful. I like bed the red apolstered benches. We will totally go back on a less busy night. I wouldn't go for music again.

Great spot, great food, fun atmosphere/ if anyone one remembers club 21 brings me back(burgers to die for)!!! Going to start coming here all the time.

I LOVE THIS PLACE. Holy crap, y'all, this place is so awesome. Their burgers are flipping fantastic! They're dirty and greasy and messy and so damn delicious. You can customize them to your liking, so I add pimento cheese, and then swap out for a side of tots or a salad. Yum! Drinks have been great too! Been getting into the slushies for summer and they do not disappoint. I could drink them all day and just chill - and feel like crap the next day, but whatever.

What HAPPENED? This used to be THE SPOT, everyone working there was fantastic, they've gotten rid of all the awesome people and it's so disappointing.

I love this place! It looks like Club 21 was picked up and dropped at this location and that's probably my favorite part since Club has been demolished We came here in search of slushies and they had a pina colada and passion fruit margarita--both were great! Decent drink selection and all reasonably priced. Same food menu as Club, so you know the burgers are just as good! Didn't check out the patio since it was super hot out. This is such a cute little spot and we'll definitely be back often.

What a great bar. Delicious burger and fries, and such a nice beer selection (craft brews as well as the good, classic cheap PNW beers like Rainier). Prices are very reasonable. I love the booths, and they even have a TV they can put games on for you. Bartenders have always been friendly and attentive.

The Vibe speaks for itself. Only posting because of the exceptional food they have here. If you want a unique bar and great food check it out, or don't. You'll be missing out.

Super good. Best fried pickles in town, or as I like to call them, frickles. Their Burger Week burger was probably the best I had, a few years in a row. Next thing I want to try is their brunch. Great place to stop in for happy hour.

I was very disappointed with my burger and fries in the basket meal tonight as it was served tepid at best and had to hear a sarcastic tone from the waitress telling me it was warm in her hand off the griddle when she served it. It definitely was not. The bartender, however was great in contrast. He has a wonderfully friendly personality. This wasn't my first time at the Laylow. I have raved to friends about this place, how juicy and wonderful the burgers and crunchy the fries are. Tonight it fell short for me. My mind kept flashing back to PDX Burger week and how amazing the Laylow burgers were that week. I relied too much on my past good experiences at the Laylow. The truly consistent item is the Chi chi colada.

Their veggies burgers are super tasty, and huge! Fries were also perfectly seasoned, and the back patio is pretty dope to hangout on and chain smoke cigarettes while drinking your favorite poison!

Went in with my hubby a couple times. Same guy Bartender both times. He was rude both times. No greeting, no how you doing at the door. Yet when other patrons came in they got the greeting and the smiles from him. Worst Bartender ever. This guy has no business being in the bar business.. beings that I bartended for 12 years. Never will we return to this bar after the shitty service we received. I'd give 0 stars if I could. If this even matters, he's the guy that wears the tuxedo t shirt

I feel like it's my civic duty to say that they have the worst bloody mary I have ever had. It tasted sweet like it had fruit juice. The bartender suggested it might be the citrus, but that was not the case. It came in a snifter which made it seem on the small side. That would have been a blessing had I have to pay for it. The bartender was kind and had no problem getting me a beer instead. I'd give an extra star for the service.

Not your typical bar food! Yes, it's burgers, sandwiches, and salads (plus brunch on the weekends). But everything is made in house, it's fresh, and will give your tastebuds tiny orgasms. The staff is funny, friendly and appear to be like a little family of their own (which let's face it, is nice to see). I highly recommend this place! Plus the funky, dive bar atmosphere is fun and there's a parking lot. Serious bonus points there.

If you are going with a group, great place to chill. Good music playing. If you are from out of town looking for a bar to pony up to and meet people and conversate bartenders AVOID. This is not for you. Classic Portland Ice treatment.

So glad this spot moved into our neighborhood! We've been for drinks, burgers and brunch! Great staff too!

I'll start by saying: as a bar goes, this isn't really my scene. It was so dark when I walked in it took me a minute to find my way around. They have some arcade and pinball games that no-one played the whole time I was there, and the back patio is nice, but nothing spectacular. But, what will get me back on a regular basis, is the burger. My gawd. They hand you a menu and a marker, and you can choose to create your own from a long list of ingredients, or you can save the brainpower and order one of the house specials. I didn't do it this time, but I'm definitely getting my burger on Texas Toast next time! Seriously, it's the best burger I've had in a good while. And don't forget some parmesan garlic fries!