The Vern

This is the dive bar I’ve always dreamed about. I hereby declare the soft pretzel at the ‘Vern to be the best in Portland. The THREE count ‘em 1, 2, 3 pretzel sticks that come with your order are piping hot, buttery, soft and tearable with just the right amount of salt. The cheesy goo, I am told, is prepared to order and therefore has the perfect consistency and temperature. Your pretzel sticks also come with a delicious mustard, which in my opinion should be applied to the pretzel prior to dipping it into the cheesy goodness.

Great food & drink! HAND SMOKED chicken wings etc, handmade sauces, whole cinnamon sticks in Hot Toddy's!... It's also the Burning Man Portland burners meetup bar every TUESDAY.. SPACIOUS.. JUKEBOX.. *Update 12/13/24 the Hot Sally sandwich- with jalapeños, Coarsely/finely chopped and seasoned Steak, liken to Sloppy Joe's, not too spicy but with a kick (great with a side of ranch, to cool heat down if.)

The Vern is no ordinary bar. It is a strange, beautiful secret stitched into the fabric of the city, a place that feels alive in its own quiet way. I don’t come here as often as I wish, life pulls me elsewhere, but every return feels like a reunion, as though the walls remember me even if the world outside does not. The bartender greets me with a look amused, I am not one of the chosen regulars, yet somehow I am welcomed all the same. There is a subtle grace in their work, a gift for solving problems I did not even know I had. Every drink is not just a pour, but a kind of answer, as though behind the bar sits a sage disguised as a bartender, untying knots with a quiet flick of the wrist. The walls themselves are part of the charm, lined with vintage, artistic erotica that feels less like decoration and more like a wink from another era, reminding you that this place doesn’t take itself too seriously, even while it carries a soul. Step outside, and the patio unfolds like a hidden garden. Smoke curls upward in slow spirals, carrying secrets to the night sky. Conversations bloom here like wildflowers, laughter cracks open the dark, and time itself seems to loosen its grip. The food comforts, the drinks delight, but it is something deeper that makes this place linger in me. The Vern is not only where thirst is quenched or hunger stilled; it is where the weight I carried in with me begins to fall away. To walk through its door is to remember that refuge can be found in unlikely corners, and that sometimes the cure for a long day is as simple as a bar that knows how to hold you. Five stars, always. 10/10.

The food is amazing. & if you have the opportunity to get a slushie drink, do it. Sooo good. They have indoor and outdoor seating.

Coolest bar we visited in PDX. Amazing staff, great food, good drinks and great vibe. Came here twice on our visit.

I really like this place and go here every few months. Drinks and food are pretty good, but wow the patio absolutely reeks. Don’t even bother sitting outside if you’re sensitive to smoke. I support having a smoking patio but please put some fans out there to circulate the air oh my god.

This is my perfect bar, the sort of place that prevents you from ever trying anything new because it is such a reliable classic. It has everything: cool vibes without being pretentious, huge booths for the homies, french fries covered in garlic, cheap drinks, pinball, and a patio. It’s giving 10/10 hell yeah brothers.

Christy (maybe with a K) was the sweetest introduction to a new place for me. She is gorgeous and sweet beyond words and made me the best gin(not my fave but I asked her for her fave) cocktail for my birthday. I will ask for this drink often now. Or make it at home.

Bartenders are fun, relaxed and nice ( very approachable but with a touch of good sarcasm) . Super important to have nice or interesting staff. Dive vibe and wonderful patio . They always have a weird movie on and good music . Great for friends or if you just want to pop in by yourself .

Let's go back. Way back. To...bar reviews! This place is awesome. Wood interior, a pretty awesome liquor selection, and really nice and efficient bartenders. What is efficient, you ask? Good interpersonal skills and fast with giving you the drinks. Oh and the music selection is hazy, nostalgia at it's best.

Divey dive bar with a long happy hour, big booths, and a roomy patio. Pinball and jukebox. Oh and fried pickles.

That steak though!!!!!!! Soooo good! And we are hard to please. Well cooked every time we've came. Seasoned perfect. Just overall satisfied with the consistency

The Vern has the BEST chicken strips i've ever had! It's a "dive bar" but nicer and more homey than other bars i've been too :) The service is great, but expect a longer wait because everything is fresh and likely homemade

Horrible service, the drinks were made poorly and overpriced, and the bartender was screaming at guests for not speaking great English, ewwwww. I was disgusted by the staff for letting the behavior of our bartender continue consistently the two hours I spent here. Never ever again. Horrible vibes

The food has always been amazing, even in different seasons. The bartenders have always been polite and *very* well informed about what they have to offer.

Do not overthink it. This is a great place to hang out, drink, play arcade games, stare uncomfortably at strangers, and generally pretend not to be sad. Food is hopelessly above average for a dive bar and the bartenders are heroes.

I used to come here all the time. Went for my birthday last Thursday and Christie was working the bar. She was rude AF and begrudgingly took my order for a steak dinner. The cook saw the order and out loud said "fuck this.". Then when he delivered food to my table slammed the plates down with no words. Have some fucking professionalalism if I'm paying over $50 for dinner and drinks. Jesus. Fuck this place.

I first checked out this bar when wanting to get some food from the trucks across the street. It's nice to be able to walk over beforehand and grab a couple drinks before picking up food! Bartender is always nice, service is always good. There's plenty of seating inside and they have a huge outdoor area. I've gotten snacks here and there at this bar but I finally tried what I deem two bar staples: wings and tater tots. Two very basic items but they're sometimes a must for me when I'm out having a drink! We got their buffalo wings and cajun tater tots with ranch. Like I said, very basic. But they were VERY good. Wings were crispy and the tater tots were... like the best I've ever had... and I eat a lot of them. They were so bomb. I've also had their brussel sprouts and a while back, their crab croquettes. All good. It's just a great neighborhood bar with great food!

I came in for a drink the other night and really liked the vibe of the Vern! It's very cozy and there's even a table with a fire on top. I noticed some games in the bar and an outdoor area as well. The marionberry cider I got was pretty good, but I wish I'd gotten a cocktail because there was a list full of really interesting looking ones. The bartender was killing it too. There was a good amount of people there and he was managing everything by himself and very efficient!

So fun! And the staff is always friendly:) Great patio for bringing your dog along. Still haven't tried the food but, it's one of our regular spots.

This review is based off of my experience during the burger week adventure. They had the "Ancho Burger" for $5. The Vern! If it wasn't for Burger Week, I would not have known this place existed. I have driven down Belmont about a million times, but never really seem to pay attention to this place. Thank goodness for Burger Week, because now I know. Everything about the burger was awesome, from the bun to the patty to the ingredients. However, my favorite topping was the crispy onion- it really pushed it up to the "wow- I love it, delicious" burger list. A very low-key bar, seat yourself and bust your own table. They have a few slot machines as well as some arcade machines for you to play while you wait. From the limited interaction with bartender and servers, they were friendly. We got fairly lucky with parking; right out front. Did not have to roam around to look to park.

Im pretty sure I got drugged at this bar. Drank one pabst and I blacked out like 2 blocks away. Luckily unharmed. And when I went back the next day to ask for video footage the bartender rudely denied me ! Couldn't even provide a managers name or number. I would never set foot in this bar ever again.

The sweet potato fries are soo big, I thought they were large chunks of meat! They have video poker - which wasn't such a good thing for my friend who lost big. They have pinball. The have a gas fire pit. They have fake greenery over the bar. Together all that makes for a really funky vibe and a place that has more going for itself than just booze and food. We discovered the Vern on an afternoon pub crawl. By the time we got here, I'm not sure what we wanted more; drinks or food - so we ordered both! It's a neighborhood bar with a hipster feel, only the bartender we got was much nicer than most hipster wait staff (who either don't see you or act like they wished they didn't). I'm told new owners came in an spruced the place up, which explains the new-ish red velvet booths. If you are in the neighborhood, I'd suggest swinging by - even if just for the massive sweet potato fries!

bad service bad vibes from the bar tenders friends have had drinks spiked here before and management refuses to make any effort to prevent it, keep yourself safe and go somewhere else trust

A low key cool bar that you cannot tell from looking from the outside. The interior is slightly dark, but is very clean. The interior looks like something you may see from the 70s, but it works and gives you a sense of that cool vibe. The menu is simple and the prices are reasonable. We had some wings and tater tots and both were delicious. I'll have to digitally come here again and hangout with some more of friends next time.

Rad bar, BEAUTIFUL heated patio that is SO spacious and well done. Amazing food, vegan options, super sweet bartenders and just an overall great vibe!

Monday night crew almost killed my bf with a room temp burg and we almost missed the shitty movie Cocaine Bear we were about to see the next day but they charged my phone for $5 so I can't fully talk shit but I will anyway

steaks bites were saur yummy. made by a trans man. and even if they weren't who give a fuck. love steak. written by a local PDX Tranny Man™. five stars. nothing left bc we love it.

Giant outdoor patio that has covering over individual pods of tables and the tables have heaters built into them. Good beer selection. Amazing bar food. Nice mix of hipster and true dive bar. Really nice staff. This place is amazing.

Love this bar, love their drinks, love what they did with the outdoor space for social distancing, but super disappointed in the covid protocol at the establishment. A few simple steps could help level things up (clean/dirty pen jars for signing tabs, signs on tables to show which are clean and which havent been sanitized yet, etc).

I love the Vern. I've walked by this bar a million times and finally decided to stop by for a couple drinks and a basket of tots. The outside patio is such a nice touch, and the staff was super sweet. I imagine there's a fun story behind their name/neon sign. Go try this lovely spot yourself!

$18 for a steak with potatoes and veggies :)) the staff is regularly rude as fuck but the food is good and cheap enough to overlook

Omg! the "Steaks For Your Enjoyment" (*huge* rib eye + fingerling potatoes + oven roasted cauliflower) is crazy good and it might be the best "food value" that I've found in Portland! $18?'!?!?!? WTF!!!?! This would be 3x's that at Laurelhurst Market (insanely over priced and over rated). And the food qualify was just as good. This will definitely become a once a week (or every other week) thing for me. Also great friendly staff!!!

This place is great. Came in for my first time during a big wrestling match event. I was a little overwhelmed only because i wasn't expecting that many people and all the yelling at TVs and I'm also not wrestling fan. However the bar was actually really great. The food is AMAZING here. The steak dinner was killer. Word has it the chef worked in fine dinning for many years and you guys it's shows. My steak was freaking good! Like damn good and I'm picky with my steak. The tots were stupid good. Like holy shit TASTY and the ranch dressing was super good too. Drinks are perfect and done well. I would love to have Guinness on tap here or at least a can of Guinness. I've been back a few times now and think this will be my new bar. Everyone has been really nice and the music is GREAT!

The Cracker Barrel of bars. Bartender refused service because i "stumbled" while entering the bar. I "stumbled" because a drunk patron ran into me on the stairs. This is a hyper-corporate bar dressed up as a dive, without any of the actual operational benefits of a corporate bar - like a bouncer, manager, or people who have been trained, Worst of the worst.

Staff were rude, especially the cooks. When server brought us food they dropped it off and left & just pointed to the bar line when we tried to ask a question. They refused to give us to go boxes saying "we don't have those" after we saw them give someone a to go order. Definitely not a place for POC.

What kind of bars serve $3.75 wells in 2019? Bars that close. Granted I never went to the old Vern, but from the sound of it, not many other people went there, either. Checking out the remodel, I'm happy that somebody stepped in and saved this space, even if it's not really what it used to be. Again as a reminder, what it used to be was a bar that was going to close. Stopping in with a few friends to check the place out, I was immediately pretty impressed with the vibe. Dark and retro, with plenty of options for seating, depending on if you want to be social or antisocial. I love the red booths. The fireplace is flat out awesome (with cute surrounding seating), and I hope they get it up and running. Lots of games, both of the video poker variety and shiz like pinball and Buck Hunter. Cool signage and decor, including the STEAKS! signage from the late, great Club 21. There's a patio in back, but I never popped out there to check it out. One wish: a dartboard! All I drank was beer, and the prices seemed pretty normal. I at least didn't bat an eye. Change can suck, but it's also inevitable. Heck, I feel like that should be the slogan for all of Portland. At least this place was taken over by people who have genuine care for the space and the history and for operating great spaces. I'll be back, and I'll bring my crew in tow.

The New Vern is nicely cleaned up with working bathrooms and a complete gut rehab. It really is a cool looking bar on the inside. The menu is actually available all of the time the place is open. The bartenders and staff are professional, friendly, and attentive. I think the happy hour burger is a great deal if you can ask them to limit the salt. Same for the tots. A bit over salted most times I have ordered but I ate every ounce. The bacon on the burger is yummy. Hope they fix the salt issue. Drinks are expensive. Gone are the days of $1-2 PBRs, and $5 double shots of top shelf bourbon. Once you cross the price Rubicon, you are NOT a DIVE BAR. This is not a dive bar anymore. The New Vern has a happy hour, but outside of happy hour expect to pay as much or more than many expensive places in town. The crowd on the weekends is not from the neighborhood. That was a big change. We saw folks shooting Fireball and asking for Rumple Minze (which they do not have!). If you want a chill bar you can walk to from your house go on the weeknights and before 9 pm weekends. Hey, things change, and the New Vern is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Aside from being my favorite go-to neighborhood bar, it has an amazing brunch on the weekends. The Vern checks all the boxes for me and I'm picky AF. Excellent food, stiff drinks, friendly bar staff, no wait, good music and very well priced. I've had 1/2 of the menu and nothing disappoints, always consistent and delicious. I eat or drink here at least once a week, you should too.

The new Vern! Okay, I may be a fairly new Portlander (3 years) but I've lived close to the very for a while. I remember the old, rough, broken down dive. This is NEW. Still dark, still intimate yet with some sneaky good food and simple, yet satisfying cocktails. The ancho Chile dry rub wings are dynamite. Absolutely perfect. Nice pinball, typical Oregon slot machines and a little relaxed patio, the new Vern is fun. Maybe you'll spend a bit more but this is a relaxed Portland vibe. The new owners haven't lost the soul of the old Vern.

Wth! Why is the food sooooo goooooood literally everything I've had has been DELICIOUS and would order again. I just had a grilled cheese n ancho-tomato soup that was so good I had to write about it. The grilled cheese had house cured bacon and arugula pesto that was so damn good, and I was surprised at how much I liked the soup. It was very not basic, and above and beyond. While I LOVE the old Vern and the new, I must say I feel WAY more safe in the CURRENT Vern . Old Vern was crazy

Great spot ! Nice big patio. This has been a summer Go-to for me. Staff is chill and can hold it down during a rush. Really enjoy this spot !

This place is listed on the Portland Mercury's burger week 2019 page as having gluten free options. Now, I've learned this doesn't always mean a bun. However, most places will at least offer a lettuce wrap, or at the VERY least a utensil to use with your bare burger patty. Not the Vern. At the Vern, when they say, "no substitutions" they mean it. But they will insist that you pay the $5 for a burger patty AND a drink. And when you ask for a soda, I would recommend specifying which type, or you may receive a glass of soda water (for $2)

One of the best patio bars in Portland. Great for social distancing! The food is amazing and so is the staff! Check this place out and see for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

I know there's been a redo for this bar and was excited to check it out.. love the Sandy Hut and the other ones that this company does. We walked in an ordered off the board outside. Everyone was eating steaks when we told the bartender we wanted the steaks that were on the sign. She went outside and checked?? We paid in cash. I handed it to her and dig out a 20 to break, for a tip. She helped someone else as I stood there. So I asked the other girl to break it. She said she couldn't. So figured I'd do it after. The waitress or cook dropped our food at the table basically slamming it down. And rushed off. With attitude. Why are you waiting tables or in this industry if this is your attitude. The food was actually good, with 3 stars. We tipped on the way out, if that's what the attitude was about. Unfortunately I will not be returning. I can get a steak anywhere. I'll stay with the Sandy the people there are pleasurable

I used to go there for their steak dinners. Such a tasty and well prepared meal with great seasonal sides and a baked potato . I hadn't been there for awhile until last Sunday. They told me they had some new ownership and had changed the menu somewhat (but not the prices). When I received my meal it was just a very greasy steak like the kind you might get at a shitty strip-bar, plus 3 little potatoes and 3 somewhat charred brussel sprouts. That, for 18 dollars? I won't be eating there again. Too bad, because their steak dinner (and their fried chicken dinner) used to be rather extraordinary.

Not a dive bar anymore. Sadly the Vern lost its charm in the remodel and we are left with yet another basic-yuppie bar. Well drinks went for $3.75 and now it's $6. No more pool tables, no more bathtub in the smoking area, and ultimately no more personality. This place that once felt like a quirky safe space feels awkward and uncomfortable. Trying way too hard to be something else, and it'll never be the same. I'm going to be switching my favorite dive bar to Bare Bones just up the street.

I came in to get drinks and food to pregame. When my group ordered drinks and food from the bartender, she wasn't the nicest and had a bad attitude. Aside from that the food was def on point for a dive bar. We got off the menu wing sauce which was super tasty and spicy, the tater tots were super crispy and had a nice seasoning and the sweet potato fries were crispy with a nice batter on the outside and the inside was so soft and complimented it well.

Glad the Vern has survived at least kinda. This place is like a mashup of old Portland/museum. I love that they scored a fire pit from the Overlook (and I guess they're going to get it fitted out to actually burn fire in it, so that's cool) and it's funny to see the Club 21 "Steaks!" sign on a wall. I guess Lay Low must not have had the space? Nice update to a down and out dive bar that had definitely seen better days. Hamburger at happy hour was quite good (but that's expected from these guys). Great service.

This place is awesome! Went for late night food. Everything we ate was great! Bartender was very helpful and friendly. Will definitely return...Wings and Beet and kale salad were my favorites.

Wow. V impressed. I got the vegan Portobello and sweet potato jojo's and friend got a burger. The food was excellent. I was blown away.

burger week, a grill set-up in back, the first bite rich meaty goodness

Super cool dive-ish bar with killer chow and just enough video poker. They have a cool neon for clams (?) and everytime we get a burger here it's cooked perfectly. Love it

The entire bar was there for the blazers game and the projector had at least a 3 second sound to screen lag. When we asked about it they refused to do/try anything to fix it. Definitely won't be back for a blazer game.

Bartender with the fucking bowser cap sucks harddddd. You have to stand for ten minutes watching him do nothing to catch his attention. There's another bartender that is great and the place is really good for hangout, good music and games. Haven't try the food, they also have a cool small patio that is not that good on rainy days. Peace out.