Very cool spot with speakeasy-vibe. Love the high ceiling and murals inside. The ambience and energy is great. The Blackberry Cider was tasty but on the sweeter end. read more

Cool bar. Dark atmosphere, a few pool tables, and very high ceilings. Beers on tap were around $8 each. read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - Bar area. - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Very friendly bartenders with a fantastic bourbon selection/prices. Highly recommend for the ambiance too

This place is definitely a vibe. A great place to drink a pint or two and play pool or shuffle board. I really like the idea of counter service at a McMenamins. It takes the typically bad service out of the picture. I was bummed that they were out of the seasonal fries with Brie, but you can't go wrong with Cajun tots! read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - Feast for the eues6! - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Came for the passport stamps, stayed for the beer-battered cheese curds! Noice! My wife and I have been to a lot of McMenamins locations: we're fans of what they're about. What some would call gentrification, I would call resurrection - glory from the ashes. I know the Bagdad has been under the McMenamins umbrella for thirty-ish years, but it's not only a landmark, it's one of their best examples of their commitment to excellence and authenticity. The food and drinks are always solid here. Most McMenamins locations share a menu, or at least the heavy-hitters, so you know most of the major beats. While I'm not a beer drinker, their cocktails are usually great and priced reasonably. I enjoyed my (first ever!) negroni here, and my wife raved about the Pear Sidecar! And you're missing out if you've never ordered the Hammerhead BBQ Chicken Pizza! Sitting at a window table or on the sidewalk, enjoying a beverage while people watching (and hoo-boy, are there some characters here!), in one of my favorite neighborhoods (Hawthorne), in one of my favorite establishments, makes for a pretty great lazy Sunday! My only complaint this time around was that our waiter was a bit hard to find at times. I appeared he was saddled with serving too many tables at once, but he was friendly and personable, and I'm not faulting him for it. read more

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This is truly a unique experience and beyond gorgeous watering hole. I feel like most locals give Mcmenamins an eye roll but this place supersedes any and all speculation. The high ceilings, pool tables, and shuffle boards scattered throughout give you more than enough room to explore. The artwork is beautiful, the location is top notch, and the general aesthetic is so appealing, you are undoubtedly intended to have a good time! Hopefully, leaving in all smiles and possibly a few giggles. read more

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The skinny bar! Great space to chill with friends on a night out. With pool rooms and shuffle board, it's a great stop. The crowd tends to be younger and the service is slow (all McMenamins have slow service) but if you know this going in, you'll have a great time. Stop by next door to have a cigar or pop into see a movie. Also a close to a lot of other great finds! read more

I have three words and three words only: Ruby raspberry cheesecake. Other than that, in order for this to be long enough to post, they had great service anda fun atmosphere - the burger sliders were great too. Simple and good. read more

I used to love a couple blocks away from here but haven't been back for years. I went here before another event elsewhere to get back to the Backstage Bar behind this place. It's awesome! They redesigned it since I'd last been there but has great charm. They added pool tables and shuffleboard tables. The server there was really nice and friendly and got it being close to 5pm, there were only a few people on it. I had the best Aztec salad there and Moscow Mule! Compared to other locations this was the best! I'm really glad that i stopped back in here again. read more

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Had a great experience here the other night with coworkers. We went to the backstage part. It's down the side street along the building. You walk in on Sundays and go up to the counter and put your name down for a pool table. Pool tables are free on Sundays. They close at 11pm. Drinks are perfect. The white Rabbit wine is on point. Highly recommend. If you have big groups that want to play pool, highly recommend reserving the room upstairs on the left hand side as it's 100$ to reserve, otherwise when you get there go upstairs and go to the middle room that is free no reservations required, but definitely first come first served. read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - Pool table middle floor upstairs. - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Interesting cocktails and good service, but mediocre food. The ambiance was cozy on a cold autumn evening.

What a way to spend our first night here in Portland! Bookmarked this beautiful location because I like to play pool... I suck at it... but, I just wanna hear music, mingle w/ locals, eat, & drink. The reason why I wanted to come here is because of the beautiful photos I've seen on Yelp. And seeing my husband's reaction when we sat at the bar- was worth it! Adam, our initial bartender, chatted up with us. I knew a bit of the McMenamins history- being brothers & the story behind the actual liquor bar display being dismantled from it's original location in downtown- to being brought here. Adam continues on about how McMenamins basically being self sufficient in the liquor/ wine industry. The only liquors they do not make themselves is tequila & vodka. Although the beer list had the Edgefield Blackberry Cider printed on the menu- I was eager to try this! But, Strawberry Basil was and my gosh!! I helped myself to 3 pints... believe me- I was buzzing when the second pint came. But, good things are always a charm a third time around. I ordered the Brewmaster Steak bites (medium well), fries, & cheese ale fondue. $17.50-- Man!! The steak was flavorful, juicy, tender as f*ck. The fries were incredible- seriously couldn't stop raving about them- and I looove me some fries. That cheese ale fondue was thick & creamy- I dunked both steak bites & fries in it! Then, let me not forget the bottle of Portland Organic Ketchup!! *jaw drops* This has seriously gotta be the best f*cken ketchup ever. It's a bit tangy & the texture is a bit thick like tomato paste.... Oh, BTW-- Pool is free on Sunday!! read more

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Beer? Check. Pool Table? Check. Shuffle Board? Check. Happy Hour? Check. Good place to hangout and kick it. Drinks have great price at happy hour. You can get a $13 of some craft on tap beers. Establishment is clean but a bit dark. Good service. read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm going to give this place a review even though we didn't stay there. As you can tell from the pictures, that place is pretty neat. They have pool tables on two floors, big screen TV, and some other game I think it's some kind of Shuffle game or something. This place is huge, but not in area (limited seating) but in volume. They don't have a lot of seating area, but the ceiling is very very tall. Like all other McMenamins bars, they have cool murals on the walls. Part of the charm of this place is the fact that it's narrow and fairly dark. It feels like you're going into the dungeon, as you descend the stairs down to the bar. Because you know, what happens in the dungeon stays in the dungeon... Maybe one of these days we will get lucky and snag a table. read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - From here, you can see the top everyone's head... - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I can't believe I've never been to this place before. Normally I'm not a superfan of McMenamins because there's such a sameness across all of them. A friend had a birthday and managed to reserve one of the upstairs rooms with a pool table - for free! The room we had had multiple tables and chairs, and a booth in it, along with a TV. The controls for the music that's piped through the building could be adjusted - really nice that we had some control over our environment. There wasn't table service, we had to go downstairs to get drinks and put in food orders, but food was dropped by surprisingly quickly. The overall decor of this place is rather dark but it makes you feel like you fit in regardless of what you're wearing. The theme of my friend's birthday was more or less simple: get dressed up and have cocktails. This place made for some great pictures! This is also the place that I learned of a McMenamins menu item I wasn't previously aware of - scooby snacks. These are just mini corndogs, but holy crap they are delicious and when you're used to only finding burgers, fries and tater tots... :-) read more

When we were looking for a place to throw a company party, a coworker suggested the Backstage Bar. We did our due diligence around town but it was hard to find a place that met our needs as well as the Backstage Bar did. Management was really easy to get ahold of and to communicate with. We had set our date and later had to cancel, but they had no record of our reservation being set, which kind of worried me. However it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. Backstage Bar easily accommodated our group of 33 people in their up stairs areas. They reserved two rooms for us with multiple tables, tvs, and pool tables. I was impressed with how fast end friendly the service was and how 1 server was able to juggle all of the credit card transactions and bills without any issues. Our party had their drinks full practically the entire night. What impressed me most was that there was no food minimums or any deposit to rent the space. We will definitely be back for future small gatherings. I can't recommend this place enough. read more

As far as I'm concerned, Backstage is the best Mcmenamins experience in Portland. It's quaint, beautiful, fun, and the bartenders and waiters and waitresses are incredible. They have 2 shuffleboard tables and 2 pool tables. Serving all the food a normal McMenamins serve, which is very good. This place should be much more popular than it is! read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Cool environment, great drinks, great staff. Wait for pool tool forever tho since it was so busy. read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - View from upstairs - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Worst Margherita pizza I've hand in my life--strange red sauce, poor mozzarella, old basil.

I guess McMenamins is a local octopus, lots of different fingers in lots of different pies. They have a bottle shop on the NE side that is really quite good, wide selection and Lee, the lady who was there the day I went in was knowledgeable and exceedingly helpful. But I digress. This little place is a find. Treat yourself and eat inside. It doesn't feel like your typical American bar. Even with the COVID restrictions it felt much homier, like most pubs in Ireland. The beer selections were good, local micros, I had something called the Ghost Rabbit, I would not get that again parenthetically, my son had one of the Ice Axe IPA which I'm sorry I did not get.The burgers we're really good. Kiddo had the classic, I had the Spicy burger, and it was great. The fries were really good, the right size not over salted. I also had the salad with the raspberry vinaigrette. I recommend that, too. The service was ok, quick but distracted; we obviously weren't what was on the waiter's mind, but he was no worse nor better than average. People say pub food is pub food and it's the same the worlds. Folks, I've eaten pubs from one side of this world to the t'other, and there IS a difference, and I'll eat at the Backstage again. read more

Great bar when it's moderately empty, good layout, nice eye appeal. We love the shuffleboard and upstairs rooms. Although they have a very sizable big screen, the audio is TERRIBLE when sitting in the "balcony." Moreover, there are so few seats overall. In terms of food there's only one thing to get: the tater tots. read more

I am, once again, on a quest, a quest to see every McMenamins. Thats right every one from Bothell to Roseburg. Why? I am doing another passport. Another? Yes I have already been to all of them and there are a lot and most have lots of character and some they have tried to give character with varying success. This one is in the first category. Tucked behind the Bagdad theater this place is cool and has lots of McMenamins art and well done, What appear to be antiques. And really, really high ceilings (as a rule I don't talk about ceilings but these are I am guessing about 3 stories high and look higher.) Whenever I have been here the staff has been great and they have a good selection of games. Pinball and video is exiled to the entrance but the main bar has pool and shuffle board. The food is McMenamins standard with burgers, tater tots and such, that is to say it is good though nothing really special. Happy Hour is 3-6 and 10 to close has some good selections I had the happy hour burger which was good enough I wanted more (they weren't kidding about the mini...) So food 3 stars, space 5 stars, atmosphere 5 stars and staff 5 stars overall I rounded to 4 stars, read more

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Great vibe in this kickin bar which is tucked away slightly off the beaten-path that is Hawthorne. McMenamin's are always a good time, especially when you have pool tables and the tallest ceilings ever - which also means tall walls with cool murals painted on them. Taking a walk up the stairs near the entrance lands you in some smaller, more private rooms which are good if you have a big group that wants to sit together (or a private party). Overall expect friendly staff, not too much smoky-ness, and a bar full of that laid-back feel you crave after a long week. read more

The Back Stage Bar was once the actual backstage area to the Bagdad Theater as far back as 1927 when actual Vaudeville acts graced its stage. With some of the highest vaulted ceilings you could imagine, pool tables, little party rooms, and an exceptionally competent staff (especially for McMenamin's) the Back Stage is a unique spot to grab a drink with some friends. Just don't order any food... the food comes from the kitchen of the notoriously slow and yucky Bagdad Pub next door. McMenamin's... when will you ever get a clue??? Your food sucks!!! read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place is definitely worth checking out! Yeah, the average food and happy hour is the same as at the Bagdad, but this is one of the nicer late-night places on Hawthorne to get some pub grub, and more importantly play billiards on some really NICE tables! Pay by the hour for the quality felt (as opposed to free play at Hawhorne Hideaway), but it's well worth it if you haven't had so many PBRs that you're valuing a good game of cutthroat :-) The 3-story "backstage" area is beautifully renovated and allows for playing in number of more semi-private rooms if you don't want to hang out in the main hall. read more

One of our favorites places to stop for Happy hour and something to snack. We have been going here for many years read more

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I love the vibes here. The very very tall ceiling, the pool tables, the drinks, the location, the artwork, the pinball.

What a fantastic secret to stumble upon! Not that the Backstage bar is some sort of speak-easy; I just didn't know it existed, and I'd walked right past it a hundred times. Looks can be very deceiving, because from the outside, one would think this was some hole in the wall that seated maybe 30 people. However; upon stepping inside, there is a door which leads to the actual bar - and entering it is like walking the rough the armour door in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It was literally an explosion of a gigantic, 30 foot ceilinged room with chandeliers, pool tables and a large dining area. We came here after an event at the Echo theater, which does not sell alcohol - and being a McMenamins - I knew exactly what to order: a Ruby Red Ale. I'd already eaten but my friend ordered a rice bowl that was covered in avocado, which looked scrumptious. This place would also be a great hiding spot if a zombiepocalypse were to ever occur. lol read more

Fun place to play pool, get a couple drinks, and enjoy the big screen TV and incredibly tall ceilings. ~~AMBIANCE~~ Kind of like an industrial loft - a lot of the walls/ceilings are exposed so you see the piping, the main area has dark wood floors and brick walls, and the stairs winding up to the separate rooms remain in the main room so at the top of the stairs you get this great view of the whole bar from high above. We got to watch the Walking Dead while playing pool. It was about 8pm on a Sunday so it was chill, not too many people there, just a few minutes to get a pool table, and you could easily hear the dialogue on the TV. I liked seeing on the board.. they have Portlandia and (I believe) Project Runway showing nights! ~~DRINKS~~ No specialty cocktails but the general house ones - I got my standard Amaretto Sour and it was pretty strong. My friends enjoyed their beers. read more

Cajun tots - 4/5. Was definitely unsure when it was suggested to me by my friend, but they are delicious! Would have these again. Tuna Sandwich - 3/5. It's a tuna sandwich :] Tastes like what'd you expect. Wasn't planning for this to be an amazing sandwich, but it's A-OK read more

Can I just say this place is dope? The interior designers seriously did some awesome work here. I came here with a couple friends to watch the Portland Timbers play and they had a huge 19 foot screen to project the game onto. It was seriously awesome for sure. The beer was good and I'm always down for some happy hour Cajun Tots! Probably could improve the customer service game here a little but shuffleboard and billiards will do for now I guess read more

Stopped by to play some pool and ended up on the top floor where it was very hot and stuffy with no windows to open. The turkey sandwich was good, not great. The bar was amazing, the atmosphere was dark, the highlight was the Cajun tots OMG, worth a drop in just for these. read more

Awesome awesome. It's places like this make me love portland. Sky high ceilings flooded with neon fluorescent lights, every inch hand painted with something awesome. Quite a few pool tables and a new addition of a shuffle board. They also have viewings for popular shows such as walking dead and American horror story. I had a Bloody Mary. Extra spicy. And boy did she make it extra spicy. So good! read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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High, vaulted ceilings that echoes your voice if you occasionally let out a cheer or disappointing "aw" while watching the game or playing pool or shuffleboard. They have 4 official-size pool tables, which are completely free to use on Sundays, and 1 full-length table shuffleboard. They apparently have a projector set up that can display a big game on the wall, but it wasn't on while I was there. This place is a nice place to kick-back at after catching a movie at the neighboring MecMenamins Bagdad Theatre. Happy hours are twice a day and gives you great deals on their food (ie. cajun tots), but require that you buy a drink. Well, you're at a bar, so grabbing a drink shouldn't be too hard! I highly recommend ordering a Rubinator, a mix of their Terminator Stout and Ruby Ale. It creates a delicious brew that has the dark undertones with the smoothness of their ale. Delicious! read more

McMenamins Back Stage Bar - Pool Halls Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place is uber hip with ze uber games and such. You like pool? Me like pool. You like shuffle board? Me like shuffle and board! Drinks are $6-$7 for beer and wells, $9-$12 for cocktail. You want wine? Find ze other place outsider! No Californians allowed! Unless you wear local and support green, okay, you in. It's McMenamins so expect mildly poor and uninterested staff, and one excellent venue! read more

Had a very poor experience here on Saturday, September 7, about 5:30 PM. It wasn't very busy. We had a group of about 8 assembling. This is a group of people that meets once a year. When I walked in, the first two were seated and just being served drinks (they told me they had to go to the bar to get the server (a blond girl, didn't get her name) to give them any attention. I was standing right there as she brought them their drinks - she didn't say hello, ask me what I would like, or even acknowledge my existence. Soooo...I went over to the bar, where she then deliberately ignored me. Luckily, there was a gent with a beard (Spencer) who was on his game, politely and quickly showed me their brandy selection, and got it done. (The Longshot Brandy is good, btw). I didn't realize (my bad), but one now has to reserve the little rooms upstairs - we parked in one for a few minutes, and the same snippy blond girl told us she would have to kick us out by 7. Now, not having a rez, and having to move is all good - no problem, my issue. The problem was this girl's shyte attitude. I went down to ask her how it worked with the pool tables, stood there waiting for a few minutes while she talked with a friend, and finally politely interrupted her to ask. She acted annoyed, and grudgingly explained it. When she came upstairs, she said "I'm sorry" but really wasn't sorry, with no smile, no "sir", no "I'll help you find a bigger table." What she did say was "we're getting busy, so you'd better go find another table." I don't know whether anyone gave her a tip, but I hope not. Manager: It costs zero extra to hire polite, customer-oriented people, and to train them in basic customer service. Three stars for Spencer, and three for the decent brandy, but minus two for the nameless young lady who doesn't deserve the title "server" - total = one star. Won't darken your doorway again. read more

This place was an amazing place!! Loved it. Had a Good blue cheese burger. I can honestly say I was good and well..... buzzed by the time we stopped here so look forward to a updated review once I make my return read more

This is my favorite Portland bar. The ambiance is perfect for both groups and dates. I enjoy playing shuffleboard and sitting at the small bar table at the top of the stairs. They serve all the classic Mcmenamins fare, with a full bar. Service is usually friendly and quick, and the space is beautiful, unique, and comfortable. read more

Good food. A little dark from the restaurant atmosphere. Decent music in the background and the weather was nice with a cool breeze blowing through the open doors. Kinda a neat spot, but the service was rough. The waitress staff did not offer the specials or mention that happy hour was in fifteen minutes. When we all order drinks and apps, we asked for extra sauce and it came, eventually, with an attitude. When the specials were finally explained, there was a cool sounding drink. Three of us ordered it and it was ok. Definitely wasn't a bad drink but not worth $7.50 on special. Two of us got the el diabo chicken sand which and while it was a good chicken sand which, for $14 I would have expected a quality bun. The bun that came was dry and looked like it came out of bag from the grocery bread clearance cart- dry and crumbly. Disappointing. We've been to other McMenanins and this did not meet the standards others have set for us. Most likely we will not come back here. Overpriced and they under delivered on Sevice. read more

Oh, I FEEL for you, Backstage employees. Sometimes it can be downright PAINFUL to have to talk to people. All you wanted was a job where you could sling a few drinks, keep a low profile, and hide behind a movie theater. But your boss, Joe McMenamin, forgot to mention one important little fact. The customers. It must have been so surprising on your first night! You, just relaxing by yourself, sitting in a beautiful bar with 200 foot ceilings, studying the mural, maybe knocking around some billiards, when all of a sudden a person came in and ordered a drink! Who are these people? Why do they always want you to make them drinks and bring them food? Can't they see you were just starting to enjoy your privacy? So, I understand, I really do, when you forget to put the Terminator in the Terminator milkshake. IT HAPPENS. And instead of reblending the milkshake, you just offer a small glass of beer and suggest to pour it in and mix it by spoon. Why should you be bothered? It's not like waiting on people was part of your job description or anything! Also, thank you for giving up on our table of 6 after a while. We had no intentions of ever ordering another drink - how did you know? So PSYCHIC! Man, you've got it made, you really do. You've got a job at a McMenamins! The beer/restaurant/hotel conglomerate of the Northwest! And not just any McMenamins - the one with the tall ceilings and full size pool tables! Keep up the good work! Hopefully, for your sake, your lack of care and service for those people ordering drinks will eventually deter them from coming. And then maybe you can finally get some peace and quiet. read more