Neighborhood dive bar with Indian food that is pretty solid. Also have a patio in the back and cheap Rainiers/PBR's. read more

Basement Pub - Pubs Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The Basement Pub is a spot you want to go regardless how it feels outside. This is the spot you should be a regular at because of how cool, calm, and collected this pub is. It is LITERALLY a basement in a 4-story home right off of the street. I have a little bias here as I stayed right behind this bar in an Airbnb when we were in Portland to visit for fun. Regardless that it was literally less than 100 steps away from our spot the beers here were fresh and cold and the alcohol was a'flowin with the locals and regulars that you can tell that The Basement Pub is THE spot to go to. It seems like they have rotating events here to include maybe chess night during the week. We know because when we went downstairs for a draft or two before exploring the rest of Portland I noticed every yellow (and cute) picnic table out in front had some serious chess players hanging out. In terms of other games there are a couple of pinball machines inside as well and a super chill relaxing patio out in the back of the bar. Inside seating is plentiful and I love that there is a barstool for every open spot around the bar. Cocktails were fantastic here as was the draft beers. I was happy to find almost all local drafts available which made me super happy to try everything at least once in the times we came here to hang. There was no "checking of vaccine cards" here. Everyone at this bar, staff included, were super friendly and nice. As a Texas girl you have to trust me on this one - it was easy to strike up a conversation with anyone at the bar. We had a good time telling everyone how much cooler (literally weather cooler) Portland is compared to Austin (home for us). Parking is street parking only but there is plenty around if you are just patient and make the rounds. Often times there are spots in the front (just check the signage). Also I guess I forgot to check-in on the Yelp app every other day we came here. I mean who can blame me?! I was steps away from being at my home away from home just around the corner of the entrance! Geez! read more

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Underrated gem. Correct balance of lively and relaxing. Good eats, great drinks, attentive staff, excellent patio, best selection of board games in town. I love coming here. read more

It's a neighborhood dive bar with decent drinks and interesting decor. I tried this place because I was in the area visiting a friend. The bartender was nice. No pictures cause the place was rather dark inside. read more

Amazing bar with welcoming staff and patrons!! When customers start slinging racist slurs (I'm looking at you Annie B and your 1 star review) even the customers will call you out on it!!! Bigots not welcome but everyone else, get over to the Basement Pub and enjoy a pint read more

Interesting place for happy hour. It was dark and mostly quiet inside. With one exception,the retired Marine yelling out how proud he was to be a Marine. The bartender shut him down quickly. She was bad ass. 20oz pints of beer for the 16oz price or 50 cents off mixed drinks and some small bites to eat. I had a really good porter. Very few people but there were some old pinball machines. World Cup 94, Soprano's and CSI and of course a small fish tank. My friend did poorly on the Soprano's game. Oh well, one and done and on to the next happy hour. Nice dive bar. read more

Basement Pub - Nothing like a nice porter. - Pubs Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Awesome local bar. Great service awesome people, strong drinks, happy Hour 3 to 8 pm. Karen is the best !!!

This place will tell you your vaccine card is "expired" if you're BIPOC. And if you push back, they'll tell you outright that you're not allowed in because of your skin color. read more

This place will vaccine card BIPOC people but not white people. Went with a group of both and saw the difference. My partner's phone died--where their vax info was stored--and we were kicked out for it. My white friends were not vaccine carded at all. This was completely unfair and unreasonable and we won't be coming back. read more

The Basement Pub is a cosy and intimate neighborhood hang out that is friendly and offers excellent value. The tap list is not massive but offers a nice variety of local draft beer. This place pours true pints, in proper beer clean glassware and served at the right temperature. The cocktails are affordable, using straight forward, quality, simple ingredients. On happy hour they are great value for money. The menu consists of a few curry and pickle options that are nice for snacking on. Definitely not a dinner destination but this type of small plate spice does pair well with the cold beer. The Basement Pub is very board game friendly and they offer a nice selection of classics. There are also two well maintained pinball machines on location. This is a nice place to chat with friends and comfortable enough for a solo visit. read more

Because most places within a 4-10 block radius refuse to stay open past midnight or 1am at best...this place has become a "last stop" sort of bar for me. This is usually the cherry on my Green Dragon sundae. The bartenders are insanely competent, self-sufficient machines of efficiency. Make sure you know what you want when they look at you. There is often only one person running the whole show here, impressive. The Decor is dark and cozy, there are pinball machines, comfortable sitting places,and hidden nooks. In a way the "feel" of this place reminds me of my favorite place back in Spokane. (Baby Bar, which I have yet to find a fitting replacement for, btw). They always treat me right and have a couple good beers on tap, can't complain. Gives me the courage to continue my walk home. P.S. THEY ALSO HAVE A FISHTANK read more

I'm only going to give this place a two because I actually haven't had a chance to eat here yet. I have come here before to attempt to eat here, however they don't open until the afternoon. When we went in there it was about 10 minutes until the guy said hi to us and even offered to get us water. Let me remind you there was only one additional person in the place and it had just opened...so there was no reason for non-speedy customer service. During my 10 minute wait I did check out the menu and it had limited options more like vegetarian options I'm not a vegan...so I don't want to knock this place because I actually haven't had the food yet. Honestly with the shitty customer service I don't plan to ever here read more

Basement Pub - Outside - Pubs Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This is a great hole in the wall joint - smoky, busy, and then go get your drinks at the bar from a usually crabby bartender, and have a seat next to the video crap (or if you're lucky at the tables in the corners). The people in there are definitely regulars, and some evenings (not sure which - but I've done it twice now) there're some trivia questions yelled out, and you write them on a piece of paper. You listen to drunk people getting mad at each other for saying the answers too loudly, and then you grade someone else's paper. It's really rather cute, but the questions are too random and I rarely get any of them right. Of course, as an engineer, I don't have crap in the noggin that's useful in the game of trivia... so I'm used to getting very few trivia questions right, but I usually get SOMETHING... alas, not there. But I'm not bitter... :) If the place weren't SO smokey, I'd probably be there all nights that I wanted to go out for beers... but if I feel like not being in a smoky joint, I can walk next door - which for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of. Well, whatever, just walk out the door, turn right, and then turn right again into the walkway to the joint - you'll see some heating lamps and some people outside smoking. read more

Came here Saturday 1/27/18 for my wife's birthday. Bartender was working alone, which I understand is not her fault and was probably the cause of her horrible attitude tonight. She wasn't happy to be there and she was letting everyone know it. I bought a beer at 1:45am. I took a few sips and went out to smoke. By the time I came in she had taken my beer. At 1:58am she took everyone's beer in the bar without warning, without explanation and would not respond to questions about why she was taking the drinks. Then she made us all leave and locked the place up. I understand they close at 2, but she didn't even give us a last call warning she just took all of our drinks, and had let us order the drinks without warning. More than half the drinks she took were more than half full. Management, is this a normal practice? Is this just something we're supposed to deal with in Portland? Nice place, but me and the 8 other people who were with me will not be back. read more

So, heres the rundown: I've been coming this bar for the last few months as its about two-ish blocks from my house. I've now deemed it my "Neighborhood pub". Best prices on this side of town, and great munchies if you're into Indian cuisine. The vibe of the bar is exquisite, nice dim lighting with candles set out at night. Great selection of brews on tap, including old standbys like PBR. The Bartenders are some of the most down to earth folks in the city and so are the patrons. Do yourself a favor and come down for happy hour (3-8) and grab a drink.. you will absolutely become a regular read more

Value of a cheap, cold beer I don't think that I've had Pabst beer since my early college days when I couldn't afford anything else. But I have to admit that after guzzling one down at the Basement Pub and listening to AC/DC on the jukebox, it made me miss those old, simple days. The Basement Pub evokes exactly what the name is --- a pub that you'd likely find in a friend's basement or rec room. It's totally unpretentious, reminding you what a good pub really is --- good conversation and cold beer with rocking tunes in the background. To say that the grub and beer is cheap here would be an understatement. You can get a Pabst on draft for under $2 and microbrews for just $3.25 a pint. You can order basic snacks like movie nachos and chips and hummus for only $1 with a drink. It's all about good value here. They only serve beer and wine, so go somewhere else for cocktails. Tip: Go on "Big-Ass Mondays" to get big pints for regular price all night. Don't you just love a name like "Big-Ass Mondays?" read more

Basement Pub - local beer in a glass - Pubs Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Nice place for date or just fun, relaxed night out. Beer good, vibe good, bartender good, friendly vibe

How cool is this place? It went down like this: It's Saturday night, and the wife and I are on an impromptu pub crawl around Southeast. We've always wanted to hit up the Basement. I was hooked at the door. It's appropriately dark, not too loud, and it felt like, well, a basement. Andrew the bartender recommended a couple of great beers, and we sat at the fish tank, which is a personal favorite. This place is so authentic that the bathroom even looked like my Grandpa's basement commode. What a strange trip down memory lane that was... We liked it so much, we crawled back to end the evening. Sweet. read more

We happened across this little gem on our way to Roadside and instantly got sucked in like bees to honey, or more appropriately, like me to beer. Honestly - it was totally our class of peeps... shady smokers who looked like they just stumbled out of the food stamps office. Wouldn't that be amazing if your food stamps could buy you PBR on tap? I'm going to write the state of Oregon a letter. We played pinball machines, sat in comfy couches, ordered incredibly awkward hummus, and rejoyced. The bartender was extremely accomodating and even brought my lazy ass drinks even though I was sitting all the way against the window. In bartender-land that's like at least a good football field away. Basement pub lives up to it's name. Be prepared to feel absolutely, whole-heartedly accepted and/or ignored, because everyone is there for the same exact reason - to drink and be merry. read more

All I can say is that for $4.50 during happy hour you can get a 22oz local draft and a large bowl (though they call it a small) or black beans and rice - DANG! The menu is inexpensive and tasty and they have a nice selection of beers. It's small, seedy, lit with low and red lights and has some pretty interesting local artwork hanging throughout. It seems as though they have a pretty regular crowd but we were welcomed with open arms. I even ran into someone that went to the same college as I did (a small college in the UP of Michigan)! Basement Pub is a great dive bar that makes me want it to become a regular stop when I feel the need for a large beer and some cheap, quick food. read more

I suspect they have to know who you are to rate anywhere in this place. It feels like the opposite of Cheers. A beautiful day to happy hour hop.... but this place is a bit too dark and cold for any of that. It is laid out kinda cool, a little hidden corner booth, small bar, a couple tables, and even a few old-ish pinball machines. I opted for the Sopranos machine since one of the other options was CSI... I don't do CSI, now if they'd had a Law & Order machine, you couldn't stop me. But sadly, even the machine seemed to mock me and tell me I didn't belong here. No happy hour from what I could discern, or we would have stayed longer and ordered food. The picnic tables outside are a nice addition and make a cool spot to sit on a sunny day. On this day, a slightly-to-very crazy Vietnam Vet (just guessing) was plunked outside being extra crazy so I didn't make use of the outdoor seating. I guess this place is cool for the hipsters who hang out here... but not really for me. read more

Great bar for what it is - a neighborhood spot with good prices and a relaxing atmosphere. The happy hour is a good deal, the back patio is nice (covered and has heaters), and the bartenders are always super friendly. They have a few Indian food options if you're hungry but it's mostly just a low-key neighborhood bar. read more

Super friendly staff, cheap happy hour beers and a variety of patrons that's a welcome break from the "hipster" bar, the "frat" bar, the "hippy" bar and the "idiot" bar. Plus, dang, for $1 you can get a tasty plate of rice and beans that keeps you moderately sober! read more

A hole in the wall! Though the drinks are cheap (I love the pear cider beer) and the snacks are decent (chips & salsa). There's a few pinball machine and arcade games, a decent jukebox. Plenty of board games to play with. Its kinda smoky and dark. Not a place for your mom or dad. Its also not a sport bar! I attended the trivia night and that was fun... though I didn't get to play. Its fun to watch others getting drunk and yelling. BTW, The waiter is super hot. Definitely a plus for the eye candy. read more

This has been, off and on for 5+ years, my second living room. (I have picked apartments based on their distance from this bar. Apparently 25 blocks is too far.) I love this place. During the periods I've lived within 2-5 blocks, my attendance here was immaculate. When you find home, you tend to recognise it. A few years ago, naysayers could get away with complaints of smoke and smelly bathrooms. Now that's just not the case and even when it was, I pushed through because here are some of the friendliness bartenders yet more importantly, friendly cohorts. It just plain feels good to drink here. I actually don't consider this bar a dive anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love me a dive, but I truly feel like this place bridged a gap between dive and something else that I can't quite put my finger on....perhaps merely a place that's "comfortable", *without having to be a dive* yet avoid being anything inaccessible or pretentious. Some other things that make this place great: 1) Fish tank. Cute. Take an extra peek at Montgomery the plecostomus. 2) Board games; a treasure trove. Geek out. 3) BEST TRIVIA IN TOWN 4) Local art. Sweet. 5) A tucked away tv that I believe I've only see play Blazer's games which is all they should be doing in a bar anyway (tv's that is). 6) Sweeeet jukebox. 7) I love spending Sunday early afternoon at TINY's and then see the same folk from there slowly drip into the Basement. (Read: community is cool.) AND....they've added some sweet comfort foods to their menu: an awesome meatloaf sandwich and mac and cheese (onto which chili can be added...what?!) My favorite bar in Portland. I'm currently housesitting out near 82nd. Once this schtick is over, I'm looking for a place nearby. Seriously. read more

I'm on the fence with this one.... The bar's great, dark as should be. Does feel like a basement, hence the name. Wood interior's full of history. Guests are low key and easy going but the bartender was too cool for school. Normally you'd think when they see an empty beer glass, that's a sign for something but no, you almost have to be one of those guys with the two light sticks steering the planes to come in to get another drink. It could've been just that night or just that person but whatever it is, if it happens again, I ain't coming back! Consider this strike one. read more

I have been a patron of the Basement Pub for over a decade. Yet, with all the changes that have altered the landscape of Portland ever growing bar culture, I still find myself belly up to the bar at the Basement Pub with the same gleeful cheer as I had when I first walk in over a decade ago. With a lovely eccentric cast of regulars and equally entertaining staff, the Basement Pub has created a culture rather unique and that its managed to not change and yet still evolve since opening its doors in 2001. The properly dimly lit interior is affixed with the click clack madness of pinball machines ,enlightened aquatic life and a healthy array of hanging plants. All back washed against a interior of dark green paint. A monthly neighborhood art show hangs adjacent to the pubs permanent collection of pictures and artsy clutter. Cheeky mismatched tables and chairs logically laid out in this basement space complete the supplied atmosphere. For those who care to partake in a smoke or seek the sun, a cozy wood patio in the back awaits. The drinks and beers provided are of the standard fair, with a nod to the healthy drinker in all of us with 20oz happy hour drafts. The modest daily food menu serves as a staple for those who just want a snack to continue with the task of drinking or to tide them over until reaching their nights end. For those who love the art of the game, the the Basement is quite possible the best pub in town for their popular weekly trivia, name that tune and cribbage tournaments. Where a pint glass is seemingly always raised high, good conversation endlessly permeates the air and where the otherwise sane among us delight in the simple joys this pub has to offer, the Basement Pub earns a stellar five star review for being there for us all to enjoy. read more

Not much to say. This a great local bar with a cool laid back vibe. Not a dive bar in my mind, it's a kick ass bar!

This is a decent neighborhood night cap spot, however, smells strongly of curry. Last night, I gained the courage to try the illustrious curry and much to my detriment, I can fully say 10/10 would not recommend, unless you're doing a bowel prep for a colonoscopy the next day. read more

/Love Usually with dive bars, the second you walk in they stare at you with the impenetrable "You're not a regular!" glare. Here, at this adorable and cozy pub, everyone's welcome. It's pretty dark, so maybe that's why.. but I'm not complaining. The atmosphere's fun and I love the eccentric feel of the pinball machines, fish tank, and naughty paintings. True, most of the crowd seems to have the dark-rimmed glasses.. but I tend to love those people. It totally means they're smarter, am I right? ... Yeah, anyway, this bar's all welcoming. The staff's cute and friendly, and I loved what I've drank so far. I also love that the staff told this one overly-boisterous table to quiet down in such an assertive, "I own this bar" type of way. Hell yeah she does. If she can't hear other people's orders, you better pipe your drunk selves down. Also, serious respect for the patrons for not stealing my friend's bike that wasn't locked up. A couple people had joked about it, but no one was a jerk! Thanks, guys. read more

It's dark and woody and is perfect for dark blustery evenings. You can find nice, if somewhat dewy solace in the summer too, and the outside tables are always full, but the fall/winter season is when the Basement is at its best. Low ceilings, crowded tables, giant eclectic ashtrays, the best jukebox in town, that darn fishtank, and ornary bartenders make me love it. It's great for a group of buds, roudy and raucous, but also very perfect for you and your sugar to get boozy and amorous. Maybe it's just another shitty bar. But it has endeared itself to me. read more

Have been here several times; not a super noteworthy (or particularly clean) environment, but they have cheap beer and the board games are fun to sit and play while enjoying a drink. However, three of us Came into this bar last nIght stone cold sober. Asked the bartender for a couple of beers and if she was able to make change for a $5 bill for the pinball machines. She told us she didn't feel comfortable serving us and asked us to leave. Baffled, we asked her why but she wouldn't say anything other than she didn't feel comfortable. I understand any establishment has the right to refuse service to anyone, but a she treated us as if we were about to rob the place. I would have been more surprised by the awful service (or lack thereof) if it wasn't for the last time my husband and I came to this bar, we sat outside with our dog and the bartender basically listed off the reasons to us why the breed of our Australian Shepherd sucks, all before even asking us what we wanted to drink. Who does that?! The place itself really isn't even worth looking past the horrendous service to want to try coming back again. read more

We got two drinks, one with Aviation gin, and the total was $10. How is this even possible?!? I'm still so stunned by it, I don't even know what else to say. I'll update after I go back. read more

This place is exactly a Basement Pub. It's dark, comfy, cheap beers, pinball machines, friendly bartender, quirky people come here. Come for the cheap beer and put some music on the jukebox. read more

I wonder if it's possible to get Seasonal Affect Disorder from going to any particular bar too much. if it is, I can picture it happening if I came here regularly. I imagine this is the pub that daylight itself comes to take a break and down a few pints next to the regulars and talk about how much of a pain his new girlfriend, eclipse, has been lately. Basement Pub is perhaps the darkest bar I've been to. damp and dim, isolated yet comfortable, it's exactly what TV has taught me basements should be. it even has that single fish tank that may or may not have fish in it. the bar food is cheap, but awesome, in a pub sort of way. stacked nachos piled with ingredients that were surely sitting in cans for the last few months, smothered in nacho cheese is no roasted red pepper tapas dish, but it is what it is. the beer is cheaper and sufficient. I support the cheap drafts of PBR and others in the family, as well as a decent selection of bottles and cans. the bartender is gruff but kind. the jukebox is quality. with a selection ranging from classic rock and jazz standards to the builders and the butchers, there's a little something for most people who don't mind stepping foot in here. they also have pinball machines that sorta compete with the music for sound superiority, but whatever. and, like a basement, I suppose it will take me some time to get used to it, but I know that eventually, I will. read more

This is a dark cave of a bar. They've got a fish tank in the middle and nice padded seats on one wall. The people that go there are generally pretty awesome every time I've gone, and they do nice pub trivia on Sunday that me an my date got destroyed on. We didn't even place. Our glasses to person ratio was way above any other table, and yet we were not the smartest. I think the Basement is actually where the smart people go here in Portland, and I got hustled. Anyway, good drink selection and they've got fun pinball. I'm not super good at pinball, but they don't say anything when I jostle the machine. I bet they think I'm just dumb and don't know how to make it work because of my trivia showing, so probably don't jostle the pinball as much as I would. After being introduced to this place a week or two ago, I've finished a few nights here and I've been comfortable and happy to do so. I don't think this would be everyone's cup of tea, but probably if you're bad at pub trivia come on out. I hate finishing in last. read more

Haven't done this for a while...driving up 12th on my way to Alberta, noticed this place and quickly parked the car to check it out. Friendly little bar with nice sidewalk seating for summer. If I'm ever stuck in traffic on 12th again, I'll stop in here. read more

Good place to drop in and grab a beer. Nothing fancy, just a good bar with a fine staff. I have no desire to eat here so I can't speak for the food and I'm not coming in to make friends so I don't pay attention to who's around. Beer and pinball are the only concerns I have at the Basement Pub. My bf and I are big fans of pinball and the Rolling Stones machine is a personal favorite - but I wanna know how the dancing Mick Jagger got broken!! Update: They took away the Rolling Stones pinball and a single tear rolled down my cheek just like Demi Moore in Ghost read more

Many a drunken nights I have wandered aimlessly around the inner se, and almost always I end up stumbling into the basement for a night cap. Very few places can you find an impromptu chess match at 1 am. I've been going to the basement for a few years and it is my favorite neighborhood dive. needless to say I don't even live in the SE but hey.. For of all us that wont pay for cable based on the principle alone(this is where I normally curse one specific cable company).. the basement only has one tv and I love it.... (most dont even know its there) couches beer and about 15 drunken peeps who normally would never be caught dead cheering on the blazers..what more do you want..oh yeah they do trivia and all that other stuff but if I am going out to watch the game (and thanks to a certain cable company this happens more often) this is where I am going... RIP CITY read more

Stopped in here on a Saturday night for a beverage. Quick, friendly service, we all got our drinks in a timely fashion. I loved the ambiance - nice and dark, with a lounge feel to it. I got a whiskey sour, and it was pleasantly stiff. It looked like they had a small food menu. This seemed like a good place to meet a group for a few drinks - I'll definitely be back for a beverage, hopefully sometime soon. The bar is definitely on the smaller side, so to speak. I liked the "cozy" feel of it. They were playing good music, and we did not have trouble finding a seat early on in the evening (10:00 p.m., I think). As we left around 10:45, it was really filling up with people. Highly recommended if you're looking for a good dive bar in SE. read more