Cool Kid Dive bar with good beers and a nice atmosphere. Can get a bit seedy though, so don't bring Grandma unless she can throw down...they also have live music next door, and happy hour twice a day... Enjoy Suckas'!!! read more

We've been here a half dozen times and have hoped this long time venue would turn around. Specifically, the bouncers set an awful vibe from the beginning. We won't be back and will attribute it to mostly the two condescending doormen. read more

Okay, I admit, I'm down with smoky dive bars because I smoke. If I didn't smoke, I probably wouldn't go to smoky dive bars. Hmm...there's a thought. But seriously, what's an old biker bar without smoking? That aside, it's not just the well made drinks, breakfast served all day (and believe me, it's GOOD), hip biker decor, excellent music selection, or the fried macaroni and cheese bites served with sweet BBQ sauce that continue to lure me back to Kelly's...it's the fact that it always feels like home when I come here. Even when it's hoppin' on a weekend night and I'm jammed in between two sweaty construction workers at the bar, I feel at ease here. I've never had poor service or attitude from the staff; the bartenders (especially Cari and yes, that George Michael-look-alike guy) are super attentive and very friendly. The food is always on point...perfectly prepared and satisfying (not to mention, affordable!). I've never had a poorly mixed drink or had to wait long for a replacement. I love this place...and maybe someday, I'll even have my own bike to park out front. They say the original owner gave it this distinctive name way back in the day because he only served Olympia beer. I don't know if they still serve the Olympia, but they don't serve Ranier and I think that's mandatory for dive bars in these parts. Not to worry, though, all you Northwest 23rd urbanites, the PBR does flow from the tap here. read more

When I'm in a new town, I tend to place bars and restaurants into two categories. Category 1: Eh... Category 2: Place is cool, but not a place I would frequent. and, Category 3: Fuck yeah! If I lived in this town this would be my spot. Well, Kelly's Olympian falls into category 3. This would be my go to spot if I lived here. It takes the best parts of a dive bar (cheep drinks, good food) and added the biker theme and lots of neon lights. Ended up spending two nights in a row here to watch the Cubs defeat themselves out of the playoffs, but had a good time anyway. Lots of local beers to try even though I opted for the shot of tequila and a Tecate $7 deal for one round. Our group shared a plate of nachos which really hit the spot after spending all day walking around. The bar tenders were all nice and fun to interact with. read more

All I wanna say as a summary is that the people who work there are amazing and humble to the Portland roots.

To put it simply this place is just not my cup of tea. I was served in a decent time frame by friendly enough staff. I found a seat...my tab was respectable. They did not have $1 PBR as other yelp reviews would lead you to believe, did I need to use a secret knock? Somewhere in-between the neon decor and random old men in cowboy hats this place just lost me. Which is strange because normally both of those things sit really well with me. Not to mention that I'm a dive bar enthusiast. I came to see a show, which is conveniently located in another room. When you walk into the room it's like stepping into a whole new establishment. You leave the busy decorations at the door and step into a really nice venue area. That part of Kellys I enjoyed, and i would go back to see a show. Sorry, that I'm not sorry Kellys I just wasn't feeln' ya. read more

Just what the afternoon ordered. Wandered in after attempting to take an out of town friend to several trendy breakfast places, all with huge waits. Awesome Bloody Mary. Straightforward, good & cheap breakfast food. Perfect volume classic rock. A neon-red lit oasis in downtown. read more

Kelly's Olympian - Perfection - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

5 pints of awesome micro brews for 12 bucks?! Sign me up! I really liked the ambiance too - super chill, no pretentiousness and friendly patrons and servers alike. I opted for the Gold Digger ale on draft and it was delicious! I HIGHLY recommend it. Two enthusiastic thumbs up! read more

They have a cute blonde dimpled bartender; fried mac and cheese wedges (yum! but they served it with bbq sauce. What the...?! Ewwww.); and cheap beer and wine. I may have been a *wee* bit tipsy from the Event at Paddy's, but I still had a blast at Kelly's. It's nice when it's a little bit slow, and cozy, and not busy and obnoxious and loud. I like Kelly's. I think. read more

Normally a good spot with a chill crowd but we won't be back. The bartender last night was one of the biggest pricks I have EVER come across. Terrible. I don't know his name, we didn't get that far, but he had a white baseball style shirt with letters on it, 'WTF' or something like that. He was rude to our friend before we got there (being a smart ass about changing the channel) and then when we arrived, he pretty much ignored us for about 10 minutes before coming to greet us. People who walked in AFTER us, were served before us. No greeting, no "hey, i'll be right with you", nothing. Just flat out zero acknowledgement. Finally, and because it's VERY loud in this bar, I placed my order with him and he yelled back at me, "Ummm... You know I can hear you right? I'm LITERALLY standing right here. So yeah... Let's shhhh... " as he's motioning his fingers over his lips and doing a very grand production with his hands. I said "I'm not yelling at you, it's loud in here." And he said "Right, so what do you want?" Just very awful. I wouldn't ever talk to a customer like that. It was so weird and it completely threw me off. I'm very rarely insulted and that was insulting. (No, I'm not a tourist. I'm a born and raised Oregonian, here in Portland.) Anyway, my buddy then got into back and forth banter with him and he said he'd get us another bartender, but I was over it. I know Kelly's is a staple but I'm over them too. Just a matter of time before they're turned into condos. If they treated their customers better, I'd be sad about that. read more

Oh man, I had no idea what this place's name was, but when I was browsing yelp and I saw the picture, I was like, "YES!" This place was cool. I mean, I just love neon. Call me tacky, but the old gas station theme plus the gorgeous neon Pegasus (Mobil?) behind the bar... It makes me tingle in all the right places. So, we got here probably a little before the halfway point of our Portland Pub crawl. We sat at the bar and ordered beers and cider. Actually, this is the first place I ever had Strongbow cider (Which I later found at a local pub, the White Harte: http://www.yelp.com/biz/aZZ7Nv_phKtuAkTW1fQeTw). I got some static cause it's wasn't beer, but cider has a long tradition of being a valid alcoholic pint! And mix it with a lager and you get a Snakebite! Anyway, friendly staff and awesome decor give this place my seal of approval. Hit it up to fill up and get tanked. read more

The is an amazing dive bar! I will be back for sure and would recommend to friends or anyone that likes motorcycles. They have a great collection on display. Food was very good, we had a burger, and a patty melt both were great! Beer was average price. read more

Kelly's is, and will always be my downtown home. There are ridiculous rumors that they don't respect veterans? They have veterans on their staff! These people are fantastic. Respectful. Kind. If someone shows up drunk or without a valid ID sure they will turn them away, because that is their job. This place is fantastic. Don't listen to the hate. Enough about that. Their prices rock, the service is with a smile, humour, and/or sass. They rock here. Music some nights, great pours, good food. Just come here already! Good for dates or day drinking. Love them. read more

I love Kelly's. This has been my go-to weekend day drinking spot for 15+ yrs. Hands down the friendliest, most interesting bartenders. Always have great conversation, good food, and fun cocktails! read more

Oh sweet smoky dive bars, how much do I love thee? On a balmy gray Oregon day, where rival football teams came out to play, Kelly's Olympian did not disappoint, it is a great downtown dive bar joint. Giant neon gas station signs, large beer selection there you can find, friends convening for an evening cheer - but of course we all end up bickering since the holiday season is near. One key argument focused on the relative hotness of the bartenders. We were divided down the middle on the bartender-hotness scale. Here is the conversation I heard in my head: "Dude, the blond bartender is hot." "No, she looks a little too "seasoned"." "She's totally a 15." "She's 15! No way, she looks like she's 40!" "No dude, she's A 15...as in blackjack." "????" "As in not sure if you should hit it..." Ba da bump. Yes, I'm here all night, but no one will laugh at the jokes. Anyway, Kelly's proved a great joint to avoid the crowds during the Civil War game, get our drink on, and argue about the "finer" things in life. read more

I am slightly biased as Kelly's is one of the team sponsors for the Break Neck Betties - Rose City Rollers ... but this place is purty f'ing cool I have to say. The sell beverages at reasonable prices. Their food is purty durn good ... and their fries totally rock (though you do get enough to feed your family for like a week) ... ranch is tasty too. The staff is awesome - super friendly. It doesn't get too super crowded -- which is nice ... and they are playing all kinds of sports stuff on big screen TVs (so hubby is entertained too). Good times never felt so good. read more

Kelly's Olympian is my favorite bar in the area. The decor is awesome, with tons of vintage motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and neon and vintage signs on the walls. All of the bartenders are great, but Gigi is the absolute best! She is so friendly and welcoming, and after coming by once or twice made me feel like a true friend. They also regularly have live music in the event space adjacent to the regular bar area. All of that plus pinball and a photo booth make this place a true gem! Definitely worth checking out if you're downtown. read more

Great dive bar. Great fried macaroni and cheese. Great decor. Great location. Great people. Thank you to Peter for taking us here. It was a great place to practice our British accents. read more

I've been a patron at Kelly's for about as long as I've lived in Portland (almost two years) and I don't really have anything negative to say about the place. It can become pretty packed during peak hours (Their happy hour is from 4-7, and as far as my opinion goes, one of the best in Downtown Portland.) However, the bartenders handle the long lines like the epic spirit guides that they are. Stiff drinks, comfortable/plentiful seating,dim/decorative lighting and an eclectic playlist are key points to a great dive bar, and Kelly's offers it all. The bartenders are pretty legit (and professional badasses),but they won't take your shit if you're being an asshole. Kudos to them for tolerating my dedication to afternoon inebriation. This also goes for all the corporate 9-5ers with bloated senses of entitlement..for the love of all things holy, STOP blocking the middle of the walkway with half of your company's employees and take the pretentious conversations elsewhere. (Preferably at a table. SITTING down..or at least out of my way as I'm trying to drown my sorrows.. ;-) )It's bad enough that I have to stand in line next to you, and listen to you bitch about the need for cocktail servers when the bar gets too crowded. Like....This is isn't The Departure. And thank the universe for that... Okay, end rant. Kelly's is my comfort zone. And when I'm drinking copious amounts of whisky, I enjoy being comfortable. (But hopefully not too comfortable..) read more

Meh I've forgotten about the price thing. I'll just be more vigilant. Anyway, I still come here when I want to have that nice greasy dive experience, even tho it's light grease here. Love this place, I've been going here since I was a wee baby drinker. Happy hour prices are very worth it! I like the grilled cheese with tomato soup and cheap vodka cran read more

Ah, Kelly's...the place where what you see is what you get. A total dive, as evidenced by the regulars and the bathrooms. It's great as the first stop for drinks after work (great happy hour prices), or as a late-night stop to cap off the night. They've got lots of beers on tap, both the big boys and the micros. The menu has recently changed, which is absolutely for the better. The food was way too greasy in the past, and was the one way that Kelly's stood the most to improve. Sports and movies are always on the TVs, but the jukebox typically drowns out the sound. At Kelly's this is a good thing, as you'll often hear the Clash, Pixies, Velvet Underground, and the like. I can see how some people might think the service as slow, as the bartenders can lose track of who just walked in, but it's an fairly busy bar that has LOTS of people coming and going at all times. There are lots of smokers, nearby workers, and just folks passing through who give the front door lots of use. The cocktail jockeys are really nice, though, and are worth any wait you experience. read more

Rock out with your BLEEP out at Kelly's Happy Hour!!! This bar draws in a very eclectic crowd. If you swivel your stool around from the bar you will see the office folk dressed in their "business casual" attire, chatty down-and-out drunks (bums?), local rock stars, bikers, bike messengers, and your garden variety hipsters. Head to Kelly's during Happy Hour as it is one of the better low-maintenance spots downtown. Another plus is that the happy hour is focused on the drinks (dirt cheap micros and deals on wells), unlike most happy hours downtown which give you a break on appetizers and then rail you with steep drink prices (I'm looking at you Henry's). The only big drawback is that it can often get way too smokey for my taste. But hey, I'll sacrifice my lungs every now and then for a good time. read more

Ordered takeout from here last night, been throwing up all day. Me and my friend are both very sick & we will NOT be going back. read more

There was an easy mistake made and my card was given to someone with almost the same name and same exact card... the staff immediately knew who they had given it to on accident and were beyond apologetic. They made a huge effort tracking down my card through layers of people to get in touch with the person who had it and came through and got it back to me the next day.... this review doesn't even begin to mention how comfortable and amazing of a bar it already is with great and attentive bartenders. I will definitely be back here anytime I am in Portland. Thank you to everyone there especially Lucia the GM, Gabe, Glyness, Alec for going way above and beyond to find my card and actually care. read more

Nice place - a good vibe permeated the establishment. I liked that there was enough room to move around and you can have a conversation (in fact the event I attended had a separate room which was great). The mac and cheese bites were good and I wish I could have stopped popping them a little earlier but what the hell. And of course I checked, Fat Tire on tap, woot! read more

My friends call this a dive bar. They clearly don't know how divey a bar can get... Kelly's is gritty, but not a dive by any means. They pour a good cocktail, and they play good music. Yeah, it's dark: if you want something light and perky, there's a Starbucks on every street corner in downtown Portland. You come to Kelly's to booze, not sip. I wouldn't recommend it for game watching, though. They have a few TVs, but this isn't a sports bar -- the sound will be turned down, and there's not a big selection of games to be had. Pluses to the staff, too -- they're good, attentive, and if you say nice things to them, they'll remember you when you come back in for a repeat visit. read more

Stopped at this gem for a drink last night. Music, drinks and atmosphere was on point. TONY was amazing! He made my drinks and made me laugh! Thanks, Tony!!! read more

The hubs and I have been here twice and it stunk big fat poo both times...hey, I tried, right? It's a shame too, because this place has a cool vibe in the bar, but service is so incredibly poor. When you have waited patiently for 15 minutes, then wave politely to get a bartender's attention and they still won't serve you...THEN, you walk out sans service and none of the door dudes even question why you are leaving so soon? Uh, yeah...see where the big poo reference comes in? This place can suck it. Twice is more chance than they deserved to get ignored both times. read more

Came across this nice bar. Loved the atmosphere in here. Great customer service the bartenders were attentive and nice. The music is great they play a lot of classic rock which I enjoy. It can get pretty crowded but other than that. Great place to hit up while in downtown portland. read more

Kelly's Olympian - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place is super rustic and has old motorcycles hanging from the ceiling. Great location downtown.

This is by far one of my favorite dives in Portland. My husband and I had our first date here and we had such a great time we decided to make it official and get married! We shot our engagement photos here and they were super nice to us about using their space - also we ended up meeting all of our friends here after our wedding reception and it was a BLAST! The bartenders here are great at what they do and don't take any crap, so misbehave at your own risk! I especially like the new music venue next door - it is a great space and its just dark enough. The food is solid bar food - with a great breakfast that they serve all day long (hallelujah!) My fav thing to order here is the black & blue, $5 for a very nice full shot of whiskey w/ a tall can of PBR...mmmhmmm - usually makes for a great night out! I LOVE this place - if you are a douche, please don't frequent as I really like the douche to cool person ratio as it is. Cool place, good food, great laid back ambiance. read more

One of my favorite spots in Portland. They have the best cheeseburger and salad! The daily special calls my name sometimes and then I have to make the hard decision on what to order. I love the motorcycle decor. Most of all I love how warm and welcoming the staff are. I like that they open early in the day so I can take an early lunch. I can usually find parking quickly, there is a smart park close by just in case. read more

Came here for the Urban Shaman, which was great. Though the doorman is a huge douche. He alone made a terrible impression for the place. After reading other reviews I'm surprised he's still there. I wasn't aware the door to the stage was immediately to your left when you go in. Walked out wondering if I was i the right the spot. Asked the door guy and he rudely reply's he don't know.. then when I was going back in I showed my ID but told him I had a stamp. He told me not to show my fucking id then.. really? I'm a sober and I guess overly compliant patron, but you're going to treat me like crap? I won't go back. Not to mention before any of this happened he tried to insinuate my husband had been drinking too much.. we had came directly from home to see the show- we were completely sober! After he asked my husband if he had been drinking 3 times and my husband replying no each time he let us in... I mean if your too busy for more guests just say that- don't insult potentially paying guests. To Lucia: none of my party had any to drink, we came for the show as I stated above. Real nice way of trying to deflect his being a jerk. Yes he was rude, and yes he made those comments. Based on the several reviews on here and Facebook of the doorman being this way, I'm sure people will get the picture. read more