Shanghai Tunnel Bar & Venue

Amazing spot right in the heart of Portland. Show up early for a chill vibe and amazing food. Or come later for love shows. The burger is one of the best in Portland!

Awesome spot to see a local band, quality drinks at quality prices. Alt vibes, very welcoming atmosphere, comfortable environment.

Fun little bar in the heart of downtown, The sound quality was great, the bartender was friendly. They overcharge my card but I'll reach out since the evening was really busy.

The bartender tonight was honestly one of the most kind and hospitable people I’ve come across in the service industry. Drinks were great but honestly we will be back asap because of how well we were treated.

Great little bar to hang with friends, grab some drinks and play pool.

I had to come and leave a review for my experience last night! I hadn’t been to this bar for YEARS (although it was one of my favorites in the past) and had the opportunity to play a show there last night. The staff were absolutely WONDERFUL and the venue was fantastic to play in. But seriously, the service and kindness from the staff was some of the best that I’ve received in Portland, ever. Thank you soooo much for such a magical evening. We hope to come back and play again soon!!

Fun bar with great atmosphere. Love the dimly lit basement with glowing lanterns and pinball machines. Friendly bar tender. Some nice beers on tap. Rainier in bottles. Fun cocktails. The zapata (house made chips and queso) was good.

Decent noodles and arcade games! Decent place to go!

Great staff! The upstairs was pretty dead but the downstairs had a bunch of people. The bartender downstairs had a great attitude a strong pour. You don't usually find both of thise things in a downtown bar. They have a handful of pinball machines and a pool table. It was a great place to have some drinks and talk with friends. On our way out the bartender upstairs thanked us for coming in and told us to be safe.

Natasha is an amazing guide! Hilarious and Informative tour. Highly recommend! The beer at the end and conversation is a real treat.

Funky fun dive bar in a basement that has some interesting American history attached to it.

Came here after sight seeing. This was a cool bar, dark but it was calming. Great drinks, friendly bartender that was very friendly. Food smelled amazing but we had already eaten. It got busy with a college to young adult crowd. We didn't stay long but they had plenty of space inside. Street parking. Central to a lot of things. Great place to come in and warm up on a cold February day.

Bands, take note: THIS PLACE HAS A GEAR ELEVATOR. Super helpful. Kathy was so attentive and wonderful, she made the whole process extremely easy. Justin did a great job on sound, even with a five piece band with banjo (beyond the lamplight) which is not very easy. This place is a total gem, we will totally play here again!

This bar has been around for as long as I can remember. It may look like nothing much on the outside, but is actually a chill bar with an open space on the bottom floor. It has a lot of history to it. It's a pretty chill place to have a drink and hangout with friends. I ordered a greyhound and it was made with fresh squeezed grapefruit. A good refreshing drink after eating greasy food.

This place has a cool atmosphere BUT the bartender with two long hair braids and a beard can literally go FHS. We ordered two canned beers and planned on getting food but we wanted a drink while we decided on what to eat. A 6 dollars tab doesnt call for a fat tip. When my boyfriend went up to order food THE BARTENDER REFUSED TO SERVE US -BC WE DIDNT TIP ON THE FIRST ROUND. First of all that isnt a rule, secondly are you kidding me? Are you bending over backwards to get me a cold beer, crack it, and set it on the bar?? I dont think so honey, I work in food service and that's to be expected. I would have gladly grabbed my own beer. Big double braided toad, you are not deserving of a tip when u crack me a cold one. We were planning to give a tip for the food regardless.. If this employee has mental issues- you should rethink your hiring/employment bc that is unacceptable. They should be in the back sweating instead of treating customers like shit. cause I sure as hell havent come back. Hes rude and let's a nasty taste in my mouth.

It's supposed to be open, but it's nearly 7pm on a Wednesday, and it's locked up tight as a drum.

Big dive bar guy here. Bartender downstairs, long hair, long beard, was wearing an Indiana Jones hat. Literally a character out of Portlandia. First bar we pop into. We order a round of beers, take a shot with him, and are making small talk. I had already left 20% tip. Then we ask him where in Portland he likes to skate. He pulls our beers and begins yelling at us. "WOULD I COME INTO YOUR ESTABLISHMENT AND ASK WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO" At which point we ask him what he meant and try and deescalate the situation. Ive worked at dives before and know how to deal with ornery bartenders. He yells us out of the bar and threatens to not give me my phone back that was charging. We asked the bouncer what the deal was. He apologized and said he's got mental health problems or something. Loved the bar. Bartender was psycho. Fire his ass.

This place is dark and gritty. Just the way I like it. Located beneath the streets of Portland, it's fun to imagine the days they actually used the tunnels to smuggle whatever it is they smuggled. Full bar, pool table and plenty of seats. This is a must see while visiting Ptown

Came here to celebrate my friends marriage. The doormen wouldn't allow the wedding party in and so we had to find another place for the after party. I have never witnessed less professionalism or courtesy. I do not recommend, especially if you are in a wedding dress.

They say open till 2 am. Showed up at midnight after long day at work. Up stairs bar. I was told one and done? Downstairs bar. Lydia say hurry cuz I'm kicked you you out at 1. Got 3 min for a beer. ????? Ok thanks

My family and I came from California to visit one of Portland's famous tunnels. Came in on a Saturday. But before we bout our tickets, we decided to call to ask if we can just walk in or what . Well NO ONE answered . Figured they would be busy understandable . So as an FYI: The Shanghai Tunnels main entrance /bar is at a bar called Hoobs , or something like that you, you have to go in there and check in. Unfortunately, when we finally founded . The tour had already started. :( . But that same night we booked our tickets for Sunday, and the host was super nice . While you wait for the tour you are more than welcome to drink some shots of whiskey or tequila your choice. The tour takes about 1hr and 45mins. Amazing. I'm a believer in ghost and I felt them lurking around my camera actually shut of twice. I will post some pictures. Good luck everyone and have fun. Oh the tickets are $13.

Shanghai Tunnel Bar is a dark, divey bar in the basement level, complete with the aroma of a basement, mixed with the scent of garlic fries. We went in on a Friday night, looking for somewhere a little quieter than Trsyt. We found what we were looking for - the basement wasn't too crowded. It was dark, with the red glow of lanterns. Drinks were reasonably priced for downtown. No hip, loud music or overly boisterous groups here. It was nice to be able to chat. They have a decent cocktail menu around $10 a pop. They also have taps and bottles/cans. I ordered a monkey brain (coffee, rum, Tia Maria). It was good, but they were out of the whipped cream, which would have made it better. The food menu looked good, but we were told they were only serving things from the fryer (around 1130pm). We would come earlier to have some bites with our drinks.

Very polite and quiet bar to celebrate a quiet birthday. Check out their bigger bar downstairs after 5pm.

I saw someone on FB suggest this place to a friend that was coming to Portland, so I bookmarked it and decided to try it when I had family in town this week. We stopped in on a Tuesday night in the rain and the upstairs was completely empty...worrisome...but we ventured downstairs. Pretty quiet there too, but the bartender was welcoming (not rude at all like some of the reviews say) and we decided to chance it. The specialty drinks are amazing...try them! The food was so yummy! I was worried that they only had noodles, but nope, they have burders, veg burgers, mac n cheese (add toppings if you'd like) and a good selection of noodle types, toppings and sauces. There are so many great joints to try in Portland, but this one is one bookmarked to return too sooner rather than later. I loved it!

Cool hidden downstairs bar in Portland. Definitely is more of a dive scene. Plenty of seating area and space. They offer food and basic cocktails. We came in the afternoon before we headed to dinner and had a couple of spirits and some conversation. I love visiting unique dive bars and experiencing how the locals interact and vibe on their down time. If you are looking for an unassuming place that offers a stiff drink and has a dungeon feel to it then this is your spot. Bartenders were friendly and not pushy. So I liked that as well.

classic place that's stayed steady through all the new, special, hip bars and pubs. Drinks downstairs. I've never had an experience upstairs. Two sets of stairs to Bar, Booths, Pinball, Aquarium. No table service. 10 beers on tap, full bar, friendly service, dark, water station. Pre-show drink. Notable but not permanent: They were out of Chardonnay one Sunday. One of the ladies toilets was covered with a plastic bag.

This used to be my favorite dive bar but then they changed up the menu so they only serve hotdogs and veggie dogs and deep fried sides :( It's still a good place to drink but I'm pretty bummed because the food was great before.

Did a bar hopping a couple months ago and this was our second stop. I do not know what all the hype is about this place. It's kind of nasty inside. Drinks are very pricey. Food was MEH nothing great. No waitresses you have to order your own drinks and if it's busy long wait. In my opinion this was a one and done bar won't return.

I wish I wasn't shocked about the service, but Shanghai has fallen. If the service on an easy evening like this could speak anything,, iit would spit on your shoes, and encourage you to 'piss off' before you even hit the stairs. 'Was, formerly, my favorite bar in town, and perhaps, thank fuck, with the block set to be leveled less than 2 years from now, downtown can scour the memory of this lazy, useless cabal, reminiscing instead upon how fun and welcoming and grit-filled Shanghai used to be. I'll miss you Shanghai, I won't be sad to watch you die.

I came here here a couple days ago in a group to get some drinks around 7pm. The bartender was so rude. When asked about one of the makers marks he had he seemed annoyed and replied with "I don't know never tried it." I feel like if your job is to bartend you'd have some knowledge on the liquor you were selling. Then later I ordered a vodka soda and he poured well when I already ordered 2 drinks with premium vodka and forced me to pay for a drink I didn't want. My friends and family will never be coming back and either will I. Worst service ever!

You know, for my first trip to Portland, this was the place I had to go twice and visit again before we left. I was so impressed the first time my wife and I visited that the second time we had a small dinner - which was surprisingly delicious - and had more drinks than our first visit. Honestly, we had two dinners and drinks and still walked out of there for under $50, which was - by far - our cheapest ticket during our whole visit of any place we visited in the area. Take the time to look up and read on the history of this place, as you'll be just as interested in how this place came to be as you will be with their drinks and atmosphere. Plus, if you get an itch to get up and move around, you can since there is ample room to walk and play some pinball or billiards if you so choose. All in all, this will be the cheapest you visit, stiffest drinks you will be served and most fun you'll have during your visit. Just take the Red Line (MAX) and walk across the Portland Saturday Market area, and you'll be there in no time.

Came her me for happy hour on a Tuesday. PBR's were $2 each and the tacos were 3 for $5. I got the pork tacos and they were fantastic!

Mixed feelings about this place. Sometimes cool, sometimes not. Great location and cool idea, but just not all that well implemented. I like the idea of sneaking downstairs on a slow afternoon/evening with someone frisky, hiding out in one of the back booths in the dark, and fooling around a bit. Not that I ever did that in my single days, but a couple tips if you do: - the booth seats move, but not the tables. So if you need a little extra room for what you are doing, keep that in mind - while the lights over the booth tables are not that bright, it might serve your purpose a little better if you reach up and unscrew the one over your table. A little darker = a little more privacy. So maybe you can Shanghai your favorite cutie and drag her/him down into the depths of the Shanghai Tunnel and experience the Portland Underground in your own special way. Service isn't always prompt, but then again if you want a little privacy, that could be a plus. And the seats in the booth are definitely well worn, but you may not even notice. So I like it there. It's never completely packed with the "trendy hip" crowd. I always prefer a little dive to my bars. And the menu isn't bad for a dive bar. So I'll still go here when I want to sneak away from the crowds and have a beer or maybe a little .... shanghai-ing

This bar smells funny & the bathroom at this place is weird. Two toilets next to each other with a small wall type thing in the middle kinda awkward if you ask me. The main bar is downstairs & it is mostly rock music. Don't get me wrong I love rock music but it's just not my type of bar. Not coming back.

Make your way down the dark, creaky staircase to this basement bar and you will find a unique piece of Portland history. Around the 1850's or so, the trapdoors and tunnels under this part of the city were used by the unscrupulous ship captains to "shanghai" people here. Nowadays, just watch out for the super strong drinks along with some damn fine noodle dishes. I ordered my noodles with the tofu and I have never had better fried tofu in my life. Amuse yourself with pool, pinball or people watching. The vibe is just really cool and a little creepy if you stop and think about what used to go on there back in the day...some say the Shanghai Tunnels are HAUNTED...

Nasty hippy bartender. Was bragging about flipping ounces. Bought my beer, gave him a tip, then he started yelling at me.

I thought it was really cool that this was written on the back of their business card: "Gone to pee... don't f*ck with my drink!!", which can be very useful. The business card design is great -- looks like a miniature bookmark and it can rest on the side of a glass filled with alcohol. Entrance is on street level and be ready to show some IDs. There's a small bar on the side with a big screen tv. The bouncer tells us to head downstairs. To be honest, I was confused and a bit nervous to go downstairs. The place was empty on a Sunday night, but it didn't stop me from getting a pint of PBR... only $2, baby! As I enjoyed my Pabst, I played some Video Poker/Lottery. Lost $5, but I didn't mind. The bar is decorated with beer metal and glass posters including Sopporo, Kirin and Pabst Blue Ribbon to name a few. Plenty of booths and small tables. Great lighting -- I really felt like I was underground in a tunnel because it was a bit chilly. Happy Hour is Monday - Friday from 5pm to 7pm: $1 Off All Draft Beers and $2 Off Well Liquor. Wow, that means that PBRs are only a buck, that's f'ing awesome! Would have totally given this place 5-STARS, but the bartender sucked -- she needs to check her attitude at the door and she could have been a lot nicer. A unique bar and a must-see again, but with the poor costumer service, I am not sure I'll return. We'll see.

Saw it on an episode of Cops. Looks fun. Bouncer had sweet tattoos. 5 stars. Additionally, everyone likes craft beer and Underground places, and maybe it's haunted. I'm being forced by yelp to make this review longer which is extremely annoying. Yelp gets 1 star.

Boobie touch! I mean photo hunt. That's pretty much the only thing that redeems this place. The indiana jones pinball machine is nice too... Besides the games (you can always win a kid/me over with games), I really wouldn't care if I went here or not. I took my out of town friend here just to be a bit touristy/let him experience a dive bar at the best/worst. It was smoky (though no longer), crowded, and it took me forever to get the bartender's attention as they stood talking with each other. It was literally 15 minutes before they noticed me standing there. C'mon! I'm not THAT short! Fun for a unique experience, but go elsewhere if you want a drink or aren't into bar games.

First spot we went to when we arrived in Portland! They opened up their downstairs Shanghai tunnel part up to the public. Has a pool table, bar, booth seating and their kitchen down there. I had the miss Carousel at the downstairs bar and the vegan corndog bites. I was very happy with both my items. And kudos to the bartander upstairs. He was super friendly. We waited at the upstairs bar and had a berry vodka soda while we waited for the downstairs bar to open.

Great beer, excellent fried pickles and even better bartenders! I highly recommend stopping in if you are in the area.

Freshly squeezed juice was used to make my kamakazi and their fries (though uber greasy) are rather good. The bartenders make a good drink and most of the staff is pretty friendly and helpful.

Popped into this place after it was recommended to me so many times. Aside from being an amazing bartender and culinary artist, Mitch is hilarious and one of the coolest guys. Be sure to grab the three dollar mystery shot, ours was surprisingly delicious. We also got to try the vegan corn dogs, vegan asian inspired hot dog, and pickle chips. All of which blew our expectations out of the water for being vegan friendly options. Bar has a great vibe and atmosphere and will definitely be coming back here in the future.

Good drinks, I love that they have their own specialty drinks. I had the blueberry one, don't remember the name but I do remember I enjoyed it. Just not the boo berry soda...yea just no lol. The guy downstairs was there to work but not talkative, the reason I bring it up is bc I like to ask for recommendations and he wasn't up for it. But again he did make good drinks so just experiment and try something new. The downstairs bar is cool and the vegan corndogs are good!

I've been coming here since the days that smoking was legal. It's one of my top picks downtown. The bartenders are always friendly, the food is solid, and the music on the sound system is always tasteful. My favorite is the choose a sauce, choose a noodle, choose a spice level, choose a meat. I usually go Peanut/Udon/Medium/Chicken. It's a perfect booze sponge that keeps me rocking through the night. Sometimes they have these bun/taco things on special that I think should go on their menu full time. Only gripe is they don't open until 5pm. I've wanted to get lunch there many times, but I understand bar hours.

Super cool bar. We just stopped here for a couple drinks but the food looked pretty good! Love the atmosphere.

Ordered a Old Town coffee from the bartender downstairs. Bartender said it was $9. I told him the menu said it was $8.50. He said he guarantees it's $9. I said fine whatever. He then looked at the menu himself and conceded it was $8.50. When i tried the drink, I thought it tasted horrible. 7 other people tried the drink and agreed it was horrible. I then told a bartender the drink tasted off, and he told me no one ever complained about the drink and he couldn't do anything about it and to bring it up with the bartender i ordered it from. I then brought it up with the bartender I ordered it from, and he said the drink has coffee, bitters and whisky and there is nothing he could do about it. I later brought the issue up with the upstairs bartender and asked him if he has ever tried the Old Town Coffee and what he thought about it. He said it depends who makes it. I then told him i recently ordered it and I along with 7 other people agreed it tasted horrible. He said he was sorry and mentioned if he had made the drink himself and someone complained about it, he would have replaced it. I appreciated his multiple apologies he gave me but it doesn't preclude me from giving Shanghai Tunnel a 1 star rating. I will likely never go there again, but on the off chance I do, I will order from the friendly bartender upstairs instead of the arrogant and unapologetic bartenders downstairs.

Apparently if you've been going there for a year, they'll tell you you're no longer allowed in... happened last night. I go in get drinks and sit in the corner, I wasn't aware that this will get you kicked out. And after calling to speak to a manager, the same person that answered pretended to be the manager (as if he put him on the phone.) Great drinks and all, but the people that run it are horrible. I also highly recommend using cash and not your cards.

I am beyond disappointed with this bar. It has been one of my favorite bars for over a decade. Tonight I was resfused admittance because I had an empty bar crawl cup in my hand. I called because I felt there must be a misunderstanding since none of us were intoxicated and just coming for dinner. I called and spoke with Mark who said he was a manager. He stated they had the right to refuse service to anyone. Very rudely he blew me off. I have celebrated several birthdays and brought countless friends here. After the unwarranted treatment we were given today I cannot believe I am saying I will not be back. It breaks my heart, but an establishment who is so quick to dismiss a loyal patron, I cannot endorse them.

Came in here on a whim on Saturday afternoon and it was a perfect place to grab a few drinks while waiting for my train back to Tacoma. The drinks were so good, I managed to leave my wallet behind! Luckily for me my wallet wasn't Shanghai'd and the bartended had picked it up when clearing the table. I was planning on stopping by the next time I'm in town for the delicious drinks and cool space (literally, it's a great escape from the heat) but they've got a fan for life now!

Probably one of the worst bar service I'd ever received. Ordered a Manhattan and received something that looked like a watery ic tea fruity cocktail filled with mush cherries. I immediately knew this was not the right place. It tasted absolutely horrible when I asked the bar tender to switch my order he went on and on about how he's been making the drink for 14years never got a complaint. You would've thought I called his mother ugly the way he kept defending his bar tending skills or lack their of. He refused to swap my drink for free so I paid and left and went to Pope's House where the Drinks don't taste like hot piss.

The service staff at this location are incredibly hostile. Couple of beer bellied dudes who think they are hot shit because they run a dingy underground bar. The food is not special and overpriced for what is essentially a bowl of rice.

This was a great find! There was no cover, awesome drinks and an awesome Jesus looking bartender that goes by "dragon". Also, there are really cool pinball machines. What's not to love?!

My kinda dive! Pool table, slots/"video lottery", pinball machines, and drunchies. I hate drinking and sitting around without having any activity to do so this place is perf. They have a cheap selection of drunchie food that hits the spot, and you can even make your own noodle bowl!

Originally had a great time at this bar good food decent priced drinks. I had full intentions of coming back until I was finishing my drink outside and the "owner" came out and yelled at us to tip the bartender next time even after paying over $50 apparently this broke ass bar needs money guys makes sure to tip their bartenders bcuz apparently the bar isn't paying them by the hour shout out to these bartenders I really hope they find better jobs!

Cool location. Cool environment. HORRIBLE bartender. Very hostile and rude. I wanted to love this place, but the staff isn't deserving of it. I see reviews of the same experiences about four years ago, and nothing seems to have changed unfortunately. If you see the guy with the braids, plan on tipping more than you paid for a can of PBR he opened for you.

I look middle eastern and have accent. I went to this place on a Friday night to meet my friends. After they checked my ID when I was going downstairs to the bar area, the guy who checked my ID told me you can't go there!!! Then I asked for the reason and if there is a waitlist and first he told me it's just basement (it was main bar stage and my friends were there). Then while I was shocked I told him my friends are there and I could see people going there. Then he said sorry you look drunk to me, I can't trust you!!! And I wasn't drunk at all and just drove there and looked normal.(I do look middle eastern and have accent) They refused service to me for no reason except what I can guess and it was my worst experience ever.