The Slammer Tavern

Best dive spot lol true Slammer joint. Walk in sit almost a fist to cuffs lol bartenders did great since is the size of a 3 bedroom apartment lol. Cheap fun and entertaining. TV good music and friendly except the 1 guy who just seemed to miss Read his company lol Did see others food... yup Commissary status but awesome

Solidly enjoyable. Stiff drinks. Awesome bartender. Fun vibe.

Been going to this joint for years. In the last 2 years or so, it seems as though the “bridge and tunnel” crowd discovered it. If you love a good dive-bar with chill vibes, go to the The Slammer on week nights, but if you dislike bros, puking sorority girls and loud crappy, trap music, I’d avoid this joint on Friday and Saturday nights. Very affordable drinks.

Julie was our server and was the absolute best. Our drinks were top notch! I recommend the Salty Dog and jello shots! We had a blast making Christmas sweater 🎄 👕 cookies and laughing with Julie all night! Will be back ASAP and asking for her! Thanks Julie ❤️

Went here for the first time tonight and the service was amazing! Grant was so nice and had amazing service never had to wait for a drink! Highly recommended if you are looking for a bar full of nice people!

I just moved to the neighborhood last month and just recently tried this place out and its the PERFECT dive bar. Exept it's kind of cramped inside but other than that, perfection!!! Nice bar-tenders! Tip them good!!

The staff was very friendly, and all around seemed to be a decent area to spend an evening. The crowd was a bit of a mix, but overall not bad. The drinks were reasonable for Portland, and they had a reasonable selection. Honestly I'm going to give it a 4 star for the simple fact that they played the cursed song TGIF, and it wasn't even a Friday, it was a Thursday night. Not that being Friday would justify playing such a horrid song. But with my own personal hatred of that song to the side, it is a good bar for a night out.

Best dive around. A Portland staple I never get tired of. Exactly what you want from a neighborhood bar.

Thank you for the wonderful Christmas and everyone who helped our lil family out this year big shout to Slammer Tavern and all the staff

No frills tavern. Solid outside seating, and a shit ton of bike racks. Safe spot to lock up your bike as well. Sometimes the music outside is a bit loud to be able to hold a convo, but we still managed.

Lovely bartenders and very chill vibe. If you're coming in casual or dressed up, nobody cares either way. Also super fun vending machine with mystery gifts!

Walked in here on a whim after going to Creepy's (it's within walking distance). The place is small, but there is outdoor seating and a clean bathroom. We owners bar hopping so we each had a drink and a shot, good prices, nice bartenders, even the people at the bar were talkative and kind. I wouldn't recommend the spot of a large gathering, it's small, but otherwise it's a nice place to grab a drink and chat with a small group.

Don't come on a day other than Friday or Saturday when it's empty. But Slammers is fun on weekend nights. Gets pretty rowdy and can take a while to get a drink but the jello shots are good and it's a fun time.

Went to Portland on a 12 hour day trip, stumbled upon the slammer, best dive bar experience I've had in a minute! Ask for Julie she will take care of you and make you feel as if you were a local. Get a PBR, a salty nacho & do some ski ball. Atmosphere is what you would expect from your typical dive, but it really is chill going & good camaraderie of Portlands people. It's a true dive bar experience! Check out the black-and-white photo booth, the mystery, ART vending machine, and the outside Sunset view seating. Coming back just to visit Julie! Thank you

Classic dive, sassy staff, strong drinks, sticky floors and lots of lights. Great place to end the night

Slammer Tavern is the quintessential dive bar! And I love it! Cheap drinks, fun atmosphere and Christmas all year round :)

Always will love this place. Laid back and fun! The service is friendly and welcoming. It can get busy so I go earlier. If you want a good drink and atmosphere check it out!

Total college bar. This place is hoppin! Bring your friends. Get some drinks. Drink the drinks. This is a very good review!

Best dive in town. Owner is a gem. Drinks are strong. Vibes are proper. enough said :)

I never leave Yelp reviews for anything, but I just had to take a moment to talk about how excellent this bar is. It's a cozy, fun spot with very reasonably priced beverages. The service here is outstanding. Julie is an absolute gem of a person and is 100% the reason I will always return to this bar when I visit Portland. This bar rules!

A holiday must!! So fun. Bring cash so you can tip your waitstaff! They work their butts off!

Cool dive bar with Christmas lights. This is a no frills place. Service was attentive. Plenty of seating outside and inside. We took advantage of the weather and sat outside. No food, but the beer was flowing.

This place is the best!! It's a dive bar- but that's the vibe. You might not be able to get an espresso martini- but you will get a good strong drink. The bartenders are super fun, the music is a vibe. All around a fun bar. In the summer it's even better!!!

Popped in here last night for a drink and it was such a good time! I've driven by this place so many times in the last couple years but never stopped in. I LOVE dive bars and I am shocked it took me so long to get a drink here. Bartender was super nice, drinks were what you'd expect, and prices were pretty low. They don't really have a food menu so don't expect to eat here. But you can grab some small snacks if you want to. I think you can also order food in. Anyways. Definitely on my new list of fav Portland dive bars. Like some other reviews said, don't underestimate this place!

This is a very interesting dive bar. Friendly staff and great drinks. While we were there, the owner had pizza delivered and shared with everyone.

Don't underestimate this spot. It might be on the divy side but it hits different. My friend and I stopped here first to get the night started with cheap drinks before heading out to "more upscale" locations. We ordered some shots and weren't planning to stay long but the vibes and the playlist kept us sticking around. We ended up leaving and checking out other spots and then realized every place we went to was so boring compared to Slammer Tavern. So we headed back! To our surprise, the staff remembered us from earlier that night (and what we had ordered). Maybe that's normal in this industry but we really appreciated that gesture and loved how friendly the staff was. Though it was our first time here we felt like regulars. Will definitely be going back!

Almost everyone I know has had a terrible experience here, so I figured I would share mine.... Tried to go here a few months back and was denied for "smoking weed." I was walking over with my good friend and boyfriend and we were sharing a cigarette. We finished smoking the cig across the street, put it out, and walked over. We tried to explain that it was not weed, we had not smoked weed, and that we had no weed on us and they would not listen or budge. Never have I ever had this issue at any bar in any city I have lived. It's important to note that weed is legal here in Oregon, so even if I had been smoking weed I'm not sure why it would have been an issue.

Two Asian gals walk up to the bar to order. Then two non-Asian gals walk up to the bar after us. Guess who the bartender helped first? Guess who decides to walk out and spend money elsewhere? Xmas lights are cool. Unequal treatment of customers not cool.

Just the kind of dive bar you want in your neighborhood. Stiff, cheap drinks served by fun/sassy/friendly bartenders, outdoor seating with great views when the weather permits, some games, small but clean inside, and the ability to laugh at itself. My favorite time to go is when it's slow and the sun is going down, that way I get the best service and the best views! Basically your quintessential neighborhood dive bar.

Extremely racist. My Asian and black friends of color were treated with blatant disrespect by the two bartenders (a white male with long black hair and a white female with missing teeth and bald spots). I as a gay man was also given dirty looks by the two for dancing with my boyfriend. Would not recommend for people of color or LGBTQ+ folks.

friendly staffs, price is very cheap(compared to the bay area) $5 for a double pour is good, but still in our opinion not strong as we thought. Will repeat if in town next time.

super cute and friendly staff i loved the lights all around and they had a few fun old school games

Such a cool little dive bar! The lights on the ceiling are so pretty, they have a couple arcade games and this super unique novelty vending machine. The drinks are cheap and good. Minimal food but they have all you really need. Plenty of seating and friendly service. Definitely bringing my friends here!

After seeing this place on a Friends Facebook, I put it on my list of places to go. Imagine my surprise when our Barfly Bus took us there as one of the mystery locations! Jackpot! I was sure they'd taken their Christmas lights down and we'd have to wait until next year but the owner Lizzy (of 30 years) says "You don't take your lights down until I take my lights down!" I was thrilled for that! With the regular crowd and a school bus full of us, one drink was all the staff could handle getting us in the 30 or so minutes we were here. Our host gave us the 10 minute warning and we were about to take off when he realized we were missing 4 people. They were still in The Slammer playing Pacman. I get it. I didn't want to leave either, but we had 3 more bars to get to before midnight at our final destination. I honestly have no idea if they had food, but I didn't care. Beer was on my mind and a lovely seasonal amber was what I got. Next Christmas season, this is a place you have to drop by if you are all about Christmas lights. If you are into a really cool dive bar with an even cooler owner, swing by any time.

Interesting dive bar that is kind of set up like a diner, with some outdoor seating. The bartender was a weird dude, who told way too long to check our IDs when my friend I were clearly at least 21 (actual ages 28 & 30). The couple at the bar next to us were three steps away from doing it on the bar, which again was odd, but whatever. There seemed to be a ton of cool local dive bars in Portland, and there wasn't anything particularly cool about this one, so I'd say 3 stars is about right.

We had a fun prefunk here and found both the male and female bartenders to be personable and fun. Football bar for sure but we loved the lighting and casual atmosphere. I've driven by the Slammer so many times but never been in. I'm glad I finally gave it a chance as a prequel to the dancing at Lola's and Holocene.

There's something a bit off putting about a bar, when the bartender immediately changes the music on the jukebox if HE doesn't like it. As far as I knew Portland was supposed to be sooooooooo diverse and all embracing of pretty much anything and everything. Yet, if someone (me) played something other than Kendrick Lamar, or some other rap the bartender pretended to relate to, he quickly would change it. Bartender, take note, your pseudo-God complex is a major buzz kill. I mean, your job is to pour drinks, let people be social within a healthy capacity and listen to the music they PAY FOR. Like what kind of small minded person immediately changes the music on the juke box just because HE doesn't like the first 10 seconds of a song. Bartender .. if you want to be so small minded, please do it in the privacy of your own home, and listen to the Kendrick Lamar album on repeat to your heart's desire . But in the future, when people put money into the jukebox at this establishment, please don't rip them off repeatedly in order to force your own musical tastes onto everyone else. Please grow up and stick to simply pouring drinks. If you want to be a DJ then buy a turn table and some records and start doing parties. Please stop being a douche and get a new personality as soon as possible.

Terrible bartenders who turn off the music that you've paid to play. I would not recommend going here.

We were in a group of 10+ celebrating a friends 30th birthday last Saturday, 7/22, when we decided to go to Slammer to have a drink. I was completely turned off by the bar staff lack of friendliness, ability to acknowledge my presence as I am standing right at the bar, and for taking orders from people that were there after me. I understand a busy Saturday night but a simple "hello, I will be with you in a moment" is better than letting me stand there for nearly 15 minutes. Plus it would be helpful to hire a bar back to allow the bar tenders to actually make drinks for paying guests. Myself and many of my friends and family will not be going back.

The Slammer...clearly you should understand why by name alone I had concluded that this was a gay bar.Friends informed me my assumptions were false...however I was still skeptical. Finally a night of drinking lead me to The Slammer...and minus gay men this bar was fitting of the name. I walked in, past a drunk guy puking on the bench. Appalled, but with a bladder ready to burst I headed towards the bathroom. I was met by an older drunk women who informed me she had just taken a shit but urged me not to worry as she had generously sprayed the stall down. Holding my breath I braved the bathroom. Later, drinking a beer on the patio, I could smell the synthetic flower in my hair. Per usual by the time I reached the bottom of the glass I was in a better mood. The puke had been hosed off from the patio and my sense of smell had adjusted to the bathroom deodorizer that chug to my garments. By that time we were convincing the entire bar to do the wave, which was completely successfully, I was in good spirits. The Slammer is not a gay bar , but It's the kind of place you can get rowdy, do the wave, puke, and inform the person after you in the bathroom you just took a shit..it's that place.

Came to this bar over the weekend and gave the bartender my credit card to open a tab. When I went to close my tab my credit card was nowhere to be found... The bartenders had no explanation for me. As they were searching for my card I noticed that they just keep customer's credit cards in an open box on the side of the bar where customers sit and can just easily reach over the bar and swipe a card. Turns out my card was stolen that night, because of how carelessly the staff stores customer's cards! So if you're looking for a good place to steal people's credit cards, this bar is great!

I dunno why i haven't wrote a review of this place that i've patronized for years......what's to be said that ain't already been said? Oh yeah.....don't order any of their food until your reallllllllly drunk. trust me.

This dive bar is fun and funky. I can't decide if "Slammer" refers to where you are going afterward (as in, "going to the slammer" (jail)) or what you are supposed to do with your drink (slam it) once you eventually get served. I was here just before Christmas, and they have an amazing collection of nutcrackers all lined up above the bar. The ceiling was covered with multicolored Christmas lights, which lent a festive air to the place. I wish I could say the service was better; it took for-ev-er to be served, even though it wasn't that busy. While slow, the bartenders are nice and friendly. Parking is pretty easy on the street, and it's not in a dodgy part of town, so thumbs up for that. If you're looking for a funky and fun place to grab a beer or a simple cocktail -- artisanal concoctions are not why you are here, okay? -- then check this place out. It's fun!

This place is fun! Small and cute, perfect mix of dive-y and hip. Bartenders can be hit or miss but the drinks are always good. I much prefer it when its a little quieter- earlier in the night or very late. Fun when people are sitting outside basically drinking in the street and on the sidewalks. The Christmas lights are so fun...

This place is super cute and retro. Not a restaurant but a great bar. The entire place is decorated on Christmas lights all year. There is a jukebox so you can play music but it mixes everyone's songs together so don't get too attached to hearing your picks. I spent $5 at 11 and didn't hear my songs by 2am. The food is a lot of versions of chili, cheese, and hot dogs. Decent food if you need something to slow down the digestion of the stiff drinks but prob not a great dinner place. We will be back for sure.

Laura was so awesome. Made us feel at home. We came from a journey away and would do it again just to be served beer by her

Thanks to Chris (aka Chris Ian), this is the best bar we found in Portland. This was one of our first stops when we made it in town and it ended up being our most frequented spot. The bartender, Chris, is so fabulous and hilarious. Although I don't drink, my friend was quite pleased with her beverages and they certainly seemed to get the job done ;] Fun crowd, great owner, great bartender, yucky boy's bathroom (don't ask), better girl's bathroom, and a removable stool... all great things. I cannot WAIT to come back!!!

Fun time after hours with friends. The bartenders were very fun and showed us a good time (even though we came in 10 minutes until closing time). Small and quaint on the outskirts of the city but if you're in the area it's worth the stop to check it out!

Slammer is a fun dive bar on the east side. Come here with some friends on a week night a weeknight and play ski ball, or enjoy a cheap drink. It is a pretty cool set up with the Christmas lights on the ceiling, and an intimate bar. Don't try to impress anyone by bringing them here. But this place is perfect if you are trying to get a group of old friends together, and catch up on old times.

Slammer is always our go to bar when we visit Portland. Love the environment, drinks and friendly staff. Don't ever change!

Easily the best bar in Portland. Hands down. Best regulars. Best bartenders. Best owner. Best softball team. Literally one of the only places I will go regularly. Taco Wednesday is a dream. I've met my best friends here.

All the nope. The bartender was super rude to me. Horrible service, the food is barely edible, and it was one of the most LGBTQ-UNfriendly experiences I have ever had in Portland. There are SO SO many better option in the area, don't waste your time or money here. I live blocks away and will never go there again.

UM....best lemon drop I've ever had, and I've had a lot. Alix is such a sweet and attentive bartender!!!! Had a blast

Dive bar. What more do you want? In a city with hipster/themed bars, sometimes it's nice to kick back with a no frills place. Conveniently located on stark, you can get drunk for cheap and then keep going. 3 stars because... well, a dive bar. You don't pay for the service (although they're really nice), just for strong drinks. Will obviously be back!

A volumetric business that could earn more revenue under different management "Cool Dive Bar" Receive better service other establishments. Will still patronize by habit

Was having a great time enjoying my drink, but the mood quickly changed when I overheard a male bartender deny service to a party by saying "we dont serve fat f*ggots". Not going back.

The Slammer has Internet jukeboxing. The Slammer has a handful of flat-screen TVs that show all the Blazers games, when Blazers happen to play their basketball. The Slammer has more Christmas tchotchkes and trinkets than an entire family of tacky aunties armed with acres of storage closets. If you happen to be in the Slammer anytime between Thanksgiving and the first week after New Year's Eve, you may witness the wintery wonderland splendor that hundreds of multicolored bulbs and reindeer in humpy positions bring. The Slammer does not have a credit card reader. But, the Slammer has an ATM (no fee information, since Santa put a twenty in my wallet) and three dollar well drinks all the time. The Slammer has given me a hangover that I only really noticed at five in the afternoon the following day. It's a winter solstice miracle!