Side Street

It's unfortunate that a tinder generation feels the need to deface property. Especially when it's old vintage stuff like the beer memorabilia in the restroom of this well preserved establishment. After being away from Portland (where I grew up) for fifteen years, it's nice to see that at least some of the places I remember are still around (even if they have been renamed). I still like this old bar, and it's been kept up to somewhat modern standards. While the defacing of vintage art may not be enough reason to hold back a five-star rating, the bartender didn't seem to interested in doing anything more than she was required to do. Part of the experience of going to a bar is the social aspect, and she was having none of it. I hope the other staff are more inviting. I'd probably go back if I was bringing a friend or two with me, but likely avoid it if I'm flying solo.

In a city that makes fabulous pizza, I don’t understand how Side Street isn’t written about more, because it’s awesome. We did a pizza tour with an out-of-town friend and hit some famous spots, and this was still the favorite. It’s not trying to be anything — it’s just GOOD ASS PIZZA with crispy crust, the right amount of toppings and great flavor. Get yourself here and tell your friends, cause they deserve some pizza cred!

Side street is a great quiet bar with amazing pizza, that’s close enough to the nightlife but quiet enough for a good time with close friends or a date. The bartender was very attentive and kind and made delicious pizzas on the spot. Their is a pool table and plenty of beers on tap as well as mixed drinks. I recommend this spot for a quiet night!

I live just around the corner from Side Street, and I'm so happy I do! It is the most warm, comfortable bar to hang out in, roomy, friendly staff, and the pool table is nearly always open. In the winter time, they have heaters on the street - huge plus. It's great!

A straightforward spot in a fun but not crazy location. The real sell for me is the pizza and I am not easily impressed by pizza in the PNW. More of a Detroit style but absolutely delicious. I would love to return on a sunny day on the patio !

super chill lovely place! staff is great and apparently the owner is a great guy! free pool! delicious pizzas and menu! huge fan!!

Pretty good little bar with typical bar food and good beer. The bartender was friendly enough and kept bouncing around the bar. Their bathroom has only beer mirrors and a caulk wall which was interesting. Not a bad spot but nothing spectacular.

Very nice neighborhood bar with awesome thick crust personal pizza’s. Hard to find. Good bar and nice beer selection too.

The best pizza I've ever had that's this type, I think it's almost like a Detroit's style. The hot honey add on was great. Two drinks and a pizza was only 36$. To think I almost missed this place as it didn't seem that cool from the outside. Friendly service and. Clean bathrooms.

I was a little surprised to see this place so empty on a Saturday night, considering how great it ended up being. On first glance, this place looked cute and like a cozy spot to hang out while waiting for our Uber. While waiting we decided to treat ourselves and order some pizza, and I'm SO glad we did! It wasn't the prettiest pizza I've ever seen, but man it hit the spot after a night out. One thing I will say is that I wish they had a bigger cider selection! As a cider gal I was a little disappointed that they only had one option, but it's not a dealbreaker in my eyes!

I love this bar so much - it's dog friendly, the staff is incredible, and their pizza will quietly blow your doors off! Their beer selection is always dialed in just right too. I had a couple pints of the fresh hop IPA on tap last weekend and I've been itching to go back since!

It kind of pains me to write this review because I actually really like this bar. It's pretty cosy inside, dog-friendly, they have bar snacks with vegan options, and the drinks are good. Unfortunately they got rid of their best bartender which is really a shame and I feel the service has suffered because of it.

I liked this place. Super chill and laid back, wasn't crowded for a Friday night either. They have indoor and outdoor seating and a good selection on tap. Guy and girl bartender were working and both were super attentive, helpful and friendly. Prices were great too. I noticed they had food but didn't order any. Cool chalkboard walls in the bathrooms which added to the overall feel of the place. Jukebox selection was pretty bomb too.

If the bartender takes a Customers beverage for a non tip, due To prioritization issues, there's a problem.

Left The Nest, for here. Drinks are great here. Food? Forget it. I wanted a greek plate, and a pizza. It's not even midnight, and legally, they have to serve food. But to be told it's going to take 30-an HOUR for them to slap olives together, with hummus, what? Then, to be told there's a good pizza place down the street (taking business from them), I'm confused. Yes, it's a Friday night. No, this place is not crowded. The bar is not swamped (the register is actually broken atm). Yelp, you're letting me down.

Meh. This place has a fun atmosphere, is in a convenient location, and has a good beer selection but that's about it. The food is a step below mediocre, my partner's pizza seemed like a store bought frozen variety and my nachos had burnt chips, little noticeable cheese, and mountains of sour cream. During the strangely long time I waited at the (uncrowded) bar to close out I watched their cook preparing a hummus plate... let's just say I think cookery may not be her calling. It was painful watching her wrestle with the pita to break it into strips. Bad food doesn't turn me off of a good dive bar (I didn't go in expecting great cuisine), but the absolutely horrible service is why this place barely earned it's 1 star. First, we arrived at 6:15 and while waiting to order at the bar noticed that happy hour goes until 6:30. We ordered within a few minutes of arriving and my partner asked if he could get the happy hour pizza. The bartender simply told him "No," and walked off with another customer's beer. When she returned a few moments later he politely asked "Does happy hour go until 6:30? It says so on this menu." Her response, "We go by our own time, our clock is 15 minutes fast." It wasn't a huge deal, but the happy hour pizza was $3 cheaper; I was more turned off by the bartender's rudeness than by this ridiculous policy of ending their advertised happy hour 15 minutes early because their clock is fast. Later when my nacho order was ready rather than bringing it to our table (as she did for our other food and other customers' food orders) she left them on the corner of the bar and yelled to me to come pick them up. The place wasn't busy, I hadn't been rude or dismissive to her previously, and on top of that the nachos were on a scalding hot plate that I was expected to carry to my own table only a few steps from the bar. I'm still confused why she didn't just bring them over herself. On top of all of the terrible service when we went to close out it took approximately 5 minutes to close each tab for the 3 people I was with. It didn't seem like any of their register technology was broken or that the bartenders were confused by it... it just seemed like an incredibly slow system. Let me reiterate that there was never any line at the bar, I totally understand service can slide a little bit, or at the very least become slower, when a place is slammed, that can be annoying but I'm not going to write a bad review about it. I'm no stranger to hipster [bad] service, and I love me a bare-bones dive, but I will not be returning to Side Street-- and as a warning to anyone else to does go, better get there 20 minutes early if you want happy hour prices.

My margarita was pretty delicious, as was my gin drink, the name of which I'm unable to recall. Minus two stars because my man's Old Fashioneds were actually disgusting. The special walnut Old Fashioned seemed promising, but it was so sweet it was barely palatable. He ordered another one, thinking it was the walnut making it gross, but that one was just as bad and I think they're just using exceptionally poor-quality well whisky. Dark, grossly sweet, and just wrong.

This place is terrible. The tater tots are frozen and baked. What? You can do better than that!

Owner is and staff are great people. Bought owners car and ended up restoring it. Took it to him to show him the finished product and he was excited to see it in its condition. (see pic) Ended up staying to get a pizza and beer for lunch. Was surprised that their pizza was so good and fresh ingredients. Crush was a good crunchy which I love topped with pepperoni, sausage and Jalapeño's. All was cooked to perfection. Was a good size to split with my father and for a cheap price. Had an IPA. They have a pretty big selection on tap of local selected beers. Even some I haven't heard of which is always great. Atmosphere is a cool little spot to chill and grab a beer anytime of the day or on the weekend when out with the friends.

Mareta and Perrin are two of the best bartenders I've ever had! This place is awesome and well worth a visit. Great ambience & vibe. Of all the places to get drunk on belmont, this is my first choice

I really liked this place but their beer pours are horrible. Not only do I often get a "pint" full of head but they use cheater pint glasses. Not cool. That said, they have a great beer selection and they play blazer games on a single silent tv above the bar.Great for a closeted sports fan like myself. Also their jukebox is excellent. But seriously, get some real pint glasses. Really disappointed by this. It's dishonest and disrespectful of your customers.

I'm not going to get into a lengthy diatribe here. Simply put, this is the best watering hole on all of Belmont, and probably in all of inner SE. A very local, no bs, non-divey yet comfortable bar, with good food, a well-curated rotating tap list, a lot of regulars, and attentive, friendly staff. They put up with a lot. Please tip them.

Great beer selection and mixed drinks! The staff are fun and knowledgeable, would highly recommend!

great bartenders very helpful :) great service would go again just to see the bartrnders

My friends and I were visiting from CA. We stopped by this bar while we were on our way to go somewhere else. We all got beer from their tap. My friends both got IPAs. One of them said it tasted like Lagunitas but better and she loves Laguinitas. I got their Elysian Split Shot Coffee Stout and it was only $4.75. It was delicous! It was the best coffee stout, I've tasted. The bathrooms were clean. They have outdoor seating. Some pool tables inside. Our bartender was really nice too. Definitely would come back here if I'm in Portland again.

Hands down...my favorite bar in Portland. I love the atmosphere and themed drinks...the bartenders are always very friendly with us - even when we weren't regulars, they treated us nicely. Also, for being on Belmont, this has a nice mix of all sorts of people from different walks of life. The *only* complaint I have about Side Street is that the drinks ARE a little on the expensive side if you get a custom made one - they run about 7-8, however we're talking quality, fresh ingredients, so it makes sense. Just a little on the steep side IMO.

Cats Pajamas!! Need I say more?? They infuse a lot of their own spirits--- habanero vodka? Yes please!

Been here a few times. Not much happens here, really. When the other bars are full, it seems like this is the last resort to get your drink on. And they do serve some solid drinks. $8 is the magic number for cocktails. They have local draft beer. Stayed away from the menu. One pool table. Average hipster crowd. As you can tell from my review, not much of anything really exciting to talk about. They have t.v. to watch. thats what I did. With my wife. We left after two drinks. I don't care if they have Wi- Fi. I don't care if they have parking for bikes. I just don't care if I come back.

Friendly staff and a laid back atmosphere. Good beer selection. What else could you ask for?

If you're a newly minted hipster with a well manicured lumberjack beard and a new OR license plate on that vintage car mom bought you, this is your place. From the "bar in a box" interior to the untrained or downright rude staff this place seems like its target group is 21-25 year olds with shallow roots in Southeast. In an area with many fine neighborhood bars this place is worth skipping. The Schlitz wallpaper is cool though so two stars it is.

Side Street Tavern is a staple of SE Portland and the Belmont neighborhood. The bartenders, impeccable. The thoughtfully curated taplist, unrivaled. The unparalleled inventive cocktails, delightfully whimsical and delicious. A trip to Side Street Tavern feels like a gracious and generous host has invited you into their home. They care about what they do and it shows.

Nice bar on the east side. The best part is their cocktails which they make with fresh fruit which gives it a nice taste. The cat's pajamas and the lucha libre were what I tried and they were both good.

Love love love this place. My best friends and I come here almost every Friday and/or Saturday and the tap list and service are always incredible. On the weekend it can be a lil busy but it's nothing compared to some of the other spots on Belmont. Plus they have one of the best jukeboxes in pdx

By far my favorite bar in Portland. The staff is super knowledgeable about every local beer - and if you're not into beer don't fret because their cocktail menu has been great from what I've had. More importantly, their staff is so kind, super friendly and made me feel at home while I was in the areas. Love this place - say hi to Odie if you're there.

Awesome place to grab a beer with friends. Moody yet inviting atmosphere and great service from people who know their stuff and love their community. Did I mention the beer? HANDS DOWN Top 10 taplists in PDX

If It lived within a block of this place, I would be mightily pleased. It's the definition of neighborhood bar. It's a cozy space, not too small, not too big. Very open, well lit (not like an office building, but you can see), music not too loud. Perfect for conversation. It's got some atmosphere, but not kitchsy or cheesy. What it isn't is an attraction, or anything really great. If you live nearby or you're going to be here anyway, I'd say stop in at the Side Street. But it's not worth a trip. And is that chalkboard really all the food they have? I kept meaning to ask, but never got around to it.

Side Street is nice neighborhood bar. Nice beer selection, good cocktails, and a few food items round out their offerings. Nothing standout, but a great value for your dollar. Check out their happy hour 4:30-6:30 What I like most about Side Street is the friendly staff and the overall cleanliness of the bar. It looks divey from the outside, but inside is a very clean space for friends to hangout and share a couple brews. They play all the Blazer and Timber games on the TV and don't mind shutting down the jukebox for those that need to hear each play. Bonus: cell service is dismal here, but Side Street has WiFi available so you can get check-in and leave tips on Yelp!

The Side Street is my favorite neighborhood bar. With few exceptions, this bar is usually not packed and has a much more laid back atmosphere than The Belmont Inn across the street. The owner, and frequent bartender, Jason must be a mind reader; Every time I think it's time for a new beer on tap or new albums for the jukebox, I come in and it's already been done. The two unisex bathrooms are some of the cleanest I have ever come upon in a bar. There is one pool table and boxes of Trivial Pursuit cards spread thoughout the bar. If you're looking for a place to catch up on all of Sunday's NFL action, this ain't it. There is one tv on top of the bar, but it's frequently off and when it is on the sound is usually all the way down. If you want a big screen for the game, head across the street to The Belmont. When The Side Street first opened, they had only beer and wine, but now offer liquor and fresh squeezed juices for your cocktails. PBR and microbrews on tap, more beers available by the bottle as well as several types of wine. The Side Street does not have a kitchen per se, but they do have a nice toaster oven that bakes up some tasty tots and made to order pizzas. All in all, a friendly and relaxing home away from home.

Great juke box. Great Tuesday night trivia. Great beers on tap. It's my neighborhood bar so I'm biased, but I came here for the beer and trivia long before I moved to the hood. I'm awesome.

While trying to scope out the Belmont bar scene, my original plan was to go to Belmont's Inn. However, the place was packed. So I told Andrew C. we should check out a place I'd seen around the corner the next street over while finding a parking spot. Personally, the Side Street looked like my ideal bar. Its looks pretty new, which I thought was cool. As soon as we walked in, I looked for seating, and while it wasn't a packed house like BI, it was damn close. But that was the only obstacle. And give them some recovery points - after all, it was a Friday night. The bartenders were very nice, and served us some cheaper-than-most-places Pints of PBR. There is smoking allowed, but thankfully the ventalation system is prime, as I walked out without having to worry about doing a full body-spray of Fabreeze upon returning home. Side Street also has a pool table - with some decent room to shoot - and some great background music, which adds to the four stars. We're hoping to move to Hawthorne within the next few months. Cross your fingers for us and hope it works out. In the event we do, and despite there doesn't appear to be much upside to make Side St. a 5-star establishment, I expect to spend some more time here.

Best bar ever! Amazing drinks, great ambiance. Wish I could go more often. Everyone needs a great neighborhood bar

Love this bar and everyone who works there. Awesome beer selection are cool cocktails. Very affordable as well.

Sweet staff, great selection on tap, roomy pool table, good music playing, clean, dark and cozy.. Only complaint would be that the ashtrays outside needed more frequent attention.

Good: - Hard drinks (Fresh squeezed fruit) - Beer on draft (Hello Hopworks!) - Good tits (get the cheesy ones!) - Good jukebox. - Friendly staff - It Isnt the Belmont Inn or the Triple Nickel. Bad: - Too smokey (Jan 1 2009 can't come fast enough!) - Only one pool table, and lots of people who like to camp it out (jerks) In summary: A favorite neighborhood haunt, where the people are often friendly, and the drinks often strong. It isnt as pretentious as the Aalto and the Blue-monk, and it doesn't suck nearly as much as the Belmont's Inn.

They have a clever PBR menu, complete with a Polaroid picture of yourself, a fake mustache, etc. and that wins me over. Otherwise, their food leaves a lot to be desired. Don't order garlic tots or any of their pizzas. There are awesome giant chalkboard walls in the bathroom, though. Drink, don't eat.

This place is, imho, the Gold Standard for the Belmont and 34th neighborhood, against which all nearby bars should be measured. There are some bars which suck more, and some bars which are better. Regardless, this is the Institutional Neighborhood Bar, imho, and things would be very different if it weren't around. It would suck if it got sold or changed. Pros: - Has pool table - Has (pretty) good cocktails - Good selection of beers - Is usually fun to go to - Is usually fun to hang out in - Bathroom chalkboards are fun Cons: - Deuschy/sporty element is encouraged by televisions and comes yelling on holidays, and busy nights. - There is basically no worthwhile food and/or it does not feel like an appropriate place to eat.

I walked over because my buddy was watching the game and I have to say this place is pretty damn cool. It was adorned with christmas lights and they were rocking some Boston on the jukebox which made me feel at home. The beers are pretty cheap and for an extra 25 cents they will turn a PBR into a real "cocktail" which is pretty funny. I drew a huge boner in the bathroom chalkboard. I didnt even want to but there was chalk, a chalk board, and my drunken hands just took over. The food isnt great but I came over for a cool atmosphere and cheap drinks, so it was all good. The tater tots were pretty damn good, but then again I was pretty hammered. This joint is a good time; you really cant go wrong here.

Solid beer selection and great cocktails, all served by very friendly bartenders. A chill place that attracts a friendly clientele.

Side Street is kind of like that person who just when you think you don't possibly have room in your life for another friend, somehow manages to squeeze their way into your cold, cold heart in a big, big way. Okay, look, normally I am a total (dive)barsnob. And I know this. I generally tend to fall for bars that are old, cheap, have lots of character, low lighting, and semi-predictable music. The Side Street really doesn't fit that mold, but by golly, it sure is GRAND! It's so cozy and so neighborhoody--you can really feel the love the second you walk in the door. The bartenders are all sweethearts, the drinks are perfectly poured, the patrons are quick to strike up a conversation, and I'm often pleasantly surprised by what I hear on the jukebox. I dig the arrangement of tables (what variety!), the loooong wooden bar, the creative lighting fixtures, cheap pool, and the floor to ceiling chalkboards in the restroom which always make for an...er...interesting visit. These folks do tots up just right. Mmm bucket'o'sauces for dipping. Mmm nacho tots. Effing brilliant bar munchies. Did you know "Tater Tots were first created and produced in 1953 by the Ore-Ida (a portmanteau of Oregon and Idaho) company, now a subsidiary of H. J. Heinz Company, as a means of utilizing potato shreds remaining from french fry production?" I didn't. Thanks, Wikipedia! Now THAT'S what I call recycling... Major extra big bonus points for being within a reasonable stumbling distance. This place feels like home, only better cause it has more booze.

Two (and a half?) words: Cheesy Tater-tots. What should one do after a night of drinking, when you are walking home, in the cold, with a drunk hunger attacking? Duck into The Side Street! An excellent joint the finish the night off! I grabbed an IPA and an order of cheesy tots, grabbed a table and rattled trivial pursuit questions off of cards conveniently placed on every table. Hunger and cold problems solved! My buddy won the trivia contest 9 to 8, but he lucked out and got a bunch of Star Wars questions, so I'll need to schedule a rematch.

Went here yesterday for a drink when the Aalto Lounge patio was full. Loved...nothing really, but I didn't hate anything about this place. I liked that there were table set up outside so we could enjoy the weather. The staff was friendly. Is it weird that I really liked their bathrooms? They have chalkboard walls so you can graffiti to your heart's desire. Disliked...it wasn't really my crowd.

Side Street is by far my (and my girlfriend's) favorite bar in Portland. It's normally mellow and not too packed. The bartenders (especially the boy) are extremely friendly and accommodating. The boy (I forget his name) makes FANTASTIC cocktails. My gf and I are vegetarian. Trust us, finding a place that makes great veggie food AND extraordinary martinis is incredibly hard to come by. They also have many spicy infused liquors (even harder to come by). We die for their Greek plate, mini pizzas, and martinis. Yelpers, do yourselves a favor a try the cat's pajamas. It's so good! I have never written a review because I didn't want it becoming an overly popular place. However, they are great and deserve as much patronage as possible. I would really cry if they ever happened to close. Big ups, Side Street. Big ups.

I'm not a drinker, but it seems like a decent place to go and hang out. And if you want cheesy tater tots you are in luck.

My friends love coming here because the beer is cheap, the food is cheap, and everyone likes to laugh at the PBR specials menu. Personally, I don't think you know what foul is until you've tasted PBR with two olives in it, but I guess that's just me. I think this place is fine. My only real complaint about it, and the reason it doesn't get higher rating from me, is that most of the time that I go the place is woefully understaffed. Nothing will annoy me about a place faster than having to wait 15 to 20 min. to get a beer. If you have that much business, it's time to hire a new bartender. Overall though, it's a nice place to while away a few hours aimlessly. Don't try to play pool though, the place just really isn't big enough to accommodate the table with the cues.

Sorry Maym, but I have to disagree. I'm way into this place. It is nothing out of the ordinary for a quality PDX bar, but that doesn't mean it's not totally worth your while. Great beer, cheap pizza at happy hour (weekdays 4:30-6:30 -- $5 for a 9" pie, with $3 micros and $2 PBRs to boot), $0.50 pool, and a killer jukebox. The kind of jukebox that makes me so giddy with nervous excitement I catch myself stealing glimpses of it when I should be triangulating my next pool shot (no wonder I am such a piece of shit pool player!). Bathrooms have clever titles ("Both" and "Either"). Ceilings are high. Lots of variously heightened tables. Attentive and genuinely nice bartenders. Remarkably cozy. Although not necessarily a place I would trek across town for, I'm more than psyched to live around the corner. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

I stopped here for a glass of wine before going for a haircut across the street. I was greeted by Jose, who was very nice and friendly. As it was really hot out I decided on a glass of white wine and it was surprisingly not too bad. Dry and not to sweet. The food selection didn't seem too appetizing, but i did munch on some peanuts..so I was happy. Seemed like an eclectic mix of folks who visited while i was there. I would have sat outside, but as usual when I want to sit outside it is taken up by smokers. Ugh! Anyhow, I'd go here again. It was mellow, and friendly, and had a decent glass of wine. Many others ordered cocktails and/or beer. Cool!

Ended up coming here with a friend after finding Belmont's Inn it's typical crazy busy. Really liked it! Tall ceilings make it not feel as small as it is, awesome jukebox [though the evening's music was subpar thanks to some people with horrible taste in music], quality pool table. Even though it was pretty busy, got practically instant service at the bar. My friend got a veggie pizza, which he and I both greatly approved of. I had a strawberry rhubarb lemonade drink, which I thought was both large and strong for the price, and was just delish. All around a sweet place, I'll be back. Not full of obnoxious people, like many places on Belmont can be, and a good place to go hang out and actually be able to hold a conversation. I wouldn't cross town to get here, but if in the neighborhood it's worth a stop!

New to the neighborhood, we popped in here on the way to the Belmont Inn ... Good atmosphere and a good crowd; someone played Foreigner, and it just felt right :). Enjoyed the pool, the pinball and the juke box. Definitely a comfortable place to put a few back and would certainly return.