"Reel 'M Inn is the quintessential dive bar with the bonus of delicious fried chicken. The space is cozy and dark and the drinks are cheap & stiff, like a good dive bar should deliver on. This unassuming, rough around the edges gem is a nice break from all the shiny new businesses up and down Division Street. There's not much to show about this place and that's what makes it so great." - Factory North
"A quintessential dive bar and nationally significant fried-chicken destination—cited as an 'Old Portland' holdout and classic spot that endures amid neighborhood changes." - Dianne de Guzman
"A dive bar in its purest form, this local haunt is open until 2:30 a.m. The wait for its famous fried chicken and jojos (monster-sized potato wedges) can be a bit long, but you can pass the time in classic dive bar fashion with a few stiff drinks and a round of pool." - Zoe Baillargeon
"Food at most of the spots on this list ranges from a pretty decent pub burger to a freezer-burned Hungry Man reheated with a scowl, but this fishing-themed chicken joint proves the exception to the rule, with a legendary reputation for frying the best-battered birds in the Portland metro area. It’s got plenty of dive bar bonafides as well, from the fishing lures shellacked into the bar itself to the chalk graffiti on the unnervingly exposed rafters. Just be prepared to wait, as the cramped quarters only allow for a single bartender to take drink orders while wrangling the single overworked fryer behind the bar." - Ben Coleman
"Eating fried chicken and thick-cut potato jojos is a sacred ritual in Portland, whether you’re getting them at Sadie Mae’s, Jojo, or Alberta Market (aka Jack’s). But often, when Portlanders talk about chicken and jojos, one name comes to mind: Reel M Inn, also known as the Reel, is a true Portland institution, standing in one form or another for 50 years. Sure, big-deal chefs and writers have praised the colorful dive for ages, but it’s also treasured by locals, who happily spend an evening playing pool, knocking back shots of whiskey, and dunking crispy hunks of potato and chicken into ranch and Frank’s hot sauce." - Ben Coleman